Redstone Government Consulting Blog

The Department of Defense (DoD) has finalized a rule that will significantly impact contractors providing management, scientific, and technical consulting services. Published in the Federal Register on August 25, 2025, and effective October 24, 2025, the rule (DFARS Case 2024-D007) implements section 812 of the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Under the new requirement, contracting officers cannot award contracts assigned to NAICS codes beginning with 5416 if the offeror, or its subsidiaries or affiliates, holds a contract for consulting services with certain covered foreign entities, unless an approved conflict-of-interest mitigation plan is in place.

Topics: Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

The Department of Defense (DoD) has finalized changes to acquisition-related thresholds in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to reflect inflation. Published in the Federal Register on August 25, 2025, and effective October 1, 2025, this rule (DFARS Case 2024-D002) fulfills the statutory requirement under 41 U.S.C. 1908 to review and adjust thresholds every five years using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all urban consumers.

Topics: Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

You’ve won the contract; the work is underway (or even finished), but how do you actually get paid? Billing the federal government is an entirely separate process, often more complex than the work itself (if you let it be). Between compliance requirements, strict documentation rules, and lengthy payment terms, it’s no surprise that payment delays are one of the most common (and costly) frustrations in this space.

Here are the biggest billing challenges we see and how to stay ahead of them, so your cash flow doesn’t take a hit.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Small Business Compliance, Quickbooks

A little background – On April 15, 2025, Executive Order 14275, Restoring Common Sense to Federal Procurement, was issued. The intent of this order was to make revolutionary changes to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) to make the federal acquisition process more efficient and cost-effective. Section 2 states, “It is the policy of the United States to create the most agile, effective, and efficient procurement system possible. Removing undue barriers, such as unnecessary regulations, while simultaneously allowing for the expansion of the national and defense industrial bases is paramount. Accordingly, the FAR should contain only provisions required by statute or essential to sound procurement, and any FAR provisions that do not advance these objectives should be removed.”

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Proposal Cost Volume Development & Pricing, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, DFARS Business Systems, DCAA Audit Support, Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR), Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Commercial Item Determination

If you’ve ever found yourself scratching your head over why the Project Status Report (PSR) doesn’t match the Revenue Worksheet (Rev WS), you are not alone. These two reports serve different purposes and speak two distinct languages. But to truly understand the differences, you must start with what is happening behind the scenes in the Costpoint Project Ledger.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, DCAA Audit Support, Deltek Costpoint

The de minimis rate is an indirect rate that can be elected by Non-federal entities (State, local government, Indian Tribe, Institution of Higher Education or non-profit) that do not have a current negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA). The de minimis rate is addressed in 2 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 200 Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, specifically 200.414(f).

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Grants & Cooperative Agreements (2 CFR 200)

Revenue recognition is a very critical and highly scrutinized aspect of accounting for government contractors. Whether you're working on cost-plus contracts, time and materials, or firm fixed price agreements, how and when you recognize revenue can significantly impact your financial reporting and compliance with government regulations.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, DCAA Audit Support, Government Regulations, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)

Are you interested in learning how to set up and manage labor categories in Unanet to improve project management, timekeeping, and labor cost compliance for government contractors? Labor categories are critical for organizing and tracking work performed on contracts, especially on Time & Materials (“T&M”) contracts. While cost type and fixed price billing may not require a labor category for billing purposes, they can still play an important role in project management and budgeting at the contract level. In accounting systems like Unanet, these categories classify time into roles such as Project Manager or Senior Software Developer that are tied to billing rates, simplifying T&M billing. Unanet also provides flexibility in how labor categories are derived, allowing setup at the admin/master level, project level, person level, or person-to-project assignment level. This adaptability ensures alignment with contract requirements regardless of how your business is structured.

Topics: Compliant Accounting Infrastructure, Proposal Cost Volume Development & Pricing, Small Business Compliance, Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Human Resources, Unanet

In this multi-part article series, we are highlighting some of the lesser-known Deltek Costpoint Procurement features that we regularly find manufacturing clients are not taking full advantage of. In many cases, they are features that users are not even aware exist. There is so much capability contained within Costpoint, and our goal at Redstone GCI is to help you unlock the full potential of the immensely powerful Deltek Costpoint tool that you are already paying for! In procurement, given how transactional & repetitive the tasks are, small changes to how you utilize Deltek Costpoint can multiply out to a large ROI and make life easier for your Procurement team, your stakeholders, and beyond.

Topics: Contracts & Subcontracts Administration, Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR), Government Property Management, Deltek Costpoint, Material Management & Accounting System (MMAS), Manufacturing Operations Consulting

Successful Human Resources Information System (HRIS) implementation isn’t just about choosing the right system; it’s about aligning that system with your internal business processes and formalizing documented policies and procedures. In this article, we explore how clearly defined workflows, roles, and written policies are essential to getting the full value from platforms like UKG Ready, especially for government contractors where compliance is non-negotiable.

Topics: DCAA Audit Support, Human Resources, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, Service Contract Act, UKG Ready HR Software Consulting