• The consultant firm/individual must be able to utilize his/her/its own expenses until reimbursement is provided. DePaul University does not pay advances to consultants.
  
  
• The consultant firm/individual must have the capacity to assemble documentation for reimbursement (receipts, etc.) and prepare an invoice to DePaul.
  
  
• Procurement for consultant services is subject to the policies of competition established by DePaul University. This means that consultant services anticipated to exceed $25,000 require three quotes.
  
  
• The Principal Investigator must have no conflict of interest with the party to be engaged and compensated. Basically this means that a Principal Investigator is prohibited from utilizing the services of an organization in which he/she has a financial interest or an individual who is a family member. The detailed DePaul University policy on the issue can be viewed here.
  
  
• If the consultant is from the United States, individuals must have a social security number and firms must have a Taxpayer Identification Number.
  
  
• If the consultant to be engaged is from outside the United States, several steps must be undertaken before the work begins so that compensation and reimbursement can be processed:
  
  

  Ensure that the international visitor has a valid social security or ITIN number before entering the United States. If the consultant has an ITIN number, the department needs to send the international visitor an 8233 form which they can obtain from the Payroll or Payment Office. The 8233 form is required to be completely filled out, and a copy of the passport and visa must be forwarded to the Payroll or Payment Office before the international visitor arrives in the United States If the consultant has no ITIN number, he/she can obtain one from the US Embassy in their country prior to departure. International visitors should check with the United States Embassy in their country for advise on processing time, in order to ensure that they will have the necessary documents upon arrival in the United States. In the event the consultant is unable to obtain a ITIN number from the embassy, they will have to fill out a W-7 form and submit it to the Payroll Office for processing. There is a thirty day verification period before they will be considered for processing for an ITIN by the Social Security Administration, and processing this may take as long as sixty to ninety days. Therefore it is much better to obtain an ITIN number before coming to the United States. The P.I. must also complete and submit a "Foreign National Information Form" available at the Payroll department in Financial Affairs. In the event that travel costs are to be reimbursed to the consultant, the Principal Investigator must ensure that the consultant is traveling in a manner compliant with the Fly-America Act. If the reimbursement is coming from a federal source and the consultant did not utilize an existing U.S. Flag airline, the expense will be considered unallowable and will not be reimbursed from the grant account.

• The scope of work to be done
• Deliverables to be submitted
• Either fixed amount to be paid, or a rate not to exceed a certain amount
• Method of payment (monthly, lump sum, upon submission of deliverable, etc.)

• On letterhead if from an incorporated entity.
• The individual's Social Security Number (or ITIN) or the corporation's Taxpayer Identification Number.
• For compensation, a brief description of the services provided
• For reimbursement, an itemization of the expenses and original receipts as supporting documentation.
• Payment instructions, preferably an address to mail the check. Bank account information for electronic funds transfer is also acceptable.

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