(a) Acceptable contributions. All contributions, including cash contributions and third party in-kind contributions, must be accepted as part of the recipient's cost sharing or matching if such contributions meet all of the following criteria:

(1) They are verifiable from the recipient's records.

(2) They are not included as contributions for any other federally-assisted project or program.

(3) They are necessary and reasonable for proper and efficient accomplishment of project or program objectives.

(4) They are allowable under § 600.317.

(5) They are not paid by the Federal Government under another award unless authorized by Federal statute to be used for cost sharing or matching.

(6) They are provided for in the approved budget.

(7) They conform to other provisions of this part, as applicable.

(b) Valuing and documenting contributions—(1) Valuing recipient's property or services of recipient's employees. Values are established in accordance with the applicable cost principles in § 600.317, which means that amounts chargeable to the project are determined on the basis of costs incurred. For real property or equipment used on the project, the cost principles authorize depreciation or use charges. The full value of the item may be applied when the item will be consumed in the performance of the award or fully depreciated by the end of the award. In cases where the full value of a donated capital asset is to be applied as cost sharing or matching, that full value must be the lesser or the following:

(i) The certified value of the remaining life of the property recorded in the recipient's accounting records at the time of donation; or

(ii) The current fair market value. If there is sufficient justification, the contracting officer may approve the use of the current fair market value of the donated property, even if it exceeds the certified value at the time of donation to the project. The contracting officer may accept the use of any reasonable basis for determining the fair market value of the property.

(2) Valuing services of others' employees. If an employer other than the recipient furnishes the services of an employee, those services are valued at the employee's regular rate of pay plus an amount of fringe benefits and overhead (at an overhead rate appropriate for the location where the services are performed), provided these services are in the same skill for which the employee is normally paid.

(3) Valuing volunteer services. Volunteer services furnished by professional and technical personnel, consultants, and other skilled and unskilled labor may be counted as cost sharing or matching if the service is an integral and necessary part of an approved project or program. Rates for volunteer services must be consistent with those paid for similar work in the recipient's organization. In those markets in which the required skills are not found in the recipient organization, rates must be consistent with those paid for similar work in the labor market in which the recipient competes for the kind of services involved. In either case, paid fringe benefits that are reasonable, allowable, and allocable may be included in the valuation.

(4) Valuing property donated by third parties. (i) Donated supplies may include such items as office supplies or laboratory supplies. Value assessed to donated supplies included in the cost sharing or matching share must be reasonable and must not exceed the fair market value of the property at the time of the donation.

(ii) Normally only depreciation or use charges for equipment and buildings may be applied. However, the fair rental charges for land and the full value of equipment or other capital assets may be allowed, when they will be consumed in the performance of the award or fully depreciated by the end of the award, provided that the contracting officer has approved the charges. When use charges are applied, values must be determined in accordance with the usual accounting policies of the recipient, with the following qualifications:

(A) The value of donated space must not exceed the fair rental value of comparable space as established by an independent appraisal of comparable space and facilities in a privately-owned building in the same locality.

(B) The value of loaned equipment must not exceed its fair rental value.

(5) Documentation. The following requirements pertain to the recipient's supporting records for in-kind contributions from third parties:

(i) Volunteer services must be documented and, to the extent feasible, supported by the same methods used by the recipient for its own employees.

(ii) The basis for determining the valuation for personal services and property must be documented.