Procurement

HHMI’s Procurement Department efficiently and cost-effectively procures the goods and services needed for HHMI’s programmatic and administrative functions.

The department endeavors to obtain the best mix of price, quality, execution, and service and to avoid becoming too dependent on any one source of critical goods and services. Decisions are made about supplier qualification based on these criteria. The department periodically reviews its supplier relationships to determine whether existing suppliers continue to satisfy these overall objectives. HHMI does not discriminate in supplier selection on the basis of age, race, religion, gender, national origin, disability, status as a US veteran, sexual orientation, or any otherwise unlawful use of characteristics of a supplier or a supplier’s employees or owners.

If you have questions regarding the Institute's procurement programs or the location of the nearest HHMI office, call 301.215.8977 or email procurement@hhmi.org.

Supplier/Payee Registration Form

Individuals and entities that will receive payments or expense reimbursements from HHMI, in connection with the provision of goods or services to HHMI, should complete the registration form if they have not done business with HHMI before or want to update or make changes to their existing information. This information is validated by HHMI's Procurement department before being entered into the Institute's processing systems.

• Enter Supplier/Payee Registration Info

Questions on how to complete the registration form should be directed to supmaint@hhmi.org or 301.215.8776.

Invoices and Payments

The standard payment term for HHMI is Net 30 unless otherwise agreed by HHMI. All invoices should be sent to ap@hhmi.org as a PDF, unless otherwise directed by HHMI. Each invoice should contain:

• Purchase order number, if applicable
• HHMI contact name if a purchase order was not issued
• Invoice date
• Supplier invoice number
• Supplier complete name and remittance address
• Complete description of goods/services delivered
• Quantity delivered
• Unit price and extensions 
• Payment term if different from HHMI standard and agreed to by HHMI's Procurement Department in advance

Payment delays may occur if the invoice omits any of the above information or lists a price that is not the same as the agreed-upon price at the time of purchase. If the applicable purchase order number does not appear on the invoice, the invoice will be rejected.

HHMI’s preferred method of payment is via automated clearing house (ACH) or electronic funds transfer (EFT). Suppliers and payees can sign up for EFT payments by completing the appropriate section in the Supplier/Payee registration form.

To check on the status of an invoice or payment, use our Ask AP system or email askap@hhmi.org.

Sales and Use Tax

HHMI has nexus (physical presence) in 25 states. The Institute is exempt from sales and use tax in most states where it conducts business, including the following 18 states:

STATE EXEMPTIONS

• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Florida
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Missouri
• New Jersey
• New York
• Ohio
• Pennsylvania
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia
• Wisconsin

Note: the Institute has physical presence in Oregon; however, there is no sales tax in this state.

The Institute has physical presence in the following seven states (and localities), where it is required to pay sales and use tax:

STATES NOT EXEMPT FROM SALES AND USE TAX

• California (Alameda, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Diego, San Francisco, Riverside, and Yolo counties)
• Georgia
• Iowa
• North Carolina
• Utah
• Washington

Tax Exemption Certificates or Questions

To obtain a sales tax exemption certificate for a purchase, contact the Procurement Department at procurement@hhmi.org.

Send tax-related questions, including questions with regards to HHMI-issued 1099 forms, to taxdept@hhmi.org.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Tax Notification

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that HHMI obtain a taxpayer identification number (TIN) from vendors – either a social security number, an individual taxpayer identification number, or an employer identification number – prior to making any payment for goods or services.

Vendors must also provide HHMI with a signed IRS Form W-9 or complete and submit the online HHMI Supplier Registration form before payment can be made. Without a TIN on file, HHMI will be required to apply backup withholding to payments at the current rate of 28 percent.

The following payees are exempt from backup withholding:

Organizations exempt from tax under section 501(a), any IRA, or a custodial account under section 403(b)(7) if the account satisfies the requirements of section 401(f)(2)

• The United States and all of its agencies or instrumentalities
• US states; the District of Columbia; and possessions of the United States and any of their political subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities
• Foreign governments and their political subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities
• International organizations and their agencies or instrumentalities

The following payees may be exempt from backup withholding:

• Corporations
• Foreign central banks of issue
• Dealers in securities or commodities required to register in the United States, the District of Columbia, or a possession of the United States
• Futures commission merchants registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission
• Real estate investment trusts
• Entities registered at all times during the tax year under the Investment Company Act of 1940
• Common trust funds operated by banks under section 584(a)
• Financial institutions
• Middlemen known in the investment community as nominees or custodians
• Trusts exempt from tax under section 664 or described in section 4947