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Policy 721 - Uniform Grant Guidance Policy Regarding Federal Revenue Sources

I. PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to ensure compliance with the requirements of the federal Uniform Grant Guidance regulations by establishing uniform administrative requirements, cost principles, and audit requirements for federal grant awards received by the school district.

II. DEFINITIONS

III. CONFLICT OF INTEREST

A. Employee Conflict of Interest. No employee, officer, or agent may participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by a federal award if he or she has a real or apparent conflict of interest. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from a firm considered for a contract. The employees, officers, and agents of the school district may neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors or parties to subcontracts. However, the school district may set standards for situations in which the financial interest is not substantial or the gift is an unsolicited item of nominal value. The standards of conduct must provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards by employees, officers, or agents of the school district.

B. Organizational Conflicts of Interest. The school district is unable or appears to be unable to be impartial in conducting a procurement action involving the related organization because of relationships with a parent company, affiliate, or subsidiary organization.

C. Disclosing Conflicts of Interest. The school district must disclose in writing any potential conflict of interest to MDE in accordance with applicable federal awarding agency policy.

IV. ACCEPTABLE METHODS OF PROCUREMENT

A. General Procurement Standards. The school district must use its own documented procurement procedures which reflect applicable state laws, provided that the procurements conform to the applicable federal law and the standards identified in the Uniform Grant Guidance.

B. The school district must maintain oversight to ensure that contractors perform in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of their contracts or purchase orders.

C. The school district’s procedures must avoid acquisition of unnecessary or duplicative items. Consideration should be given to consolidating or breaking out procurements to obtain a more economical purchase. Where appropriate, an analysis will be made of lease versus purchase alternatives and any other appropriate analysis to determine the most economical approach.

D. The school district must award contracts only to responsible contractors possessing the ability to perform successfully under the terms and conditions of a proposed procurement. Consideration will be given to such matters as contractor integrity, compliance with public policy, record of past performance, and financial and technical resources.

E. The school district must maintain records sufficient to detail the history of procurement. These records will include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: rationale for the method of procurement; selection of the contract type; contractor selection or rejection; and the basis for the contract price.

F. The school district alone must be responsible, in accordance with good administrative practice and sound business judgment, for the settlement of all contractual and administrative issues arising out of procurements. These issues include, but are not limited to, source evaluation, protests, disputes, and claims. These standards do not relieve the school district of any contractual responsibilities under its contracts.

G. The school district must take all necessary affirmative steps to assure that minority businesses, women’s business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms are used when possible.

H. Methods of Procurement. The school district must use one of the following methods of procurement:

1. Procurement by micro-purchases. To the extent practicable, the school district must distribute micro-purchases equitably among qualified suppliers. Micro-purchases may be awarded without soliciting competitive quotations if the school district considers the price to be reasonable.

2. Procurement by small purchase procedures. If small purchase procedures are used, price or rate quotations must be obtained from an adequate number of qualified sources.

3. Procurement by sealed bids (formal advertising).

4. Procurement by competitive proposals. If this method is used, the following requirements apply:

a. Requests for proposals must be publicized and identify all evaluation factors and their relative importance. Any response to publicized requests for proposals must be considered to the maximum extent practical;

b. Proposals must be solicited from an adequate number of qualified sources;

c. The school district must have a written method for conducting technical evaluations of the proposals received and for selecting recipients;

d. Contracts must be awarded to the responsible firm whose proposal is most advantageous to the program, with price and other factors considered; and

e. The school district may use competitive proposal procedures for qualifications-based procurement of architectural/engineering (A/E) professional services whereby competitors’ qualifications are evaluated and the most qualified competitor is selected, subject to negotiation of fair and reasonable compensation. The method where price is not used as a selection factor can only be used in procurement of A/E professional services; it cannot be used to purchase other types of services, though A/E firms are a potential source to perform the proposed effort.

5. Procurement by noncompetitive proposals. Procurement by noncompetitive proposals may be used only when one or more of the following circumstances apply:

a. The item is available only from a single source;

b. The public exigency or emergency for the requirement will not permit a delay resulting from competitive solicitation;

c. The DOE or MDE expressly authorizes noncompetitive proposals in response to a written request from the school district; or

d. After solicitation of a number of sources, competition is determined inadequate.

I. Competition. The school district must have written procedures for procurement transactions. These procedures must ensure that all solicitations:

1. Incorporate a clear and accurate description of the technical requirements for the material, product, or service to be procured. Such description must not, in competitive procurements, contain features which unduly restrict competition. The description may include a statement of the qualitative nature of the material, product, or service to be procured and, when necessary, must set forth those minimum essential characteristics and standards to which it must conform if it is to satisfy its intended use. Detailed product specifications should be avoided if at all possible. When making a clear and accurate description of the technical requirements is impractical or uneconomical, a “brand name or equivalent” description may be used as a means to define the performance or other salient requirements of procurement. The specific features of the named brand which must be met by offers must be clearly stated; and

2. Identify all requirements which the offerers must fulfill and all other factors to be used in evaluating bids or proposals.

J. The school district must ensure that all prequalified lists of persons, firms, or products which are used in acquiring goods and services are current and include enough qualified sources to ensure maximum open and free competition. Also, the school district must not preclude potential bidders from qualifying during the solicitation period.

K. Non-federal entities are prohibited from contracting with or making sub-awards under “covered transactions” to parties that are suspended or debarred or whose principals are suspended or debarred. “Covered transactions” include procurement contracts for goods and services awarded under a grant or cooperative agreement that are expected to equal or exceed $25,000.

L. All non-procurement transactions entered into by a recipient (i.e., sub-awards to sub-recipients), irrespective of award amount, are considered covered transactions, unless they are exempt as provided in 2 C.F.R. § 180.215.

V. MANAGING EQUIPMENT AND SAFEGUARDING ASSETS

A. Property Standards

The school district must, at a minimum, provide the equivalent insurance coverage for real property and equipment acquired or improved with federal funds as provided to property owned by the non-federal entity. Federally owned property need not be insured unless required by the terms and conditions of the federal award. The school district must adhere to the requirements concerning real property, equipment, supplies, and intangible property set forth in 2 C.F.R. §§ 200.311, 200.314, and 200.315.

B. Equipment

Management requirements. Procedures for managing equipment (including replacement equipment), whether acquired in whole or in part under a federal award, until disposition takes place will, at a minimum, meet the following requirements:

1. Property records must be maintained that include a description of the property; a serial number or other identification number; the source of the funding for the property (including the federal award identification number (FAIN)); who holds title; the acquisition date; the cost of the property; the percentage of the federal participation in the project costs for the federal award under which the property was acquired; the location, use, and condition of the property; and any ultimate disposition data, including the date of disposition and sale price of the property.

2. A physical inventory of the property must be taken and the results reconciled with the property records at least once every two years.

3. A control system must be developed to ensure adequate safeguards to prevent loss, damage, or theft of the property. Any loss, damage, or theft must be investigated.

4. Adequate maintenance procedures must be developed to keep property in good condition.

5. If the school district is authorized or required to sell the property, proper sales procedures must be established to ensure the highest possible return.

VI. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENTS

VII. ALLOWABLE USE OF FUNDS AND COST PRINCIPLES

VIII. COMPENSATION – PERSONAL SERVICES EXPENSES AND REPORTING

Legal References:
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.12 (Capital Assets)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.112 (Conflict of Interest)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.113 (Mandatory Disclosures)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.205(d) (Federal Awarding Agency Review of Risk Posed by Applicants)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.212 (Suspension and Debarment)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.300(b) (Statutory and National Policy Requirements)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.302 (Financial Management)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.303 (Internal Controls)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.305(b)(1) (Payment)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.310 (Insurance Coverage)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.311 (Real Property)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.313(d) (Equipment)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.314 (Supplies)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.315 (Intangible Property)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.318 (General Procurement Standards)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.319(c) (Competition)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.320 (Methods of Procurement to be Followed)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.321 (Contracting with Small and Minority Businesses, Women’s Business Enterprises, and Labor Surplus Area Firms)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.328 (Monitoring and Reporting Program Performance)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.338 (Remedies for Noncompliance)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.403(c) (Factors Affecting Allowability of Costs)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.430 (Compensation – Personal Services)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.431 (Compensation – Fringe Benefits)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.447 (Insurance and Indemnification)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.463 (Recruiting Costs)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.464 (Relocation Costs of Employees)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.473 (Transportation Costs)
  • 2 C.F.R. § 200.474 (Travel Costs)

Cross References:

Adopted: August 16, 2016
Reviewed: August 6, 2019
Revised: January 4, 2022