(a) General. The SBDC Lead Center Director, as a part of the annual renewal proposal, or the applicant organization’s authorized representative, in the case of a new SBDC application, shall prepare and submit to the SBA Project Officer the budget justification for the upcoming budget period. The budget will be reviewed annually upon submission of a renewal application.

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(b) Direct costs. At least 80 percent of SBA funding must be allocated to the direct cost of program delivery.

(c) Indirect costs. If the applicant organization or recipient organization waives all indirect costs, then 100 percent of SBA funding must be allocated to program delivery. If the reimbursements of some, but not all, indirect costs are waived to meet the matching funds requirement, the lesser of the following may be allocated as reimbursed indirect costs of the Program and charged against the Federal contribution:

(1) Twenty percent of Federal contribution; or

(2) The amount remaining after the waived portion of indirect costs is deducted from the total indirect costs allowed by the SBA.

(d) Separate SBDC service provider budgets. The applicant organization shall include separate budgets for all SBDC service providers in conformity with 2 CFR part 220, appendix A. Applicable direct cost categories and indirect cost base/rate agreements will be included for the Lead Center and all SBDC service providers, using a rate equal to or less than the negotiated predetermined rate. If no such rate exists, the sponsoring SBDC organization or SBDC service provider will negotiate a rate with its cognizant agency. In the event the sponsoring SBDC organization or SBDC service provider does not have a cognizant agency, the rate shall be, in accordance with OMB guidelines:

(1) Negotiated with the SBA Project Officer; or

(2) Apply the OMB de minimis rate.

(e) Cost principles. Principles for determining allowable costs are contained in 2 CFR part 200, subpart E.

(f) Salaries. (1) Where the recipient organization is an educational institution, the salaries of the SBDC Lead Center Director and the SBDC Service Center Director at a minimum must approximate the average annualized salary of a full professor and an assistant professor, respectively, in the school or department in which the SBDC is located. If a recipient organization is not an educational institution, the salaries of the SBDC Lead Center Director and the subcenter Directors must approximate the average salaries of parallel positions within the recipient organization. In both cases, the recipient organization should consider the Director’s longevity in the Program, the number of subcenters, the size of the SBDC budget, the number of service centers, and the individual’s experience and background when determining the salary.

(2) Salaries for Lead Center Directors should be comparable to salaries paid Lead Center Directors in other states or regions with comparably sized programs, responsibilities, and authority.

(3) Salaries for all other positions within the SBDC should be based upon level of responsibility and be comparable to salaries for similar positions in the area served by the SBDC.

(g) Equipment. In accordance with 2 CFR part 200, capital expenditures for equipment must have the prior approval of the Program Manager of the OSBDC, either through a specific disclosure in an annual cost proposal or through an approved amendment to an existing cooperative agreement.

(h) Travel. (1) All travel must be separately identified in the proposed budget under the categories of: planned in-state/region, planned out-of-state/region, unanticipated in-state/region, or unanticipated out-of-state/region. Unplanned travel estimates may be based on the SBDC’s experience.

(2) Transportation costs must be justified in writing, including the estimated cost, number of persons traveling, and the benefit to be derived by the small business community from the proposed travel.

(3) Any proposed unplanned out-of-state/region travel exceeding the approved amount budgeted for this category must be submitted to the SBA for approval on a case-by-case basis prior to traveling.

(4) All foreign travel requests must be submitted to the appropriate District Director and the SBDC Program Manager for review and provided to the AA/SBDC for final approval in accordance with the notice of funding opportunity. Foreign travel charged to the SBDC cooperative agreement or performed by SBDC staff, while on duty for the recipient organization, must be approved in advance.

(i) Planned foreign travel costs allocable to the SBDC cooperative agreement for SBDC network staff may be approved by AA/SBDC through the annual proposal process, but such planned costs must be fully disclosed and justified in the budget narrative for Agency review. Prior approval should be obtained from the AA/SBDC prior to travel in accordance with 2 CFR part 200.

(ii) Unanticipated foreign travel must be approved using the process set forth in this paragraph (h).

[88 FR 76646, Nov. 7, 2023]