Purchasing

Basics

The UCSC campus uses a FOAPAL system to purchase goods and services both on and off campus.

• Your research accountant will assign your 1st FOAPAL upon arrival. This is attached to your start-up funds. Your accountant will share this number with you, and will create more FOAPALs for you in the future.

• Below is an example of a FOAPAL, and how to interpret the different numbers:

• FOAPAL: 19900-432100-BISUJB

• Fund: 19900 (a 5 digit code that designates the source of the funds)

• Organization: 432100 (a 6 digit code specific to your start-up)

• Activity Code: BISUCN (specific to you, BI=Biology SU=Start-Up CN=C.Niblett)

Accounts codes describe the type of commodity, such as 000810 for lab supplies, 001260 for Misc. Services, and 007010 for inventorial equipment. These are typically assigned by your accountant on a purchase by purchase basis, so when making a purchase simply include the Fund, Org and Activity.

Purchases can be made through CruzBuy, UCSC's application for purchasing goods and services.