We recommend that fringe benefits not be proposed separately unless you have done so in the past and/or have an approved fringe rate. More on this will be discussed later in the demo that accompanies this tutorial.

Let’s move on to the section on Equipment – As you recall from Tutorial 23, equipment is defined as an article of tangible, nonexpendable, personal property, including exempt property, charged directly to the award, having a useful life of more than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 per unit or more. Items of equipment to be leased or purchased must be described and justified in this section. Title to equipment purchased under this award lies with the government. It may be transferred to the grantee where such transfer would be more cost effective than recovery of the property by the government.

As you can see the Department of Energy will allow the purchase of equipment with its approval. The budget justification is fairly self-explanatory. Make it a point to suggest you only need the equipment for this project and any potential follow-on Phase II work.

You are then asked to Briefly itemize and justify the need for each item of equipment to be purchased. Indicate the estimated unit cost for each item to be purchased. Provide the basis for the cost estimates (e.g., vendor quotes, catalog prices, invoices, past experience purchasing similar or like items, etc.). Attach any written vendor quotes, catalog pages, etc., supporting the proposed cost.

Then we move on to Travel – It’s customary to use the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) found on the GSA website to determine per diem rates for lodging, meals and incidentals for a specific geographic location. These should be used when determining travel costs. http://www.gsa.gov/portal/content/104877

Airfare should be estimated at the lowest available price. It’s relatively easy to get both airline quotes and rental car quotes. You may also consider adding in personal mileage (using GSA rates), airport and hotel parking, and other fees.

Under the subheading “Other Direct Costs” there are numerous items – with the first being, Materials and Supplies –

• It’s best practice to develop a Bill of Material (BOM) file, or listing of all materials and supplies needed for the project.

The next sub-item is Publication Costs -

• Itemize publication cost estimates by type/nature of expense. Provide the basis for cost estimates or computations (e.g., vendor quotes, prior purchase of similar or like items, etc.). Remember that if you are going to publish in a journal article you will need to review the criteria for Data Management Plans in Tutorial 14.

The next item is Consultant Services – As defined at FAR 31.205-22, consultant services (i.e. professional services) as those services by persons who are members of a particular profession or possess a special skill that the contractor does not possess internally.

You are asked to Identify the individual/firm proposed and the professional services to be provided.

ADP/Computer Services (i.e. IT)

• IT costs are commonly provided as an administrative cost and are part of the indirect rate pools. However, under certain circumstances, advanced computing services may be required from a specialized source. The guidelines again make it apparent that you need to provide vendor quotes, or relevant information from prior purchase of similar or like services, etc..

The next major section is Subawards/Consortium/Contractual Costs (Including Research Institutions and any Other Subcontractors

Subawards are distinguished from consultants in that they include more than just “professional services.” A subaward may involve a number of specialized services plus testing, inspection, or fabrication. Your STTR partner would be considered a Subaward. The five sections under Subawards ask you to describe, quantify and justify the need for this support.

Be aware that there are special pricing approval rules involving the use of DOE National Labs on an SBIR/STTR award. Your review comments on the subaward should address and substantiate the following:

• Was the subaward competed or a market survey performed? If so, what were the factors in selecting the subawardee? (e.g. skills are unique to this company/institution to get the work completed)
• Are the hours proposed adequate or reasonable for the effort described?
• Are the labor rates within what you might pay for similar services?
• Are other non-labor costs justified with a vendor quote or other objective evidence?

Equipment or Facility Rental/User Fees

Different cost element, same type of questions. As with IT, leading-edge services may be required from a specialized source. However, equipment costs should not be excessive – less than 10% of the award) and should be required to perform the research. In cases where equipment costs are high, justification should be provided showing that there were no rental or leasing alternatives available for equipment

Briefly itemize and justify the need for each item of equipment or facility to be rented or otherwise utilized. Indicate the estimated unit cost (rent or user fee) for each item of equipment or facility. Provide the basis for the cost estimates (e.g., vendor quotes, catalog prices, invoices, past experience with similar or like items or facilities, etc.). Attach any written vendor quotes, catalog pages, etc., supporting the proposed cost.

Other – List items by major type and provide justification for the proposed cost (e.g., vendor quotes, prior purchase of similar or like items, etc.).

The last part of the Budget Justification deals with Indirect costs. In order to address this section adequately, please review the demo associated with Tutorial 27.