You may have heard about Certificates of Insurance (COI) in connection with procurement contract requirements. A COI, in simple terms, is a document issued by an insurance company that verifies the existence and details of an insurance policy, such as coverage types, limits, and effective dates. With that said, it is worth noting that UMass is responsible for submitting proof of insurance in certain cases, and these requests are processed through the President’s Office Treasurer’s Office. Because these requests have varying requirements and processing times depending on the type of insurance and contract involved, we want to highlight four scenarios in which you may need to engage with UMPO regarding insurance and the appropriate steps to take in each situation.
Auto Rentals for Travel – Proof of Auto Insurance
Are you or someone in your department renting a vehicle for university business? Rental companies often request proof that the University has liability coverage for the rental. The good news is that providing proof of auto insurance does not require a full Certificate of Insurance or any additional processing time! Instead, you can easily download a PDF copy of the most current proof of auto insurance from the Auto Insurance & Rental Vehicle Information page on the Insurance portal. Visit the Rental Vehicle tab on that page, located below the section detailing the University’s Auto Liability Coverage.
Off-campus Event Planning and University Liability Requests
If you're organizing an off-campus event or another service involving university liability, please note that the University may need proof of our liability insurance coverage as part of the planning process. Our insurance broker can issue proof of insurance in the form of a Certificate of Insurance (COI). While you can request a new COI through the President’s Office Insurance Portal, we encourage you to plan ahead and anticipate any additional steps needed after a contract is executed. Please allow at least one week for your COI request to be processed, ensuring our broker has sufficient time to send you a digital copy of UMass’ COI to fulfill contractual requirements.
Single Contract COI Renewal Requests
If you work with a supplier who mentioned that your COI expires during the contract period, don't worry! While a contract can begin anytime, most of our system-wide insurance policies start and are renewed on May 1 each year. Any COI requested between now and May 1, 2025, will cover the policy year from May 1, 2024, to May 1, 2025. Any requests made after May 1 will reflect the new policy year, covering May 1, 2025, to May 1, 2026. Therefore, if you receive COI requests from suppliers, our broker will not issue a new one until the new policy year is in effect.
Receiving the new COI may take up to two weeks after the May 1 renewal. If you have not received it by May 15, please contact Josh Tucker, UMass Insurance Risk Analyst (jmtucker@umassp.edu) at the President’s Office. Additionally, please ensure that your supplier maintains their insurance coverage in accordance with their contract.
Multi-Year Contract COI Renewals
If your supplier is part of a multi-year contract that requires annual renewal, the UMass insurance broker keeps a list of suppliers needing renewals, which is managed automatically. If you want to confirm that your supplier is on this list, please contact Josh Tucker, UMass Insurance Risk Analyst (jmtucker@umassp.edu) at the President’s Office. Suppliers on the list will automatically receive an updated COI each year when our insurance policies are renewed. While you can still request a COI as needed, providing a copy of your current COI and informing us about your multi-year contract can help streamline this process. Like the one-time requests, it may take up to two weeks after the May 1st renewal to receive the new certificate of insurance, but rest assured that University coverage will remain in effect.
We appreciate your attention to planning ahead and utilizing the resources available on our website. As always, we welcome your feedback and suggestions.