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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

Instructions for “Conference Request and Report” Form (EXTERNAL)

1. Cooperative agreement and contract recipients submit the conference request and report forms to the 

appropriate COPS Office conference Inbox.

o Requests: COPS.Conferencecosts@cops.usdoj.gov.

 Complete sections A-J, sheet A, and sheet B.

o Reports: COPS.Conferencecosts@cops.usdoj.gov.

 If the total cost of the conference is more than $20,000, then a conference report must be

submitted.

 Complete sections A and B.

 Use the completed conference request form that was approved, which will have some of the 

information pre-populated.

 Provide additional information (Cells in white only)

 Reports are due no more than 45 days after the last day of theevent.

2. An internal COPS Office tracking number will be assigned to a completed conference request form, and the 

cooperative agreement recipient will be notified that their request has been received and is being processed.

3. Please submit the conference request at least 90 calendar days prior to the date on which you need to 

know if your conference has been approved ordenied.

4. If the conference will cost more than $100,000, please submit the conference requestat least 120 days prior to 

the date on which you need to know if your request has been approved.

Line item instructions for completing the form:

Steps Step Title Description

Component Use Only: Completed by COPS Office Program Assistant

N/A COPS Office 

tracking number

Input the unique identifier provided by the COPS Office 

conference administrator. This number can be used to track 

the status of the event.

N/A Cooperative agreement

recipient or contractor

Input the name of the organization hosting the event.

N/A Coop. agreement or 

contract contact’s name

Input the name of the conference host’s point of contact.

N/A Contact phone 

number & email

address

Input contact information of the conference host’s point of 

contact.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

Section A. General Conference Information: 

To be completed by Cooperative Agreement/Contract Recipient

1 Name of requestor Input the name of the COPS Office staff member responsible 

for overseeing the event.

Note: This is typically the program manager. For contracts, it 

may be the contracting officer’s representative (COR).

2 Component name

(drop down)

Select “COPS” from the drop-down menu.

3 Is this submission for a conference 

request or report? (drop down)

Select “Request” from drop-down menu if you are 

submitting a request.

Select “Report” from drop-down menu if you are 

submitting a report for a conference costing more than

$20K.

4 JMD tracking # (report only) Leave blank.

5 If this is a re-submission of a 

previously disapproved 

conference, indicate original 

tracking number

If applicable, input original tracking number.

6 Official title of the conference 

(no abbreviations)

Input the title of the conference, training, meeting, etc.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

7 Is this a blanket request? 

(drop down) 

If “Yes,” skip A9–13, A16 and 

sections E, C, and E1. 

If “No,” skip A8.

Select “Yes” or “No” from the drop down menu.

Note: Approval may be requested for more than one 

conference at a time if the name and purpose of each event 

are the same and if the conferences occur during the same 

federal fiscal year. Locations and dates of the conferences 

must be identified (if known). Reporting for these events (if 

necessary) should be done on an individual basis.

If the locations and number of attendees will vary, it is 

recommended that estimated costs be based on the most 

expensive location and the estimated number of attendees 

be based on the smallest number of attendees. This will 

ensure that all events are within caps.

8 If this is a blanket request, indicate 

the number of occurrences this 

fiscal year, locations, and dates

If applicable, input number of occurrences, all known 

locations, and all known dates.

9 Conference start date Input the first day of activities for the 

conference.

Note: If the conference will be preceded or followed by a 

smaller meeting (e.g., faculty meeting), two separate 

conference request forms must be submitted. Therefore,

enter the start and end dates for each event on separate

forms.

10 Conference end date Input last day of activities for the conference.

11 Location: country (drop

down)

Select country from the drop-down menu.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

12 Location: 

state/territory/possession

(drop down)

Select the state, territory, or possession from the dropdown menu.

13 Location: city Input the location city.

14 Justification that the conference is 

essential to accomplishing core 

mission

Input justification.

Note: The space is limited to 255 characters; therefore,

please be as brief and persuasive as possible.

While the meeting may have been approved during the 

application process, that is not sufficient justification, as 

circumstances and priorities change over time.

15 Funding appropriation symbol Input the grant / cooperative agreement award or contract 

number supporting the event.

16 Facility name (specific) Input the specific facility name (e.g., Sheraton Uptown, 

Courtyard Marriott, or Jackson Federal Building).

17 Facility type (drop down) Select “Federal” or “Non-Federal” from the drop-down menu.

18 Cooperative agreement (Y/N) 

(drop down)

Select “Yes” or “No” from the drop down menu to indicate 

if the conference is being supported

by an OVW cooperative agreement.

19 Reporting period (required when 

reporting actuals) (drop down)

If request: Leave blank.

If report: Select the federal fiscal year quarter in which the 

event will occur: Q1 (Oct 1 – Dec 31), Q2 (Jan 1 – March 31), 

Q3 (Apr 1 – June 30), or Q4 (July 1 – Sept 30).
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

Note: Estimates on the number of attendees should be calculate based on historical data, current grantee interest, 

and other empirical factors that might drive attendance up or down (e.g., cuts in state budgets).

While we recognize that these are estimates, award recipients who consistently over-estimate the number of 

attendees may be required to provide additional justification and documentation for future requests. Recipients 

are encouraged to under-estimate to avoid exceeding the caps and potentially needing to cover excess costs with 

non–COPS Office funds.

20 Number of DOJ federal 

attendees

Input the number of anticipated attendees who are U.S. 

Department of Justice (DOJ) employees. (Please consult 

your COPS Office program manager.)

21 Number of other federal 

attendees

Input the number of attendees who are federal employees 

but who do not work for the DOJ. (Please consult your 

COPS Office program manager.)

22 Number of non-federal 

attendees

Input the number of attendees who are not federal 

employees.

23 Total number of attendees 

(auto-populates)

Leave blank, as this box will auto-populate from the

previous three boxes.

24 Total number of attendees 

whose travel expenses are paid 

for by the DOJ

Input the number of attendees who will travel to this 

event on a DOJ-issued travel authorization or through the 

cooperative agreement or contract supporting this event. 

(Please consult your COPS Office program manager as 

needed.) Also include any DOJ local staff because local 

travel expenses may be incurred.

Note: In most cases, this will be the same as the figure in box 

20 plus the number of staff and consultants paid for by the 

host organization. This count should also include any local 

staff attending the event who may incur local travel expenses 

(taxi, subway, etc.). Box 24 cannot be less than Box 20.

25 Total cost (auto-populates from 

entries below)

Leave blank, as this box will auto-populate.

26 Predominately internal event held 

at a non-federal facility (Y/N) 

(auto-populates)

Leave blank, as this box will auto-populate.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

Competitive Contracting Section: 

To be completed by Cooperative Agreement or Contract Recipient for Conference Reports Only

27 Were federal procurement 

regulations followed as 

appropriate? (drop down) 

(conference reports only)

If request: N/A.

If report: If contract, select answer from drop-down

menu. Cooperative agreement recipients should select 

“N/A Cooperative Agreement.”

28 Were all market research 

documents used in conference 

planning decisions retained? 

(drop down) 

(conference reports only)

If Request: N/A.

If Report: Select the appropriate answer from drop-down 

menu.

Section B. Total Conference Costs: 

To be completed by Cooperative Agreement or Contract Recipient

Cooperative agreement and contract staff members who are not attending the conference should not have any 

compensation costs included for time spent working on tasks not related to the conference. Only time for 

presenting/facilitating and logistical and programmatic planning related to the event should be included on the form. 

The COPS Office encourages technical assistance (TA) providers to partner with one another in the development and 

delivery of training and technical assistance. To ensure that the full cost of each conference is captured, it is imperative 

that each TA provider hosting the conference provide their individual estimate.

1 Conference meeting space 

(including rooms for break-out

sessions)

Input estimated direct and indirect costs for 

conference meeting space.

2 Audio-visual (AV) equipment 

and services

Input estimated direct and indirect costs for AV

equipment.

Note: This includes microphones, projectors, screens, 

speakers, and related set up fees and surcharges. If using 

your own AV equipment, confirm AV equipment is 

compatible with the facility’s AV environment prior

to signing the contract.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

3 Printing and distribution Input estimated direct and indirect costs for printing and 

distribution. This should include the cost of shipping materials 

to and from the event site.

4 Meals provided by the DOJ:

a. Breakfast

b. Lunch

c. Dinner

Input estimated direct and indirect costs of meals that will 

be provided as part of the official program and not through

meals and incidental expenses (M&IE) reimbursement.

Note: These are typically “working meals,” which require 

prior approval. The cost for meals must be within the 

calculated threshold, which is configured in section D. Meals 

provided by the DOJ do not include M&IE reimbursement or 

meals that will be covered through matching funds, funds 

provided to the grantee through an award from another 

federal agency, or meals covered by program income (such 

as a registration fee).

Very few circumstances qualify for such approval.

5 Refreshments provided by the 

DOJ

Input estimated direct and indirect costs for 

refreshments.

Refreshments are generally prohibited. However, in those 

rare circumstances in which refreshments are necessary, 

additional DOJ (DAG) approval is required. Such approval

requires additional processing time.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

6 Meals and incidental expenses 

(M&IE) for attendees

Input estimated direct and indirect costs for M&IE for all 

attendees whose M&IE expenses will be reimbursed by the 

host’s cooperative agreement or contract.

If meals are provided, the M&IE reimbursed should be 

deducted accordingly (i.e., if 1 day conference in a certain 

location amounts to $69 per day for M&IE but a lunch is being 

provided, the M&IE reimbursement must be reduced by

$17, down to $52).

*Travel days are based on 75% of the GSA M&IE rate, 

regardless of the number of hours it takes to travel.

Note: Local staff travel requests—DOJ policy does not permit 

M&IE reimbursement for local staff whose TDY/office is 

within 50 miles of the event facility. DOJ policy does permit 

lodging reimbursement with justification. Lodging 

reimbursement justification in this circumstance must be 

submitted prior to the event to the COPS Office for waiver 

consideration. If a waiver is granted, the waiver applies only 

for lodging costs and only for those employees identified in 

the waiver request. It does not apply to M&IE expenses. It is 

the award recipients’ responsibility to provide the 

justification at the time of the request.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

7 Lodging Input estimated direct and indirect costs for lodging,

including taxes for all attendees whose lodging expenses 

will be reimbursed by the host’s cooperative agreement or 

contract.

(On sheet A, please delineate between the lodging 

rate and the lodging tax.)

Note: Local staff travel requests—DOJ policy does not permit 

M&IE reimbursement for local staff whose TDY/office is 

within 50 miles of the event facility. DOJ policy does permit 

lodging reimbursement with justification. Lodging 

reimbursement justification in this circumstance must be 

submitted prior to the event to the COPS Office for waiver 

consideration. If a waiver is granted, the waiver applies only 

for lodging costs and only for those employees identified in 

the waiver request. It does not apply to M&IE expenses. It is

the award recipients’ responsibility to provide the 

justification at the time of the request.

8 Common carrier 

transportation

Input estimated direct and indirect costs for common 

carrier transportation (airfare, train, and long distance bus 

fare / long distance mileage) that will be reimbursed by the 

host’s cooperative agreement or contract.

Note: Search engines should be used to estimate the most 

recent fares.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

9 Local transportation Input estimated direct and indirect costs for local 

transportation (the amount expended to travel from the 

airport to the hotel and other local travel) necessary for the 

event.

This should include reimbursement to attendees as well as 

organized group transportation such as shuttle buses. This 

also includes any local staff attending the event and who may 

incur local travel expenses (taxi, subway, etc.).

Note: Local travel is defined as within 50 miles of the 

TDY/office and the event facility.

10 Conference planner –

logistical

Input estimated direct and indirect costs for logistical 

conference planners.

Note: Logistical conference planners perform the logistical 

planning necessary to hold a conference, which may include 

recommending venues, advertising, setting the stage and AV 

equipment, securing hotel rooms, interacting with caterers, 

and other non-programmatic functions. These can be 

determined by hourly rates or actual set contracts. These 

costs must be estimated and tracked regardless of whether 

the logistical planning is conducted by internal staff or an 

external planner. If another COPS Office cooperative 

agreement or contract will provide this service, those 

estimated costs must still be entered here and noted on 

sheet A.

Executive management’s time on logistical planning 

should be limited to ensure cost effectiveness.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

11 Conference planner - programmatic Input estimated direct and indirect costs for 

programmatic conference planners.

Programmatic planners develop the conference agenda, 

content, and written materials. They may also identify and

provide appropriate subject matter experts and conference 

participants. Programmatic planning is the primary purpose 

of most COPS Office training and technical assistance 

cooperative agreements that include holding conferences.

Note: Programmatic planning costsmay be quite small, but it 

is very unlikely that these costs would ever be zero.

Costs can be determined by hourly rates or actual set 

contracts. Please contact the COPS Office if you need 

additional guidance on what to include when

calculating these costs.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE–SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

12 Conference trainer/ instructor/

presenter / facilitator

Input estimated costs for trainers, instructors, presenters, 

facilitators, or anyone who will be considered

faculty at the conference. This includes TA provider staff 

serving as faculty.

Do not include travel, lodging, and M&IE expenses in this 

category. Those should be reflected in the previous general 

categories for travel, lodging, and M&IE. You should include 

compensation for travel on prep days if being processed. The 

COPS Office encourages the use of a lower consultant rate 

for travel days, and the number of travel days should be 

based on the distance between the traveler’s home office 

and the event.

13 Other costs (itemize below) Input estimated direct and indirect costs for other factors 

that contribute directly to the total cost of the conference, 

such as interpreters and other accessibility supports.

14 Total conference cost Leave blank, as this section will auto-populate.
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE- SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

Section C. Meals & Refreshments Threshold Calculator: 

To be completed by Cooperative Agreement or Contract Recipient

Request: Input the per diem rates for the applicable locations. Select the values from the drop-down menu. Only one 

box should be selected. Complete this part before starting section D.

1. Continental U.S. M&IE: Use GSA per diemrates.

The appropriate M&IE rates can be found at “Per Diem Rates [Overview],” GSA.gov,

http://www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21287.

2. Hawaii, Alaska, U.S. Territories & Possessions M&IE: Use the U.S. Department of Defense per diem 

rates. The appropriate M&IE rates can be found at “Per Diem Rates Query,” Defense Travel 

Management Office, DoD Center for Travel Excellence, 

http://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/perdiemCalc.cfm.

3. Foreign Country M&IE: Use the U.S. Department of State per diem rates.

The appropriate M&IE rates can be found at “Foreign Per Diem Rates,” Office of 

Allowances, U.S. Department of State,

http://aoprals.state.gov/content.asp?content_id=184&menu_id=78.

Report: N/A
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE- SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

Section D. Meals: 

To be completed by Cooperative Agreement or Contract Recipient

Request: Input the number of times a certain meal is provided. For example, if the event is a three-day conference with 

100 attendees and you are requesting permission to provide on the second day a working lunch that will be paid for by 

cooperative agreement funds, enter 1, not 100. The number of attendees will be auto-populated from a previous 

section in the request form. After entering data, a threshold will calculate automatically in the last column. Meal costs 

should not exceed the thresholds that are generated. If the threshold is exceeded, additional justification will be 

required, and the conference request, even if less than $100,000, will have to be submitted for additional DOJ official 

approval.

1. Breakfast

2. Lunch

3. Dinner

Report: N/A

Section E. Other Thresholds Calculator: Auto-Populated

Request: This section is designed to help determine the thresholds allowable for a particular conference or event. This 

section is generated automatically. Do not enter additional data, as it is merely for your reference. These thresholds 

should be considered outside caps, and every effort should be made to come in well under these caps, particularly 

when requesting permission to provide meals.

1. Conference space, and AV equipment and services: $25 per person, perday

2. Logistical conference planner: $50 per person,max = $8,750.

3. Programmatic conference planner: $200 per person,max = $35,000.

Report: N/A
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE- SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

Section F. Justification if submitting Conference Request Form with Estimated Costs Over the Threshold: 

To be completed by Cooperative Agreement or Contract Recipient

Request: Input the justification, if applicable.

If any of the boxes in this section are white, this indicates that an explanation is required for that specific conference 

cost category. No justification is required if the cells remain dark gray.

Note: If any of the cells turn red, that means the cost is over the threshold and additional approval is required which 

may delay approval of the request.

1. Conference space, and AV equipment andservices

2. Refreshments

3. Logistical conference planner

4. Programmatic conference planner

Report: N/A

Section G. Justification Required for Conferences with Meals: 

To be completed by Cooperative Agreement or Contract Recipient

Request: Input the justification for the government-provided meals, if applicable.

Report: N/A
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE- SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

Section H. Justification for Non-Federal Facility (complete if cells turn white) Drop Down:

To be completed by Cooperative Agreement or Contract Recipient

Request: Select one of the options from the drop-down menu.

Report: N/A

Section I. Facilities Considered:

To be completed by Cooperative Agreement or Contract Recipient

Request: Input information on venues and facilities that were considered for selection, both federal and nonfederal.

Note: If a cost for meeting space is included, a minimum of three venues of similar type, quality, and location should 

be considered and listed. Federal facilities should be considered where reasonable, available, and accessible to nonfederal attendees. In the first line of this section, the total estimated cost will be auto-populated because this facility 

was selected. For the subsequent lines, indicate the name, facility type, total estimated cost of the entire conference 

(not just the meeting space cost), select “No” for the selected question, and then the reason for non-use.

Report: N/A

Section J. Estimated Attendee Information: 

To be completed by Cooperative Agreement or Contract Recipient

Request: Input information about where the attendees are coming from, the organizations, and the number of 

expected attendees.

Note: For many COPS Office cooperative agreements, the bulk of attendees can be classified as “law enforcement

organizations” coming from “nationwide” locations. 

Report: N/A
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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE- SPONSORED CONFERENCE 

REQUEST AND REPORT

COPS OFFICE INSTRUCTIONS AND STEP DESCRIPTIONS

Additional Information

Agenda

An agenda must be submitted with the request and may be in draft form. The agenda will be used to assess the 

reasonableness of the event, and it must, at a minimum, include topics to be addressed and start and end times for 

each day.

Sheets A–D. Conference Questions, Justification, and Expense Calculation Sections 

Expense justification

This section should include the cost and detailed information about how costs were estimated. This includes the 

rates for meeting space, AV equipment, printing, M&IE (per diem rate, number of days, and number of people 

included in the calculation), lodging (per diem rate, number of days, and number of people included in the 

calculation), transportation (airfare only), local transportation (mileage, rental cars, cabs, and parking), and

logistical and programmatic planning (rates and hours). 

Note:

• A change in the purpose or event title or any other substantial change that causes the cost to increase by 

10% or more or causes the event to exceed one or morethresholds or $100,000 overall must be resubmitted for approval prior to the event, and the full review process will start from the beginning.

• A change in the event's date, length, location, or number of estimated attendees requires approval of the 

COPS Office program manager and COPS Office conference administrator. A revised conference request 

form must be submitted. This should take no longer than one week.