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January 2022 - In This Issue:


  • Opportunities 2022 in Asheville on March 14


  • GCAP Trivia


  • Preparing for DCAA Audits


  • Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors


  • Success Story: Groopwork, LLC
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ABOUT US


The Government Contracting Assistance Program is a business and technology extension program of the UNC System. Our purpose is to generate employment and improve the general economic condition of the state by assisting North Carolina companies, including those eligible for business development programs for local, state, and federal government contracts. We provide government contracting assistance by offering no-fee and confidential counseling on selling your products and/or services to the appropriate local, state or federal government agency.

THE TEAM


SCOTT BARKER

GCAP Director

Statewide

(252) 737-1369


BROOKLYN DELLINGER

GCAP Counselor/Events Coordinator

Boone / Hickory / Winston-Salem

(828) 322-5379


JOEL GUGE

GCAP Counselor

Durham / Elizabeth City / Greenville / Raleigh

(919) 513-0623


ROBIN LIVINGSTON

GCAP Counselor

Fayetteville / Pembroke / Wilmington

(910) 672-1359


PAMELA RACER

GCAP Counselor

Asheville / Cullowhee

(828) 251-6025


JACQUIE SPEARMAN

GCAP Counselor

Charlotte

(704) 687-0443

UPCOMING EVENTS

January 27, 2022

3:00 PM

K.E. White Graduate Center

1704 Weeksville Road

Elizabeth City, NC 27909


Let's Build Together Subcontractor Event (Session #6)

Learn more

February 24, 2022

3:00 PM

K.E. White Graduate Center

1704 Weeksville Road

Elizabeth City, NC 27909


Let's Build Together Subcontractor Event (Session #7)

Learn more

More GCAP events >>

Opportunities 2022 in Asheville on March 14

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The SBTDC will be hosting Opportunities 2022, a reverse trade show and conference, in Asheville on March 14 at the Asheville Renaissance Hotel. Attendees can market their company to prime contractors and government agencies face-to-face, learn more about government contracting skills, and make connections with others that can help them move forward. For more information, please visit the event website at www.sbtdc.org/opportunities22/.

GCAP Trivia

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Now that 2022 has begun, we will know how many federal contacts were awarded in North Carolina last year (2021) in a few months.


QUESTION: How many dollars worth of federal contracts were awarded to North Carolina companies in 2020?


See below for the answer to this month's trivia question.

Preparing for DCAA Audits

Jacquie Spearman, Charlotte GCAP Counselor

In the new year, we evaluate our performance from last year, the amount of taxes we owe, and the possibility of audits. Being aware of the possibility that you could be subjected to a DCAA audit is essential if you're a contractor for the DoD.


Who is the DCAA? The Defense Contracting Audit Agency (DCAA) provides audit and financial advisory services to the Department of Defense (DoD) and other federal agencies. The DCAA's role in overseeing government contracts is crucial to ensuring DoD is getting the best value for every dollar it spends on defense contracts. DCAA operates under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer. A primary function of the agency is to audit contracts and provide financial claims made by defense contractors, and the DCAA evaluates their accuracy, allocation, and reasonableness.


Want to be compliant? As part of DCAA's auditing and other activities, it determines whether contractors comply with government regulations and guidance. DCAA does not certify that its contractors are in compliance, so being compliant only means that contractors are following DCAA's recommendations and advice. Being "compliant" ensures that the contractor will follow the law and be prepared for financial audits.


Where to start? Wanting to remain compliant can feel like a herculean effort. However, being ahead of an audit is the best way to have an audit go smoothly. Start by understanding the DCAA Audit Process. DCAA audits will look closely into the costs of the contract, including unallowable costs. The DCAA lists their Audit Programs that can occur during Pre-Award, Active Contracts, or Contract End. Make use of the Checklist & Tools provided on their site, along with their Audit Process Overview, which has an Information for Contractors guide.


To succeed in the government contracting environment, ideally you should prepare for a DCAA audit at the start of your business. Consider hiring individuals who are familiar with regulatory issues and working with professionals who are familiar with your business and industry.


How GCAP can help you? We are here to help you understand your requirements and connect you with the right resources. We advise you on topics that include:


  • Having compliant business systems that follow DCAA requirements, which can include accounting systems that track various cost categories separately
  • Having a timekeeping system that is fully integrated with the cost accounting system
  • Most importantly, having records that are audit-ready with well documented policies

There are plenty of webinars available this year to learn more about the DCAA. The earliest DON OSBP Lunch & Learn session is on January 12 at 1:00pm. To register, click here.

Ensuring Adequate COVID-19 Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors

Federal contractors spent the past few months grappling with implementing Executive Order 14042 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The EO requires many contractors to follow several safety protocols that most notably include ensuring employees working on or in connection with performance of EO-covered federal contracts are fully vaccinated.


This EO has led to numerous legal challenges across the country. Currently, four federal courts have issued orders barring the government from enforcing the vaccination requirement. One order from a court in Kentucky covered all federal contracts in three states, while the other, from Georgia, applied nationwide. Additional orders from Louisiana and Missouri followed. Several other federal courts are considering similar requests for injunctions against EO 14042 enforcement. Decisions from those courts could come at any time, though the pace might slow a bit now that there is an injunction already applicable nationwide.


As a result, the government has put on hold its implementation and enforcement of requirements for covered employees to be fully vaccinated by mid-January. But, vaccination requirements and EO 14042 compliance generally aren't turned on and off so easily. Federal contractors should thus spend some time carefully considering vaccination requirements and associated litigation as we start 2022.


The federal government is also seeking reversal of the Kentucky and Georgia orders and has asked that the lower courts' preliminary injunctions be paused while the government argues for their reversals. Similar requests regarding the Louisiana order are likely to follow.


Either a stay or a reversal could make the EO's vaccination requirement applicable again, though how and in what geographic areas will depend on the specific courts and circumstances. If these events do occur, contractors can monitor the Safer Federal Work Force Task Force's website for updated guidance.

Success Story

Groopwork, LLC

Jacquie Spearman, Charlotte GCAP Counselor

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In 2018, Adrian Marable pitched his business idea at the City Startup Labs Pitch Competition in Charlotte. The seed was planted and his company, Groopwork, LLC, was founded.


Groopwork was started as an online learning management system (LMS) that helps professionals study for their certification exams. Today, Groopwork has built their LMS to be a more collaborative online learning system for the audit learner and caters to nonprofits, college continuing education programs, and businesses. Additionally, they provide both customized training and consulting services in technology and operations. Within training services, Groopwork also provides Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe®) training, which allows professionals to receive one of 13 internationally recognized certifications. Groopwork preserves the vision of creating the best collaborative learning environments both in-person and virtually for adults.


In 2019, Marable received the David Brady Award. The award is named for David Brady, a New York-based financial advisor who died in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He was highly respected for putting the client first and giving back to his community. It is awarded based on outstanding client focus and overall commitment to the company and community.


In 2021, Marable won a Spark Grant from the Cabarrus Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship through the Flywheel Foundation to aid in Groopwork's growth. Subsequently, he published his first book After the Pitch: How to Think Like an Investor and Secure the Startup Funding You Deserve. The book contains 200 questions that an investor may ask to help the founder be prepared to meet objections and speed up the due diligence process.


Groopwork reached out to GCAP in 2021 to assist them in identifying additional streams of revenue for their company in the government contracting area. The DoD spends an estimated $500 million a year on digital learning products and services. The global learning management system market is projected to grow from $13.38 billion in 2021 to $44.49 billion in 2028.


Groopwork has the ability to provide learning management programs, along with virtual event platforms to online portals and intranets. Most recently, Groopwork has worked with the NC Institute of Minority Economic Development, the Women's Business Center of Charlotte, and My Brother's Keeper Charlotte to build a better online learning community for women entrepreneurs and minority men across North Carolina.


The company has worked with their GCAP counselor to identify procurement histories, create a Plan of Action & Milestones (POAM), and a roadmap to expand further into the government space. Marable has earned high respect as an expert in his field by a multitude of state and local agencies. With his skill to prepare, execute, and envision, he will propel his company and clients to greatness.


To learn more about Groopwork, please visit www.groopwork.com.

Trivia Answer

$9.5 billion


This represents an increase of $2.4 billion from the total from 2019.


SELLING TO THE GOVERNMENT


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Raleigh, NC 27601

(919) 600-5998

info@sbtdc.org

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