(a) The appropriate method to be used and amount of effort to be expended in deciding the qualification of a potential recipient will vary. In deciding on the method and level of effort, the grants officer should consider factors such as:
(1) DoD's past experience with the recipient;
(2) Whether the recipient has previously received cost-type contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements from the Federal Government; and
(3) The amount of the prospective award and complexity of the project to be carried out under the award.
(b) There is no DoD-wide requirement to obtain a pre-award credit report, audit, or any other specific piece of information. On a case-by-case basis, the grants officer will decide whether there is a need to obtain any such information to assist in deciding whether the recipient meets the standards in § 22.415 (a), (b), and (c).
(1) Should the grants officer in a particular case decide that a pre-award credit report, audit, or survey is needed, he or she should consult first with the appropriate grants administration office (identified in § 22.710), and decide whether pre-existing surveys or audits of the recipient, such as those of the recipient's internal control systems under OMB guidance in subpart F of 2 CFR part 200, will satisfy the need (see § 22.715(a)(1)).
(2) If, after consulting with the grants administration office, the grants officer decides to obtain a credit report, audit, or other information, and the report or other information discloses that a potential recipient is delinquent on a debt to an agency of the United States Government, then:
(i) The grants officer shall take such information into account when determining whether the potential recipient is qualified with respect to the grant or cooperative agreement; and
(ii) If the grants officer decides to make the award to the recipient, unless there are compelling reasons to do otherwise, the grants officer shall delay the award of the grant or cooperative agreement until payment is made or satisfactory arrangements are made to repay the debt.
(c) In deciding whether a recipient is otherwise qualified and eligible in accordance with the standard in § 22.415(d), the grants officer shall ensure that the potential recipient:
(1) Is not identified in the Exclusions area of the System for Award Management (SAM Exclusions) as being debarred, suspended, or otherwise ineligible to receive the award (SAM is at www.sam.gov). In addition to being a requirement for every new award, note that checking SAM Exclusions also is a requirement for subsequent obligations of additional funds, such as incremental funding actions, in the case of pre-existing awards to institutions of higher education, as described at § 22.520(e)(5). The grants officer's responsibilities include (see the OMB guidance at 2 CFR 180.425 and 180.430, as implemented by the Department of Defense at 2 CFR 1125.425) checking SAM Exclusions for:
(i) Potential recipients of prime awards; and
(ii) A recipient's principals (as defined in OMB guidance at 2 CFR 180.995, implemented by the Department of Defense in 2 CFR part 1125), potential recipients of subawards, and principals of those potential subaward recipients, if DoD Component approval of those principals or lower-tier recipients is required under the terms of the award.
(2) Has provided all certifications and assurances required by Federal statute, Executive order, or codified regulation, unless they are to be addressed in award terms and conditions at the time of award (see § 22.510).
(3) Meets any eligibility criteria that may be specified in the statute authorizing the specific program under which the award is being made (see § 22.210(a)(2)).
(d) Grants officers shall obtain each recipient's Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN, which may be the Social Security Number for an individual and Employer Identification Number for a business or non-profit entity) and notify the recipient that the TIN is being obtained for purposes of collecting and reporting on any delinquent amounts that may arise out of the recipient's relationship with the Government. Obtaining the TIN and so notifying the recipient is a statutory requirement of 31 U.S.C. 7701, as amended by the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (section 31001(i)(1), Pub. L. 104-134).
[63 FR 12164, Mar. 12, 1998, as amended at 70 FR 49464, Aug. 23, 2005; 72 FR 34988, June 26, 2007; 85 FR 51242, Aug. 19, 2020]