About Contracts

What is a contract?

The majority of interactions with external third parties will require a contract, whether it is research or service related activities.  The Contracts Team will provide legal advice, negotiate and put an appropriate agreement in place, to formalise the arrangements.

• A contract is a legally binding agreement that clearly sets out the rights and obligations of the parties, formalising the relationship with external parties around an activity;
• Contracts are entered into with a wide range of external bodies including other universities, companies, government departments and agencies, charities and individuals.
• All contracts are made with The University of Manchester as the legal entity.
• Only certain individuals have authority to sign the contract on behalf of the University, the Contracts Team will manage the signature process for you.

The Contracts Team is responsible for negotiating and authorising many different types of contracts with external parties including research agreements, consultancies, studentships, clinical trials, multi-party collaborations, the exchange of confidential information, datasets, research tools and materials.