Grant Engine Webinar Series – Audit-Ready: What Federal Grant Auditors Actually Look For, and Why It Matters Now

Overview

Most organizations don’t get into trouble because they’re trying to be noncompliant. They get into trouble because they assume they can “figure it out later.” Then an audit threshold hits (or an agency request arrives), and suddenly they’re scrambling to reconstruct approvals, timesheets, invoices, and documentation that must exist as you go.

In this practical, audit-focused webinar, you’ll hear directly from an audit partner who performs federal grant audits and a grant accounting/compliance operator who has helped organizations build audit-ready systems across NIH/NSF (and beyond). We’ll walk through what auditors actually test, the most common failure modes, and the operational systems that keep you ready; without turning your finance team into full-time firefighters.

What You’ll Learn

• Why “audit readiness” exists (and why it’s tightening right now)
• What auditors actually sample-test in a federal grant audit (high-level)
• The most common audit findings and where organizations get tripped up
• The core compliance pillars that must be built day-one (not retrofitted)
• Where there is (and isn’t) flexibility in allowability and documentation
• Practical ways to reduce risk and stress when agencies request proof

Who Should Attend

• SBIR/STTR awardees and teams preparing for growth in federal funding
• CFOs, controllers, finance managers at grant-funded companies/nonprofits
• Research administrators / operations leaders supporting sponsored programs
• Founders and PIs responsible for compliant spending and documentation

Key Messaging

• Federal grant compliance is not just about “allowable vs. unallowable.” It’s about evidence, approvals, and systems.
• Timekeeping is consistently one of the biggest audit issues (signatures, approvals, completeness, accuracy, retrievability).
• Good recordkeeping (invoices, receipts, purchasing policies) prevents downstream chaos.
• The goal is not to teach you to DIY everything… It’s to help you recognize risks early and know what to prioritize.

Speakers

• Sam Tetlow, Founder & CEO of Grant Engine (bio here)
• Neil Henry, Senior Director of Operations at Grant Engine
• Nick Butterly, CPA – Audit Partner, Raleigh, NC

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