NVLAP ASSESSOR BULLETIN AB-25-2019 PAGE 1 OF 2

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program

ISSUE DATE:

January 14, 2019

ASSESSOR BULLETIN NUMBER: AB-25-2019

LAP: ALL

SUBJECT: Updates to the NIST Contract and UTRS Contract processes and forms

The purpose of this bulletin is to inform NVLAP assessors of the updated Quote and Invoice forms for 

NIST and UTRS contracts. These changes are applicable to all assessor quotes and invoices.

These documents have been revised to meet the new requirements found in the Federal Acquisitions 

Regulation (FAR) and Federal Travel Regulation (FTR).

The updated quote form is to be used for both NIST and UTRS contracting process. The updated invoice 

forms are titled in accordance to the contracting process that is to be used (NIST or UTRS). The 

appropriate forms shall be used when submitting documents for an onsite assessment.

Assessor Quote form improvements

-Includes requirement for a DUNS number for NIST contracts only.

-Clarification/description for line items (ex: economy air travel, compact car, etc.) has been added.

When submitting the quote for a NIST contract, an active DUNS number shall be included on the form. 

This information will assist with the contract award in a timely manner.

For a NIST contract:

 The SAM.GOV system is required to be up to date prior to the submission of the quote. If this 

system is not up to date, a delay in awarding the contract may result. The company name 

provided on the quote must correspond to the name registered in the DUNS registration (ex: 

ABC Company or John Doe).

 The Assessor Quote form will be forwarded along with the request for quote (RFQ) from the 

NIST contracting officer.

For a UTRS contract, the Assessor Quote form can be obtained from the Assessor Portal under the 

Assessor Documents tab.

NIST Assessor Invoice form improvements

-NIST invoice and expense breakout sheet are now combined into one form

-Includes requirement for a DUNS number

When an invoice is submitted for a NIST contract, the company name provided on the invoice must 

correspond to the name registered in the DUNS registration (ex: ABC Company or John Doe). The NIST 

Assessor Invoice template can be obtained from the Assessor Portal under the Assessor Document tab.

The invoice is submitted with the actual expenses incurred during the travel. This information must 

match the receipts which are required for submittal. When completing the invoice, use of the GSA Per 

Diem rates (www.gsa.gov) is required to compute the hotel rates & M&IE allowed. 
NVLAP ASSESSOR BULLETIN AB-25-2019 PAGE 2 OF 2

As a reminder, the first and last calendar day of travel is calculated at 75 percent. The travel expenses are 

categorized as Not to Exceed (NTE) amounts. If travel expenses are greater than the contract NTE 

amount, prior NVLAP approval is required.

NIST Invoice/Expense forms, along with all receipts, shall be submitted directly to 

invoice@nist.gov. If the invoice is not sent to invoice@nist.gov directly, it will delay payment.

UTRS Contract Invoice form improvements

There are no changes to this process. However, the invoice form has been revised to include actual 

expenses incurred during the travel. The UTRS Assessor Invoice template can be obtained from the 

Assessor Portal under the Assessor Document tab. 

When completing the invoice, use of the GSA Per Diem rates is required to compute the hotel rates and 

M&IE allowed. As a reminder, the first and last calendar day of travel is calculated at 75 percent. If 

travel expenses are greater than the contract amount, prior NVLAP approval is required.

As a reminder, when uploading the invoice through the NIWS portal, the invoice requires the assessor 

registered name in the UTRS contractor database. This will assist UTRS to correlate the invoice with the 

appropriate assessor and assist processing the payment in a timely manner. 

Please contact Lori Gruber (lori.gruber@nist.gov) or Tessa Gordon (tessa.gordon@nist.gov) if there are 

any questions regarding the use of the quote and invoice forms.