**Key Updates in the Uniform Guidance**

1. Burden Reduction: One of the primary objectives of the 2024 revisions is to reduce compliance costs and administrative overhead for recipients. The Guidance modifies several requirements to simplify compliance, including reducing the number of prior approvals needed from federal agencies for specific activities. The revision:
   1. Increased to a value of $10,000 for equipment which the grantee has no further responsibility to the Federal Agency
   2. Increased to a value of $10,000 for unused supplies which the grantee much sell at the end of the grant award period
   3. Increased the Single Audit threshold from $750,000 to $1,000,000
   4. Increased to $500,000 the amount of fixed subawards that a recipient may provide with prior written approval from the Federal Agency
   5. Increased the De Minimis indirect rate to 15%
   6. Increased the amount of subaward recipients can include as part of Modified Total Direct Costs to $50,000 per subaward
2. Close Out Activities: The Uniform Guidance allows for certain administrative costs associated with close out activities to be charged to the final budget period and clarifies a recipient’s right to any remaining and available funds.
3. Notices of Funding Opportunities (NOFOs): Federal agencies are now directed to simplify and shorten their NOFOs. The revised Guidance emphasizes the use of plain language and the inclusion of an Executive Summary section to make grant announcements more accessible to non-experts and smaller organizations. This change is particularly aimed at increasing participation from underserved communities.
4. Evaluation and Data Gathering and Analysis Activities: The updated Guidance lets recipients use part of their funding for evaluation, data gathering, and analysis, helping them improve and understand program impacts. This encourages data-driven decision-making and program evaluation.
   This update allows grantees to charge evaluation, data gathering, and analysis costs as direct costs instead of indirect costs.

5. Community Engagement: Agencies and recipients are encouraged to conduct community engagement activities. The revisions allow federal funds to be used for public participation, ensuring that affected communities have a voice in program development and implementation.
6. Internal Controls and Cybersecurity: A new rule requires recipients and subrecipients to take reasonable cybersecurity measures to protect information, without specifying a particular framework, but stressing the need to safeguard sensitive data.
7. Procurement Standards: The revisions expand procurement flexibility, particularly for Indian Tribes, allowing them to follow their own procurement policies and procedures.
   1. The ban on using geographic preferences has been removed, as long as they comply with the law. This change allows construction contractors to give hiring preferences to people from disadvantaged areas.
   2. Contractors may also be required to use hiring preferences or goals for individuals with barriers to employment
   3. Additionally, recipients can now use practices like Project Labor Agreements

   Also:

   1. Recipients are now allowed to include written procedures in procurement processes that reward bidders who commit to providing specific jobs, pay levels, benefits, and worker protections.
   2. Recipients and subrecipients must conduct cost and price analysis for any procurement over the simplified acquisition threshold, including contract changes; prior to receiving bids or proposals.

8. Mandatory Disclosures: Recipients and subrecipients must promptly disclose credible evidence of violations related to the civil False Claims Act or federal criminal law involving fraud, conflict of interest, bribery, or gratuity violations.
9. Prohibition on Certain Equipment: The Guidance prohibits the purchase of specific telecommunications and video surveillance services or equipment using federal funds, aligning with broader federal efforts to secure information and communication technologies.