(1 MB) Infographic: What exactly is a cooperation agreement? Here, for example, is a cooperation agreement of the Geological Survey (USGS) of the Ministry of the Interior. This is a joint funding opportunity for research and technical assistance, which is provided in the form of a cooperation agreement and not a grant. The winner will work closely with USGS staff and researchers to improve skills in high-performance scientific computing and scientific visualization through research into new scientific computing tools, methods and techniques for large-scale data management. When the EPA, usually the project officer, is involved in project activities, a cooperation agreement is the right funding mechanism. A cooperation agreement reflects a relationship between the U.S. government and a recipient and is used when the government`s purpose is to assist the intermediary in providing goods or services to the authorized recipient. On Grants.gov, of course, we have government grants, but you will also find many “cooperation agreements” while looking for funding opportunities. This is because cooperation agreements and subsidies are very similar, but with a big difference. Cooperation agreements and grants “transfer anything of value from the federal procurement agency or intermediary entity to the non-federal entity to serve a public purpose.” If the objective of the funded activity is to support or stimulate activities that do not serve the direct benefit of the Confederation, a support agreement (grant or cooperation agreement) may be used. The NIJ may, at its sole discretion, award grants in the form of grants or cooperation agreements. Although many of you are familiar with grants, you may not be as familiar with cooperation agreements.

Cooperation agreements are just another tool to support high-quality crime and justice research. The cooperation agreements allow us to fully exploit the expertise of NIJ scientists and support innovative research. The following table shows some of the key differences and similarities between these two financing options. The FGCAA distinguishes between procurement (public procurement/contracts) and support (grants and cooperation agreements) depending on the main objective of the legal relationship between the parties. Cooperation agreements are different from traditional procurement agreements and are therefore not subject to the Federal Procurement Regulation (FAR). As with other transaction authorities, this approach gives agencies more freedom to shape the terms of an agreement based on new or innovative efforts. For example, the FDA uses this freedom to advance food safety with states by funding the implementation of food safety rules. As the federal contracting landscape becomes increasingly complex, cooperation agreements give some entrepreneurs the opportunity to focus on a more streamlined federal funding mechanism. A cooperation agreement can be a highly specialized research award in which federal employees are among the few experts in the field. In this case, the award can be defined as a “cooperation agreement” because federal staff and the non-federal recipient will conduct the research together in one way or another.

In general, the term “substantial participation” refers to the extent to which federal employees directly execute or implement parts of the procurement program. In the case of a grant, the federal government maintains a stricter oversight and oversight role. Through a cooperative arrangement, federal employees are then more involved in the implementation of the program. When you read “cooperative,” don`t forget to work “side by side.” The specific way in which this participation is integrated varies depending on the programme and the agency. [Note 1] Substantial participation means that after the award, scientific or program staff support, direct, coordinate or participate in project activities. In general, responsibility for the continued implementation of the funded project rests with the recipient in the implementation of the funded and approved proposal and budget, as well as award conditions. The NIJ is responsible for monitoring and, if necessary, realigning the project. That being said, substantial participation is a relative rather than an absolute concept. NIJ`s participation in a collaborative project depends on the circumstances. Examples include the NIJ`s review and approval of the winners` implementation, monitoring and evaluation plans; Review and approval of the NIJ, which is required after the completion of one phase of the work, before moving on to the next phases; Review and approval by the NIJ of subcontracts or sub-licenses; and joint action and cooperation or participation between the NIJ and the laureate in the implementation of certain technical activities related to the implementation of the funded project. For cooperation agreements, the review and approval of the OMB`s PRA will likely be required if the NIJ is meaningfully involved in the design, development of methodology, and analysis of data collection.

As the extent of NIJ`s involvement may not be clear at the time of application, applicants proposing research projects with data collection efforts with more than nine (9) respondents should assume that OMB PRA authorization is required and consider this information when developing the application, including proposal, research plan, schedule and budget. Notice! The elements of a substantial participation authorised for each cooperation agreement shall be described in the procurement document. The AO may delegate responsibility for the essential elements of participation in the AOR. If you`d like more detailed information about grants and cooperation agreements, here are some additional resources: Hi Dave, yes, they can be. But it really depends on the specific funding opportunity – which is the main purpose of the grant. As long as the grant achieves this goal, funding can support a 508-compliant website, in whole or in part. If you have any further questions, we recommend that you contact the funding body of the respective grant or cooperation agreement, as we are not able to answer this question in a binding manner. The distinguishing factor between a grant and a cooperation agreement is the degree of participation or participation of the Confederation in the implementation of the work activities. A cooperation agreement “differs from a grant in that it provides for substantial participation between the federal procurement or transmitting agency and the non-federal agency in carrying out the activity provided for in the federal surtax.” Now the question arises as to what it means to have “substantial involvement” by the federal government. Main conclusions 1. Grants and cooperation agreements are very similar.

2. The differences lie in the details of implementation (i.e. cooperation agreements are accompanied by a “substantial participation” of the Federal Agency). 3. There are also legal implications of these various agreements, so read the agreements carefully and discuss them with lawyers. 4. Yes – The participation proposed by USAID is considered a SUBSTANTIAL PARTICIPATION, and therefore the appropriate implementation tool is a cooperation agreement. In addition to the information on the FSA`s website about its programs, these are practical links to information about cooperation agreements: FSA cooperation agreements are designed to support or stimulate a public objective with substantial participation from the FSA. Beneficiaries of a cooperation agreement must apply for and obtain prior authorization to hold a conference. This may impact research activities, including proposed working group meetings, roundtables and focus groups that meet the definition of a “conference” under DOJ guidelines. See “Conference Approval, Planning and Reporting” in the JUP Financial Guide. In the case of cooperation agreements, significant participation between the NIJ and the winner is expected.

The recipient must work with the assigned NIJ Grant Manager, who is the authorized representative of the NIJ responsible for the proper administration of the scholarship. .