Sections I: Total Direct and Indirect Costs, J: Fee, and K: Total Costs and Fee
Section I: Total Direct and Indirect Institutional Costs (G+H)
Total funds requested for direct and indirect costs.
Ensure that the direct costs and the indirect costs (G+H) on Section F-K EQUAL the Total Direct and Indirect Costs (G+H) on the Cumulative Budget page.
Section J: Fee
A reasonable fee, not to exceed 7% of total costs (direct and indirect) for each Phase (I and II) of the project, is available to small business concerns receiving awards under the SBIR/STTR program. The fee is intended to be a reasonable profit factor available to for-profit organizations, consistent with normal profit margins provided to profit- making firms for research and development work.
The basis and the amount requested for the fee must be explained in the budget justification. The amount requested for the fee should be based on the following guidelines: (1) it must be consistent with that paid under contracts by the DOE for similar research conducted under similar conditions of risk; (2) it must take into account the complexity and innovativeness of the research to be conducted under the SBIR/STTR project; and (3) it must recognize the extent of the expenditures for the grant project for equipment and for performance by other than the grantee organization through consultant and subaward agreements.
The fee is not a direct or indirect "cost" item and may be used by the small business concern for any purpose, including additional effort under the SBIR/STTR award. The fee applies solely to the small business concern receiving the award and not to any other participant in the project. However, the grantee may pay a profit/fee to a contractor providing routine goods or non-R&D services in accordance with normal commercial practice.
Note: The electronic system automatically rounds up. If you get an error “The fee must be less than 7%,” try using 6.99% as the rate.
- Total Costs and Fee (I+J)
Total of all direct and indirect costs and fee.
Ensure that the direct costs and the indirect costs (I+J) on Section F-K EQUAL the Total Direct and Indirect Costs (I+J) on the Cumulative Budget page.