Food

• University administered funds may be used to purchase food when business is being conducted on behalf of the University. Payment may be made by direct payment or reimbursement.
• Meal expenses for non-University employees or students will be paid or reimbursed at the actual cost of the meal as defined in the Activities/Events section and with applicable approval. Meal expenses should be reasonable and receipts are required.
• Meal expenses for UWL staff, faculty, and students will be paid or reimbursed at the actual cost of the meal or the maximum allowed, whichever is lower.

Food purchases are potentially allowable for the following activities. Business purpose will be reviewed for appropriate funding source.

• Limited to one break each morning and afternoon, and the amount is limited to the maximum allowance of $12.00 per person per break.
• Allowable when one (1) of the following is met:
  • Having the attendees leave would have an adverse effect on continuity.
  • Facilities are not available within the building or immediate area.
  • The majority of the meeting attendees are not UW/State employees.

• Limited to the maximum allowance of $20.00 for breakfast, $21.00 for lunch, and $35.00 for dinner per person. Tax and tip are included in the maximum allowance.
• Allowable when one (1) of the following is met:
  • A mealtime speaker is scheduled.
  • Business is being conducted during the meal.
  • Facilities are not available near the meeting site for attendees to eat at their own cost.

• Food costs, reception room costs, service charges, and gratuities must be reasonable. Even though it may not be possible to determine in advance how many individuals will actually attend, a reasonable effort should be made to minimize expenses resulting from overestimated attendance.
• Allowable when all of the following are met:
  • A gathering of individuals associated with a UW-sponsored event provides the opportunity for interaction in a setting that is NOT purely social in nature. Expenses are not allowable for receptions that are solely for social or entertainment purposes.
  • Unlike a business meeting, a reception often may not have a specific agenda or time frame.
  • Like a business meeting, the purpose MUST be related to or promote the mission of the hosting department or University.
• Examples of Allowable Receptions include:
  • A department hosts a reception in a hospitality room at an out-of-town conference site hotel. Alumni from the area and conference participants are invited for the purposes of faculty recruitment, fund-raising, and interaction with UW alumni regarding current UW issues.
  • A college hosts a reception in conjunction with a guest speaker at an arts and lecture series to provide the participants an opportunity to discuss the topic of the speaker.
  • Critic teachers are requested to attend a business meeting from 4:00-6:00p.m., followed by a reception, but not dinner, for the purpose of informal discussions relating to the instruction of student teachers.

• Individuals requesting payment and/or reimbursement for food related expenses must complete and submit the Food Expense Approval Form PRIOR to the meeting, activity, or event.
  • For recurring meetings, activities or events, the Food Expense Approval Form must be submitted prior to the first occurrence.  The form must include all the necessary items for each meeting, activity or event, such as the dates, number of expected attendees, funding, and estimated cost. 
  • When planning to host meals/breaks for interview candidates during a search, one Food Expense Approval Form can be submitted to receive approval for all
    meals/breaks hosted during the search. The form must include all the necessary
    items for each candidate, such as the dates, number of expected attendees, funding and estimated cost.
  • If you have several meetings, activities, or events, throughout the year that are very similar, but are not necessarily recurring, please contact Business Services to determine how best to complete the Food Expense Approval Form or to
    collaboratively develop an alternative form to better suit your needs while still
    complying with university policy.
• Supporting documentation is required for each food purchase. The supporting documentation should either be submitted with the Food Expenses Approval form, if available at the time of submission, or with the request for payment.
• Supporting documentation includes the following:
  • Agenda: The agenda should describe the activity theme and title, and should reflect the actual times for the events, breaks, and meals.
  • Advertisement or Flyer: For events that are open campus-wide. This substitutes for an agenda and list of participants.
  • Brochure or Registration form: May substitute for an agenda for UW sponsored events involving participants from outside UWL, such as conferences and training events.
  • List of Participants: This may be a list of invitees if the actual participants cannot be determined in advance. Differentiation between UW/State employees, non-employees, and students must be noted.
• Direct payment or reimbursement for food related expenses, in addition to the Food Expense Approval Form, must include an original receipt or invoice from the vendor.
  • Original Receipt: the original receipt must be detailed, which includes a listing of the items purchased and the associated unit/line item cost. A solitary credit card receipt is not sufficient.
  • Invoice: A vendor invoice should include all the same details as an original receipt, but also reference the date/time and name of the event.

• University administered funds cannot be utilized for any social functions or activities such as holiday parties, retirement parties, birthday parties, showers, welcome or farewell parties, office parties, etc.
• University administered funds cannot be used to reimburse meals that consist only of internal UWL employees during the normal workday unless such meals meet the criteria outlined in the Activities/Events section or the employee is in travel status.
• The purchase of alcoholic beverages with University administered funds is prohibited; exceptions apply for purchases made by Dining Services for resale, and expenses incurred by conferences sponsored by UWL in which the cost of the beverage is included in the participant fee for the conference. (Review guidelines on Alcohol purchases for more information.)

The Food Expense Approval Form must be completed and signed by the appropriate approval level – Director or Department head level or above.