ECAMS Frequently Asked Questions

ECAMS is an acronym for Energy Commission Agreement Management System. This “system” is an ongoing effort to simplify and streamline all phases of the Energy Commission’s grant agreement life-cycle. Focused primarily on Energy Research Development Division (ERDD) and Fuels and Transportation Division (FTD) grants at this time, a staff team works together to consider helpful improvements to our processes. The team is made up of the Grants Ombudsman, the Chief Auditor, the Chief Counsel’s Office, the Administrative Services Division/Contracts, Grants & Loans Office, and management of ERDD and FTD. We consider feedback received from applicants, grant recipients (Recipients), and CEC staff, and develop educational materials to ensure applicants and Recipients are set up for success, and to provide consistency in policies and processes implemented by Energy Commission staff.

“ECAMS” will also be the name used for the electronic grant management system currently under development. This system, which will be developed in phases, will allow the full grant life-cycle to be managed on one platform. Solicitation development, application submission, grant development, and grant management will all be managed through this system. We look forward to rolling out the first phase of this project at the end of 2022.

All existing grant agreements with entities other than a University of California (UC) or National Lab can be amended to include the ECAMS Streamlining T&Cs.

All new grant agreements with entities other than UCs or National Labs will utilize the ECAMS Streamlining T&Cs as an attachment to the Standard T&Cs relevant to the particular agreement.

The Energy Commission and UCs have added ECAMS policies to a new Exhibit G which is applicable to all non-EPIC agreements. This new Exhibit G can be used with new agreements and to amend existing agreements with UCs that used the Exhibit G in their original agreement package.

Budget Development

How can I help to ensure that the Budget is being developed consistent with ECAMS policies?
The ECAMS team has developed Budget Category Guidance that will assist Commission Agreement Managers (CAMs) and Recipients as they develop the agreement. If there are any questions about proper budget development, CAMs and Recipients should feel free to reach out to ECAMS Support and the ECAMS team will be able to assist with questions not addressed in the Budget Category Guidance.

How do you determine which budget category (Equipment, Materials & Miscellaneous, or Vendor) an item and vendor should go under?
First, the definitions for Equipment and Materials & Miscellaneous items should be considered:

• Equipment is defined as a purchase of a tangible item with a unit cost of $5,000 or more and a useful life of one year or more.
• Materials are any tangible items purchased that do not conform to the definition of Equipment. Materials have an acquisition UNIT cost of less than $5,000 or a useful life of less than one year. Examples of materials include: feedstock, sheet metal, motors.
• Miscellaneous items are items of cost that do not fall under other budget categories. Miscellaneous costs must be directly allocable to the CEC-funded project. Examples of miscellaneous costs include: lab or facility rental, AV equipment rental, software licenses, printing (brochures/pamphlets).

Services or items of cost that involve labor should go under either the Subrecipients or Vendors budget categories depending on how an entity is classified (see definitions of Subrecipient and Vendor in the terms and conditions or budget category guidance) and do not belong under either the Equipment or the Materials & Miscellaneous budget categories (but please see FAQ re: equipment or materials installation costs below).

Equipment or Materials provided by an entity designated as a Vendor should be placed under the Recipient’s Equipment or Materials budget category.

Can the costs to install equipment or materials be included on the equipment or materials budget?
The answer depends on whether the installation is being provided by a Vendor, a Major Subrecipient, or the Recipient.

If an equipment or materials Vendor has included the cost of installation in the price of the equipment/material, the costs of installation can be included in the equipment or materials budget. Even if one vendor sells the equipment/material and a second vendor installs the equipment/material, both the cost of the equipment/material and the cost to install the equipment/material would go under the equipment or material budget category.

If a Recipient or Major Subrecipient is performing the installation, then the installation costs should be broken down into constituent budget categories such as direct labor and materials. If a Minor Subrecipient is performing the installation, the installation costs should be included in the Recipient’s Subrecipient budget category on the line item for that specific Minor Subrecipient.

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Equipment

Can a Major Subrecipient also be an Equipment Vendor?
Yes, a Major Subrecipient can be providing services and also providing equipment to the project. However, if a Subrecipient will be listed on the Recipient’s Equipment tab, the equipment must qualify as “off-the-shelf" and not be manufactured by the Major Subrecipient specifically for the project. And, except for Food Production Incentive Program (FPIP) agreements, the equipment will also be subject to the “costs of goods sold” audit requirements to ensure that no more than 10% of profit is being paid with CEC funds under the agreement. A more detailed explanation of this policy is included in the Equipment section of Budget Category Guidance.

A Major Subrecipient is planning to purchase equipment as a turnkey unit from a Vendor. The Vendor is going to purchase several “off-the-shelf" parts and assemble them in a turnkey unit for the project. Should this equipment be included under the Recipient’s Budget or the Major Subrecipient’s budget?
This type of equipment would be considered “off-the-shelf" and thus can be included on the Recipient’s budget. Alternatively, it can be included on the Major Subrecipient’s budget if that is preferred.

A subrecipient/site owner will take ownership of the project equipment. At some sites the equipment will be paid for entirely with match funds from the subrecipient/site owners. At other sites the equipment will be paid for with CEC funds. In each of these cases, where should the equipment costs go in the budget?
Ownership and payment arrangements do not dictate where a piece of equipment goes on the budget. Equipment on both recipient and major sub budgets are subject to audit to ensure that the equipment costs are supported, regardless of whether it was paid for with CEC funds or match funds.

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Materials & Miscellaneous

Are warranties reimbursable expenses?
Although warranties are reimbursable expenses, they can be a challenging expense to verify during an audit. This guidance is based on the type of entity providing the warranty (Recipient/Major Sub vs. third party equipment vendor), and explains requirements based on whether the warranty is paid with CEC funds or claimed as Match.

For Recipient- or Major-Subrecipient-provided warranties, our auditor does not recommend warranties be purchased with CEC funds because it is difficult to show the actual costs of providing a warranty. Also, warranty costs incurred after the grant ends would not be eligible for payment with CEC funds. Warranties claimed as Match only require the Recipient to show the fair market value of what a warranty would cost a normal customer without having to worry about actual costs.

If a Recipient- or Major Sub-provided warranty is purchased with CEC funds, Recipient should verify whether warranty costs would be incurred after the grant ends. If so, special term and conditions may need to be added to the agreement.

The CAM and Recipient should discuss and document how the Recipient would verify that the warranty is based on actual costs if audited. For example, the Recipient may have a history of warranty costs that it could show. These would not be costs earned by selling the warranty, but costs incurred when the Recipient has to do warranty covered work.

The price listed in the budget for the warranty cannot include any profit earned from the sale of the warranty.

For warranties provided by a third-party equipment vendor, Minor Sub, or Vendor, a Recipient would need to be able to show proof of purchase such as an invoice, verify what is actually covered by the warranty, and proof of payment such as a bank statement or cancelled check. If the warranty period extends beyond the end of the agreement, the portion of the price of the warranty that covers the time period after the grant ends would be unallowable.

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Indirect Costs & Profit

Can a Recipient select a different indirect rate option mid-way through an agreement?
A Recipient can only change to a different indirect rate option if:

1. Indirect Costs have not yet been invoiced under the agreement; and
2. The rate would not be an increase over the rate included and scored during the application process.

Can a Subrecipient’s Match expenses be included in the base calculation for the indirect costs billed to CEC funds?
No, a Recipient cannot include a Subrecipient’s match expenses in the indirect cost base. A Recipient can only include a Subrecipient’s CEC-funded expenses in the total overall base amount.

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Indirect Cost Option 1: CEC De Minimis Rate

Can a Recipient claim the De Minimis Rate for CEC funds, and then claim Actual Costs above the De Minimis Rate as Match?
Indirect Cost options should not be mixed and matched between CEC Funds and Match. If a Recipient claims actual costs as match, then the full amount of indirect costs claimed - both CEC Funds and Match - is subject to audit.

Can the CEC De Minimis Rate be applied to both CEC share funds and Match share funds?
Yes, the CEC De Minimis Rate (10% of Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC)) can be applied to the entire project budget (both CEC share funds and Match share funds), per the MTDC definition provided within the ECAMS Terms and Conditions.

There are a few caveats to be mindful of:

• Indirect Costs to be paid with CEC funds must be calculated using only base category (such as DL, etc.) amounts paid with CEC funds. CEC funds cannot be used to pay Indirect Costs based on amounts claimed as Match.
• Conversely, a Recipient can choose to claim all Indirect Costs as Match, regardless of how the base categories were distributed between CEC funds and Match.
• If a Subrecipient is donating its costs to the project, it can be listed as match, but it is not a cost to the Recipient. Therefore, it cannot be included in the Recipient’s indirect cost base. Only actual costs incurred and paid by the Recipient can be included in its indirect cost base.

For more details on how to apply the CEC De Minimis Rate to a budget, please see the three examples linked below. The first two are “Good” examples, which apply the requirements for the CEC De Minimis Rate indirect cost correctly, and the final example is a “Bad” example that does not follow the budget requirements correctly.

1st Good EXAMPLE: Budget Worksheet Template with CEC De Minimis indirect cost rate
2nd Good EXAMPLE: Budget Worksheet Template with CEC De Minimis indirect cost rate
Bad EXAMPLE: Budget Worksheet Template with CEC De Minimis indirect cost rate

Does the Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) limit to the first $25,000 of each subaward apply to Vendors?
The $25,000 limit does not apply to Vendors listed on the Subrecipients & Vendors Budget Category tab. If the Vendor is selling services such as concrete installation, then it can be included in MTDC and is not limited to the first $25,000.

But remember, Equipment costs cannot be included in the MTDC calculation, whether provided by a Subrecipient or a Vendor.

Does the $25,000 limit on each subaward apply to the total value of each subaward?
Yes, the limit is 10% of the first $25,000 per subaward, including CEC funds and Match.

What are “capital expenditures”?
Capital expenditures includes facilities, large equipment, etc. and actions that increase the value of these aforementioned items. See below definitions for further explanation.

White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) definitions:

• Capital expenditures means expenditures to acquire capital assets or expenditures to make additions, improvements, modifications, replacements, rearrangements, reinstallations, renovations, or alterations to capital assets that materially increase their value or useful life.
• Capital assets means tangible or intangible assets used in operations having a useful life of more than one year which are capitalized in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

Capital assets include:

1. Land, buildings (facilities), equipment, and intellectual property (including software) whether acquired by purchase, construction, manufacture, exchange, or through a lease accounted for as financed purchase under Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) standards or a finance lease under Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) standards; and
2. Additions, improvements, modifications, replacements, rearrangements, reinstallations, renovations or alterations to capital assets that materially increase their value or useful life (not ordinary repairs and maintenance).

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Subrecipients & Vendors

How do I determine if an entity should be a Subrecipient or a Vendor?
The Recipient should complete the Sub-to-Vendor Verification Form as thoroughly as possible to assist the CAM who will need to verify if the entity is a Subrecipient or a Vendor. The Recipient should read the form carefully, including instructions and definitions, and provide the supporting documentation required for a Vendor determination.

There are multiple considerations to determine whether a Recipient is a Vendor or a Subrecipient, and the factors listed are generally “weighing” factors, and no single factor is determinative of whether an entity would or would not qualify. The easiest way to establish Vendor status is to show the entity was competitively bid, or provide documentation that shows the Recipient can demonstrate that the good or service is being provided at a fair and reasonable price. Simply saying that Recipient “knows” the good or service is fair and reasonable because of experience in the industry would not be sufficient documentation in the event of an audit.

Keep the form as a record of the determination for your files.

When does a Recipient need to submit a Sub-to-Vendor Verification form?
A Sub-to-Vendor verification form can be used any time a Recipient is seeking to justify that a Recipient of CEC funds is better classified as a Vendor than a Subrecipient. This form may be required during agreement development to support placing an entity in the Vendor category. This form may also be required during an existing agreement’s transfer to ECAMS when a Recipient would like to reclassify a Subrecipient as a Vendor.

What should a Recipient do if a Subrecipient or Vendor has no entity number, is not registered with the CA Secretary of State, or registered but not in good standing with the CA Secretary of State?
The answer will depend on the specific circumstances. If an entity cannot meet the relevant legal requirements, it cannot be part of the project team.

CORPORATIONS, LLCs, LPs, LLPs:

All recipient, subrecipient, and vendor corporations, limited liability companies (LLCs), limited partnerships (LPs) and limited liability partnerships (LLPs) that transact intrastate business in California are required to be registered and in good standing with the California Secretary of State prior to its project being recommended for approval at a CEC Business Meeting.

If the entity claims it is not “transacting intrastate business” in California (defined by the California Corporations Code as entering into repeated and successive transactions of business in the state, other than interstate or foreign commerce), the applicant may provide a supporting justification for review by CEC Staff in consultation with the Chief Counsel’s Office (CCO). (Review by CCO does NOT constitute legal advice.) Even if the CEC does not make an entity register with the Secretary of State for purposes of participating in a CEC award, that does not mean the entity is legally relieved from having to register or will not face legal consequences if it does not. CCO and the CEC do not make such decisions on behalf of the State of California, and entities are strongly encouraged to consult with their own legal counsel for advice about the need to register.

If a recipient, subrecipient, or vendor is required to be registered, but is not currently registered with the California Secretary of State, it should contact the Secretary of State’s Office as soon as possible to avoid potential delays in beginning the proposed project.

Note that fictitious business names must be registered in the proper county and must be currently valid.

As part of the CEC’s due diligence, particularly during the agreement development phase, CEC staff may request the supporting documentation regarding any of the above registration requirements.

For more information, contact the Secretary of State’s Office via the Secretary of State’s website.

SOLE PROPRIETORS:

Sole proprietors do not have to be registered with the California Secretary of State. However, the local government may require a business license and if using a fictitious business name, registration of the name may be required. Sole proprietors must be able to provide evidence of required licenses and/or registration with the appropriate local government, or evidence that such licenses and/or registration is not required, to the CEC prior to the project being recommended for approval at a CEC Business Meeting.

Does a CAM need to review the subaward between a Recipient and a Major Subrecipient?
Generally, no. A CAM does not review subawards for legal compliance with Energy Commission terms and conditions or the scope of work. A Recipient is obligated to ensure their subawards meet the requirements stated in those documents. A CAM may request a copy of the subaward, but a CAMs review does not mean that the subaward has been approved as meeting agreement requirements.

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Retention

What are the available methods of withholding retention?
A recipient can select to withhold 10% retention from every invoice, or alternatively, withhold the final 10% of the budget at the end of the agreement.

Can a Recipient select one method of retention, and a Subrecipient select another?
A Recipient must choose a single retention method for the agreement. How the Recipient handles retention with a Subrecipient is between those parties – they can set up whatever structure works for them in their subaward.

Can the method of retention be changed during the agreement?
Generally, yes. If the agreement meets certain eligibility requirements, a Recipient can request to change the method of retention. This type of change should only occur once over the life of the agreement. To make this change, the agreement should be in good standing: on schedule and completing tasks and deliverables per the agreement’s scope of work (SOW). Certain agreements may be subject to unique considerations, so ultimate discretion is left to CEC staff.

Budget/Invoice Templates

Where can I find budget and invoice templates?
Budget and Invoice Templates

What is the difference between a Training Invoice and Standard Invoice Template?
The Training Invoice is used for the first invoice submitted by Recipients and Major Subrecipients whereas the Standard Invoice is used by Recipients and Major Subrecipients after the successful completion of one training invoice.

The Training Invoice also includes a Questionnaire. When does this need to be submitted?
The Training Invoice Questionnaire must be submitted by Recipients and Major Subrecipients with the Training Invoice.

Can a Recipient or Major Subrecipient continue to use the training invoice even if they could move to the standard invoice?
Yes, if an entity prefers the detail included on the training invoice, they may continue to use it. However, the CAM can simplify the invoice review process by following the Standard Invoice Review Checklist.

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Invoicing Considerations

What expenses CANNOT be claimed?
Please see the agreement’s terms and conditions, solicitation, and Federal Cost Principles, Part 200, Subpart E for the most comprehensive information on unallowable costs. The following list is meant to be helpful, but not necessarily fully inclusive of unallowable expenses:

• any expense that falls outside of the agreement term – starting with the date the agreement is signed by the Energy Commission and ending with the end date of the agreement. (One exception is for Match expenses claimed after the NOPA is released for CTP agreements only.);
• any expense charged by a Subrecipient that falls outside of the subaward term;
• any expense specifically called out in the solicitation or terms and conditions;
• some advertising and public relation costs; 
• alcoholic beverages;
• bad debts;
• contributions and donations to other entities;
• fines, penalties, and settlements;
• entertainment costs;
• most capital expenditures; 
• fund raising;
• lobbying;
• losses on other contracts;
• profit of the Recipient or fees (this restriction does not apply to subcontractors/vendors);
• contingency costs;
• imputed costs (e.g., cost of money);
• losses;
• excess profit taxes.

Regarding ROUNDING: Do I need to manually round values as I enter them in the Invoice template, or can I use a formula in Excel to round the values for me?
You can either manually round values using standard rounding practices as you enter them in the Invoice template, or you can use a formula in Excel to round the values for you. One formula in Excel used for rounding is the function ROUND. Please see the example listed below on how to properly use the ROUND function. You would enter the ROUND function into the Formula Bar of the desired cell.

EXAMPLE: ROUND(number, number of digits) = ROUND(1657.285, 2) = $1,657.29

Regarding ROUNDING: When calculating currency values (e.g., rate × hours = actual labor expense), sometimes the value calculated by the ECAMS template is different (usually by about $0.01) from the value I calculated. How do I correctly calculate and round these values?
When calculating currency values, the order in which you round your values does affect the final result. Please see the two examples provided below for details. For the two examples listed below, it is important to remember the “SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE” rule provided on the “Instructions” tab of the invoice template, stated as follows:

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE for calculated currency values:  ONLY if a calculated value (e.g., rate x hours = actual labor expense) does NOT equal the actual expense, because of the decimal place rules provided for rates and quantity values listed above (see the “Instructions” tab of the invoice template for details), it is acceptable to use as many decimal places as necessary for rates and quantity values listed above to ensure that the calculated value DOES equal the actual expense.

INCORRECT EXAMPLE: If you calculated the actual Fringe Benefits (FB) expense without rounding until the end, you would get the following incorrect result: [actual Direct Labor (DL) Rate] × [actual hours] × [actual FB Rate] = [$38.4615/hour] × [91.00 hours] × [47.351%] = $1,657.283342715 → rounded to the nearest cent = $1,657.28 = incorrect actual FB expense.

CORRECT EXAMPLE: The FB total of $1,657.29, for employee A, is calculated correctly using the steps listed below with the appropriate order of operations. The value of $1,657.29 is calculated as follows:

Step 1: [actual DL Rate] × [actual hours] = [$38.4615/hour] × [91.00 hours] = $3,499.9965

Step 2: Round result from Step 1 to the nearest cent ($0.01) using standard rounding practices to get the actual DL expense

$3,499.9965 → rounded to the nearest cent = $3,500.00 = actual DL expense

Step 3: [actual FB Rate] × [actual DL expense] = [47.351%] × [$3,500.00] = $1,657.285

Step 4: Round result from Step 3 to the nearest cent ($0.01) using standard rounding practices to get the actual FB expense

$1,657.285 → rounded to the nearest cent = $1,657.29 = actual FB expense

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CEC Funds Spent in California

What types of expenses are considered “CEC Funds Spent in CA” or “CEC Funds to CBEs”?
The instructions tab on the Funds Spent in CA/CBE Certification form includes the definitions of what is considered Funds Spent in California or CEC Funds to CBEs. The solicitation under which the agreement is awarded may have more details on what is not considered Funds Spent in California or CEC Funds to CBEs.

Are Recipients and Subrecipients both required to submit the Funds Spent in CA certification with invoices?
No, the Recipient will submit one certification form with each invoice that will include the total from both Recipient and Subrecipient expenses. It is between the Recipient and the Subrecipient to agree how the Subrecipient will certify to the Recipient the Funds Spent in California it claims.

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Reviewing Invoices

How does a CAM review invoices under ECAMS?
A CAM must follow the proper Invoice Review Checklist (MS Forms version) available on the ECAMS Resources Webpage. All required steps are included on the checklists.

When a CAM completes the MS Form version of the checklist, and the CAM receives the automated email that indicates that the invoice in question should be disputed, does the CAM need to complete and submit another MS Forms version of the Invoice Review Checklist once all disputed items have been corrected and before they approve the invoice for payment?
No. There is no need to complete the checklist again just to get a clean result.

When reviewing an invoice, do the line-item receipt thresholds (e.g., Equipment, and Materials & Misc.) refer to the line item totals on an invoice or in the budget?
The line-item receipt thresholds (e.g., Equipment, and Materials & Misc.) refer to the line item totals on an invoice. A line-item total includes both CEC and Match Funds. The line-item total should be the total from a single purchase for a single line item on the budget. For example, if a single purchase for $160,000 included 10 widgets at $12,000 each, which equals $120,000, along with a different budget line item for $40,000 (heater) a receipt would be required for the widgets, but not for the heater, even though they were all on the same purchase. Furthermore, multiple invoice line items may have the same Reference ID if the budget grouped multiple items together for simplicity. However, if the CAM has reason to believe an entity is improperly breaking a single piece of equipment into multiple line items to avoid the receipt requirement, the CAM may ask for more information. CAMs are allowed to request backup documents for any incurred costs.

If a recipient provides more supporting documentation (e.g., receipts, etc.) for expenses than is required by ECAMS policies, is the CAM obligated to review the supporting documentation that is not required?
No. The CAM is only obligated to review the required supporting documentation. Approving the invoice does not also approve of the extra supporting documentation that was not required. If extra supporting documentation is provided that was not required, the CAM should communicate to the Recipient that the extra documentation was not reviewed, and that approval of the invoice does not imply approval of the extra documentation. The CAM should save this communication with the invoice in question, within the agreement’s folder.

What are CAMs responsible for with regard to verifying Funds Spent in California or “CEC Funds to CBEs”?
The CAM is not responsible for verifying the amount of Funds Spent in CA and CEC funds to CBE.

The Recipient is responsible for certifying the amount of CEC funds spent in CA and CEC Funds to CBEs using the Funds Spent in CA/CBE Certification form. The form includes funds spent by Subrecipients and Vendors. Funds Spent in CA and CBE is subject to audit, and a Recipient must keep backup documentation to support the amount claimed. Any amounts not supported up to the minimum amount required under the agreement may result in an audit finding requiring the Recipient to either provide additional substitute costs, reduce the grant, or require repayment so that the minimum percentage is met.

If a CAM comes across information on an invoice that raises a red flag regarding the amount of CEC funds spent in CA or CEC funds spent on CBE, the CAM can request additional information and documentation from the Recipient. CAMs should document the explanation in the agreement file so that it may be provided in the event of an audit.

Is a site visit required for equipment verification?
While site visits are an excellent active agreement management tool, ECAMS does not require a site visit for equipment verification. A CAM will want to discuss when site visits will be most valuable with both the CAMs manager and the Recipient. For instructions on ECAMS equipment verification requirements, please see the Equipment section of the Budget Category Guidance page on the website.

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Supporting Documents

When intern expenses are included on an invoice within the Materials & Miscellaneous budget category, what supporting documentation is required for an invoice?
If intern expenses are included on an invoice within the Materials & Miscellaneous budget category, with an associated line item in the approved budget within the Materials & Miscellaneous budget category, supporting documentation will be required if the intern expenses meet or exceed the threshold where supporting documentation is required. To satisfy the supporting documentation requirement, the recipient or subrecipient is required to provide a detailed table (just like for employees in the Direct Labor category) of the interns’ individual hours worked and total expenses per intern. If the interns incurred Fringe Benefit expenses, those should also be detailed on the above-mentioned table (just like for employees in the Fringe Benefit category).

If audited, the recipient would need to provide actual detailed timesheets to support the intern expenses. Details on timesheet requirements can be found at the Direct Labor section of Budget Category Guidance.

I am a Recipient or a CAM interested in transferring my existing agreement to ECAMS. What do I need to do?
The ECAMS team encourages all eligible agreements to become ECAMS agreements. However, some agreement types cannot be transferred to ECAMS at this time. For example, ECAMS T&Cs have not yet been developed for agreements with National Labs or EPIC agreements with UCs/CSUs. Also, any agreement that is under a Stop Work or is otherwise in “red” status should not be transferred until agreement issues are resolved. Similarly, it may not make sense to transfer an agreement that is close to its end date unless the agreement could significantly benefit from the ECAMS policies and terms. For more information, visit At-Risk Status explanation and examples.

To begin the transfer process, a CAM will need to verify with their supervisor that the agreement is eligible for transfer. Once confirmed, the CAM will reach out to ECAMS Support with the agreement number and the Recipient’s contact name and e-mail address, and ECAMS Support will send out the invitation e-mail with instructions.

Once the Recipient has signed the amendment incorporating the ECAMS Terms and Conditions, they will return it to ECAMS.Support for processing. Once the amendment has been confirmed as complete, ECAMS.Support will send an e-mail confirming that the agreement has been transferred to ECAMS.

Do newly-transferred ECAMS Agreements have to use the new Budget Forms?
While the ECAMS team encourages transferring agreements to the new budget forms, it is not strictly required. In some cases, Recipients may find it too administratively burdensome to change to new forms mid-stream, either for themselves or for their major Subrecipients.

The ECAMS team recommends switching Budget documents to ECAMS forms when a budget reallocation is otherwise required.

CAMs have received training, and have access to training documents, on the process of transferring old budgets into ECAMS budget forms.

Do newly-transferred ECAMS Agreements have to use the new Invoice Forms?
Like the budget forms, Recipients and major Subrecipients are not required to use the new invoice forms. For educational purposes, we encourage the Recipient and major Subrecipients to complete the Training Invoice Review Questionnaire with their first invoice submitted after transitioning to ECAMS, whether or not the invoice was created using the ECAMS training invoice template.

If Recipients or major Subrecipients do want to take advantage of the streamlined standard invoice template, they must first complete a training invoice and training invoice questionnaire. This requirement applies to all ECAMS agreements, regardless of a Recipient’s experience submitting a training invoice under a different agreement.

When transferring to the new Budget Forms, is a Recipient required to move equipment out of a major subrecipients budget onto the Recipient’s equipment budget?
No. The ECAMS streamlining that would allow a recipient to move “off-the-shelf" equipment from a sub to the prime's budget to reduce a subs budget below the $100k "Major-sub" threshold is NOT a requirement. In fact, when an agreement is mid-way through and equipment costs have been partially paid under the old budget, making such changes could create many problems, both for Recipients with regard to their contractual relationships with Subrecipients and Vendors, and our auditor when verifying equipment costs. In such cases, it may be preferable not to make changes related to equipment and Subrecipient budgets during the transition to ECAMS.