(a) States. When procuring property and services under a grant, a
State will follow the same policies and procedures it uses for
procurements from its non-Federal funds. The State will ensure that
every purchase order or other contract includes any clauses required by
Federal statutes and executive orders and their implementing
regulations. Other grantees and subgrantees will follow paragraphs (b)
through (i) in this section.
(b) Procurement standards. (1) Grantees and subgrantees will use
their own procurement procedures which reflect applicable State and
local laws and regulations, provided that the procurements conform to
applicable Federal law and the standards identified in this section.
(2) Grantees and subgrantees will maintain a contract administration
system which ensures that contractors perform in accordance with the
terms,
conditions, and specifications of their contracts or purchase orders.
(3) Grantees and subgrantees will maintain a written code of
standards of conduct governing the performance of their employees
engaged in the award and administration of contracts. No employee,
officer or agent of the grantee or subgrantee shall participate in
selection, or in the award or administration of a contract supported by
Federal funds if a conflict of interest, real or apparent, would be
involved. Such a conflict would arise when:
(i) The employee, officer or agent,
(ii) Any member of his immediate family,
(iii) His or her partner, or
(iv) An organization which employs, or is about to employ, any of
the above, has a financial or other interest in the firm selected for
award. The grantee's or subgrantee's officers, employees or agents will
neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors or anything of monetary
value from contractors, potential contractors, or parties to
subagreements. Grantee and subgrantees may set minimum rules where the
financial interest is not substantial or the gift is an unsolicited item
of nominal intrinsic value. To the extent permitted by State or local
law or regulations, such standards or conduct will provide for
penalties, sanctions, or other disciplinary actions for violations of
such standards by the grantee's and subgrantee's officers, employees, or
agents, or by contractors or their agents. The awarding agency may in
regulation provide additional prohibitions relative to real, apparent,
or potential conflicts of interest.
(4) Grantee and subgrantee procedures will provide for a review of
proposed procurements to avoid purchase 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.
(5) To foster greater economy and efficiency, grantees and
subgrantees are encouraged to enter into State and local
intergovernmental agreements for procurement or use of common goods and
services.
(6) Grantees and subgrantees are encouraged to use Federal excess
and surplus property in lieu of purchasing new equipment and property
whenever such use is feasible and reduces project costs.
(7) Grantees and subgrantees are encouraged to use value engineering
clauses in contracts for construction projects of sufficient size to
offer reasonable opportunities for cost reductions. Value engineering is
a systematic and creative anaylsis of each contract item or task to
ensure that its essential function is provided at the overall lower
cost.
(8) Grantees and subgrantees will make awards 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.
(9) Grantees and subgrantees will maintain records sufficient to
detail the significant history of a procurement. These records will
include, but are not necessarily limited to the following: rationale for
the method of procurement, selection of contract type, contractor
selection or rejection, and the basis for the contract price.
(10) Grantees and subgrantees will use time and material type
contracts only--
(i) After a determination that no other contract is suitable, and
(ii) If the contract includes a ceiling price that the contractor
exceeds at its own risk.
(11) Grantees and subgrantees alone will 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 grantee or subgrantee of any contractual
responsibilities under its contracts. Federal agencies will not
substitute their judgment for
that of the grantee or subgrantee unless the matter is primarily a
Federal concern. Violations of law will be referred to the local, State,
or Federal authority having proper jurisdiction.
(12) Grantees and subgrantees will have protest procedures to handle
and resolve disputes relating to their procurements and shall in all
instances disclose information regarding the protest to the awarding
agency. A protestor must exhaust all administrative remedies with the
grantee and subgrantee before pursuing a protest with the Federal
agency. Reviews of protests by the Federal agency will be limited to:
(i) Violations of Federal law or regulations and the standards of
this section (violations of State or local law will be under the
jurisdiction of State or local authorities) and
(ii) Violations of the grantee's or subgrantee's protest procedures
for failure to review a complaint or protest. Protests received by the
Federal agency other than those specified above will be referred to the
grantee or subgrantee.
(c) Competition. (1) All procurement transactions will be conducted
in a manner providing full and open competition consistent with the
standards of Sec. 97.36. Some of the situations considered to be
restrictive of competition include but are not limited to:
(i) Placing unreasonable requirements on firms in order for them to
qualify to do business,
(ii) Requiring unnecessary experience and excessive bonding,
(iii) Noncompetitive pricing practices between firms or between
affiliated companies,
(iv) Noncompetitive awards to consultants that are on retainer
contracts,
(v) Organizational conflicts of interest,
(vi) Specifying only a ``brand name'' product instead of allowing
``an equal'' product to be offered and describing the performance of
other relevant requirements of the procurement, and
(vii) Any arbitrary action in the procurement process.
(2) Grantees and subgrantees will conduct procurements in a manner
that prohibits the use of statutorily or administratively imposed in-
State or local geographical preferences in the evaluation of bids or
proposals, except in those cases where applicable Federal statutes
expressly mandate or encourage geographic preference. Nothing in this
section preempts State licensing laws. When contracting for
architectural and engineering (A/E) services, geographic location may be
a selection criteria provided its application leaves an appropriate
number of qualified firms, given the nature and size of the project, to
compete for the contract.
(3) Grantees will have written selection procedures for procurement
transactions. These procedures will ensure that all solicitations:
(i) Incorporate a clear and accurate description of the technical
requirements for the material, product, or service to be procured. Such
description shall 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, shall 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 it is impractical or uneconomical to
make a clear and accurate description of the technical requirements, a
``brand name or equal'' description may be used as a means to define the
performance or other salient requirements of a procurement. The specific
features of the named brand which must be met by offerors shall be
clearly stated; and
(ii) Identify all requirements which the offerors must fulfill and
all other factors to be used in evaluating bids or proposals.
(4) Grantees and subgrantees will 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, grantees and subgrantees will
not preclude potential bidders from qualifying during the solicitation
period.
(d) Methods of procurement to be followed--(1) Procurement by small
purchase procedures. Small purchase procedures
are those relatively simple and informal procurement methods for
securing services, supplies, or other property that do not cost more
than the simplified acquisition threshold fixed at 41 U.S.C. 403(11)
(currently set at $100,000). If small purchase procedures are used,
price or rate quotations shall be obtained from an adequate number of
qualified sources.
(2) Procurement by sealed bids (formal advertising). Bids are
publicly solicited and a firm-fixed-price contract (lump sum or unit
price) is awarded to the responsible bidder whose bid, conforming with
all the material terms and conditions of the invitation for bids, is the
lowest in price. The sealed bid method is the preferred method for
procuring construction, if the conditions in Sec. 97.36(d)(2)(i) apply.
(i) In order for sealed bidding to be feasible, the following
conditions should be present:
(A) A complete, adequate, and realistic specification or purchase
description is available;
(B) Two or more responsible bidders are willing and able to compete
effectively and for the business; and
(C) The procurement lends itself to a firm fixed price contract and
the selection of the successful bidder can be made principally on the
basis of price.
(ii) If sealed bids are used, the following requirements apply:
(A) The invitation for bids will be publicly advertised and bids
shall be solicited from an adequate number of known suppliers, providing
them sufficient time prior to the date set for opening the bids;
(B) The invitation for bids, which will include any specifications
and pertinent attachments, shall define the items or services in order
for the bidder to properly respond;
(C) All bids will be publicly opened at the time and place
prescribed in the invitation for bids;
(D) A firm fixed-price contract award will be made in writing to the
lowest responsive and responsible bidder. Where specified in bidding
documents, factors such as discounts, transportation cost, and life
cycle costs shall be considered in determining which bid is lowest.
Payment discounts will only be used to determine the low bid when prior
experience indicates that such discounts are usually taken advantage of;
and
(E) Any or all bids may be rejected if there is a sound documented
reason.
(3) Procurement by competitive proposals. The technique of
competitive proposals is normally conducted with more than one source
submitting an offer, and either a fixed-price or cost-reimbursement type
contract is awarded. It is generally used when conditions are not
appropriate for the use of sealed bids. If this method is used, the
following requirements apply:
(i) Requests for proposals will be publicized and identify all
evaluation factors and their relative importance. Any response to
publicized requests for proposals shall be honored to the maximum extent
practical;
(ii) Proposals will be solicited from an adequate number of
qualified sources;
(iii) Grantees and subgrantees will have a method for conducting
technical evaluations of the proposals received and for selecting
awardees;
(iv) Awards will be made to the responsible firm whose proposal is
most advantageous to the program, with price and other factors
considered; and
(v) Grantees and subgrantees 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.
(4) Procurement by noncompetitive proposals is procurement through
solicitation of a proposal from only one source, or after solicitation
of a number of sources, competition is determined inadequate.
(i) Procurement by noncompetitive proposals may be used only when
the award of a contract is infeasible under small purchase procedures,
sealed bids
or competitive proposals and one of the following circumstances applies:
(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 awarding agency authorizes noncompetitive proposals; or
(D) After solicitation of a number of sources, competition is
determined inadequate.
(ii) Cost analysis, i.e., verifying the proposed cost data, the
projections of the data, and the evaluation of the specific elements of
costs and profits, is required.
(iii) Grantees and subgrantees may be required to submit the
proposed procurement to the awarding agency for pre-award review in
accordance with paragraph (g) of this section.
(e) Contracting with small and minority firms, women's business
enterprise and labor surplus area firms. (1) The grantee and subgrantee
will take all necessary affirmative steps to assure that minority firms,
women's business enterprises, and labor surplus area firms are used when
possible.
(2) Affirmative steps shall include:
(i) Placing qualified small and minority businesses and women's
business enterprises on solicitation lists;
(ii) Assuring that small and minority businesses, and women's
business enterprises are solicited whenever they are potential sources;
(iii) Dividing total requirements, when economically feasible, into
smaller tasks or quantities to permit maximum participation by small and
minority business, and women's business enterprises;
(iv) Establishing delivery schedules, where the requirement permits,
which encourage participation by small and minority business, and
women's business enterprises;
(v) Using the services and assistance of the Small Business
Administration, and the Minority Business Development Agency of the
Department of Commerce; and
(vi) Requiring the prime contractor, if subcontracts are to be let,
to take the affirmative steps listed in paragraphs (e)(2) (i) through
(v) of this section.
(f) Contract cost and price. (1) Grantees and subgrantees must
perform a cost or price analysis in connection with every procurement
action including contract modifications. The method and degree of
analysis is dependent on the facts surrounding the particular
procurement situation, but as a starting point, grantees must make
independent estimates before receiving bids or proposals. A cost
analysis must be performed when the offeror is required to submit the
elements of his estimated cost, e.g., under professional, consulting,
and architectural engineering services contracts. A cost analysis will
be necessary when adequate price competition is lacking, and for sole
source procurements, including contract modifications or change orders,
unless price resonableness can be established on the basis of a catalog
or market price of a commercial product sold in substantial quantities
to the general public or based on prices set by law or regulation. A
price analysis will be used in all other instances to determine the
reasonableness of the proposed contract price.
(2) Grantees and subgrantees will negotiate profit as a separate
element of the price for each contract in which there is no price
competition and in all cases where cost analysis is performed. To
establish a fair and reasonable profit, consideration will be given to
the complexity of the work to be performed, the risk borne by the
contractor, the contractor's investment, the amount of subcontracting,
the quality of its record of past performance, and industry profit rates
in the surrounding geographical area for similar work.
(3) Costs or prices based on estimated costs for contracts under
grants will be allowable only to the extent that costs incurred or cost
estimates included in negotiated prices are consistent with Federal cost
principles (see Sec. 97.22). Grantees may reference their own cost
principles that comply with the applicable Federal cost principles.
(4) The cost plus a percentage of cost and percentage of
construction cost methods of contracting shall not be used.
(g) Awarding agency review. (1) Grantees and subgrantees must make
available, upon request of the awarding agency, technical specifications
on proposed procurements where the awarding agency believes such review
is needed to ensure that the item and/or service specified is the one
being proposed for purchase. This review generally will take place prior
to the time the specification is incorporated into a solicitation
document. However, if the grantee or subgrantee desires to have the
review accomplished after a solicitation has been developed, the
awarding agency may still review the specifications, with such review
usually limited to the technical aspects of the proposed purchase.
(2) Grantees and subgrantees must on request make available for
awarding agency pre-award review procurement documents, such as requests
for proposals or invitations for bids, independent cost estimates, etc.
when:
(i) A grantee's or subgrantee's procurement procedures or operation
fails to comply with the procurement standards in this section; or
(ii) The procurement is expected to exceed the simplified
acquisition threshold and is to be awarded without competition or only
one bid or offer is received in response to a solicitation; or
(iii) The procurement, which is expected to exceed the simplified
acquisition threshold, specifies a ``brand name'' product; or
(iv) The proposed award is more than the simplified acquisition
threshold and is to be awarded to other than the apparent low bidder
under a sealed bid procurement; or
(v) A proposed contract modification changes the scope of a contract
or increases the contract amount by more than the simplified acquisition
threshold.
(3) A grantee or subgrantee will be exempt from the pre-award review
in paragraph (g)(2) of this section if the awarding agency determines
that its procurement systems comply with the standards of this section.
(i) A grantee or subgrantee may request that its procurement system
be reviewed by the awarding agency to determine whether its system meets
these standards in order for its system to be certified. Generally,
these reviews shall occur where there is a continuous high-dollar
funding, and third-party contracts are awarded on a regular basis.
(ii) A grantee or subgrantee may self-certify its procurement
system. Such self-certification shall not limit the awarding agency's
right to survey the system. Under a self-certification procedure,
awarding agencies may wish to rely on written assurances from the
grantee or subgrantee that it is complying with these standards. A
grantee or subgrantee will cite specific procedures, regulations,
standards, etc., as being in compliance with these requirements and have
its system available for review.
(h) Bonding requirements. For construction or facility improvement
contracts or subcontracts exceeding the simplified acquisition
threshold, the awarding agency may accept the bonding policy and
requirements of the grantee or subgrantee provided the awarding agency
has made a determination that the awarding agency's interest is
adequately protected. If such a determination has not been made, the
minimum requirements shall be as follows:
(1) A bid guarantee from each bidder equivalent to five percent of
the bid price. The ``bid guarantee'' shall consist of a firm commitment
such as a bid bond, certified check, or other negotiable instrument
accompanying a bid as assurance that the bidder will, upon acceptance of
his bid, execute such contractual documents as may be required within
the time specified.
(2) A performance bond on the part of the contractor for 100 percent
of the contract price. A ``performance bond'' is one executed in
connection with a contract to secure fulfillment of all the contractor's
obligations under such contract.
(3) A payment bond on the part of the contractor for 100 percent of
the contract price. A ``payment bond'' is one executed in connection
with a contract to assure payment as required by law of all persons
supplying labor and material in the execution of the work provided for
in the contract.
(i) Contract provisions. A grantee's and subgrantee's contracts must
contain provisions in paragraph (i) of this section. Federal agencies
are permitted to require changes, remedies, changed conditions, access
and records retention, suspension of work, and other clauses approved by
the Office of Federal Procurement Policy.
(1) Administrative, contractual, or legal remedies in instances
where contractors violate or breach contract terms, and provide for such
sanctions and penalties as may be appropriate. (Contracts more than the
simplified acquisition threshold)
(2) Termination for cause and for convenience by the grantee or
subgrantee including the manner by which it will be effected and the
basis for settlement. (All contracts in excess of $10,000)
(3) Compliance with Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965,
entitled ``Equal Employment Opportunity,'' as amended by Executive Order
11375 of October 13, 1967, and as supplemented in Department of Labor
regulations (41 CFR chapter 60). (All construction contracts awarded in
excess of $10,000 by grantees and their contractors or subgrantees)
(4) Compliance with the Copeland ``Anti-Kickback'' Act (18 U.S.C.
874) as supplemented in Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 3).
(All contracts and subgrants for construction or repair)
(5) Compliance with the Davis-Bacon Act (40 U.S.C. 276a to 276a-7)
as supplemented by Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5).
(Construction contracts in excess of $2000 awarded by grantees and
subgrantees when required by Federal grant program legislation)
(6) Compliance with Sections 103 and 107 of the Contract Work Hours
and Safety Standards Act (40 U.S.C. 327-330) as supplemented by
Department of Labor regulations (29 CFR Part 5). (Construction contracts
awarded by grantees and subgrantees in excess of $2000, and in excess of
$2500 for other contracts which involve the employment of mechanics or
laborers)
(7) Notice of awarding agency requirements and regulations
pertaining to reporting.
(8) Notice of awarding agency requirements and regulations
pertaining to patent rights with respect to any discovery or invention
which arises or is developed in the course of or under such contract.
(9) Awarding agency requirements and regulations pertaining to
copyrights and rights in data.
(10) Access by the grantee, the subgrantee, the Federal grantor
agency, the Comptroller General of the United States, or any of their
duly authorized representatives to any books, documents, papers, and
records of the contractor which are directly pertinent to that specific
contract for the purpose of making audit, examination, excerpts, and
transcriptions.
(11) Retention of all required records for three years after
grantees or subgrantees make final payments and all other pending
matters are closed.
(12) Compliance with all applicable standards, orders, or
requirements issued under section 306 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C.
1857(h)), section 508 of the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1368), Executive
Order 11738, and Environmental Protection Agency regulations (40 CFR
part 15). (Contracts, subcontracts, and subgrants of amounts in excess
of $100,000)
(13) Mandatory standards and policies relating to energy efficiency
which are contained in the state energy conservation plan issued in
compliance with the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (Pub. L. 94-163,
89 Stat. 871).
[53 FR 8069, Mar. 11, 1988, as amended at 60 FR 19639, 19643, Apr. 19.
1995]
