• USB Policy

  • USB Policies

    • Purpose
    • Scope
    • Terminology
    • Responsibility

  • Accounting

    • Financial Reporting

  • Anti-Harassment Policy

  • Bank and Investment Accounts

  • Board Budgeting and Allocation

    • Budgeting
    • Allocations
    • Projects

  • Board Director Expense Reimbursement

  • Board Records

  • Chairperson's Expense Reimbursement

  • Communications Standards

  • Compliance Officer

  • Compliance Reviews and Reporting

  • Conflict of Interest

  • Contract Authority

    • Signature Authority

  • Election of Directors, Officers and Executive Committee

    • Nomination Procedure – Officers and Executive Committee Members
    • Election Procedure – Officers and Executive Committee Members
    • Executive Committee Voting Rights
    • External Liaison

  • Family Member Compensation

  • Fund Reserve

  • Information Technology

    • Backup and Recovery
    • Acceptable Use of Computer Equipment
    • Email Communication

  • Insurance

  • Intellectual Property Rights

  • Investments

  • Minutes

  • Pecuniary Rewards

  • Primary Contractors

  • Purchase of Property/Endowments

    • Purchase of Property
    • Endowments

  • QSSB Reviews and Reporting

  • Roles and Responsibilities

  • Social Media

  • Solicitation of Funds

  • Sponsorship Policy

  • Travel Expense Reimbursements

  • Unscheduled Expenditures

  • USB Credit Cards

  • USB Liaison

  • Vendor/Contract Management and Reimbursement Policy

    • Administrative Requirements
    • Anti-Harrassment
    • Whistleblower Policy
    • Program Requirements
    • USB Travel Guidelines for Contractors

  • Appendix A – Delegation of Authority

  • Appendix B – Records Management Policy

  • Appendix C – Code of Conduct

  • Appendix D – AMS Directive 2210.2

  • Appendix E – Roles and Responsibilities

  • Appendix F – Permanent Bylaws of the United Soybean Board

  • Appendix G – Social Media Policy

  • Resources

• USB Reference Guide

  • Purpose

  • Scope

  • Terminology

  • USB Communication Standards Manual

  • Confidentiality Agreement

  • Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement

  • Contractor Agreement Template

  • Contractor Services Handbook

  • Exemption from Federal Income Tax

  • USDA Guidelines for AMS Oversight of Commodity Research and Promotion Programs

  • Long-Range Strategic Plan

• QSSB Manual

  • Purpose

  • Scope

  • Terminology

  • Responsibility

  • Election of the Board of Directors

    • Nomination Procedure – Board of Directors
    • Election Procedure – Board of Directors
    • Nominee's Agreement to Serve

  • QSSB Annual Financial Report Content Guideline

    • Annual Audit Report
    • Sample: Negative Assurances Report
    • Sample: Negative Assurances Paragraph

  • Purchase of Property/Endowments

  • QSSB Compliance

    • Annual Financial Report Guidelines

  • QSSB Compliance Requirements

    • Internal Controls
    • Collections Compliance
    • Travel Reimbursements
    • Contract Compliance
    • Program Expenditures
    • Internal Control Guidelines
    • QSSB Segregation
    • QSSB Cash Controls

  • QSSB Marketing Plans/Budgets

  • QSSB Policies and Procedures

  • QSSB Reviews and Reporting

    • General
    • Conducting Compliance Reviews
    • Reporting
    • Resolution
    • Financial Statement

  • QSSB Refund Request

  • Organic Soybean Certification Procedures

    • Organic Soybean Exemption Request Process

  • QSSB Standard Contract

  • Appendix A – QSSB Contract Guide

    • Model Research Funding Agreement
    • Research Funding Agreement Explanation
    • Model Vendor Agreement
    • Vendor Agreement Explanation

  • Appendix B – Nominations Agreement Form

    • Nomination Agreement Form

  • Appendix C – QSSB Financial Statement Audit Checklist

  • Appendix D – AMS Directive 2210.2

  • Appendix E – Purchase of Property/Endowments

    • Purchase of Property
    • Endowments

  • Appendix F – QSSB Provisions for USB Projects

    • QSSB Provisions for USB Projects

  • Appendix G – USB and QSSB Agreement Template

  • Appendix H – First Steps for QSSB/USB Board Requirements for Compliance Collections

  • Appendix I – USDA Remittance Settlement Agreement

  • Appendix J – State QSSB to QSSB Funds Transmittal Form

  • Appendix K – QSSB to USB Funds Transmittal Form

  • Appendix L – QSSB Refund Letters

    • Exhibit A – Refund Restriction Letter from the QSSB to Producer
    • Exhibit B – Cover Letter for Producer Refund Request
    • Exhibit C – Refund Letter from Producer to QSSB
    • Exhibit D – Producer Refund Procedures
    • Exhibit E – Refund Letter From QSSB to Producer

  • Appendix M – Schedule of Contracts/Grants in Process Template

  • Appendix N – Schedule of Activities Template

  • Appendix O – Sample Code of Conduct Policy

  • Appendix P – Sample Whistleblower Policy

  • Appendix Q – Sample Confidentiality Agreement

  • Appendix R – Sample Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement

Vendor/Contract Management and Reimbursement Policy > Program Requirements

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Brand or Trademark

The Soybean Promotion and Research Order in Section 1220.230(c) requires that no preference be given to any brand or trade name of any soybean product without the approval of USB and USDA. USB authorizes Qualified State Soybean Boards and primary contractors to conduct promotional campaigns with companies in the soybean industry as long as there is no intentional preference given to a branded or trade-named soybean product or company.

Communications

All communications activities should refer to the Soybean Checkoff Communications Standards Manual in order to guide soybean checkoff communications and avoid contradictions and confusion when communicating to farmers, consumers, allied industry and others. USB also follows a strategic communications philosophy, which should be reviewed and followed in all communications on behalf of USB. This includes all use of the checkoff logo and all communications mediums.

Intellectual Property

Please refer to the Intellectual Property policy within the policy document.

Principal Investigators

In research contracts with land grant universities, the salaries of principal investigators are not to be paid by USB.

Project Extensions

USB strongly recommends that projects be completed timely; however, in the event that they cannot be completed on schedule, then:

• Requests for a project extension must be submitted to the appropriate USB Committee Chair before the existing project completion date expires.
• The project extension must be approved by USB and USDA-AMS before the extended date is effective.
• If the date expires unextended, rectification will be done on a case-by-case basis in cooperation with USDA.

Project Funds

USB will NOT pay bills submitted by contractors on a project after a FROE has been received.

Sponsorship Policy

It is the policy of USB that all sponsorships meet the following criteria:

• For sponsorship funding of an organization in an amount less than $5,000 (five thousand dollars) annually, the sponsorship funding must be provided with the stipulation that it not be used to influence governmental action or violate the Soybean Promotion Research and Information Act or Order.
• For sponsorship funding of an organization in an amount exceeding $5,000 (five thousand dollars) annually, the sponsorship funding must:
  • Provide specific checkoff-related deliverables.
  • Provide specific performance measurements related to the payment.
  • Ensure that the total USB sponsorship shall not account for more than 50% (fifty percent) of the overall event at which the sponsorship took place. A statement describing the event and the benefit to the checkoff program shall accompany all sponsorship requests.
  • USB dollars shall not be used in any manner to influence governmental action or policy by the sponsored organization.

Request for Proposal (RFP) for Board-Funded Projects

USB will seek the most qualified contractors to perform work that meets the goals laid out in the Board’s Long-Range Strategic Plan and Action Plan through a request for proposal (RFP) process. USB is committed to providing an open RFP process that facilitates public participation and competition. In the majority of cases, RFPs will be posted on USB’s web site and issued to all registered contractors whose profile meets the criteria of the RFP. RFPs will, on a limited basis, be sent to select organizations that are dealing with confidentiality or potential patent information. In very few instances, projects will not be part of the proposal solicitation process. The RFP responder will submit their proposal through the USB web site, and USB staff and primary contractor staff will review the proposals for accuracy, compliance, and applicability to the program’s or target area’s Action Plan. Proposals will be reviewed against USB’s Budget Handbook and by USB’s Budget Analyst under the policies of USB. These policies govern the rates USB will pay for services and products.

Proposals will be reviewed by USB committees for funding consideration.