§ 34.12 Payment. ( a ) *Methods available.* Payment methods for awards with for-profit organizations are: ( 1 ) *Reimbursement.* Under this method, the recipient requests reimbursement for costs incurred during a time period. In cases where the recipient submits each request for payment to the grants officer, the DoD payment office reimburses the recipient by electronic funds transfer or check after approval of the request by the grants officer designated to do so.
( 2 ) *Advance payments.* Under this method, a DoD Component makes a payment to a recipient based upon projections of the recipient's cash needs. The payment generally is made upon the recipient's request, although predetermined payment schedules may be used when the timing of the recipient's needs to disburse funds can be predicted in advance with sufficient accuracy to ensure compliance with paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section.
( b ) *Selecting a method.* ( 1 ) The preferred payment method is the reimbursement method, as described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section
( 2 ) Advance payments, as described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, may be used in exceptional circumstances, subject to the following conditions: ( i ) The grants officer, in consultation with the program official, must judge that advance payments are necessary or will materially contribute to the probability of success of the project contemplated under the award (e.g., as startup funds for a project performed by a newly formed company). The rationale for the judgment shall be documented in the award file.
( ii ) Cash advances shall be limited to the minimum amounts needed to carry out the program.
( iii ) Recipients and the DoD Component shall maintain procedures to ensure that the timing of cash advances is as close as is administratively feasible to the recipients' disbursements of the funds for program purposes, including direct program or project costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs.
( iv ) Recipients shall maintain advance payments of Federal funds in interest-bearing accounts, and remit annually the interest earned to the administrative grants officer responsible for post-award administration (the grants officer shall forward the payment to the responsible payment office, for return to the Department of Treasury's miscellaneous receipts account), unless one of the following applies: ( A ) The recipient receives less than $120,000 in Federal awards per year.
( B ) The best reasonably available interest bearing account would not be expected to earn interest in excess of $250 per year on Federal cash balances.
( C ) The depository would require an average or minimum balance so high that it would not be feasible within the expected Federal and non-Federal cash resources.
( c ) *Frequency of payments.* For either reimbursements or advance payments, recipients shall be authorized to submit requests for payment at least monthly.
( d ) *Forms for requesting payment.* DoD Components may authorize recipients to use the SF-270,[1] “Request for Advance or Reimbursement;” the SF-271,[2] “Outlay Report and Request for Reimbursement for Construction Programs;” or prescribe other forms or formats as necessary.
( e ) *Timeliness of payments.* Payments normally will be made within 30 calendar days of the receipt of a recipient's request for reimbursement or advance by the office designated to receive the request (for further information about timeframes for payments, see 32 CFR 22.810(c)(3)(ii)).
( f ) *Precedence of other available funds.* Recipients shall disburse funds available from program income, rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries, and interest earned on such funds before requesting additional cash payments.
( g ) *Withholding of payments.* Unless otherwise required by statute, grants officers shall not withhold payments for proper charges made by recipients during the project period for reasons other than the following: ( 1 ) A recipient has failed to comply with project objectives, the terms and conditions of the award, or Federal reporting requirements, in which case the grants officer may suspend payments in accordance with § 34.52.
( 2 ) The recipient is delinquent on a debt to the United States (see definitions of “debt” and “delinquent debt” in 32 CFR 22.105). In that case, the grants officer may, upon reasonable notice, withhold payments for obligations incurred after a specified date, until the debt is resolved.
[63 FR 12204, Mar. 12, 1998, as amended at 85 FR 51244, Aug. 19, 2020] Footnotes -
34.12
[1] For copies of Standard Forms listed in this part, contact regional grants administration offices of the Office of Naval Research. Addresses for the offices are listed in the “Federal Directory of Contract Administration Services (CAS) Components,” which is available through the “CAS Directory” link at the Defense Contract Management Agency homepage (*http://www.dcma.mil*).
[2] See footnote 1 to this paragraph (d).