Subawards & Contractual Service Agreements
A subaward or contractual services/vendor agreement may be required if a portion of the research is to be performed by an external organization. If a grant proposal will include a subaward, contractual services agreement, or vendor agreement, the principal investigator (PI) should work with the UNO Contracts Specialist throughout the entire proposal and award process.
Contracts Specialist
Burt Neal
Administration Annex 1005
(504) 280-7136
bdneal@uno.edu
Resources
Definitions
For help determining whether an outside entity is a subrecipient or a vendor, use the .
| Budget Category | Subaward | Contractual Services |
|---|---|---|
| Entity Classification | Subrecipient | Vendor/Contractor |
| Description | UNO and another agency work collaboratively on the project. UNO provides pass-through funds (subaward) to the partner agency (subrecipient) for carrying out part of the project funded by the prime sponsor. Subawards create an assistance relationship with the subrecipient. Subrecipients are responsible for adherence to applicable program requirements specified in the prime award. The subrecipient's performance must be measured in relation to the objectives of the program. | UNO purchases property, goods, or services by establishing a contract with an individual or entity, creating a procurement relationship with a vendor. |
| Example | UNO requests funding from NSF and includes a subaward for another university partnering on the project. | UNO requests funding from NSF, including the cost of hiring an animator to produce a video used in the project. |
Pre-Drafting Process
The proposed subrecipient must be entered into the UNO financial system. Please check with the Office of Research contracts specialist regarding the subcontractor's status, especially if the subcontractor is using a social security number.
If the subcontractor is not in the financial system, a W-9 will be needed by the university.
Subaward/Agreement Drafting Process
To begin the subaward drafting process, PIs must complete forms for each subaward to be written. In order to avoid any delays, PIs should provide the contracts specialist with the completed forms in a timely manner.
Please keep in mind that a subrecipient should never initiate work without an executed/approved subaward in place. Subrecipients will not be compensated without the appropriate documentation on file in the Office of Research. If a subrecipient has a designated research PI, a resume must also be provided to the Office of Research.
After the Contract is Executed
During the term of the subaward or agreement, the subrecipient or vendor will send invoices to the UNO PI detailing the services provided to the PI's project. The PI must review the invoice for accuracy, approve it, and submit it to the Office of Research for payment processing.
If a modification to the Statement of Work, amount, or project period is needed for the executed subaward, please submit the appropriate modification request form to the contracts specialist before the original contract expires.
Closeouts
The PI should monitor the outside agency's work throughout the project.
At the end of the contract period, obtain the subrecipient or vendor's final invoice by the date indicated in the contract. The invoice must be paid before UNO's final invoice is submitted.
Obtain the final progress report from the subrecipient or vendor, if applicable, by the date indicated in the contract.
Forms & Reports
Performance Evaluation
Subaward Closeout Authorization Form
Subaward Payment Request & Checklist
Subrecipient Audit Form
Subrecipient Commitment Form