Did you know expenditures of federal grant funds require an additional step beyond your normal purchasing process? Federal grants prohibit grantees from procuring goods or services from any suspended or debarred party. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) maintains a list of vendors who are not allowed to do business with the government. Click here for a list of names of individuals and businesses suspended for a period of time or permanently debarred from government contracts.

Additionally, you are required to obtain a certification from vendors to whom you pay over $100,000 in federal monies certifying the organization and its principals are not suspended or debarred. Each federal agency has its own version of the certification. Click here for an example from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. You may rely on the certification in lieu of verifying the vendor’s status, unless you know the certification is erroneous.

We recommend one person in the purchasing process be assigned the task of comparing vendor names to the suspension or debarment list. To make the task a little easier, the lists are created in many formats and most are searchable. Most lists provide you with the option to search by exact name, partial name, businesses home state, or DUNS number. A directory of code descriptions is available to make the job less confusing.

If you have any questions regarding federal grant procurement or suspension and debarment please contact Lewis, Hooper & Dick, LLC at (620) 275-9267.

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