PART 731—CONTRACT COST PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURES

Advance agreements on selected costs may be negotiated with USAID contractors by the Bureau for Management, Office of Acquisition and Assistance, Cost Audit Support Division, Overhead and Special Cost and Contract Close-Out Branch (M/OAA/CAS/OCC). Such advance understandings will be applicable to all USAID contracts with that contractor.

(a) General. When establishing the workweek for employees overseas the contractor will take local and USAID Mission practice into account and will insure that the workweek is compatible with that of those USAID Mission and Cooperating Country employees with whom the contractor will be working.

(b) Salaries and wages. It is USAID policy that if an employee's base salary plus overseas recruitment incentive, if any (see (48 CFR) AIDAR 731.205-70) exceeds the USAID Contractor Salary Threshold (USAID CST), as stated in USAID's Automated Directives System (ADS) Chapter 302 USAID Direct Contracting (available at http://www.usaid.gov/policy/ads/300/302.pdf), it will be allowable only if approved in writing by the contracting officer. The contracting officer shall only provide such approval after internal Agency procedures for review/approval of salaries in excess of the USAID CST in ADS 302 have been followed. USAID policies on compensation of third country national or cooperating country national employees are set forth in (48 CFR) AIDAR 722.170.

(d)-(l) [Reserved]

(m) Fringe benefits. USAID's policies on certain fringe benefits related to overseas service, including but not limited to leave, holidays, differentials and allowances, etc. are set forth in the appropriate contract clauses in (48 CFR) AIDAR subpart 752.70.

(a) Definitions. As used in this section—

Conference means a seminar, meeting, retreat, symposium, workshop, training activity or other such event that is funded in whole or in part by USAID.

Net conference expense means the total conference expenses excluding: any fees or revenue received by the Agency through the conference, costs to ensure the safety of attending governmental officials, and salary of USAID employees and USAID personal services contractors.

Personal Services Contractor (PSC) means any individual who is awarded a personal services contract in accordance with AIDAR appendix D or J of this chapter.

Temporary duty (TDY) travel means official travel at least fifty (50) miles from both the traveler's home and duty station for a period exceeding twelve (12) hours.

USAID employee means a USAID direct-hire employee or a direct-hire Federal employee from another U.S. government agency detailed to USAID.

(b) Prior approval. USAID policy requires contractors to obtain contracting officer approval of the following, unless an exception in paragraph (c) of the clause at 752.231-72 applies:

(1) A conference funded in whole, or in part, by USAID when ten (10) or more USAID employees or personal services contractors are required to travel on temporary duty status to attend the conference; or

(2) A conference funded in whole, or in part, by USAID when the net conference expense funded by USAID is expected to exceed $100,000, regardless of the number of USAID employees or USAID personal services contractors who will participate in the conference.

(c) Allowability of cost. Costs associated with a conference that meets the criteria above, incurred without USAID prior written approval, are unallowable.

(d) Solicitation provision and contract clause. Contracting officers must insert the clause at 752.231-72 in all USAID-funded solicitations and contracts anticipated to include a requirement for a USAID-funded conference.

It is USAID policy to require prior written approval of international travel by the contracting officer, or the contracting officer's representative (COR) if delegated in the Contracting Officer's Representative Designation Letter. See (48 CFR) AIDAR 752.7032 for specific requirements and procedures.

Note:

The term employee as used in this section means an employee who is a U.S. citizen or a U.S. resident alien.)

(a) If a contractor employee serving overseas under a contract does not qualify for the exemption for overseas income provided under section 911 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 911), such employee is eligible to receive an overseas recruitment incentive (ORI), to the extent the ORI: Is authorized by the contractor's normal policy and practice; is deemed necessary by the contractor to recruit and retain qualified employees for overseas services; and does not exceed 10% of the base salary of the employee from date of arrival at overseas post to begin assignment to date of departure from post at the end of assignment. ORI is to be paid as a single payment at the end of the employee tour of duty overseas. The contractor shall take all reasonable and prudent steps to ensure that ORI is not paid to any employee who has received the IRS section 911 exemption.

(b) In the event that an employee subsequently receives a section 911 exclusion for any part of the base salary upon which this supplement has been paid, such supplement or appropriate portion thereof shall be reimbursed by the contractor to USAID with interest. The interest shall be calculated at the average U.S. Treasury rate in effect for the period that the contractor or his employee had the funds. Neither the contractor's nor the subcontractor's inability to collect refunds from eligible employees shall be used as a basis to excuse subsequent refunds by the contractor to USAID.

(a) Definitions.

(1) A Host Government (HG) employee is a person paid by the HG, occupying an established position, either temporary or permanent, part-time or full-time, within a HG institution.

(2) An HG institution is an organization in which the government owns at least a fifty percent share or receives at least fifty percent of its financial support from the government.

(b) General. Salary supplement occurs when payments are made that augment an HG employee's base salary or premiums, overtime, extra payments, incentive payment and allowances for which the HG employee would qualify under HG rules or practices for the performance of his/hers regular duties or work performed during his/hers regular office hours. Per diem, invitational travel, honoraria and payment for work carried out outside of normal working hours are not considered to be salary supplements subject to the provisions in USAID policy referenced in paragraph (c) of this section.

(c) Salary supplements are eligible for USAID financing only when authorized in accordance with USAID policy established in the cable State 119780 dated April 15, 1988 in ADS Chapter 302. If salary supplements have been authorized in a particular case, the contracting officer shall provide written approval to the contractor in order for such costs to be eligible. Any specific requirements or limitations shall be specified in the approval.

(d) Contracting officers shall insert the Clause at 752.231-71 in all contracts in which there is a possibility of the need of HG employees. It should also be inserted in all subsequent subcontracts.

Section 635(k) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended, authorizes USAID to use predetermined fixed rates in determining the indirect costs applicable under contracts with educational institutions.

(a) General. When establishing the workweek for employees overseas the contractor will take local and USAID Mission practice into account and will ensure that the workweek is compatible with that of those USAID Mission and Cooperating Country employees with whom the contractor will be working.

(b) Salaries and wages.

(1) The policies set forth in (48 CFR) AIDAR 731.205-6(b) are also applicable to contracts with a nonprofit organization.

(2) In considering consulting income as a factor when determining allowable salary for service under a contract:

(i) For faculty members working under annual appointments, salary for service under the contract may include the employee's on-campus salary plus “consulting income” (that is, income from employment other than the employee's regular on-campus appointment, excluding business or other activities not connected with the employee's profession) earned during the year preceding employment under the contract.

(ii) For faculty members working under academic year appointments, salary for service under the contract may include the employee's on-campus academic year salary plus “consulting income” as defined above earned during the year proceeding employment under the contract, or salary for service under the contract may be derived by annualizing the academic year salary (in which case “consulting income” may not be included).

(3) USAID policies and compensation of third country national or cooperating country national employees are set forth in (48 CFR) AIDAR 722.170.

USAID's policies on certain fringe benefits related to overseas service, including but not limited to leave, holidays, differentials and allowances, etc. are set forth in the appropriate contract clauses in (48 CFR) AIDAR 752.70.

USAID's policies regarding overseas recruitment incentives are set forth in (48 CFR) AIDAR 731.205-70. These policies are also applicable to contracts with an educational institution.

USAID's policies regarding conference approval requirements are set forth in (48 CFR) AIDAR 731.205-43. These policies are also applicable to contracts with educational institutions.

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 4206, Jan. 23, 2024.

(a) Paragraph 6 of the transmittal letter for OMB Circular A-122 specifies that “Agencies shall designate a liaison official to serve as the agency representative on matters relating to the implementation of this Circular.” The Director, Bureau for Management, Office of Acquisition and Assistance, has been so designated. The Bureau for Management, Office of Acquisition and Assistance, Cost Audit Support Division, Overhead and Special Cost and Contract Close-Out Branch (M/OAA/CAS/OCC) provides staff assistance to the Director concerning OMB Circular A-122. M/OAA/CAS/OCC is also responsible for obtaining cognizance under the criteria in the transmittal letter for OMB Circular A-122; for liaison with other cognizant agencies; for authorizing exclusion of OMB Circular A-122 coverage for a particular nonprofit organization pursuant to paragraph 5 of the OMB Circular A-122 transmittal letter; and for advice and assistance in applying OMB Circular A-122 cost principles.

(b) Paragraph 4b of the OMB Circular A-122 transmittal letter contains a definition of prior approval as follows:

Prior approval means securing the awarding agency's permission in advance to incur costs for those items that are designated as requiring prior approval by OMB Circular A-122. Generally, this permission will be in writing. Where an item of cost requiring prior approval is specified in the budget of an award, approval of the budget constitute approval of that cost.

Consequently, an award containing a budget constitutes prior approval of the direct cost item in the budget, unless otherwise annotated. Accordingly, award budgets should be appropriately annotated substantially as follows:

Inclusion of any cost in the line item budget of this award does not obviate the requirement for prior approval of cost items designated as requiring prior approval by OMB Circular A-122 ; or

In accordance with the requirements to OMB Circular No. A-122, approval is granted to incur costs for (name specific item or items) which are included in the budget of this award.

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 4206, Jan. 23, 2024.

Pending the establishment of Government-wide principles in Attachment B of OMB Circular A-122, USAID will treat bid and proposal costs as follows:

(a) Bid and proposal costs are the costs of preparing bids, proposals, and applications for potential activities such as Government and non-Government grants, contracts and other agreements, including the development of scientific, cost, and other data needed to support such bids, proposals, and applications. Except as provided in (b) below, bid and proposal costs of the current accounting period of both successful and unsuccessful bids and proposals normally should be treated as indirect costs for allocation to all current activities, and no bid and proposal costs of past accounting periods will be allocable to the current period. However, if the organization's established practice is to treat bid and proposal costs by some other method, the results obtained may be accepted only if found to be reasonable and equitable.

(b) Bid and proposal costs incurred by the organization to obtain unrestricted funds are to be treated as fund raising and allocated an appropriate share of indirect costs under the conditions described in paragraph B.3 of Attachment A to OMB Circular A-122.

The policies set for in (48 CFR) AIDAR 731.205-6 are also applicable to contracts with a nonprofit organization.

Link to an amendment published at 89 FR 4206, Jan. 23, 2024.

Pending establishment of Government-wide principles in Attachment B of OMB Circular A-122, USAID will apply the cost principles at (48 CFR) FAR 31.205-18 for independent research and development costs.

USAID's policies regarding overseas recruitment incentives are set forth in (48 CFR) AIDAR 731.205-70. These policies are also applicable to contracts with a nonprofit organization.

USAID's policies regarding conference approval requirements are set forth in (48 CFR) AIDAR 731.205-43. These policies are also applicable to contracts with nonprofit organizations.