Small Business Subcontracting

The Small Business Subcontracting Plan (SBSP) is a purchasing plan for federally sponsored contracts that equal or exceed $750,000 over the course of the contract. Meeting the goals of the SBP by the end of the contract period is critical.

If the goals are unmet, the sponsor may impose penalties, which may be in the form of reimbursement of funds to the sponsor. Failure to achieve the goals may also negatively affect future funding proposals for the principal investigator (PI) or other U-M applicants.

The unit’s research administrator (RA) or equivalent acts on the principal investigator’s (PI) behalf to complete the following plan:

  1. Download the Self-Guided Small Business Plan Template on the right.
  2. Complete the tab within the excel file named “Worksheet (Fill Out Here)”.
  3. Save the Self-Guided Small Business Plan Template and submit it through our Small Business Plan Request Form.
    • Procurement Services will review the plan, mark the appropriate small business designation for any potential suppliers, and assist in the plan completion.
    • You can expect a response within two business days.
  4. The RA/PI can then sign the Signature Page of the Small Business Plan (virtual or physical signature) and attach it to the proposal in eRPM.

Contact Us

Federal reporting:

U-M must comply with federal reporting requirements by submitting periodic reports for contracts with small business subcontracting plans.

The research liaison in Procurement Services is responsible for submitting the following reports:

Individual Subcontracting Report  (ISR)
  • Semi-annual submission of reports in April and October
  • Final ISR submission within 30 days after the award closure.
Summary Subcontracting Report  (SSR)
  • Annual submission of report is due in October:  
    • Exception:  Department of Defense (DoD) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which are due in April and October.