Question 1

Award-level cost tracking set up correctly from day one

Accepted Answer

Every dollar needs to trace back to a specific award and budget category — we set that structure up in your books before the first draw-down, not after an agency asks for it.

Question 2

Allowable vs. unallowable cost segregation, done the way your agency expects

Accepted Answer

Entertainment, certain marketing costs, and other categories aren't reimbursable under federal grant rules — we segregate those correctly from day one instead of catching it at audit.

Question 3

F&A/indirect cost rate application handled correctly, not guessed at

Accepted Answer

Your indirect cost rate has to be applied consistently and documented — we set it up correctly rather than approximating it and hoping it holds up.

Question 4

Draw-down and reporting support so submissions are accurate and on time

Accepted Answer

A late or inaccurate draw-down report can hold up your next disbursement — we keep the numbers accurate and the submissions on schedule.

Question 5

Books built to hold up to an audit, not just to file

Accepted Answer

Filing-ready and audit-ready are different standards — we build to the higher one so a review doesn't turn up gaps.

Question 6

Pre-Phase II bookkeeping cleanup for recipients whose books have drifted

Accepted Answer

If your Phase I books didn't stay clean, we reconcile and correct them before your Phase II application, so funding history doesn't work against you.

Question 7

Support across NIH, NSF, DoD, and other federal SBIR/STTR programs

Accepted Answer

Each agency has its own reporting quirks — we've worked across NIH, NSF, DoD, and other SBIR/STTR programs, not just one.

Question 8

An accounting system set up to pass an SF 1408 pre-award survey

Accepted Answer

Before some contracts and progress payments, the government checks whether your books separate direct from indirect costs, accumulate cost by contract, tie timesheets to projects, and keep unallowable costs out. We set that structure up before the survey, not after a deficiency notice.

Question 9

The right indirect rate: de minimis, provisional or negotiated

Accepted Answer

Whether you can use the 2 CFR 200 de minimis rate, need a negotiated rate, or bill at provisional rates depends on your agency and award type. We work out which applies and build the cost pools that support it.

Grant Accounting

What this includes

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Just got funded? Don't let compliance derail it.