In our continued efforts to support our partners, we have implemented a community catering program where we partner with local businesses for our catering needs.

catering table

 

Catering Requirements:

  • Georgia Tech Procurement System vendor registration must be completed two weeks prior to any event (if this is the first time you have catered for Georgia Tech).
  • Event menu must be finalized at least two weeks prior to the event.
  • A final quote should be provided no later than one week prior to the event for a Purchase Order to be issued by Georgia Tech.
  • Caterers should review and follow Georgia Tech's institute guidelines for catering.  Please note, this includes a $600 limit for caterers not listed in Georgia Tech's list of approved caterers.

Questions?  Please reach out to Anna Tinoco-Santiago. 

Hosting a Sustainable Event:

We are a culturally welcoming and evidence-based office, committed to both creating a big tent for sustainability engagement and adhering to practices that reduce our environmental impact.  To meet these goals, we do our best to follow these guidelines for catered events:  

  • Always have an array of items for different dietary needs. We recommend:
    • Vegan and/or vegetarian options for bothmain and side dishes (50% of the menu)
    • Gluten free options (10% of the menu)
    • Grain free options (at least 10% of the menu)
    • All food should be nut-free
    • Whole, minimally-processed foods
    • Organic, seasonal, and/or locally produces (grown within 500 miles of campus) foods (as much as possible
  • Caterers should provide labels for all food items with the name of the food, and an indication of whether the item is gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, nut-free, etc.  If a community caterer does not have food labels, SCoRE can make labels using these reusable catering labels.
  • Drinking water and other drinks should be provided for all guests, in pitchers or large bottles/jugs.  We do our best to avoid serving individual bottles or cans of any kind.
  • We also avoid boxed meals as much as possible. When they are necessary, we provide the boxes and trays of food and invite guests to fill them themselves, to avoid food waste.
  • We prefer that caterers provide compostable plates and flatware when possible.
  • We always provide compostable takeout containers for every event and encourage people to take home leftover food to reduce food waste.
  • When events are completed, we will put out a call to students to come take the leftover food.

If the event will be hosted on campus at the Kendeda Building, the Kendeda Building Catering Guidelines and Policy should also be followed.

Steps to Be Completed:

  • Discuss catering details with appropriate SCoRE personnel (menu items, location, date, arrival time, etc.)
  • Make sure vendor registration is complete and accurate in order to receive payment in a timely manner.  Please see Registering in the Vendor System below.
  • Confirm catering details two days before the event (menu items, location, date, arrival time, etc.)

Please note: Georgia Tech is a net 30 institution, which means that while we can start processing your payment the day of the event (with a final invoice), the payment process can take up to 30 days before final payment is sent out.  These is a University System of Georgia policy and no deposits can be provided up front.  If you are in agreement with this payment policy, please proceed to the next step to register in the Georgia Tech Procurement System if you have not already done so.

Registering in the Vendor System:

Please follow the registration steps below.  We are unable to begin the process to issue a purchase order or submit an invoice for payment until your vendor registration is approved and you are listed in the procurement system. Please note that you only have to do this once!  If you or your organization has received payment in the past form Georgia Tech, we will confirm that you are still listed as a supplier and whether your profile needs to be updated in any way.

Step 1: Registering in the Georgia Tech Procurement System

  • Decide whether you want to receive your payment as either:
    • Yourself as an individual (NOTE: Registering as an individual results in a slightly faster confirmation turn around), OR
    • A payment to your organization
  • Complete the online registration for you or your organization in the Georgia Tech Procurement System as a supplier:
    • If you are requesting payment for yourself, YOU need to be listed in the system as a supplier.  If you are requesting payment for your organization, your organization needs to be listed as a supplier.
    • The person registering as a supplier (whether for self or organization) must choose an appropriate category for the type of services rendered. 
    • If completing the supplier registration process as an individual, you will need to use your social security number (SSN) in place of a Tax ID number in the required field.

For more detailed guidance on the registration process and system, please refer to these instructions.  NOTE: Please save the confirmation email you receive from Georgia Tech for your records.  If you don't receive email confirmation, you are not registered and you will be prompted to return to the portal to correct/complete the process.  When you receive that confirmation email, please forward it to Anna Tinoco-Santiago.

Additional note:  The mailing address you provide for yourself or for your organization is the mailing address that Georgia Tech will use to direct your check.  Please be sure to use a mailing address that is secure and is monitored.  Georgia Tech does offer a direct deposit option to registered vendors, but this is only available to organizations/businesses and not for individuals.

Step 2: Payment Processing

Once your profile has been submitted and approved, please complete the following so that your payment can be processed in a timely manner:

  • Regardless of whether you are being paid as an organization or an individual, please submit a quote for services at least one week prior to your date of service.  This should be submitted on letterhead.  If your organization does not have letterhead, please ensure that the name of your organization or your name is on your quote and your final statement or invoice.  The "remit to" address on the quote/invoice also needs to match the address on your vendor profile in the GT system.  NOTE: If you would like, you may submit your quote and invoice at the same time.  They can be identical documents, except for the words "quote" and "invoice."

As noted above, payment is typically processed within 30 days from the date of service.  If that time has elapsed and no payment has been received, please contact Kristina Chatfield or Anna Tinoco-Santiago so we can follow up with the procurement office.

Recommended Community Caterers:

Sparrows Kitchen

Contact: Moses "MJ" Sands, Jr.

Phone: (678) 755-4313

Email: sparrows@chefmj.org

 

 

 

Contact: Chef Neetskeeyah/Deborah Yungai

Email: dyungai@yahoo.com

We do our best to promote our community caterers' businesses.  At every event, we put out a sign by the catering with their information.  We also share information about our Community Catering Program during opening remarks and, when possible, introduce the caterer and have them share a few words with attendees.

Want to see our full list of community caterers? Have a community caterer that you love and recommend?  Please reach out to Anna Tinoco-Santiago !