Notice to all U.S. government employees (including Military and Public Education personnel)

Public sector (government, military, or education) events

At events that only include public sector attendees, Microsoft will not provide any items of value (software, personal use items, meals, travel, etc.) to you for which you or your agency does not pay market value, unless the cost of such item is included in a registration fee, or for which you have an appropriate gift letter signed by your agency/institution ethics official.

Public events (open to the public – public sector and non-public sector attendees)

Meals

Meals are usually provided to attendees at events that are generally open to the public at no charge. However, we do not want to violate the letter or spirit of public sector customer’s applicable gifts and ethics rules by offering meals. To that end, you have three options:

1. Prior to the event, submit a signed approval letter from your agency or institution’s ethics officer/legal counsel (or designated executive responsible for your organization’s gift/ethics policy), approving your consumption of meals at the event. You can download a sample approval letter from this page.
2. Contact the event coordinator to make arrangements to pay for meals at the event. Payment must be by check payable to Microsoft Corporation – no cash or credit cards accepted.
3. Do not accept or consume any meals at the event.

Give-away and other items of value

At some events that are generally open to the public, Microsoft gives away items of value, which may include computer software, vouchers, local transportation, or personal use items, at no charge to attendees. However, government gift and ethics rules stipulate that Microsoft cannot provide such items to government employees. Please identify yourself as a government employee at the event, and refrain from requesting or accepting giveaway items for which you or your agency has not paid market value. If you believe your agency ethics rules permit you to receive complimentary items, other than personal use items, from Microsoft, please provide prior written approval from your ethics officer/legal counsel (or designated executive responsible for your organization’s gift/ethics policy), specifying the items which you may receive at no charge. You can download a sample approval letter from this page.

“Personal use” items such as Xbox, Zune, video games, clothing, briefcases, mugs, pens, etc. are excluded from the approval letter and may only be received by government employees by paying market value.

Downloadable approval letters

•  Use this letter when only meals are provided at the event (no software or giveaways). Please fill in all the required information as indicated in the letter before submitting it to your ethics officer/legal counsel (or designated executive responsible for your organization’s gift/ethics policy) for approval.
•  Use this letter when only software is provided at the event (no meals). Please fill in all the required information as indicated in the letter before submitting it to your ethics officer/legal counsel (or designated executive responsible for your organization’s gift/ethics policy) for approval.
• Use this letter when both meals and software are provided at the event. Please fill in all the required information as indicated in the letter before submitting it to your ethics officer/legal counsel (or designated executive responsible for your organization’s gift/ethics policy) for approval.
• If you need to submit an approval letter for items that are not listed above, please contact the event coordinator to request an appropriate sample approval letter for you to submit to your ethics officer/legal counsel (or designated executive responsible for your organization’s gift/ethics policy).

Microsoft Industry for Government Team

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