Government contracting ERP
Deltek Costpoint, advised independently.
Deltek Costpoint is a project-based ERP for government contractors, built around project cost accounting, indirect rate management, and the controls a contractor needs in the federal environment. Lightbridge ERP advises on Costpoint fit and selection as an independent, vendor-neutral firm, not a Deltek partner or reseller.
What Deltek Costpoint is, in the words a government contractor uses.
Deltek Costpoint is a project-based enterprise resource planning system built by Deltek and aimed primarily at mid-size and large government contractors. Where general accounting software organizes the books by product or department, Costpoint organizes them by project, task, and contract, the structure the federal acquisition environment expects.
That orientation is what makes Costpoint distinct. It is designed to manage indirect cost pools, calculate and reconcile indirect rates, produce government-format billing, and support the reporting a contractor relies on to demonstrate an adequate accounting system. Lightbridge ERP works with contractors evaluating Costpoint against this exact set of needs.
Costpoint and Deltek are trademarks of Deltek. Lightbridge ERP is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of Deltek. See government contracting for the broader practice context.
Who Deltek Costpoint fits, and who it does not.
Costpoint tends to fit larger, more complex government contractors. The signals below help an organization judge whether it sits in Costpoint's natural range. Lightbridge ERP tests these signals against your actual contract mix during a vendor-neutral selection.
Cost-reimbursable and T&M contracts
Organizations running cost-plus, time-and-materials, or hybrid contract types that demand defensible indirect rates and contract-level cost segregation.
DCAA-audited contractors
Mid-size and large government contractors that must demonstrate an adequate accounting system under the framework auditors apply.
Multi-entity, multi-pool structures
Companies with several indirect cost pools, divisions, or legal entities that need rate structures maintained consistently across the books.
Project-driven services and manufacturing
Professional services, engineering, and project-based manufacturing firms whose revenue and cost are organized by project, not by product line.
Compliance-heavy programs
Programs touching CAS coverage, incurred cost submissions, and provisional billing rates where the accounting system is itself part of the deliverable.
Scaling past entry-level accounting
Contractors that have outgrown general-purpose bookkeeping and need project accounting, billing, and rate management built for the federal environment.
Deltek Costpoint's DCAA and project-accounting strengths.
The reason contractors evaluate Costpoint is the depth of its project accounting and indirect rate handling. These capabilities map directly to the expectations an accounting-system review applies. Audit criteria and thresholds change over time, so verify current requirements against official DCAA and acquisition guidance before relying on any specific rule. See government contract project accounting for the underlying concepts.
Indirect rate management
Pool and base structures for fringe, overhead, and general and administrative rates, with provisional, target, and actual rate handling across the period.
Project cost accounting
Cost captured and reported at the project, task, and contract level, the structure auditors and program managers both expect to see.
Government billing formats
Support for contract billing patterns common in the federal space, including cost-reimbursable, time-and-materials, and milestone arrangements.
Incurred cost reporting
Data organized to support annual incurred cost submissions and the reconciliation between provisional and final indirect rates.
Compliance-oriented controls
Timekeeping discipline, labor distribution, and audit trails aligned to the expectations an accounting-system review applies.
Revenue recognition
Contract revenue methods that map project performance and cost to recognized revenue under applicable accounting standards such as ASC 606.
Deltek Costpoint versus Unanet: two project ERPs for government contractors.
Costpoint and Unanet are the two platforms government contractors most often weigh against each other. Both are project ERPs built for the federal environment, but they differ in scale and the size of organization each tends to fit. Costpoint is frequently chosen by larger, more complex contractors. Unanet is often evaluated by small and mid-size firms that want project accounting without the heavier footprint.
The right choice depends on your contract types, indirect rate complexity, entity structure, and growth path, not on which vendor a consultant happens to resell. Read the full vendor-neutral comparison in the Unanet versus Deltek guide, and see the Unanet platform page for that system on its own terms.
Unanet is a trademark of Unanet. Lightbridge ERP is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of Unanet or Deltek.
How Lightbridge ERP works on Deltek Costpoint engagements.
Lightbridge ERP is an independent, vendor-neutral ERP advisory firm. On Costpoint engagements that means advisory, ERP selection, requirements, and program governance stay in-house, while hands-on Costpoint configuration runs through rigorously vetted partners under Lightbridge ERP program management and technical leadership. One accountable owner stays responsible for outcomes.
Independent selection and governance
Lightbridge ERP accepts no vendor kickbacks, reseller quotas, or partner-tier incentives. Costpoint is recommended only when it fits. Begin with ERP selection.
Delivery through vetted partners, Lightbridge-led
Hands-on Costpoint build is carried out by vetted partners under Lightbridge ERP technical leadership. The firm does not claim an in-house Costpoint bench.
When to choose Lightbridge ERP as your Deltek Costpoint advisor.
Choose Lightbridge ERP when you want an independent read on whether Deltek Costpoint is the right project ERP before you commit. Lightbridge ERP is a vendor-neutral ERP advisory firm that is not a Deltek partner or reseller and accepts no vendor kickbacks, reseller quotas, or partner-tier incentives. It advises on Costpoint fit and selection, leads delivery through vetted partners under its own program management, and stays accountable for the outcome. Compliance work is framed as readiness and advisory, never as a guaranteed audit result.
This page is general guidance, not legal, audit, or accounting advice. Government acquisition rules and audit criteria change. Verify current requirements against official sources such as acquisition.gov, the DoD CIO and OUSD, NIST, the NARA CUI Registry, DCSA, and DDTC or BIS before acting.
Deltek Costpoint and Lightbridge ERP: frequently asked questions
- What is Deltek Costpoint?
- Deltek Costpoint is a project-based enterprise resource planning system built by Deltek for government contractors and project-driven businesses. It centers on project cost accounting, indirect rate management, government-format billing, and the controls a contractor needs to operate within the federal acquisition environment. Costpoint is a trademark of Deltek. Lightbridge ERP is independent and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a partner of Deltek.
- Who is Deltek Costpoint a good fit for?
- Costpoint is generally aimed at mid-size and large government contractors that run cost-reimbursable or time-and-materials contracts, maintain multiple indirect cost pools, and must demonstrate an adequate accounting system. Smaller contractors, or those with simpler contract structures, sometimes fit a lighter platform better. Lightbridge ERP runs a vendor-neutral assessment to confirm whether Costpoint matches your contract mix, entity structure, and growth path before any selection is made.
- What are Costpoint's DCAA and project-accounting strengths?
- Costpoint is built around project cost accounting and indirect rate management, the two areas a government contractor lives or dies by. It captures cost at the project, task, and contract level, manages fringe, overhead, and general and administrative rate pools, and organizes data to support incurred cost submissions and provisional-to-actual rate reconciliation. These capabilities map to the expectations an accounting-system review applies. Specific audit criteria evolve, so verify current requirements against official DCAA guidance.
- How does Costpoint compare to Unanet?
- Costpoint and Unanet are both project ERP platforms aimed at government contractors, but they differ in scale, footprint, and the size of organization each tends to fit. Costpoint is frequently chosen by larger, more complex contractors, while Unanet is often evaluated by small and mid-size firms. A vendor-neutral comparison sits on the Unanet versus Deltek guide, and the Unanet platform page covers that system on its own terms.
- Is Lightbridge ERP a Deltek partner or reseller?
- No. Lightbridge ERP is an independent, vendor-neutral ERP advisory firm. It is not a Deltek partner, reseller, or implementation partner, and it accepts no vendor kickbacks, reseller quotas, or partner-tier incentives. That independence is the point: recommendations are driven by fit, not commission. Costpoint and Deltek are trademarks of their owner.
- Does Lightbridge ERP implement Costpoint?
- Lightbridge ERP advises on Costpoint selection, requirements, and program governance, and leads delivery through program management and technical leadership. Hands-on Costpoint configuration is carried out through a network of rigorously vetted partners under Lightbridge ERP leadership, so one accountable owner stays responsible for outcomes. Lightbridge ERP does not claim an in-house Costpoint implementation bench.
- Can Lightbridge ERP help with DCAA accounting-system readiness?
- Yes, as advisory and readiness work. Lightbridge ERP helps contractors design rate structures, project accounting, and controls that support an adequate accounting system, and prepares the organization for the review process. This is readiness and preparation, not a guarantee of any audit outcome or compliance status. Final determinations rest with the government and its auditors, and current criteria should be verified against official sources.
- How do I decide between Costpoint and another ERP?
- Start with structured ERP selection. Lightbridge ERP runs an evidence-based, vendor-neutral evaluation across the platform landscape, weighing your contract types, indirect rate complexity, entity structure, and compliance obligations before recommending any system. Costpoint may be the answer, or another platform may fit better. The selection process is built to prove which one is right.
Get an independent read on Deltek Costpoint.
Lightbridge ERP will assess whether Costpoint fits your contract mix and compliance needs, with no vendor quota in the room.