Promotional Item Request Process & Policy

Policy for Purchasing Giveaway Items

All promotional items purchased with College dollars — for the purpose of giving them away to prospective students, alumni, faculty, staff, donors and community members — must be branded and approved by the Communications & Creative Services Office. This will ensure that the College is being consistently represented both internally and externally.

Requesting Items from the College Inventory

Generic MCC branded items are available in smaller quantities at no charge to all departments and divisions at the institution. With bulk ordering, generic items save the College significant dollars and resources. You are encouraged to use the items in the College inventory whenever possible.

Inventory items have been selected because they support the College mission and strategic directions. This means they are:
  • Accessible to and usable by people with different abilities
  • Produced in an ethical manner by workers who earn a living wage and are treated fairly
  • Produced with renewable resources 
  • Intended to be used to their fullest extent before being recycled or put in the trash
To request an item(s) please fill out a Communications Request Form and indicate what type of item you are looking for, how it will be used (recruitment fair, thank you gift, etc.) and the quantity you need.

Types of Items Available – The inventory is designed on a tiered system, with three types of items available.
  1. High-end items
  2. Standard items
  3. Community event items
High-end items are reserved for dignitary visits, corporate visits, speaker gifts, thank you presents and incentives (raffle prizes). Possible items can include: aluminum water bottles, mugs, padfolios, canvas tote bags, pen sets, clothes, hats and power banks. You can request up to 15 high-end items per request.

Standard items can be used at College events, given to prospects and used as incentives (raffle prizes). Possible items can include: key chains, magnets, sticky-notes, pens, charging cords, reusable bags and some clothing items. You can request up to 50 standard items per request.

Community event items are to be used anytime the College is tabling within the community. Since we will go through these items quickly, they are designed to cost the least and minimize waste. Possible items can include: coloring pages and crayons, pocket folders, stickers, pins, magnets, pens, coasters, hand sanitizer and screen cleaners. You can request up to 100 standard items per request.

Policy for Purchasing Giveaway Items

All promotional items purchased with College dollars — for the purpose of giving them away to prospective students, alumni, faculty, staff, donors and community members — must be branded and approved by the Office of Communications & Creative Services. This will ensure that the College is being consistently represented both internally and externally. 

Selecting a Vendor – Communications & Creative Services and the Purchasing Office have identified a list of vendors that are approved to print branded items for the College. These vendors have a track record of delivering products on time, at a reasonable price point, are women and minority owned businesses, and/or demonstrate a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. If you wish to explore working with another vendor not on the list, you must contact Communications & Creative Services.

Selecting Items– Choosing items that support the College mission and strategic directions is a priority for Middlesex. This means they are:

  • Accessible to and usable by people with different abilities
  • Produced in an ethical manner by workers who earn a living wage and are treated fairly
  • Produced with renewable resources 
  • Intended to be used to their fullest extent before being recycled or put in the trash
Items with the College Logo – Communications can design official College assets to fit the specified imprint area and arrange for printing, production and delivery using a PO generated from your budget. To request an item(s) please fill out a Communications Request Form and specify that you need to order items with College branding. Please include the type of item you are looking for, how it will be used (recruitment fair, event, thank you gift, etc.), and the quantity you need in the request.

Custom Items – If you are in need of a promotional item to support a particular program or event, Communications can design the artwork and arrange for printing, production and delivery using a PO generated from your budget. Please fill out a Communications Request Form and specify that you need to order a custom giveaway item. Please include the type of item you are looking for, how it will be used (recruitment fair, event, thank you gift, etc.), and the quantity you need in the request.

Reprints & Existing Vendor Relationships – If you already have an established brand and vendor who has produced items for you previously, you can go back to that vendor to order more items. However, you are required to get a new proof from the vendor and forward that to Communications & Creative Services for approval.

Questions about the promotional item request process & policy can be directed to Communications & Creative Services.
Last Modified: 10/13/23