Bridge Funding Overview

1. Bridge Funding Overview Presented by: David Garcia Contracts Officer LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

2. What is Bridge Funding? • Limited UC funds available to temporarily cover funding requirements under certain conditions • Bridge Funding allows for the start or continuation of research due to sponsor-driven timing issues • Bridge funding is NOT intended to serve as a substitute for appropriate cash and funding management LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

3. Authority • Bridge Funding policy has been developed by the CFO – Budget Office in accordance with the prime operating contract between DOE and UC (“Contract 31”) • Refer to Clause H-3 (c)(4) • The exception to incurring costs without funds in hand is granted by 48 CFR 970.5232-6: LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

4. Criteria • Requests are limited to less than $250,000 and for no more than 90 days • For non-federal sponsors, bridge funding may be used to cover short-term advance requirements for new or continuing awards • For federal sponsors and DOE integrated contractors, bridge funding may ONLY be used when additional funding on an existing award is forthcoming LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

5. Process - Division • Division completes the Bridge Funding Request Form – use most current version (dated 10/28/05) • PI and division director must sign • The Division is the requesting party, based upon their programmatic needs • Forward request to SPO, with a copy to the Budget Office LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

6. Process - SPO • The SPO Contracts Officer will review the request and determine whether appropriate criteria has been met under which bridge funds have been requested • The SPO C.O. will either request further information and/or documentation from the division and sponsor, or recommend approval of bridge funding and forward to the Budget Office for review and approval. SPO does not approve . We are there to do a risk assessment. LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

7. Timing!60 – 10 – 1 - 0 • Make sure requests are submitted in accordance with the policy set forth by the Budget Office to allow sufficient time to process and avoid month-end “rushes”! LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

8. 60 • Under the policy, requests for bridge funding MUST be received by SPO 60 days prior to the accounting period to which the funding will be needed • This time frame allows the SPO C.O. to contact the Sponsor and obtain adequate assurance and documentation that funding with be imminent LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

9. 10 • SPO needs to send the request to the Budget Office no less than 10 days before Day Zero • This allows sufficient time for the Budget Office to review the request prior to the monthly close and request further information if need be LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

10. 1 • Budget Office will approve and notify the division and SPO no less than 1 day before Day Zero • SPO will issue a SPAA allowing divisions to open the projects. LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

11. Zero! • Day Zero is usually three business days before the end of the month LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

12. Others things to consider . . . • All internal approvals must be in place (e.g. DOE proposal approval, NEPA/CEQA, conflict of interest, humans and/or animals) • If a sponsor still has not provided required payment on a project for which bridge funds have been approved, an extension for more time and/or more funds will need to be requested LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

13. End of the journey • Once payment has been received, SPO will issue a SPAA directing the budget office to release bridge funding so that it may be used for other projects which meet the criteria. LBNL Sponsored Projects Office

14. Questions? • Questions on the Bridge Funding Policy should be directed to the CFO Analyst (Margie Dere) in the Budget Office LBNL Sponsored Projects Office