Obtaining FRD Services

Agencies who wish to obtain research and analysis services from FRD should contact the Federal Research Division to determine how FRD capabilities match up with the agency needs. The following steps are necessary before FRD can commence work on a project:

• Discussions concerning the goals and framework of the task to be accomplished.
  
• Agency submission of a Statement of Work document outlining their requirements.
  
• FRD presentation of a work proposal and cost estimate based on the Statement of Work. Options with varying complexity and cost will be included.
  
• Agency acceptance of an FRD proposal option and initiation of financial documentation for transfer of funds to the Federal Research Division.
  
• FRD co-signs financial documentation and returns copy to agency.
  
• Agency is billed as mutually agreed upon and work begins.

FRD is 100 percent cost recovery and cannot, by law, make a profit. Only direct labor salaries and benefits, non-labor costs such as travel, fee-based on-line services, special subscriptions, etc., and overhead can be charged.

U.S. Government and District of Columbia Government Agencies:

FRD offers research services on a cost-recovery basis under the authority of the Library of Congress Fiscal Operations Improvement Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-481, 114 Stat. 2187, 2 U.S.,C, 182c). The revolving fund established by this legislation enables FRD to provide services exclusively to U.S. Government agencies and to the District of Columbia Government by means of Interagency Agreements (IAA) for current- and future-year research. Funds remain on account until expended and without fiscal year limitation.

To view the revolving fund law, go to: P. L. 106-481 (2 U.S. C. 182c)

Agencies can be billed through the IPAC system. To ensure that the IPAC system is used, please include your Agency Location Code (ALC) in the IAA.

Agencies, organizations, and private companies that are not direct subsidiaries of the U.S. or District of Columbia Governments may also obtain FRD services.

For Federal Contractors:

The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 51.1 allows Government contractors to use Government supply sources and related services. When it is in the Government's interest, and if supplies or services required in the performance of a Government contract are available from Government supply sources, contracting officers may authorize contractors to use these sources.
FAR 51.1 enables Government contractors performing research and data retrieval services to use the full range of services offered by the Federal Research Division (FRD) to entities of the Federal Government and the District of Columbia.

The details on how to set up a Federal Research program for Government contractors are presented in FAR 51.1.

For Foreign Organizations, State and Local Government, and the Private Sector:

The Department of Commerce’s National Technical Information Service (NTIS) is authorized to accept funds from non-Federal government entities (i.e., the private sector, state and local government, international organizations, and others) to commission FRD work through Interagency Agreements. To learn more about how FRD can work for the private sector, go to: National
Technical Information Service (NTIS) .

FRD accepts Visa and MasterCard Payments up to $5,000, In conjunction with credit care payments, a simple Interagency Agency Agreement (IAA) is required. For additional details, E-mail smed@loc.gov.

For more information about FRD's services, please contact us at frds@loc.gov.