Supplier Frequently Asked Questions

What is the next step after I register?

Once you have registered and your information is verified, your profile will be available to all of our procurement professionals worldwide. Due to the volume of inquires we receive you will NOT be contacted until a P2P buying professional matches one of our current needs with your offerings.

Which forms are needed for the New Supplier Registration?

US individuals and organizations complete the online registration through PaymentWorks, attaching a current IRS W-9 and MFA ACH form Organizations and individuals outside the US submit a completed Supplier Registration Form and current IRS form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E to isupply@mfa.gwu.edu prior to doing business with the MFA. Please visit the New Supplier Registration page for more information.

What if I am already a supplier?

We ask that you ensure your data is correct and up-to-date. As this is a global database, it is important that your vendor profile is accurate so that projects and/or divisions within the MFA that may not be familiar with your company are presented with the best information.

What is the Worker Classification Review Form (WCF) and who fills out the form?

The WCF determines whether an individual should be paid as an employee or as an independent contractor based on IRS guidelines. The department engaging the individual’s services is responsible for completing the form and submitting to the Tax Department for review prior to the individual being engaged and services performed. When approved, the form accompanies all other vendor registration documents. When not approved, the department should work with Human Resources to pay as an employee.

How do I update my supplier profile?

Existing suppliers should manage their organization’s banking and address information through PaymentWorks. For additional assistance, call the iSupplyMFA hotline at (571)553-0300 or email isupply@mfa.gwu.edu.

How can I get in touch with a buyer to discuss a product or service my company offers?

Due to the large volume of inquiries we receive, we do not provide direct phone numbers or email addresses of our purchasing organization. Instead, we use the Supplier Database as a means of routing information to one or more of our purchasing managers by product category. If you have a product or service you would like to introduce to the MFA, please register with us in the prospective Supplier Database and include any relevant brochures or attachments. When your registration is complete, your company information will be made available to all procurement professionals within the MFA.

How do I check payment status?

Payments can be viewed through your PaymentWorks login.

Can I be notified when a payment is processed?

Yes. As part of your registration you can add multiple email addresses to send remittance advice. 

I am a certified minority-owned, women-owned, or disabled veteran-owned vendor. How can I do business with the MFA?

All prospective suppliers use the same process to register with the MFA. The registration form captures diversity status and the information is made available to our P2P buying team.

If I am a Small Business do I have to be certified to do business with the MFA?

No, however you may not be eligible to claim various small business subcategories without having proper certification.

What are some things that can keep me from registering?

In order to submit your information, you must fill out all the required questions.

I am a current supplier for the MFA and I received a letter asking me to fill out or update my supplier registration profile. Why am I being asked to do this?

If you are currently doing business with the MFA, we will periodically request that you update your company's profile to make sure we have the most up-to-date information. We will periodically request inactive suppliers to log in and update their profile.

Can I look at other vendors' data?

No, all information is secure and is only available to the Procure-to-Pay Buyers.

What do I do if I tried registering and my company is already registered?

Please contact the person who registered your company and have them add your contact information as a contact to your company profile or contact us at isupply@mfa.gwu.edu.

I have read the FAQ list and I still have questions. Is there anyone else I can contact?

If you still have questions after reading the FAQ list, please contact us at isupply@mfa.gwu.edu. Include your name, company name, and phone number along with your question.

Are vendors reminded if they haven’t completed a registration?  

Yes, reminder emails are sent out on days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35.

Can more than one supplier email be used in the invitation?

No, only one email per invitation. 

Can the supplier forward the invitation email to someone else to fill out?

Yes, as long as they have not yet clinked the link to start the registration.

Can I see the invitations sent by someone else in my department?

All invites in the onboarding process are visible to everyone similar to being able to see all vendors in EAS. So your view is not limited to your personal invitations.

What happens if the individual who registered a supplier has left the company?  

As part of the registration process vendors are encouraged to add multiple individuals with access.  However, if all connected people have left, the vendor contacts PaymentWorks directly and they use a verification process to provide a login to the new person.

What is the process for existing vendors?

All current vendors were loaded, however they also need to be invited to register through PaymentWorks to be linked to the verifications and ability to see their invoices and payments. This does not affect using them and processing invoices. Please send invites out to vendors you have relationships with. SM will also be doing reach outs to have vendors in the new system and validated.  

How often are invoices and payments loaded?  

During Phase 1 this is a manual process and will be done 2-3x a week.  In Phase 2 the files will be automatically loaded daily. 

I have an account that is inactive.  How do I reactivate it?

To bring your account to an active status you will need to register through PaymentWorks with updated information.

What about foreign vendors?  

They may also register if they want to be able to log in and see their payments, but the verification process will not work on their banks and addresses.