The Cornerstone of Winning Bids: Understanding Proposal Adequacy for Government Contractors

proposal-adequacy-checklist

In the competitive realm of government contracting, the difference between securing a contract or facing rejection often hinges on a straightforward but critical factor: proposal adequacy. Even contractors adept at demonstrating their capabilities and strengths find ensuring a proposal meets every nuance and stipulation of a Request for Proposal (RFP) to be a complex challenge.…

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What is Uncompensated Overtime? Understanding DCAA Timekeeping Requirements

dcaa-timekeeping-requirements

Government contractors are required to track uncompensated overtime worked by employees.  This is often confusing for contractors, since there’s no additional cost associated with salaried employees who work more than forty (40) hours per week.  In this article, we explore uncompensated overtime, and why it’s important when working with the Federal Government. What is uncompensated…

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What is the DCAA? All You Need To Know as a Government Contractor

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The DCAA, or Defense Contract Audit Agency, provides audit and financial advisory services to the DoD and other federal entities responsible for acquisition and contract administration to ensure the government gets the best value for every dollar it spends on defense contracting. DCAA operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Secretary of Defense…

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Understanding Incurred Cost Proposals: Avoiding the Top 5 Audit Issues

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All federal contractors with cost-type or time and materials (T&M) contracts with cost-type contract line items (CLINS) are required to submit an Incurred Cost Proposal regardless of agency customer.  All contracts requiring an Incurred Cost Proposal will include the Federal Acquisition Regulations Allowable Cost & Payment Clause and/or the T&M Payment Clause. What is an…

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Understanding Allowable Costs Speeds Reimbursement: 6 Best Practices for Avoiding Unallowable Costs

avoiding-unallowable-costs

Understanding which costs may be allocated to a direct or indirect project, and billed to the government as an allowable cost speeds reimbursement of expenses, and helps avoid potential government penalties. The Federal Acquisition Regulations  (FAR) provides official guidance and numerous examples of allowable and unallowable costs. Here we will discuss what is and is…

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Are You Ready for a DCAA Floor Check?

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DCAA floor checks can be a nerve-wracking experience for federal contractors. DCAA performs these surprise audits in order to make sure government contractors are accounting for their labor properly, and following required regulations. Here are 9 common questions we hear frequently about DCAA floor checks, along with  our answers to help you be best prepared…

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GovCon 101: What Contractors Need To Know About Indirect Rates

The United States Capitol Building

Jennifer Eubanks recently authored the council post, GovCon 101: What Contractors Need To Know About Indirect Rates In the first article of this series of articles related to selling to the federal government, I discussed federal acquisition regulations (FAR), cost accounting standards (CAS) and the types of contracts issued by government agencies. In the second article, I expanded…

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GovCon 101: What Contractors Should Know About Accounting For Government Contracts

GovCon 101: What Contractors Should Know About Accounting For Government Contracts

Jennifer Eubanks recently authored the council post, GovCon 101: What Contractors Should Know About Accounting For Government Contracts In a prior article, I wrote about the appeal of counting the Federal Government as a customer, because of the size of the government’s budget, as well as its creditworthiness. In that article, I discussed Federal Acquisition Regulations…

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Jennifer Eubanks Forbes Feature Article: What Prospective Contractors Need To Know When Preparing To Bid For A US Federal Government Contract

What Prospective Contractors Need To Know When Preparing To Bid For A US Federal Government Contract

Jennifer Eubanks was recently featured on Forbes with her article: What Prospective Contractors Need To Know When Preparing To Bid For A US Federal Government Contract It can be appealing to count the federal government as a customer. The government spends significantly each year and pays its bills. Furthermore, government spending typically increases in times…

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