Food Services

Contracting Out for Catering Services

The University of California is committed to maintaining a strong in-house workforce and supporting living wages and benefits for employees. To reinforce this commitment, in 2019 the UC Board of Regents implemented Regents Policy 5402: Policy Generally Prohibiting Contracting for Services, which generally prohibits the contracting out of covered services. Contracting for services where work is traditionally performed by UC employees is generally prohibited and can only be allowed under very narrowly defined circumstances consistent with UC principles, applicable laws and collective bargaining agreements.

As such, contracts that include covered services will only be allowed sparingly and will require demonstration that all other options to utilize UC Merced staff have been exhausted.

Furthermore, Article 5 of the UC-AFSCME (SX-Service & EX-Patient Care Technical) labor agreements reinforces, and in some cases go beyond, the Regents Policy. Article 5 of the AFSCME collective bargaining agreement takes precedence over the Regents Policy, and the information on this website reflects that.

Information Below:

• At A Glance

• Food Services | Approved Local Vendors for Drop-and-Go Delivery

• UC Merced Catering Services

At A Glance

Departments, student groups, or individuals may not hire or reimburse non-UC entities for services traditionally performed by AFSCME-represented staff. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Custodial/janitorial services
• Food preparation and service (e.g., onsite catering, including food trucks or coffee carts)
• Groundskeeping and landscaping
• Facilities support or maintenance work

Reimbursements will not be approved for services performed by outside vendors that fall within the scope of work covered by AFSCME-represented employees.

Why This Matters

• Legal Compliance: Outside vendors are subject to the same wage and benefit parity requirements outlined in Regents Policy 5402 and California Senate Bill 27 (SB 27).
• Liability Risk: Unauthorized contracting of outside vendors may lead to civil penalties, audit findings, or other legal consequences—for both the university and the individual or department involved.
• Required Reporting: Any covered service must be processed through the AgileOne system, including tracking of hours and assignment information, to ensure transparency and compliance. This is reported up to the Office of the President and California state offices.

Reimbursement Guidelines

• Out-of-pocket payments for these covered services will be denied, as informed by UC systemwide contracting policies and California Senate Bill 27 (SB 27)
• This applies to reimbursement requests, P-Card and T&E transactions, and direct vendor payments.

Food Services 

What You Should Know

Full-Service Catering consists of:

• Menu options and food preparation;
• Dining set-up: tablecloths, chafing dishes, serving utensils, plates, napkins, etc.;
• Food service: serve food from buffet, tableside, or tray; and
• Clean Up: take away all food service-related items when the event has concluded;

The following options are not considered full-service catering and are permissible alternatives to full-service catering or contracting out:

• Takeout: food is picked up from an off-site restaurant or food provider.
• Delivery: food is delivered by an off-site restaurant or food provider and dropped off on campus. No set-up is involved.

What Should You Do

• Use UC Merced’s Lakeside Catering for all on-campus catering needs.

  • To ensure compliance with Regents Policy 5402 and AFSCME Article 5, events at a UC Merced owned or leased facility requiring full-service catering must secure services through UC Merced Lakeside Catering Services. If UC Merced Catering is unable to provide the required services, and the department has considered and exhausted all other staffing options, the department may initiate the Contracting Out Justification Form (COJF).
• Never engage an outside vendor for any AFSCME-covered work without contacting Procurement & Contracting Services first.
  • ​Email: procurement@ucmerced.edu
• For drop-and-go food delivery, order only from the following pre-vetted local vendors:

Approved Local Vendors for Drop-and-Go Food Delivery

Note: Drop-and-go food delivery is not the same as catering. If someone is preparing, serving, or staffing the food on-site - that is catering, and such services must go through UC Merced’s Lakeside Catering.

Examples

Catering Services

If UC Merced Catering Services is unable to fulfill your request for full-service catering, the department may initiate the Contracting Out Justification Form (COJF). The COJF must include written confirmation that Catering Services is unable to provide the services request.