Assistance Regulations

The Department of Energy (DOE) is adding a new part to the DOE assistance regulations to establish policies and procedures to implement the "other transaction authority" granted to the Secretary of Energy by section 1007 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. DOE has decided to implement other transaction authority through the award and administration of technology investment agreements (TIAs). TIAs are a new class of assistance instrument for DOE, but they have been used by the Department of Defense (DoD) for many years to support or stimulate defense research projects involving for-profit firms, especially commercial firms that do business primarily in the commercial marketplace. The new part 603 is similar to the DoD regulation; both provide contracting officers greater flexibility to negotiate award provisions in areas that can present barriers to those commercial firms (e.g., intellectual property, audits, and cost principles). DOE also is revising 10 CFR part 600, subpart A, to conform it with the new part.