Section 296.75  Disbursement of Grant Funds

a)         A minimum of 50% of a grant awarded by the Office will be paid in advance to the grant recipient after the grant agreement is fully executed in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Illinois Comptroller's Office.

b)         The remainder of the grant award will be made subject to the grant recipient's submission and certification of eligible costs incurred, along with any documentation required by the Office.  Expenditure of grant funds advanced pursuant to this Part to the grant recipient cannot be claimed for reimbursement payments. However, the grant project may be funded by other grants so long as the same expenses sought for payment are not being reimbursed or covered a second time.

c)         Grant funds paid in advance must be kept in a separate interest-bearing account with a federally or Illinois regulated financial institution that is insured with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), and maintained therein until used in the execution of the approved project. All interest earned on grant funds held by a grant recipient shall become part of the grant principal when earned, and be used for and in the same manner as the principal to fulfill the purposes and objectives of the grant.

d)         Pursuant to Section 45 of the State Finance Act [30 ILCS 105/45], for grants of $250,000 or more awarded to a grant recipient for capital construction costs or professional services, the grant recipient must provide written certification that the grant recipient is in compliance with the business enterprise program (BEP) practices for minority-owned businesses, woman-owned businesses, and businesses owned by persons with disabilities of the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act [30 ILCS 575] and the equal employment practices of Section 2-105 of the Illinois Human Rights Act [775 ILCS 5/2-105]).