1.0 Purpose

During making awards and implementing Science for Africa (SFA) Foundation research programmes, SFA Foundation funds are used to procure research equipment and other assets in support of research projects implementation. This policy describes eligible costs related to research equipment and assets purchase, and how such equipment and assets will be handled during and at project completion.

2.0 Policy Statement

2.1 Eligible Costs

1. Justified equipment items essential to the project;
2. No restrictions on the amount or type of equipment, unless specified on the relevant scheme information;
3. Equipment upgrades if essential to the project and the upgraded equipment will be used primarily for an SFA Foundation award;
4. Leasing or maintenance if it is better value than buying the equipment, satisfies requirement needs and the host institution’s procurement policies and procurement department has approved this approach;
5. Costs should cover all necessary items, including delivery, installation, training, maintenance and insurance;
6. Discounted/negotiated prices, rather than list prices, should be quoted wherever possible;
7. Costs of equipment for medical and veterinary research should be quoted inclusive of Value Added Tax (VAT);
8. In certain circumstances, a contribution may be required from the grantee institution and/or other sources.

2.2 Ineligible Costs

a) Replacement of SFA Foundation funded equipment that has been stolen, damaged or destroyed during its useful lifetime.

2.3 Contributions from Grantee Institutions and Other Sources

1. Applicants must provide details of all other sources of contributions to SFA Foundation;
2. Contributions are not limited to cash and can include benefits in kind, such as refurbishment or the underwriting of a key support post;
3. If a significant proportion of potential users of the equipment are not funded by SFA Foundation, SFA Foundation expects the grantee institution to obtain additional contributions from an alternative source. This should be in proportion to the amount of time it will be used for each purpose;
4. Where contributions are from commercial sources:
   • SFA Foundation’s contribution towards the equipment cost should be proportionate to the amount of time it will be used for non-commercial academic research; and
   • no commercial conditions must be attached to SFA Foundation funded use of the equipment.

2.4 Equipment Maintenance

1. SFA Foundation will provide maintenance costs for new equipment requested, normally in proportion to The SFA Foundation’s funding of that equipment;
2. Maintenance costs for existing equipment over five years old (or that will become five years old during the lifespan of the grant), whether originally funded by SFA Foundation or another source, will be provided if the equipment is essential to the proposed research and it is cost effective to keep maintaining it;
3. Maintenance charges may not be requested where there is a mechanism in place to recoup maintenance costs through access charges;
4. Equipment should be covered by a manufacturer’s warranty for the first year after its purchase. For the remaining period of the grant, SFA Foundation will cover reasonable maintenance costs for assets purchased under the SFA Foundation grant;

2.5 Ownership, Permitted Use and Disposal

1. Equipment funded by SFA Foundation is awarded to the grantee institution specifically for the grantee’s research; written permission must be obtained to use the equipment for any other purpose (including to charge, hire, lend or dispose of it) whilst the grant is active;
2. Once the grant has ended, ownership of assets and equipment fully purchased by SFA Foundation shall be decided in writing by SFA Foundation. Under the circumstances where the ownership of asset or equipment is transferred to the grantee, SFA Foundation is at liberty to set conditions to the grantee organization on the use of the equipment;
3. If the lead investigator moves to another institution within the same country during the award period, or within three years after end or termination of the award, SFA Foundation reserves the right to require that the equipment be transferred with him or her. This excludes Multi- user equipment items awarded specifically to provide departmental infrastructural support. These cannot be transferred from the grantee institution to which they were awarded. See the SFA Foundation Transfer of Grants and Equipment Policy for more details;
4. Where a piece of equipment to be transferred was only partially funded by the SFA Foundation, the grant holder and the institutions concerned should come to an amicable arrangement acceptable to SFA Foundation;
5. When a request is made by the grantee to sell equipment during the lifetime of a grant, the grantee should seek written approval from the SFA Foundation on the sale of the asset.

3.0 Grantee Obligations

3.1 Equipment Maintenance

5. It is the responsibility of the grantee institution to maintain SFA Foundation-funded equipment whilst the grant is active.

3.2 Quotes and Procurement

1. The grantee institution must comply with its procurement procedures to deliver value for money.
2. Where the grantee institution has no policy guidelines for assets procurement, or where SFA Foundation through the due diligence process finds the existing policy inadequate to mitigate the risks for asset purchase, SFA Foundation shall provide procurement guidelines in the award letter.

Related policies: Transfer of Grants & Equipment Policy and Policy on Materials and Consumables

For any queries on this policy, please contact [email protected]