437.30—Changes.
(a) General.
Grantees and subgrantees are permitted to rebudget within the approved direct cost budget to meet unanticipated requirements and may make limited program changes to the approved project. However, unless waived by the SSA, certain types of post-award changes in budgets and projects require the prior written approval of SSA. Approvals are not valid unless they are in writing, and signed by at least one of the following SSA officials:
(2)
The SSA Commissioner or subordinate official with proper delegated authority from the Commissioner.
(b) Relation to cost principles.
The applicable cost principles (see § 437.22) contain requirements for prior approval of certain types of costs. Except where waived, those requirements apply to all grants and subgrants even if paragraphs (c) through (f) of this section do not.
(c) Budget changes—
(1) Nonconstruction projects.
Except as stated in other SSA regulations or an award document, grantees or subgrantees must obtain prior approval from SSA whenever any of the following changes is anticipated under a nonconstruction award:
(ii)
Unless waived by SSA, cumulative transfers among direct cost categories, or, if applicable, among separately budgeted programs, projects, functions, or activities which exceed or are expected to exceed ten percent of the current total approved budget, whenever SSA's share exceeds $100,000.
(iii)
Transfer of funds allotted for training allowances (i.e., from direct payments to trainees to other expense categories).
(2) Construction projects.
Grantees and subgrantees must obtain prior written approval for any budget revision that would result in the need for additional funds.
(3) Combined construction and nonconstruction projects.
When a grant or subgrant provides funding for both construction and nonconstruction activities, the grantee or subgrantee must obtain prior written approval from SSA before making any fund or budget transfer from nonconstruction to construction or vice versa.
(d) Programmatic changes.
Grantees or subgrantees must obtain the prior approval from SSA whenever any of the following actions is anticipated:
(1)
Any revision of the scope or objectives of the project (regardless of whether there is an associated budget revision requiring prior approval).
(3)
Changes in key persons in cases where specified in an application or a grant award. In research projects, a change in the project director or principal investigator always requires approval unless waived by SSA.
(4)
Under nonconstruction projects, contracting out, subgranting (if authorized by law) or otherwise obtaining the services of a third party to perform activities that are central to the purposes of the award. This approval requirement is in addition to the approval requirements of § 437.36 but does not apply to the procurement of equipment, supplies, and general support services.
(e) Additional prior approval requirements.
SSA may not require prior approval for any budget revision that is not described in paragraph (c) of this section.
(f) Requesting prior approval.
(1)
A request for prior approval of any budget revision will be in the same budget format the grantee used in its application and must be accompanied by a narrative justification for the proposed revision.
(2)
A request for a prior approval under the applicable Federal cost principles (see § 437.22) may be made by letter.
(3)
A request by a subgrantee for prior approval must be addressed in writing to the grantee. The grantee will promptly review such request and must approve or disapprove the request in writing. A grantee may not approve any budget or project revision that is inconsistent with the purpose or terms and conditions of the Federal grant to the grantee. If the revision requested by the subgrantee would result in a change to the grantee's approved project that requires Federal prior approval, the grantee must obtain SSA's approval before approving the subgrantee's request.