When you receive a Phase II SBIR, STTR, R01, BARDA, ARPA-E or BAA grant or contract, you need to comply with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 31, specifically FAR 52.216-7. Of course, there are pitfalls along the way. Overspending on Direct Costs is one of them.
After more than 30 years of specializing in government award accounting, we know the mistakes government awardees make, and how to prevent them. This 10-part blog series, “Top 10 Mistakes Government Awardees Make,” is designed to help you avoid trouble and protect your innovation and business.
There two main reasons why a grantee or contractor overspends on direct costs.
In our experience, the main reason projects have unplanned, direct cost overruns is poor accounting practices.
Here are the poor accounting practices we see most often, and how to fix them.
You really only have two options:
Option 1. If there’s a valid reason for overspending, such as a structural change or an unexpected and unavoidable change in costs, you may be able to go back to your government customer and negotiate for additional funding.
Option 2. Once you recognize that you may be overspending on a project, it’s important to sit down and re-budget. Re-evaluate your desired outcome and quickly make changes to reduce your spending.
If you’re concerned about your direct costs and how to get them under control, do not wait until the end of the year to address it. You need to make steps now to solve the situation.
Contact Us to schedule a time to speak to one of our government funding experts, and we will follow up within 48 hours!
Learn more about another common mistake, Overspending on Indirect Cost Rates.
To learn more our FAR-compliant accounting system, JamesonWorx, read our blog.