(a) The budget plan is the financial expression of the project or program as approved during the award process. It may include either the Federal and non-Federal share, or only the Federal share, depending upon DOL's requirements. It shall be related to performance for program evaluation purposes whenever appropriate.

(b) Recipients are required to report deviations from budget and program plans, and request prior approvals for budget and program plan revisions, in accordance with this section.

(c) For nonconstruction awards, recipients shall request prior written approvals from the grant officer for one or more of the following program or budget changes:

(1) Change in the scope or the objective of the project or program (even if there is no associated budget revision requiring prior written approval).

(2) Change in a key person specified in the application or award document.

(3) The absence for more than three months, or a 25-percent reduction in time devoted to the project, by the approved project director or principal investigator.

(4) The need for additional Federal funding.

(5) The transfer of amounts budgeted for indirect costs to absorb increases in direct costs, or vice versa.

(6) The inclusion, unless waived by the grant officer, of costs that require prior approval in accordance with OMB Circular A-21 (codified at 2 CFR part 220), “Cost Principles for Institutions of Higher Education,” OMB Circular A-122 (codified at 2 CFR part 230),, “Cost Principles for Non-Profit Organizations,” or 45 CFR part 74, Appendix E, “Principles for Determining Costs Applicable to Research and Development under Grants and Contracts with Hospitals,” or 48 CFR part 31, “Contract Cost Principles and Procedures,” as applicable.

(7) The transfer of funds allotted for training allowances (direct payment to trainees) to other categories of expense.

(8) Unless described in the application and funded in the approved awards, the subaward, transfer or contracting out of any work under an award. This provision does not apply to the purchase of supplies, material, equipment or general support services.

(d) No other prior approval requirements for specific items may be imposed unless a deviation has been approved by OMB.

(e) Except for requirements listed in paragraphs (c)(1) and (c)(4) of this section, the grant officer may waive cost-related and administrative prior written approvals required by this part and OMB Circulars A-21 and A-122. Such waivers may include authorizing recipients to do any one or more of the following:

(1) Incur pre-award costs 90 calendar days prior to award or more than 90 calendar days with the prior written approval of the grant officer. All pre-award costs are incurred at the recipient's risk (i.e., the grant officer is under no obligation to reimburse such costs if for any reason the recipient does not receive an award or if the award is less than anticipated and inadequate to cover such costs).

(2) Initiate a one-time extension of the expiration date of the award of up to 12 months unless one or more of the following conditions apply. For one-time extensions, the recipient must notify the grant officer in writing with the supporting reasons and revised expiration date at least 10 days before the expiration date specified in the award. This one-time extension may not be exercised merely for the purpose of using unobligated balances. The one-time extension may not be initiated if:

(i) The terms and conditions of award prohibit the extension.

(ii) The extension requires additional Federal funds.

(iii) The extension involves any change in the approved objectives or scope of the project.

(3) Carry forward unobligated balances to subsequent funding periods.

(4) For awards that support research, unless the grant officer provides otherwise in the award or in DOL's regulations, the prior written approval requirements described in paragraph (e) are automatically waived (i.e., recipients need not obtain such prior written approvals) unless one of the conditions included in paragraph (e)(2) applies.

(f) DOL may, at its option, restrict the transfer of funds among direct cost categories or programs, functions and activities for awards in which the Federal share of the project exceeds $100,000 and the cumulative amount of such transfers exceeds or is expected to exceed 10 percent of the total budget as last approved by DOL. DOL shall not permit a transfer that would cause any Federal appropriation or part thereof to be used for purposes other than those consistent with the original intent of the appropriation.

(g) All other changes to nonconstruction budgets, except for the changes described in paragraph (j), do not require prior approval.

(h) For construction awards, recipients shall request prior written approval promptly from the grant officer for budget revisions whenever paragraphs (h)(1), (h)(2) or (h)(3) of this section apply.

(1) The revision results from changes in the scope or the objective of the project or program.

(2) The need arises for additional Federal funds to complete the project.

(3) A revision is desired which involves specific costs for which prior written approval requirements may be imposed consistent with applicable OMB cost principles listed in § 95.27.

(i) No other prior approval requirements for specific items may be imposed unless a deviation has been approved by OMB.

(j) When DOL makes an award that provides support for both construction and nonconstruction work, DOL may require the recipient to request prior written approval before making any fund or budget transfers between the two types of work supported.

(k) For both construction and nonconstruction awards, recipients shall notify the grant officer in writing promptly whenever the amount of Federal authorized funds is expected to exceed the needs of the recipient for the project period by more than $5,000 or five percent of the award, whichever is greater. This notification shall not be required if an application for additional funding is submitted for a continuation award.

(l) When requesting written approval for budget revisions, recipients shall use the budget forms that were used in the application.

(m) Within 30 calendar days from the date of receipt of the request for budget revisions, the grant officer shall review the request and notify the recipient whether the budget revisions have been approved. If the revision is still under consideration at the end of 30 calendar days, the grant officer shall inform the recipient in writing of the date when the recipient may expect the decision.