Equipment costing less than £10,000
Items of equipment costing less than £10,000 should be requested under directly incurred: other costs.
Equipment costs may cover the purchase of equipment outright, or in part, sharing across a number of projects where appropriate or contracting out a specific task.
Equipment costing more than £10,000
Funds for equipment purchases costing £10,000 (inclusive of VAT) or more may be sought as a directly incurred cost, provided that the equipment is essential to the effective conduct of the research and is not already available to the host research organisation. Single items of equipment costing less than £10,000 should be included in other directly incurred costs.
What we will contribute
Justification for requested items of equipment costing between £10,000 and £138,000 (£115,000 excluding VAT) must include evidence that the option of using existing equipment has been investigated. The proposal should state the percentage contribution to equipment costs requested from STFC. In general, STFC expects to contribute around 50% of the cost of such equipment items, although this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
However, subject to STFC’s prior approval, equipment costs associated with the construction of unique items of equipment (for example, particle detectors for particle physics accelerators, instruments for telescopes and facility development) may be funded in full (that is, at 100%), although STFC reserves the right to request organisation contributions where appropriate. If you think that an equipment request in your proposal may fall into this category, you must consult the appropriate secretariat prior to the submission of your proposal.
For single items of equipment over £138,000 (£115,000 excluding VAT), three quotes should be attached.
A 2 page business case will be required for all items of equipment above £138,000 (£115,000 excluding VAT), outlining the strategic need for the equipment.
The procurement of equipment, including maintenance must comply with all relevant national and EU legislation and the research organisation’s own financial policy and procedures.
The research organisation’s own professionally qualified procurement staff should be involved in the procurement of equipment and services at or above £25,000 (excluding VAT). The procurement staff must be consulted before the procurement process begins, and, where appropriate, at the market research stage, and must approve the order or contract before it is placed with the supplier. Additional documentary evidence for the estimated cost should be included with the proposal.
Last updated: 17 August 2021