Outside Vendor Catering Program

The University of Alabama has implemented a program for caterers who meet certain requirements and are willing to operate within the terms of an agreement.  This agreement is not a guarantee of business.  However, it is necessary to be eligible for consideration for any catered events.  This program is not an attempt to limit the number of caterers available to the UA community but instead aims to insure the health and safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors.

Once approved, UA will require updated license and insurance information upon expiration of the information on file along with an annual update of Health Department inspections.
For the purposes of this program, a “caterer” is a business operating from a permitted food service establishment who contracts with a UA department to provide a predetermined type and quantity of food at a specified site.  The site is not the premises of the food establishment.  The site and event are not open to the general public. If someone from a UA Department is picking up the food (and it is not delivered by the restaurant), it is not considered catering and does not need to be an approved caterer.

In order to provide catering services at any UA facility or grounds and at any UA sponsored off-campus event, caterers must be approved through our Outside Vendor Catering Program.  This requirement applies regardless of whether the event is funded by public funds or is funded by foundation or private funds.

The Outside Vendor Catering Agreement is not a contract for the delivery of food and beverage catering services to UA. The caterer’s engagement to cater a UA event and the specific terms and conditions for that event must be separately contracted in a written agreement that is signed by an authorize UA official. The Outside Vendor Catering Agreement does not obligate UA in any way to hire or engage the caterer’s services.

Before completing the application, please carefully review the Outside Vendor Catering Agreement. 

After reviewing the agreement, please complete the Outside Vendor Catering Program Application.

Also review a sample of the required certificate of insurance.

You will need to register as a vendor with Accounts Payable.

A Catering Event Details and Quote Sheet form should be completed for every event.

The signed agreement and all other documents can be scanned and sent to us by email.

If you have questions about the program, please visit the “Questions and Answers” page.  If you would like to discuss this program with a UA Risk Management professional, please contact Kaci Blue, Risk Control and Claims Analyst. Her email is kritchie@ua.edu and her office telephone number is 205-348-0395.