The recipient shall maintain written standards of conduct governing
the performance of its employees engaged in the award and administration
of contracts. No employee, officer, or agent shall participate in the
selection, award, or administration of a contract supported by Federal
funds if a real or apparent conflict of interest would be involved. Such
a conflict would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member
of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization
which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein,
has a financial or other interest in the firm selected for an award. The
officers, employees, and agents of the recipient shall neither solicit
nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from
contractors, or parties to subagreements. However, recipients may set
standards for situations in which the financial interest is not
substantial or the gift is an unsolicited item of nominal value. The
standards of conduct shall provide for
disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards by
officers, employees, or agents of the recipient.
