3.10 Conference Approval, Planning, and Reporting
Conference Cost Categories
The following cost categories relating to conferences and events are items included on the Conference & Events Submission Form.
Meeting Rooms and Audio-Visual
- Total cost limit, $25 per day per attendee, not to exceed $20,000.
- The cost allowed for conference space and audio-visual equipment and services is limited to $25 per day per attendee not to exceed a cumulative total cost of $20,000. Total costs are defined as direct and indirect costs. Costs in excess of these established limits require additional justification and approval outside of OJP/COPS Office.
Printing
Every effort should be made to provide conference materials to participants electronically or via print-on-demand services/options. Printed materials should maximize paper usage (printing on both sides) and minimize higher cost options (color printing) where possible.
Meals and Refreshments
- Generally unallowable.
- Meals and refreshments are generally not allowable costs for conferences funded under OJP/COPS Office awards, unless the recipient obtains written prior approval from OJP/COPS Office. This applies to all awards, including contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements. In general, DOJ may approve such costs only in cases where:
- Sustenance is not otherwise available (e.g., extremely remote areas);
- The size of the event and nearby food/beverage vendors would make it impractical to not provide meals and/or refreshments; or
- A special presentation at a conference requires a plenary address where there is no other time for sustenance to be obtained.
- Water provided at no cost to the OJP/COPS Office award is, of course, allowable without prior approval.
- Cost limits on meals.
- If prior approval is obtained to provide food and/or beverages at an event, the DOJ and its grantees, cooperative agreement recipients, and contractors must all follow the limits in the Food and Beverage Policy on meals.
Meals and Incidental Expenses Reimbursement
- Deduction of meals from requests for Meals and Incidental Expenses reimbursement (M&IE).
- All conference attendees must ensure that any provided meal is deducted from their claimed M&IE. For example, if lunch is provided, the recipient must deduct the value of the lunch from the amount of M&IE claimed (even if non-DOJ funds are used to provide the meal). The General Services Administration (GSA) M&IE breakdown can be found on the GSA website.
Lodging
- Federal per diem rates preferred.
- OJP/COPS Office is aware that some DOJ funding recipients may have received a DOJ memorandum entitled Restrictions on Per Diem Rates for Attendance at Conferences, dated April 27, 2012. At this time, the referenced memorandum only applies to DOJ (Federal) personnel; however funding recipients should anticipate that staying within Federal per diem rates is strongly preferred and OJP/COPS Office will not likely approve grantee requests for waivers to the Federal per diem rate, or cooperative agreement recipient's organizational per diem rate (whichever is applicable).
- See Chapter 3.9 Allowable Costs for more guidance on travel costs.
Transportation
Include all costs, including baggage fees, related to common carrier transportation to and from the conference location paid with OJP/COPS Office funds.
Local Transportation
Include rental car, mileage to-and-from the airport or the conference (if local), and taxi charges.
Logistical Conference Planner
- The total cost limit is $50 per attendee or $8,750, whichever is lower.
- Cooperative agreement recipients should include all staff time related to logistical planning in this category and should be able to track these costs separately in their accounting records. All contracted, subcontracted, or subawarded logistical planning costs should also be included in this category. Total costs are defined as direct and indirect costs. Costs in excess of the established limits require additional justification and approval outside of OJP/COPS Office.
Programmatic Conference Planner
- The total cost limit is $200 per attendee or $35,000, whichever is lower.
- Cooperative agreement recipients should include all staff time related to programmatic planning in this category and should be able to track these costs separately in their accounting records. All contracted, subcontracted or subawarded programmatic planning costs should be also be included in this category. Total costs are defined as direct and indirect costs. Costs in excess of the established limits require additional justification and approval outside of OJP/COPS Office.
Conference Facilitator/Trainer/Instructor/Presenter
Include all trainer and speaker fees. If the fee exceeds the maximum consultant rate, please include a copy of the consultant rate approval with the Conference & Events Submission Form on one of the available extra tabs. Also include a copy of the agenda (a draft version is acceptable) in one of the available tabs with the prior approval submission.
Other
All "Other" costs must be itemized on the Conference & Events Submission Form. Detailed descriptions and justification of the Other cost line items must be provided in the additional tabs.
Indirect Rate Costs
Indirect costs associated with the direct costs necessary to plan and hold a conference must be included in all conference cost reporting. The submission form contains a column allowing for the allocation of indirect rate cost to each category.
Cooperative agreement recipients should pay particular attention to the two areas listed below to ensure that the application of indirect cost rate is in compliance with the existing requirements of the Government-wide grant rules set out by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB):
$25,000 Subcontract/Subaward Limitation. Indirect cost rates negotiated on the basis of modified total direct costs may only be applied against the first $25,000 of any subcontract or subaward under the agreement. This limitation must be applied to all conference-related subcontracts and subawards. For purposes of this chapter, a subcontract or subaward is any agreement under which the awardee outsources work, goods, or services related to the conference, including those with hotels and travel agents. See 2 C.F.R. ?? 200, Appendix III.C.2 (Indirect costs - IHE); ??2 C.F.R. ?? 200, Appendix IV.B.2 c (Indirect costs - non-profits); or 2 C.F.R. ?? 200, Appendix VII.C.2.c (Indirect costs - State and Local).
Participant Support Costs. Participant support costs are generally excluded from the distribution base. Therefore, indirect costs may not be applied against participant support costs. Participant support costs are direct costs for items such as stipends or subsistence allowances, travel allowances, and registration fees paid to or on behalf of participants or trainees (but not employees) in connection with meetings, conferences, symposia, or training projects. See 2 C.F.R. ?? 200.75. This exclusion applies to the entirety of any subcontracts for the lodging and travel of conference participants or trainees (but not employees).
Costs related to contractors of the recipient who are acting in the capacity of a "Conference Trainer/Instructor/Presenter/Facilitator" are considered participant support costs.
Gifts/Trinkets/Memorabilia/Commemorative Items
Trinkets (items such as hats, mugs, portfolios, t-shirts, coins, gift bags, etc., regardless of whether they include the conference name or OJP/COPS Office logo) must not be purchased with DOJ funds as giveaways for conferences. Basic supplies that are necessary for use during the conference (e.g., folders, name tags) may be purchased.
