(a) Methods available. Payment methods for awards with for-profit organizations are:

(1) Reimbursement. Under this method, the recipient requests reimbursement for costs incurred during a particular time period. In cases where the recipient submits requests for payment to the contracting officer, the DOE payment office reimburses the recipient by electronic funds transfer after approval of the request by the designated contracting officer.

(2) Advance payments. Under this method, DOE makes a payment to a recipient based upon projections of the recipient's cash needs. The payment generally is made upon the recipient's request, although predetermined payment schedules may be used when the timing of the recipient's needs to disburse funds can be predicted in advance with sufficient accuracy to ensure compliance with paragraph (b)(2)(iii) of this section.

(b) Selecting a method. (1) The preferred payment method is the reimbursement method, as described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(2) Advance payments, as described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, may be used in exceptional circumstances, subject to the following conditions:

(i) The contracting officer, in consultation with the program official, determines in writing that advance payments are necessary or will materially contribute to the probability of success of the project contemplated under the award (e.g., as startup funds for a project performed by a newly formed company).

(ii) Cash advances must be limited to the minimum amounts needed to carry out the program.

(iii) Recipients and DOE must maintain procedures to ensure that the timing of cash advances is as close as is administratively feasible to the recipients' disbursements of the funds for program purposes, including direct program or project costs and the proportionate share of any allowable indirect costs.

(iv) Recipients must maintain advance payments of Federal funds in interest-bearing accounts, and remit annually the interest earned to the contracting officer for return to the Department of Treasury's miscellaneous receipts account, unless one of the following applies:

(A) The recipient receives less than $120,000 in Federal awards per year.

(B) The best reasonably available interest bearing account would not be expected to earn interest in excess of $250 per year on Federal cash balances.

(C) The depository would require an average or minimum balance so high that establishing an interest bearing account would not be feasible, given the expected Federal and non-Federal cash resources.

(c) Frequency of payments. For either reimbursements or advance payments, recipients may submit requests for payment monthly, or more often if authorized by the contracting officer.

(d) Forms for requesting payment. DOE may authorize recipients to use the SF-270, “Request for Advance or Reimbursement;” the SF-271, “Outlay Report and Request for Reimbursement for Construction Programs;” or prescribe other forms or formats as necessary.

(e) Timeliness of payments. Payments normally will be made within 30 calendar days of the receipt of a recipient's request for reimbursement or advance by the office designated to receive the request, unless the billing is improper.

(f) Precedence of other available funds. Recipients must disburse funds available from program income, rebates, refunds, contract settlements, audit recoveries, credits, discounts, and interest earned on such funds before requesting additional cash payments.

(g) Withholding of payments. Unless otherwise required by statute, contracting officers may not withhold payments for proper charges made by recipients during the project period for reasons other than the following:

(1) A recipient failed to comply with project objectives, the terms and conditions of the award, or Federal reporting requirements, in which case the contracting officer may suspend payments in accordance with § 600.352.

(2) The recipient is delinquent on a debt to the United States (see definitions of “debt” and “delinquent debt” in 32 CFR 22.105). In that case, the contracting officer may, upon reasonable notice, withhold payments to the recipient until the debt owed is resolved.