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Complete information on RFPs at MIT can be found at https://vpf.mit.edu/request-a-reimbursement. (VPF links may need to be accessed twice to load the correct page. Please make sure you are signed in). Additionally, MIT provides a free, self-paced online training on RFPs in the Atlas Learning Center.

Step 1 - Determine if you should really be using the RFP system or something else

Figuring out when to use the RFP system can be tricky. RFPs (Request for Payment) can be used to reimburse expenses paid out of pocket, to make payments to visiting speakers, or to make small, infrequent payments to suppliers who don't accept the Procurement card (see footnotes 2 & 5).

We’ve made a handy chart to help you figure out when to submit an RFP, and when you should use a different system instead (see below the chart for notes):

For:	Submit an RFP!	Use a different system instead
Local trips in the Cambridge and Greater Boston area (1*)	✅	✅ (Concur - either is fine!)
Local parking expenses	✅	✅ (Concur - either is fine!)
Entertainment involving local travel (such as rentals and transportation for events like bowling, escape rooms, and non-overnight retreats)	✅	✅ (Concur - either is fine!)
All other forms of travel that do not fall into the above scenarios	❌	Concur
Reimbursement for expenses incurred for MIT business	✅
Payments to suppliers under $500 (2*)	✅
Cash Prizes/Awards for MIT employees or students	❌	Payroll
Cash Prizes/Awards for temp employees or those not affiliated with MIT	✅
Honoraria for MIT employees or students (3*)	❌	Payroll
Honoraria for temp employees or those not affiliated with MIT (3*)	✅
Payment for Services for MIT employees and students	❌	Payroll (4*)
Payment for Services for temp employees and those not affiliated with MIT	❌	Coupa PO/Buy2Pay (5*)

Ride sharing services and taxis should use the g/l account 421600 — Trucking and Automotive

Only a maximum of $500 in payments can be made to a given supplier per calendar year when using the RFP system. Payments above $500 to vendors should be resolved with Coupa/Buy2Pay, or using the p-card, depending on the item and dollar amount.

Honoraria may be approved for any dollar amount.

Additional payment to MIT persons rarely allowed but must be processed as payroll if approved.

Payments of less than $500 may be processed on RFP, as long as total payments to the supplier/person from all MIT accounts does not exceed $500 in a calendar year.

Step 2 - Locate the RFP system

Once you’ve decided the RFP system is the right one for you, here’s how to go about locating it and getting started:

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If you do not see these options below, you can click on Edit in the top righthand corner of the Menu bar and search for these options (such as Reimbursement or Request a Reimbursement for Me).

Requesting reimbursement for yourself:

Go to https://atlas.mit.edu and click My Reimbursements > Request a Reimbursement for Me

Requesting reimbursement for someone else:

Go to https://atlas.mit.edu and click Manage Reimbursements > Reimbursement

If requesting reimbursement for someone else:

Who is MIT affiliated

Select MIT. Search for the payee’s name and then click the appropriate search result.

Who is not MIT affiliated

Select Non-MIT. You will be brought to a screen that says No results found: Continue. Click this and you can continue entering details in the next screen

Step 3 - Provide details about the purchase

1. Complete all asterisked fields. All of these are required—incomplete fields will prevent your RFP from being approved:

Date of service: The date purchase was made

G/L Account: The appropriate general ledger account that categorizes the type of purchase. See Commonly used GLs if you need a list, but keep in mind there are some not allowed for research accounts. See below for rules regarding alcohol, food, and entertainment purchases.

Cost Object: The account being charged. If unsure, please ask. Do not leave blank. See below for specific rules for research accounts.

Amount: The amount of the transaction, with taxes removed (except for certain business meetings). See below for rules regarding foreign currencies.

Explanation: A short justification for what the purchase is and why it was purchased.

2. RFPs using the g/l for meetings and entertainment will additionally ask for these fields, also required:

Agenda/Topic of Discussion

Location of Meeting

Number of MIT Students

Number of MIT Employees

Number of Other Attendees

3. Complete the answers in the Explanation field of the form. To add another transaction, click on Add Line.

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RFPs require each transaction to be on its own individual line, even if the transaction shares a date or dollar amount with another from a different vendor. You may group transactions into one line if the transactions all share the same date of purchase, use the same g/l, have the same justification, and will be charged to the same cost object. All of these items must be shared to be grouped; otherwise, an RFP should be completed as in the examples below. However, multiple transactions should not be grouped on one line if they do not fit the above requirements. For these, use the Add Line button.

Mailing Address

If the person seeking reimbursement has not setup direct deposit or is not MIT affiliated, this section will show up above the Line Item section. You have the option to mail the check to a provided address, or to deliver the check to an MIT address. Fill in these details as desired.

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Sometimes the Atlas system glitches out and shows this box even if the person is MIT affiliated and has direct deposit turned on. Close the tab and navigate back to this screen and this box should clear.

Alcohol Purchases 🍻

All purchases of alcohol must be separated out, summed up, and given its own line using the g/l for Alcohol — 421205.

No need to create an entirely new RFP; simply use the Add Line button detailed above.

Charging research accounts with g/ls related to meetings, food, and events (421000, 421200, 421205, & 420166)

For expenses for a meeting (including food and beverages) to be allowable on a federal award, the meeting’s primary purpose must be the dissemination of technical information beyond MIT, and it must be necessary for successful performance of the award. Events like group dinners, for example, are not allowed on research and should be charged on a discretionary account. Here is a full list of G/Ls that are not allowable on research accounts (except for rare cases in which the sponsor allows for it).

MIT’s policy on this can also be found on the Research Administration Services’ website.

RFPs in a foreign currency

All RFPs must be entered in USD.

Purchases in a foreign currency must include historical exchange rate information, such as from xe.com, that shows the currency conversion for the date of purchase. Attaching a screenshot or other document displaying this information uploaded to the RFP is sufficient.

Examples of correctly completed RFPs:

Step 4 - Attach required receipts

Click on Save and Continue at the bottom of the screen, where you will then be prompted to attach a receipt or a missing receipt affidavit if no receipt is available. Select a file with Choose File, then confirm the selection with Attach. Files larger than 2MB will not attach.

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Receipts or missing receipt affidavits are required. Always requiring receipts with the dollar amount of the transaction, or completing missing receipt affidavits, is how MIT manages risk. Missing receipt affidavits must be signed by the payee regardless of dollar amount.

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If you don’t click Attach, or if the file is larger than 2MB, it will not be attached!

Step 5 - Send your RFP for approval

Click Send to.

On the following screen, input the first and last name for the department RFP approver to submit your RFP for approval.

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Employees should send RFPs to the current approver for DMSE, Soren Henry. (swhen@mit.edu) For events sponsored by the academic office, students should send their RFPs to someone from that office. In all other cases, they should send their RFPs to the approver named above.

Click Send when done.

Step 6 - If there was an issue with approving your RFP

If there was an issue with approving your RFP:

It will be sent back to you for correcting. RFPs returned to you for correction will look like this in your email inbox:

Please click the link in this email to view the RFP to see the comments at the top of the page to see why it was returned and what needs to be corrected.

Should you receive an automated reply:

The person you have forwarded your RFP to is most likely away and will not be able to review your RFP until they return. If the RFP approval is urgent, please follow the instructions in their autoresponder to know who best to forward your RFP to. To do so, open your RFP and send it to the requested person using the instructions in Step 5 above.

Step 7 - See if your RFP was paid or approved

See How do I check the status or location of my RFP? for details.

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Depending on how you check on your RFP, you may potentially prevent it from being approved. Using the instructions above prevents this.

⚡ That’s it!

RFPs will generally be reviewed within 2-3 business days, after which they are sent to the central accounts payable office for final approval. Payees will receive an email when the RFP has been approved by the central office.

How do I submit an RFP?