FAQ - Service Activities

General Info

Service activities are the sale of goods and services produced through CU's research enterprise. These activities are related to the research endeavor but do not include scientific investigation or conclusions. The labs and personnel used are normally engaged in research, development, and creative works, yet have excess capacity to handle services for external entities.

See our Service Activities page for more information.

There are two ways to contract a service activity: as a Sponsored Service Project ("SSP") or Rate-Based Service Activity ("RBSA"). It is important to make the proper distinction up-front, as the contracting method will heavily impact many administrative functions for the life of the award.

See our Service Activities page for more information.

Next steps will depend on whether the activity is an RBSA or SSP.

See our Service Activities page for more information.

A formal contract is required when a department receives money in exchange for services to external customers (e.g., corporate, federal, non-profit, startup, etc.). OCGs Service Contracts team (OCG Services) is the authority for these contracts. OCG does not need to be involved for services exclusively offered to internal customers.

The first step is to conduct a determination, which means we must verify that the activity is eligible to be contracted as a service. This helps us to 1) ensure legal and administrative allowability, and 2) identify protections needed for the University and researchers.

For rate-based service activities (RBSAs), a determination only needs to be completed once for each service. For sponsored service projects (i.e., scope-based services), a new determination must be completed for every contract.

See our Service Activity Determinations page for more information.

Potentially Eligible Activities
  • Testing
  • Analysis
  • Equipment use
  • Training / professional development
  • Evaluation
  • Fabrication
  • Consultation
Ineligible Activities
  • New scientific investigation / discovery
  • General auxiliaries and points of sale (e.g., ticket sales, t-shirt sales)
  • Large auxiliaries (e.g., Housing and Dining, Bookstore, UMC)
  • Conducted under
  • Requires cost share
  • Research collaborator on SBIR/STTR
  • Federal assistance on private grant program
  • Grant subawards
  • Using un-paid student labor (e.g., work for academic credit, class projects)

See our Service Activity Determinations page for more information.

Fill out our online Service Determination request form. Once you submit, a copy will be sent to OCG Services.

See our Service Activity Determinations page for more information.

Rate-Based Service Activities (RBSA)

Service activities allow campus units to utilize excess research capacity to sell goods and services to internal and/or external customers. Rate-based service activities ("RBSAs") are repeatable between multiple customers and are charged using a menu of rates rather than a unique budget.

See our Rate-Based Service Activities (RBSA) - Setup page for more information.

For services sold to external customers (e.g., corporate, federal, non-profit, startup, etc.), OCG Service Contracts (OCG Services) must泭complete a setup process to check allowability and ensure proper protections are in place for the University and researchers. A single RBSA can include multiple service activities, and setup only needs to be completed once for each service. Once setup is complete, OCG Services can generate and negotiate contracts for approved services without repeating setup steps.

See our Rate-Based Service Activities (RBSA) - Setup page for more information.

Once a Rate Based Service Activity ("RBSA") is set up, the department has on-going responsibilities to manage finances and ensure the RBSA remains in compliance. Failure to follow the necessary steps could not only jeopardize CU's intellectual property, federal funding, and overall reputation, but also put the PI at risk for personal liability.

See our Rate-Based Service Activities (RBSA) - Management page for more information.

CU policy requires a legally binding contract any time we provide services to external customers. Excepting individuals who have been delegated quote authority, OCG Service Contracts ("OCG Services") is the only campus group authorized to enter into service contracts on behalf of CU.

See our Rate-Based Service Activities (RBSA) - Management page for more information.

Service Quote Authority

Quotes are a type of contract that utilize standard terms and conditions and are not negotiated or signed.

See our Service Quote Authority - Setup page for more information.

"Quote" is short for "Service Quotation," which is a type of contract. "Quote authority" is the authority to issue quotes without going through OCG Service Contracts ("OCG Services"). This is an optional delegation made by OCG Services, and not every RBSA is eligible. Quote authority does not extend to certain high-risk situations, for which the department must go through OCG. Quote authority is delegated by OCG Services to a specific quote authority delegate ("Delegate") representing an RBSA and is not transferable.

See our Service Quote Authority - Setup page for more information.

Email OCG Services to request quote authority delegation. OCG will determine whether the RBSA and Delegate are eligible and set up a mandatory training session.

See our Service Quote Authority - Setup page for more information.

In addition to standard RBSA maintenance, the department/program and Delegate have on-going administrative responsibilities under quote authority.

See our Service Quote Authority - Management page for more information.

A legally binding contract is required every time service activities are sold from CU Boulder to an external entity. The Delegate should issue a quote for each customer except in specific high-risk situations (detailed on our Service Quote Authority - Management page).

OCG Services will give each Delegate a custom Service Quotation Template. This template is the only form that should be used to contract for services unless OCG Services has given you explicit permission to do otherwise. To issue a quote, follow the steps on our Service Quote Authority - Management page.

See our Service Quote Authority - Management page for more information.

OCG Services will give each Delegate a Service Quotation Log. It is the Delegates responsibility to track basic details of every quote issued. Only quotes issued by the Delegate under their quote authority should be tracked. Any agreements completed by OCG should not be included.

It is the Delegates responsibility to report their Service Quotation Log to OCG Services every fiscal quarter for review. Reports are due two (2) weeks after the fiscal quarter ends.

See our Service Quote Authority - Management page for more information.

Quote authority is delegated to individuals, not the department. Should your Delegate leave CU or be otherwise unable to complete their RBSA duties, the department should email OCG Services for next steps.

See our Service Quote Authority - Management page for more information.