Recovery FAQs for Federal Contractors on Reporting

As of September 30, 2009

Table of Contents

GENERAL FAQs

1. I have a contract funded by the Recovery Act but it wasn’t awarded by the Federal government. Do these FAQs apply to me?
2. What methods are available for submitting reports into FederalReporting.gov?
3. What technology is needed for using FederalReporting.gov?
4. What are the key activities and timeframes required for reporting at FederalReporting.gov?
5. If reports can be modified after submission on the 10th day after the end of the calendar quarter, does that mean the report submitted on the 10th is considered a draft?
6. When and where will the information I report become public?
7. How is FederalReporting.gov different than Recovery.gov?
8. What do I need to know about the guides, documents, and other instructions available at FederalReporting.gov?
9. What is a Prime Recipient?
10. What is a Sub Recipient?
11. What is a Funding/Awarding Agency?

FEDERALREPORTING.GOV SUPPORT FAQs

1. I need assistance in registering, reporting, or commenting. Whom do I contact?

REGISTRATION FAQs

1. Who needs to register at FederalReporting.gov?
2. When do I need to register?
3. What information will I need to register?
4. What is a DUNS Number?
5. Who needs to get a DUNS number?
6. How does my organization get a DUNS number?
7. My organization has more than one DUNS number. How do I know which DUNS number to enter when I register?
8. What is the Central Contractor Registration (CCR)?
9. How does my organization register in CCR?
10. Do my subcontractors have to register in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR)?
11. Can multiple individuals within our organization register as FederalReporting.gov users?
12. How do I know that my registration as a user of FederalReporting.gov has been completed?
13. When I try to register at FederalReporting.gov, I am told that no organization information can be found for the DUNS number I entered. How do I complete my registration?
14. What do I need to request a new DUNS Number?
15. I am not sure if I have a DUNS number, how can I check?
16. How do I update the information associated with my DUNS number?
17. I have a DUNS number, why did the Federalreporting.gov site tell me that one could not be found?
18. What do I do if the information about my entity on Federalreporting.gov is incorrect or outdated?

USER ACCOUNT FAQs

1. What are the rules for creating a password in FederalReporting.gov?
2. I forgot my password. How can I recover it?
3. How do I change the information on my user account?
4. I keep getting the message "The User ID and Password you have entered are not valid" when I try to log in. How can I log in?

POINT OF CONTACT/DUNS ADMINISTRATOR FAQs

1. Who is a Recipient Point of Contact?
2. What are the responsibilities of a Recipient Point of Contact?
3. Can I be the Point of Contact for multiple DUNS numbers?
4. I am listed as my organization's Point of Contact in CCR. Do I need to register as a user of FederalReporting.gov?
5. What is a DUNS Administrator?
6. What functions can a DUNS Administrator perform?
7. What kind of notifications and communications will Points of Contact or DUNS Administrators receive?

REPORTING/DATA ELEMENT FAQs

1. When do I begin reporting?
2. What period of time should the October report cover?
3. (reserved) 
4. Do I have to report if I have already delivered my supplies and services, including construction?
5. Do I report on just the Recovery Act funded portion of my award?
6. What if my company was awarded an order or a modification funded by the Recovery Act rather than a contract? Do I still have to report?
7. FAR clause 52.204-11 states that I have to obtain information on my first-tier subcontracts and report this information to FederalReporting.gov. However, the system appears to allow three choices, including one for "Sub Recipient [Sub Only]." Why the inconsistency?
8. If I choose to use the XML export option, can I submit a bulk extract containing multiple reports for multiple awards?
9. Can I modify the spreadsheet?
10. What happens if multiple reports are submitted for an award?
11. Will I get confirmation of my report submission?
12. What is the "Recipient Reporting Data Model" and how do I use it?
13. Why does the "Recipient Reporting Data Model" indicate a number of administrative type data elements not in FAR clause 52.204-11?
14. The "Recipient Reporting Data Model" indicates that I will have to report information on the Program Source (TAS), funding agency, awarding agency, government contracting office, and congressional districts.  Where can I find this information?
15. Can you provide examples of how to calculate FTEs for reporting jobs?
16. Under the data element for Number of Jobs, do I report the combined number of jobs created and jobs retained?
17. What is the Recipient Account Number?
18. How do I determine "Primary Place of Performance" if performance is in multiple locations?

GENERAL FAQs

1. I have a contract funded by the Recovery Act but it wasn’t awarded by the Federal government. Do these FAQs apply to me?
   
   No.  Federal Contractor FAQs apply only to Federal contractors who have been awarded a Federal contract(s) directly from a U.S. Federal government agency (e.g., USDA, DoD, GSA).
    
2. What methods are available for submitting reports into FederalReporting.gov?
   
   FederalReporting.gov will allow three basic methods for submitting a report:
   
   Method 1 - Online data entry in a Web browser:  The website provides a straightforward data entry form, available via the user’s Web browser, for report data entry.
   
   Method 2 - Excel spreadsheet:  The website provides a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet for contracts which can be downloaded to a workstation and then uploaded to FederalReporting.gov for report submission. The spreadsheet cannot be modified.
   
   Method 3 - Custom software system extract in XML: Organizations with sufficient technical experience may choose to submit a properly formatted Extensible Markup Language (XML) file for their report submission. FederalReporting.gov provides a service to validate the structure of XML extracts prior to the submission period to ensure extracts are properly formatted.
    
3. What technology is needed for using FederalReporting.gov?
   
   FederalReporting.gov users need Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher or Mozilla Firefox 2 or higher. JavaScript must be enabled.
   
   FederalReporting.gov is not designed to be accessible on devices such as hand held computers, cell phones, and personal digital assistants.
    
4. What are the key activities and timeframes required for reporting at FederalReporting.gov?
   
   The key activities and timeframes are provided below in terms of days after the end of the calendar quarter (e.g., Day 10 is the 10th day following the end of the calendar quarter). Due dates are midnight Pacific Time. Follow on screen instructions or user manuals when using FederalReporting.gov.
   
   Prior to day 1 – While registration will be available during day 1-10, contractors are encouraged to register early because registration requires authorization (see Registration FAQs below and Federal Register notice 74 FR 42877 published August 25, 2009).
   
   Day 1-10 – Federal contractors will prepare their report for submission and submit it on or before Day 10 in order to comply with FAR clause 52.204-11 and the requirements of Section 1512 of the Recovery Act. Each subsequent report is due on or before the 10th day following the end of the calendar quarter (i.e., January 10th, April 10th, July 10th, October 10th). Contractors using the Web-based form method will be allowed to save draft versions of their report and the draft will be considered in pre-submission status until explicitly submitted. Drafts will only be available to the individual creating the report. Contractors using the Excel spreadsheet or system extracted XML options may store draft versions outside of the system on their own computers or workstations. Once the Web-based form is submitted or the Excel spreadsheet or XML are uploaded, the system will display a confirmation of report acceptance for conforming data files. This process may take as long as 24 hours to process based on system load, however, submitters are considered compliant with the reporting requirements if they submit a valid data file by the end of the 10th day even if confirmation does not occur until after the 10th day.
   
   Day 11-21 – Data from submitted reports may be publicly posted anytime after the 10th day, so reports should be complete and accurate.However, during day 11-21, contractors may make corrections to any data in their report but these changes will be tracked through version control. During day 11-21, agencies may view the reports but cannot comment. All contractor corrections, if any, must be completed by the end of day 21.
   
   Day 22-29 – Federal agencies review and, if necessary, comment on the Federal contractor’s report. While the system allows agencies to comment up to day 29, agencies will be instructed to comment by day 26 to allow Federal contractors time to make corrections. Unless an agency comments on the report, the Federal contractor will be unable to edit the report and it will be finalized on day 30 as the contractor left it on day 21. The Federal agency will be reviewing the report for timeliness of reporting, consistency of basic information with the award, significant errors, and material omissions. When this review identifies data anomalies or questions, the Federal contractor will receive a notification of comments, which will unlock the report for Federal contractor editing. If the Federal contractor determines that corrections are necessary, the original submitter of the report must complete the data corrections no later than the 29th day following the end of the calendar quarter. Because the Federal agency must indicate review of the revised report, Federal contractors are asked to coordinate closely with the agency reviewer to ensure sufficient time for the agency to go back into the system and indicate that they have reviewed the revised report. The system does not require the Federal contractor to correct the report based on agency comments nor otherwise require agency approval of the report. The report will be finalized on day 30 regardless of whether the Federal contractor makes corrections. However, contracting officers may use any available contractual remedies, as appropriate, to ensure timely and accurate reports that do not contain significant errors or material omissions that might compromise transparency.
   
   Day 30 – The system finalizes all reports and report information is made available to the public at www.Recovery.gov.
    
5. If reports can be modified after submission on the 10th day after the end of the calendar quarter, does that mean the report submitted on the 10th is considered a draft?
   
   No.  Reports are expected to be complete and accurate when submitted on the 10th. While changes are possible after this date, they are logged and may be used by auditors.
    
6. When and where will the information I report become public?
   
   Data from submitted reports may be publicly posted at www.Recovery.gov anytime after the 10th day following the end of the calendar quarter.
    
7. How is FederalReporting.gov different than Recovery.gov?
   
   The FederalReporting.gov website works in conjunction with the Recovery.gov website to provide a comprehensive solution for reporting and Recovery data transparency.
   
   FederalReporting.gov is the central nationwide data collection system for Federal Agencies and Recipients of Federal awards under Section 1512 of the Recovery Act.  For instance, Federal contractors will use www.FederalReporting.gov in order to fulfill their reporting obligations under their contract.
   
   Reports will be made publicly available at Recovery.gov.
    
8. What do I need to know about the guides, documents, and other instructions available at FederalReporting.gov?
   
   The guides, documents, and other instructions available at FederalReporting.gov can be found under the "Downloads" tab at this time. Federal contractors are advised that these materials were prepared to accommodate two different reporting models - one for grants, loans and other forms of financial assistance, and one for Federal contracts. Therefore, Federal contractors must keep in mind key differences between these models as they read the materials:
   
   Sub-recipients of grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance must be registered in CCR. First-tier subcontractors under a Federal contract must have a DUNS number but do not have to register in CCR. Therefore, Federal contractors will assume that any language that refers to a requirement for sub-recipients to register in CCR does not apply to their subcontractors.
   
   While grant, loan and other forms of assistance recipients may delegate to sub-recipients the responsibility for direct reporting of sub-recipient information into FederalReporting.gov, Federal contractors may not delegate FederalReporting.gov reporting responsibility per FAR clause 52.204-11. Therefore, Federal contractors will assume that any language that refers to sub-recipient reporting using FederalReporting.gov does not apply to them. 
   
   The model for grant, loan, and other forms of assistance separately defines sub-recipients and vendors and applies different reporting elements to each. This same distinction does not apply under the Federal contract model. FAR clause 52.204-11 defines subcontract and the data elements required to be reported by the Federal contractor regarding these subcontracts.
    
9. What is a Prime Recipient?
   
   Prime Recipients are non-Federal entities that receive Recovery Act funding through Federal awards. The terms "prime recipient" and "recipient" are interchangeable.  For Federal contracts subject to reporting under FAR clause 52.204-11, these terms translate to "Federal contractor."
    
10. What is a Sub Recipient?
    
    Sub Recipients are non-Federal entities that are awarded Recovery funding through a legal instrument from a Prime Recipient. For Federal contracts subject to reporting under FAR clause 52.204-11, the term translates to "first-tier subcontractor."  Again, subcontractors do not use FederalReporting.gov and the Federal contractor should not delegate to them the responsibility to report directly into FederalReporting.gov.
     
11. What is a Funding/Awarding Agency?
    
    A Funding Agency is a Federal Agency which provides funds to Recipients (such as States, companies, or other organizations) under the Recovery Act. An Awarding Agency may award a grant, loan, or contract on behalf of the Funding Agency. Sometimes the Funding and Awarding Agencies are the same agency. Funding/Awarding Agencies must report on these disbursements and review reports submitted by Prime Recipients.  

FEDERALREPORTING.GOV SUPPORT FAQs

1. I need assistance in registering or reporting. Whom do I contact?
   
   If you have questions or problems, contact the FederalReporting.gov Service Desk. The Service Desk can be reached by email, toll-free phone, or online chat within the system. Click Help to access the Service Desk and see hours of operation.

REGISTRATION FAQs

1. Who needs to register at FederalReporting.gov?
   • The individual in a Federal contractor’s organization responsible for reporting on a Federally awarded contract subject to FAR clause 52.204-11.
   • The individual within a Federal Agency responsible for reviewing the report submitted for a Federally awarded contract subject to FAR clause 52.204-11. 
      
2. When do I need to register?
   
   Registration is now open (see the notice published August 25, 2009 in the Federal Register at 74 FR 42877). Federal contractors are strongly encouraged to ensure individuals responsible for reporting for contracts, subject to FAR clause 52.204-11, register early. A report cannot be submitted by a registrant until the Central Contractor Registration Government or Electronic Business Point of Contact (CCR POC) authorizes the registration and the registrant receives a FederalReporting.gov PIN (FFPIN). Please see the User Registration Guide and Recipient Point of Contact Guide under the "Downloads" tab at FederalReporting.gov. 
    
3. What information will I need to register?
   In order to register as a user of FederalReporting.gov, your company must be registered in Central Contractor Registration (http://www.ccr.gov). With very limited exceptions, Federal contractors will already be registered in CCR if they have a Federally awarded contract.
   Additionally, you must provide
   
   Your contact information (name, telephone, email).
   
   Your DUNS number – Federal contractors must know their organization's DUNS number to register. If you need a DUNS number, visit D&B at http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform.
    
4. What is a DUNS Number?
   
   Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) provides a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number, a unique 9-digit identification number, for each physical location of a business or organization. Using the DUNS Number as a unique identifier for your organization helps the Government know the business or organization submitting reporting information to FederalReporting.gov. To register as a Recipient User of FederalReporting.gov, you must know the DUNS Number associated with your award.
    
5. Who needs to get a DUNS number?
   
   Each entity (except individuals) who receives Recovery Act funds directly (i.e., prime Federal contractor) or indirectly (first-tier subcontractors) should have a DUNS number. Federal contractors will need to obtain the DUNS number for their first-tier subcontractors (subcontracts of $25,000 or more) in order to report information about the subcontract (see FAR clause 52.204-11).
    
6. How does my organization get a DUNS number?
   
   All U.S. Government contractors can receive a DUNS number at no charge and, under normal circumstances, within 24-72 hours when using the D&B web form process. Go to http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform. Federal contractors, with only very limited exceptions, will already have a DUNS number as it is required for CCR registration.
    
7. My organization has more than one DUNS number. How do I know which DUNS number to enter when I register?
   
   You need to provide the DUNS number associated with your award when you register. If no DUNS number is listed on your award document, please go back to your proposal or bid and use the DUNS number you provided to the Federal Agency at that time.
    
8. What is the Central Contractor Registration (CCR)?
   
   Central Contractor Registration (CCR) is the primary registrant database for the U.S. Federal Government. CCR collects, validates, stores, and disseminates data in support of agency acquisition missions, including Federal agency contract and assistance awards.
9. How does my organization register in CCR?
   
   With very limited exceptions, Federal contractors will already be registered in CCR if they have a Federally awarded contract. Go to http://www.ccr.gov/Start.aspx to start your CCR registration. Because CCR is a federally mandated and funded program, there is no cost to register.
    
10. Do my subcontractors have to register in CCR?
    
    If you are a Federal contractor required to report to FederalReporting.gov by FAR clause 52.204-11, your subcontractors do not have to register in CCR. They will, however, need a DUNS number. CCR registration is only required for sub-recipients of grants, loans, and other forms of financial assistance (see "What do I need to know about the guides, documents, and other instructions available at FederalReporting.gov?" under General FAQs).
     
11. Can multiple individuals within our organization register as FederalReporting.gov users?
    
    Yes, multiple individuals within your Federal Agency or Recipient organization can register as FederalReporting.gov users.
     
12. How do I know that my registration as a user of FederalReporting.gov has been completed?
    
    You will receive an email confirmation once you have successfully registered as a FederalReporting.gov user. To help ensure delivery of emails from FederalReporting.gov, add "FederalReporting.gov" as a safe recipient in your email inbox. Before you can submit a report, your CCR POC must authorize your registration at which point you will receive a FederalReporting.gov PIN (FRPIN).
     
13. When I try to register at FederalReporting.gov, I am told that no organization information can be foun for the DUNS number I entered. How do I complete my registration?
    
    If you have received your DUNS number from D&B within the last 48 hours, the DUNS number may not be available to the system yet. Wait 24 hours and attempt your registration again. If you still cannot register, please contact the Service Desk for assistance.
     
14. What do I need to request a new DUNS Number?
    
    You will be asked to provide the following information:
    Legal Name
    Headquarters name and address for your organization
    Doing business as (DBA), or other name by which your organization is commonly recognized
    Physical Address, City, State and Zip Code
    Mailing Address (if separate from Headquarters and/or physical address)
    Telephone Number
    Contact Name and Title
    Number of Employees at your physical location
     
15. I am not sure if I have a DUNS number, how can I check?
    D&B created a Webform process that allows you to search for an existing DUNS by entering your Company Name and Address. If you find a D&B record on your entity then you can have your DUNS emailed to you immediately.
     
16. How do I update the information associated with my DUNS number?
    
    Modifications to an existing DUNS number can be made through the Webform. Confirmation and a tracking ID are provided via email.
     
17. I have a DUNS number, why did the Federalreporting.gov site tell me that one could not be found?
    
    There are few reasons your DUNS number may not be found:
    
    
    • The DUNS Number entered is not a valid DUNS number
    • A new DUNS may have been issued due to:
      
      • a merger/acquisition of your company
      • change in the legal business status

18. The information about my entity on Federalreporting.gov is incorrect or outdated?
    Data for Federalreporting.gov is updated once per month from D&B. If you have already notified D&B of this issue, this information will be updated in the next cycle. Otherwise, utilize the Webform process to request an update.

USER ACCOUNT FAQs

1. What are the rules for creating a password in FederalReporting.gov?
   
   Your FederalReporting.gov password must meet the following criteria:
   
   
   • Must be between 8 and 32 characters.
   • Must contain at least one alpha character.
   • Must contain at least one numeric character.
   • Must contain at least one special character.
   • Cannot be the same as your current password.
      
2. I forgot my password. How can I recover it?
   
   Click "I forgot my password" below the login prompt on the homepage and follow the instructions.
    
3. How do I change the information on my user account?
   
   Once logged on as a user at FederalReporting.gov, you can change your contact information. Click on "My Account" under Quick Links, and click "Edit Information". 
    
4. I keep getting the message "The User ID and Password you have entered are not valid" when I try to log in. How can I log in?
   
   If you enter an incorrect User ID or password more than five times, you will be locked out of the system. Contact the Service Desk to reactivate your access.

POINT OF CONTACT/DUNS ADMINISTRATOR FAQs

1. Who is a Recipient Point of Contact?
   
   For those entities that must report under Section 1512 of the Recovery Act, at least one user for the organization must register to submit and view reports. When the first user registers at FederalReporting.gov for a given DUNS number, the system creates the Point of Contact user(s). FederalReporting.gov identifies the individual(s) listed in CCR as the Government Business Primary Point of Contact and the Electronic Business Primary Point of Contact as the Point of Contact user(s) for the organization. Upon the first registration of a user with a given DUNS number, the Government Business Primary Point of Contact and Electronic Business Primary Point of Contact from CCR associated with that DUNS number will automatically be registered as the Point of Contact user(s) in FederalReporting.gov.
   
   The use of the Point of Contact role allows FederalReporting.gov to verify that individual users are authorized to submit reports on behalf of a given DUNS number. This helps prevent fraudulent or inaccurate reporting.
   
   Federal Agencies reviewing reports do not have an associated Point of Contact role. The Point of Contact role is only associated with Award Recipients. For more information on the CCR POC role in FederalReporting.gov, see the Recipient Point of Contact Guide under the "Downloads" tab at FederalReporting.gov. 
    
2. What are the responsibilities of a Recipient Point of Contact?
   
   As the recipient POC, you can perform all of the functions of a recipient user. In addition, you will also have the ability to perform the following functions:
   
   
   • Assign one or more DUNS Administrator
   • Remove a user from your organization identified by the DUNS Number
   • Administer FRPIN
     • Approve/Issue FRPIN in response to user request
     • Deny FRPIN in response to user request
     • Reset/Change FRPIN
        
3. Can I be the Point of Contact for multiple DUNS numbers?
   
   Yes, a user can serve as Point of Contact for multiple DUNS numbers. If you are listed as the Government Business Primary Point of Contact and/or the Electronic Business Primary Point of Contact for multiple DUNS numbers in CCR, you will serve as Point of Contact for each of those DUNS in FederalReporting.gov. This applies to each DUNS number for which a user is registered in FederalReporting.gov. If no users are registered for a given DUNS number, no Point of Contact user is created.
    
4. I am listed as my organization's Point of Contact in CCR. Do I need to register as a user of FederalReporting.gov?
   
   When the first user from an organization registers with a given DUNS number, the Government Business Primary Point of Contact and Electronic Business Primary Point of Contact listed in CCR are both automatically registered. Each Point of Contact will receive an email notification from FederalReporting.gov, including the temporary password to log on to the system. However, if you are the only individual who will be reporting on behalf of a DUNS number you will need to register as a FederalReporting.gov user. Upon successful registration, FederalReporting.gov will automatically recognize you as a Government Business Primary Point of Contact or Electronic Business Primary Point of Contact and automatically apply the Point of Contact role to you within FederalReporting.gov.
    
5. What is a DUNS Administrator?
   
   In order to decrease the administrative burden on organization Recipient Points of Contact, FederalReporting.gov provides the capability to share those responsibilities. A Point of Contact for a given DUNS can share that responsibility with another individual in his/her organization by assigning that person to be a DUNS Administrator.
   
   In order for a Point of Contact to assign a user as DUNS Administrator, that person must already be registered as a user of FederalReporting.gov. A user can only serve as DUNS Administrator for one DUNS number. 
    
6. What functions can a DUNS Administrator perform?
   
   
   • A DUNS Administrator can perform the following functions: 
   • Remove a user from your DUNS organization
   • FRPIN administration
   • Approve FRPIN in response to user request
   • Deny FRPIN in response to user request
   • Reset/Change FRPIN
      
7. What kind of notifications and communications will Points of Contact or DUNS Administrators receive?
   
   The Recipient Point of Contact (POC) and DUNS Administrator users will receive a notification via email and in the system inbox (My Messages) when a user requests the FRPIN for the DUNS number that person administers. The message will ask the POC or DUNS Administrator to approve or deny the request. The POC or DUNS Administrator can approve or deny from directly within My Work Queue.

REPORTING/DATA ELEMENT FAQs

1. When do I begin reporting?
   
   The first reporting period begins October 1, 2009, and ends October 10, 2009. Cumulative reports must be submitted during this period to be compliant with the requirements of FAR clause 52.204-11 and Section 1512 of the Recovery Act.
    
2. What period of time should the October report cover?
   
   The report should be cumulative from the date upon which the contract was funded, in whole or in part, with Recovery Act funds through September 30, 2009.
    
3. (reserved)
    
4. Do I have to report if I have already delivered my supplies and services, including construction?
   
   If your Federal contract was funded, in whole or in part, with Recovery Act funds and includes the clause at FAR 52.204-11, you must register and report at FederalReporting.gov on or before October 10, 2009.
    
5. Do I report on just the Recovery Act funded portion of my award?
   
   Yes. 
    
6. What if my company was awarded an order or a modification funded by the Recovery Act rather than a contract?  Do I still have to report?
   
   Yes.  Reporting is required by FAR clause 52.204-11 from Federal contractors for all work funded, in whole or in part, by the Recovery Act. You will be asked to include both contract and order numbers, as appropriate.
    
7. FAR clause 52.204-11 states that I have to obtain information on my first-tier subcontracts and report this information to FederalReporting.gov.  However, the system appears to allow three choices, including one for "Sub Recipient [Sub Only]." Why the inconsistency?
   
   The system was designed to accommodate two separate reporting models – one for grants, loans, and other forms of assistance and one for Federal contracts.  The system provides three choices (only two of which apply to Federal contractors) to select from when creating a report online or when uploading the Excel or XML extracts:
   
   
   • Prime Recipient [Prime Only]
   • Prime Recipient [Prime reporting for self and Sub(s)]
   • Sub Recipient [Sub Only]
      
   If you are a Federal contractor with no subcontracts meeting the $25,000.00 threshold in FAR clause 52.204-11, you must select "Prime Recipient [Prime Only]."  If you are a Federal contractor with subcontracts meeting the $25,000.00 threshold in FAR clause 52.204-11, you must select "Prime Recipient [Prime reporting for self and Sub(s)]." In no case will a Federal contractor delegate reporting into FederalReporting.gov to a subcontractor, therefore, the third choice "Sub Recipient [Sub Only]" is not an option for Federal contractors.
    
8. If I choose to use the XML export option, can I submit a bulk extract containing multiple reports for multiple awards?
   
   No. FederalReporting.gov does not support the ability to bulk upload a single XML file containing multiple prime recipient awards. The Recipient Reporting Data Model along with the supplemental XML/XSD, only supports the submission of one Federally awarded contract report per XML file. The Federal contractor user will be prompted for the FRPIN of the DUNS number when submitting the report. FederalReporting.gov will provide the ability to upload multiple individually packaged XML files for a single DUNS number.
    
9. Can I modify the spreadsheet?
   
   No. Modifying the spreadsheet will break the binding and produce data that will not validate with the system.
    
10. What happens if multiple reports are submitted for an award?
    
    The last report submitted is considered the final report. After the 10th day following the end of the calendar quarter previous versions will be maintained though version control for audit purposes. Clear coordination within the Federal contractor’s organization is important.
     
11. Will I get confirmation of my report submission?
    
    Yes. Report submission is a two stage process. The system will confirm initial submission immediately. The system will perform a validation on the spreadsheet and XML extracts to ensure that the data conform with standards. A separate confirmation will be sent that indicates system compatibility and formal acceptance.
     
12. What is the "Recipient Reporting Data Model" and how do I use it?
    
    The Recipient Reporting Data Model is a document created for Recovery Act data standardization. It includes all of the data elements Federal Contractors will be required to report. Use of standards and templates makes reporting more accurate. Use of data standards helps users understand what data is required in what format for each data field and other useful information, such as when a data element will be inferred from another entry. The Recipient Reporting Data Model can be downloaded from the "Downloads" tab of FederalReporting.gov and is also accessible via Recovery.gov. 
     
13. Why does the "Recipient Reporting Data Model" indicate a number of administrative type data elements not in FAR clause 52.204-11 and where do I find these?
    
    This initial roll-out of FederalReporting.gov is focusing on core functionality with limited pre-population. Some basic data elements such as the award date, obligation amount, and NAICS for the Federal contract, Federal contractor’s DUNS number, legal and Doing Business As names and address will not be pre-populated at this time.  Federal contractors will have much of this data on hand, or it will be readily available in the contract document. There are a few data elements, however, that Federal contractors may not be familiar with and may not know how to locate. These include information on Funding and Awarding Agency, Contracting Office, Program Source (also called the Treasury Account Symbol (TAS)), and congressional districts. FederalReporting.gov will provide information on how to look up congressional district. This information for the Federal contractor is also available in the report on Recovery Act contract actions in the Federal Reporting Data System (FPDS). Information on easily locating these data elements is addressed in the next FAQ.
     
14. The "Recipient Reporting Data Model" indicates that I will have to report information on the Program Source (TAS), funding agency, awarding agency, government contracting office, and congressional districts. Where can I find this information?
    
    
    • Go to https://www.fpds.gov and open the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Report" under the Top Requests heading.
    • Using the filters provided or the "find" tool in Excel, locate your award.You can use any of the fields available in the spreadsheet, such as Vendor Name or DUNS Number to narrow the search for your award, but ensure that the PIID, Reference IDV PIID, and Modification Number fields match your contract action award number as there may be multiple awards for a given vendor name or DUNS number or multiple modifications to a given contract.
    • Once you locate your award,
      • The Treasury Account Symbol, or TAS, is the combination of the following fields:
    • TAS Agency (2 digits), and
    • TAS Major Program (4 digits), and
    • TAS Sub Program, when applicable (3 digits). The TAS Sub Program code is not used by all agencies. If the field is blank in FPDS, then the TAS is comprised only of the TAS Agency (2 digits) and the TAS Major Program (4 digits).
      • The Awarding Agency name and code are found under the columns "Contracting Agency Name" and "Contracting Agency ID."
      • The Funding Agency name and code are found under the columns "Funding Agency Name" and "Funding Agency Code." If there is nothing listed for Funding Agency name and code, you should assume that the Funding Agency name and code are the same as the Awarding Agency (Contracting Agency) name and code (see b above).
      • The Government Contracting Office name and code are found under the columns "Contracting Office Name" and "Contracting Office ID."
      • The Federal contractor’s congressional district code (i.e., "Recipient Congressional District" in FederalReporting.gov) is found under the column "Vendor Congressional District." The "Primary Place of Performance – Congressional District" code required for Federal contractors in FederalReporting.gov is found under the column "Congressional District – Place of Performance." 
      • Other data elements required for reporting are also available in the report. Review the column headings in the report.
    • If you are unable to locate your award in FPDS, call your contracting officer.
       
15. Can you provide examples of how to calculate FTEs for reporting jobs?
    
    Yes.  The following example is provided to assist with understanding the FTE calculation described in FAR clause 52.204-11, which only requires Federal contractors (i.e., prime Federal contractors) to report jobs created and retained. Federal contractors should only report direct jobs created and retained in the United States and outlying areas by them as a result of Recovery Act funding under the contract action (see FAR clause 52.204-11). Do not attempt to estimate indirect or induced jobs.
    
    As stated in the preamble to the interim FAR rule, the requirement for reporting jobs is based on a simple calculation used to avoid overstating the number of other than full-time, permanent jobs. This calculation converts part-time or temporary jobs into "full-time equivalent" (FTE) jobs. In order to perform the calculation, a contractor will need the total number of hours worked that are funded by the Recovery Act. The contractor will also need the number of hours in a full-time schedule for a quarter as determined by the contractor. For instance, many industries consider a 40-hour work week as full-time. The formula for calculating FTE can be represented as:

               Cumulative Recovery Act Funded Hours Worked (Qtr 1…n)           
                Cumulative Hours in a Full-time Schedule (Qtr 1…n)

16. Under the data element for Number of Jobs, do I report the combined number of jobs created and jobs retained?
    
    Yes. Report the cumulative and combined number of jobs created and jobs retained.
     
17. What is the Recipient Account Number?
    
    The "Recipient Account Number" is an optional field that may be used at the discretion of and for the convenience of the Federal contractor for its own purposes.  
     
18. How do I determine "Primary Place of Performance" if performance is in multiple locations?
    
    Provide the information for the location impacted by the largest portion of the Recovery Act funds.

A user guide is in development and will be posted to FederalReporting.gov prior to October 1, 2009.

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