Sandia has worked with a wide variety of Sponsors, including large companies and small businesses based in New Mexico. Projects involve a broad range of technologies including materials and materials processing, advanced manufacturing and precision engineering, microelectronics and photonics, advanced computing and information technologies, modeling and simulation, nanotechnologies, vulnerability analysis, robotics and intelligent systems, failure analysis and reliability technologies, software, and energy and environmental technologies. Such projects are planned with Sandia, but funded entirely by a NFE Sponsor.
Becoming a Sponsor
The System for Award Management (SAM) is a government portal that enables secure registration as a potential SPP/NFE Sponsor with Sandia National Laboratories. Register at www.sam.gov.
Registration in SAM requires completion of all information including checking all appropriate boxes for NAICS codes and Small Business Socio-Economic Categories Small Business Definitions. The Small Business Administration has a very informative website, www.sba.gov. Click here to go directly to the small business definitions.
The PDS is a document that captures basic company information of prospective partners (e.g., signatory, technical points of contact, location of business etc.). VERY IMPORTANT: Processing of a finalized SPP/NFE package cannot occur unless the PDS is complete in its entirety. Access the PDS CRADA here.
Drafting a potential Statement of Work will be greatly facilitated if the following is considered prior to initiating discussions:
- work start dates
- period of performance length
- the scope of work
Funding
All funding transferred to Sandia through a SPP/NFE is subject to the 3% FAC which is mandated by the DOE. Exemptions to the FAC are provided to small businesses, non-profit organizations, universities, and state governments.
As a full cost recovery laboratory, Sandia is required to have funding in advance of work performed. Funding can be provided in totality in a one-time lump sum payment or through a pay plan.
If a pay plan is utilized, the DOE requires Sandia to have a 60 day reserve and the first 30 days of funding provided in advance of work (both the 60 day reserve and initial 30 days of work are calculated at a flat-line rate).
If your institution requires a purchase order number on invoices or some other unique requirement in order to make payment, please identify the special requests up front so as to facilitate the smooth receipt of funding upon SPP/NFE execution.
Terms and Conditions
Sandia provides the prospective SPP/NFE Sponsor with terms and conditions that are pre-approved by Sandia legal, DOE legal, and the DOE Contracting Officer. ANY deviation from the preapproved terms and conditions WILL delay work start dates as each proposed modification must be approved by both Sandia legal and DOE legal. While the Agreement is between National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia (NTESS) and the Sponsor, all SPP/NFE Agreements entered into by Sandia must be approved by the DOE Contracting Officer at the Sandia Field Office.