About Service Activities

Service activities are

• other sponsored activities performed by university personnel and utilize university facilities and/or equipment with excess capacity to perform work similar to tasks done on sponsored research projects, but without the scientific investigation and conclusions.
• a valuable approach to enhance relationships with external partners, increase research funding and utilize facilities or equipment that have additional capacity. Often these projects lead into larger research opportunities.
• are initiated as either rate based or scope based service activities. All service activities with external customers have a legally binding quote or contract that include standard university requirements and terms and conditions relevant to the work.

​Download the service activities quick guide (PDF)

Characteristics

• Bundled expenses distributed across multiple projects
• Average rate / pre-pricing / catalog pricing
• Rate based service activities can occur between external customers (External Rate Based Service Activities) and within the university system between departments and across campuses (Internal Rate Based Service Activities)

Examples

• Testing (usually standard, repetitive tests)
• Analysis
• Equipment Use

Record Management

• Quotes within the department/campus unit
• infoED if agreements required

Fund Management

• 28/29 (Department Managed)

Where do I start?

• Budget & Fiscal Planning (BFP) is your first stop with Rate Based Service Activities. BFP works with you to set rates, assess risk levels and guide you to the next steps depending on whether the customer is internal or external to the university.
• Rate Based Service Activities typically follow an annual cycle with current year detailed information found on the BFP website.

Characteristics

• Activity based on a specific scope of work
• A budget is built to the scope of work
• Scope based service activities are only with external customers

Examples

• Work for Hire or Consulting
• Analysis and Interpretation
• Training for External Entities (outside of academic program)

Record Management

infoED

Fund Management

• 33 (SPA Managed)

Where do I start?

• Follow the Office of Contracts and Grants' (OCG) Prepare & Submit Proposals requirements to begin the process if the project is in the beginning stages.

Submit questions to:
Office of Contracts and Grants, Service Contracts
ocgservicecontracts@colorado.edu