Federal Fund Purchase Requirements - Uniform Guidance

Uniform Guidance ("UG") is a set of federal regulations that impacts research administration and significantly reforms federal grants to focus resources on improving performance and outcomes. It is a compliance requirement to follow the Uniform Guidance Procurement Standards when procuring goods and services using federal funds.

Policy and Process

The purpose for the Uniform Guidance is to reduce administrative burden for grant applicants and recipients, as well as to reduce the risk of waste, fraud and abuse. Procurement Standards for UG is specifically located in sections e-CFR 200.317 to 200.326 and concentrates on increased competition and transparency in the purchasing process.

According to Federal Acquisitions Regulations and Code of Federal Regulations, the thresholds for the acquisition of goods and services for any amount of federally funded purchases are:

  • >$10,000 (including tax and shipping) requires informal quotes from three suppliers
  • ≥$100,000 requires a formal competitive bid process

To document your compliance with the competitive requirements, complete the Source Selection and Price Reasonableness Justification (SSPR) form and attach to KFS Requisition Notes & Attachment tab.

For purchases requiring a formal competitive bid process, please review the bidding process.

For all federal fund purchases greater than or equal to $10K, complete and attach the following back-up documentation to the KFS requisition:

Please visit UCOP's internal site for instructions and FAQs for filling out the SSPR form.

If there is any intent to do a General Error Correction (“GEC”) and transfer any amount to federal funds after the original purchase, the above referenced documents must be attached to the KFS requisition when initiated. If the proper documentation is not attached when first initiated, transferring purchases to federal funds at a later date cannot occur and the KFS Procurement Reviewer will not approve the GEC.

Federal Funds Uniform Guidance (Video, PDF)

Federal Funds UC Compliance (Video, PDF)

Please visit UC's SharePoint site for the latest training on Federal Funds.