As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 2, 2022

 

Registration No. 333-

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

  

 

  

FORM S-1

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

CASTELLUM, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

Nevada   8742   27-4079982
(State or other jurisdiction
of incorporation)
  (Primary Standard Classification
Code Number)
  (IRS Employer
I.D. Number)

 

Castellum, Inc.

3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700
Bethesda, MD 20814


(301) 961-4895
(Address and telephone number of principal executive offices)

 

 

 

Mark C. Fuller

Chief Executive Officer

Castellum, Inc.
3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700
Bethesda, MD 20814

 

(301) 961-4895

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number including area code, of agent for service)

 

 

 

With copies to:

 

Joseph M. Lucosky, Esq.

Steven A. Lipstein, Esq.
Lucosky Brookman LLP
101 Wood Avenue South, 5th Floor
Woodbridge, NJ 08830
Tel. No.: (732) 395-4400
Fax No.: (732) 395-4401

Ross Carmel, Esq.

Jeffrey P. Wofford 

Carmel, Milazzo & Feil LLP

55 West 39th Street, 18th Floor

New York, NY 10018
Tel No.:(212) 658-0458
Fax No.:(646) 838-1314

 

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: As soon as practicable after this Registration Statement is declared effective.

 

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, check the following box. ¨

 

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.

 

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(d) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large-Accelerated Filer   ¨   Accelerated Filer   ¨
Non-Accelerated Filer   x   Smaller Reporting Company   x
        Emerging Growth Company   x

 

The registrant hereby amends this Registration Statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 or until the Registration Statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

EXPLANATORY NOTE

 

This registration statement contains two forms of prospectus, as set forth below.

 

Public Offering Prospectus. A prospectus (the “Public Offering Prospectus”) to be used for (i) the initial public offering by the registrant of common stock through the underwriter named on the cover page of the Public Offering Prospectus; and (ii) the offering by the selling stockholders identified in the Public Offering Prospectus of the registrant’s common stock through the underwriter named on the cover page of the Public Offering Prospectus.

 

Security Holder Prospectus. A prospectus (the “Security Holder Prospectus”) to be used in connection with the potential distribution by the selling stockholders identified in the Security Holder Prospectus of the registrant’s common stock.

 

The Public Offering Prospectus and the Security Holder Prospectus will be identical in all respects except for the following principal points:

 

they contain different front covers;

 

they contain different tables of contents;

 

they contain different Use of Proceeds sections;

 

the “Dilution” section in the Public Offering Prospectus is deleted from the Security Holder Prospectus;

 

a “Common Stock Registered for Distribution” section is included in the Security Holder Prospectus;

 

the “Underwriting” section from the Public Offering Prospectus is deleted and replaced by a “Plan of Distribution” section in the Security Holder Prospectus;

 

The “Legal Matters” section in the Security Holder Prospectus deletes the reference to counsel for the underwriter; and

 

they contain different back covers.

 

The registrant has included in this registration statement, after the financial statements, a set of alternate pages to reflect the foregoing differences between the Public Offering Prospectus and the Security Holder Prospectus.

 

 

 

  

The information contained in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS   SUBJECT TO COMPLETION   DATED SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

 

3,200,000 Shares of Common Stock

 

Castellum, Inc.

 

We are offering 2,680,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, of Castellum, Inc., or the Company and the selling stockholders identified herein (the “Selling Stockholders”) are offering 520,000 shares of common stock (the “Selling Stockholders Shares”). We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of our common stock by the Selling Stockholders. The Selling Stockholders Shares will be included in the underwritten offering of our common stock in this public offering. We will pay all expenses (other than discounts, concessions, commissions, and similar selling expenses, if any) relating to the registration of the Selling Stockholders Shares with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition to the underwritten offering of the Selling Stockholders Shares, two of the Selling Stockholders (both of whom are executive officers and members of our Board of Directors) are each offering 125,000 shares pursuant to a prospectus to be used in connection with the potential distribution of such shares by such security holders (the “Security Holder Prospectus”). One additional stockholder of the Company is only offering shares (1,968,750 shares) pursuant to the Security Holder Prospectus. We expect the registration statement of which this prospectus and the Security Holder Prospectus forms a part will be declared effective simultaneously.

 

We anticipate that the public offering price will be between $3 and $5 per share. The actual public offering price per share will be determined through negotiations between us and EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC, as representative of the underwriters (the “Representative”) at the time of pricing and may be issued at a discount to the current market price of our common stock. Factors to be considered will include our historical performance and capital structure, prevailing market conditions, the current market price of our common stock, and overall assessment of our business. Therefore, the assumed public offering price used throughout this prospectus may not be indicative of the final offering price.

 

On August 31, 2022, our Board of Directors (the “Board”) and stockholders holding a majority of our outstanding voting shares, authorized a reverse stock split of each of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share (the “Reverse Stock Split”), at a ratio to be determined by the Board of within a range of a minimum of a one-for-fifteen (1-for-15) to a maximum of one-for-twenty-five (1-for-25) (the “Reverse Stock Split Ratio”), with the exact ratio to be set at a number within this range as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, with no change in par value. Unless otherwise noted and other than in our financial statements and the notes thereto, the share and per share information in this prospectus reflects a proposed 1-20 Reverse Stock Split Ratio with the Reverse Stock Split expected to occur immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the completion of this offering.

 

We have applied to list our common stock on the NYSE American under the symbol “CTM”. If our listing application is not approved, we will not proceed with the offering. Our common stock is currently quoted on the OTC Pink Marketplace operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. under the trading symbol “ONOV”. On September 1, 2022, the last reported sale price for our common stock on the OTC Pink was $0.254 ($5.08 giving effect to an assumed reverse stock split of 1-for-20). 

  

After this offering, the officers and directors of the Company will control 52.4% of the voting power of the Company, and 51.9% of the voting power of the Company if the overallotment is fully exercised. This 52.4% will consist of the officers and directors owning 53.4 % of the common stock (equal to 52.4% of the Company’s voting power) and 42% of the Series C preferred stock (equal to approximately 1% of the Company’s voting power). The holders of the Series A preferred stock are entitled to 0.1 of a vote per share and the holders of the Series C preferred stock are entitled to 0.625 votes per share. 

 

We are an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements. We do not intend to utilize the controlled company exemptions to the NYSE American corporate governance listing standards.

 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 12. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

   Per Share   Total 
Initial public offering price  $    $  
Underwriting discounts and commissions(1)  $    $  
Proceeds to us, before expenses  $    $  
Proceeds to the Selling Stockholders, before expenses  $    $  

 

(1) Underwriting discounts and commissions do not include a non-accountable expense allowance up to $____ payable to the underwriters. We refer you to “Underwriting” beginning on page 93 for additional information regarding underwriters’ compensation.

 

We have granted a 45-day option to the representative of the underwriters to purchase up to 480,000 additional shares of common stock solely to cover over-allotments, if any.

 

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares to purchasers on or about ___________, 2022.

 

EF Hutton 

division of Benchmark Investments, LLC

 

The date of this prospectus is _____________, 2022

 

  

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY   3
RISK FACTORS   12
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS   32
USE OF PROCEEDS   33
MARKET FOR OUR COMMON STOCK AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS   34
CAPITALIZATION   35
DILUTION   37
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS   39
BUSINESS   57
MANAGEMENT   66
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   76
PRINCIPAL AND SELLING STOCKHOLDERS   83
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS   87
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES   88
TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR   93
UNDERWRITING   93
LEGAL MATTERS   98
EXPERTS   98
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION   98
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   F-1

 

You should rely only on information contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus we may authorize to be delivered or made available to you. We have not, and the Selling Stockholders and underwriters have not, authorized anyone to provide you with additional information or information different from that contained in this prospectus or in any free writing prospectus. Neither the delivery of this prospectus nor the sale of our securities means that the information contained in this prospectus or any free writing prospectus is correct after the date of this prospectus or such free writing prospectus. This prospectus is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy our securities in any circumstances under which the offer or solicitation is unlawful or in any state or other jurisdiction where the offer is not permitted.

 

No person is authorized in connection with this prospectus to give any information or to make any representations about us, the securities offered hereby or any matter discussed in this prospectus, other than the information and representations contained in this prospectus. If any other information or representation is given or made, such information or representation may not be relied upon as having been authorized by us.

 

Neither we, the Selling Stockholders nor any of the underwriters have done anything that would permit this offering or possession or distribution of this prospectus in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required, other than the United States. You are required to inform yourself about, and to observe any restrictions relating to, this offering and the distribution of this prospectus.

 

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

 

This summary highlights selected information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. Because this is only a summary, it does not contain all of the information you should consider before investing in our securities. You should read this prospectus carefully, especially the risks and other information set forth under the heading “Risk Factors”, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus before making an investment decision. Some of the statements made in this prospectus discuss future events and developments, including our future strategy and our ability to generate revenue, income and cash flow. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements”. Unless otherwise indicated or the context requires otherwise, the words “we,” “us,” “our,” the “Company,” or “our Company,” and “Castellum” refer to Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation, and its wholly owned subsidiaries.

 

Business Overview

 

Castellum, Inc. is focused on acquiring and growing technology companies in the areas of cybersecurity, information technology, electronic warfare, information warfare, and information operations with businesses in the governmental and commercial markets. Services include intelligence analysis, software development, software engineering, program management, strategic and mission planning, information assurance, cybersecurity and policy support, and data analytics. These services are applicable to customers in the federal government, financial services, healthcare and other users of large data applications. They can be delivered to on-premises enclaves or customers who rely upon cloud-based infrastructures. The Company has worked with multiple business brokers and contacts within their business network to identify potential acquisitions. Due to our success in completing six acquisitions over the previous three years and given our executive team's networks of contacts in the IT, telecom, cybersecurity, and defense sectors, we believe that we are well positioned to continue to execute our business strategy given a pipeline of identified acquisition targets. Because of our executive team’s prior experience growing businesses organically, we believe that we are well positioned to grow our existing business via internal growth as well. The Company has developed a qualified business opportunity pipeline of over $400 million (the “Opportunity Pipeline”). The Opportunity Pipeline represents the revenue opportunity for the Company from potential future contracts obtained through organic growth from qualified customers based on the expected base year contract value plus the value of all option periods.

 

Our primary customers are agencies and departments of the U.S. Federal, state and local governments. Our expertise and technology support national security missions and government modernization for intelligence, defense, and federal civilian customers. The demand for our expertise and technology, in large measure, is created by the increasingly complex network, systems, and information environments in which governments and businesses operate, and by the need to stay current with emerging technology while increasing productivity, enhancing security, and ultimately, improving performance.

 

Some of our key initiatives include the following:

 

  · Continue our unwavering commitment to our customers while supporting the communities in which we work and live;
  · Continue to grow organic revenue across our large, addressable market;

  · Recruit and hire a world class workforce to execute on our growing backlog; and

  · Differentiate ourselves through our investment, including our strategic mergers and acquisitions, allowing us to enhance our current capabilities and create new customer access points.

  

We provide expertise and technology to enterprise and mission customers in support of national security missions and government modernization/transformation. Due to the nature of the work being executed for the United States (U.S.) Federal government (the “USG”), the budgets continue to grow in support of the national security imperatives that are bipartisan. The majority of contracted work is operational in nature and is funded on an on-going basis.

 

 

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Company leadership and our Board of Directors (the “Board”) are well aware of the challenges our military will face in the future, from peer and near peer competitors, and that innovation will be necessary to maintain our military as the world’s premier defense force with overwhelming offensive force should that be necessary. To address military needs, our plan is to develop business teams that can undertake the larger system developments and provide superior technology services. Smaller business teams will also be created to evolve new technology and processes which will enable and improve our military effectiveness with these teams having the ability to provide advanced capabilities quickly and affordably. Our objective is to become a trusted partner in assisting our military to maintain superiority when compared to other forces. As innovation and new military processes are evolved and proven, solutions will be offered to avail these enhancements government wide. These will assist in introducing new levels of government service while reducing cost to the taxpayer.

 

To achieve Castellum’s objectives, the following solutions are offered:

 

  · Enterprise – Castellum provides capabilities that enable the internal operations of a government agency. This includes digital solutions, such as business systems, agency-unique applications, investigative solutions, and enterprise information technology (“IT”). For example, Castellum customizes, implements, and maintains commercial-off-the-shelf (“COTS”) and customer enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) systems. This includes, financial, human capital, and supply chain management systems. Castellum also designs, integrates, deploys and sustains enterprise-wide IT systems in a variety of models.

 

  · Mission – Castellum provides capabilities that enable the execution of a government agency’s primary function, or “mission”. For example, we support strategic and tactical mission customers with capabilities in areas such as command and control, communications, intelligence collection and analysis, signal intelligence (“SIGINT”), electronic warfare (“EW”), and cyber operations. Castellum develops tools and offerings in an open, software-defined architecture with multi-domain and multi-mission capabilities.

 

  · Expertise – Castellum provides expertise to both enterprise and mission customers. For enterprise customers, we deliver talent with the specific technical and functional knowledge to support internal agency operations. And for mission customers, we deliver talent with technical and domain knowledge to support the execution of an agency’s mission. We also deliver actionable intelligence through multi-source collection, aggregation, and analysis.

 

  · Technology – Castellum delivers technology to both enterprise and mission customers. For enterprise customers, technology includes developing and implementing digital solutions (business systems, agency-unique applications) and end-to-end enterprise IT systems. We continually advance infrastructure through migration to the cloud network modernization, active cyber defense, and the application of data operations and analytics. For mission customers, technology includes developing and deploying multi-domain offerings for signals intelligence, resilient communications, fee space optical communications, electronic warfare, and cyber operations. Castellum invests ahead of customer needs with research and development to generate unique intellectual property and differentiated technology addressing critical national security mission needs.

 

Our Markets

 

We provide our expertise and technology to our domestic and international customers in the following market areas:

 

  · Digital Solutions – Castellum transforms how government does business. We modernize enterprise and agency-unique applications, enterprise infrastructure, and business processes to enhance productivity and increase user satisfaction. We use data analytics and visualization to provide insights and outcomes that optimize our customer’s operations.

 

  · C4ISR, Cyber & Space – Castellum teams ensure information superiority by delivering multi-domain command, control, communications, and computer (“C4”) technology and networks. Our software-defined, full-spectrum cyber, electronic warfare, and counter-unmanned aircraft systems (“C-UAS”) solutions provide electromagnetic spectrum advantage and deliver precision effects against national security threats. We are at the forefront of developing technologies that meet the challenges of 5G wireless communications both on and off the battlefield, millimeter wave, and the use of lasers for free space optical communications and long-range sensing.

 

 

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  · Engineering Services – Castellum provides platform integration, modernization, and sustainment; system engineering; naval architecture; training and simulation services; and logistics engineering to help our customers achieve a decisive tactical edge. We enhance platforms to improve situational awareness, mobility, interoperability, lethality, and survivability. We conduct software vulnerability analysis and harden technology to protect against malicious actors. Our platform-agnostic, mission-first approach ensures optimal performance, so our nation’s forces can overmatch our adversaries.

 

  · Enterprise IT – Castellum amplifies efficiency with unmatched expertise and next-generation technology. We design, implement, protect, and manage secure enterprise IT solutions for the USG, state, and local agencies to optimize efficiency, enhance performance, and ensure end-user satisfaction.

 

  · Mission Support – Castellum specializes in planning and intelligence support for Information Warfare/Information Operations (“IW/IO”). The Company develops IW/IO plans, exercises, doctrine, and training for the Military Services and the Combatant Commands in domestic and deployed overseas locations. Our intelligence support ensures continuous advances in collection, analysis, and dissemination to optimize decision-making. Castellum also has linguists and cultural advisors who provide clients with insights into the history, media consumption, and cultural nuances of target audiences to maximize the effectiveness of communications plans and ensure mission success.

 

Strengths and Strategy

 

Extensive Sector Knowledge and Advanced Technology. We primarily offer our expertise and technology to defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies of the U.S. Federal, state and local governments. Our work for USG agencies may combine a wide range of skills drawn from our expertise and technology. For example, Castellum performs software development and virtualization of infrastructure services for the U.S. Navy. We maintain and monitor government owned data centers. We are subject matter experts in Electronic and Electromagnetic warfare. We perform advanced data analytics on litigation data in support of the U.S. Department of Justice (the “DoJ”). Lastly, through the Company’s IW/IO operations, Castellum provides key services to governments of other nations.

 

International Presence. We have previously supported international clients in Australia and other foreign countries and believe that future opportunities for providing our services internationally is growing given current record nominal levels of global spending on defense and the continued rising threat from cybersecurity breaches.

 

Deep-Seated Government Relationships. To effectively perform on our existing customer contracts and secure new customer contracts with the USG, state and local governments, we must maintain expert knowledge of agency policies, operations and challenges. We combine this comprehensive knowledge with expertise and technology for our enterprise and mission customers. Our capabilities provide us with opportunities either to compete directly for, or to support other bidders in competition for multi-million dollar and multi-year award contracts from the USG, state and local governments.

 

Complementary Product and Service Offerings. We have strategic business relationships with several companies associated with the IT industry which have business objectives compatible with ours and offer complementary products and services. We intend to continue development of these kinds of relationships wherever they support our growth objectives. Some of these business relationships have ultimately led to Castellum acquiring the teaming partner firm.

 

Our marketing and new business development is conducted by many of our executive officers and other key managers. We employ business development, capture and proposal writer professionals who identify and qualify major contract opportunities, primarily in the USG market and submit bids for those opportunities.

 

Much of our business is won through submission of formal competitive bids. Government and commercial customers typically base their decisions regarding contract awards on their assessment of the quality of past performance, compliance with proposal requirements, price, and other factors. The terms, conditions, and form of government contract bids, however, are in most cases specified by the customer. In situations in which the customer-imposed contract type and/or terms appear to expose us to inappropriate risk or do not offer us a sufficient financial return, we may seek alternative arrangements or opt not to bid for the work. Essentially all contracts with the USG and many contracts with other government entities, permit the government customer to terminate the contract at any time for the convenience of the government or for default by the contractor. None of Castellum’s subsidiaries have had contract work terminated for non-performance. Although we operate under the risk of such terminations with the potential to have a material impact on operations, they are not common. Additionally, as with other government contractors, our business is subject to government customer funding decisions and actions that are beyond our control.

 

 

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Our contracts and subcontracts are composed of a wide range of contract types, including firm fixed-price (“FFP”), cost-plus-fixed fee (“CPFF”), time-and-materials (“T&M”), labor hour, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (“IDIQ”) and government wide acquisition contracts (known as “GWACS”) such as General Services Administration (“GSA”) schedule contracts. This broad array of contracts and contract structures provides our government clients with many avenues to procure Castellum’s service and technology offerings.

 

In the year ending December 31, 2021, the top three revenue-producing contracts, some of which consist of multiple task orders, accounted for sixty percent (60%) of our revenue, or $15,058,925.

 

Contract Backlog

 

We define backlog to include the following three components:

 

  · Funded Backlog. Funded backlog represents the revenue value of orders for services under existing contracts for which funding is appropriated or otherwise authorized less revenue previously recognized on these contracts.

 

  · Unfunded Backlog. Unfunded backlog represents the revenue value of orders (including optional orders) for services under existing contracts for which funding has not been appropriated or otherwise authorized.

 

  · Priced Options. Priced contract options represent 100% of the revenue value of all future contract option periods under existing contracts that may be exercised at our clients’ option and for which funding has not been appropriated or otherwise authorized.

  

Our backlog does not include contracts that have been awarded but are currently under protest and also does not include any task orders under IDIQ contracts, except to the extent that task orders have been awarded to us under those contracts.

 

The following table summarizes the value of our contract backlog as of August 1, 2022:

 

Backlog    
Funded  $17,677,792 
Unfunded  $12,243,025 
Priced Options  $62,093,312 
Total Backlog  $92,014,129 

 

Competition

 

We operate in a highly competitive industry that includes many firms, some of which are larger in size and have greater financial resources than we do. We obtain much of our business on the basis of proposals submitted in response to requests from potential and current customers, who may also receive proposals from other firms. Non-traditional players have entered the market and have established positions related to such areas as cloud computing, cyber, satellite operations and business systems. Additionally, we face indirect competition from certain government agencies that perform services for themselves similar to those marketed by us. We know of no single competitor that is dominant in our fields of technology. We have a relatively small share of the addressable market for our solutions and services and intend to achieve growth and increase market share both organically and through strategic acquisitions.

 

 As a government contractor, Castellum both cooperates (as a teaming partner) and competes with many different companies.  Sometimes, Castellum both teams with (on one contract) and competes against (on a different contract) with the same company.   Among others, Castellum competes with (and sometimes also teams with) Northrup Grumman, CACI, Peraton, and Booz-Allen Hamilton.

 

Acquisition Strategy

 

Castellum seeks acquisitions which fit one or more of the following criteria:  (1) expands Castellum's capability in existing areas of expertise such as cybersecurity and electronic warfare; (2) broadens the scope of clients which Castellum serves such as adding a new service branch or new government agency; (3) increases the scale of Castellum's business in existing areas in order to generate better operating profit margins and reduce the Company's wrap rate; (4) increases the geographic footprint of Castellum in order to offer more capability to existing or new clients; (5) adds management talent to Castellum; (6) adds technological capability in new areas which Castellum believes are high growth potential; and (7) fills a need within Castellum to be able to serve current customers such as adding a prime contract vehicle or the capability to win new prime contract vehicles.   In all cases, Castellum seeks acquisitions which are immediately accretive on a revenue, earnings before interest, depreciation, and amortization (“EBITDA”), and net income per share basis as well as positive from a net present value perspective and which fit the culture of Castellum.

 

Summary Risk Factors

 

Our business is subject to a number of risks of which you should be aware before making a decision to invest in our common shares. The following, and other risks, are discussed more fully in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus:

 

  · We lack a long-term operating history on which to evaluate our consolidated business and determine if we will be able to execute our business plan, and we can give no assurance that our operations will result in sustained profitability;

 

  · We have historically suffered net losses and we may not be able to sustain profitability;

 

  · We rely upon a few, select key employees who are instrumental to our ability to conduct and grow our business. In the event any of those key employees would no longer be affiliated with the Company, and we did not replace them with equally capable replacements, it may have a material detrimental impact as to our ability to successfully operate our business;

 

  · We generate substantially all of our revenue from contracts with the U.S. Federal, state and local governments which are subject to a number of challenges and risks that may adversely impact our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results;

 

  · We operate in an industry that is highly regulated and unexpected changes to laws could have a significant adverse impact on our business;

 

  · Our business could be adversely affected by changes in spending levels or budgetary priorities of the U.S. Federal, state and local governments or by the imposition by the USG of sequestration in the absence of an approved budget or continuing resolution (“CR”);

  

 

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  · We face intense competition and could fail to gain market share from our competitors, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations;

 

  · We may have difficulty identifying and executing acquisitions on favorable terms and therefore may grow slower than we historically have grown; and

 

  · We may have difficulty raising additional capital, which could deprive us of necessary resources, and you may experience dilution or subordinate stockholder rights, preferences, and privileges as a result of our financing efforts.

 

Implications of Being an Emerging Growth Company and a Smaller Reporting Company

 

We qualify as an “emerging growth company” as defined in the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 (the “JOBS Act”). As an emerging growth company, we may take advantage of specified reduced disclosure and other requirements that are otherwise applicable generally to public companies. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Common Stock and the Offering — We are an ‘emerging growth company’ and will be able to avail ourselves of reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, which could make our common stock less attractive to investors.” These provisions include:

 

  · being permitted to provide only two years of audited financial statements in addition to any required unaudited interim financial statements with correspondingly reduced “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” disclosure;

 

  · reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation arrangements;

 

  · not being required to hold a non-binding advisory vote on executive compensation or golden parachute arrangements; and

 

  · exemption from the auditor attestation requirement in the assessment of our internal control over financial reporting.

 

We have irrevocably elected to opt-out of the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards pursuant to Section 107(b) of the JOBS Act. As a result, we will comply with new or revised accounting standards on the relevant dates on which adoption of such standards is required for non- emerging growth companies.

 

We will remain an emerging growth company until the earliest of  (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of  $1,070,000,000 or more; (ii) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of this offering; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1,000,000,000 in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). We may choose to take advantage of some but not all of these exemptions. We have taken advantage of reduced reporting requirements in this prospectus. Accordingly, the information contained herein may be different than the information you receive from other public companies in which you hold stock.

 

Notwithstanding the above, we are also currently qualified as a “smaller reporting company” under SEC rules. In the event that we are still considered a smaller reporting company at such time as we cease to be an emerging growth company, the disclosure we will be required to provide in our filings with the SEC will increase but will still be less than it would be if we were not considered either an emerging growth company or a smaller reporting company. Specifically, similar to emerging growth companies, smaller reporting companies are able to provide simplified executive compensation disclosures in their filings; are exempt from the provisions of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) requiring that independent registered public accounting firms provide an attestation report on the effectiveness of their internal control over financial reporting; and have certain other decreased disclosure obligations in their SEC filings, including, among other things, only being required to provide two years of audited financial statements in their annual reports.

 

 

 7 

 

 

 

Corporate History, Business Acquisitions and Other Information

 

The Company was incorporated in Nevada on September 30, 2010 under the name Passionate Pet, Inc. and in January 2013 the Company changed its name to Firstin Wireless Technology, Inc. In March 2015 the Company changed its name to BioNovelus, Inc.

  

Bayberry Acquisition Corporation, a Nevada corporation (“Bayberry”) was incorporated on October 24, 2018 and primarily owned and controlled by Jay Wright and Mark Fuller. On June 12, 2019, the Company acquired all of the stock of Bayberry in consideration for 22,145 shares of the Company’s common stock and 3,610,000 Series B preferred shares (the “Bayberry Acquisition”). The transaction was accounted for as a reverse merger. As a result, Bayberry was considered the accounting acquirer. On February 23, 2021, Bayberry was dissolved with the Nevada Secretary of State as it was non-operational after the merger with the Company.

 

On November 21, 2019, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement to acquire all of the membership interests of Corvus Consulting, LLC, (“Corvus”), a Virginia limited liability company from The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust (“BCR Trust”) for total consideration of $9,587,279.

 

Corvus provides scientific, engineering, technical, operational support, and training services to USG and commercial clients. Corvus focuses on cyberspace operations, electronic warfare, information systems, intelligence and joint/electromagnetic spectrum operations. The specialties of Corvus range from high level policy development and congressional liaison to requirements analysis, COTMLPF-p development assistance and design services for hardware and software systems fulfilling the mission needs of the DoD and Intelligence Communities. The Company accounted for this acquisition as a business combination whereby Corvus became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company.

 

On December 26, 2019, following our acquisition of Corvus, we changed our name from BioNovelus, Inc. to Castellum, Inc.

 

On December 31, 2020, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (“MFSI Merger Agreement”) by and among MFSI Merger Sub, a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc., a Delaware Corporation (“MFSI”), and the principal stockholders of Mainnerve (“MFSI Stockholders”). MFSI provides services in data security and operations for U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and Intelligence Community clients, and currently works as a software engineering/development, database administration and data analytics subcontractor. At the effective time of the MFSI Merger Agreement, the Merger Sub was merged with and into MFSI, whereupon the separate existence of Merger Sub ceased and MFSI continued as the surviving corporation. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby MFSI became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The aggregate consideration transferred to MFSI consisted of 864,024 shares of common stock of the Company.

 

On August 5, 2021, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among Merrison Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Merrison Merger Sub”), Merrison Technologies LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (“Merrison”) and Andrew Merriman, the sole owner of the Merrison membership interests, whereby we acquired all of the membership interests of Merrison. Merrison is a government contractor with expertise in software engineering and IT in the classified arena. At the effective time Merrison Merger Sub was merged with and into Merrison, whereupon the separate existence of Merrison Merger Sub ceased and Merrison continued as the surviving corporation. The acquisition was accounted for as business combination whereby Merrison became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The aggregate consideration transferred to Merrison consisted of (i) 50,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, and (ii) cash in the amount of $22,283.

 

 

 8 

 

 

 

On August 12, 2021, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with KC Holdings Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Holdco”), Specialty Systems, Inc., a New Jersey corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Holdco (“SSI”) and Emil Kaunitz (“Kaunitz”) and William Cabey (“Cabey”, and the “SSI Merger Agreement”). Kaunitz and Cabey were the stockholders of SSI at the time of the acquisition. SSI is a New Jersey based government contractor that provides critical mission support to the U.S. Navy at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in the areas of software engineering, cyber security, systems engineering, program support and network engineering. At the effective time Holdco was merged with and into SSI whereupon the separate existence of Holdco ceased and SSI continued as the surviving corporation. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby SSI became a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The aggregate consideration transferred to SSI consisted of (i) cash in the amount of $4,800,000, (ii) a note to Emil Kaunitz in the principal amount of $400,000 (the “Kaunitz Note”), and (iii) 2,632,095 shares of the common stock of the Company. Additionally, the former stockholders of SSI may be owed additional monies pursuant to a contingent earnout provision in the SSI Merger Agreement.

 

On October 22, 2021 the Company, SSI and The Albers Group, LLC (“Albers”) entered into a Business Acquisition Agreement (“Albers Agreement”) to acquire certain business assets that represented certain contracts at Pax River Naval Base from The Albers Group, LLC (“Pax River”) which closed on November 16, 2021 (the “Pax River Acquisition”). The purchase price consisted of (i) 481,250 shares of common stock of the Company, and (ii) $200,000 in cash to be paid upon satisfaction by Albers with certain other contractual conditions. The Pax River Acquisition was accounted for as an asset acquisition. On January 28, 2022, the parties entered into an amendment to the Albers Agreement to modify the timeline for payment of the cash consideration and to require the amount to be paid in monthly installments of $20,000 commencing February 10, 2022.

 

On February 11, 2022, we entered into a Business Acquisition Agreement with Lexington Solutions Group, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (“LSG”) to acquire substantially all of the assets and assume certain liabilities of LSG. LSG provides USG and private sector clients with a wide range of national security, strategic communication, and management consulting services. The purchase price, which is subject to a working capital adjustment, consisted of (i) 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock issued at closing and 25,000 shares to be issued on or about six months from the date of the closing in connection with the estimated closing working capital adjustment, and (ii) $250,000 in cash on the closing date, $250,000 to be paid on the date that is six months from the closing date, and $280,000 to be paid on or before December 31, 2022.

 

On August 31, 2022, our Board and stockholders holding a majority of our outstanding voting shares, authorized a Reverse Stock Split of each of the outstanding shares of the Corporation’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, at the Reverse Stock Split Ratio, with the exact ratio to be set at a number within this range as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, with no change in par value. We intend for the Board to effect the proposed Reverse Stock Split in connection with the Underwritten Offering and our intended listing of our common stock on the NYSE American, however, no assurance can be given that such Reverse Stock Split will occur based on the ratio stated above, that the proposed Reverse Stock Split will be necessary or will occur in connection with the listing of our common stock on the NYSE American, or that the NYSE American will approve our initial listing application for our common stock upon completion of the proposed Reverse Stock Split. We intend to effect the proposed Reverse Stock Split of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Unless otherwise noted and other than in our financial statements and the notes thereto, the share and per share information in this prospectus reflects a proposed reverse stock split of the outstanding common stock and preferred stock at an assumed 1-for-20 ratio expected to occur immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Before the SEC declares this registration statement effective, we intend to file a pre-effective amendment to this registration statement with the SEC in the event that our Board determines that the final ratio to be used to effect such reverse stock split must be changed from the assumed 1-for-20 ratio disclosed throughout this prospectus.

 

After this offering, the officers and directors of the Company will control 52.4% of the voting power of the Company and 51.9% of the voting power if the overallotment is fully exercised. This 52.4 % will consist of the officers and directors owning 53.4 % of the common stock (equal to 52.4% of the Company’s voting power) and 42% of the Series C preferred stock (equal to approximately 1.0% of the Company’s voting power). The holders of the Series A preferred stock are entitled to 0.1vote per share and the holders of the Series C preferred stock are entitled to 0.625 votes per share.

  

Our address is 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700, Bethesda, MD 20814. Our phone number is (301) 961-4895. Our website is: www.castellumus.com. The information on, or that can be accessed through, this website is not part of this prospectus, and you should not rely on any such information in making a decision whether to purchase our common stock.

 

 

 9 

 

 

THE OFFERING

 

Common stock offered by us   2,680,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001
     

Common stock offered by the Selling Stockholders in the Public Offering Prospectus 

 

520,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001

     
Common stock offered by the Security Holders in the Security Holder Prospectus   2,218,750 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 may be potentially distributed by the Security Holders
     
Public Offering Price   $4.00 per share of common stock, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus. The actual offering price per share will be as determined between the Representative and us at the time of pricing and may be issued at a discount to the current market price of our common stock.
     
Common stock to be outstanding after the offering:   27,988,132 shares. If the underwriter’s over-allotment option is exercised in full, the total number of shares of our common stock outstanding immediately after this offering will be 28,468,132.
     
Overallotment option:   We have granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 480,000 shares of common stock to cover over-allotments, if any, at the public offering price less underwriting discounts and commissions.
     
Use of proceeds:   We expect to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital, future acquisitions and other general corporate purposes including the repayment of outstanding convertible promissory notes. We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the Selling Stockholder Shares by the Selling Stockholders. See “Use of Proceeds.”
     
Risk factors:   Investing in our securities is highly speculative and involves a high degree of risk. You should carefully consider the information set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of this prospectus beginning on page 12 before deciding to invest in our securities.
     
OTC Pink trading symbol:   Our common stock is currently quoted on the OTC Pink under the trading symbol “ONOV”.
     
Proposed NYSE American trading symbol:   We have applied to list our common stock on the NYSE American under the symbol “CTM.” No assurance can be given that our application will be approved.
     

  

The number of shares of common stock shown above to be outstanding after this offering is based on 24,788,132 shares outstanding as of August 24, 2022 without taking into account the conversion of all of our Series B preferred stock outstanding immediately prior to this offering into 15,270,000 shares of our common stock upon the consummation of this offering, and conversion of $1,000,000 of the principal amount outstanding under the amended and restated convertible promissory note payable to the Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust in the principal amount of $3,709,617 into 3,846,154 shares of common stock, and excludes: 

 

·10,730,770 shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of approximately $2,790,000 of principal and accrued interest outstanding under the amended and restated convertible promissory note payable to the Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust to be repaid with the proceeds of this offering;

 

·2,500,000 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under the Stock Incentive Plan;

 

·5,250,000 shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of stock options; and

 

·3,522,586 shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of warrants;

 

·the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option to purchase additional shares; and

 

·the exercise of the warrants to be issued to the representative of the underwriters in connection with this offering as described in the “Underwriting — Underwriter’s Warrants” section of this prospectus.

 

 10 

 

  

Immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect to effect the Reverse Stock Split. No fractional shares of the Company’s common stock will be issued as a result of the Reverse Stock Split. Any fractional shares resulting from the Reverse Stock Split will be rounded up to the nearest whole share, except if the stockholder has less than one share then they shall receive a cash payment for such fractional share.

 

SUMMARY HISTORICAL CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Summary Historical Consolidated Financial Information

 

The following summary historical consolidated financial information for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 have been derived from our unaudited consolidated financial statements and consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus. The historical financial data presented below is not necessarily indicative of our financial results in future periods. You should read the summary consolidated financial data in conjunction with those financial statements and the accompanying notes and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP. Our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a basis consistent with our audited financial statements and include all adjustments, consisting only of normal and recurring adjustments that we consider necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position and results of operations as of and for such periods. The share and per share information in the following discussion does not reflect the proposed Reverse Stock Split of the outstanding common stock expected to occur immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

   Six Months Ended   Year Ended 
   June 30,   December 31, 
   2022   2021   2021   2020 
   (unaudited)   (audited) 
Consolidated Statements of Operations Data:                
Revenues  $21,045,392   $8,209,152   $25,067,450   $13,338,667 
Cost of revenues   12,224,559    4,611,714    13,992,898    7,161,627 
Gross profit   8,820,833    3,597,438    11,074,552    6,177,040 
Total operating expenses   12,423,093    4,665,466    18,799,701    7,645,189 
Loss from operations before other income (expense)   (3,602,260)   (1,068,028)   (7,725,149)   (1,468,149)
Total other expense   (1,774,298)   (1,151,006)   (2,477,924)   (2,295,906)
Loss from operations before benefit for income taxes   (5,376,558)   (2,219,034)   (10,203,073)   (3,764,055)
Income Tax (provision) benefit   (743,794)   562,260    2,656,643    1,056,562 
Net loss  $(6,120,352))  $(1,656,774)  $(7,546,430)  $(2,707,493)
Less: Preferred Stock Dividends  $40,538   $-   $12,290   $- 
Net loss to common shareholders  $(6,160,890)  $(1,656,774)  $(7,558,720)  $(2,707,493)
Basic and diluted net loss per share  $(0.27)  $(0.09)  $(0.41)  $(0.17)

 

    As of
June 30,
2022
 
Selected Balance Sheet Data (end of period):   (unaudited)  
Cash and marketable securities   $ 2,057,752  
Total assets     33,448,260  
Total debt     10,122,106  
Total liabilities     14,314,883  
Total stockholders’ equity     19,133,377  

 

 11 

 

 

Risk Factors

 

Investing in our common stock involves a great deal of risk. Careful consideration should be made of the following factors as well as other information included in this prospectus before deciding to purchase our common stock. There are many risks that affect our business and results of operations, some of which are beyond our control. Our business, financial condition or operating results could be materially harmed by any of these risks. This could cause the trading price of our common stock to decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment. Additional risks that we do not yet know of or that we currently think are immaterial may also affect our business and results of operations.

 

Risks Related to our Business and Industry

 

We lack a long-term operating history on which to evaluate our consolidated business and determine if we will be able to execute our business plan, and we can give no assurance that our operations will result in sustained profitability.

 

We are focused on acquiring and growing technology companies in the areas of information technology (“IT), electronic warfare, information warfare and cybersecurity with businesses in the governmental and commercial markets. Since November 2019 we have executed our business plan and completed six acquisitions. As a result, we have a limited operating history on a consolidated basis upon which you may evaluate our business and prospects. Our business operations are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties, expenses, and difficulties associated with early-stage enterprises. You should consider an investment in our Company in light of these risks, uncertainties, expenses, and difficulties. Such risks include:

 

  · limited operating history at our current scale;

  · our ability to raise capital to develop our business and fund our operations;

  · our ability to anticipate and adapt to developing markets;

  · acceptance by our customers;

  · limited marketing experience;

  · competition from competitors with substantially greater financial resources and assets; and

  · the ability to identify, attract and retain qualified personnel.

 

Because we are subject to these risks, and the other risks outlined below, you may have a difficult time evaluating our business and your investment in our Company.

 

We have historically suffered net losses, and we may not be able to sustain profitability.

 

We had an accumulated deficit of $17,246,906 as of June 30, 2022 and while we expect our profitability to improve, we expect to continue to generate a net loss in the year ending December 31, 2022. As a result, we are incurring net losses, and it is possible that we may not be able to achieve the revenue levels necessary to achieve and sustain net profitability. If we fail to generate sufficient revenues to operate profitably on a consistent basis, or if we are unable to fund our continuing losses, you could lose all or part of your investment.

 

We rely upon a few, select key employees who are instrumental to our ability to conduct and grow our business. In the event any of those key employees would no longer be affiliated with the Company, and we did not replace them with equally capable replacements, it may have a material detrimental impact on our ability to successfully operate our business.

 

Our future success will depend in large part on our ability to attract, retain, and motivate high-quality management, operations, and other personnel who are in high demand, are often subject to competing employment offers, and are attractive recruiting targets for our competitors. The loss of qualified executives and key employees, or our inability to attract, retain, and motivate high-quality executives and employees required for the planned expansion of our business, may harm our operating results and impair our ability to grow.

 

 12 

 

  

We depend on the continued services of our key personnel, including Mark Fuller, our President and Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”), David T. Bell, our Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), Glen Ives, our Chief Operating Officer (“COO”), and Jay Wright, our Vice Chair and General Counsel. Our work with each of these key personnel is subject to changes and/or termination, and our inability to effectively retain the services of our key management personnel, could materially and adversely affect our operating results and future prospects.

 

Certain key members of our management team lack public company experience in their positions and our executive management team has limited time working together.

 

Although our executive management team is highly experienced not all of the members of the team have experience working in the positions they are currently serving our Company. While our CEO, Mark Fuller has over thirty years of executive experience and has run private companies and held various roles in public companies, he has not previously been the CEO of a public company. While our COO, Glen Ives has previously been the chief operating officer of a private company, he has not previously held that role in a public company. While our CFO, David T. Bell has over twenty-eight years of accounting experience, including advising many public companies, he has not previously served as the chief financial officer of a public company. The management team, while experienced, also has limited experience working together as a team. The inability of any member of our management team to operate effectively in their position, or for the management team to effectively work together, could materially and adversely affect our operating results and future prospects.

 

We may have difficulty raising additional capital, which could deprive us of necessary resources.

        

We expect to continue to devote significant capital resources to fund our acquisition strategy. In order to support the initiatives envisioned in our business plan, we will need to raise additional funds through the sale of public or private debt or equity financing or other arrangements. Our ability to raise additional financing depends on many factors beyond our control, including the state of capital markets and the market price of our common stock. Sufficient additional financing may not be available to us or may be available only on terms that would result in further dilution to the current owners of our common stock. If we are unable to raise additional capital to implement our business plan it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, business prospects and operations, and the value of an investment in our Company.

 

You may experience dilution or subordinate stockholder rights, preferences, and privileges as a result of our financing efforts.

 

Any future equity financing may involve substantial dilution to our then existing stockholders. Any future debt financing could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities. There can be no assurance that such additional capital will be available, on a timely basis, or on terms acceptable to us. If we are unsuccessful in raising additional capital or the terms of raising such capital are unacceptable, then we may have to modify our business plan and/or curtail our planned activities and other operations.

 

Additionally, after this offering we will have certain potential dilutive instruments, of which the conversion of these instruments could result in dilution to stockholders: As of August 24, 2022 the maximum potential dilution is 10,271,085 shares and includes Series A preferred stock convertible into approximately 587,500 shares of common stock, Series C preferred stock convertible into 9,625,000 shares of common stock, convertible promissory notes convertible into 481,250 shares of common stock, options granted convertible into 5,025,000 shares of common stock, and warrants granted convertible into 3,522,586 shares of common stock.

 

Failure to effectively manage our expected growth could place strains on our managerial, operational, and financial resources and could adversely affect our business and operating results.

 

Our expected growth could place a strain on our managerial, operational, and financial resources. Further, if our subsidiaries’ businesses grow, then we will be required to manage multiple relationships. Any further growth by us or our subsidiaries, or any increase in the number of our strategic relationships, will increase the strain on our managerial, operational, and financial resources. This strain may inhibit our ability to achieve the rapid execution necessary to implement our business plan and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, business prospects and operations, and the value of an investment in our Company.

 

 13 

 

  

We generate substantially all of our revenue from contracts with the United States Federal, state and local governments which are subject to a number of challenges and risks that may adversely impact our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.

 

Sales to United States (“U.S.”), Federal, state, and local governmental agencies have in the past accounted for, and may in the future account for, substantially all of our revenue. Sales to such government entities are subject to the following risks:

 

  · selling to governmental agencies can be highly competitive, expensive and time consuming, often requiring significant upfront time and expense without any assurance that such efforts will generate a sale. Our existing contracts typically expire after some period of time and must be “re-competed.” There is no guarantee that we will win such re-compete efforts;

  · government certification requirements applicable to our products may change and in doing so restrict our ability to sell into the U.S. Federal government (“USG”) sector until we have attained the revised certification;

  · government demand and payment for our products and services may be impacted by public sector budgetary cycles and funding authorizations, with funding reductions or delays adversely affecting public sector demand for our products and services;

  · governments can generally terminate our contracts “for convenience” meaning we could lose part or all of our revenue on short notice; and
  · governments routinely investigate and audit government contractors’ administrative processes, and any unfavorable audit could result in the government refusing to continue buying our platform, which would adversely impact our revenue and results of operations, or institute fines or civil or criminal liability if the audit uncovers improper or illegal activities and when we are a subcontractor, we have less control over the execution and success of the contract with the government.

 

If we were suspended or debarred from contracting with the USG, if our reputation or relationship with government agencies was impaired, or if the government otherwise ceased doing business with us or significantly decreased the amount of business it does with us, our business, prospects, financial condition, and operating results would be materially and adversely affected.

 

We operate in an industry that is highly regulated and unexpected changes in laws could have a significant adverse impact on our business.

 

As a contractor to the USG, as well as state and local governments, we are heavily regulated in most fields in which we operate. We deal with numerous USG agencies and entities, and when working with these and other entities, we must comply with and are affected by unique laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration, and performance of government contracts. Some significant law and regulations that affect us include the following:

 

  · the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”), and agency regulations supplemental to FAR, which regulate the formation, administration, and performance of USG contract;

  · the False Statements Act, which imposes civil and criminal liability for making false statements to the USG;

  · the Truthful Cost or Pricing Data Statute (formerly known as the “Truth in Negotiations Act”), which requires certification and disclosure of cost and pricing data in connection with the negotiation of certain contracts, modifications, or task orders;

  · the Procurement Integrity Act, which regulates access to competitor bid and proposal information and certain internal government procurement sensitive information, and our ability to provide compensation to certain former government procurement officials;

  · laws and regulations restricting the ability of a contractor to provide gifts or gratuities to employees of the USG, including The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (the “FCPA”) which prohibits U.S. citizens and entities from bribing foreign government officials to benefit their business interests;

 

 14 

 

  

  · post-government employment laws and regulations, which restrict the ability of a contractor to recruit and hire current employees of the USG and deploy former employees of the USG;

  · laws, regulations, and executive orders restricting the handling, use, and dissemination of information classified for national security purposes or determined to be “controlled unclassified information” or “for official use only,” and the export of certain products, services, and technical data, including requirements regarding any applicable licensing of our employees involved in such work;

  · laws, regulations, and executive orders regulating the handling, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information in the course of performing a USG contract;

  · international trade compliance laws, regulations, and executive orders that prohibit business with certain sanctioned entities and require authorization for certain exports or imports in order to protect national security and global stability, including The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) that controls the manufacture, sale, and distribution of defense and space-related articles and services as defined in the United States Munitions List (“USML”);

  · laws, regulations, and executive orders governing organizational conflicts of interest that may restrict our ability to compete for certain USG contracts because of the work that we currently perform for the USG or may require that we take measures such as firewalling off certain employees or restricting their future work activities due to the current work that they perform under a USG contract;

  · laws, regulations, and executive orders that impose requirements on us to ensure compliance with requirements and protect the USG from risks related to our supply chain such as compliance with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (“CMMC”);

  · laws, regulations, and mandatory contract provisions providing protections to employees or subcontractors seeking to report alleged fraud, waste, and abuse related to a USG contract;

  · the Contractor Business Systems rule, with authorizes U.S. Department of Defense (“DoD”) agencies to withhold a portion of or payments if we are determined to have a significant deficiency in our accounting, cost estimating, purchasing, earned value management, material management and accounting, and/or property management system; and

  · the Cost Accounting Standards and Cost Principles, which impose accounting and allowability requirement that govern our right to reimbursement under certain cost-based USG contracts and require consistency of accounting practices over time.

 

Given the magnitude of our revenue derived from contracts with the DoD, the Defense Contract Audit Agency (“DCAA”) is our relevant government audit agency. The DCAA audits the adequacy of our internal control systems and policies including, among other areas, compensation. The Defense Contract Management Agency (“DCMA”), as our relevant government contract management agency, may determine that a portion of our employee compensation is unallowable based on the findings and recommendations in the DCAA’s audits. In addition, the DCMA directly reviews the adequacy of certain other business systems, such as our purchasing system. We are also subject to audit by Inspectors General of other USG agencies.

 

The USG may revise its procurement practices or adopt new contract rules and regulations at any time. While we do not currently do much business outside the U.S., we are subject to special USG laws and regulations (such as the FCPA), local government regulations and procurement policies and practices, including regulations relating to import-export control, investments, exchange controls, and repatriation of earnings, as well as varying currency, political and economic risks.

 

USG contracts are, by the terms, subject to termination by the USG either for convenience or default by the contractor. In addition, USG contracts are conditioned upon the continuing availability of Congressional appropriations. The U.S. Congress usually appropriates funds for a given program on a September 30 fiscal year basis, even though contract performance could take many years. As is common in the industry, our Company is subject to business risk, including changes in governmental appropriations, national defense policies, service modernizations plans, military base reductions and closures, and availability of funds. Any of these factors could materially adversely affect our Company's business with the USG in the future.

 

 15 

 

  

The USG has a broad range of action it can instigate to enforce its procurement law and policies. These include proposing a contractor, certain of its operations or individual employees for debarment or suspending or debarring a contractor, certain of its operations or individual employees from future government business. In addition to criminal, civil, and administrative actions by the USG, under the False Claims act, an individual alleging fraud related to payments under a USG contract or program may file a qui tam lawsuit on behalf of the government against us; if successful in obtaining a judgment or settlement, the individual filing the suit may receive up to 30% of the amount recovered by the government. If we are subject to an enforcement action by the USG, it could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

 

If we are unable to maintain successful relationships with our teaming partners, our ability to market, sell and distribute our services will be limited, and our business, financial position, and results of operations will be harmed.

 

We expect that sales through teaming partners will continue to be a significant percentage of our revenue.  Our agreements with our teaming partners are generally non-exclusive, meaning our teaming partners may offer customers services from several different companies, including services that compete with ours. The loss of a substantial number of our teaming partners, our possible inability to replace them, or the failure to recruit additional teaming partners could materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

 

We are exposed to the credit risk of some of our teaming partners, which could result in material losses.

 

Most of our sales for work performed for the USG are through our teaming partners and are on an open credit basis. Although we have programs in place that are designed to monitor and mitigate these risks, and to date our credit losses have been minimal, we cannot assure you these programs will be effective in reducing our credit risks. If we are unable to adequately control these risks, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be harmed.

 

Our business could be adversely affected by changes in spending levels or budgetary priorities of the USG, state and local governments or by the imposition by the USG of sequestration in the absence of an approved budget or continuing resolution.

 

Because we derive substantially all of our revenue from contracts with the USG, state and local governments, we believe that the success and development of our business will continue to depend on our successful participation in USG contract programs. Changes in USG budgetary priorities, such as for homeland security or to address global pandemics like COVID-19, or actions taken to address government budget deficits, the national debt, and/or prevailing economic conditions, could directly affect our financial performance. If the USG imposes sequestration in the absence of an approved budget or continuing resolution (“CR”) our participation in USG contract programs could be impaired. A significant decline in USG expenditures, a shift of expenditures away from programs that we support or a change in USG contracting policies could cause USG agencies to reduce their purchases under contracts, to exercise their right to terminate contracts at any time without penalty or not to exercise options to renew contracts.

 

At times, we may continue to work without funding, and use our own internal funds to meet our customer’s desired delivery dates for products or services. It is uncertain at this time which of our programs’ funding could be reduced in future years or whether new legislation will be passed by Congress in the next fiscal year that could result in additional or alternative funding cut.

 

USG contracts contain numerous provisions that are unfavorable to us.

 

USG contracts contain provisions and are subject to laws and regulations that give the government rights and remedies, some of which are not typically found in commercial contracts, including allowing the government to:

 

  · cancel multi-year contracts and related orders if funds for contract performance for any subsequent year become unavailable;

  · claim rights in systems and software developed by us;

 

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  · suspend or debar us from doing business with the USG or with a governmental agency;

 

  · impose fines and penalties and subject us to criminal prosecution; and

 

  · control or prohibit the export of our data technology or proprietary service solutions.

 

If the government terminates a contract for convenience, we may recover only our incurred or committed costs, settlement expenses, and profit on work completed prior to the termination. If the government terminates a contract for default, we may be unable to recover even those amounts and instead may be liable for excess costs incurred by the government in procuring undelivered items and services from another source. Depending on the value of a contract, such termination could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated. Certain contracts also contain organizational conflicts of interest (“OCI”) clauses that limit our ability to compete for or perform certain other contracts. OCIs arise any time we engage in activities that (i) make us unable or potentially unable to render impartial assistance or advice to the government; (ii) impair or might impair our objectivity in performing contract work; or (iii) provide us with an unfair competitive advantage. Depending upon the value of the matters affected, an OCI issue that precludes our participation in or performance of a program or contract could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

If we fail to establish and maintain important relationships with government entities and agencies, our ability to successfully bid for new business may be adversely affected.

 

To facilitate our ability to prepare bids for new business, we rely in part on establishing and maintaining relationships with officials of various government entities and agencies. These relationships enable us to provide informal input and advice to government entities and agencies prior to the development of a formal bid. We may be unable to successfully maintain our relationships with government entities and agencies, and any failure to do so may adversely affect our ability to bid successfully for new business and could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

We derive significant revenue from contracts and task orders awarded through a competitive bidding process. If we are unable to consistently win new awards over any extended period, our business and projects will be adversely affected.

 

Our contracts and task orders with the USG are typically awarded through a competitive bidding process. We expect that much of that business we will seek in the foreseeable future will continue to be awarded through competitive bidding. Budgetary pressures and changes in the procurement process have caused many government customers to increasingly purchase goods and services through indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (“IDIQ”) contracts, general services administration (“GSA”) schedule contracts and other government-wide acquisition contracts (“GWACs”). These contracts, some of which are awarded to multiple contractors, have increased competition and pricing pressure, requiring that we make sustained post-award efforts to realize revenue under each such contract.

 

This competitive bidding process presents a number of risks, including the following:

 

  · we bid on programs before the completion of their design, which may result in unforeseen technological difficulties and cost overruns;

  · we expend substantial cost and managerial time and efforts to prepare bids and proposals for contracts that we may not win;

  · we may be unable to estimate accurately the resources and cost structure that will be required to service any contract we win; and

  · we may encounter expense and delay if our competitors protest or challenge awards or contracts to us in competitive bidding, and any such protest or challenge could result in the resubmission of bids on modified specifications, or in termination, reduction, or modification of the awarded contract.

 

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If we are unable to win particular contracts we may be prevented from providing to customers services that are purchased under those contracts for a number of years. If we are unable to consistently win new contract awards over any extended period, our business and prospects will be adversely affected and that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated. If we are unable to win prime contracts, or acquire companies with prime contract vehicles, our business and prospects will be adversely affected. In addition, upon the expiration of a contract, if the customer requires further services of the type provided by the contract, there is frequently a competitive rebidding process. There can be no assurance that we will win any particular bid, or that we will be able to replace business lost upon expiration or completion of a contract and the termination or non-renewal of any of our significant contracts could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

Our business may suffer if we or our employees are unable to obtain the security clearances or other qualifications, we and they need, to perform services for our customers.

 

Many of our USG contracts require us to have security clearances and employ personnel with specified levels of education, work experience, and security clearances. Depending on the level of clearance, security clearances can be difficult and time-consuming to obtain. If we or our employees lose or are unable to obtain necessary security clearances, we may not be able to win new business and our existing customers could terminate their contracts with us or decide not to renew them. To the extent we cannot obtain or maintain the required security clearances for our employees working on a particular contract, we may not generate the revenue anticipated from the contract which could cause our results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

If our prime contractors fail to maintain their relationships with the governmental agency and fulfill their contractual obligations, our performance as a subcontractor and our ability to obtain future business could be materially and adversely impacted and our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

Our performance as a subcontractor on a government contract is dependent on our prime contractor’s ability to satisfactorily maintain its relationship with the government agency and fulfilling its obligations under their contract. A failure by our prime contractor to fulfill its obligations under their contract could result in the termination of the prime contract, thereby resulting in the termination of our subcontract. If any significant subcontract is terminated in this manner, it could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

The USG’s appropriation process and other factors may delay the collection of our receivables, and our business may be adversely affected if we cannot collect our receivables in a timely manner.

 

We depend on the timely collections of our receivables to generate cash flow, provide working capital, pay debt, and continue our business operations. If the USG or any of our other customers or any prime contractors for who we are a subcontractor fail to pay or delays the payment of their outstanding invoices for any reason, our business and financial condition may be materially and adversely affected. The USG may fail to pay outstanding invoices for a number of reasons, including lack of appropriated funds, administrative error or lack of an approved budget. If we experience difficulties collecting receivables, it could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

The USG may change its procurement or other practices in a manner adverse to us.

 

The USG may change its procurement practices or adopt new contracting rules and regulations, such as those related to cost accounting standards. It could also adopt new contracting methods relating to GSA contracts or other government-wide contracts, adopt new socio-economic requirements, or change the basis upon which it reimburses our compensation and other expenses or otherwise limit such reimbursements. In all such cases, there is uncertainty surrounding the changes and what actual impacts they may have on contractors. These changes could impair our ability to obtain new contracts or win re-competed contracts or adversely affect our future profit margin. Any new contracting methods could be costly or administratively difficult for us to satisfy and, as a result, could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

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Our contracts and administrative processes and systems are subject to audits and cost adjustments by the USG, which could reduce our revenue, disrupt our business, or otherwise adversely affect our operating results.

 

USG agencies routinely audit and investigate government contracts and government contractors’ administrative processes and systems. These agencies review our performance on contracts, pricing practices, cost structure and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards. They also evaluate the adequacy of internal controls over our business systems, including our purchasing, accounting, estimating, earned value management, and government property systems. Any costs found to be improperly allocated or assigned to contracts will not be reimbursed, and any such costs already reimbursed must be refunded and certain penalties may be imposed. Moreover, if any of the administrative processes and systems are found not to comply with requirements, we may be subjected to increased government scrutiny and approval that could delay or otherwise adversely affect our ability to compete for or perform contracts or collect our revenue in a timely manner. Therefore, an unfavorable outcome of an audit by the DCAA or another government agency could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated. If a government investigation uncovers improper or illegal activities, we may be subject to civil and criminal penalties and administrative sanctions, including termination of contracts, forfeitures of profits, suspension of payments, fines and suspension or debarment from doing business with the USG. In addition, we could suffer serious reputational harm if allegations of impropriety were made against us. Each of these results could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

  

We may not receive the full amounts authorized under the contracts included in our backlog, which could reduce our revenue in future periods below the levels anticipated.

 

Our total backlog consists of funded and unfunded amounts. Funded backlog represents contract value from funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress (“Congress”) and obligated by the customer which is expected to be recognized into revenue. Unfunded backlog represents the sum of the unappropriated contract value on executed contracts and unexercised option years that is expected to be recognized into revenue. Our backlog may not result in actual revenue in any particular period, or at all, which could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

Without additional Congressional appropriations, some of the contracts included in our backlog will remain unfunded, which could materially and adversely affect our future operating results.

 

Many of our USG contracts include multi-year performance periods in which Congress appropriates funds on an annual basis. A majority of our contracts are only partially funded at any point during their full performance period and unfunded contract work is subject to future appropriations by Congress. As a result of a lack of appropriated funds or efforts to reduce USG spending, our backlog may not result in revenue or may be delayed. If our backlog estimate is inaccurate and we fail to realize those amounts as revenue, our future operating results could be materially and adversely affected.

 

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Employee misconduct, including security breaches, could result in the loss of customers and our suspension or debarment from contracting with the USG.

 

Despite our training programs and oversight, we may be unable to prevent our employees from engaging in misconduct, fraud, or other improper activities that could adversely affect our business and reputation. Misconduct could include the failure to comply with USG procurement regulations, regulations regarding the protection of classified information, and legislation regarding the pricing of labor and other costs in government contracts. Many of the systems we work on involve managing and protecting information involved in national security and other sensitive government functions. A security breach in one of these systems could prevent us from having access to such critically sensitive systems. Other examples of employee misconduct could include timecard fraud and violations of the Anti-Kickback Act of 1986. The precautions we take to prevent and detect this activity may not be effective, and we could face unknown risks or losses. As a result of employee misconduct, we could face fines and penalties, loss of security clearance and suspension or debarment from contracting with the USG, which could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

We face intense competition and could fail to gain market share from our competitors, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

The market for our products and services is intensely competitive and characterized by rapid changes in technology, customer requirements, industry standards, and frequent new product introductions and improvements. We anticipate continued challenges from current competitors, which in many cases are more established and enjoy greater resources than us, as well as by new entrants into the industry. If we are unable to anticipate or effectively react to these competitive challenges, our competitive position could weaken, and we could experience a decline in our growth rate or revenue that could adversely affect our business and results of operations. 

 

In addition, some of our larger competitors have substantially broader product and service offerings and may be able to leverage their relationships with distribution partners and customers based on other products or services, or incorporate functionality into existing products to gain business in a manner that discourages users from purchasing our products, subscriptions and services, including by selling at zero or negative margins, product bundling, or offering closed technology platforms. Potential customers may also prefer to purchase from their existing suppliers rather than a new supplier regardless of product performance or features. As a result, even if the features of our platform or the quality of our services are superior, customers may not purchase our products or services. In addition, new innovative start-up companies, and larger companies that are making significant investments in research and development, may invent similar or superior products and technologies that compete with our platform. Our current and potential competitors may also establish cooperative relationships among themselves or with third parties that may further enhance their resources. If we are unable to compete successfully, or if competing successfully requires us to take costly actions in response to the actions of our competitors, our business, financial condition, and results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

Our quarterly revenue and operating results could be volatile due to the unpredictability of the USG’s budgeting process and policy priorities.

 

Our quarterly revenue and operating results may fluctuate significantly and unpredictably in the future. If the USG does not adopt, or delays adoption of, a budget for each fiscal year beginning on October 1, or fails to pass a CR, federal agencies may be forced to suspend our contracts and delay the award of new and follow-on contracts and orders due to a lack of funding. Further, the rate at which the USG procures technology may be negatively affected following changes in presidential administrations and senior government officials or by “divided government” where one political party controls the White House and another party controls Congress. Therefore, period-to-period comparisons of our operating results may not be a good indication of our future performance. Our quarterly operating results may not meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors, which in turn may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

 

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We may lose money or generate less than anticipated profits if we do not accurately estimate the cost of an engagement which is conducted on a fixed-price basis.

 

We generated 19 percent of our total revenue in the year ended December 31, 2021, and 21 percent of our total revenue in the year ended December 31, 2020, from firm fixed-price contracts (“FFP”). FFP contracts require us to price our contracts by predicting our expenditures in advance. In addition, some of our engagements obligate us to provide ongoing maintenance and other supporting or ancillary services on a fixed-price basis or with limitations on our ability to increase prices. Many of our engagements are also on a time-and-material (T&M) basis. While these types of contracts are generally subject to less uncertainty than FFP contracts, to the extent that our actual labor costs are higher than the contract rates, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

When making proposals for engagements on a FFP basis, we rely on our estimates of costs and timing for completing the projects. These estimates reflect our best judgment regarding our capability to complete the task efficiently. Any increased or unexpected costs or unanticipated delays in connection with the performance of FFP contracts, including delays caused by factors outside of our control, could make these contracts less profitable or unprofitable. If we encounter such problems in the future, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

Our earnings and margins may vary based on the mix of our contracts and programs.

 

At June 30, 2022, our backlog included cost reimbursable, T&M, and FFP contracts. Cost reimbursable and T&M contracts generally have lower profit margins than FFP contracts. Our earnings and margins may therefore vary materially and adversely depending on the relative mix of contract types, the costs incurred in their performance, the achievement of other performance objectives and the state of performance at which the right to receive fees, particularly under incentive and award fee contracts, is finally determined.

 

U.S. Inflation is at a forty-year high which may adversely impact our business.

 

U.S. inflation is at a 40-year high. Because costs rise faster than revenues during the early phase of inflation, we may find that we need to give higher than normal raises to employees, start new employees at higher wage and/or increased cost of employee benefits, but not be able to pass the higher costs through to the government due to competition and government pressures.   Therefore, we may be adversely affected (i) with lower gross profit margins; (ii) by losing contracts which are lowest price technically acceptable (“LPTA”) where another bidder underbids the real rates and then has difficulty staffing the project; and (iii) by having difficulty maintaining our staff at current salaries. Given the long-term nature of the Company’s contracts, it is unable to take any action to mitigate inflationary pressures.

 

Inflation may cause the Fed to increase interest rates thereby increasing our interest expense.

 

Sustained inflation also can cause the Federal Reserve Board and its Open Market Committee (“Fed”) to raise the target for the federal funds rate which normally translates into an increase in most banks’ “prime” rate. Because our notes with the Live Oak Banking Company are both variable interest rate instruments tied to the prime rate, actions by the Fed to increase the federal funds rate will increase our cost of debt and our interest expense thereby reducing our pre-tax income and net income. Our borrowing costs have recently increased and are expected to increase with future Fed interest rate increases, although the impacts have been and are expected to continue to be immaterial. Our contracts with U.S. Federal, state, and local government customers do not permit us to pass along our increased financing costs. The increases to our borrowing costs have not impacted (and are not expected to impact) our ability to make timely payments.

 

Risks Related to our Acquisitions

 

We may have difficulty identifying and executing acquisitions on favorable terms and therefore may grow more slowly than we historically have grown.

 

As part of our business strategy, we may acquire or make investments in complementary companies’ services, products, or technologies. Through acquisitions, we have expanded our base of U.S. Federal, state and local governments customers, increased the range of solutions we offer to our customers and deepened our penetration of existing markets and customers. We may encounter difficulty identifying new acquisitions and executing suitable acquisitions due to lack of financing. To the extent that management is involved in identifying acquisition opportunities or integrating new acquisitions into our business, our management may be diverted from operating our core business. Without acquisitions, we may not grow as rapidly as we historically have grown, which could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated. We may encounter other risks in executing our acquisition strategy, including:

 

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  · increased competition for acquisitions may increase the costs for our acquisitions;

 

  · unreasonable expectations of companies related to their perceived versus actual value;

 

  · our failure to discover material liabilities during the due diligence process, including the failure of prior owners of any acquired businesses or their employees to comply with applicable laws or regulations, such as the FAR and health, safety and environmental laws, or their failure to fulfill their contractual obligations to the USG or other customers;

 

  · our acquisitions may not ultimately strengthen our competitive position or allow us to achieve our goals, and any acquisitions we complete could be viewed negatively by our customers, analysts, and investors;

 

  · acquisition financing may not be available on reasonable terms or at all;

 

  · failure to properly integrate our acquisitions with our existing business thereby preventing the realization of potential synergies with the acquired business; and

 

  · debt incurred in making acquisitions may reduce our financial flexibility to pursue other opportunities or invest in internal growth.

 

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Each of these types of risks could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

We may have difficulty integrating the operations of any companies we acquire, which could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from what we anticipated.

 

The success of our acquisition strategy will depend on our ability to continue to successfully integrate any businesses we may acquire in the future. The integration of these businesses into our operations may result in unforeseen operating difficulties, absorb significant management attention, and require significant financial resources that would otherwise be available for the ongoing development of our business. These integration difficulties include the integration of personnel with disparate business backgrounds, the transition of new information systems, coordination of geographically dispersed organizations, loss of key employees of acquired companies, and reconciliation of different corporate cultures. For these or other reasons, we may be unable to retain key customers of acquired companies. Moreover, any acquired business may fail to generate the revenue or net income we expected or produce the efficiencies or cost-savings we anticipated. Any of these outcomes could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

We have substantial investments in recorded goodwill as a result of prior acquisitions and change in future business conditions could cause these investments to become impaired, requiring substantial write-downs that would reduce our operating income.

 

Goodwill accounts for $15,533,964 of our recorded total assets as of June 30, 2022. We evaluate the recoverability of recorded goodwill amounts annually or when evidence of potential impairment exists. The annual impairment test is based on several factors requiring judgment. Principally, a decrease in expected reporting unit cash flows or changes in market conditions may indicate potential impairment of recorded goodwill. If there is an impairment, we would be required to write down the recorded amount of goodwill, which would be reflected as a charge against operating income and would reduce the value of our total assets and our total equity on our balance sheet.

 

Risks Related to our Indebtedness

 

Servicing our debt requires a significant amount of cash, and we may not have sufficient cash flow from our business to pay our substantial debt.

 

We have substantial indebtedness. We expect to have approximately $13,700,000 of debt immediately following the completion of this offering, the majority of which matures in calendar year 2024. Following the completion of this offering the Company expects to have cash on hand in excess of $6,000,000, which we intend to use, in part, to fund future acquisitions. Should we exhaust our cash on hand to fund future acquisitions, and our business fails to generate cash flow from operations sufficient to service our debt and make necessary capital expenditures we may be required to adopt one or more alternatives, such as selling assets, restructuring debt or obtaining equity capital on terms that may be onerous or highly dilutive. Such a “fire sale” would materially and adversely affect the value of our common stock.

 

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Risks Related to our Operations

 

We must comply with a variety of laws and regulations, and our failure to comply could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated.

 

We must observe laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration, and performance of USG, state, local and foreign government contracts which affect how we do business with our customers and may impose added costs on our business. In certain foreign jurisdictions, these regulatory requirements may be more stringent than those in the U.S. Noncompliance with applicable regulations or requirements could subject us to investigations, sanctions, enforcement actions, disgorgement of profits, fines, damages, civil and criminal penalties, or injunctions. If any governmental sanctions are imposed, or if we do not prevail in any possible civil or criminal litigation, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. In addition, responding to any action will likely result in a significant diversion of management’s attention and resources and an increase in professional fees. Enforcement actions and sanctions could harm our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

 

Our failure to comply with these or other laws and regulations could result in contract termination, loss of security clearances, suspension, or debarment from contracting with the USG, civil fines and damages and criminal prosecution and penalties, any of which could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

Systems failures may disrupt our business and have an adverse effect on our operating results.

 

Any systems failures, including network, software or hardware failures, whether caused by us, a third-party service provider, unauthorized intruders and hackers, computer viruses, natural disasters, power shortages or terrorist attacks, could cause loss of data or interruptions or delays in our business or that of our customers. Like other companies, we have experienced cyber security threats to our data and systems, our Company sensitive information, and our IT infrastructure, including attempted malware and computer virus attacks, unauthorized access, systems failures, and temporary disruptions. Prior attempted cyber-attacks directed at us have not had a material adverse impact on our business and financial results, and we believe that our continuing commitment toward threat detection and mitigation processes and procedures will reduce such impact in the future. Due to the evolving nature of these security threats, however, the impact of any future incident cannot be predicted. In addition, the failure or disruption of our mail, communications, or utilities could cause us to interrupt or suspend our operations or otherwise harm our business. Our property and business interruption insurance may be inadequate to compensate us for all losses that may occur as a result of any system or operational failure or disruption and, as a result, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

The systems and networks that we maintain for our customers, although highly redundant in their design, could also fail. If a system or network we maintain were to fail or experience service interruptions, we might experience loss of revenue or face claims for damages or contract termination.

 

Our errors and omissions liability insurance may be inadequate to compensate us for all the damages that we might incur and, as a result, our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

Customer systems failures could damage our reputation and adversely affect our operating results.

 

Many of the systems that we develop, integrate, maintain, otherwise support or use involve managing and protecting intelligence, national security, and other sensitive government information. While we have programs designed to protect such information and comply with all relevant privacy and security requirements, the threats that our clients face have grown more frequent and sophisticated. A security breach or system failure in a system that we develop, integrate, maintain or otherwise support could result in a loss of revenue, remediation costs, claims for damages or contract termination and our errors and omissions liability insurance may be inadequate to compensate us from all the damages that we might incur. Any such event could also cause serious damage to our reputation and prevent us from having access to or being eligible further work on such sensitive systems for USG customers.

 

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In addition, to provide services to our customers, we often depend upon or use customer systems that are supported by the customer or third parties. Any security breach or system failure in such systems could result in an interruption of our customer’s operations, significant delays under a contract, and material adverse effect on our results of operations.

 

Given these risks, Castellum is adopting mitigation measures in the form of implementing CMMC which is a framework of various cybersecurity standards and best practices that is a requirement for government contractors working with the DoD. This framework includes evaluation and certification by third parties. This is the same program that is being adopted by others with whom we work providing further information assurance. Additionally, all systems we have deployed and are employing meet the CMMC system requirements; key data is backed-up; system administration is being centralized as part of the integration of acquired companies and multi-factor authentication is being deployed throughout the Company.

 

Our failure to adequately protect our confidential information and proprietary rights may harm our competitive position.

 

Our success depends, in part, upon our ability to protect our proprietary information. Although our employees are subject to confidentiality obligations, this protection may be inadequate to deter misappropriation of our proprietary information. In addition, we may be unable to detect unauthorized use of our proprietary information in order to take appropriate steps to enforce our rights. If we are unable to prevent third parties from infringing or misappropriating our proprietary information, our competitive position could be harmed, and our actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated.

 

The effects of health epidemics, pandemics and similar outbreaks may have material adverse effects on our business, financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

 

We face various risks related to health epidemics, pandemics, and similar outbreaks, including the global outbreak of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic and the mitigation efforts to control its spread have adversely impacted the U.S and global economies, leading to disruptions and volatility in global capital markets. While we have taken steps to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our employees and our business, the continued spread of COVID-19 may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows as the result of significant portions of our workforce being unable to work due to illness, quarantines, government actions, facility closures or other restrictions; the inability for us to fully perform on our contracts; delays or limits to the ability of the USG or other customers to make timely payments; incurrence of increased costs which may not be recoverable; adverse impacts on our access to capital; or other unpredictable events. We continue to monitor the effect of COVID-19 on our business, but we cannot predict the full impact of Covid-19 as the extent of the impact will depend on the duration and spread of the pandemic and the actions taken by Federal, state, local and foreign governments to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

 

Risks Relating to our Common Stock, Preferred Stock, and the Offering

 

Future sales or potential sales of our common stock in the public market could cause our share price to decline.

 

If the existing holders of our common stock, particularly our directors, officers, and other 5% stockholders, sell a large number of shares, they could adversely affect the market price for our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.

 

 Because we will not pay dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future, stockholders will only benefit from owning common stock if it appreciates.

 

We have never paid cash dividends on our common stock, and we do not intend to do so in the foreseeable future. We intend to retain any future earnings to finance our growth. Accordingly, any potential investor who anticipates the need for current dividends from his investment should not purchase our common stock.

 

Our share price has been, and will likely continue to be, volatile, and you may be unable to resell your shares at or above the price at which you acquired them.

 

The trading price of our common stock has been, and is likely to continue to be, highly volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. The market price for our securities may be influenced by many factors that are beyond our control, including, but not limited to:

 

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·whether our results of operations meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors;

 

·departures of key personnel;

 

·actual or anticipated changes in the expectations or securities analysts;

 

·litigation involving us, our industry, or both;

 

·regulatory developments in the U.S., foreign countries or both;

 

·price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;

 

·fluctuations in the trading volume of our shares or the size of the public float;

 

·variations in our revenue and operating expenses;

 

·market conditions in our industry and the economy as a whole;

 

·actual or expected changes in our growth rates or our competitors’ growth rates;

 

·developments or disputes concerning intellectual and proprietary rights;

 

·developments in the financial markets and worldwide or regional economies;

 

·variations in our financial results or those of companies that are perceived to be similar to us;

 

·announcements by the government relating to regulations that govern our industry;

 

·sales of our common stock or other securities by us or in the open market;

 

·changes in the market valuations of other comparable companies;

 

·general economic, industry and market conditions;

 

·major catastrophic events; and

 

·the other factors described in this “Risk Factors” section.

 

In addition, if the market for technology stocks or the stock market in general experiences a loss of investor confidence, the trading price of our common stock could decline for reasons unrelated to our business, results of operations, or financial condition. The trading price of our common stock might also decline in reaction to events that affect other companies in our industry even if these events do not directly affect us. In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. If our stock price is volatile, we may become the target of securities litigation. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources from our business. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

 

Investors in this offering will experience immediate and substantial dilution in net tangible book value.

 

The public offering price per share will be substantially higher than the net tangible book value per share of our outstanding shares of common stock. As a result, investors in this offering will incur immediate dilution of $3.91 per share, based on the assumed public offering price of $ 4.00 per share. Investors in this offering will pay a price per share that substantially exceeds the book value of our assets after subtracting our liabilities. See “Dilution” for a more complete description of how the value of your investment will be diluted upon the completion of this offering.

 

Shares of our common stock that have not been registered under federal securities laws are subject to resale restrictions imposed by Rule 144, including those set forth in Rule 144(i) which apply to a former “shell company.”

 

Prior to the Bayberry Acquisition, the Company was once an entity with no or nominal operations and no or nominal non-cash assets (otherwise known as a “shell company”). Pursuant to Rule 144 promulgated under the Securities Act, sales of the securities of a former shell company, such as us, under Rule 144 are not permitted (i) until at least 12 months have elapsed from the date on which we have first filed current “Form 10 information,” reflecting our status as a non-shell company, with the SEC (the filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part fulfills this requirement); and (ii) unless at the time of a proposed sale, we are subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part we will become subject to the reporting rules under the Exchange Act and expect to remain subject to the reporting requirements under the Exchange Act. Sales may not be made under Rule 144 unless we are in compliance with the requirements of Rule 144. Further, it will be more difficult for us to raise funding to support our operations through the sale of debt or equity securities unless we agree to register such securities under the Securities Act which could cause us to expend significant time and cash resources.

 

Additionally, our previous status as a shell company could also limit our use of our securities to pay for any acquisitions we may seek to pursue in the future. The lack of liquidity of our securities as a result of the inability to sell under Rule 144 for a longer period of time than a non-former shell company could cause the market price of our securities to decline or make it difficult to establish a trading market in our shares.

 

Our failure to meet the continued listing requirements of the NYSE American could result in a delisting of our common stock and subject us to the penny stock rules.

 

If our common stock is approved for listing on the NYSE American and we subsequently fail to meet any of NYSE American’s continued listing requirements, our common stock may be delisted. In addition, our Board of Directors (the “Board”) may determine that the cost of maintaining our listing on a national securities exchange outweighs the benefits of such listing. A delisting of our common stock from the NYSE American may materially impair our stockholders’ ability to buy and sell our common stock and could have an adverse effect on the market price of, and the efficiency of the trading market for, our common stock. The delisting of our common stock could significantly impair our ability to raise capital and the value of your investment. The delisting of our common stock would also subject us to the rules adopted by the SEC that regulate broker-dealer practices in connection with transactions in penny stocks. Penny stocks are generally equity securities with a price of less than $5.00, other than securities registered on certain national securities exchanges or authorized for quotation on certain automated quotation systems, provided that current price and volume information with respect to transactions in such securities is provided by the exchange or system. The penny stock rules require a broker-dealer, before a transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, to deliver a standardized risk disclosure document containing specified information. In addition, the penny stock rules require that before effecting any transaction in a penny stock not otherwise exempt from those rules, a broker-dealer must make a special written determination that the penny stock is a suitable investment for the purchaser and receive (i) the purchaser’s written acknowledgment of the receipt of a risk disclosure statement; (ii) a written agreement to transactions involving penny stocks; and (iii) a signed and dated copy of a written suitability statement. These disclosure requirements may have the effect of reducing the trading activity in the secondary market for our common stock, and as a result, stockholders may have difficulty selling their shares.

 

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The proposed Reverse Stock Split may decrease the liquidity of our common stock.

 

The liquidity of our common stock may be affected adversely by the reverse stock split (the “Reverse Stock Split”) given the reduced number of shares of common stock that will be outstanding following the Reverse Stock Split. In addition, the Reverse Stock Split will increase the number of stockholders who own odd lots (less than 100 shares) of our common stock, creating the potential for such stockholders to experience an increase in the cost of selling their common stock and greater difficulty effecting such sales.

 

We currently have limited stock trading liquidity and there is no guarantee of future stock trading liquidity.

 

Our common stock has limited stock trading liquidity. While we are doing this offering and a related listing of our stock to the NYSE American with the expectation that our dollar trading volume will increase, historically, we have only had an average of 35,471 shares of trading volume over the thirty (30) day period ending August 24, 2022, and there is no guarantee that the stock trading after this offering will increase.

 

Following the Reverse Stock Split the resulting market price of our common stock may not attract new investors, including institutional investors, and may not satisfy the investing requirements of those investors. Consequently, the trading liquidity of our common stock may not improve.

 

Although we believe that a higher market price of our common stock may help generate greater or broader investor interest, there can be no assurance that the Reverse Stock Split will result in a common stock price that will attract new investors, including institutional investors. In addition, there can be no assurance that the market price of our common stock will satisfy the investing requirements of those investors.

 

We have broad discretion in the use of the net proceeds from this offering and may not use them effectively.

 

Our management will have broad discretion in the application of the net proceeds, including for any of the purposes described in the section of this prospectus entitled “Use of Proceeds.” You will be relying on the judgment of our management regarding the use of these net proceeds, and you will not have the opportunity, as part of your investment decision, to assess whether the net proceeds are being used appropriately. The failure by our management to apply these funds effectively could result in financial losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business and cause the price of our securities to decline. Pending the application of these funds, we may invest the net proceeds from this offering in a manner that does not produce income or that loses value.

 

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Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock following this offering may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and the issuance of additional shares will dilute all other stockholders.

 

Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market or otherwise following this offering, or the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. After completion of this offering at an assumed public offering price of $4.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, our existing stockholders will own approximately 94% of our common stock assuming there is no exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.

 

After completion of this offering at an assumed public offering price of $4.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, there will be 47,896,786 shares of our common stock outstanding. Thus, we will have the ability to issue substantial amounts of common stock in the future, which would dilute the percentage ownership held by the investors who purchase shares of our common stock in this offering.

 

We and our officers, directors and certain stockholders have agreed, subject to customary exceptions, not to, without the prior written consent of EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC, the representative of the underwriters, during the period ending 180 days from the date of this offering in the case of us and our directors and officers, and 90 days from the date of this offering in the case of our stockholders who beneficially own more than 5% of our common stock directly or indirectly, offer to sell, pledge or otherwise transfer or dispose of any of shares of our common stock, enter into any swap or other derivatives transaction that transfers to another any of the economic benefits or risks of ownership of shares of our common stock, make any demand for or exercise any right or cause to be filed a registration statement, including any amendments thereto, with respect to the registration of any shares of common stock or securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for common stock or any other securities of the Company or publicly disclose the intention to do any of the foregoing. After the holding periods have expired, the directors and officers and other beneficial stockholders may elect to sell a substantial number of shares of common stock in the public market which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

 

The holders of our Series A preferred stock and Series C preferred stock receive cash dividends.

 

The holders of our Series A preferred stock and Series C preferred stock receive cash dividends and have a seniority in liquidation preference to the holders of our common stock. To date, we have not paid any dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying any dividends in the foreseeable future.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” and will be able to avail ourselves of reduced disclosure requirements applicable to emerging growth companies, which could make our common stock less attractive to investors.

 

We are an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.

 

We may take advantage of these reporting exemptions until we are no longer an “emerging growth Company.” We will remain an “emerging growth company” until the earliest of  (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have total annual gross revenues of  $1,070,000,000 or more; (ii) the last day of our fiscal year following the fifth anniversary of the date of the completion of this offering; (iii) the date on which we have issued more than $1,000,000,000 in nonconvertible debt during the previous three years; or (iv) the date on which we are deemed to be a large accelerated filer under the rules of the SEC.

 

The financial and operational projections that we may make from time to time are subject to inherent risks.

 

The forward-looking statements that we provide herein, or our management team may provide from time to time reflect numerous assumptions made by management, including assumptions with respect to our specific as well as general business, regulatory, economic, market, and financial conditions and other matters, all of which are difficult to predict and many which are beyond our control. Accordingly, there is a risk that the assumptions made in preparing the projections, or the projections themselves, will prove inaccurate. There may be differences between actual and projected results, and actual results may be materially different from those contained in the projections. The inclusion of these forward-looking statements in this prospectus should not be regarded as an indication that we, our management, or their representatives considered or consider the projections to be a guaranteed prediction of future events, and the projections should not be relied upon as such.

 

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An investment in our Company may involve tax implications, and you are encouraged to consult your own advisors as neither we nor any related parties are offering any tax assurances or guidance regarding our Company or your investment.

 

As investment in our Company generally involves complex U.S. Federal, state and local income tax considerations. Neither the Internal Revenue Service (“the “IRS”) nor any state or local taxing authority has reviewed the transactions described herein and may take different positions than the ones contemplated by management. You are strongly urged to consult your own tax and other advisors prior to investing, as neither we nor any of our officers, directors or related parties are offering you tax or similar advice or are any such persons making any representations and warranties regarding such matters.

  

Anti-takeover provisions in our charter documents and Nevada law could discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our company and may affect the trading price of our common stock.

 

We are a Nevada corporation and the anti-takeover provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes may discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control by prohibiting us from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the person becomes an interested stockholder, even if a change in control would be beneficial to our existing stockholders. An interested stocked is a person who, together with the affiliates and associates, beneficially owns (or within the prior two years, did beneficially own) ten percent or more of the Company’s capital stock entitled to vote. In addition, our amended and restated articles of incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation”) and amended and restated bylaws (the “Amended and Restated Bylaws”) may discourage, delay, or prevent a change in our management or control over us that stockholders may consider favorable. Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws (i) authorize the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock that could be issued by our Board to thwart a takeover attempt; (ii) provide that vacancies on our Board, including newly created directorships, may be filled by a majority vote of directors then in office, (iii) provide that the Board shall have the sole power to adopt, amend, or repeal the Amended and Restated Bylaws, and (iv) requires a stockholder to provide advance written notice of a stockholder proposal.

 

Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws contain an exclusive forum provision, which could limit our stockholders’ ability to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees, or agents.

 

Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, and unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada, shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for state law claims with respect to: (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought in the name or right of the Company or on its behalf, (b) any action asserting a claim for breach of any fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or agent of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (c) any action arising or asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of NRS Chapters 78 or 92A or any provision of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated Bylaws, or (d) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, including, without limitation, any action to interpret, apply, enforce, or determine the validity of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated Bylaws. Pursuant to Article IX of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, and for the avoidance of doubt, this exclusive forum provision shall not be applicable to any action brought under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and that unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. Section 27 of the Exchange Act creates exclusive federal jurisdiction over all suits brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Exchange Act or the rules and regulations thereunder, and Section 22 of the Securities Act creates concurrent jurisdiction for federal and state courts over all suites brought to enforce any duty or liability created by the Securities Act or the rules and regulations thereunder. Investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Company shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of Article IX of our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Article XIII of our Amended and Restated Bylaws. There exists uncertainty, however, as to whether such forum selection provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws would be enforced by a court.

 

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The choice of forum provision in our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws may limit our stockholders’ ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that they find favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers, employees, or agents, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers, employees, and agents even though an action, if successful, might benefit our stockholders. The applicable courts may also reach different judgments or results than would other courts, including courts where a stockholder considering an action may be located or would otherwise choose to bring the action, and such judgments or results may be more favorable to us than to our stockholders. With respect to the provision making the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada the sole and exclusive forum for certain types of actions, stockholders who do bring a claim in the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada could face additional litigation costs in pursuing any such claim, particularly if they do not reside in or near Nevada. Finally, if a court were to find this provision of our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in respect of, one or more of the specified types of actions or proceedings, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving such matters in other jurisdictions, could have a material adverse effect on us.

 

Our management collectively owns a substantial amount of our common stock.

 

Collectively, our officers and directors own or exercise voting and investment control of approximately 98.6% of our outstanding common stock and after this offering will control 51.9% of the voting power of the Company. As a result, unless required by a stock exchange rule, investors may be prevented from affecting matters involving our Company, including:

 

·the composition of our Board and, through it, any determination with respect to our business direction and policies, including the appointment and removal of officers;

·any determination with respect to mergers or other business combinations;

·our acquisition or disposition of assets; and

·our corporate financing activities.

 

Furthermore, this concentration of voting power could have the effect of delaying, deterring, or preventing a change of control or other business combination that might otherwise be beneficial to our stockholders. This significant concentration of share ownership may also adversely affect the trading price of our common stock because investors may perceive disadvantages in owning stock in a Company that is controlled by a small number of stockholders.

 

Although our Company does not intend to utilize the controlled company exemptions to the NYSE American corporate governance listing standards, if we are eligible to utilize the controlled company exemptions in the future, we may choose to do so. In such instance we would be exempted from, among other things, the requirements to have a board with a majority of independent members and the requirement that we have a nominating and governance committee and compensation committee that are composed entirely of independent directors and have written charters addressing the respective committee’s purpose and responsibilities. Our Company’s reliance on such exemption would likely result in a reduction in transparency to shareholders on various governance matters which could negatively impact their investment decisions.

 

We have identified a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting. If we fail to establish and maintain an effective system of internal control or disclosure controls and procedures are not effective, we may not be able to report our financial results accurately and timely or to prevent fraud. Any inability to report and file our financial results accurately and timely could harm our reputation and adversely impact the trading price of our common stock.

 

Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Section 404”), requires that we maintain internal control over financial reporting that meets applicable standards. We may err in the design or operation of our controls, and all internal control systems, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Because there are inherent limitations in all control systems, there can be no assurance that all control issues have been or will be detected. If we are unable, or are perceived as unable, to produce reliable financial reports due to internal control deficiencies, investors could lose confidence in our reported financial information and operating results, which could result in a negative market reaction and a decrease in our stock price.

 

We have identified a material weakness in our internal controls related to the accounting and review over complex accounting transactions. In April 2022 the Company hired David T. Bell as its CFO. As CFO, Mr. Bell will leverage his 28 years of public accounting experience, including his extensive knowledge of complex accounting issues and internal controls, to help the Company design and implement effective controls over complex accounting. Those controls will include his review of all significant complex accounting transactions. There can be no assurances that weakness in our internal controls will not occur in the future. If we identify new material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, if we are unable to comply with the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner, if we are unable to assert that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, or if our independent registered public accounting firm is unable to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting (if and when required), we may be late with the filing of our periodic reports, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock could be negatively affected. As a result of such failures, we could also become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our securities are listed, the SEC, or other regulatory authorities, and become subject to litigation from investors and stockholders, which could harm our reputation, financial condition or divert financial and management resources from our core business and would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

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If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about us, our business or our market, or they make and then change their recommendations regarding our common stock adversely, the price of our common stock and trading volumes could decline.

 

The trading market for our common stock may be influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts may publish about us, our business, our market, and our competitors. If any of the analysts who may cover us change their recommendation regarding our common stock adversely, or provide more favorable relative recommendations about our competitors, the price of our common stock would likely decline. If any analyst who may cover us was to cease coverage of our Company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the price of our common stock or trading volume to decline.

 

In making your investment decision, you should understand that we have not authorized any other party to provide you with information concerning us or this offering.

 

You should carefully evaluate all of the information in this prospectus before investing in our Company. We may receive media coverage regarding our Company, including coverage that is not directly attributable to statements made by our officers, that incorrectly reports on statements made by our officers or employees, or that is misleading as a result of omitting information provided to us, our officers, or employees. We have not authorized any other party to provide you with information concerning us or this offering, and you should not rely on this information in making an investment decision.

 

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CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

 

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that present our current expectations or forecasts of future events. These statements do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and include statements regarding, among other things, our projected revenue growth and profitability, our growth strategies and opportunity, anticipated trends in our market and our anticipated needs for working capital. They are generally identifiable by use of the words “may,” “will,” “should,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “plans,” “potential,” “projects,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expects,” “management believes,” “we believe,” “we intend” or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. These statements may be found under the sections entitled “Prospectus Summary,” “Risk Factors,” “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Business,” as well as in this prospectus generally. In particular, these statements relate to future actions, prospective products and services, market acceptance, future performance or results of current and anticipated products and services, sales efforts, expenses, and the outcome of contingencies such as legal proceedings and financial results.

 

Examples of forward-looking statements in this prospectus include, but are not limited to, our expectations regarding our business strategy, business prospects, operating results, operating expenses, working capital, liquidity, and capital expenditure requirements. Important assumptions relating to the forward-looking statements include, among others, assumptions regarding demand for our products and services, the cost, terms, and availability of components, pricing levels, the timing and cost of capital expenditures, competitive conditions, and general economic conditions. These statements are based on our management’s expectations, beliefs, and assumptions concerning future events affecting us, which in turn are based on currently available information. These assumptions could prove inaccurate. Although we believe that the estimates and projections reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may prove to be incorrect.

 

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results and events anticipated or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

 

·changes in the market acceptance of our products and services;

 

·overall levels of government spending, including defense spending and spending on IT services;

 

·increased levels of competition;

 

·changes in political, economic or regulatory conditions generally and in the markets in which we operate;

 

·adverse conditions in the industries in which our customers operate;

 

·our ability to retain and attract senior management and other employees;

 

·our ability to respond quickly and effectively to new technological developments;

 

·our ability to protect our trade secrets or other proprietary rights, operate without infringing upon the proprietary rights of others and prevent others from infringing on the proprietary rights of the Company;

 

·U.S government imposes sequestration in the absence of an approved budget or CR;

 

·existing revenues related to small business are not replaced by other opportunities;

 

·our Company fails to win prime contracts or acquire companies with prime contract vehicles; and

 

·other risks, including those described in the “Risk Factors” discussion of this prospectus.

 

We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for us to predict all of those risks, nor can we assess the impact of all of those risks on our business or the extent to which any factor may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement. The forward-looking statements in this prospectus are based on assumptions management believes are reasonable. However, due to the uncertainties associated with forward-looking statements, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Further, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and unless required by law, we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to publicly update any of them in light of new information, future events, or otherwise. 

 

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EXPLANATORY NOTE REGARDING REVERSE STOCK SPLIT

 

We will effect a reverse stock split of our common stock at a ratio of 1-for-20 following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the closing of this offering. No fractional shares will be issued in connection with the reverse stock split and all such fractional interests will be rounded up to the nearest whole number of shares of common stock, except if the stockholder has less than one share then they shall receive a cash payment for such fractional share. The conversion or exercise prices of our issued and outstanding convertible securities, stock options and warrants will be adjusted accordingly. All information presented in this prospectus other than in our financial statements and the notes thereto assumes a 1-for 20 reverse stock split of our outstanding shares of common stock, and unless otherwise indicated, all such amounts and corresponding conversion price or exercise price data set forth in this prospectus have been adjusted to give effect to such assumed reverse stock split. 

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

We estimate that the net proceeds from the sale of the shares that we are offering will be approximately $9,862,400 (or approximately $11,628,800 if the underwriter exercises its option to purchase additional shares of common stock from us in full), based on an assumed public offering price of $4.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of our common stock by the Selling Stockholders. We anticipate paying approximately $2,750,000 for repayment of debt, $3,000,000 to fund additional acquisitions, and approximately $1,000,000 for working capital and general corporate purposes. We currently have no agreements or commitments for any acquisitions and no guarantee can be made that we will make such acquisitions in the future. The repayment of debt of approximately $2,750,000 is to satisfy, in part, principal and interest remaining under the amended and restated convertible promissory note payable to the Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust in the principal amount of $3,709,617, which has a per annum interest rate of five percent (5%) and a maturity date of September 30, 2024.

 

Each $0.10 increase or decrease in the assumed public offering price of $4.00 per share would increase or decrease our net proceeds from this offering by approximately $246,560, assuming that the number of shares offered by us remains the same, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. An increase or decrease of 1,000,000 in the number of shares offered by us would increase or decrease our net proceeds from this offering by approximately $3,680,000 assuming no change in the assumed public offering price per share, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us. We do not expect that a change in the offering price or the number of shares by these amounts would have a material effect on our intended uses of the net proceeds from this offering, although it may impact the amount of time prior to which we may need to seek additional capital.

  

Our expected use of net proceeds from this offering represents our current intentions based upon our present plans and business condition. The amount and timing of our actual expenditures will depend on numerous factors, including our ability to integrate the acquisitions previously purchased, sales and marketing activities and the amount of cash generated or used by our operations. We may find it necessary or advisable to use portions of the proceeds for other purposes, and we will have broad discretion and flexibility in the application of the net proceeds. Pending these uses, the proceeds will be invested in short-term bank deposits.

 

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MARKET FOR OUR COMMON STOCK AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

 

Market and Other Information

 

The following table sets forth the quarterly high and low sales price of our common stock on the OTC Pink for the two most recent calendar years. These prices are based on inter-dealer bid and asked prices, without markup, markdown, commissions, or adjustments and may not represent actual transactions.

 

Period   High     Low  
Calendar Year 2022:                
First Quarter   $ 4.97     $ 2.72  
Second Quarter     5.73       3.40  
Third Quarter     5.60       3.40  
                 
Calendar Year 2021:                
First Quarter   $ 2.80     $ 1.30  
Second Quarter     7.60       2.02  
Third Quarter     6.78       4.00  
Fourth Quarter     5.38       3.00  
                 
Calendar Year 2020:                
First Quarter   $ 2.50     $ 1.30  
Second Quarter     2.60       1.10  
Third Quarter     2.50       1.62  
Fourth Quarter     2.40       1.24  

 

Listing

 

Our common stock is currently quoted on the OTC Pink Marketplace operated by OTC Markets Group Inc. (the “OTC Pink”) under the trading symbol “ONOV”. We have applied to list our common stock on the NYSE American under the symbol “CTM”.

 

Immediately following the offering, we expect to have one class of common stock outstanding. As of August 24, 2022, there were approximately 262 registered holders of record of our common stock, and the last reported sale price of our common stock on the OTC Pink was $5.08 per share on September 1, 2022. The number of registered holders does not include shares held in brokerage accounts. OTC Pink does not constitute an established stock exchange. Over-the-counter market quotations reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.

 

Dividend Policy

 

To date, we have not paid any dividends on our common stock and do not anticipate paying any dividends in the foreseeable future. The declaration and payment of dividends on the common stock is at the discretion of our Board and will depend on, among other things, our operating results, financial condition, capital requirements, contractual restrictions or such other factors as our Board may deem relevant. We currently expect to use all available funds to finance future acquisitions and the future development and expansion of our business and do not anticipate paying dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

 

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans

 

As of August 24, 2022, there were 2,500,000 shares authorized under the Castellum, Inc. 2021 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Stock Incentive Plan”). Options granted in the future under the Stock Incentive Plan are within the discretion of our CEO.

 

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CAPITALIZATION

 

The following table sets forth our consolidated cash and capitalization as of June 30, 2022. Such information is set forth on the following basis:

 

·actual basis; and

 

·

on a pro forma as adjusted basis, giving further effect to significant transactions in connection with the Offering as follows and which are each identified by the following (a) through (j) letters in the Proforma As Adjusted (Unaudited) column of the table set forth on the following page:  (a) the issuance of 2,680,000 at an estimated price of  an assumed offering price of $ 4.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, net of an estimated 8% commission for a total of $9,862,400; (b) the payment of $2,709,617 under the Amended BCR Trust Note; (c) recognition of the amortization of discounts to the BCR Trust ($776,441); (d) the conversion of $1,000,000 of the principal amount outstanding under the Amended BCR Trust Note into 3,846,154 shares of common stock at $0.26 per share; (e) conversion of 3,054,000 shares of our Series B preferred stock outstanding immediately prior to this offering into 15,270,000 shares of common stock concurrently with this offering; (f) recognition of the amortization of discounts on the CCF Note; (g) conversion of the $1,050,000 principal amount outstanding under the CCF Note into 656,250 shares of common stock at $1.60 per share; (h) settling of conversion feature and warrant liabilities recognized at inception of the CCF Note and marked to market through June 30, 2022; (i) recognition of the amortization of deferred issuance costs related to the CCF Note; and (j) recognition of the exercising of warrants in connection with the CCF Note into 656,250 common shares.

 

The information below is illustrative only and our capitalization following the completion of this offering will be adjusted based on the actual public offering price and other terms of this offering determined at pricing. You should read this table together with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our audited and unaudited consolidated financial statements and the related notes appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. The share and per share information in the following table does not reflect the proposed Reverse Stock Split of the outstanding common stock that is expected to occur immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

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   Actual
(Unaudited)
June 30, 2022
   Proforma
As
Adjusted
(Unaudited)
  
Cash  $2,057,752   $9,331,285  a,b,j 
Long term debt, including current portions:             
Convertible Promissory Notes - Related Parties   338,543    -  b,c,d 
Convertible Promissory Notes   461,026    -  f,g 
Notes Payable   7,971,509    7,971,509    
Note Payable - Related Party   400,000    400,000    
Revolving Credit Facility   300,025    300,025    
Due to Seller   651,003    651,003    
Total debt   10,122,106    9,322,537    
Total liabilities   14,314,883    13,342,314  h 
Stockholders’ Equity             
Preferred stock, 50,000,000 shares authorized             
Series A, par value $0.0001; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 5,875,000 issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022   588    588    
Series B, par value $0.0001; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 3,075,000 issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022   307    2  e 
Series C, par value $0.0001; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 770,000 issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022   77    77    
Common stock, par value $0.0001; 10,000,000,000 shares authorized, 495,762,646 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022   49,576    95,793  a,d,e,g,j 
Additional paid in capital   36,329,735    48,316,973   a,d,e,g,j 
Accumulated deficit   (17,246,906)   (21,079,333 )c,f,h,i 
Total Stockholders’ equity   19,133,377    27,334,100   
Total Capitalization  $29,255,483   $36,656,637    

 

Each $0.10 increase or decrease in the assumed public offering price of $4.00 per share would increase or decrease, as applicable, our cash, additional paid-in capital, total stockholders’ equity and total capitalization by approximately $246,560, assuming that the number of shares offered by us remains the same, and after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

Each increase or decrease of 1,000,000 shares to the shares offered by us in the offering would increase or decrease the amount of our cash and total stockholders’ equity by approximately $3,680,000, assuming a public offering price of $4.00 per share, after deducting estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

The above discussion and table is based on 24,788,133 outstanding shares of common stock as of August 24, 2022 and excludes:

 

  ·

10,730,769 shares of common stock issuable upon the conversion of approximately $2,790,000 of principal and accrued interest outstanding under the amended and restated convertible promissory note payable to the Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust to be repaid with the proceeds of this offering;

 

  ·

2,500,000 shares of common stock reserved for future issuance under the Stock Incentive Plan;

 

  ·

5,025,000 shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of stock options;

 

  ·

3,522,585 shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon the exercise of warrants;

 

  · the exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option to purchase additional shares; and

 

  · the exercise of the warrants to be issued to the representative of the underwriters in connection with this offering as described in the “Underwriting — Underwriter Warrants” section of this prospectus.

 

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Immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, we expect to effect the Reverse Stock Split. No fractional shares of the Company’s common stock will be issued as a result of the Reverse Stock Split, except if the stockholder has less than one share then they shall receive a cash payment for such fractional share. Any fractional shares resulting from the Reverse Stock Split will be rounded up to the nearest whole share.

  

DILUTION

 

If you invest in our securities, your ownership interest will be diluted immediately to the extent of the difference between the public offering price per share you pay in this offering and the as adjusted net tangible book value per share of common stock immediately following this offering.

 

Net tangible book value per common share represents the amount of our total tangible assets less total liabilities, divided by the number of shares of common stock outstanding. Our net tangible book value as of June 30, 2022 was approximately ($4,030,139) or ($0.16) per share of common stock, based upon 24,788,132 shares of common stock outstanding.

  

After giving effect to the sale of shares of common stock in this offering, at the assumed public offering price of $4.00 per share, which is the midpoint of the price range set forth on the cover page of this prospectus, and after deducting the underwriting discount and commission and our estimated offering expenses, our as adjusted net tangible book value as of June 30, 2022 would have been $4,170,584 or $0.09 per share. This represents an immediate increase in net tangible book value (deficit) of $.25 per share to existing stockholders and an immediate dilution of $3.91 per share to new investors purchasing shares in the offering. If the public offering price is higher or lower than the assumed public offering price, the dilution to new investors will be greater or lower, respectively.

 

The following table illustrates this per share dilution: 

 

Assumed public offering price per share           $  4.00  
Net tangible book value (deficit) per share as of June 30, 2022   $ (0.16 )        
                 
Increase in net tangible book value per share attributable to this offering     0.25          
Pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value per share after this offering                0.09  
Dilution in net tangible book value per share to new investors           $  3.91  

 

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If the underwriter’s overallotment option is exercised in full, the pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value following the offering will be $0.12 per share, and the dilution to new investors in the offering will be $3.88 per share.

 

A $0.10 increase (decrease) in the assumed public offering price of $4.00 per share would result in an incremental increase (decrease) in our pro forma as adjusted net tangible book value of approximately $246,560 or approximately $0.01 per share, and would result in an incremental increase (decrease) in the dilution to new investors of approximately ($0.00) per share, assuming that the number of shares of our common stock sold by us in this offering remains the same, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

We may also increase or decrease the number of shares of common stock we are offering in this offering. An increase (decrease) of 1,000,000 shares in the estimated number of shares of common stock sold by us in this offering would result in an incremental increase (decrease) in our as adjusted net tangible book value of approximately $3,680,000, or approximately $0.07 per share, and would result in an incremental increase (decrease) in the dilution to new investors of ($0.07) per share, assuming that the assumed public offering price of the common stock remains the same and after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

 

The following table shows, as of August 24, 2022, on a pro forma as adjusted basis, the number of shares of our common stock purchased from us, the total consideration paid to us and the average price paid per share by officers, directors, and affiliated persons and by new investors purchasing common stock in this offering at an assumed initial public offering price of $4.00 per share (the midpoint of the estimated price range set forth on the cover of this prospectus), before deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses payable by us:

 

    Shares Purchased     Total Consideration     Weighted-
Average
 
                            Price Per  
    Number     Percent     Amount     Percent     Share  
Officers, directors, and affiliated persons     42,360,228       94.0%       10,681,694       49.9%     $ 0.26  
                                         
Investors participating in this offering     2,680,000        6.0%       10,720,000       50.1%       4.00   
Total     45,040,228        100.0%     21,401,694       100.0%     $0.48   

 

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

 

The following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of our operations should be read in conjunction with the “Summary Statements of Operations Data” and our consolidated financial statements and the notes to those statements appearing elsewhere in this prospectus. This discussion and analysis contain forward-looking statements reflecting our management’s current expectations that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Our actual results and the timing of events may differ materially from those described in or implied by these forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed below and elsewhere in this prospectus particularly on page 12 entitled “Risk Factors”.

 

The share and per share information in the following discussion does not reflect the proposed Reverse Stock Split of the outstanding common stock expected to occur immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Business Overview

 

Castellum, Inc. is focused on acquiring and growing technology companies in the areas of IT, electronic warfare, information warfare, information operations and cybersecurity with businesses in the governmental and commercial markets. Services include intelligence analysis, software development, software engineering, program management, strategic and mission planning, information assurance, cybersecurity and policy support, and data analytics. These services are applicable to customers in the Federal government, financial services, healthcare, and other users of large data applications. They can be delivered to on-premise enclaves or customers who rely upon cloud-based infrastructures. The Company has worked with multiple business brokers and contacts within their business network to identify potential acquisitions. Due to our success in completing six acquisitions over the previous three years and given our executive officers and key management member’s networks of contacts in the IT, telecom, cybersecurity, and defense sectors, we believe that we are well positioned to continue to execute our business strategy given a pipeline of identified and prequalified acquisition targets. Because of our executive officers and key management member’s prior experience growing businesses organically, we believe that we are well positioned to grow our existing business via internal growth as well. The Company has developed a qualified business opportunity pipeline of over $400 million.

 

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Our primary customers are agencies and departments of the U.S. Federal, state and local governments. Our expertise and technology support national security missions and government modernization for intelligence, defense, and federal civilian customers. The demand for our expertise and technology, in large measure, is created by the increasingly complex network, systems, and information environments in which governments and businesses operate, the global geo-political conditions impacting national security, and by the need to stay current with emerging technology while increasing productivity, enhancing security, and ultimately, improving performance.

 

We provide expertise and technology to enterprise and mission customers in support of national security missions and government modernization/transformation. Due to the nature of the work being executed for the USG the budgets continue to grow in support of the national security imperatives that are bipartisan. The majority of contracted work is operational in nature and is funded on an on-going basis.

 

Company leadership and our Board are well aware of the challenge our military will face in the future, from peer and near peer competitors, and that innovation will be necessary to maintain our military as the world’s premier defense force with overwhelming offensive force should that be necessary. To address military needs, our plan is to develop business teams that can undertake the larger system developments and provide superior technology services. Smaller business teams will also be created to evolve new technology and processes which will enable and improve our military effectiveness with these teams having the ability to provide advanced capabilities quickly and affordably. Our objective is to become a trusted partner in assisting our military to maintain superiority when compared to other forces. As innovation and new military processes are evolved and proven, solutions will be offered to avail these enhancements government wide. These will assist in introducing new levels of government service while reducing cost to the taxpayer.

 

To achieve Castellum’s objectives, the following solutions are offered:

 

  · Enterprise – We provide capabilities that enable the internal operations of a government agency. This includes digital solutions, such as business systems, agency-unique applications, investigative solutions, and enterprise IT. For example, Castellum customizes, implements, and maintains commercial-off-the-shelf (“COTS”) and customer enterprise resource planning (“ERP”) systems. This includes, financial, human capital, and supply chain management systems. Castellum also designs, integrates, deploys, and sustains enterprise-wide IT systems in a variety of models.

 

  · Mission – Castellum provides capabilities that enable the execution of a government agency’s primary function, or “mission”. For example, we support strategic and tactical mission customers with capabilities in areas such as command and control, communications, intelligence collection and analysis, signal intelligence (“SIGINT”), electronic warfare (“EW”), and cyber operations. Castellum develops tools and offerings in an open, software-defined architecture with multi-domain and multi-mission capabilities.

 

  · Expertise – Castellum provides expertise to both enterprise and mission customers. For enterprise customers, we deliver talent with the specific technical and functional knowledge to support internal agency operations. And for mission customers, we deliver talent with technical and domain knowledge to support the execution of an agency’s mission. We also deliver actionable intelligence through multi-source collection, aggregation, and analysis.

 

  · Technology – Castellum delivers technology to both enterprise and mission customers. For enterprise customers, technology includes developing and implementing digital solutions (business systems, agency-unique applications) and end-to-end enterprise IT systems. We continually advance infrastructure through migration to the cloud network modernization, active cyber defense, and the application of data operations and analytics. For mission customers, technology includes developing and deploying multi-domain offerings for signals intelligence, resilient communications, fee space optical communications, electronic warfare, and cyber operations. Castellum invests ahead of customer needs with research and development to generate unique intellectual property and differentiated technology addressing critical national security mission needs.

 

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Our Markets

 

We provide our expertise and technology to our domestic and international customers in the following market areas:

 

  · Digital Solutions – Castellum transforms how government does business. We modernize enterprise and agency-unique applications, enterprise infrastructure, and business processes to enhance productivity and increase user satisfaction. We use data analytics and visualization to provide insights and outcomes that optimize our customer’s operations.

 

  · C4ISR, Cyber & Space – Castellum teams ensure information superiority by delivering multi-domain command, control, communications, and computer (“C4”) technology and networks. Our software-defined, full-spectrum cyber, electronic warfare, and counter-unmanned aircraft systems (“C-UAS”) solutions provide electromagnetic spectrum advantage and deliver precision effects against national security threats. We are at the forefront of developing technologies that meet the challenges of 5G wireless communications both on and off the battlefield, millimeter wave, and the use of lasers for free space optical communications and long-range sensing.

 

  · Engineering Services – Castellum provides platform integration, modernization, and sustainment; system engineering; naval architecture; training and simulation services; and logistics engineering to help our customers achieve a decisive tactical edge. We enhance platforms to improve situational awareness, mobility, interoperability, lethality, and survivability. We conduct software vulnerability analysis and harden technology to protect against malicious actors. Our platform-agnostic, mission-first approach ensures optimal performance, so our nation’s forces can overmatch our adversaries.

 

  · Enterprise IT – Castellum amplifies efficiency with unmatched expertise and next-generation technology. We design, implement, protect, and manage secure enterprise IT solutions for Federal, state, and local agencies to optimize efficiency, enhance performance, and ensure end-user satisfaction.

 

  · Mission support –Castellum specializes in planning and intelligence support for Information Warfare/Information Operations (“IW/IO”). The Company develops IW/IO plans, exercises, doctrine, and training for the Military Services and the Combatant Commands in domestic and deployed overseas locations. Our intelligence support ensures continuous advances in collection, analysis, and dissemination to optimize decision-making. Castellum also has linguists and cultural advisors who provide clients with insights into the history, media consumption, and cultural nuances of target audiences to maximize the effectiveness of communications plans and ensure mission success.

 

Strengths and Strategy

 

Extensive Sector Knowledge and Advanced Technology. We primarily offer our expertise and technology to defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies of the U.S. Federal, state and local governments. Our work for USG agencies may combine a wide range of skills drawn from our expertise and technology. For example, Castellum performs software development and virtualization of infrastructure services for the U.S. Navy. We maintain and monitor government owned data centers. We are subject matter experts in Electronic and Electromagnetic warfare. We perform advanced data analytics on litigation data in support of the DoJ. Lastly, through the Company’s IW/IO operations, Castellum provides key services to governments of other nations.

 

International Presence. We have previously supported international clients in Australia and other foreign countries and believe that future opportunities for providing our services internationally is growing given current record nominal levels of global spending on defense and the continued rising threat from cybersecurity breaches.

 

Deep-Seated Government Relationships. To effectively perform on our existing customer contracts and secure new customer contracts with the U.S. Federal, state and local governments, we must maintain expert knowledge of agency policies, operations and challenges. We combine this comprehensive knowledge with expertise and technology for our enterprise and mission customers. Our capabilities provide us with opportunities either to compete directly for, or to support other bidders in competition for multi-million dollar and multi-year award contracts from the U.S. Federal, state and local governments.

 

Complementary Product and Service Offerings. We have strategic business relationships with several companies associated with the IT industry which have business objectives compatible with ours and offer complementary products and services. We intend to continue development of these kinds of relationships wherever they support our growth objectives. Some of these business relationships have ultimately led to Castellum acquiring the teaming partner firm.

 

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Our marketing and new business development is conducted by many of our officers and managers including the CEO, COO, executive officers, and other key managers. We employ business development, capture and proposal writer professionals who identify and qualify major contract opportunities, primarily in the USG market and submit bids for those opportunities.

 

Much of our business is won through submission of formal competitive bids. Government and commercial customers typically base their decisions regarding contract awards on their assessment of the quality of past performance, compliance with proposal requirements, price, and other factors. The terms, conditions, and form of government contract bids, however, are in most cases specified by the customer. In situations in which the customer-imposed contract type and/or terms appear to expose us to inappropriate risk or do not offer us a sufficient financial return, we may seek alternative arrangements or opt not to bid for the work. Essentially all contracts with the USG, and many contracts with other government entities, permit the government customer to terminate the contract at any time for the convenience of the government or for default by the contractor. None of Castellum’s subsidiaries have had contract work terminated for non-performance. Although we operate under the risk of such terminations with the potential to have a material impact on operations, they are not common. Additionally, as with other government contractors, our business is subject to government customer funding decisions and actions that are beyond our control.

 

Our contracts and subcontracts are composed of a wide range of contract types, including FFP, CPFF, T&M, labor hour, IDIQ and GWACS such as GSA schedule contracts. This broad array of contracts and contract structures provides our government clients with many avenues to procure Castellum’s service and technology offerings.

 

In the year ending December 31, 2021, the top three revenue-producing contracts, some of which consist of multiple task orders, accounted for sixty percent (60%) of our revenue, or $15,058,925.

 

Corporate History and Business Acquisitions

 

The Company was incorporated in Nevada on September 30, 2010 under the name Passionate Pet, Inc. and in January 2013 changed its name to Firstin Wireless Technology, Inc. In March 2015 the Company changed its name to BioNovelus, Inc.

 

Bayberry Acquisition Corporation, a Nevada corporation (“Bayberry”) was incorporated on October 24, 2018 and primarily owned and controlled by Jay Wright and Mark Fuller. On June 12, 2019, the Company acquired all of the stock of Bayberry in consideration for 22,145 shares of the Company’s common stock and 3,610,000 Series B preferred shares (the “Bayberry Acquisition”). The transaction was accounted for as a reverse merger. As a result, Bayberry was considered the accounting acquirer. On February 23, 2021 Bayberry was dissolved with the Nevada Secretary of State as it was non-operational after the merger with the Company.

 

On November 21, 2019, we entered into a Securities Purchase Agreement to acquire all of the membership interests of Corvus Consulting, LLC, (“Corvus”), a Virginia limited liability company from the BCR Trust for total consideration of $9,587,279.

 

Corvus provides scientific, engineering, technical, operational support, and training services to USG and commercial clients. Corvus focuses on cyberspace operations, electronic warfare, information systems, intelligence, and joint/electromagnetic spectrum operations. The specialties of Corvus range from high level policy development and congressional liaison to requirements analysis, COTMLPF-p development assistance and design services for hardware and software systems fulfilling the mission needs of the Department of Defense and Intelligence Communities. The Company accounted for this acquisition as a business combination whereby Corvus became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company.

 

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On December 26, 2019, following our acquisition of Corvus, we changed our name from BioNovelus, Inc. to Castellum, Inc.

 

On December 31, 2020, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger (the “MFSI Merger Agreement”) by and among MFSI Merger Sub, a Delaware corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of the Company (“Merger Sub”), Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc., a Delaware Corporation (“MFSI”), and the principal stockholders of Mainnerve (“MFSI Stockholders”). MFSI provides services in data security and operations for U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and Intelligence Community clients, and currently works as a software engineering/development, database administration and data analytics subcontractor. At the effective time of the MFSI Merger Agreement, the Merger Sub was merged with and into MFSI, whereupon the separate existence of Merger Sub ceased and MFSI continued as the surviving corporation. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby MFSI became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The aggregate consideration transferred to MFSI consisted of 864,023 shares of common stock of the Company.

 

On August 5, 2021, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger by and among Merrison Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Merrison Merger Sub”), Merrison Technologies LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (“Merrison”) and Andrew Merriman, the sole owner of the Merrison membership interests, whereby we acquired all of the membership interests of Merrison. Merrison is a government contractor with expertise in software engineering, system integration, data analytics, and IT services. At the effective time Merrison Merger Sub was merged with and into Merrison, whereupon the separate existence of Merrison Merger Sub ceased and Merrison continued as the surviving corporation. The acquisition was accounted for as business combination whereby Merrison became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The aggregate consideration transferred to Merrison consisted of (i) 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, and (ii) cash in the amount of $22,283.

 

On August 12, 2021, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger with KC Holdings Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Holdco”), Specialty Systems, Inc., a New Jersey corporation and wholly owned subsidiary of Holdco (“SSI”) and Emil Kaunitz (“Kaunitz”) and William Cabey (“Cabey”, and the “SSI Merger Agreement”). Kaunitz and Cabey were the stockholders of SSI at the time of the acquisition. SSI is a New Jersey based government contractor that provides critical mission support to the U.S. Navy at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in the areas of software engineering, cyber security, systems engineering, program support, and network engineering. At the effective time Holdco was merged with and into SSI whereupon the separate existence of Holdco ceased, and SSI continued as the surviving corporation. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby SSI became a 100% wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The aggregate consideration transferred to SSI consisted of (i) cash in the amount of $4,800,000, (ii) a note to Emil Kaunitz in the principal amount of $400,000 (the “Kaunitz Note”), and (ii) 2,632,145 shares of the common stock of the Company.

 

On October 22, 2021 the Company, SSI and The Albers Group, LLC (“Albers”) entered into a Business Acquisition Agreement (“Albers Agreement”) to acquire certain business assets that represented certain contracts at Pax River Naval Base from The Albers Group, LLC (“Pax River”) which closed on November 16, 2021 (“Pax River Acquisition”). The purchase price consisted of (i) 481,250 shares of common stock of the Company, and (ii) $200,000 in cash to be paid upon satisfaction by Albers with certain other contractual conditions. The Pax River Acquisition was accounted for as an asset acquisition. On January 28, 2022, the parties entered into an amendment to the Albers Agreement to modify the timeline for payment of the cash consideration and to require the amount to be paid in monthly installments of $20,000 commencing February 10, 2022.

 

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On February 11, 2022, we entered into a Business Acquisition Agreement with LSG, a Virginia limited liability company to acquire substantially all of the assets and assume certain liabilities of LSG. LSG provides USG and private sector clients with a wide range of national security, strategic communication, and management consulting services. The purchase price, which is subject to a working capital adjustment, consisted of (i) 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock issued at closing and 25,000 shares to be issued on or about six months from the date of the closing in connection with the estimated closing working capital adjustment, and (ii) $250,000 in cash on the closing date, $250,000 to be paid on the date that is six months from the closing date, and $280,000 to be paid on or before December 31, 2022.

 

Principles of Consolidation/GAAP

 

The financial statements included herein have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). All amounts in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations are expressed in U.S. dollars.

 

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Castellum and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Castellum is a holding company that owns 100% of Corvus, MFSI, Merrison, and SSI.

 

We apply the guidance of Topic 805 Business Combinations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”).

 

We accounted for these acquisitions as business combinations and the difference between the consideration paid and the net assets acquired was first attributable to identified intangible assets and the remainder of the difference was applied to goodwill.

 

Segment Information

 

Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 280, Segment Reporting, establishes standards for reporting information about operating segments. Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Our CODM is our Chief Executive Officer, who currently reviews the financial performance and the results of operations of our operating subsidiaries on a consolidated basis when making decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance of our Company. Each of our subsidiaries is operated under the same senior management of our Company, the same operational resources support individual locations and contracts, and our CODM views the operations of our subsidiaries as a whole for making business decisions. Accordingly, we currently consider ourselves to be in a single reporting segment for reporting purposes.

 

As we are still in the early stages of developing our Company, we continue to manage our subsidiaries within this single reporting segment. As our Company matures and management evolves, we will continue to evaluate additional segment disclosure requirements.

 

Components of Our Results of Operations

 

Revenues

 

We account for revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. Our revenues are primarily derived from services provided to the U.S. Federal, state and local governments. We enter into agreements with customers to create enforceable rights and obligations and for which it is probable that we will collect the consideration to which it will be entitled as services and solutions are transferred to the customer. We also evaluate whether two or more agreements should be accounted for as one single contract.

 

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When determining the total transaction price, we identify both fixed and variable consideration elements within the contract. We estimate variable consideration as the most likely amount to which we expect to be entitled limited to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal will not occur in a subsequent period.

 

At contract inception, we determine whether the goods and services to be provided are to be accounted for as a single performance obligation or as multiple performance obligations. For most contracts, the customers require us to perform several tasks in providing an integrated output, and accordingly, each of these contracts are deemed as having only one performance obligation. When contracts are separated into multiple performance obligations, we allocate the total transaction price to each performance obligation based on the estimated relative standalone selling prices of the promised services underlying each performance obligation.

 

This evaluation requires us to exercise professional judgment, and it may impact the timing and pattern of revenue recognition. If multiple performance obligations are identified, we generally use the cost plus a margin approach to determine the relative standalone selling price of each performance obligation. We do not assess whether a contract contains a significant financing component if we expect, at contract inception, that the period between when payment by the client and the transfer of promised services to the client will be less than one year.

 

We currently generate our revenue from three different types of contractual arrangements: CPFF, FFP and T&M contracts. We generally recognize revenue over time as control is transferred to the customer, based on the extent of progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation. The selection of the method used to measure progress requires judgment and is dependent on the contract type and the nature of the goods or services to be provided.

 

For CPFF contracts, we use input progress measures to derive revenue based on hours worked on contract performance as follows: direct costs plus DCAA-approved provisional burdens plus fee. The provisional indirect rates are adjusted and billed at actual at year end. Revenue from FFP contracts is generally recognized ratably over the contract term, using a time-based measure of progress, even if billing is based on other metrics or milestones, including specific deliverables. For T&M contracts, we use input progress measures to estimate revenue earned based on hours worked on contract performance at negotiated billing rates, plus direct costs and indirect cost burdens associated with materials and the direct expenses incurred in performance of the contract.

 

These arrangements generally qualify for the “right-to-invoice” practical expedient where revenue is recognized in proportion to billable consideration. FFP Level-Of-Effort contracts are substantially similar to T&M contracts except that we are required to deliver a specified level of effort over a stated period. For these contracts, we estimate revenue earned using contract hours worked at negotiated bill rates as we deliver the contractually required workforce.

 

Revenue generated by contract support service contracts is recognized over time as services are provided, based on the transfer of control. Revenue generated by FFP contracts is recognized over time as performance obligations are satisfied. Most contracts do not contain variable consideration and contract modifications are generally minimal. For these reasons, there is not a significant impact of electing these transition practical expedients.

 

Revenue generated from contracts with U.S. Federal, state, and local governments from these contracts is recorded over time, rather than at a point in time. Under the contract support services contracts, we perform software design work as it is assigned by the customer, and bill the customer, generally semi-monthly, on either a CPFF or T&M basis, as labor hours are expended. Certain other government contracts for software development have specific deliverables and are structured as FFP contracts, which are generally billed as the performance obligations under the contract are met. Revenue recognition under FFP contracts require judgment to allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations. Contracts may have terms up to five years.

 

Contract accounting requires judgment relative to assessing risks and estimating contract revenue and costs and assumptions for schedule and technical issues. Due to the size and nature of contracts, estimates of revenue and costs are subject to a number of variables. For contract change orders, claims or similar items, judgment is required for estimating the amounts, assessing the potential for realization, and determining whether realization is probable. Estimates of total contract revenue and costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract and are subject to revision as the contract progresses. From time to time, facts develop that require revisions of revenue recognized or cost estimates. To the extent that a revised estimate affects the current or an earlier period, the cumulative effect of the revision is recognized in the period in which the facts requiring the revision become known.

 

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Cost of Revenues

 

Cost of Revenues include direct costs incurred to provide goods and services related to contracts, specifically labor, contracted labor, materials, and other direct costs, which includes rent, insurance, and software licenses. Cost of Revenues related to contracts is recognized as expense when incurred or at the time a performance obligation is satisfied.

 

Gross Profit and Gross Profit Margin

 

Our gross profit comprises our revenues less our cost of revenues. Gross profit margin is our gross profit divided by our revenues.

 

Operating Expenses

 

Our operating expenses include indirect costs, overhead, and general and administrative expenses.

 

·Indirect costs consist of expenses generally associated with bonuses and fringe benefits, including employee health and medical insurance, 401k matching contributions, and payroll taxes.

 

·Overhead consists of expenses associated with the support of operations or production, including labor for management of contracts, operations, training, supplies, and certain facilities to perform customer work.

 

·General and administrative expenses consist primarily of corporate and administrative labor expenses, administrative bonuses, legal expenses, IT expenses, and insurance expenses.

 

Realized Gain On Investment

 

Realized gain on investment related to a sale of an investment in a private company held by MFSI.

 

Change in Fair Value of Derivative Liabilities

 

Derivatives are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet at fair value. The conversion features of certain of the convertible instruments are embedded derivatives and are separately valued and accounted for on the consolidated balance sheet with changes in fair value recognized during the period of change as a separate component of other income/expense. Valuations derived from various models are subject to ongoing internal and external verification and review. The model used incorporates market-sourced inputs such as interest rates and stock price volatilities. Selection of these inputs involves management’s judgment and may impact net income (loss).

 

The issuance of the July 2017 FASB ASU 2017-11, “Earnings Per Share (Topic 260) Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 480) Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815),” addresses the complexity of accounting for certain financial instruments.

 

Under current GAAP, an equity-linked financial instrument that otherwise is not required to be classified as a liability under the guidance Topic 480 is evaluated under the guidance in Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging,” to determine whether it meets the definition of a derivative. If it meets that definition, the instrument (or embedded feature) is evaluated to determine whether it is indexed to an entity’s own stock as part of the analysis of whether it qualifies for a scope exception from derivative accounting.

 

Generally, for warrants and conversion options embedded in financial instruments that are deemed to have a debt host (assuming the underlying shares are readily convertible to cash or the contract provides for net settlement such that the embedded conversion option meets the definition of a derivative), this results in a reporting entity being required to classify the freestanding financial instrument or the bifurcated conversion option as a liability, which the entity must measure at fair value initially and at each subsequent reporting date.

 

The amendments in this Update revise the guidance for instruments with embedded features in Subtopic 815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity,” which is considered in determining whether an equity-linked financial instrument qualifies for a scope exception from derivative accounting.  

 

 Interest Expense, Net of Interest Income

 

Interest expense consists of interest paid to service our convertible promissory notes which include the Amended BCR Trust Note, the Term Loan Promissory Note payable to Live Oak Banking Company, two promissory notes payable to Robert Eisiminger, the note payable to Emil Kaunitz, and the note payable to CCF net of interest earned from investments.

 

Income Tax (Provision) Benefit

 

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. The current charge for income tax expense is calculated in accordance with the relevant tax regulations applicable to the entity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Differences between statutory tax rates and effective tax rates relate to permanent tax differences.

 

We follow ASC 740-10 Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes. This requires recognition and measurement of uncertain income tax positions using a “more-likely-than-not” approach. Management evaluates their tax positions on a quarterly basis.

 

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Deferred income taxes reflect the impact of temporary differences between assets and liabilities recognized for financial reporting purposes and the amounts recognized for income tax reporting purposes, net operating loss carryforwards, and other tax credits measured by applying currently enacted tax laws. When necessary, a valuation allowance is provided to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

 

We file income tax returns in the U.S. Federal tax jurisdiction and various state tax jurisdictions. The Federal and state income tax returns of the Company are subject to examination by the IRS and state taxing authorities, generally for three years after they were filed. We have filed our 2020 Federal and state tax returns and have obtained extensions to file for our 2021 Federal and state tax returns.

 

Results of Operations 

 

The following tables set forth a summary of our consolidated results of operations for the periods indicated. This information should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this prospectus. The operating results in any period are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any future period.

  

Note that in the first and second tables below representing results of operations for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively, results attributed to acquisitions include the results of Merrison, SSI, and LSG as they were acquired after Q2 2021. In the third table representing the result of operations for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, results attributed to acquisitions include the results of MFSI, Merrison, and SSI as they were all acquired in 2021; results attributed to LSG are not included in this table as it was acquired in 2022 (Q2).

 

    Three Months Ended June 30, (unaudited)  
    2022     2021  
Revenues     11,055,251       100.0 %     4,187,848       100.0 %
Cost of revenues     6,368,918       57.6 %     2,382,411       56.9 %
Gross profit     4,686,333       42.4 %     1,805,437       43.1 %
Operating expenses                                
Indirect costs     3,598,611       32.6 %     370,686       8.9 %
Overhead     340,572       3.1 %     94,453       2.3 %
General and administrative     3,493,605       31.6 %     1,882,247       44.9 %
Total operating expenses     7,432,788       67.2 %     2,347,386       56.1 %
 Loss from operations before other income (expense)     (2,746,455 )     -24.8 %     (541,949 )     -12.9 %
Other Income (Expense)                                
Realized gain on investment     -       0.0 %     38,851       0.9 %
Gain on disposal of fixed assets     303       0.0 %     -       0.0 %
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities     (173,000 )     -1.6 %     -       0.0 %
Interest expense, net of interest income     (911,975 )     -8.2 %     (600,619 )     -14.3 %
Total other income (expense)     (1,084,672 )     -9.8 %     (561,768 )     -13.4 %
 Profit (Loss) from operations before income taxes     (3,831,127 )     -34.7 %     (1,103,717 )     -26.4 %
Income tax (provision) benefit     (893,422 )     -8.1 %     276,475       6.6 %
Net loss     (4,724,549 )     -42.7 %     (827,242 )     -19.8 %
Less: Preferred Stock Dividends     29,626       0.3 %     -       0.0 %
Net loss to common shareholders     (4,754,175 )     -43.0 %     (827,242 )     -19.8 %

 

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Revenues

 

Revenues were $11,055,251 for the three months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $4,187,848 for the three months ended June 30, 2021. This $6,867,403 increase was primarily driven by the contribution from acquisitions completed in Q3 and Q4 of 2021 and Q2 of 2022. Incremental contributions from those acquisitions were $7,211,831, which was offset slightly by a $344,428 reduction in organic sales, which were $3,843,420.

 

Cost of revenues

 

Cost of revenues was $6,368,918 for the three months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $2,382,411 for the three months ended June 30, 2021. This $3,986,507 increase was driven primarily by the cost to perform the contract obligations arising from acquisitions noted above, accounting for $4,259,474 of the total increase, which was offset slightly by a $272,967 reduction in organic costs. As a percentage of revenues, cost of revenues was 57.6% for the three months ended June 30, 2022 (54.9% for organic and 59.1% for acquisition activity), an increase of 0.7% from 56.9% for the three months ended June 30, 2021, which resulted from a 2.0% decrease in organic cost as a percentage of revenues and the higher overall cost as a percentage of revenues for acquisition activity noted above. The small overall increase in the cost of revenues as a percentage of revenue is due to a higher-cost contract mix resident at Merrison, SSI, and LSG (all related to acquisition activity) offset primarily by lower percentage costs at Corvus (legacy activity) in the 2022 period (the loss of a number of higher margin T&M contract positions that were in place during the three months ended June 30, 2021).

 

Gross Profit

 

Gross profit was $4,686,333 for the three months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $1,805,437 for the three months ended June 30, 2021. This $2,880,896 increase was primarily driven by acquisitions, contributing $2,952,356 in total, which was offset by a $71,460 decrease in organic gross profit, for a total of $1,733,977. Gross profit margin was 42.4% for the three months ended June 30, 2022 (45.1% for organic and 40.9% for acquisition activity), a decrease of 0.7% from 43.1% for the three months ended June 30, 2021. The small decrease in gross profit is due to a lower-margin contract mix resident at Merrison, SSI, and LSG (all related to acquisition activity) offset primarily by improved margins at Corvus (legacy activity) in the 2022 period.

  

Operating expenses 

 

  ·

Indirect costs. Indirect costs were $3,598,611 for the three months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $370,686 for the three months ended June 30, 2021. This $3,227,925 increase was partially driven by activity from acquisitions that increased indirect costs by $1,220,278 and were 29.1% of revenue. Indirect cost related to organic or legacy activities increased by $2,107,647 to $2,478,333 and increased as a percentage of revenue from legacy activities of 8.9% to 64.5%.  This 55.6% increase is primarily due to an increase in non-cash, warrant based executive bonuses of $1,647,213 awarded primarily for the LSG acquisition, as well as an increase in vacation, holiday, and sick leave of $343,523 driven by the acquisition related increases in headcount.

 

  · Overhead. Overhead was $340,572 for the three months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $94,453 for the three months ended June 30, 2021. Of this $246,119 increase, $206,270 was driven by activity from new acquisitions that were not part of the company in the comparative period.  Overhead as a percentage of revenue increased to 3.1% in the three months ended June 30, 2022 from 2.3% in the three months ended June 30, 2021. This percentage increase is primarily the result of overhead from acquisitions, which was 5.4% of revenues.

 

  · General and administrative expenses. General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses were $3,493,605 for the three months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $1,882,247 for the three months ended June 30, 2021. This $1,611,358 increase was partially driven by the $746,516 increase of activity from acquisitions. G&A expenses from organic activity increased by $864,843, of which $566,370 were due to increases in accounting, legal and consulting expenses primarily related to costs associated with this Offering, and $597, 258 were due to increases in stock-based compensation driven by acquisitions and related to newly hired executives.  G&A as a percentage of revenue increased for organic/legacy activity to 71.5% for the three months ended June 30, 2022 from 44.9% for the three months ended June 30, 2021, G&A as a percentage of revenue for activity by acquisitions was 19.4% in the three months ended June 30, 2022, reducing the overall percentage from 44.9% in the prior year quarter to 31.6% in the current year quarter. This higher percentage from organic/legacy activities is due to the Castellum parent company incurring a higher percentage of costs referenced above (e.g., stock-based compensation and professional expenses related to this Offering relative to its revenue.)

  

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Change in fair value of derivative liabilities

 

Change in fair value of derivative liabilities of $173,000 is exclusively related to Q2 changes in fair value recognized for warrants and an embedded conversion option related to a convertible promissory note entered into with CCH in Q2 2022.

 

Interest expense, net of interest income

 

Interest expense, net of interest income was $911,975 for the three months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $600,619 for the three months ended June 30, 2021. This $311,356 increase was driven by $54,990 of incremental interest expense relating to an acquisition, the majority of which related to interest on the Live Oak Banking Company debt secured to acquire SSI. $230,499 of the increase related to amortization of discounts for legacy and CCF debt. 

 

Income tax (provision) benefit

 

Income tax expense was $893,421 for the three months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to a benefit of $276,476 for the three months ended June 30, 2021. This $1,169,897 increase in expense was primarily the result of a full valuation allowance established in Q2 2022 due to the uncertainty of the utilization of deferred tax assets in future periods. In evaluating the Company's ability to realize the deferred tax assets, management considered all available positive and negative evidence, including cumulative historic earnings, reversal of temporary difference, projected taxable income and tax planning strategies. Due to increases in non-cash stock-based compensation resulting from the Q2 acquisition of LSG and newly hired executives, the Company concluded the forecasted income from the backlog of customer contracts would no longer be sufficient to conclude that more likely than not the originating deferred tax assets would be realizable.

 

Net loss and net loss to common shareholders

 

Net loss was $4,724,549 for the three months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $827,242 for the three months ended June 30, 2021. This $3,897,307 increase was primarily driven by organic/legacy activity ($4,751,760, or 122% of the increase in net loss) increases in operating and nonoperating costs, as well as income tax expense, which were partially offset by acquisition related net income of $854,453.

 

    Six Months Ended June 30,  
    2022     2021  
Revenues     21,045,392       100.0 %     8,209,152       100.0 %
Cost of revenues     12,224,559       58.1 %     4,611,714       56.2 %
Gross profit     8,820,833       41.9 %     3,597,438       43.8 %
Operating expenses                                
Indirect costs     5,327,806       25.3 %     774,131       9.4 %
Overhead     759,542       3.6 %     183,447       2.2 %
General and administrative     6,335,745       30.1 %     3,707,888       45.2 %
Total operating expenses     12,423,093       49.6 %     4,665,466       56.8 %
 Loss from operations before other income (expense)     (3,602,260 )     -17.1 %     (1,068,028 )     -13.0 %
Other Income (Expense)                                
Realized gain on investment     -       -       38,851       0.5 %
Gain on disposal of fixed assets     303       0.0 %     -       -  
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities     (173,000 )     -0.8 %     -         -
Interest expense, net of interest income     (1,601,601 )     -7.6 %     (1,189,857 )     -14.5 %
Total other income (expense)     (1,774,298 )     -8.4 %     (1,151,006 )     -14.0 %
Profit (loss) from operations before benefit for income taxes     (5,376,558 )     -25.5 %     (2,219,034 )     -27.0 %
Income Tax (provision) benefit       (743,794 )     -3.5 %     562,260       6.8 %
Net loss     (6,120,352 )     -29.1 %     (1,656,774 )     -20.2 %
Less: Preferred Stock Dividends     40,538       0.2 %     -       0.0 %
Net loss to common shareholders     (6,160,890 )     -29.3 %     (1,656,774 )     -20.2 %

 

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 Revenues

 

Revenues were $21,045,392 for the six months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $8,209,152 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. This $12,836,240 increase was primarily driven by the contribution from acquisitions completed in Q3 and Q4 of 2021 and Q2 of 2022. Incremental contributions from those acquisitions were $13,304,841, which was offset slightly by a $468,601 reduction in organic sales, which were $7,740,551.

 

Cost of revenues

 

Cost of revenues was $12,224,559 for the six months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $4,611,714 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. This $7,612,845 increase was driven almost exclusively by the cost to perform the contract obligations arising from acquisitions noted above, accounting for $7,829,049 of the total increase. As a percentage of revenue, cost of revenue was 58.1% for the six months ended June 30, 2022 (56.8% for organic and 58.8% for acquisition activity), an increase of 1.9% from 56.2% for the six months ended June 30, 2021. The modest increase in the cost of revenues as a percentage of revenue is due to a higher-cost contract mix resident at Merrison, SSI, and LSG (all related to acquisition activity).

 

Gross Profit

 

Gross profit was $8,820,833 for the six months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $3,597,438 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. This $5,223,395 increase was almost exclusively driven by acquisitions, contributing $5,475,792 in total, which was offset by a $252,397 decrease in organic gross profit, for a total of $3,345,041. Gross profit margin was 41.9% for the six months ended June 30, 2022 (43.2% for organic and 41.2% for acquisition activity), a decrease of 1.9% from 43.86% for the six months ended June 30, 2021. The modest decrease in gross profit margin is due to a lower-margin contract mix resident at Merrison, SSI, and LSG (all related to acquisition activity) offset primarily by modestly improved margins at Corvus (legacy activity) in the 2022 period.

 

Operating expenses 

 

  · Indirect costs. Indirect costs were $5,327,806 for the six months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $774,131 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. This $4,553,675 increase was partially driven by activity from acquisitions that increased indirect costs by $2,200,854 and were 16.5% of revenue. Indirect cost related to organic or legacy activities increased by $2,352,821 to $3,126,952 and increased as a percentage of revenue from legacy activities 9.4% to 40.4%.  This 31.0% increase is primarily due to an increase in non-cash, warrant based executive bonuses of $1,683,991 awarded primarily for the LSG acquisition, as well as an increase in vacation, holiday, and sick leave of $494,442 driven by the acquisition related increases in headcount.

 

  · Overhead. Overhead was $759,542 for the six months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $183,447 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. Of this $576,095 increase, $516,925 was driven by activity from new acquisitions that were not part of the company in the comparative period.  Overhead as a percentage of revenue increased to 3.6% in the six months ended June 30, 2022 from 2.2% in the six months ended June 30, 2021. This percentage increase is primarily the result of activity from acquisitions which was 3.9% of revenues.

 

  · General and administrative expenses. General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses were $6,335,745 for the six months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $3,707,888 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. This $2,627,857 increase was primarily driven by the $1,812,904 increase of activity from acquisitions. G&A expenses from organic activity increased by $814,953, of which $712,232 was due to increases in accounting, legal and consulting expenses primarily related to costs associated with this Offering, $687,120 was due to an increase in stock-based compensation driven by acquisitions and newly hired executives, and they were offset by a $366,934 decrease in intangible asset amortization related to the Corvus and MFSI acquisitions.  G&A as a percentage of revenue increased for organic/legacy activity to 58.4% for the six months ended June 30, 2022 from 45.2% for the six months ended June 30, 2021, G&A as a percentage of revenue for activity by acquisitions was 13.6 % in the six months ended June 30, 2022, reducing the overall percentage from 45.2% in the prior year six-month period to 30.1% in the current year six-month period. This higher percentage from organic/legacy activities is due to the Castellum parent company incurring a higher percentage of costs referenced above (e.g., stock-based compensation and professional expenses related to this Offering) relative to its revenue.

 

 Change in fair value of derivative liabilities

 

Change in fair value of derivative liabilities is exclusively related to Q2 changes in fair value recognized for warrants and an embedded conversion option related to a convertible promissory note entered into with CCH in Q2 2022.

 

Interest expense, net of interest income

 

Interest expense, net of interest income was $1,601,601 for the six months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $1,189,857 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. This $411,744 increase was driven by $114,217 of incremental interest expense relating to an acquisition, the majority of which related to interest on the Live Oak Banking Company debt secured to acquire SSI. $269,667 of the increase related to amortization of discounts for legacy and CCF debt (which was entered into on April 4, 2022). Rising interest rates are likely to increase our interest expense in the future. Specifically, each one percent (1%) increase in interest rates results in approximately $30,000 per year of additional interest expense. Such additional cost would need to be funded out of existing cash or additional financing. Future increases in interest rates are not expected to materially impact our Company’s liquidity.

 

Income tax (provision) benefit

 

Income tax expense was $743,794 for the six months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to a benefit of $562,260 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. This $1,306,054 increase in expense was primarily the result of a full valuation allowance established in Q2 2022 due to the uncertainty of the utilization of deferred tax assets in future periods. In evaluating the Company's ability to realize the deferred tax assets, management considered all available positive and negative evidence, including cumulative historic earnings, reversal of temporary difference, projected taxable income and tax planning strategies. Due to increases in non-cash stock-based compensation resulting from the Q2 acquisition of LSG and newly hired executives, the Company concluded the forecasted income from the backlog of customer contracts would no longer be sufficient to conclude that more likely than not the originating deferred tax assets would be realizable.

 

Net loss and net loss to common shareholders

 

Net loss was $6,120,352 for the six months ended June 30, 2022 as compared to $1,656,774 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. This $4,463,5781 increase was primarily driven by organic/legacy activity ($5,294,470, or 119% of the increase in net loss) increases in operating and nonoperating costs, as well as income tax expense, which were partially offset by acquisition related net income of $830,892.

 

    Years Ended December 31,  
    2021     2020  
Revenues     25,067,450       100.0 %     13,338,667       100.0 %
Cost of revenues     13,992,898       55.8 %     7,161,627       53.7 %
Gross profit     11,074,552       44.2 %     6,177,040       46.3 %
Operating expenses                                
Indirect costs     3,409,649       13.6 %     1,679,783       12.6 %
Overhead     850,999       3.4 %     276,855       2.1 %
General and administrative     14,539,053       58.0 %     5,688,551       42.6 %
Total operating expenses     18,799,701       75.0 %     7,645,189       57.3 %
 Loss from operations before other income (expense)     (7,725,149 )     -30.8 %     (1,468,149 )     -11.0 %
Other Income (Expense)                                
Realized gain on investment     38,851       0.2 %     -       0.0 %
Interest expense, net of interest income     (2,516,775 )     -10.0 %     (2,295,906 )     -17.2 %
Total other income (expense)     (2,477,924 )     -9.9 %     (2,295,906 )     -17.2 %
 Loss from operations before benefit for income taxes     (10,203,073 )     -40.7 %     (3,764,055 )     -28.2 %
Benefit from income taxes     2,656,643       10.6 %     1,056,562       7.9 %
Net loss     (7,546,430 )     -30.1 %     (2,707,493 )     -20.3 %
Less: Preferred Stock Dividends     12,290       0.0 %     -       0.0 %
Net loss to common shareholders     (7,558,720 )     -30.2 %     (2,707,493 )     -20.3 %

 

Revenues

 

Revenues were $25,067,450 for 2021 as compared to $13,338,667 for 2020. This $11,728,783 increase was primarily driven by the contribution from acquisitions completed in Q3 and Q4 2021. Incremental contributions from those acquisitions were $10,938,015, which was complemented by a $790,7668 increase in organic sales, which were $14,129,435 in 2021.

 

Cost of revenues

 

Cost of revenues was $13,992,898 for 2021 as compared to $7,161,627 for 2020. This $6,831,271 increase was primarily driven by the revenue increases contributed by the acquisitions noted above, accounting for $6,250,769 of the total increase. As a percentage of revenue, cost of revenue was 55.8% for 2021 (54.8% for organic and 57.1% for acquisition activity), an increase of 2.1% from 53.7% for 2020, which was driven primarily by a higher-cost contract mix resident at Merrison and SSI.

 

Gross Profit

 

Gross profit was $11,074,552 for 2021 as compared to $6,177,040 for 2020. This $4,897,512 increase was primarily driven by acquisitions, contributing $4,687,246 in total, which was complemented by a $210,266 increase in organic gross profit, for a total of $6,387,306. Gross profit margin was 44.2% for 2021 (45.2% for organic and 42.9% for acquisition activity), a decrease of 2.1% from 46.3% for 2020, which was driven primarily by the higher cost contract mix present at Merrison and SSI.

 

Operating expenses

  

  · Indirect costs. Indirect costs were $3,409,649 for 2021 as compared to $1,679,783 for 2020. This $1,729,866 increase resulted from a $2,068,091 increase from acquisition activity, which was slightly offset by a $338,225 decrease in organic activity, which totaled $1,341,558 for 2021. This decrease in indirect costs for legacy is primarily due to a $537,998 decrease in costs related to policy changes to vacation, holiday, and sick leave, offset by an increase of $199,773 in other fringe benefits costs consisting primarily of health insurance costs driven by an increase in headcount.

 

  · Overhead. Overhead was $850,999 for 2021 as compared to $276,855 for 2020. This $574,144 increase was primarily due to an increase of $420,324 resulting from activity related to acquisitions, with legacy activities contributing a $127,113 thousand increase in recruiting expenses related to scope of work changes related to existing contracts.

 

  · General and administrative expenses. General and administrative expenses were $14,539,054 for 2021 as compared to $5,688,551 for 2020. $2,324,663 of this increase was due to activity related to acquisitions, while $4,448,632 related to executive compensation increases (with newly hired executives’ base pay and other executive bonuses), and $1,886,167 related to stock-based compensation (arising primarily from time-based vesting for newly hired executives and for performance-based compensation for other executives).

 

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Realized gain on investment

 

Realized gain on investment was $38,851 for 2021 as compared to $0 for 2020. This $38,851 increase was due to a gain from an investment in a private company sold by MFSI in 2021.

 

Interest expense, net of interest income

 

Interest expense, net of interest income was $2,516,775 for 2021 as compared to $2,295,906 for 2020. This $220,869 increase relates to $106,149 of interest expense relating to an acquisition, the majority of which related to interest on the Live Oak Term Banking Company note secured to acquire SSI. $112,025 of the increase related to amortization of discounts for legacy debt.

 

Benefit from income taxes

 

Benefit from income taxes was $2,656,643 for 2021 as compared to $1,056,562 for 2020. This $1,600,081 increase was the result of the overall increase in operating expenses relative to revenues, (the largest driver being certain G&A expense referenced above), with an immaterial impact from changes in the effective tax rate.

 

Net loss and net loss to common shareholders

 

Net loss was $7,546,430 for 2021 as compared to $2,707,493 for 2020. This $4,838,937 increase was primarily driven by overall increase in operating expenses relative to revenues, particularly in G&A expenses.

 

Net loss to common shareholders differed from net loss only in 2021 as a result of preferred stock dividends of $12,290.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

To date, COVID-19 has not had a significant impact on our liquidity, cash flows, or capital resources. However, the continued spread of COVID-19 has led to disruption and volatility in the global capital markets, which, depending on future developments, could impact our capital resources and liquidity in the future.

 

Existing cash and cash equivalents and cash generated by operations are our primary sources of liquidity and available borrowings under the Revolving Line of Credit Promissory Note with Live Oak Banking Company.

 

Line of Credit and Debt Agreements

 

Line of Credit

 

On March 28, 2022, the Company entered into a $950,000 revolving line of credit promissory note with Live Oak Banking Company (“Live Oak”, and the “Live Oak Revolving Note”), that has a maturity date of March 28, 2029. The note has a per annum interest rate equal to the prime rate as quoted in the Wall Street Journal, plus two percentage points (2%) and allows for advances so long as no event of defaults exists under the Live Oak Revolving Note. In the event of a default, the interest rate would increase by five percentage (5%) points. As of June 30, 2022, the interest rate on the Live Oak Revolving Note was 5.50%. The Live Oak Revolving Note is secured by the Company’s accounts receivable. The note requires interest only payments monthly and is payable, in whole or in part upon ninety (90) days written demand. Accordingly, the Live Oak Revolving Note is classified as a current liability on the Company’s balance sheet. As of June 30, 2022, the Company had drawn $300,025 against the Live Oak Revolving Note and has $649,975 available for future draws.

 

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Secured Notes Payable

 

In connection with the acquisition of Corvus, on November 21, 2019 the Company entered into a secured promissory note with Robert Eisiminger in the principal amount of $5,600,000 (the “Eisiminger Note”), that had a maturity date of November 20, 2023. The Eisiminger Note has an interest rate of seven percent (7%) per annum and requires interest only payments to be paid quarterly. In the event of default under the Eisiminger Note, principal amounts due and owing are accelerated, and the interest rate would increase to twelve percent (12%) per annum. The Eisiminger Note is secured by a continuing senior security interest in the Company’s assets, which has been subordinated to the interests of Live Oak Banking Company in connection with the Live Oak Term Loan Note described below. As partial consideration for entering into the Eisiminger Note, the Company issued Robert Eisiminger a warrant to purchase 1,090,717 shares of the Company’s common stock at a total aggregate price for the exercise of one dollar ($1) for all shares. The warrant is exercisable at any time prior to seven (7) years from the date of issuance. On August 12, 2021, the Eisiminger Note was amended (the “Amended Eisiminger Note”) to extend the maturity date until September 30, 2024.

 

In connection with our acquisition of SSI, on August 11, 2021 the Company entered into a term loan promissory note with Live Oak in the principal amount of $4,000,000 (the “Live Oak Term Loan Note”), that has a maturity date of August 11, 2024. The note is secured by all of the assets of the Company and its subsidiaries. The note has a per annum interest rate equal to the prime rate as quoted in the Wall Street Journal, plus three percentage points (3%). As of June 30, 2022, the interest rate on the Live Oak Term Loan Note was 6.50%. Principal and interest payments are due in equal monthly installments of $122,299. In the event of a default interest on the Live Oak Term Loan Note would increase by five percentage (5%) points. In the event the Company prepays the Live Oak Term Loan Note on or before August 11, 2022, the Company shall be obligated to pay a penalty in the amount of five percent (5%) of the total principal amount then outstanding. In the event the Company prepays the Live Oak Term Loan Note on or before August 11, 2023, the Company shall be obligated to pay a penalty in the amount of three percent (3%) of the total principal amount then outstanding.

 

Notes Payable

 

In connection with our acquisition of SSI, on August 12, 2021 the Company entered into the Kaunitz Note in the principal amount of $400,000, that has a maturity date of December 31, 2024. The Kaunitz Note has a per annum interest rate of five percent (5%). Interest only payments are required to be paid monthly. In the event of a default the per annum interest rate increases to twelve percent (12%). Pursuant to the terms of the Subordination and Standby Agreement between the Company, Emil Kaunitz and Live Oak, no portion of the principal sum of the Kaunitz Note may be paid while any part of the Live Oak Term Loan Note is outstanding, without the consent of Live Oak.

 

In connection with our acquisition of LSG, on February 28, 2022 the Company entered into a promissory note with Robert Eisiminger in the principal amount of $500,000, (the “Eisiminger Promissory Note”) that has a maturity date of September 30, 2024. The note has a per annum interest rate of ten percent (10%). As partial consideration for entering into the Eisiminger Promissory Note the Company issued to Robert Eisiminger 2,500,000 shares of common stock of the Company. The Eisiminger Promissory Note requires monthly interest only payments. In the event of a default the per annum interest rate increases to twelve percent (12%). Pursuant to the terms of the Subordination and Standby Agreement between the Company, Robert Eisiminger and Live Oak, no portion of the principal sum of the Eisiminger Promissory Note may be paid while any part of the Live Oak Term Loan Note is outstanding, without the consent of Live Oak.

 

Convertible Notes Payable

 

In connection with our acquisition of Corvus, on November 21, 2019 the Company entered into a convertible promissory note with the BCR Trust (Laurie Buckhout – Trustee), in the principal amount of $3,700,000 that had an original maturity date of November 21, 2022 (the “First BCR Trust Note”). The First BCR Trust Note has an interest rate of five percent (5%) per annum and is convertible into common stock of the Company at $0.26 per share. Interest only payments on the First BCR Trust Note are due quarterly. In the event of a default under the First BCR Trust Note, principal amounts due and owing are accelerated and the interest rate increases to twelve percent (12%) per annum.

 

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On March 31, 2020 the Company entered into a second convertible promissory note with the BCR Trust in the principal amount of $670,138 that had a maturity date of March 31, 2023 (the “Second BCR Trust Note”). The Second BCR Trust Note has an interest rate of five percent (5%) per annum and is convertible into common stock of the Company at $0.26 per share. Interest only payments on the Second BCR Trust Note are due quarterly. In the event of a default principal amounts due and owing are accelerated, and the interest rate increases to twelve percent (12%) per annum.

 

On February 1, 2021, the First BCR Trust Note and the Second BCR Trust Note were combined into one new note in the principal amount of $4,279,617 (the “Third BCR Trust Note”), that had a maturity date of February 1, 2024. The interest rate remains at five percent (5%) per annum and required monthly principal payments of $10,000. The Third BCR Trust Note is convertible into common stock of the Company at $0.26 per share. Pursuant to the terms of the Subordination and Standby Agreement between the Company, the BCR Trust and Live Oak, no portion of the principal sum may be paid while any part of the Live Oak Term Loan Note is outstanding, without the consent of Live Oak. In April 2022, a principal payment was made of $500,000 at which time the parties entered into the Amended BCR Trust Note in the principal amount of $3,709,617, that has a new maturity date of September 30, 2024. The interest rate and conversion price remain unchanged. Interest only payments due under the note are to be made monthly but have been deferred until October 31, 2022.

 

On April 4, 2022, the Company entered into a convertible promissory note with CCF in the principal amount of $1,050,000 (“CCF Note”), that has a maturity date of April 4, 2023. The CCF Note bears interest at a rate of seven percent (7%) per annum and requires monthly interest only payments. Any overdue principal of, or interest on the CCF Note bears interest at a default rate of fifteen percent (15%). The CCF Note may be prepaid without penalty. At any time following the effectiveness of a registration statement covering the Company’s common stock the CCF Note may be converted into common stock of the Company at $1.60 per share. Pursuant to the terms of the Subordination and Standby Agreement between the Company, CCF and Live Oak, no portion of the principal sum of the CCF Note may be paid while any part of the Live Oak Term Loan Note is outstanding, without the consent of Live Oak.

 

Sources and Uses of Cash

 

Historical Cash Flows

 

Information about our cash flows is presented in our statements of cash flows and is summarized in the following tables:

 

   Six Months Ended June 30, 
   2022   2021 
Net cash provided by (used in):          
Operating activities   (769,006)   (718,480)
Investing activities   (330,545)   458,812 
Financing activities   1,139,388    157,780 

 

Net cash flows (used in) operations

 

Net cash flow used in operations in the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $(769,006) compared to net cash flow used in operations in the six months ended June 30, 2021 of $(718,480), a difference of $(50,526). The decrease in operating cash flows was primarily driven by the increase in net loss of $(4,463,578) period over period and a $(175,489) increase in accounts receivable period over period (primarily due to timing of collections). These decreases in operating cash flow (uses of cash flows) were offset by a $2,877,129 increase in non-cash stock-based compensation expense period over period (related to the acquisition of LSG and the addition of new executives who received stock-based compensation), a $1,218,258 increase in the deferred income tax provision related to the establishment of a full valuation allowance in Q2 2022 due to the uncertainty of the utilization of deferred tax assets in future periods, a $255,389 increase in intangible asset amortization related to acquisitions, and a $270,256 increase in debt discount amortization related primarily to the CCF Note.

 

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Net cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities

 

Net cash flow used in investing activities in the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $(330,545) compared to net cash flow provided by investing activities in the six months ended June 30, 2021 of $458,812, a difference of $(789,357). This decrease in investing cash flows resulted from $(250,000) paid in April 2022 related to the acquisition of LSG, $(80,545) used to purchase fixed assets in the first six months of 2022, $(93,240) received in 2021 resulting from the acquisition of MFSI, and $(365,572) received in 2021 from the sale of two investments in private companies held by MFSI.

 

 

Net cash flows provided by financing activities

 

Net cash flow provided by financing activities in the six months ended June 30, 2022 was $1,139,388 compared to net cash flow provided by financing activities in the six months ended June 30, 2021 of $157,780, an increase of $981,608. The increase in financing cash flows was primarily driven by $970,000 provided by the CCH convertible note in 2022, $500,000 provided by the Eisiminger Note in 2022, a $405,000 increase in proceeds in from issuance of preferred and common stock over the 2021 period, and $287,780 net proceeds drawn from the revolving credit line, partially offset by a $(450,000) increase in repayment on the BCR Trust convertible note payable over 2021 and repayment on notes payable in the six months ended June 30, 2022 of $(627,074) associated with the SSI Acquisition.

 

   Year Ended December 31, 
   2021   2020 
Net cash provided by (used in):          
Operating activities   (1,350,136)   1,006,091 
Investing activities   808,834    (5,450)
Financing activities   146,835    109,000 

 

Net cash flows (used in) provided by operations

 

Net cash flow used in operations in 2021 of $(1,350,136) compared to net cash flow provided by operations in 2020 of $1,006,091, a difference of $(2,356,227). This decrease in operating cash flows period over period is driven by an increase in net loss of $(4,838,937), decreases in accounts receivables (primarily due to the timing of collections) and contract assets of $(2,295,437), a $(1,664,647) decrease in deferred tax provision (our deferred tax benefit increased), offset by $5,982,475 increase in non-cash stock-based compensation expense.

 

Net cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities

 

Net cash provided by investing activities for 2021 was $808,834 compared to net cash flow used in investing activities for 2020 of $(5,450), a difference of $814,284. This increase in investing cash flows primarily resulted from $453,480 received in 2021 resulting from acquisitions of MFSI, Merrison, and SSI (net of amounts paid), as well as $365,572 received from the sale of two investments in private companies held by MFSI.

 

Net cash flows provided by financing activities

 

Net cash flow provided by financing activities was $146,835 in 2021 compared to net cash flow of $109,000 provided by financing activities in 2020, a difference of 37,835. This increase in financing cash flows was primarily a result of 2021 activities, including a $525,000 increase in proceeds from issuance of preferred and common stock over 2020 related to acquisition funding and capital raised from accredited investors, offset by decreases of $(470,626) due to repayments of notes payable related to the acquisitions of SSI and Corvus.

 

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Interest Rate and Market Risk

 

The Live Oak Revolving Note is a variable rate instrument with a per annum interest rate equal to the prime rate as quoted in the Wall Street Journal (the “Prime Rate”), plus two percentage points (2%). Additionally, the Live Oak Term Loan Note has a per annum interest rate equal to the Prime Rate, plus three percentage points (3%). Rising interest rates are likely to increase our interest expense in the future. Specifically, each one percent (1%) increase in interest rates results in approximately $30,000 per year of additional interest expense. Such additional cost would need to be funded out of existing cash or additional financing. Future increase in interest rates are not expected to materially impact our Company’s liquidity. The Company has no other debt obligations tied to the Prime Rate, SOFR, or LIBOR.

 

Effects of Inflation

 

U.S. inflation is at a 40-year high. Because costs rise faster than revenues during the early phase of inflation, we may find that we need to give higher than normal raises to employees, start new employees at higher wage and/or benefit rates, but not be able to price the higher costs through to the government due to competition and government pressures.   Therefore, we may be adversely affected (i) with lower gross profit margins; (ii) by losing contracts which are lowest price technically acceptable (LPTA) where another bidder underbids the real rates and then has difficulty staffing the project; and (iii) by having difficulty maintaining our staff at current salaries.   Sustained inflation also can cause the Fed to raise the target for the federal funds rate which normally translates into an increase in most banks’ “prime” rate. Because our Live Oak Term Loan Note and Live Oak Revolving Note are both variable interest rate instruments tied to the prime rate, actions by the Fed to increase the federal funds rate will increase our cost of debt and our interest expense thereby reducing our pre-tax income and net income.

 

During the year ended December 31, 2021, nineteen percent (19%) of our revenue was generated under cost-reimbursable contacts which automatically adjust revenue to cover costs that are affected by inflation and sixty-two percent (62%) of our revenue was generated under T&M contracts, where labor rates for many of our services provided are often fixed for several years. Under certain T&M contracts containing IDIQ procurement arrangements, we adjust labor rates annually as permitted. The remaining portion of our business is fixed-price contracts which may span multiple years. We generally have been able to price our T&M contracts and fixed-price contracts in a manner that accommodates the rates of inflation experienced in recent years.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

 

We do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have had or are reasonably likely to have a current or future material effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues, expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, or capital resources.

 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

 

In October 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-08, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Accounting for Contract Assets and Contract Liabilities from Contracts with Customers. The purpose of ASU 2021-08 is to improve the accounting for acquired revenue contracts with customers in a business combination to address recognition of an acquired contract liability and payment terms and their effect on subsequent revenue recognized by the acquirer. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2022 on a prospective basis. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

 

Management believes that there have not been any recently issued, but not effective, accounting standards which, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

The following is not intended to be a comprehensive list of our accounting policies or estimates. Our significant accounting policies are more fully described in Note 2 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our annual audited consolidated financial statements, included elsewhere in the prospectus of which this registration forms a part. In preparing our financial statements and accounting for the underlying transactions and balances, we apply our accounting policies and estimates as disclosed in the Notes. We consider the policies and estimates discussed below as critical to an understanding of our financial statements because their application places the most significant demands on our judgment, with financial reporting results dependent on estimates about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain and may change in subsequent periods. Specific risks for these critical accounting estimates are described in the following paragraphs. Preparation of our financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

 

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Besides estimates that meet the “critical” accounting estimate criteria, we make many other accounting estimates in preparing our financial statements and related disclosures. All estimates, whether or not deemed critical, affect reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue, and expenses as well as disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities. Estimates are based on experience and other information available prior to the issuance of the financial statements. Materially different results can occur as circumstances change and additional information becomes known, including for estimates that we do not deem “critical.”

 

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company accounts for revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. (Topic 606). Topic 606 requires entities to recognize revenues when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers at an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The principles in the standard are applied in five steps: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation.

 

Our revenue recognition policies are consistent with this five-step framework. Understanding the complex terms of agreements and determining the appropriate time, amount, and method to recognize revenue for each transaction requires judgment. These significant judgments include: (1) determining what point in time or what measure of progress depicts the transfer of control to the customer; (2) estimating contract revenue and costs and assumptions for schedule and technical issues; (3) selecting the appropriate method to measure progress; and (4) estimating how and when contingencies, or other forms of variable consideration, will impact the timing and amount of recognition of revenue. The timing and revenue recognition in a period could vary if different judgments were made.

 

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

 

We account for goodwill and intangible assets in accordance with ASC 350, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (ASC 350). ASC 350 requires that goodwill and other intangibles with indefinite lives be tested for impairment annually or on an interim basis if events or circumstances indicate that the fair value of an asset has decreased below its carrying value. Significant management judgment is required in determining whether an indicator of impairment exists and in projecting cash flows.

 

Our acquisitions require the application of purchase accounting, which results in tangible and identifiable intangible assets and liabilities of the acquired entity being recorded at fair value. The difference between the purchase price and the fair value of net assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. We are responsible for determining the valuation of assets and liabilities and for the allocation of purchase price to assets acquired and liabilities assumed.

 

Assumptions must be made in determining fair values, particularly where observable market values do not exist. Assumptions may include discount rates, growth rates, cost of capital, tax rates, and remaining useful lives. These assumptions can have a significant impact on the value of identifiable assets and accordingly can impact the value of goodwill recorded. Different assumptions could result in different values being attributed to assets and liabilities. Since these values impact the amount of annual depreciation and amortization expense, different assumptions could also impact our statement of operations and could impact the results of future asset impairment reviews. Due to the many variables inherent in the estimation of a business’s fair value and the relative size of our goodwill, if different assumptions and estimates were used, it could have an adverse effect on our impairment analysis.

 

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Income Taxes and Uncertain Tax Positions

 

Income taxes and uncertain tax positions are accounted for in accordance with ASC 740, Income Taxes (ASC 740). Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Differences between statutory tax rates and effective tax rates relate to permanent tax differences.

 

Management determines recognition and measurement of uncertain income tax positions using a “more-likely-than-not” approach. This approach to estimate the potential outcome of any uncertain tax issue is subject to its assessment of relevant risks, facts, and circumstances existing at that time. Deferred income taxes reflect the impact of temporary differences between assets and liabilities recognized for financial reporting purposes and the amounts recognized for income tax reporting purposes, net operating loss carryforwards, and other tax credits measured by applying currently enacted tax laws. When necessary, a valuation allowance is provided to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

 

Share-Based Compensation

 

We account for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718 Compensation – Stock Compensation. We calculate compensation expense for all awards granted, but not yet vested, based on the grant-date fair values. The Company recognizes these compensation costs, on a pro rata basis over the requisite service period of each vesting tranche of each award for service-based grants, and as the criteria is achieved for performance-based grants.

 

In determining the grant date fair value of share-based awards, we must estimate the expected volatility, forfeitures, and performance attributes. Since share-based compensation expense can be material to our financial condition, different assumptions and estimates could have a material adverse effect on our financial statements

 

BUSINESS

 

Overview

 

Castellum, Inc. is focused on acquiring and growing technology companies in the areas of cybersecurity, IT, electronic warfare, information warfare, and information operations with businesses in the governmental and commercial markets. Services include intelligence analysis, software development, software engineering, program management, strategic and mission planning, information assurance, cybersecurity and policy support, and data analytics. These services are applicable to customers in the Federal government, financial services, healthcare, and other users of large data applications. They can be delivered to on-premises enclaves or customers who rely upon cloud-based infrastructures. The Company has worked with multiple business brokers and contacts within their business network to identify potential acquisitions. Due to our success in completing six acquisitions over the previous three years and given our executive officers and key manager’s networks of contacts in the IT, telecom, cybersecurity, and defense sectors, we believe that we are well positioned to continue to execute our business strategy given a pipeline of identified and prequalified acquisition targets. Because of our executive officers and key manager’s prior experience growing businesses organically, we believe that we are well positioned to grow our existing business via internal growth as well. The Company has developed a qualified business opportunity pipeline of over $400 million (the “Opportunity Pipeline”), The Opportunity Pipeline represents the revenue opportunity for the Company from potential future contracts obtained through organic growth from qualified customers based on the expected base year contract value plus the value of all option periods.

 

Our primary customers are agencies and departments of the U.S. Federal, state, and local governments. Our expertise and technology support national security missions and government modernization for intelligence, defense, and federal civilian customers. The demand for our expertise and technology, in large measure, is created by the increasingly complex network, systems, and information environments in which governments and businesses operate, and by the need to stay current with emerging technology while increasing productivity, enhancing security, and ultimately, improving performance.

 

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We provide expertise and technology to enterprise and mission customers in support of national security missions and government modernization/transformation. Due to the nature of the work being executed for the USG the budgets continue to grow in support of the national security imperatives that are bipartisan. The majority of contracted work is operational in nature and is funded on an on-going basis.

 

Company leadership and our Board are well aware of the challenge our military will face in the future, from peer and near peer competitors, and that innovation will be necessary to maintain our military as the world’s premier defense force with overwhelming offensive force should that be necessary. To address military needs, our plan is to develop business teams that can undertake the larger system developments and provide superior technology services. Smaller business teams will also be created to evolve new technology and processes which will enable and improve our military effectiveness with these teams having the ability to provide advanced capabilities quickly and affordably. Our objective is to become a trusted partner in assisting our military to maintain superiority when compared to other forces. As innovation and new military processes are evolved and proven, solutions will be offered to avail these enhancements government wide. These will assist in introducing new levels of government service while reducing cost to the taxpayer.

 

To achieve Castellum’s objectives, the following solutions are offered:

 

  · Enterprise – We provide capabilities that enable the internal operations of a government agency. This includes digital solutions, such as business systems, agency-unique applications, investigative solutions, and enterprise IT. For example, Castellum customizes, implements, and maintains COTS and ERP systems. This includes, financial, human capital, and supply chain management systems. Castellum also designs, integrates, deploys, and sustains enterprise-wide IT systems in a variety of models.

 

  · Mission – Castellum provides capabilities that enable the execution of a government agency’s primary function, or “mission”. For example, we support strategic and tactical mission customers with capabilities in areas such as command and control, communications, intelligence collection and analysis, SIGINT, EW, and cyber operations. Castellum develops tools and offerings in an open, software-defined architecture with multi-domain and multi-mission capabilities.

 

  · Expertise – Castellum provides expertise to both enterprise and mission customers. For enterprise customers, we deliver talent with the specific technical and functional knowledge to support internal agency operations. And for mission customers, we deliver talent with technical and domain knowledge to support the execution of an agency’s mission. We also deliver actionable intelligence through multi-source collection, aggregation, and analysis.

 

  · Technology – Castellum delivers technology to both enterprise and mission customers. For enterprise customers, technology includes developing and implementing digital solutions (business systems, agency-unique applications) and end-to-end enterprise IT systems. We continually advance infrastructure through migration to the cloud network modernization, active cyber defense, and the application of data operations and analytics. For mission customers, technology includes developing and deploying multi-domain offerings for signals intelligence, resilient communications, fee space optical communications, electronic warfare, and cyber operations. Castellum invests ahead of customer needs with research and development to generate unique intellectual property and differentiated technology addressing critical national security mission needs.

 

 Our Markets

 

We provide our expertise and technology to our domestic and international customers in the following market areas:

 

  · Digital Solutions – Castellum transforms how government does business. We modernize enterprise and agency-unique applications, enterprise infrastructure, and business processes to enhance productivity and increase user satisfaction. We use data analytics and visualization to provide insights and outcomes that optimize our customer’s operations.

 

  · C4ISR, Cyber & Space – Castellum teams ensure information superiority by delivering multi-domain C4 technology and networks. Our software-defined, full-spectrum cyber, electronic warfare, and C-UAS solutions provide electromagnetic spectrum advantage and deliver precision effects against national security threats. We are at the forefront of developing technologies that meet the challenges of 5G wireless communications both on and off the battlefield, millimeter wave, and the use of lasers for free space optical communications and long-range sensing.

 

  · Engineering Services – Castellum provides platform integration, modernization, and sustainment; system engineering; naval architecture; training and simulation services; and logistics engineering to help our customers achieve a decisive tactical edge. We enhance platforms to improve situational awareness, mobility, interoperability, lethality, and survivability. We conduct software vulnerability analysis and harden technology to protect against malicious actors. Our platform-agnostic, mission-first approach ensures optimal performance, so our nation’s forces can overmatch our adversaries.

 

  · Enterprise IT – Castellum amplifies efficiency with unmatched expertise and next-generation technology. We design, implement, protect, and manage secure enterprise IT solutions for Federal, state, and local agencies to optimize efficiency, enhance performance, and ensure end-user satisfaction.

 

  · Mission support –Castellum specializes in planning and intelligence support for IW/IO. The Company develops IW/IO plans, exercises, doctrine, and training for the Military Services and the Combatant Commands in domestic and deployed overseas locations. Our intelligence support ensures continuous advances in collection, analysis, and dissemination to optimize decision-making. Castellum also has linguists and cultural advisors who provide clients with insights into the history, media consumption, and cultural nuances of target audiences to maximize the effectiveness of communications plans and ensure mission success.

 

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Strengths and Strategy

 

Extensive Sector Knowledge and Advanced Technology. We primarily offer our expertise and technology to defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies of the U.S. Federal, state, and local governments. Our work for USG agencies may combine a wide range of skills drawn from our expertise and technology. For example, Castellum performs software development and virtualization of infrastructure services for the U.S. Navy. We maintain and monitor government owned data centers. We are subject matter experts in Electronic and Electromagnetic warfare. We perform advanced data analytics on litigation data in support of the DoJ. Lastly, through the Company’s IW/IO operations, Castellum provides key services to governments of other nations.

 

International Presence. We have previously supported international clients in Australia and other foreign countries and believe that future opportunities for providing our services internationally is growing given current record nominal levels of global spending on defense and the continued rising threat from cybersecurity breaches.

 

Deep-Seated Government Relationships. To effectively perform on our existing customer contracts and secure new customer contracts with the U.S. Federal, state, and local governments, we must maintain expert knowledge of agency policies, operations, and challenges. We combine this comprehensive knowledge with expertise and technology for our enterprise and mission customers. Our capabilities provide us with opportunities either to compete directly for, or to support other bidders in competition for multi-million dollar and multi-year award contracts from the U.S. Federal, state, and local governments.

 

Complementary Product and Service Offerings. We have strategic business relationships with several companies associated with the IT industry which have business objectives compatible with ours and offer complementary products and services. We intend to continue development of these kinds of relationships wherever they support our growth objectives. Some of these business relationships have ultimately led to Castellum acquiring the teaming partner firm.

 

Our marketing and new business development is conducted by many of our officers and managers including the CEO, COO, executive officers, and other key managers. We employ business development, capture and proposal writer professionals who identify and qualify major contract opportunities, primarily in the USG market and submit bids for those opportunities.

 

Much of our business is won through submission of formal competitive bids. Government and commercial customers typically base their decisions regarding contract awards on their assessment of the quality of past performance, compliance with proposal requirements, price, and other factors. The terms, conditions, and form of government contract bids, however, are in most cases specified by the customer. In situations in which the customer-imposed contract type and/or terms appear to expose us to inappropriate risk or do not offer us a sufficient financial return, we may seek alternative arrangements or opt not to bid for the work. Essentially all contracts with the USG, and many contracts with other government entities, permit the government customer to terminate the contract at any time for the convenience of the government or for default by the contractor. None of Castellum’s subsidiaries have had contract work terminated for non-performance. Although we operate under the risk of such terminations with the potential to have a material impact on operations, they are not common. Additionally, as with other government contractors, our business is subject to government customer funding decisions and actions that are beyond our control.

 

Our contracts and subcontracts are composed of a wide range of contract types, including FFP, CPFF, T&M, labor hour, IDIQ and GWACS such as GSA schedule contracts, substantially all of which are annual contracts, with options to renew. Because most government contracts renew annually, the Company does not have a material number of multi-year contracts. Typically, the prime contract will dictate the terms of the subcontracts including, among other things, the workshare percentages, mechanics of payment terms, and the process for operational management. We generated fifty-five percent (55%) in the three months ended June 30, 2022, fifty two percent (52%) of our total revenue in the six months ended June 30, 2022, sixty-one percent (61%) of our total revenue in the year ended December 31, 2021, and seventy-eight percent (78%) of our total revenue in the year ended December 31, 2020, from T&M contracts.

 

In the year ending December 31, 2021, the top three revenue-producing contracts, some of which consist of multiple task orders, accounted for sixty percent (60%) of our revenue, or $15,058,925. Each of those contracts are associated with the Company’s areas of core expertise, as follows: (i) an annual contract with CACI that contains multiple renewal options is a T&M contract that leverages expertise in EW and is associated with developing a 5G spectrum management strategy and policy, (ii) an annual contract with NAVAIR that contains multiple renewal options is a CPFF contract that goes to the systems engineering and design/software engineering and development expertise where the Company has developed software that manages the aircraft launch and recovery operations on aircraft carriers, and (iii) an annual contract with Perspecta with multiple renewal option periods is a T&M contract which supports the cyber and EW work done at the Army Staff Level.

 

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Some of our key initiatives include the following:

 

  · Continue our unwavering commitment to our customers while supporting the communities in which we work and live;

 

  · Continue to grow organic revenue across our large, addressable market;

 

  · Recruit and hire a world class workforce to execute on our growing backlog; and

 

  ·

Differentiate ourselves through our investment, including our strategic mergers and acquisitions allowing us to enhance our current capabilities and create new customer access points.

 

 

Budget Environment

 

We carefully follow U.S. Federal budget, legislative and contracting trends and activities and evolve our strategies to take these into consideration. On August 2, 2019, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 (“BBA 2019”) was signed into law. BBA 2019 called for defense spending, including Overseas Contingency Operations (“OCO”) funds, of $738,000,000,000 in government fiscal year (“GFY”) 2020 and $740,500,000,000 in GFY 2021. Both represent increases from GFY 2019 levels of $716,000,000,000. On January 1, 2021, the $740,000,000,000 National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for GFY 2021 became law. On March 11,2022, Congress passed and President Biden signed into law an omnibus spending bill which included $782,000,000,000 for national defense. This represents a 3.9% increase over the administration’s request for 2022 and a 5.6% increase over the 2021 appropriations. This bill provided for the continuity of funding for the existing contracts on which the Company is doing work while also authorizing the USG to award new contracts. We believe this latter opportunity will be key to generating organic growth for the Company.

 

While we view the budget environment as stable and believe there is bipartisan support for continued investment in the areas of defense and national security, as evidenced by the recent approval of military assistance to Ukraine and the replacement of weapon systems from U.S. stockpiles, it is uncertain whether GFY 2023 will see similar increased levels of spending or a passing of a defense related appropriations bill. During those periods of time when appropriations bills have not been passed and signed into law, government agencies operate under a CR. Depending on their scope, duration, and other factors, CRs can negatively impact our business due to delays in new program starts, delays in contract award decisions, and other factors. The Company’s most recent experience with CRs is that organic growth is impacted but, the Company continues to grow as the cybersecurity related operations (to include information warfare, electronic warfare, information operations, and related areas) are core to what has become a bipartisan National Security focus. However, there is the risk that when a CR expires, unless appropriations bills have been passed by Congress and signed by the then President, or a new CR is passed and signed into law, the government must cease operations, or shutdown, except in certain emergency situations or when the law authorizes continued activity. During Covid our work was deemed a key component of National Security and continued unabated which would suggest that lacking a CR we are likely to continue to operate largely unaffected but such an assumption may prove to be incorrect. We continuously review our operations in an attempt to identify programs potentially at risk from CRs so that we can consider appropriate contingency plans.

 

Acquisition Strategy

 

Castellum seeks acquisitions which fit one or more of the following criteria:  (1) expands Castellum's capability in existing areas of expertise such as cybersecurity and electronic warfare; (2) broadens the scope of clients which Castellum serves such as adding a new service branch or new government agency; (3) increases the scale of Castellum's business in existing areas in order to generate better operating profit margins and reduce the Company's wrap rate; (4) increases the geographic footprint of Castellum in order to offer more capability to existing or new clients; (5) adds management talent to Castellum; (6) adds technological capability in new areas which Castellum believes are high growth potential; and (7) fills a need within Castellum to be able to serve current customers such as adding a prime contract vehicle or the capability to win new prime contract vehicles.   In all cases, Castellum seeks acquisitions which are immediately accretive on a revenue, earnings before interest, depreciation, and amortization (“EBITDA”), and net income per share basis as well as positive from a net present value perspective and which fit the culture of Castellum.

 

Market Environment

 

Cybersecurity has become increasingly important as the world has undergone significant digital transformation over the past quarter-century. Presidents Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden have all differed on many priorities; however, cybersecurity has been a priority for all four Presidents, with increased funding and focus. For instance, as part of the Cyber National Action Plan (“CNAP”) announced in February of 2016, the Federal Budget requested funding to expand Department of Homeland Security’s (“DHS”) National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (“NCCIC”) to include twenty-four teams of elite cyber first responders that can be deployed to help both private sector and government victims of cyber incidents (DoD.defense.gov). In March 2021, “President Biden…made cybersecurity, a critical element of the DHS’s mission, a top priority…” (www.dhs.gov).

 

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The current budget proposal for cybersecurity is for $9,800,000,000 which is up from $8,700,000,000 in 2021 (www.FedScoop.com). USG IT spending for 2021 was over $92,000,000 dollars which includes DoD and civilian agencies (www.statistica.com). As the economy, the government, and our defense forces continue to digitize, we expect that these numbers will climb further.

 

Cyber security and IT are likely to remain funded at levels sufficient to address the national security threat which the daily attacks pose and the need for an offensive capability. These threats are real, on-going, and increasing in frequency against USG entities and the commercial sector. Cyber is one of a handful of areas that has been and will likely remain funded through changes in administrations.

 

We continue to align the Company’s capabilities with well-funded budget priorities and take steps to maintain a competitive cost structure in line with our expectations of future business opportunities. In light of these actions, as well as the budgetary environment discussed above, we believe we are well positioned to continue to win new business in our large addressable market. We believe that the following trends will influence the USG spending in our addressable market:

 

  · A stable USG budget environment, particularly in defense and intelligence-related areas;

 

  · A shift in focus from readiness toward increased capabilities, effectiveness, and responsiveness;

 

  · Increased USG interest in faster contracting and acquisition processes;

 

  · Increased focus on cyber, space, and the electromagnetic spectrum as key domains for National Security;

 

  · Continued focus on counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and counter proliferation as key U.S. security concerns;

 

  · Balanced focus on counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and counter proliferation as key U.S. security concerns;

 

  · Balanced focus on enterprise cost reductions through efficiency, with increased spend on IT infrastructure modernization and enhancements to cyber security protections; and

 

  · Increased investments in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and 5G.

  

We believe that our customers’ use of lowest price/technically acceptable (“LPTA”) procurements, which contribute to pricing pressures in prior years, has moderated, though price still remains an important factor in procurements. We also continue to see protests of major contract awards and delays in the USG procurement activities. In addition, many of our USG contracts require us to employ personnel with security clearances, specific levels of education, and specific past work experience. Depending on the level of clearance, security clearances can be difficult and time-consuming to obtain and competition for skilled personnel in the IT services industry is intense. Additional factors that could affect USG spending in our addressable market include changes in set-asides for small businesses, changes in budget priorities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and post pandemic policies, or due to the Russian war in Ukraine, and the failure of Congress to pass a budget requiring a CR to be passed which has the impact of placing on hold the spending on new programs. Spending can expand on existing programs which means the Company will focus on expanding the scope of work on existing contracts.

 

Customers

 

We are committed to solving our clients’ toughest challenges, and we work with a diverse base of public and private sector clients across a number of industries in the U.S. and internationally.  We provide expertise and technology to defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies of the U.S. Federal, state, and local governments.  Our clients call us to work on their hardest problems by providing innovative, intelligent, and agile cloud-ready capabilities across the DoD Information Network Operations, Electromagnetic Warfare, Cyberspace Operations, Intelligence, and Information Dominance community. We specialize in intelligence analysis, software development, software engineering, turnkey system development, program management, strategic and mission planning, information assurance and cybersecurity and policy along with analysis support. We are investing in markets, capabilities, and talent and are building new business models through strategic ventures, teaming agreements, solutions, and product offerings.

 

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Our government clients include cabinet-level departments of the USG, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corp, Special Operations, as well as other Federal and civilian agencies.  We also serve state and local agencies and commercial clients, working to solve their hardest and most sophisticated cyber challenges, and have some international clients.

 

Current Contract Highlights

 

We provide research and development systems engineering and technical assistance for cybersecurity, mission assurance and resiliency, 5G engineering, program management, and project control to the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense – Research and Engineering (“OUSD R&E”) sponsored Command Post Survivability and Vehicular Mobility Experiment culminating at the National Training Center.  We provide program management office support for the DoD to facilitate the advancement and adoption of 5G technology and identify new uses for 5G systems, subsystems, and components by promoting science, technology, research, development, testing, and evaluation efforts via unique access to testing sites, spectrum licenses, technical expertise, and resources.  Additionally, we assist DoD work with industry and academia to support the development of critical technologies, integrate those technologies within a protected architecture, and demonstrate “transformative 5G and beyond” applications. 

 

We support the U.S. Army to develop electromagnetic spectrum operations (“EMSO”) requirements including both electronic warfare and spectrum management operations capabilities. We assist as they coordinate materiel integration affecting doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy (“DOTMLPF-P”) to promote EMSO standardization and interoperability in support of unified land operations. We support U.S. Army elements to fulfill requirements IAW the Integrated Capabilities Development Team – MDTF Charter (13 AUG 18). We assist the MDTFs Multi-Domain Effects Battalion/Detachment to develop and integrate capabilities across the Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leadership and Education, Personnel, Facilities, and Policy (“DOTMLPF-P”) spectrum to provide the MDTFs with Space, Cyber & Electronic Warfare capabilities which are capable of successfully defending the network, disrupting enemy mission command, and providing surveillance and jamming of enemy fires left of launch.

 

We are the largest contract support services contractor supporting NAVAIR at Lakehurst, NJ, with support also provided at Pax River, MD. We support the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (“ALRE”), Support Equipment (“SE”), & Mission Operations (“MO”) Departments, PMA 266 Tactical UAV’s and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s Irregular Air Platforms Airborne Systems Integration Counter UAS Division by providing: Software Development, Software Testing, Software Configuration Management, Systems Integration, IT Network & Systems Administration, Cybersecurity Systems Engineering, Cybersecurity Information Assurance Risk Management Framework (“RMF”) package development and Validation, Model-Based Systems Engineering, Modeling and Simulation development, Mission Operations Support, and Advanced Concept Development.

 

Contract Backlog

 

We define backlog to include the following three components:

 

  · Funded Backlog. Funded backlog represents the revenue value of orders for services under existing contracts for which funding is appropriated or otherwise authorized less revenue previously recognized on these contracts.

 

  · Unfunded Backlog. Unfunded backlog represents the revenue value of orders (including optional orders) for services under existing contracts for which funding has not been appropriated or otherwise authorized.

 

  · Priced Options. Priced contract options represent 100% of the revenue value of all future contract option periods under existing contracts that may be exercised at our clients’ option and for which funding has not been appropriated or otherwise authorized.

 

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Our backlog does not include contracts that have been awarded but are currently under protest and also does not include any task orders under IDIQ contracts, except to the extent that task orders have been awarded to us under those contracts.

 

The following table summarizes the value of our contract backlog as of August 1, 2022:

 

Backlog    
Funded  $17,677,792 
Unfunded  $12,243,025 
Priced Options  $62,093,312 
Total Backlog  $92,014,129 

 

Total backlog

 

Our total backlog consists of remaining performance obligations, certain orders under contracts for which the original period of performance has expired, and unexercised option periods and other unexercised optional orders. As of August 1, 2022, the Company had $92 million of remaining performance obligations. We expect to recognize approximately forty three percent (43%) of the remaining performance obligations over the next 12 months, and approximately seventy seven percent (77%) over the next 24 months. The remainder is expected to be recognized thereafter. As with all government contracts there is no guarantee the customer will have future funding or exercise their contract option in the out-years. Other budget risks are discussed in the Budget Environment. Our backlog includes orders under contracts that in some cases extend for several years. Congress generally appropriates funds for our clients on a yearly basis, even though their contracts with us may call for performance that is expected to take a number of years to complete. As a result, contracts typically are only partially funded at any point during their term and all or some of the work to be performed under the contracts may remain unfunded unless and until the U.S. Congress makes subsequent appropriations and the procuring agency allocates funding to the contract.

 

We cannot predict with any certainty the portion of our backlog that we expect to recognize as revenue in any future period and we cannot guarantee that we will recognize any revenue from our backlog. The primary risks that could affect our ability to recognize such revenue on a timely basis or at all are: program schedule changes, contract modifications, and our ability to assimilate and deploy new consulting staff against funded backlog; cost-cutting initiatives and other efforts to reduce USG spending, which could reduce or delay funding for orders for services; and delayed funding of our contracts due to delays in the completion of the USG's budgeting process and the use of CRs by the USG to fund its operations. The amount of our funded backlog is also subject to change, due to, among other factors: changes in congressional appropriations that reflect changes in USG policies or priorities resulting from various military, political, economic, or international developments; changes in the use of USG contracting vehicles, and the provisions therein used to procure our services and adjustments to the scope of services, or cancellation of contracts, by the USG at any time. In our recent experience, none of the following additional risks have had a material negative effect on our ability to realize revenue from our funded backlog: the unilateral right of the USG to cancel multi-year contracts and related orders or to terminate existing contracts for convenience or default; in the case of unfunded backlog, the potential that funding will not be made available; and, in the case of priced options, the risk that our clients will not exercise their options.

 

In addition, contract backlog includes orders under contracts for which the period of performance has expired, and we may not recognize revenue on the funded backlog that includes such orders due to, among other reasons, the tardy submission of invoices by our subcontractors and the expiration of the relevant appropriated funding in accordance with a predetermined expiration date such as the end of the USG's fiscal year.

 

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We expect to recognize revenue from a substantial portion of funded backlog within the next 24 months. However, given the uncertainties discussed above, as well as the risks described in Budget Environment, we can give no assurance that we will be able to convert our backlog into revenue in any particular period, if at all.

 

Competition

 

We operate in a highly competitive industry that includes many firms, some of which are larger in size and have greater financial resources than we do. We obtain much of our business on the basis of proposals submitted in response to requests from potential and current customers, who may also receive proposals from other firms. Non-traditional players have entered the market and have established positions related to such areas as cloud computing, cyber, satellite operations and business systems. Additionally, we face indirect competition from certain government agencies that perform services for themselves similar to those marketed by us. We know of no single competitor that is dominant in our fields of technology. We have a relatively small share of the addressable market for our solutions and services and intend to achieve growth and increase market share both organically and through strategic acquisitions.

 

As a government contractor, Castellum both cooperates (as a teaming partner) and competes with many different companies.  Sometimes, Castellum both teams with (on one contract) and competes against (on a different contract) with the same company.   Among others, Castellum competes with (and sometimes also teams with) Northrup Grumman, CACI, Peraton, and Booz-Allen Hamilton.

 

Research and Development

 

The Company from time to time engages in research and development relative to its service offerings; however, the amounts expended for such efforts are not material to the Company’s financial statements.

 

Intellectual Property

 

The Company currently has no patents or trademarks that it believes to be material to the business. The Company does have significant intellectual property in the form of our highly educated and trained workforce which provides us with technical expertise and an enhanced ability to win ‘re-compete” business.

 

Regulation

 

As a contractor to the USG, as well as state and local governments, we are heavily regulated in most fields in which we operate. We deal with numerous USG agencies and entities, and when working with these and other entities, we must comply with and are affected by unique laws and regulations relating to the formation, administration, and performance of government contracts. Some significant law and regulations that affect us include the following:

 

  · the FAR, and agency regulations supplemental to FAR, which regulate the formation, administration, and performance of USG contract;

 

  · the False Claims Act, which imposes civil and criminal liability for violations, including substantial monetary penalties for, among other things, presenting false or fraudulent claims for payments or approval;

 

  · the False Statements Act, which imposes civil and criminal liability for making false statements to the USG;

 

  · the Truthful Cost or Pricing Data Statute (formerly known as the “Truth in Negotiations Act”), which requires certification and disclosure of cost and pricing date in connection with the negotiation of certain contracts, modifications, or task orders;

 

  · the Procurement Integrity Act, which regulates access to competitor bid and proposal information and certain internal government procurement sensitive information, and our ability to provide compensation to certain former government procurement officials;

 

  · laws and regulations restricting the ability of a contractor to provide gifts or gratuities to employees of the USG;

 

  · post-government employment laws and regulations, which restrict the ability of a contractor to recruit and hire current employees of the USG and deploy former employees of the USG;

 

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  · laws, regulations, and executive orders restricting the handling, use, and dissemination of information classified for national security purposes or determined to be “controlled unclassified information” or “for official use only,” and the export of certain products, services, and technical data, including requirements regarding any applicable licensing of our employees involved in such work;

 

  · laws, regulations, and executive orders regulating the handling, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information in the course of performing a USG contract;

 

  · international trade compliance laws, regulations, and executive orders that prohibit business with certain sanctioned entities and require authorization for certain exports or imports in order to protect national security and global stability;

 

  · laws, regulations, and executive orders governing organizational conflicts of interest that may restrict our ability to compete for certain USG contracts because of the work that we currently perform for the USG or may require that we take measures such as firewalling off certain employees or restricting their future work activities due to the current work that they perform under a USG contract;

 

  · laws, regulations, and executive orders that impose requirements on us to ensure compliance with requirements and protect the government from risks related to our supply chain most notably is compliance with Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (“CMMC”);

 

  · laws, regulations, and mandatory contract provisions providing protections to employees or subcontractors seeking to report alleged fraud, waste, and abuse related to a government contract;

 

  · the Contractor Business Systems rule, with authorizes Department of Defense agencies to withhold a portion of or payments if we are determined to have a significant deficiency in our accounting, cost estimating, purchasing, earned value management, material management and accounting, and/or property management system; and

 

  · the Cost Accounting Standards and Cost Principles, which impose accounting and allowability requirement that govern our right to reimbursement under certain cost-based USG contracts and require consistency of accounting practices over time.

 

Given the magnitude of our revenue derived from contracts with the DoD, the DCAA is our relevant government audit agency. The DCAA audits the adequacy of our internal control systems and policies including, among other areas, compensation. The DCMA as our relevant government contract management agency, may determine that a portion of our employee compensation is unallowable based on the findings and recommendations in the DCAA’s audits. In addition, the DCMA directly reviews the adequacy of certain other business systems, such as our purchasing system. We are also subject to audit by Inspectors General of other USG agencies.

 

The USG may revise its procurement practices or adopt new contract rules and regulations at any time. Internationally, we are subject to special USG laws and regulations (such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act), local government regulations and procurement policies and practices, including regulations relating to import-export control, investments, exchange controls, and repatriation of earnings, as well as varying currency, political and economic risks. To mitigate the risk of CMMC compliance the Company has employed a senior executive whose full-time responsibility is compliance. Regarding CMMC compliance, this individual is considered a certified assessor and is preparing the Company for CMMC certification.

 

USG contracts are, by the terms, subject to termination by the USG either for convenience or default by the contractor. In addition, USG contracts are conditioned upon the continuing availability of Congressional appropriations. Congress usually appropriates funds for a given program on a September 30 fiscal year basis, even though contract performance could take many years. As is common in the industry, our Company is subject to business risk, including changes in governmental appropriations, national defense polices, service modernizations plans, and availability of funds. Any of these factors could materially adversely affect our Company's business with the USG in the future.

 

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The USG has a broad range of action it can instigate to enforce its procurement law and policies. These include proposing a contractor, certain of its operations or individual employees for debarment or suspending or debarring a contractor, certain of its operations or individual employees from future government business. In addition to criminal, civil, and administrative actions by the USG, under the False Claims act, an individual alleging fraud related to payments under a USG contract or program may file a qui tam lawsuit on behalf of the government against us; if successful in obtaining a judgment or settlement, the individual filing the suit may receive up to thirty percent (30%) of the amount recovered by the government.

 

See “Item 1A. Risk Factors – Risks Related to our Business and Industry – We generate substantially all of our revenue from contracts with the U.S. Federal, state and local governments which are subject to a number of challenges and risks that may adversely impact our business, prospects, financial condition and operating results.”

 

Employees

 

Our employees are our most valuable resource. We are in continuing competition for highly skilled professionals in virtually all of our market areas. The success and growth of our business is significantly correlated with our ability to recruit, train, promote and retain high quality people at all levels of the organization. As of June 30, 2022, we employed 213 full and part-time employees with forty-five percent (45%) of our employees holding degrees in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics fields, thirty percent (30%) holding advanced degrees, and eighty four percent (84%) of our employees holding security clearances. We have never had a work stoppage, and none of our employees is represented by a labor organization or under any collective bargaining arrangements. We consider our employee relations to be good. All employees are subject to contractual agreements that specify requirements on confidentiality and restrictions on working for competitors, as well as other standard matters.

 

Benefits are viewed as a critical tool for employee recruitment and retention. To that end Castellum has migrated over half of its employees from their legacy benefits programs to the ADP Professional Employer Organization (“PEO”), with the balance of its employees targeted to be migrated by early 2023. The implementation of the ADP PEO has allowed for the extension of benefits not previously offered to include a broad suite of additional services at reduced cost to the employees (such as financial planning, legal services, additional life insurance, and long-term care).

 

Properties

 

Our principal executive offices are located at 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 in a shared office space leased from Regus. We occupy our executive offices under a month-to-month lease. In addition, our subsidiaries lease property in St. Petersburg, Florida (Corvus), Augusta, GA (Corvus), Ponte Verde Beach, Florida (MFSI), Vienna, Virginia (Merrison), and Toms River, New Jersey (SSI). We believe our existing facilities are adequate to meet our current requirements. We do not own any real property.

 

Legal Proceedings

 

From time to time, we may become involved in various lawsuits and legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of business. Neither our Company nor any of our subsidiaries is a party to any legal proceeding that, individually or in the aggregate, we believe to be material to our Company as a whole.

 

MANAGEMENT

 

Management and Board

 

The following table sets forth the names and ages of the members of our Board and our executive officers and the positions held by each. Our Board elects our executive officers annually by majority vote. Each director’s term continues until his or her successor is elected or qualified at the next annual meeting, unless such director earlier resigns or is removed.

 

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Name   Age   Position and Offices
Mark C. Fuller   66   Chair*, CEO, President, Director
Jay O. Wright   52   Vice Chair, General Counsel, Treasurer, Secretary, Director
David T. Bell   52   CFO
Laurie M. Buckhout   60   Chief Revenue Officer, Director
Glen R. Ives   66   COO
Emil Kaunitz   79   Director, and President of SSI
Patricia Frost   57   Director nominee*
C. Thomas McMillen   70   Director nominee*
John F. Campbell   65   Director nominee*
Mark Alarie   58   Director nominee*
Bernard S. Champoux   67   Director nominee*, Chair*

 

* Ms. Frost and Messrs. McMillen, Campbell, Alarie and Champoux are expected to join the Board, and Mr. Champoux is expected to serve as Chair of the Board effective as of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American.

 

The following is information about the experience and attributes of the members of our Board and senior executive officers as of the date of this prospectus. The experience and attributes of our directors discussed below provide the reasons that these individuals were selected for board membership, as well as why they continue to serve in such positions.

 

Mark C. Fuller, 66, was appointed a director, Chair of the Board, CEO and President on June 11, 2019 in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition. From September 2017 to December 2020 Mr. Fuller was the chief executive officer and senior advisor to Techshot Lighting LLC where he was responsible for expanding the company’s products into new markets. From December 2016 to December 2020, Mr. Fuller served as a vice-president to the national capital region and a board member to MainNerve Federal Services, Inc. where he was responsible for account management and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Fuller is an accomplished leader and manager with over forty years of experience in public and private companies, large corporations, and start-up ventures with businesses in the commercial and government sectors across various industries, including telecommunications, Internet, software, cyber security, energy management, renewable energy, real estate, and consulting. In 2003 he was a founding shareholder and chief executive officer of Chesapeake Government Technologies, which was acquired by Widepoint Corporation (Amex: WYY) in 2004 where he served as a director. He has also led and been involved in various mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Fuller is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. He also earned Series 7 and 66 qualifications. Mr. Fuller’s significant financial and other experience allows him to be a strong financially and operational focused business leader.

 

Jay O. Wright, 52, was appointed a director, Vice Chair of the Board, General Counsel, Treasurer and Secretary on June 11, 2019 in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition. Since January 2017 Mr. Wright has been the sole owner, a director and served as President of Bayberry Capital, Inc. and, since March 2020, Bayberry Securities, Inc. Bayberry Capital, Inc. provides consulting and business development services to clients in the government contracting, managed and IT services, cybersecurity, software, manufacturing, distribution, and other industries. Bayberry Securities, Inc. is a broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”). Mr. Wright has significant experience with publicly traded companies, including serving as a chairman and chief executive officer for more than five years with a telecommunications services company and serving as the chief financial officer for a Nasdaq listed wireless communications company for two years. Mr. Wright has served as a director on numerous boards for both profit and not-for-profit companies, which included serving as chairman of the board, as well as chairing finance/investment, audit, and development committees. Previously, Mr. Wright worked as an investment banker with Merrill Lynch in New York and worked as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer with Foley & Lardner in Chicago and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in New York. Mr. Wright received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School and his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Georgetown University, summa cum laude, where he also serves as an adjunct finance professor. Mr. Wright is the co-author of the Sixth and Seventh editions of Finance and Accounting for Nonfinancial Managers, (Perseus Books, 2010; 2015). Mr. Wright is a member of the Illinois state bar and is Series 7, 24, and Series 66 qualified. Mr. Wright’s significant financial, investment, and other experience allows him to be qualified as a financial expert.

 

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David T. Bell, 52, was appointed our CFO on April 25, 2022. Prior to joining the Company since 2006 Mr. Bell was an audit partner for Deloitte & Touche LLP, (“Deloitte”) most recently working in the greater Washington, D.C. area where he has a proven track record leading service engagements and advising C-suite and boards of public and private companies in aerospace and defense, technology, and other industries. Mr. Bell has extensive knowledge of revenue recognition, leases, derivatives, consolidation, and internal controls. While at Deloitte, in addition to serving as the lead client service partner for many accounts, Mr. Bell served in Deloitte’s national office as an accounting consultation partner and as chief of staff. As a consultation partner, he consulted with engagement teams addressing complex technical accounting issues. In his operational role as chief of staff, David focused on technical and organizational efforts to restructure and refocus the accounting, SEC reporting, and auditing divisions to better serve clients. Mr. Bell graduated with a degree of Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting, summa cum laude, from Harding University, where he also serves on the university’s President’s Council. Mr. Bell is a Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”), licensed in Illinois and Virginia, and a member of the American Institute of CPAs, Illinois CPA Society, and the Virginia Society of CPAs.

 

Laurie M. Buckhout, 60, was appointed as chief executive officer of Corvus on November 21, 2019, on a transition basis for a period of 90 days and thereafter as the Chief Revenue Officer of the Company. Ms. Buckhout was elected to our Board on November 26, 2019. From February 2012 until November 2019 Ms. Buckhout was the founder, director, chief executive officer of Corvus Consulting Group, a defense consulting business that was subsequently purchased by the Company. Prior to founding Corvus, Ms. Buckhout served as a director of defense business development for TASC, Inc., a defense services company, and before that, she was vice president of business development for Lanmark Technologies, Inc., also a defense services company. Ms. Buckhout served twenty-six years in the U.S. Army, serving around the world and culminating in the rank of Colonel, with two combat tours in Iraq. During that time, her field of service was military communications, cyberspace operations, and electronic warfare. Ms. Buckhout holds a Bachelor of Science in English from James Madison University, a Master’s degree in military arts and science from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and a Master’s degree in IT management from Webster University.

 

Glen R. Ives, 66, served as our Chief Growth Officer and the chief executive officer of the Navy/Marine Corps division from February 2021 to February 2022. Mr. Ives currently serves as the chief executive officer of Corvus, the president of government sales and operations and our COO since February 2022. From July 2008 to January 2021, Mr. Ives served as the general vice president, chief executive officer, president, and chief executive officer for Sabre Systems, Inc. where he brought together a world class team of technology solutions and services enterprise, providing software and systems engineering solutions for mission critical requirements across the high value domains of Cyber, AI/ML, C5ISR, data science and analytics, cloud technologies, and digital transformation. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy and United States Army War College, he served as a Naval Officer and Naval Aviator deployed throughout the world and across the U.S. prior to joining Sabre Systems, Inc. Mr. Ives holds a Bachelor of Science in political science from the United States Naval Academy.

 

Emil Kaunitz, 79, was appointed a director and has also served as the president of SSI since August 12, 2021. Prior to the Company’s acquisition, Mr. Kaunitz was the founder, owner, manager, and president of SSI since 1978, a company specializing in developing, enhancing, and supporting aircraft carrier flight deck systems and aircraft maintenance systems for the U.S. Navy. For the U.S. Army, SSI has supported the installation of ISR systems in aircraft and has evolved and developed warfighter enhancing products for technology insertion into current systems and doctrine. Mr. Kaunitz has served as a consultant for the Naval Air Warfare Center, Lakehurst, where he evolved and implemented the strategy to migrate avionics test program and automatic test equipment support to the U.S. Navy depots. He chaired the Save Lakehurst Base Committee since 1995 and now serves on the Governor’s Council for Armed Forces and Military Affairs and the Defense Enhancement Coalition to advocate for Joint Base McGuire, Dix, Lakehurst. Previously, he worked on the Polaris Submarine Program as a navigation specialist, served on intelligence ships, program managed system developments including the Computer Aided Operations Facility for the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, and developed ships collision avoidance systems. Mr. Kaunitz received his Bachelor of Science in physics from Ohio Northern University and a Master of Science degree in computer science from Pratt Institute.

 

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Patricia Frost, 57, will be appointed a director as of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American. Ms. Frost has previously served as a member of the advisory board since October 22, 2019. Since 2018 Ms. Frost has served as a strategic cyber advisor to Partners In Performance, America, a cyber-security consulting firm. Since 2019 she has also served as a senior vice-president of human resources, internal communications and community engagement to Seagate Technology Holdings, a public limited company. From 2018 to 2020 she was a senior advisor to Thayer Leader Development Group, where she was a leadership advisor to Fortune 500 companies. From 1987 to 2018 Ms. Frost was a Major General in the U.S. Army and served as the first-ever director responsible for strategy, budget, and policy for the U.S. Army’s cyber capabilities. She has led strategic alignment and problem-solving initiatives among interagency and international partners, with three decades of experience in Asia and the Middle East. Ms. Frost received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Rutgers University – New Brunswick, a Master’s degree in military strategic intelligence from National Intelligence University, a Master’s degree in human resources development from Webster’s University and a Master’s degree in strategic studies from U.S. Army War College.

 

C. Thomas McMillen, 70, will be appointed a director as of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American. Mr. McMillen has previously served as a member of the advisory board since February 2022. Since 2015 Mr. McMillen has served as the president and chief executive officer of Lead 1 Association (formerly the DIA Athletic Directors Association), which advocates on behalf of the athletics directors of 130 of the premier college athletic programs. Mr. McMillen has served as a director of Nexstar Media Group since July 2014 and also serves on its nominating and corporate governance committee. He previously served as Timios National Corporation’s (formerly Homeland Security Capital Corporation) chief executive officer and chairman of the board from August 2005 and as its president from July 2011 to February 2014. From May 2013 to May 2016, Mr. McMillen served as an independent director of RCS Capital Corporation. From 1987 through 1993, Mr. McMillen served three consecutive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the 4th Congressional District of Maryland. During his career, Mr. McMillen has been an active investor, principal, and board member in companies in the cellular, paging, healthcare, motorcycle, environmental technology, broadcasting, real estate, and insurance industries. Mr. McMillen was formerly a member of the board of regents of the University of Maryland System and was the founding chairman and current chairman of the National Foundation on Physical Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Mr. McMillen holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Maryland, a Bachelor of Arts in politics and a Master’s degree in philosophy and economics from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Mr. McMillen is the author of Out of Bounds, First Edition (Simon & Schuster, January 1, 1992).

 

John F. Campbell, 65, will be appointed a director as of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American. He has served as an advisory board member since October 2019. Mr. Campbell founded John F. Campbell & Associates in May 2016 and has served as the president since that time. Mr. Campbell currently serves as an outside director of: (i) BAE Systems, Inc., an American subsidiary of British defense, security, and aerospace company BAE Systems, a public limited company; (ii) Rolls Royce North America, Inc. an American subsidiary of multinational corporation Rolls-Royce, a public limited company; and (iii) Systematic, Inc. an American subsidiary of The Systematic Group based in Denmark. He also serves as a director to IAP, a privately owned company and serves on the advisory board for AM General, the manufacturer of the Hummer and Humvee. Mr. Campbell retired from the U.S. Army at the rank of four-star general after 37 years of active service. He has over 20 years of service principally in command and leadership assignments in a broad mix of U.S. Army and joint organizations and cultures within the DoD. Mr. Campbell has a documented ability to provide senior management experience leading large, complex organizations ranging in size from 700 to 1.2 million in peace and combat operations. Mr. Campbell is adept at providing intellectual and organizational leadership, defining and solving complex problem sets and working with people to accomplish difficult tasks in high stress, dynamic settings. Mr. Campbell is an expert at strategic analysis, strategic communications, assessing strategic risk, planning and developing policy in an interagency context, developing and managing relationships, working with Congress and working with international leaders. Mr. Campbell holds a Bachelor of Science in engineering from the United States Military Academy and Master’s degree in public administration from Golden Gate University.

 

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Mark Alarie, 58, will be appointed a director as of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American. Mr. Alarie is currently an angel investor focusing on equity investments in early-stage technology companies in the United States. Mr. Alarie joined ICertainty in May of 2008 and assumed the role of president in January of 2009 before leaving the company in 2012. Prior to joining ICertainty, Mr. Alarie was co-founder and principal at CameronBlue Capital in McLean, Virginia after leaving his role as principal at CrossHill Financial Group. As a private equity fund manager and investor at CrossHill and CameronBlue, Mr. Alarie focused his time on cultivating relationships and making investments in technology-related companies in the DC region, particularly computer software companies. Prior to his private equity career, Mr. Alarie worked at both Legg Mason and Alex Brown investment banks in Baltimore, servicing the institutional investors of both. After graduating from Duke University, Mr. Alarie played for the Denver Nuggets and Washington Bullets (now Wizards) for six years. Mr. Alarie holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Duke University and a Master’s degree in business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Bernard S. Champoux, 67, will be appointed a director and the Chair of the Board as of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American. Mr. Champoux has served as an advisory board member since January 24, 2022. Since May 2017 Mr. Champoux has served as the senior executive vice president, chief executive officer and head of government relations for Hanwha Defense USA. Prior to that time, he acted as a consultant for Lockheed Martin, L3, CENTRA Technology, Analytical Services (ANSER), and the Defense Science Board. Mr. Champoux served nearly 39 years in the U.S. Army commanding from platoon through field army in light, mechanized, and motorized infantry, with multiple tours in the Rangers, and numerous operational deployments including over three years in combat. He was the executive officer to the Commander in Chief, U.S. Southern Command and the executive assistant to the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mr. Champoux was also the deputy and chief of legislative liaison, Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Army. Mr. Champoux holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Saint Anselm College and is a graduate of the U.S. Army War College, and the Executive Leadership Program, Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

 

Involvement by Officers or Directors in Certain Legal Proceedings

 

In October, 2016, Nutroganics, Inc., a company in the natural foods industry, closed and filed for bankruptcy in the State of Delaware. Jay O. Wright, one of our executive officers and a director, was the secretary, treasurer and a director of Nutroganics, Inc. within two years of its bankruptcy. Prior to its bankruptcy, Nutroganics, Inc. traded in the over-the counter market under the ticker “NUTT”.

 

In January, 2016, RCS Capital Corporation, a financial services company, filed a petition with the consent of a majority of its directors to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code in the State of Delaware. C. Thomas McMillen, one of our director nominees who will be appointed as a director as of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American, was a director of RCS Capital Corporation within two years of its bankruptcy. Prior to its bankruptcy, RCS Corporation traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker “RCAP”.

 

On or about December 29, 2014, a securities class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York against RCS Corporation and certain of its affiliates, officers, and directors, including C. Thomas McMillen, alleging false and misleading statements pertaining to the company’s financial position and future business prospects. The case is Weston v. RCS Capital Corporation, No. 14-cv-10136 (S.D.N.Y.). The case was settled in September 2017 without recourse to the independent directors of RCS Corporation.

 

Other than as noted in the preceding paragraph, to our knowledge, our directors and executive officers have not been involved in any of the following events during the past ten years:

 

  1. any bankruptcy petition filed by or against such person or any business of which such person was a general partner or executive officer either at the time of the bankruptcy or within two years prior to that time;

 

  2. any conviction in a criminal proceeding or being subject to a pending criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations and other minor offenses);

 

  3. being subject to any order, judgment, or decree, not subsequently reversed, suspended, or vacated, of any court of competent jurisdiction, permanently or temporarily enjoining him or her from or otherwise limiting his or her involvement in any type of business, securities or banking activities or to be associated with any person practicing in banking or securities activities;

 

  4. being found by a court of competent jurisdiction in a civil action, the SEC or the CFTC to have violated a Federal or state securities or commodities law, and the judgment has not been reversed, suspended, or vacated;

 

  5. being the subject of, or a party to, any Federal or state judicial or administrative order, judgment decree, or finding, not subsequently reversed, suspended, or vacated, relating to an alleged violation of any Federal or state securities or commodities law or regulation, any law or regulation respecting financial institutions or insurance companies, or any law or regulation prohibiting mail or wire fraud or fraud in connection with any business entity; or

 

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  6. being the subject of or party to any sanction or order, not subsequently reversed, suspended, or vacated, of any self-regulatory organization, any registered entity or any equivalent exchange, association, entity, or organization that has disciplinary authority over its members or persons associated with a member.

 

None of our directors, officers, affiliates, or any beneficial owner of 5% or more of our common stock, or any associate of such persons, is an adverse party in any material proceeding to, or has a material interest adverse to us, or any of our subsidiaries.

 

Board Composition and Structure; Director Independence

 

Our business and affairs are managed under the direction of our Board. Our Board currently consists of four members. As of the effective date of this registration statement, our Board will consist of eight members. The term of office for each director will be until his or her successor is elected at our annual meeting or his or her death, resignation, or removal, whichever is earliest to occur.

 

While we do not have a stand-alone diversity policy, in considering whether to recommend any director nominee, including candidates recommended by stockholders, we believe that the backgrounds and qualifications of the directors, considered as a group, should provide a significant mix of experience, knowledge and abilities that will allow our Board to fulfill its responsibilities. As set forth in our corporate governance guidelines, when considering whether directors and nominees have the experience, qualifications, attributes or skills, taken as a whole, to enable our Board to satisfy its oversight responsibilities effectively in light of our business and structure, the Board focuses primarily on each person’s background and experience as reflected in the information discussed in each of the directors’ individual biographies set forth above. We believe that our directors and director nominees will provide an appropriate mix of experience and skills relevant to the size and nature of our business.

 

Our Board expects a culture of ethical business conduct. Our Board encourages each member to conduct a self-review to determine if he or she is providing effective service with respect to both our Company and our stockholders. Should it be determined that a member of our Board is unable to effectively act in the best interests of our stockholders, such member would be encouraged to resign.

 

Board Leadership Structure

 

Our Amended and Restated Bylaws and our corporate governance guidelines provide our Board with flexibility to combine or separate the positions of Chair of the Board, and CEO in accordance with its determination that utilizing one or the other structure is in the best interests of our Company. Mark C. Fuller currently serves as our Chair, CEO and President. As of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American, Mr. Fuller will resign his position as Chair and Bernard S. Champoux will serve as our Chair of the Board.

 

As Chair of the Board, Mr. Champoux’s key responsibilities will include facilitating communication between our Board and management, assessing management’s performance, managing board members, preparation of the agenda for each board meeting, acting as chair of board meetings and meetings of our Company’s stockholders and managing relations with stockholders, other stakeholders and the public.

 

We will take steps to ensure that adequate structures and processes are in place to permit our Board to function independently of management. The directors will be able to request at any time a meeting restricted to independent directors for the purposes of discussing matters independently of management and are encouraged to do so should they feel that such a meeting is required.

 

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Committees of our Board

 

As of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American, the standing committees of our Board will consist of an Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”), a Compensation, Culture, and People Committee (the “Compensation, Culture, and People Committee”), and a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (the “Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee”). Each of the committees will report to our Board as they deem appropriate and as our board may request. Each committee of our Board has a committee charter that will set out the mandate of such committee, including the responsibilities of the chair of such committee.

 

The composition, duties and responsibilities of these committees are set forth below.

 

Audit Committee

 

The Audit Committee will be responsible for, among other matters:

 

  · appointing, retaining and evaluating our independent registered public accounting firm and approving all services to be performed by them;

  · overseeing our independent registered public accounting firm’s qualifications, independence and performance;

  · overseeing the financial reporting process and discussing with management and our independent registered public accounting firm the interim and annual financial statements that we file with the SEC;

  · reviewing and monitoring our accounting principles, accounting policies, financial and accounting controls and compliance with legal and regulatory requirements;

  · establishing procedures for the confidential anonymous submission of concerns regarding questionable accounting, internal controls or auditing matters; and reviewing and approving related party transactions.

  

As of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American our Audit Committee will consist of three of our directors, C. Thomas McMillen, Bernard S. Champoux, and Patricia Frost, each of whom meets the definition of “independent director” for purposes of serving on an Audit Committee under Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act and NYSE American rules. Mr. McMillen will serve as chair of our Audit Committee. Our Board has determined that Mr. McMillen qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert,” as such term is defined in Item 407(d)(5) of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act. The written charter for our Audit Committee will be available on our corporate website at www.castellumus.com, upon the completion of this offering. The information on our website is not part of this prospectus.

 

Compensation, Culture, and People Committee

 

The Compensation, Culture, and People Committee will be responsible for, among other matters:

 

  · reviewing key employee compensation goals, policies, plans, and programs;

  · reviewing and approving the compensation of our directors, CEO, and other executive officers;

  · producing an annual report on executive compensation in accordance with the rules and regulations promulgated by the SEC;

  · reviewing and approving employment agreements and other similar arrangements between us and our executive officers; and

  · administering our stock plans and other incentive compensation plans.

 

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As of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American, the Compensation, Culture, and People Committee will consist of four of our directors, Patricia Frost, Bernard S. Champoux, Mark Alarie, and John F. Campbell, each of whom meets the definition of “independent director” under Rule 16b-3 promulgated under the Exchange Act. Ms. Frost will serve as chair of our Compensation, Culture, and People Committee. Our Board has adopted a written charter for the Compensation, Culture, and People committee in connection with this offering, which will be available on our corporate website at www.castellumus.com, upon the completion of this offering. The information on our website is not part of this prospectus.

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

 

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will be responsible for, among other matters:

 

  · determining the qualifications, qualities, skills and other expertise required to be a director and developing and recommending to the board for its approval criteria to be considered in selecting nominees for director;

  · identifying and screening individuals qualified to become members of our Board, consistent with criteria approved by our Board;

  · overseeing the organization of our Board to discharge our board’s duties and responsibilities properly and efficiently;

  · reviewing the committee structure of the Board and the composition of such committees and recommending directors to be appointed to each committee and committee chair;

  · identifying best practices and recommending corporate governance principles; and

  · developing and recommending to our Board a set of corporate governance guidelines and principles applicable to us.

  

As of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consist of four of our directors, John F. Campbell, C. Thomas McMillen, Mark Alarie, and Bernard S. Champoux, each of whom meets the definition of “independent director” under the rules of the NYSE American. Mr. Campbell will serve as chair of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Our Board has adopted a written charter for the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee in connection with this offering, which will be available on our corporate website at www.castellumus.com, upon the completion of this offering. The information on our website is not part of this prospectus.

 

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

 

None of our executive officers currently serves, or in the past fiscal year has served, as a member of the board of directors or compensation committee of another entity that had one or more of its executive officers serving as a member of our Board or compensation committee. None of the members of our compensation committee, when appointed, will have at any time been one of our officers or employees.

 

Other Committees

 

Our Board may establish other committees as it deems necessary or appropriate from time to time.

 

Board and Committee Meetings

 

Due in part to Covid-19, our Board held no formal in person board meetings during the years ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020. In lieu of formal board meetings the Board received regular updates related to all significant events as they took place in the business along with background briefings for all matters that came before them for a vote. The Board acted by unanimous written consent on seven occasions during year ended December 31, 2021 and seventeen occasions during the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

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Communications with Directors

 

Stockholders and other interested parties may communicate with our Board or specific members of our Board, and upon the closing of this offering, including our independent directors and the members of our various board committees, by submitting a letter addressed to the Board of our Company in care of any specified individual director or directors at the address of our executive offices.

 

Director Term Limits

 

Our Board has not adopted policies imposing an arbitrary term or retirement age limit in connection with individuals serving as directors as it does not believe that such a limit is in the best interests of our Company. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will annually review the composition of our Board, including the age and tenure of individual directors. Our Board will strive to achieve a balance between the desirability of its members having a depth of relevant experience, on the one hand, and the need for renewal and new perspectives, on the other hand.

 

Advisory Board

 

In January 2020, the Board established an advisory board of business professionals (Advisory Board) who each bring unique knowledge, skills, and perspective which augment the knowledge and skills of the Board in order to guide the organization more effectively. The Advisory Board consists of nine individuals including Trey Blalock, F. Austin Branch, John F. Campbell, Bernard S. Champoux, Patricia Frost, James Moran, C. Thomas McMillen, Craig Nixon and Chuck Zingler. Ms. Frost and Messrs. Campbell, Champoux and McMillen will each resign as a member of the Advisory Board upon their appointment as a director of the Company as of the closing of this offering but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American.

 

As consideration for serving on the Advisory Board the Company will issue to each advisor, at his or her election, either (i) 7,500 shares of the Company’s common stock or (ii) 25,000 stock options to purchase common stock of the Company. In the event the advisor elects to receive compensation in the form of stock options, the terms of the stock option agreement shall be consistent with those issued to other consultants under the Company’s Stock Incentive Plan.

 

In 2021 and 2020 the Company issued a total of 175,000 and 150,000 stock options, respectively, to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock to advisors as consideration for Advisory Board services.

 

Director and Officer Hedging and Pledging

 

We have a policy prohibiting directors and officers from purchasing financial instruments (including prepaid forward contracts, equity swaps, collars, and exchange funds) designed to hedge or offset decreases in the market value of compensatory awards of our equity securities directly or indirectly held by them. Additionally, we have a policy prohibiting directors and officers from pledging of shares.

 

Clawback Policy

 

We have adopted a clawback policy. In the event we are required to prepare an accounting restatement of our financial results as a result of a material noncompliance by us with any financial reporting requirement under the federal securities laws, we will have the right to use reasonable efforts to recover from any current or former executive officers who received incentive compensation (whether cash or equity) from us during the three-year period preceding the date on which we were required to prepare the accounting restatement, any excess incentive compensation awarded as a result of the misstatement. As of the effective date of this registration statement, this policy will be administered by the Compensation, Culture, and People Committee of our Board. The policy is effective for financial statements for periods beginning on or after January 1, 2022. Once final rules are adopted by the SEC regarding the clawback requirements under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, we will review this policy and make any amendments necessary to comply with the new rules.

 

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Gender Diversity Policy

 

Our Board is committed to nominating the best individuals to fulfill director and executive roles. Our board has not adopted policies relating to the identification and nomination of women directors and executives as it does not believe that it is necessary in the case of our Company to have such written policies at this time. Our Board believes that diversity is important to ensure that board members and senior management provide the necessary range of perspectives, experience, and expertise required to achieve effective stewardship and management. We have not adopted a target regarding women on our board or regarding women in executive officer positions as our board believes that such arbitrary targets are not appropriate for our Company. As of the effective date of this registration statement, there will be two women serving as directors on our board.

 

Risk Oversight

 

Our Board oversees the risk management activities designed and implemented by our management. Our Board executes its oversight responsibility for risk management both directly and through its committees. The full Board also considers specific risk topics, including risks associated with our strategic plan, business operations, and capital structure. In addition, our Board regularly receives detailed reports from members of our senior management and other personnel that include assessments and potential mitigation of the risks and exposures involved with their respective areas of responsibility.

 

As of the effective date of this registration statement, our Board will delegate to the Audit Committee oversight of our risk management process. Our other board committees also consider and address risk as they perform their respective committee responsibilities. All committees report to the full Board as appropriate, including when a matter rises to the level of a material or enterprise level risk.

 

Code of Ethics and Business Conduct

 

Our Board has adopted a Code of Ethics and Business Conduct that applies to all of our employees, including our CEO, CFO and principal accounting officer. Our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct will be available on our website at www.castellumus.com, at the closing of this offering. If we amend or grant a waiver of one or more of the provisions of our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, we intend to satisfy the requirements under Item 5.05 of Form 8-K regarding the disclosure of amendments to or waivers from provisions of our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct that apply to our principal executive officer, financial and accounting officers by posting the required information on our website at the above address within four business days of such amendment or waiver. The information on our website is not part of this prospectus.

 

Our Board, management and all employees of our Company are committed to implementing and adhering to the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct. Therefore, it is up to each individual to comply with the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and to be in compliance of the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct. If an individual is concerned that there has been a violation of the Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, he or she will be able to report such violation in good faith to his or her superior. While a record of such reports will be kept confidential by our Company for the purposes of investigation, the report may be made anonymously and no individual making such a report will be subject to any form of retribution.

 

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EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

Summary Compensation Table

 

The following table provides for the Company’s last two completed fiscal years certain summary information concerning compensation awarded to, earned by or paid to the individuals who served as our principal executive officer at any time during fiscal year ended 2021 and our two other most highly-compensated officers in the fiscal year ended 2021. These individuals are referred to in this prospectus as the “named executive officers.”

 

Summary Compensation Table

 

Name and Principal Position  Year   Salary
($)
   Bonus
($)(4)
   Stock
Awards
($)(5)
   All Other
Compensation
($)(6)
   Total
($)
 
Mark C. Fuller(1)   2021   $244,384   $93,320   $1,903,132   $65,075   $2,305,911 
President/CEO   2020    206,879    37,688    -    81,121    325,688 
Jay O. Wright(2)   2021    260,769    93,320    1,903,132    48,690    2,305,911 
Vice Chair/General Counsel   2020    239,602    37,688    -    48,398    325,688 
Glen R. Ives(3)   2021    115,180    -    1,716,099    83,205    1,914,484 
COO   2020    -    -    -    -    - 

  

(1)Mark C. Fuller was appointed a director, Chair of the Board, CEO, and President on June 11, 2019 in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition.

 

(2)Jay O. Wright was appointed a director, Vice Chairman of the Board, General Counsel, Treasurer, and Secretary on June 11, 2019 in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition.

 

(3)Mr. Ives currently serves as the chief executive officer of Corvus, the president of government sales and operations and our COO since February 2022. Prior to his employment with the Company, Mr. Ives acted as a consultant to the Company.

 

(4)Amounts shown in the “Bonus” column reflect the amount of cash bonus Messrs. Fuller and Wright received pursuant to the terms of their respective employment agreements. In 2021 Messrs. Fuller and Wright each received a cash bonus in an amount equal to 4% of the trailing 12 month EBITDA for each of the following acquisitions: (a) $12,000 for the acquisition of MFSI, (b) $25,000 for the acquisition of Merrison, (c) $37,320 for the acquisition of SSI, and (d) $19,000 for the Pax River Acquisition. Amounts paid as cash bonus in 2020 represent deferred bonus amounts owed to Messrs. Fuller and Wright from 2019.

 

(5)

Amounts shown in the “Stock Awards” column reflect the amount of stock-based compensation related to grants of warrants to Messrs. Fuller and Wright pursuant to the terms of their respective employment agreements and the amount of stock option compensation related to the grant of options to Mr. Ives pursuant to the terms of his employment agreement. Messrs. Fuller and Wright each received one warrant for each dollar of revenue acquired through acquisition, as follows: (a) 65,000 warrants with an exercise price of $1.60 for the acquisition of  MFSI, (b) 160,000 warrants with an exercise price of $3.40 for the acquisition of Merrison, (c) 725,426 warrants with an exercise price of $2.00 for the acquisition of SSI, and (d)  85,000 warrants with an exercise price of $4.00 for the Pax River Acquisition.

 

(6)The named executive officers participate in a group term life plan that is generally available to salaried employees. Pursuant to the terms of their employment agreements, Messrs. Fuller and Wright received a stipend of $4,000 per month to cover the cost of health insurance premiums. Mr. Ives received consulting fees totaling $83,000 prior to his employment with the Company.

 

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Employment Contracts and Potential Payments Upon Termination or Change in Control

  

On April 1, 2020 we entered into an employment agreement with Mark C. Fuller to serve as our CEO. The employment agreement has a term of four years. The agreement provides for an annual base salary of $240,000 (the “Fuller Base Salary”). The Fuller Base Salary will increase as follows: (i) $25,000 per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $25,000,000 or greater; (ii) $30,000 per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $50,000,000 or greater; and (iii) $40,000 per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $75,000,000 or greater. The Fuller Base Salary shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Company’s general payroll practices.

 

Additionally, Mr. Fuller shall be eligible to earn a performance bonus (the “Fuller Performance Bonus”). The Company shall pay to Mr. Fuller a cash bonus equal to the lesser of (i) one percent (1%) of the trailing twelve (12) month revenues of each business acquired by the Company during the term of the employment agreement, or (ii) four percent (4%) of the trailing twelve month EBIDTA of each business acquired by the Company during the term of the employment agreement, provided that, for a bonus to be due, such acquisition must be accretive to the Company on both a revenue per share and an EBIDTA per share basis. In addition to the cash bonus, Mr. Fuller shall be entitled to receive .05 of one warrant to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock for each one dollar ($1) of revenue acquired in any acquisition completed by the Company during the term of the employment agreement. Each warrant shall have a seven (7) year term and shall have an exercise price equal to the price used to value shares of the Company’s common stock issued as part of the purchase price consideration, or in the event shares of common stock are not issued, the trailing thirty (30) day moving average closing price of the Company’s common stock. Mr. Fuller is entitled to earn an additional bonus of (i) $50,000 and 500,000 warrants to purchase the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $0.10 upon the Company’s common stock trading on any tier of the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange, and (ii) $125,000 and 1,250,000 warrants to purchase the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $2.40 upon the Company joining the Russell 3000 and/or Russell 2000 stock index(ices).

 

If Mr. Fuller terminates his employment with the Company or his employment is terminated (i) as a result of his death, (ii) by the Company after a determination of a disability, or (iii) by the Company for cause, the Company will pay or provide Mr. Fuller (a) those benefits as required by law, (b) for any earned but unpaid Fuller Base Salary, (c) for the reimbursement of unreimbursed business expenses, and (d) for the payment of unpaid Fuller Performance Bonus for any fiscal year ended prior to the termination date. In addition, if Mr. Fuller’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or by him for good reason, then Mr. Fuller shall be entitled to receive the Fuller Base Salary for a period equal to the earlier of (x) twelve (12) months following the termination date and (y) the date on which the employment period would have expired had the employment period not been terminated earlier by the Company without cause (the “Fuller Severance Payments”). In order to qualify for the Fuller Severance Payments Mr. Fuller must execute a mutual release agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company. The employment agreement contains customary confidentiality restrictions, non-competition covenants, and non-solicitation covenants with respect to our employees, consultants, and customers.

 

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On April 1, 2020 we entered into an employment agreement with Jay O. Wright to serve as our General Counsel and Treasurer of the Company. The employment agreement has a term of four years. The agreement provides for an annual base salary of $240,000 (the “Wright Base Salary”). The Wright Base Salary will increase as follows: (i) $25,000 per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $25,000,000 or greater; (ii) $30,000 per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $50,000,000 or greater; and (iii) $40,000 per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $75,000,000 or greater. The Wright Base Salary shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Company’s general payroll practices.

 

Additionally, Mr. Wright shall be eligible to earn a performance bonus (the “Wright Performance Bonus”). The Company shall pay to Mr. Wright a cash bonus equal to the lesser of (i) one percent (1%) of the trailing twelve (12) month revenues of each business acquired by the Company during the term of the employment agreement, or (ii) four percent (4%) of the trailing twelve month EBIDTA of each business acquired by the Company during the term of the employment agreement, provided that, for a bonus to be due, such acquisition must be accretive to the Company on both a revenue per share and an EBIDTA per share basis. In addition to the cash bonus, Mr. Wright shall be entitled to receive .05 of one warrant to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock for each one dollar ($1) of revenue acquired in any acquisition completed by the Company during the term of the employment agreement. Each warrant shall have a seven (7) year term and shall have an exercise price equal to the price used to value shares of the Company’s common stock issued as part of the purchase price consideration, or in the event shares of common stock are not issued, the trailing thirty (30) day moving average closing price of the Company’s common stock. Mr. Wright is entitled to earn an additional bonus of (i) $50,000 and 500,000 warrants to purchase the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $2.00 upon the Company’s common stock trading on any tier of the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange, and (ii) $125,000 and 1,250,000 warrants to purchase the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $2.40 upon the Company joining the Russell 3000 and/or Russell 2000 stock index(ices).

 

If Mr. Wright terminates his employment with the Company or his employment is terminated (i) as a result of his death, (ii) by the Company after a determination of a disability, or (iii) by the Company for cause, the Company will pay or provide Mr. Wright (a) those benefits as required by law, (b) for any earned but unpaid Wright Base Salary, (c) for the reimbursement of unreimbursed business expenses, and (d) for the payment of unpaid Wright Performance Bonus for any fiscal year ended prior to the termination date. In addition, if Mr. Wright’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or by him for good reason, then Mr. Wright shall be entitled to receive the Wright Base Salary for a period equal to the earlier of (x) twelve (12) months following the termination date and (y) the date on which the employment period would have expired had the employment period not been terminated earlier by the Company without cause (the “Wright Severance Payments”). In order to qualify for the Wright Severance Payments Mr. Wright must execute a mutual release agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company. The employment agreement contains customary confidentiality restrictions, non-competition covenants, and non-solicitation covenants with respect to our employees, consultants, and customers.

 

On July 1, 2021 we entered into an employment agreement with Glen Ives to serve as our Chief Growth Officer and Navy division chief executive officer. The employment agreement has a term of four years. The agreement provides for an annual base salary of $250,000 (the “Ives Base Salary”). The Ives Base Salary will increase as follows: (i) $25,000 per month upon the Navy division achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $25,000,000 or greater and EBITDA margin of no less than 8%; (ii) $30,000 per month upon the Navy division reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $60,000,000 or greater and EBITDA margin of no less than 8.5%; and (iii) $40,000 per month upon the Navy division reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $100,000,000 or greater and EBITDA margin of no less than 9.0%. The Ives Base Salary shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Company’s general payroll practices.

 

In addition, Mr. Ives shall be eligible to earn a bonus (the “Ives Performance Bonus”) at the discretion of the Board of the Company with a target bonus amount for each year of the agreement, as follows: (a) year one, 25% of the Ives Base Salary, (b) year two, 35% of the Ives Base Salary, (c) year three, 50% of the Ives Base Salary, and (d) year four, 100% of the Ives Base Salary. The Board shall consider the growth and success of the Navy division and the overall performance of Mr. Ives as the two key factors in evaluating the appropriate amount of the Ives Performance Bonus. The Board may make an additional bonus, outside of the targeted amount, in its sole discretion.

 

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As an additional incentive for entering into the employment agreement, Mr. Ives was granted 1,500,000 stock options to purchase the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $1.60 per share. The price amount is subject to adjustment in the event of a forward or reverse stock split, stock dividend or other similar mechanism. The stock options shall vest as follows: (i) 750,000 shall vest ratably over the first 48 months of employment with the Company, and (ii) 750,000 shall vest based upon performance. For the performance-based options, (a) 250,000 shall vest upon the closing of the SSI Acquisition, (b) 250,000 shall vest upon the Navy division achieving $25 million in revenue and $2.5 million in EBIDTA in any 12 month period, and (c) 250,000 shall vest upon the Company achieving $100 million in revenue run rate based on quarterly performance. All unvested time-based options shall vest upon the sale of control of the Company. Unvested performance-based options shall not vest upon the sale of control of the Company unless the sale results in a price to stockholders of at least $8.00 per share.

 

If Mr. Ives terminates his employment with the Company or his employment is terminated (i) as a result of his death, (ii) by the Company after a determination of a disability, or (iii) by the Company for cause, the Company will pay or provide Mr. Ives (a) those benefits as required by law, (b) for any earned but unpaid Ives Base Salary, (c) for the reimbursement of unreimbursed business expenses, and (d) for the payment of unpaid Ives Performance Bonus for any fiscal year ended prior to the termination date. In addition, if Mr. Ives’ employment is terminated by the Company without cause or by him for good reason, then Mr. Ives shall be entitled to receive the Ives Base Salary for a period equal to the earlier of (x) twelve (12) months following the termination date and (y) the date on which the employment period would have expired had the employment period not been terminated earlier by the Company without cause (the “Ives Severance Payments”). In order to qualify for the Ives Severance Payments Mr. Ives must execute a mutual release agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company. The employment agreement contains customary confidentiality restrictions, non-competition covenants and non-solicitation covenants with respect to our employees, consultants, and customers.

 

On April 25, 2022 we entered into an employment agreement with David T. Bell to serve as our Chief Financial Officer. The employment agreement has a term of three years and five days and automatically renews for successive one-year periods unless terminated by the Company or Mr. Bell, with ninety (90) days advance notice of its intent not to renew. The agreement provides for an annual base salary of $275,000 (the “Bell Base Salary”). The Bell Base Salary will increase as follows: (i) $25,000 per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $50,000,000 or greater; (ii) $35,000 per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $75,000,000 or greater; (iii) $40,000 per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $150,000,000 or greater and EBITDA margin of no less than 7%; and (iv) $45,000 per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $300,000,000 or greater and adjusted EBITDA margin of no less than 8%. The Bell Base Salary shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Company’s general payroll practices.

 

Additionally, Mr. Bell shall be eligible to earn a performance bonus (the “Bell Performance Bonus”) at the discretion of the Board of the Company with target bonuses that are the following percentages of Bell Base Salary based on certain performance criteria set forth in the employment agreement: (i) 50% of Bell Base Salary of less than $35,000 per month; (ii) 60% of Bell Base Salary of $35,000 to less than $40,000 per month; and (iii) 100% of Bell Base Salary of $40,000 or more per month. The performance criteria include (a) ensure on time filing of all periodic filings (Form 10Q and Form 10K) and event driven filings (Form 13(d), Section 16 filings (forms 3 and 4) and Form 8K); (b) ensure on time filings and payment of all federal, state and local tax obligations; and (c) prepare an annual consolidated draft budget based on subsidiary budgets by October 31 each year. Mr. Bell is entitled to earn an additional bonus of (i) $50,000 and 500,000 warrants to purchase the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $2.00 upon the Company’s common stock trading on any tier of the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange, and (ii) $100,000 and 750,000 warrants to purchase the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $2.40 upon the Company joining the Russell 3000 and/or Russell 2000 stock index(ices). The Board of the Company may pay an additional bonus (separate from any target) in its sole discretion.

 

As an additional incentive for entering into the employment agreement, Mr. Bell was granted 1,800,000 stock options to purchase the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.80 per share. The price amount is subject to adjustment in the event of a forward or reverse stock split, stock dividend or other similar mechanism. The stock options vest ratably over the first 36 months of employment with the Company. In the event of a change in control of the Company, unvested options shall not vest unless (i) Mr. Bell is not given a commensurate position in the resulting organization, or (ii) the change in control transaction results in a price to stockholders of at least $8.00 per share. The agreement entitles Mr. Bell to receive various employee benefits generally made available to other officers and senior executives of the Company.

 

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If Mr. Bell terminates his employment with the Company or his employment is terminated (i) as a result of his death, (ii) by the Company after a determination of a disability, or (iii) by the Company for cause, the Company will pay or provide Mr. Bell (a) those benefits as required by law, (b) for any earned but unpaid Bell Base Salary, (c) for the reimbursement of unreimbursed business expenses, and (d) for the payment of unpaid Bell Performance Bonus for any fiscal year ended prior to the termination date. In addition, if Mr. Bell’s employment is terminated by the Company without cause or by him for good reason, then Mr. Bell shall be entitled to receive for a period of twelve (12) months following the termination date, the Bell Base Salary (the “Bell Severance Payments”). In order to qualify for the Bell Severance Payments Mr. Bell must execute a mutual release agreement in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company. The employment agreement contains customary confidentiality restrictions, non-competition covenants, and non-solicitation covenants with respect to our employees, consultants, and customers.

 

Equity Compensation Plan Information

 

As of August 24, 2022 the Company has 2,500,000 shares authorized for issuance under the 2021 Castellum, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan, none of which are issued and outstanding.

 

Equity Incentive Plans

 

On November 9, 2021 our Board adopted our 2021 Castellum, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan (the “Stock Incentive Plan”) to provide an additional means to attract, motivate, retain, and reward selected employees and other eligible persons. The Stock Incentive Plan was approved by our stockholders on November 9, 2021.

 

Our Board, or upon the closing of this offering, the Compensation, Culture, and People Committee, will administer the Stock Incentive Plan. The administrator has broad authority to:

 

  · construe and interpret all provisions of the plan and all stock option agreements and stock award agreements under the plan;

  · determine the fair market value of the Company’s common stock;

  · select the eligible persons to whom stock options or stock awards are granted from time to time;

  · determine the number of shares of common stock covered by a stock option or stock award, determine whether an option shall be an incentive stock option or nonqualified stock option and determine such other terms and conditions of each stock option or stock award;

  · accelerate the time at which any stock option or stock award may be exercised, or the time at which a stock award or common stock issued under the plan may become transferable or nonforfeitable;

  · amend, cancel, extend, renew, accept the surrender of, modify, or accelerate the vesting of or lapse of restriction on all or any portion of an outstanding stock option or stock award and to reduce the exercise of any stock option;

  · prescribe the form of stock option agreements and stock award agreements;

  · adopt policies and procedures for the exercise of stock options or stock awards, including the satisfaction of withholding obligations;

  · adopt, amend, and rescind policies and procedures pertaining to the administration of the plan; and

  · and to make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of the plan.

 

Employees, officers, directors, and consultants that provide services to us or one of our subsidiaries are eligible to received awards under the Stock Incentive Plan. Awards under the Stock Incentive Plan are issuable in the form of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, and stock bonus awards. Nonqualified stock options and stock awards may be granted to any eligible person selected by the committee. Incentive stock options may be granted only to employees of the Company. Awards under the plan generally will not be transferable other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, except that the plan administrator may authorize certain transfers. As of the date of this prospectus, there we 2,500,000 shares of our common stock authorized for issuance under the terms of the Stock Incentive Plan.

 

Nonqualified and incentive stock options may not be granted at prices below the fair market value of the common stock on the date of grant. Incentive stock options must have an exercise price that is at least equal to the fair market value of our common stock, or 110% of fair market value of our common stock in the case of incentive stock option grants to any 10% owner of our common stock, on the date of grant.

 

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As is customary in incentive plans of this nature, the number and type of shares available under the Stock Incentive Plan and any outstanding awards, as well as the exercise or purchase prices of awards, will be subject to adjustment in the event of certain reorganizations, mergers, combinations, recapitalizations, stock splits, stock dividends or other similar events that change the number or kind of shares outstanding, and extraordinary dividends or distributions of property to the stockholders. In no case (except due to an adjustment referred to above or any repricing that may be approved by our stockholders) will any adjustment be made to a stock option or stock award under the Stock Incentive Plan (by amendment, cancellation and re-grant, exchange, or other means) that would constitute a repricing of the per-share exercise or base price of the award.

 

In the event that the Company is a party to a merger or other consolidation, in the event of a transaction providing for the sale of all or substantially all of the Company’s stock or assets, or in the event of such other corporate transaction, such as a separation or reorganization, outstanding stock options and stock awards shall be subject to such treatment as the administrator shall determine. Such treatment may include one or more of the following: (i) the continuation of the outstanding stock options and stock awards, (ii) the assumption of outstanding stock options and stock awards by the Company, if the Company is a surviving entity, (iii) the substitution by the surviving or successor entity or its parent of stock options or other stock awards with substantially the same terms for such stock options and stock awards, (iv) exercisability of such outstanding stock option and stock awards to the extent vested and exercisable under the terms of the stock option agreement or stock award agreement followed by the cancellation of such stock option or stock award (whether or not then exercisable); or (v) settlement of the intrinsic value of the outstanding stock options and stock awards to the extent vested and exercisable under the terms of the stock option agreement or stock award agreement, with payment made in cash, cash equivalents, or other property as determined by the administrator.

 

Our Board may amend or terminate the Stock Incentive Plan at any time, but no such action will affect any outstanding award in any manner materially adverse to a participant without the consent of the participant. Plan amendments will be submitted to stockholders for their approval as required by applicable law or any applicable listing agency. The Stock Incentive Plan is not exclusive, and our Board and the Compensation, Culture, and People Committee may grant stock and performance incentives or other compensation, in stock or cash, under other plans or authority. Unless previously terminated, the Stock Incentive Plan will terminate on the day that is ten years following the date that it is approved by the stockholders of the Company, except that stock options and stock awards that are granted under the plan prior to its termination will continue to be administered under the terms of the plan until the stock and stock awards terminate or are exercised.

 

Outstanding Equity Awards at December 31, 2022

 

The following table sets forth outstanding equity awards to our named executive officers as of December 31, 2021.

 

   Option Awards   Stock Awards 
Name  Number of
Securities
Underlying
Unexercised
Options (#)
Exercisable
   Option
Exercise
Price
   Option
Expiration
Date
   Number of
Shares or
Units of
Stock that
have not
Vested
   Market
Value of
Shares or
Units of
Stock that
have not
Vested
 
(a)  (b)   (e)   (f)   (g)   (h) 
Mark C. Fuller      $           $ 
                          
Jay O. Wright                    
                          
Glen R. Ives   1,500,000(1)  $1.60     06/30/2028         

  

(1) 559,524 stock options are exercisable and 940,477 are subject to vesting upon the passage of time and certain Company financial performance measures being met.

 

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DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

 

General

 

The following discussion describes the significant elements of the expected compensation program for members of the Board and its committees. The compensation of our directors is designed to attract and retain committed and qualified directors and to align their compensation with the long-term interests of our stockholders. Directors who are also executive officers (each, an “Excluded Director”) will not be entitled to receive any compensation for his or her service as a director, committee member, or Chair of our Board or of any committee of our Board.

 

Director Compensation

 

Our non-employee director compensation program is designed to attract and retain qualified individuals to serve on our Board. Our Board, on the recommendation of our Compensation, Culture, and People Committee, will be responsible for reviewing and approving any changes to the directors’ compensation arrangements. In consideration for serving on our Board, each director (other than Excluded Directors) will be paid an annual retainer. All directors will be reimbursed for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred while serving as directors.

 

As of the effective date of this registration statement but prior to the commencement of the trading of the Company’s common stock on the NYSE American, our Board will approve the following compensation program for the non-employee members of our Board. For the year ended December 31, 2021 there were no non-employee members on our Board, and as a result no board fees were paid.

 

Cash Compensation. Under such program, we will pay each non-employee director a cash fee, payable quarterly, of $60,000 per year for services on our Board.

 

Equity Compensation. As additional compensation, we will issue to each non-employee director an annual grant of shares of the Company’s common stock equal to $60,000, which shall vest ratably over the twelve months following the date of grant.

 

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Independent Chairman. If a non-employee director is designated to serve as the Chair of the Board, such director will be entitled to annual cash compensation of $15,000, to be paid quarterly.

 

Committee Fees. If a non-employee director is designated to participate on a committee of our Board as a chairperson, such director will be entitled to compensation in accordance with the following table:

 

    Chair  
Audit Committee   $ 3,750 /qtr
Compensation, Culture, and People Committee   $ 2,500 /qtr
Nominating and Governance Committee   $ 2,500 /qtr

 

There was no director compensation paid in the year ended December 31, 2021 (excluding compensation to our executive officers set forth in the summary compensation table above.)

 

PRINCIPAL AND SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

 

The following table sets forth certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of common stock as of August 24, 2022 by:

 

  · each person known by us to be a beneficial owner of more than 5% of our outstanding common stock;

  · each of our directors;

  · each of our named executive officers; and

  · all directors and executive officers as a group.

 

The table also set forth each 5% stockholder and named director and officer who is also a selling stockholder.

  

The amounts and percentages of common stock beneficially owned are reported on the basis of regulations of the SEC governing the determination of beneficial ownership of securities. Under the rules of the SEC, a person is deemed to be a “beneficial owner” of a security if that person has or shares “voting power,” which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting of such security, or “investment power,” which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition of such security. A person is also deemed to be a beneficial owner of any securities of which that person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership within 60 days through the exercise of any stock option, warrant, or other right. Under these rules, more than one person may be deemed a beneficial owner of the same securities and a person may be deemed a beneficial owner of securities as to which he has no economic interest. Except as indicated by footnote, to our knowledge, the persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock shown as beneficially owned by them.

 

In the table below, the percentage of beneficial ownership of our common stock is based on 24,788,133 shares of our common stock outstanding as of August 24, 2022. In computing the number of shares of common stock beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, we deemed to be outstanding all shares of common stock as held by that person or entity that are currently exercisable or that will become exercisable within 60 days of August 24, 2022. Unless otherwise noted below, the address of the persons listed on the table is in c/o Castellum, Inc., 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700, Bethesda, MD 20814.

 

This prospectus covers the possible resale by selling stockholders who are 5% stockholders, officers and directors of 520,000 shares of our common stock.

 

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       Common  
Stock Beneficially
               Common Stock Beneficially  
Owned Immediately After the  
Completion of this Offering
 
       Owned  
Immediately
Prior to the
Completion of
this Offering
       Number of  
Shares of  
Common  
Stock Being  
Offered
   Other  
Beneficial  
Shares gained  
   No Exercise of  
Underwriters'  
Option  
to Purchase
 Additional  
Shares
   Full Exercise of
 Underwriters'  
Option
 to Purchase
 Additional
 Shares
 
Name of Beneficial Owner  Number of
Shares
   Percentage
of
Shares
   Percentage
of
Voting Power
  

by the

Underwriters'

   or lost due
to
offering  transactions
   Number  
of  
Shares
   Percentage
of  
Shares
   Percentage
of  
Voting Power
   Number
of  
Shares
   Percentage
of  
Shares
   Percentage
 of
 Voting Power
 
Named Executive Officers and Directors                                                       
Mark C. Fuller (1)   8,863,452    26.4%   48.2%   100,000    500,000    9,363,452    19.1%   18.7%   9,263,452    19.0%   18.6%
Jay O. Wright (2)   10,275,506    30.4%   50.3%   100,000    500,000    10,775,506    22.1%   21.6%   10,675,506    21.9%   21.4%
Laurie M. Buckhout (3)   14,267,758    36.5%   *    -    (10,421,604)   3,846,154    8.2%   8.1%   3,846,154    8.2%   8.0%
Glen R. Ives (4)   884,638    3.5%   *    -    -    884,638    1.9%   1.8%   884,638    1.9%   1.8%
David T. Bell (5)   300,000    1.2%   *    -    500,000    800,000    1.7%   1.6%   800,000    1.7%   1.6%
Emil Kaunitz (6)   2,046,571    8.2%   *    -    -    2,046,571    4.4%   4.3%   2,046,571    4.3%   4.2%
Executive Officers and Directors as a Group (6  persons)   36,637,925    63.3%   98.6%   200,000    (8,921,604)   27,716,321    53.4%   52.4%   27,516,321    53.0%   51.9%
Other 5% Shareholders                                                       
Jean and Nathalie Ekobo (7)   6,393,036    25.2%   *    320,000    -    6,393,036    13.0%   12.7%   6,073,036    12.7%   12.4%
Crom Cortana Fund LLC (8)   4,437,500    17.0%   *    0    -    4,437,500    9.2%   9.0%   4,437,500    9.2%   9.0%
William Forkner (9)   1,529,429    6.2%   *    0    -    1,529,429    3.3%   3.2%   1,529,429    3.2%   3.2%

 

* Less than 1%

 

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(1) Mr. Fuller was appointed a director, Chair of the Board, CEO and President on June 11, 2019 in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition. Mr. Fuller may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of 8,863,453 of the Company’s common shares, which total includes (i) 25,019 common shares held by The Mark Chappelle Fuller Revocable Trust, Mark Fuller, TTEE, of which Mr. Fuller is the trustee, (ii) 25,000 common shares held by Janice Lynn Dudley Revocable Trust, Janice Lynn Dudley TTEE of which Ms. Dudley is the trustee, (iii) 25,000 common shares held by Katherine Fuller, (iv) 50,000 common shares held by Michael Fuller, and (v) 1,504,500 shares of the Company’s Series B preferred stock which will be converted into 7,522,500 shares of the Company’s common stock concurrently with this offering held by The Mark Chappelle Fuller Revocable Trust, Mark Fuller, TTEE of which Mr. Fuller is the trustee. Mr. Fuller was also granted 1,215,934 warrants that are exercisable into 1,215,934 shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to the terms of Mr. Fuller’s employment agreement he will receive 500,000 warrants upon the closing of the Offering.

 

(2) Mr. Wright was appointed a director, Vice Chair of the Board, General Counsel, Treasurer and Secretary on June 11, 2019 in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition. Mr. Wright is the holder of 1,570,500 shares of the Company’s Series B preferred stock which will be converted into 7,852,500 shares of the Company’s common stock concurrently with this offering and was granted 1,215,934 warrants that are exercisable into 1,215,934 shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to the terms of Mr. Wright’s employment agreement he will receive 500,000 warrants upon the closing of the Offering.

 

(3) Ms. Buckhout was appointed as chief executive officer of Corvus on November 21, 2019, on a transition basis for a period of 90 days and thereafter as the Chief Revenue Officer of the Company. Ms. Buckhout was elected to our Board on November 26, 2019. The BCR Trust, in which Ms. Buckhout is the sole trustee, is the holder of the Amended BCR Trust Note which is convertible into 14,267,758 shares of the Company’s common stock. Ms. Buckhout may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the 14,267,758 shares of the Company’s common stock. In connection with the Offering Ms. Buckhout will convert $1,000,000 of the principal amount outstanding under the Amended BCR Trust Note into 3,846,154 shares of common stock.

 

(4) Mr. Ives was appointed to serve as our COO since July 1, 2021. Mr. Ives is the holder of 220,000 shares of the Company’s Series C preferred stock which is convertible into 137,500 shares of the Company’s common stock. Mr. Ives also holds 2,000,000 stock options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock of which 559,524 stock options are exercisable and 1,440,463 are subject to vesting upon the passage of time and upon certain Company financial performance measures being met.

 

(5) Mr. Bell was appointed to serve as our CFO effective April 25, 2022. Mr. Bell was granted 1,800,000 stock options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $3.80 per share as an additional incentive to execute his employment agreement, of which 1,800,000 are exercisable. Pursuant to the terms of Mr. Bell’s employment agreement he will receive 500,000 warrants upon the closing of the Offering.

 

(6) Mr. Kaunitz was appointed a director and has also served as the president of SSI since August 12, 2021. Mr. Kaunitz is the holder of 1,984,071 shares of the Company’s common stock and 100,000 shares of the Company’s Series C preferred stock which is convertible into 62,500 shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

(7) Mr. and Mrs. Ekobo stock ownership includes a combination of family-related shareholdings made up of the Company’s common stock and Series A preferred stock. The following share ownership reflects the shares of common stock held by each family member: (i) Jean Machetel Ekobo Embessee, 108,758, (ii) Jean Machetel Ekobo Embesse and Nathalie Fournier Ekobo Ttee, 4,705,613, (iii) Nathalie Fournier Ekobo, 669,804, (iv) LePrince Pierre Ekobo, 118,862, (v) Rachel Koum Ekobo, 52,500, (vi) Rachel Embesse Ekobo, 100,000, and (vii) Ndedi Ekobo, 50,000. The Fornier Ekobo Revocable Family Trust is the holder of 5,875,000 shares of the Company’s Series A preferred stock which is convertible into 587,500 shares of the Company’s common stock. Mr. and Mrs. Ekobo may be deemed the beneficial owners of 6,393,036 shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

(8) CCF is the holder of 3,125,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and holds a warrant to purchase 656,250 shares of the Company’s common stock. CCF is also the holder of the CCF Note which is convertible into 656,250 shares of the Company’s common stock. Liam Sherif and John Chen hold voting and/or dispositive power over the shares held by CCF and may be deemed the beneficial owners of 4,437,500 shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

(9) William Forkner is the holder of 1,529,429 shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

(10) Assumes all shares offered by the selling stockholders are sold.

 

The following table sets for information regarding the beneficial ownership of our Series A preferred stock, Series B preferred stock, and Series C preferred stock as of August 24, 2022, by:

 

·each person who is known by us to beneficially own 5% or more of our outstanding shares of our Series A preferred stock, Series B preferred stock, and Series C preferred stock;

·each member of our board of directors;

·each of our named executive officers; and

·all of our directors and executive officers as a group.

 

   Number of Preferred Shares Owned Prior to the Offering   Percentage 
   Shares of   Percentage of   Total Number   Voting   Shares of   Percentage of   Total Number   Voting   Shares of   Percentage of   Total Number   Voting   of Voting 
   Series A   Series A   of Votes   Percentage   Series B   Series B   of Votes   Percentage   Series C   Series C   of Votes   Percentage   Power for 
   Preferred Stock   Preferred Stock   For   For   Preferred Stock   Preferred Stock   For   For   Preferred Stock   Preferred Stock   For   For   Series C 
   Beneficially   Beneficially   Series A   Series A   Beneficially   Beneficially   Series B   Series B   Beneficially   Beneficially   Series C   Series C   Preferred Stock 
Name of Beneficial Owner  Owned   Owned   Preferred Stock   Preferred Stock   Owned   Owned   Preferred Stock   Preferred Stock   Owned   Owned   Preferred Stock   Preferred Stock   Post Offering 
Named Executive Officers and Directors                                                                 
Mark C. Fuller (1)                   1,504,500    48.9%   15,045,000,000    48.9%                    
Jay O. Wright (2)                   1,570,500    51.1%   15,705,000,000    51.1%                    
Laurie M. Buckhout (3)                                                    
Glen R. Ives (4)                                   220,000    28.6%   2,750,000    28.6%   * 
David T. Bell (5)                                                                 
Emil Kaunitz (6)                                   100,000    13.0%   1,250,000    13.0%   * 
Executive Officers and Directors as a Group (6 persons)                   3,075,000    100.0%   30,750,000,000    100.0%   320,000    41.6%   4,000,000    41.6%   * 
Other 5% Shareholders                                                                 
Jean and Nathalie Ekobo (7)   5,875,000    100.0%   11,750,000    100.0%                                    
Crom Cortana Fund LLC (8)                                                    
William Forkner (9)                                                    

 

* Less than 1%

 

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(1) Mr. Fuller was appointed a director, Chair of the Board, CEO and President on June 11, 2019 in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition. Mr. Fuller may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of 8,863,453 of the Company’s common shares, which total includes (i) 25,019 common shares held by The Mark Chappelle Fuller Revocable Trust, Mark Fuller, TTEE, of which Mr. Fuller is the trustee, (ii) 25,000 common shares held by Janice Lynn Dudley Revocable Trust, Janice Lynn Dudley TTEE of which Ms. Dudley is the trustee, (iii) 25,000 common shares held by Katherine Fuller, (iv) 50,000 common shares held by Michael Fuller, and (v) 1,504,500 shares of the Company’s Series B preferred stock which will be converted into 7,522,500 shares of the Company’s common stock concurrently with this offering held by The Mark Chappelle Fuller Revocable Trust, Mark Fuller, TTEE of which Mr. Fuller is the trustee. Mr. Fuller was also granted 1,215,934 warrants that are exercisable into 1,215,934 shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to the terms of Mr. Fuller’s employment agreement he will receive 500,000 warrants upon the closing of the Offering.

 

(2) Mr. Wright was appointed a director, Vice Chair of the Board, General Counsel, Treasurer and Secretary on June 11, 2019 in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition. Mr. Wright is the holder of 1,570,500 shares of the Company’s Series B preferred stock which will be converted into 7,852,500 shares of the Company’s common stock concurrently with this offering and was granted 1,215,934 warrants that are exercisable into 1,215,934 shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to the terms of Mr. Wright’s employment agreement he will receive 500,000 warrants upon the closing of the Offering.

 

(3) Ms. Buckhout was appointed as chief executive officer of Corvus on November 21, 2019, on a transition basis for a period of 90 days and thereafter as the Chief Revenue Officer of the Company. Ms. Buckhout was elected to our Board on November 26, 2019. The BCR Trust, in which Ms. Buckhout is the sole trustee, is the holder of the Amended BCR Trust Note which is convertible into 14,267,758 shares of the Company’s common stock. Ms. Buckhout may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of the 14,267,758 shares of the Company’s common stock. In connection with the Offering Ms. Buckhout will convert $1,000,000 of the principal amount outstanding under the Amended BCR Trust Note into 3,846,154 shares of common stock.

 

(4) Mr. Ives was appointed to serve as our COO since July 1, 2021. Mr. Ives is the holder of 220,000 shares of the Company’s Series C preferred stock which is convertible into 137,500 shares of the Company’s common stock. Mr. Ives also holds 2,000,000 stock options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock of which 559,524 stock options are exercisable and 1,440,463 are subject to vesting upon the passage of time and upon certain Company financial performance measures being met.

 

(5) Mr. Bell was appointed to serve as our CFO effective April 25, 2022. Mr. Bell was granted 1,800,000 stock options to purchase the Company’s common stock at $3.80 per share as an additional incentive to execute his employment agreement, of which 1,800,000 are exercisable. Pursuant to the terms of Mr. Bell’s employment agreement he will receive 500,000 warrants upon the closing of the Offering.

 

(6) Mr. Kaunitz was appointed a director and has also served as the president of SSI since August 12, 2021. Mr. Kaunitz is the holder of 1,984,071 shares of the Company’s common stock and 100,000 shares of the Company’s Series C preferred stock which is convertible into 62,500 shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

(7) Mr. and Mrs. Ekobo stock ownership includes a combination of family-related shareholdings made up of the Company’s common stock and Series A preferred stock. The following share ownership reflects the shares of common stock held by each family member: (i) Jean Machetel Ekobo Embessee, 108,758, (ii) Jean Machetel Ekobo Embesse and Nathalie Fournier Ekobo Ttee, 4,705,613, (iii) Nathalie Fournier Ekobo, 669,804, (iv) LePrince Pierre Ekobo, 118,862, (v) Rachel Koum Ekobo, 52,500, (vi) Rachel Embesse Ekobo, 100,000, and (vii) Ndedi Ekobo, 50,000. The Fornier Ekobo Revocable Family Trust is the holder of 5,875,000 shares of the Company’s Series A preferred stock which is convertible into 587,500 shares of the Company’s common stock. Mr. and Mrs. Ekobo may be deemed the beneficial owners of 6,393,036 shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

(8) CCF is the holder of 3,125,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and holds a warrant to purchase 656,250 shares of the Company’s common stock. CCF is also the holder of the CCF Note which is convertible into 656,250 shares of the Company’s common stock. Liam Sherif and John Chen hold voting and/or dispositive power over the shares held by CCF and may be deemed the beneficial owners of 4,437,500 shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

(9) William Forkner is the holder of 1,529,429 shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

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CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

 

Procedures for Approval of Related Party Transactions

 

A “related party transaction” is any actual or proposed transaction, arrangement or relationship or series of similar transactions, arrangements or relationships, including those involving indebtedness not in the ordinary course of business, to which we or our subsidiaries were or are a party, or in which we or our subsidiaries were or are a participant, in which the amount involved exceeded or exceeds the lesser of (i) $120,000, or (ii) one percent of the average of our total assets at year-end for the last two completed fiscal years and in which any related party had or will have a direct or indirect material interest. A “related party” includes:

  

  · any person who is, or at any time during the applicable period was, one of our executive officers or one of our directors;

· any person who beneficially owns more than 5% of our common stock;

  · any immediate family member of any of the foregoing; or

  · any entity in which any of the foregoing is a partner or principal or in a similar position or in which such person has a 10% or greater beneficial ownership interest.

  

In July 2022 our Board adopted a written related-party transactions policy. Pursuant to this policy, the Audit Committee of our Board will review all material facts of all related-party transactions and either approve or disapprove entry into the related-party transaction, subject to certain limited exceptions. In determining whether to approve or disapprove entry into a related-party transaction, our Audit Committee shall take into account, among other factors, the following: (i) whether the related-party transaction is on terms no less favorable to us than terms generally available from an unaffiliated third party under the same or similar circumstances; (ii) the extent of the related party’s interest in the transaction; and (iii) whether the transaction would impair the independence of a non-employee director.

 

Related Party Transactions

 

Other than compensation arrangements for our named executive officers and directors, which we describe above, the only related party transactions to which we were a party during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 are as follows, each of which was entered into prior to the adoption of the approval procedures described above.

 

Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust

 

On November 21, 2019, the Company entered into the First BCR Trust Note with the BCR Trust in the principal amount of $3,700,000 that had a maturity date of November 21, 2022. Laurie Buckhout, the Trustee of the BCR Trust is the Company’s Chief Revenue Officer and a director of the Company.

 

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On March 31, 2020, the Company entered into the Second BCR Trust Note with the BCR Trust in the principal amount of $670,138 that had a maturity date of March 31, 2023. The Second BCR Trust Note had an interest rate of five percent (5%) per annum and was convertible into common stock of the Company at $0.26 per share. Interest only payments on the Second BCR Trust Note were due quarterly. In the event of a default principal amounts due and owing would be accelerated and the interest rate would increase to twelve percent (12%) per annum.

 

On February 1, 2021, the First BCR Trust Note and the Second BCR Trust Note were combined into the Third BCR Trust Note in the principal amount of $4,279,617, that had a maturity date of February 1, 2024. The interest rate remained at five percent (5%) per annum and required monthly principal payments of $10,000. The Third BCR Trust Note was convertible into common stock of the Company at $0.013 per share. On March 30, 2022, the Company made a principal payment of $500,000 at which time the parties entered into the Amended BCR Trust Note in the principal amount of $3,709,617, that has a new maturity date of September 30, 2024. The interest rate and conversion price remain unchanged. Interest only payments due under the note are to be made monthly but have been deferred until October 31, 2022.

 

Interest expense recorded in connection with the BCR Trust which includes amortization of discount and premium for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $1,638,057 and $1,548,157, respectively.

 

Emil Kaunitz Note Payable

 

On August 12, 2021, the Company entered into the Kaunitz Note with Emil Kaunitz in the principal amount of $400,000, that has a maturity date of December 31, 2024. Emil Kaunitz is a director of the Company. The Kaunitz Note has a per annum interest rate of five percent (5%). Interest only payments are required to be paid monthly. The note is an unsecured obligation of the Company and is not convertible into equity securities of the Company.

 

Interest expense recorded in connection with the Kaunitz Note for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $7,726 and $0, respectively.

 

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

 

Introduction

 

In the discussion that follows, we have summarized selected provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws and the Nevada Revised Statutes relating to our capital stock. This summary is not complete. This discussion is subject to the relevant provisions of Nevada law and is qualified by reference to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws. You should read the provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws as currently in effect for provisions that may be important to you.

  

The share and per share information in the following discussion reflects the proposed Reverse Stock Split of the outstanding common stock at an assumed ratio of 1-for-20 expected to occur immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Current Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation

 

We are currently authorized to issue up to 3,050,000,000 capital stock consisting of: 3,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock of which 10,000,000 are designated as Series A preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 10,000,000 are designated as Series B preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share and 10,000,000 are designated as Series C preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share. As of August 24, 2022, there were 24,788,132 shares of common stock that were issued and outstanding and held by 262 stockholders of record, plus others held in street name. As of August 24, 2022, there were 5,875,000 shares of Series A preferred stock issued and outstanding, 3,054,000 shares of Series B preferred stock issued and outstanding, of which is convertible into 15,270,000 shares of common stock concurrently with this offering, and 770,000 shares of Series C preferred stock issued and outstanding.

 

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On August 31, 2022, our Board and stockholders holding a majority of our outstanding voting shares, authorized the Reverse Stock Split of each of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.001 par value per share, as well as each of the outstanding shares of the Company’s preferred stock at a ratio to be determined by the board of within a range of a minimum of a one-for-fifteen (1-for-15) to a maximum of one-for- twenty-five (1-for-25), with the exact ratio to be set at a number within this range as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, with no change in par value. We intend for the Board to effect such reverse stock immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, however we cannot guarantee that such Reverse Stock Split will occur based on the ratio stated above, that such Reverse Stock Split will be necessary or will occur in connection with the listing of our common stock on the NYSE American, or that the NYSE American will approve our initial listing application for our common stock upon such Reverse Stock Split. We intend to effect the Reverse Stock Split of our outstanding shares of common stock immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

Unless otherwise noted and other than in our financial statements and the notes thereto, the share and per share information in this prospectus reflects a proposed Reverse Stock Split of the outstanding common stock and preferred stock at an assumed 1-for-20 ratio expected to occur immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Before the SEC declares this registration statement effective, we intend to file a pre-effective amendment to this registration statement with the SEC in the event that our Board determines that the final ratio to be used to effect such Reverse Stock Split must be changed from the assumed 1-for-20 ratio disclosed throughout this prospectus.

 

Common Stock

 

Each outstanding share of common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters presented to the stockholders for a vote. Holders of shares of common stock have no cumulative voting, preemptive, subscription or conversion rights. All shares of common stock to be issued pursuant to this registration statement will be duly authorized, fully paid, and non-assessable. Our Board determines if and when distributions may be paid out of legally available funds to the holders. To date, we have not declared any dividends with respect to our common stock. Our declaration of any cash dividends in the future will depend on our Board’s determination as to whether, in light of our earnings, financial position, cash requirements, and other relevant factors existing at the time, it appears advisable to do so. We do not anticipate paying cash dividends on the common stock in the foreseeable future.

 

Upon liquidation, subject to the right of any holders of the preferred stock to receive preferential distributions, each outstanding share of common stock may participate pro rata in the assets remaining after payment of, or adequate provision for, all our known debts and liabilities.

 

The holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock constitute a quorum at any meeting of the stockholders. A plurality of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders elects our directors. The common stock does not have cumulative voting rights. Therefore, the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock can elect all of our directors. In general, a majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders must authorize stockholder actions other than the election of directors. Most amendments to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation require the vote of the holders of a majority of all outstanding voting shares.

 

We expect to effect a 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split of our outstanding common stock prior to the completion of this offering, effective immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

  

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Preferred Stock

 

Under our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, our Board can issue up to 2,500,000 shares of preferred stock from time to time in one or more series. The Board is authorized to fix by resolution as to any series the designation and number of shares of the series, the voting rights, the dividend rights, the redemption price, the amount payable upon liquidation or dissolution, the conversion rights, and any other designations, preferences or special rights or restrictions as may be permitted by law. Unless the nature of a particular transaction and the rules of law applicable thereto require such approval, our Board has the authority to issue these shares of preferred stock without stockholder approval.

 

We are authorized to issue 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, of which 30,000,000 shares have been designated as follows: (i) 10,000,000 shares of Series A preferred stock, of which 5,875,000 are issued and outstanding as of May 31, 2022; (ii) 10,000,000 shares of Series B preferred stock, of which 3,054,000 are issued and outstanding as of May 31, 2022 and which is convertible into 15,270,000 shares of common stock concurrently with this offering, and (iii) 10,000,000 shares of Series C preferred stock, of which 770,000 shares are issued and outstanding as of May 31, 2022.

 

The Series A preferred stock provides holders the right to convert each share into 0.10 of a share of common stock and shall have the right to vote on an as converted basis. Holders of the Series A preferred stock are entitled to receive a dividend of $0.0125 per year, one-twelfth of which shall be payable each calendar month. The Series A preferred stock may be redeemed at the Company’s option at $1 per share at any time upon 30 days advanced written notice. Holders of Series A preferred stock are entitled to receive liquidation preference pari passu with the holders of Series B preferred stock and Series C preferred stock and prior to and in preference to any distribution of any of the assets of the Company to the holders of common stock.

 

The Series B preferred stock provides holders the right to convert each share into 5 shares of common stock. Holders of Series B preferred stock shall each have 10,000 votes per preferred share. Holders of Series B preferred stock are entitled to receive liquidation preference pari passu with the holders of Series A preferred stock and Series C preferred stock and prior to and in preference to any distribution of any of the assets of the Company to the holders of common stock. The Series B preferred stock will be converted into 15,270,000 shares of common stock concurrently with this offering.

 

The Series C preferred stock provides holders the right to convert each share into 0.625 of a share of common stock and shall have the right to vote on an as converted basis. The Series C preferred stock has a stated value of $1. Holders of the Series C preferred stock are entitled to receive a dividend of $0.06 per year. Holders of the Series C preferred stock received two shares of common stock of the Company for every one share of Series C preferred stock issued. At any time after July 16, 2028 the Company has the right to redeem all of the issued and outstanding shares of Series C preferred stock at a redemption price per preferred share equal to the stated value of $1. The Series C preferred stock has no maturity date or scheduled redemption date. There is no sinking fund provisions applicable to the Series C preferred stock. Holders of the Series C preferred stock have certain registration rights which require the Company, when eligible, to prepare and file with the SEC, a registration statement on Form S-3 covering the resale of the preferred shares in a secondary offering. Holders of the Series C preferred stock are entitled to receive liquidation preference, pari passu with the holders of Series A preferred stock and Series B preferred stock and prior to and in preference to any distribution of any of the assets of the Company to the holders of common stock.

 

Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation to be Adopted in Connection with this Offering

 

Prior to the closing of this offering, we intend to file an amendment to our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, to effect a 1-for-20 Reverse Stock Split.

 

Upon completion of this offering, we will be authorized to issue 3,000,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock. There will be 5,875,000 shares of Series A preferred stock outstanding and 770,000 shares of Series C preferred stock outstanding.

 

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Warrants

 

As of August 24, 2022, we had 3,522,585 warrants outstanding. Each warrant provides the holder the right to purchase one share of the Company’s common stock at a predetermined exercise price. The number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of each warrant and the exercise price shall be proportionally adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Split to occur immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The outstanding warrants consist of:

 

  ·

warrants to purchase 170,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $4.00 until November 16, 2028;

  ·

warrants to purchase 1,450,850 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.00 until August 12, 2028;

  ·

warrants to purchase 320,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.40 until August 5, 2028;

  ·

warrants to purchase 130,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.60 until January 20, 2028;

  ·

warrants to purchase 1,080,717 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.00000009254 until November 21, 2028; and

  ·

warrants to purchase 361,017 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.80 until May 2, 2029.

 

Options

 

As of August 24, 2022, we had 5,025,000 outstanding options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock. Each stock option provides the holder the right to purchase one share of the Company’s common stock at a predetermined exercise price. The number of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of each option and the exercise price shall be proportionally adjusted to reflect the Reverse Stock Split to occur immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The outstanding stock options consist of the following:

  

  ·

options to purchase 877,500 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.80 per share until February 28, 2027;

  ·

options to purchase 150,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.60 per share until December 31, 2027;

  ·

options to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.00 per share until February 20, 2028;

  ·

options to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.80 per share until March 11, 2028;

  ·

options to purchase 150,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.80 per share until March 31, 2028;

  ·

options to purchase 1,500,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.60 per share until June 30, 2028;

  ·

options to purchase 150,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.40 per share until August 6, 2028;

  ·

options to purchase 600,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.40 per share until August 10, 2028;

  ·

options to purchase 12,500 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.40 per share until August 31, 2028;

  ·

options to purchase 7,500 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.30 per share until December 31, 2028;

  ·

options to purchase 150,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.40 per share until December 31, 2028; and

  ·

options to purchase 10,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.40 per share until March 31, 2029.

  

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Limitation on Directors’ Liability

 

The Nevada Revised Statutes limits or eliminates the personal liability of directors to corporations and their stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of directors’ fiduciary duties as directors. Our Amended and Restated Bylaws include provisions that require the Company to indemnify our directors or officers against monetary damages for actions taken as a director or officer of our Company.

 

The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions under the Nevada Revised Statutes and our Amended and Restated Bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. These provisions may also have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. However, these provisions do not limit or eliminate our rights, or those of any stockholder, to seek non-monetary relief such as injunction or rescission in the event of a breach of a director’s fiduciary duties. Moreover, the provisions do not alter the liability of directors under the federal securities laws. In addition, your investment may be adversely affected to the extent that, in a class action or direct suit, we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

 

Nevada Anti-Takeover Statute

 

We are a Nevada corporation and the anti-takeover provisions of the Nevada Revised Statutes may discourage, delay, or prevent a change in control by prohibiting us from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the person becomes an interested stockholder, even if a change in control would be beneficial to our existing stockholders. An interested stocked is a person who, together with the affiliates and associates, beneficially owns (or within the prior two years, did beneficially own) ten percent or more of the Company’s capital stock entitled to vote. In addition, our amended and restated articles of incorporation (the “Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation”) and amended and restated bylaws (the “Amended and Restated Bylaws”) may discourage, delay, or prevent a change in our management or control over us that stockholders may consider favorable. Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws (i) authorize the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock that could be issued by our Board to thwart a takeover attempt; (ii) provide that vacancies on our Board, including newly created directorships, may be filled by a majority vote of directors then in office, (iii) provide that the Board shall have the sole power to adopt, amend, or repeal the Amended and Restated Bylaws, and (iv) requires a stockholder to provide advance written notice of a stockholder proposal.

 

Forum for Litigation 

 

Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws provide that, to the fullest extent permitted by law, and unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada, shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for state law claims with respect to: (a) any derivative action or proceeding brought in the name or right of the Company or on its behalf, (b) any action asserting a claim for breach of any fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee or agent of the Company to the Company or the Company’s stockholders, (c) any action arising or asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of NRS Chapters 78 or 92A or any provision of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated Bylaws, or (d) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, including, without limitation, any action to interpret, apply, enforce or determine the validity of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated Bylaws. Pursuant to Article IX of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, and for the avoidance of doubt, this exclusive forum provision shall not be applicable to any action brought under the Securities Act, or the Exchange Act, and that, unless the Company consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of capital stock of the Company shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to the provisions of Article IX of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Article XIII of the Amended and Restated Bylaws. There exists uncertainty, however, as to whether such forum selection provisions of our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated Bylaws would be enforced by a court.

 

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Transfer Agent and Registrar

 

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Nevada Agency and Transfer Company with an address at 50 West Liberty Street, Suite 880, Reno, NV 89501.

 

Listing

 

Our common stock is currently quoted on the OTC Pink under the trading symbol “ONOV”. We have applied to list our common stock on the NYSE American under the symbol “CTM”.

 

SHARES ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE SALE

 

 

Based on the number of shares outstanding as of the date of this prospectus, upon completion of this offering, 27,988,132 shares of common stock will be outstanding, or 28,468,132 if the over-allotment option is exercised in full.

 

The remaining shares of common stock will be “restricted securities” under Rule 144 under the Securities Act.  

 

Rule 144

 

Pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act (“Rule 144”), a person who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock for (i) at least six months (subject to certain limitations for affiliates described below) would be entitled to sell their securities provided that we are subject to the Exchange Act periodic reporting requirements for at least three months before the sale and has filed all required reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act during the 12 months (or such shorter period as it was required to file reports) preceding the sale or (ii) at least one year; provided that such person is not an affiliate of ours the time of the sale and has not been an affiliate of ours during the three months preceding the sale.

 

An affiliate of ours who has beneficially owned restricted shares of our common stock for at least six months would be entitled to sell under clause (i) above, if, within any three-month period, a number of shares that does not exceed the greater of:

 

1% of shares of our common stock then outstanding; or

 

the average weekly trading volume of shares of our common stock on the Nasdaq during the four calendar weeks preceding the date on which notice of the sale is filed with the SEC.

 

Sales under Rule 144 by our affiliates or persons selling shares on behalf of our affiliates are also subject to manner of sale provisions, notice requirements and the availability of current public information about us.

 

Restrictions on the Use of Rule 144 by Shell Companies or Former Shell Companies

 

Prior to the Bayberry Acquisition, the Company was once an entity with no or nominal operations and no or nominal non-cash assets (otherwise known as a “shell company”). Rule 144 is not available for the resale of securities initially issued by shell companies (other than business-combination related shell companies) or issuers that have been at any time previously a shell company. However, Rule 144 also includes an important exception to this prohibition if the following conditions are met:

 

the issuer of the securities that was formerly a shell company has ceased to be a shell company;

 

the issuer of the securities is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act;

 

the issuer of the securities has filed all Exchange Act reports and material required to be filed, as applicable, during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the issuer was required to file such reports and materials) other than Form 8-K reports; and

 

at least one year has elapsed from the time that the issuer filed current Form 10-type information with the SEC reflecting its status as an entity that is not a shell company.

  

We are no longer a shell company, and so, once the conditions listed above are satisfied, Rule 144 will become available for the resale of the above-noted restricted securities. Additionally, there are shares that may be eligible to be sold pursuant to Rule 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

 

Rule 701

 

Rule 701 under the Securities Act, as in effect on the date of this prospectus, permits resales of shares in reliance upon Rule 144 but without compliance with certain restrictions of Rule 144, including the holding period requirement. Most of our employees, executive officers or directors who purchased shares under a written compensatory plan or contract may be entitled to rely on the resale provisions of Rule 701, but all holders of Rule 701 shares are required to wait until one year has elapsed from the date the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part was publicly available before selling their shares. As of August 24, 2022 the Company has 2,500,000 shares authorized for issuance under the 2021 Castellum, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan, none of which are issued and outstanding. When such shares may be issued in the future, then the holder of the shares may be eligible to rely on the resale provisions of Rule 701.

 

Lock-up Agreements

 

All of our directors and executive officers, employees and 5% holders of our common stock or securities exercisable for or convertible into our common stock outstanding immediately prior to this offering have entered into lock-up agreements with respect to the disposition of their shares. See “Underwriting” for additional information.

 

UNDERWRITING

 

The Representative is acting as the sole book-running manager of the offering and as representative of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions of the underwriting agreement dated the date of this prospectus, the underwriters named below, through the Representative, have severally agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to the underwriters, the following respective number of shares set forth opposite the underwriter’s name.  

 

Underwriters  

Number of

Shares

 
EF Hutton, division of Benchmark Investments, LLC     3,200,000  
Total          3,200,000  

 

The underwriting agreement provides that the underwriters must buy all of the shares of our common stock if they buy any of them. However, the underwriters are not required to take or pay for the shares covered by the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares as described below. Our shares of common stock are offered subject to a number of conditions, including:

 

·receipt and acceptance of our shares of common stock by the underwriters; and

 

·the underwriters’ right to reject orders in whole or in part.

 

We have been advised by EF Hutton that the underwriters intend to make a market in our shares of common stock but that they are not obligated to do so and may discontinue making a market at any time without notice.

 

In connection with this offering, certain of the underwriters or securities dealers may distribute prospectuses electronically.

 

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Option to Purchase Additional Shares

 

We have granted the underwriters an option to buy up to an aggregate of up to 15% of the total number of securities to be offered by the Company, solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments (the “Over-Allotment Option”). To the extent a share of securities is being offered, the option shall be for whole shares as priced in the offering and not for components of the share. The underwriters have 45 days after the closing of the offering to exercise this option. If the underwriters exercise this option, they will each purchase additional securities approximately in proportion to the amounts specified in the table above.

 

Underwriting Discount

 

Shares sold by the underwriters to the public will initially be offered at the initial offering price set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Any shares sold by the underwriters to securities dealers may be sold at a discount of up to $ [*] per share from the public offering price. The underwriters may offer the shares through one or more of their affiliates or selling agents. If all the shares are not sold at the public offering price, EF Hutton may change the offering price and the other selling terms. Upon execution of the underwriting agreement, the underwriters will be obligated to purchase the shares at the prices and upon the terms stated therein.

 

The underwriting discount is equal to the public offering price per share, less the amount paid by the underwriters to us per share. The underwriting discount was determined through an arms’ length negotiation between us and the underwriters. We have agreed to sell the shares of our common stock to the underwriters at the offering price of $[*] per share, which represents the public offering price of our shares set forth on the cover page of this prospectus less a seven percent (7.0%) underwriting discount.

 

The following table shows the per share and total underwriting discount we will pay to the underwriters assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase up to additional shares.

 

   No
Exercise
   Full
Exercise
 
Per share  $       $     
Underwriting discounts and commissions (1)          
Total  $      $      

 

    No
Exercise
    Full
Exercise
 
Per share   $       $    
Underwriting discounts and commissions to be paid by us and the Selling Stockholders (1)                
Total   $       $    

 

(1)

Underwriting discounts and commissions do not include a non-accountable expense allowance up to $____ payable to the underwriters to be paid only by us.

 

Compensation

 

We have agreed to pay EF Hutton’s out-of-pocket accountable expenses, including EF Hutton’s legal fees, up to a maximum amount of $204,500; however, if the offering is not consummated our maximum obligation is $104,500. We have paid $25,000 to EF Hutton as an advance to be applied towards reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (which we refer to as the “Advance”). Any portion of the Advance shall be returned back to us to the extent not actually incurred.

 

We estimate that the total expenses of the offering payable by us, not including the underwriting discount, will be approximately $717,838. Additionally, we have agreed that one percent (1.0%) of the gross proceeds of the offering shall be provided to EF Hutton for non-accountable expenses.

 

Determination of Offering Price

 

Before this offering, our common stock was traded on the OTC Pink under the trading symbol “ONOV”. The OTC Pink does not constitute an established stock exchange, and as a result, the historical trading prices for the Company’s common stock may not be a reliable benchmark on which to determine the public offering price. Accordingly, the public offering price will be negotiated between us and EF Hutton. Among the factors to be considered in these negotiations are:

 

  · the information set forth in this prospectus and otherwise available to the underwriters;

  · the prospects for our Company and the industry in which we operate;

 

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  · an assessment of our management;

  · our past and present financial and operating performance;

  · our prospects for future earnings;

  · financial and operating information and market valuations of publicly traded companies engaged in activities similar to ours;

  · the prevailing conditions of U.S. securities markets at the time of this offering; and

  · other factors deemed relevant.

 

The estimated public offering price range set forth on the cover page of this preliminary prospectus is subject to change as a result of market conditions and other factors. Neither we nor EF Hutton can assure investors that an active trading market will develop for shares of our common stock, or that the shares will trade in the public market at or above the initial public offering price.

 

Underwriter Warrants

 

As additional compensation for EF Hutton’s services, we agreed to issue warrants to EF Hutton or its designees to purchase a number of shares of our common stock equal to three percent (3%) of the aggregate number of shares of our common stock sold in this offering (excluding shares of common stock sold to cover over-allotments, if any) at an exercise price equal to 115% of the public offering price of the shares of our common stock sold in this offering. The underwriter’s warrants will be exercisable at any time, and from time to time, in whole or in part, during the four and a half-year period commencing six months from the effective date of this offering, which period shall not extend further than five years from the effective date of the offering in compliance with FINRA Rule 5110(g)(8)(A). The underwriter’s warrants have been deemed compensation by FINRA and therefore are subject to a 180-day lock-up pursuant to Rule 5110(e)(1) of FINRA. EF Hutton (or its permitted assignees under Rule 5110(e)(1)) will not sell, transfer, assign, pledge, or hypothecate these warrants or the securities underlying these warrants, nor will they engage in any hedging, short sale, derivative, put, or call transaction that would result in the effective economic disposition of the warrants or the underlying securities for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus.

 

The underwriters’ warrants also provide for a one-time demand registration right, unlimited “piggyback” registration rights with respect to the registration of the shares of Common Stock underlying the warrants, customary anti-dilution provisions, customary anti-dilution provisions (for stock dividends and splits and recapitalizations) and anti-dilution protection (adjustment in the number and price of such warrants and the shares underlying such warrants) resulting from corporate events (which would include dividends, reorganizations, mergers, etc.), consistent with FINRA Rule 5110, and future issuance of common stock or common stock equivalents at prices (or with exercise and/or conversion prices) below the offering price as permitted under FINRA Rule 5110(f)(2)(G). Further, the number of shares underlying the underwriter’s warrants shall be reduced, or the exercise price increased, if necessary, to comply with FINRA rules or regulations.

 

Tail Financing

 

We have also granted EF Hutton the right to receive a cash fee equal to seven percent (7.0%) of the gross proceeds received by us from the sale of any equity, debt and/or equity derivative instruments to investors actually introduced to us by EF Hutton to the Company, in connection with any public or private financing or capital raise completed between April 12, 2022 and the earlier of (i) April 12, 2023, or (ii) the final closing, if any, of the offering (the “Engagement Period”) (unless this initial public offering is not closed or either party terminates the engagement, then such date will be 12 months after such expiration or termination) (each, a “Tail Financing”), and such Tail Financing is consummated at any time during the Engagement Period or within the twelve (12) month period following the expiration or termination of the Engagement Period, provided that such Tail Financing is by a party actually introduced to the Company in an offering in which the Company has direct knowledge of such party’s participation.

 

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Right of First Refusal

 

We have also granted EF Hutton an irrevocable right of first refusal for a period of twelve (12) months after the closing date of this offering to act as sole investment banker, sole book-runner, and/or sole placement agent, at EF Hutton’s sole discretion, for each and every future public and private equity and debt offering, including all equity linked financings, during such twelve (12) month period, of the Company, or any successor to or subsidiary of the Company, on terms and conditions customary to EF Hutton for such transactions. EF Hutton will have the sole right to determine whether or not any other broker-dealer will have the right to participate in any such offering and the economic terms of any such participation. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company has one of the agreed upon investment banks, including certain bulge bracket investment banks ready, willing, and able to lead manage at least a $60 million equity underwriting for the Company, the right of first refusal shall be not applicable and EF Hutton shall instead agree to serve as a co-manager and receive at least 20% of the transaction economics.

 

Lock-up Agreements

 

The Company, on behalf of itself and any successor entity, have agreed not to, subject to certain limited exceptions, (i) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (ii) file or caused to be filed any registration statement with the SEC relating to the offering of any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company; (iii) complete any offering of debt securities of the Company, other than entering into a line of credit with a traditional bank or (iv) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of capital stock of the Company, whether any such transaction described in clause (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above is to be settled by delivery of shares of capital stock of the Company or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, during the Engagement Period and additionally for a period of 180 days after the closing date of this offering, in the case of the Company. Additionally, our directors and officers and any holder(s) of five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of common stock as of the effective date of the Registration Statement (and all holders of securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of common stock) shall enter into customary “lock-up” agreement in favor of EF Hutton pursuant to which such persons and entities shall agree that for a period of 180 days after the closing date of this offering, they shall not offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company, subject to customary exceptions and negotiated leak out agreements.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, EF Hutton may request “lock-up” agreements from any holder(s) of less than five percent (5%) of the outstanding shares of common stock as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, in its reasonable discretion. The Selling Stockholder’s shares that are being registered by the registration statement to which this prospectus forms a part are not subject to the lock-ups.

 

Indemnification

 

We have agreed to indemnify the several underwriters against certain liabilities, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act. If we are unable to provide this indemnification, we have agreed to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities.

 

Other Relationships

 

Some of the underwriters and their affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and commissions for these transactions.

 

NYSE American Listing

 

We have applied to list our common stock on the NYSE American under the symbol “CTM.” There can be no assurance that we will be successful in listing our common stock on the NYSE American.

  

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Electronic Distribution 

 

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on websites or through other online services maintained by one or more of the underwriters of this offering, or by their affiliates. Other than the prospectus in electronic format, the information on any underwriter’s website and any information contained in any other website maintained by an underwriter is not part of this prospectus or the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, has not been approved and/or endorsed by us or any underwriter in its capacity as underwriter, and should not be relied upon by investors. 

 

Price Stabilization, Short Positions

 

In connection with this offering, the underwriters may engage in activities that stabilize, maintain, or otherwise affect the price of our common stock during and after this offering, including:

 

  stabilizing transactions;

  short sales;

  purchases to cover positions created by short sales;

  imposition of penalty bids; and

  syndicate covering transactions.

 

Stabilizing transactions consist of bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock while this offering is in progress. Stabilization transactions permit bids to purchase the underlying security so long as the stabilizing bids do not exceed a specified maximum. These transactions may also include making short sales of our common stock, which involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of common stock than they are required to purchase in this offering and purchasing common stock on the open market to cover short positions created by short sales. Short sales may be “covered short sales,” which are short positions in an amount not greater than the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares referred to above, or may be “naked short sales,” which are short positions in excess of that amount.

 

The underwriters may close out any covered short position by either exercising their option, in whole or in part, or by purchasing shares in the open market. In making this determination, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the over-allotment option.

 

Naked short sales are short sales made in excess of the over-allotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the common stock in the open market that could adversely affect investors who purchased in this offering. 

 

The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to the underwriters a portion of the underwriting discount received by it because the underwriter has repurchased shares sold by or for the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or short covering transactions.

 

These stabilizing transactions, short sales, purchases to cover positions created by short sales, the imposition of penalty bids and syndicate covering transactions may have the effect of raising or maintaining the market price of our common stock or preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of our common stock. As a result of these activities, the price of our common stock may be higher than the price that otherwise might exist in the open market. The underwriters may carry out these transactions on the NYSE American, in the over-the-counter market or otherwise. Neither we nor the underwriters make any representation or prediction as to the effect that the transactions described above may have on the price of the shares. Neither we, nor any of the underwriters make any representation that the underwriters will engage in these stabilization transactions or that any transaction, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.

  

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Affiliations

 

The underwriters and their respective affiliates are full service financial institutions engaged in various activities, which may include securities trading, commercial and investment banking, financial advisory, investment management, investment research, principal investment, hedging, financing, and brokerage activities. The underwriters and their affiliates may from time to time in the future engage with us and perform services for us or in the ordinary course of their business for which they will receive customary fees and expenses. In the ordinary course of their various business activities, the underwriters and their respective affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers, and such investment and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of us. The underwriters and their respective affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of these securities or instruments and may at any time hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in these securities and instruments. 

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the issuance of the securities covered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Lucosky Brookman LLP. Carmel, Milazzo & Feil LLP is acting as counsel for the underwriters in this offering.

 

EXPERTS

 

Our consolidated financial statements as of and for our years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 included in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement have been audited by RSM US LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as indicated in their report with respect thereto, and are included herein in reliance upon the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting in giving said report.

 

The financial statements of Specialty Systems, Inc. as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 included in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement have been audited by Aronson LLC, an independent auditor, as indicated in their report with respect thereto, and are included herein in reliance upon the authority of said firm as experts in auditing and accounting in giving said report.

 

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

 

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act with respect to the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus. This prospectus, which constitutes a part of the registration statement, does not contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement, some of which is contained in exhibits to the registration statement as permitted by the rules and regulations of the SEC. For further information with respect to us and our common stock, we refer you to the registration statement, including the exhibits filed as a part of the registration statement. Statements contained in this prospectus concerning the contents of any contract or any other document is not necessarily complete. If a contract or document has been filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, please see the copy of the contract or document that has been filed. Each statement in this prospectus relating to a contract or document filed as an exhibit is qualified in all respects by the filed exhibit.

 

You can read our SEC filings, including the registration statement, over the internet at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

Upon the completion of this offering, we will be subject to the information reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and we will file reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. We also maintain a website at www.castellumus.com. You may access these materials free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not a part of this prospectus and the inclusion of our website address in this prospectus is an inactive textual reference only.

 

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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

  

    Page
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDARIES

as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 and for the Three and/or Six Months Ended June 30, 2022 and 2021

   
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets   F-2
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations   F-3
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows   F-5
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)   F-6
Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements   F-7
     
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
as of December 31, 2021 and 2020 and for the Years Ended December 31, 2021 and 2020
   
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   F-26
Consolidated Balance Sheets   F-27
Consolidated Statements of Operations   F-28
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows   F-29
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity (Deficit)   F-32
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements   F-33
     
UNAUDITED PRO FORMA COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDARIES
for the Year Ended December 31, 2021
   
Pro Forma Combined Financial Statements   F-55
Notes to Unaudited Pro Forma Combined Financial Statements   F-57
     
UNAUDITED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF SPECIALITY SYSTEMS, INC.
as of June 30, 2021 and for the Six Months Then Ended
   
Balance Sheets   F-59
Statements of Income   F-60
Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity   F-61
Statements of Cash Flows   F-62
Notes to Financial Statements   F-63

 

AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS OF SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC.
for the Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019
   
Independent Auditor’s Report   F-75
Balance Sheet   F-77
Statement of Income   F-78
Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity   F-79
Statement of Cash Flows   F-80
Notes to Financial Statements   F-81

 

  F-1 

 

  

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

JUNE 30, 2022 (UNAUDITED) AND DECEMBER 31, 2021

 

   JUNE 30, 2022  DECEMBER 31, 2021
   (unaudited)   
ASSETS         
CURRENT ASSETS          
Cash  $2,057,752   $2,017,915 
Accounts receivable   6,638,396    5,414,401 
Contract asset   1,043,348    591,055 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   254,643    185,824 
Total current assets   9,994,139    8,209,195 
           
Fixed assets, net   196,287    145,792 
           
NON-CURRENT ASSETS          
    Deferred tax asset   —      610,033 
    Right of use asset – operating lease   94,318    132,690 
Intangible assets, net   7,629,552    7,595,599 
Goodwill   15,533,964    14,062,964 
Total non-current assets   23,257,834    22,401,286 
TOTAL ASSETS  $33,448,260   $30,756,273 
           
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
CURRENT LIABILITIES          
Accounts payable and accrued expenses  $890,068   $1,437,827 
Accrued payroll and payroll related expenses   1,962,811    1,511,622 
Due to seller   651,003    200,000 
Obligation to issue common and preferred stock   125,000    25,000 
Contingent consideration   —      275,000 
Contingent earnout   257,000    257,000 
Derivative liabilities   865,000    —   
Revolving credit facility   300,025    —   
Current portion of notes payable, net of discount   1,124,112    1,279,390 
Current portion of lease liability – operating lease   73,732    111,999 
Total current liabilities   6,248,751    5,097,838 
           
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES          
    Lease liability – operating lease, net of current portion   19,166    18,715 
    Note payable – related party, net of current portion   400,000    400,000 
Convertible promissory notes – related parties, net of discount, net of current portion   338,543    2,805,184 
Notes payable, net of discount, net of current portion   7,308,423    7,112,419 
Total non-current liabilities   8,066,132    10,336,318 
           
TOTAL LIABILITIES   14,314,883    15,434,156 
           
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
 Preferred stock, 50,000,000 shares authorized          
Series A Preferred stock, par value $0.0001; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 5,875,000 and 5,875,000 issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively   588    588 
Series B Preferred stock, par value $0.0001; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 3,075,000 and 3,610,000 issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively   307    361 
Series C Preferred stock, par value $0.0001; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 770,000 and 620,000 issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively   77    62 
Common stock, par value $0.0001; 3,000,000,000 shares authorized, 495,762,646 and 399,212,646 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively   49,576    39,921 
Additional paid in capital   36,329,735    26,367,201 
Accumulated deficit   (17,246,906)   (11,086,016)
Total stockholders’ equity   19,133,377    15,322,117 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY  $33,448,260   $30,756,273 

 

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

  F-2 

 

 

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022 AND 2021

 

   2022  2021
       
REVENUES  $21,045,392   $8,209,152 
           
COST OF REVENUES   12,224,559    4,611,714 
           
GROSS PROFIT   8,820,833    3,597,438 
           
OPERATING EXPENSES:          
Indirect costs   5,327,806    774,131 
Overhead   759,542    183,447 
General and administrative   6,335,745    3,707,888 
Total operating expenses   12,423,093    4,665,466 
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)   (3,602,260)   (1,068,028)
           
OTHER EXPENSE:          
Realized gain on investment   —      38,851 
Gain on disposal of fixed assets   303    —   
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities   (173,000)   —   
Interest expense, net of interest income   (1,601,601)   (1,189,857)
Total other expense   (1,774,298)   (1,151,006)
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES   (5,376,558)   (2,219,034)
INCOME TAX (PROVISION) BENEFIT   (743,794)   562,260 
NET LOSS   (6,120,352)   (1,656,774)
Less: Preferred Stock Dividends   40,538    —   
NET LOSS TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS  $(6,160,890)  $(1,656,774)
           
NET LOSS PER SHARE          
Basic and diluted  $(0.01)  $(0.00)
           
SHARES USED IN CALCULATION OF NET LOSS PER SHARE          
Basic and diluted   449,585,559    357,044,124 

 

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

  F-3 

 

 

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

THREE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022 AND 2021

 

   2022  2021
       
REVENUES  $11,055,251   $4,187,848 
           
COST OF REVENUES   6,368,918    2,382,411 
           
GROSS PROFIT   4,686,333    1,805,437 
           
OPERATING EXPENSES:          
Indirect costs   3,598,611    370,686 
Overhead   340,572    94,453 
General and administrative   3,493,605    1,882,247 
Total operating expenses   7,432,788    2,347,386 
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)   (2,746,455)   (541,949)
           
OTHER EXPENSE:          
Realized gain on investment   —      38,851 
Gain on disposal of fixed assets   303    —   
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities   (173,000)   —   
Interest expense, net of interest income   (911,975)   (600,619 
Total other expense   (1,084,672)   (561,768)
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE INCOME TAXES   (3,831,127)   (1,103,717)
INCOME TAX (PROVISION) BENEFIT   (893,422)   276,475 
NET LOSS   (4,724,549)   (827,242)
Less: Preferred Stock Dividends   29,626    —   
NET LOSS TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS  $(4,754,175)  $(827,242)
           
NET LOSS PER SHARE          
Basic and diluted  $(0.01)  $(0.00)
           
SHARES USED IN CALCULATION OF NET LOSS PER SHARE          
Basic and diluted   477,834,138    362,572,834 

 

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

  F-4 

 

 

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED)

SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022 AND 2021

 

   2022  2021
       
Cash flows from operating activities:          
Net loss  $(6,120,352)  $(1,656,774)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash (used in) operating activities:          
Depreciation and amortization   1,005,400    750,011 
Amortization of discount, premium and deferred costs   1,154,062    883,806 
Stock-based compensation   3,736,197    859,068 
Deferred tax provision   610,033    (608,225)
Gain on disposal of fixed assets   (303)   —   
Realized gain on investment   —      (38,851)
Lease cost   556    250 
Financing fee and bank charges for note payable and advances on revolving credit line   3,775    —   
Legal fees paid out of proceeds from a note payable   30,000    —   
Change in fair value of derivative liabilities   173,000    —   
Changes in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions          
Accounts receivable   (810,386)   (634,897)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   (2,125)   (14,213)
Contract asset (liability)   (452,293)   —   
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (96,570)   (258,655)
Net cash (used in) operating activities   (769,006)   (718,480)
           
Cash flows from investing activities:          
    Cash received in acquisition of MFSI   —      93,240 
    Sale of investment   —      365,572 
    Cash paid in acquisition of LSG   (250,000)   —   
Purchases of fixed assets   (80,545)   —   
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities   (330,545)   458,812 
           
Cash flows from financing activities:          
    Proceeds from revolving credit line   300,000    —   
    Proceeds from notes payable   1,470,000    —   
    Proceeds from preferred and common stock to be issued   625,000    220,000 
    Preferred stock dividend   (40,538)   —   
    Proceeds from exercise of stock options   12,000    —   
    Repayment of convertible note payable – related party   (500,000)   (50,000)
    Repayment of amounts due to seller   (100,000)   —   
    Repayment of line of credit, net   —      (12,220)
Repayment of notes payable   (627,074)   —   
Net cash provided by financing activities   1,139,388    157,780 
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH   39,837    (101,888)
Cash - beginning of period   2,017,915    2,412,382 
Cash - end of period  $2,057,752   $2,310,494 
           
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES:          
Cash paid for interest  $379,784   $306,144 
           
SUMMARY OF NONCASH ACTIVITIES:          
Cancellation of shares offsetting acquisition of MFSI  $—     $400,000 
Debt discount on note payable applied to obligation to issue common stock  $500,000   $—   
Adjustment to contingent consideration and customer relationships  $275,000   $—   
Gain on extinguishment of convertible note payable – related party applied to APIC  $2,667,903   $—   
Common shares issued for obligation to issue common stock  $533,750   $—   
Derivative liability recognized as discount of note payable  $692,000   $—   
Deferred issuance costs recognized for note payable  $59,300   $—   
Fair value adjustment recognized on issuance of common stock in Securities Purchase Agreement  $93,000   $—   
Common shares issued in conversion of Series B Preferred shares  $5,350   $—   

 

For the non-cash activities related to the Company’s acquisitions, see Note 3, “Acquisitions.”

 

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

  F-5 

 

 

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT) (UNAUDITED)

SIX MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 2022 AND 2021

 

 

   Series A
Preferred
  Series B
Preferred
  Series C
Preferred
  Common  Additional      
   Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount  Paid-In
Capital
  Accumulated
Deficit
  Total
Balances at December 31, 2020   5,875,000   $588    3,610,000   $361    —     $—      308,225,285   $30,822   $6,104,051   $(3,527,296)  $2,608,526 
Stock-based compensation – options   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      451,796    —      451,796 
Net loss for the period   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      (829,532)   (829,532)
                                                        
Balances at March 31, 2021   5,875,000    588    3,610,000    361    —      —      308,225,285    30,822    6,555,847    (4,356,828)   2,230,790 
                                                        
Shares issued in acquisition of MFSI   —      —      —      —      —      —      22,280,469    2,228    1,780,209    —      1,782,437 
Cancellation of shares in acquisition of MFSI   —      —      —      —      —      —      (5,000,000)   (500)   (399,500)   —      (400,000)
Stock-based compensation - options   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      407,272    —      407,272 
Net loss for the period   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      (827,242)   (827,242)
                                                        
Balances at June 30, 2021   5,875,000   $588    3,610,000   $361    —     $—      325,505,754   $32,550   $8,343,828   $(5,184,070)  $3,193,257 
                                                        
Balances at December 31, 2021   5,875,000   $588    3,610,000   $361    620,000   $62    399,212,646   $39,921   $26,267,201   $(11,086,016)  $15,322,117 
Shares issued for services, net of amounts prepaid   —      —      —      —      —      —      150,000    15    6,173    —      6,188 
Shares issued for the exercise of stock options   —      —      —      —      —      —      300,000    30    11,970    —      12,000 
Shares issued for cash in Series C Preferred Subscription Agreements   —      —      —      —      150,000    15    300,000    30    149,955    —      150,000 
Stock-based compensation – options   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      875,640    —      875,640 
Stock-based compensation – restricted shares   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      30,937    —      30,937 
                                                        
Net loss for the period   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      (1,406,715)   (1,406,715)
                                                        
Balances at March 31, 2022   5,875,000    588    3,610,000    361    770,000    77    399,962,646    39,996    27,441,876    (12,492,731)   14,990,167 
                                                        
Shares issued for services, net of amounts prepaid   —      —      —      —      —      —      150,000    15    11,925    —      11,940 
Shares issued for cash, including fair value adjustment   —      —      —      —      —      —      25,000,000    2,500    590,500    —      593,000 
Shares issued for commitment fees   —      —      —      —      —      —      2,500,000    250    59,050    —      59,300 
Shares issued to satisfy obligation to issue common stock   —      —      —      —      —      —      2,650,000    265    533,485    —      533,750 
Shares issued to acquire LSG   —      —      —      —      —      —      12,000,000    1,200    2,278,800    —      2,280,000 
Conversion of Series B Preferred to Common Shares   —      —      (535,000)   (54)   —      —      53,500,000    5,350    (5,296)   —      —   
Stock-based compensation - options   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      1,117,335    —      1,117,335 
Stock-based compensation - warrants   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      1,603,219    —      1,603,219 
Stock-based compensation – restricted shares   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      30,938    —      30,938 
Gain on extinguishment of related party convertible note   —      —      —      —      —      —           —      2,667,903    —      2,667,903 
Net loss for the period   —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      —      (4,754,175)   (4,754,175)
                                                        
Balances at June 30, 2022   5,875,000   $588    3,075,000   $308    770,000   $77    495,762,646   $49,576   $36,329,735   $(17,246,906)  $19,133,377 

 

See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

 

  F-6 

 

 

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

JUNE 30, 2022 AND 2021

 

NOTE 1: NATURE OF OPERATIONS

 

Castellum, Inc. (the “Company”) is focused on acquiring and growing technology companies in the areas of information technology, electronic warfare, information warfare and cybersecurity with businesses in the governmental and commercial markets. Services include intelligence analysis, software development, software engineering, program management, strategic planning, information assurance and cybersecurity and policy along with analysis support. These services, which largely focus on securing data and establishing related policies, are applicable to customers in the federal government, financial services, healthcare and other users of large data applications. The services can be delivered to legacy, customer owned networks or customers who rely upon cloud-based infrastructures. The Company has worked with multiple business brokers and contacts within their business network to identify potential acquisitions.

 

As described in the Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021, since November 2019, the Company has made the following acquisitions that specialize in the areas noted above:

·Corvus Consulting, LLC (“Corvus”),
·Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc. dba MFSI Government Group (“MFSI),
·Merrison Technologies, LLC (“Merrison”),
·Specialty Systems, Inc. (“SSI”),
·the business assets of Pax River from The Albers Group (“Pax River”), and
·Lexington Solutions Group, LLC (“LSG”).

 

With the exception of Pax River, all of these acquisitions were considered business combinations under Topic 805 Business Combinations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). See Note 3, “Acquisitions” for greater details on the acquisitions of the Company since January 1, 2021.

 

On July 19, 2021, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment with the State of Nevada to change the par value of all common and preferred stock to all be $0.0001. All changes to the par value dollar amount for these classes of stock and adjustment to additional paid in capital have been made retroactively.

 

On April 7, 2022, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment for their Series A Preferred Stock to (a) provide for an annualized dividend of $0.0125 per share to be paid monthly; (b) amend the conversion ratio for each share of Series A Preferred Stock converting into 2 shares of common stock from 20 shares of common stock; and (c) providing for the Company to have the option to repurchase the Series A Preferred Stock at any time at a price of $1 per share.

 

The events related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and its variants, have had significant health, economic, and market impacts and may have short-term and long-term adverse effects on our business that we cannot predict as the global pandemic continues to evolve. The extent and effectiveness of responses by governments and other organizations also cannot be predicted. Our ability to access the capital markets and maintain existing operations has been little affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Going forward any possible adverse effects on the business are uncertain given any possible limitations on available financing and how we conduct business with our customers and vendors.

 

NOTE 2: SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation

 

The interim condensed consolidated financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries and the accompanying notes included in this Quarterly Report are unaudited. In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for the fair presentation of the condensed consolidated financial statements have been included. Such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature.

 

The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements, and the accompanying notes, are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”) and do not contain certain information included in the Company’s Annual Report for the year ended December 31, 2021. Therefore, the interim unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with that Annual Report.

 

  F-7 

 

 

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Castellum, Inc. and its subsidiaries, collectively referred to as “the Company”. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company owns each of their subsidiaries 100%. The excess of the consideration paid over the net assets acquired in these business combinations was first attributed to identified intangible assets with the remainder being applied to goodwill. All goodwill other than that acquired in the acquisition of LSG is not deductible for tax purposes. The LSG-related goodwill is tax deductible.

 

Business Segments

 

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The Company’s CODM, the Chief Executive Officer, reviews consolidated results of operations to make decisions. The Company maintains one operating and reportable segment, which is the delivery of products and services in the areas of information technology, electronic warfare, information warfare and cybersecurity in the governmental and commercial markets.

 

Use of Estimates 

 

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates include, but are not limited to, management’s estimate of provisions required for uncollectible accounts receivable, the acquired value of the intangible assets, impaired value of intangible assets, liabilities to accrue, cost incurred in the satisfaction of performance obligations, fair value for consideration elements of business combinations, permanent and temporary differences related to income taxes and determination of the fair value of stock awards. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 

 

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company accounts for revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.

 

The Company accounts for a contract with a customer that is within the scope of this Topic only when the five steps of revenue recognition under ASC 606 are met.

 

The five core principles will be evaluated for each service provided by the Company and is further supported by applicable guidance in ASC 606 to support the Company’s recognition of revenue.

 

Revenue is derived primarily from services provided to the Federal government. The Company enters into agreements with customers that create enforceable rights and obligations and for which it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration to which it will be entitled as services and solutions are transferred to the customer. The Company also evaluates whether two or more agreements should be accounted for as one single contract.

 

When determining the total transaction price, the Company identifies both fixed and variable consideration elements within the contract. The Company estimates variable consideration as the most likely amount to which the Company expects to be entitled limited to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal will not occur in a subsequent period.

 

At contract inception, the Company determines whether the goods or services to be provided are to be accounted for as a single performance obligation or as multiple performance obligations. For most contracts, the customers require the Company to perform several tasks in providing an integrated output and, hence, each of these contracts are deemed as having only one performance obligation. When contracts are separated into multiple performance obligations, the Company allocates the total transaction price to each performance obligation based on the estimated relative standalone selling prices of the promised services underlying each performance obligation.

 

This evaluation requires professional judgment, and it may impact the timing and pattern of revenue recognition. If multiple performance obligations are identified, the Company generally uses the cost plus a margin approach to determine the relative standalone selling price of each performance obligation. The Company does not assess whether a contract contains a significant financing component if the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between when payment by the client and the transfer of promised services to the client occur will be less than one year.

 

The Company currently generates its revenue from three different types of contractual arrangements: cost plus fixed fee (“CPFF”), firm-fixed-price contracts (“FFP”) and time-and-materials (“T&M”) contracts. The Company generally recognizes revenue over time as control is transferred to the customer, based on the extent of progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation. The selection of the method used to measure progress requires judgment and is dependent on the contract type and the nature of the goods or services to be provided.

 

  F-8 

 

 

For CPFF contracts, the Company uses input progress measures to derive revenue based on hours worked on contract performance as follows: direct costs plus DCAA-approved provisional burdens plus fee. The provisional indirect rates are adjusted and billed at actual at year end. Revenue from FFP contracts is generally recognized ratably over the contract term, using a time-based measure of progress, even if billing is based on other metrics or milestones, including specific deliverables. For T&M contracts, the Company uses input progress measures to estimate revenue earned based on hours worked on contract performance at negotiated billing rates, plus direct costs and indirect cost burdens associated with materials and the direct expenses incurred in performance of the contract.

 

These arrangements generally qualify for the “right-to-invoice” practical expedient where revenue is recognized in proportion to billable consideration. FFP Level-Of-Effort contracts are substantially similar to T&M contracts except that the Company is required to deliver a specified level of effort over a stated period. For these contracts, the Company estimates revenue earned using contract hours worked at negotiated bill rates as the Company delivers the contractually required workforce.

 

Revenue generated by Contract Support Service contracts is recognized over time as services are provided, based on the transfer of control. Revenue generated by FFP contracts is recognized over time as performance obligations are satisfied. Most contracts do not contain variable consideration and contract modifications are generally minimal. For these reasons, there is not a significant impact of electing these transition practical expedients.

 

Revenue generated from contracts with Federal, state, and local governments, from these contracts is recorded over time, rather than at a point in time. Under the Contract Support Services contracts, the Company performs software design work as it is assigned by the customer, and bills the customer, generally semi-monthly, on either a CPFF or T&M basis, as labor hours are expended. Certain other government contracts for software development have specific deliverables and are structured as FFP contracts, which are generally billed as the performance obligations under the contract are met. Revenue recognition under FFP contracts require judgment to allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations. Contracts may have terms up to five years.

 

Contract accounting requires judgment relative to assessing risks and estimating contract revenue and costs and assumptions for schedule and technical issues. Due to the size and nature of contracts, estimates of revenue and costs are subject to a number of variables. For contract change orders, claims or similar items, judgment is required for estimating the amounts, assessing the potential for realization and determining whether realization is probable. Estimates of total contract revenue and costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract and are subject to revision as the contract progresses. From time to time, facts develop that require revisions of revenue recognized or cost estimates. To the extent that a revised estimate affects the current or an earlier period, the cumulative effect of the revision is recognized in the period in which the facts requiring the revision become known.

 

The Company accounts for contract costs in accordance with ASC Topic 340-40, Contracts with Customers. The Company recognizes the cost of sales of a contract as expense when incurred or at the time a performance obligation is satisfied. The Company recognizes an asset from the costs to fulfill a contract only if the costs relate directly to a contract, the costs generate or enhance resources that will be used in satisfying a performance obligation in the future and the costs are expected to be recovered. The incremental costs of obtaining a contract are capitalized unless the costs would have been incurred regardless of whether the contract was obtained.

 

The following table disaggregates the Company’s revenue by contract type for the six months ended June 30:

 

   2022  2021
Revenue:          
Time and material  $10,946,928   $6,798,212 
Firm fixed price   3,635,560    1,410,940 
Cost plus fixed fee   6,462,904    —   
Total  $21,045,392   $8,209,152 

 

Derivative Financial Instruments

 

Derivatives are recorded on the consolidated balance sheet at fair value. The conversion features of certain of the convertible instruments are embedded derivatives and are separately valued and accounted for on the consolidated balance sheet with changes in fair value recognized during the period of change as a separate component of other income/expense. Valuations derived from various models are subject to ongoing internal and external verification and review. The model used incorporates market-sourced inputs such as interest rates and stock price volatilities. Selection of these inputs involves management’s judgment and may impact net income (loss).

 

The issuance of the July 2017 FASB ASU 2017-11, “Earnings Per Share (Topic 260) Distinguishing Liabilities from Equity (Topic 480) Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815),” addresses the complexity of accounting for certain financial instruments.

 

  F-9 

 

 

Under current GAAP, an equity-linked financial instrument that otherwise is not required to be classified as a liability under the guidance Topic 480 is evaluated under the guidance in Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging,” to determine whether it meets the definition of a derivative. If it meets that definition, the instrument (or embedded feature) is evaluated to determine whether it is indexed to an entity’s own stock as part of the analysis of whether it qualifies for a scope exception from derivative accounting.

 

Generally, for warrants and conversion options embedded in financial instruments that are deemed to have a debt host (assuming the underlying shares are readily convertible to cash or the contract provides for net settlement such that the embedded conversion option meets the definition of a derivative), this results in a reporting entity being required to classify the freestanding financial instrument or the bifurcated conversion option as a liability, which the entity must measure at fair value initially and at each subsequent reporting date.

 

The amendments in this Update revise the guidance for instruments with embedded features in Subtopic 815-40, “Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity,” which is considered in determining whether an equity-linked financial instrument qualifies for a scope exception from derivative accounting.  

 

Income Taxes

 

Income taxes are accounted under the asset and liability method. The current charge for income tax expense is calculated in accordance with the relevant tax regulations applicable to the entity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Differences between statutory tax rates and effective tax rates relate to permanent tax differences.

 

Uncertain Tax Positions

 

The Company follows ASC 740-10 Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes. This requires recognition and measurement of uncertain income tax positions using a “more-likely-than-not” approach. Management evaluates their tax positions on a quarterly basis.

 

Deferred income taxes reflect the impact of temporary differences between assets and liabilities recognized for financial reporting purposes and the amounts recognized for income tax reporting purposes, net operating loss carryforwards, and other tax credits measured by applying currently enacted tax laws. When necessary, a valuation allowance is provided to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

 

The Company files income tax returns in the US Federal tax jurisdiction and various state tax jurisdictions. The federal and state income tax returns of the Company are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) and state taxing authorities, generally for three years after they were filed. 

 

Share-Based Compensation

 

The Company follows ASC 718 Compensation – Stock Compensation and has adopted ASU 2017-09 Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718) Scope of Modification Accounting. The Company calculates compensation expense for all awards granted, but not yet vested, based on the grant-date fair values. The Company recognizes these compensation costs, on a pro rata basis over the requisite service period of each vesting tranche of each award for service-based grants, and as the criteria is achieved for performance-based grants.

 

The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. Cash paid when shares are directly withheld for tax withholding purposes is classified as a financing activity in the statement of cash flows.

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

ASC 825 Financial Instruments requires the Company to disclose estimated fair values for its financial instruments. Fair value estimates, methods, and assumptions are set forth below for the Company’s financial instruments: The carrying amount of cash, accounts receivable, prepaid and other current assets, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, approximate fair value because of the short-term maturity of those instruments. The fair value of debt reflects the price at which the debt instrument would transact between market participants, in an orderly transaction at the measurement date. The fair value of the equity consideration from business combinations is measured using the price of our common stock at the measurement date, along with applying an appropriate discount for lack of marketability. For contingent liabilities from business combinations, the fair value is measured on the acquisition date using an option pricing model. The Company does not utilize derivative instruments for hedging purposes.

 

  F-10 

 

 

Earnings (Loss) Per Share of Common Stock

 

Basic net income (loss) per common share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, as well as a warrant to purchase 21,614,349 shares of common stock for a total aggregate exercise price of $1 granted in connection with the $5,600,000 note payable maturing September 30, 2024, as the cash consideration for the holder/grantee to receive common shares was determined to be nonsubstantive. Diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) include additional dilution from common stock equivalents, such as convertible notes, preferred stock, stock issuable pursuant to the exercise of stock options and all other warrants. Common stock equivalents are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share when the Company reports a loss because to do so would be anti-dilutive for periods presented, so only the basic weighted average number of common shares are used in the computations. The Company subtracts dividends on preferred stock when calculating earnings (loss) per share.

 

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

 

The Company does not discuss recent pronouncements that are not anticipated to have an impact on or are unrelated to its financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or disclosures.

 

NOTE 3: ACQUISITIONS

 

The Company has completed the following acquisitions to achieve its business purposes as discussed in Note 1. As the acquisitions made by the Company in 2021 and 2022 were of the common stock or membership interests of the companies, certain assets in some of the acquisitions (intangible assets and goodwill) are not considered deductible for tax purposes.

 

MFSI

 

The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with MFSI, effective as of January 1, 2021. This acquisition closed on February 11, 2021. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby MFSI became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The following represents the assets and liabilities acquired in this acquisition:

 

Cash  $93,240 
Accounts receivable   33,540 
Unbilled receivable   45,316 
Other assets   329,509 
Right of use asset – operating lease   14,862 
Customer relationships   348,000 
Non-compete agreement   4,000 
Goodwill   685,072 
Deferred tax liability   (97,419)
Line of credit   (12,249)
Lease liability – operating lease   (13,862)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (47,572)
 Net assets acquired  $1,382,437 

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of MFSI was as follows:

 

Common stock  $1,382,437 

 

The MFSI acquisition has been accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total acquisition consideration price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their preliminary estimated fair values. The fair value measurements utilize estimates based on key assumptions of the MFSI acquisition, and historical and current market data. The excess of the purchase price over the total of the estimated fair values assigned to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. In order to determine the fair values of tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed for MFSI, we have engaged a third-party independent valuation specialist. The Company had estimated the preliminary purchase price allocations based on historical inputs and data as of January 1, 2021. The Company had a valuation prepared by an independent consultant. Upon the finalization of the valuation of MFSI, the Company reclassified $352,000 from goodwill into other intangible assets. There were no transactions costs that were material to this transaction.

  

  F-11 

 

 

During the measurement period (which is the period required to obtain all necessary information that existed at the acquisition date, or to conclude that such information is unavailable, not to exceed one year), additional assets or liabilities may be recognized, or there could be changes to the amounts of assets or liabilities previously recognized on a preliminary basis, if new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have resulted in the recognition of these assets or liabilities as of that date. The Company had reclassified a portion of the goodwill upon the finalization of an independent valuation report during the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

Merrison

 

The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with Merrison, effective as of August 5, 2021. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby Merrison became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The following represents the assets and liabilities acquired in this acquisition:

 

Cash  $183,588 
Accounts receivable and unbilled receivables   391,049 
Customer relationships   322,000 
Non-compete agreements   7,000 
Trademarks   164,000 
Backlog   115,000 
Goodwill   780,730 
Deferred tax liability   (243,730)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (102,354)
 Net assets acquired  $1,617,283 

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of Merrison was as follows:

 

Common stock  $1,595,000 
Cash   22,283 
   $1,617,283 

 

The Merrison acquisition has been accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total acquisition consideration price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their preliminary estimated fair values. The fair value measurements utilize estimates based on key assumptions of the Merrison acquisition, and historical and current market data.

 

The excess of the purchase price over the total of the estimated fair values assigned to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. In order to determine the fair values of tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed for Merrison, we have engaged a third-party independent valuation specialist. The Company had estimated the preliminary purchase price allocations based on historical inputs and data as of August 5, 2021. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price is based on the best information available and is pending, amongst other things: (i) the finalization of the valuations and useful lives for the intangible assets acquired; (ii) finalization of the valuation of accounts payable and accrued expenses; and (iii) finalization of the fair value of non-cash consideration. Upon finalization of the valuation, the Company allocated $608,000 from goodwill to other intangible assets. There was a $105,000 adjustment in total purchase consideration upon finalization of the valuations that was applied to goodwill. There were no transaction costs that were material to this transaction.

  

During the measurement period (which is the period required to obtain all necessary information that existed at the acquisition date, or to conclude that such information is unavailable, not to exceed one year), additional assets or liabilities may be recognized, or there could be changes to the amounts of assets or liabilities previously recognized on a preliminary basis, if new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have resulted in the recognition of these assets or liabilities as of that date. The Company had reclassified a portion of the goodwill upon the finalization of an independent valuation report during the year ended December 31, 2021. There have been no additional adjustments in the six months ended June 30, 2022.

 

SSI

 

The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with SSI, effective as of August 12, 2021. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby SSI became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The following represents the assets and liabilities acquired in this acquisition:

 

  F-12 

 

 

Cash  $998,935 
Accounts receivable and unbilled receivables   2,222,004 
Prepaid expenses   147,600 
Other asset   6,750 
Furniture and equipment   148,931 
Right of use asset – operating lease   169,063 
Customer relationships   3,102,000 
Non-compete agreements   65,000 
Trademarks   367,000 
Backlog   50,000 
Goodwill   8,461,150 
Deferred tax liability   (880,150)
Lease liability – operating lease   (167,333)
Contract liability   (226,591)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (1,134,509)
 Net assets acquired  $13,329,850 

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of SSI was as follows:

 

Common stock  $7,872,850 
Seller note   400,000 
Cash   800,000 
Contingent earnout   257,000 
Lender financing   4,000,000 
   $13,329,850 

 

The SSI acquisition has been accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total acquisition consideration price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their preliminary estimated fair values. The fair value measurements utilize estimates based on key assumptions of the SSI acquisition, and historical and current market data. The excess of the purchase price over the total of the estimated fair values assigned to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. In order to determine the fair values of tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed for SSI, we have engaged a third-party independent valuation specialist.

 

The Company had estimated the preliminary purchase price allocations based on historical inputs and data as of August 12, 2021. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price is based on the best information available and is pending, amongst other things: (i) the finalization of the valuations and useful lives for the intangible assets acquired; (ii) finalization of the valuation of accounts payable and accrued expenses; and (iii) finalization of the fair value of non-cash consideration as well as any earnout to be paid out in cash if achieved by the Company per the merger agreement. Upon finalization of the valuation, the Company allocated $3,584,000 from goodwill to other intangible assets. The Company paid $50,500 in transaction costs of SSI. There was a $2,608,661 adjustment in total purchase consideration upon finalization of the valuations that was applied to goodwill.

  

During the measurement period (which is the period required to obtain all necessary information that existed at the acquisition date, or to conclude that such information is unavailable, not to exceed one year), additional assets or liabilities may be recognized, or there could be changes to the amounts of assets or liabilities previously recognized on a preliminary basis, if new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have resulted in the recognition of these assets or liabilities as of that date. The Company had reclassified a portion of the goodwill upon the finalization of an independent valuation report during the year ended December 31, 2021. There have been no additional adjustments in the six months ended June 30, 2022.

 

Pax River

 

The Company entered into an acquisition agreement with The Albers Group, LLC, on October 22, 2021 which closed November 16, 2021 for certain assets represented by the Pax River business. This acquisition was accounted for as an asset purchase by the Company. The following represents the assets acquired in this acquisition:

 

Customer relationships (contracts) (a)  $2,400,000 
 Net assets acquired  $2,400,000 

 

  F-13 

 

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of The Albers Group assets was as follows:

 

Common stock  $1,925,000 
Contingent consideration represented by obligation to issue shares (a)   275,000 
Cash (included in amounts due to seller as of December 31, 2021) (b)   200,000 
   $2,400,000 

 

(a)It was determined that on March 31, 2022, that the requirements under section 1.5(b) of the acquisition agreement had not been achieved, and as a result the contingent consideration to issue the additional 1,375,000 common shares valued at $275,000 would not be issued. The Company adjusted the customer relationships by the $275,000 down to $2,125,000.

 

(b)As of June 30, 2022, $100,000 was paid to the seller and the balance owed as of June 30, 2022 is $100,000.

 

Lexington Solutions Group

 

On April 15, 2022, the Company entered into Amendment No. 1 to Business Acquisition Agreement (“LSG Business Acquisition Agreement”) with LSG to acquire the assets of LSG. This LSG Business Acquisition Agreement superseded the Business Acquisition Agreement originally entered into on February 11, 2022. Under the terms of the LSG Business Acquisition Agreement, the Company acquired assets and assumed liabilities of LSG for consideration as follows: (a) 12,500,000 shares of common stock (12,000,000 shares paid at closing (issued on May 4, 2022) and 500,000 shares to be held and due within three business days of payment of the second tranche of cash described below); and (b) cash payments as follows: $250,000 due at closing (“initial cash payment”); $250,000 plus or minus any applicable post-closing adjustments paid on the date that is six months after the closing date (“second tranche”); and $280,000 that is due no later than December 31, 2022.

 

The following represents the assets and liabilities acquired in this acquisition:

 

Receivable from Seller  $413,609 
Due from Employee/Travel Advance   5,000 
Miscellaneous license   2,394 
Customer relationships   785,000 
Non-compete agreements   10,000 
Backlog   489,000 
Goodwill   1,471,000 
 Net assets acquired  $3,176,003 

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of LSG was as follows:

 

Common stock (12,000,000 shares issued May 4, 2022)  $2,280,000 
Holdback shares (500,000 shares due six months after the closing date) (in obligation to issue common stock)   95,000 
Cash   250,000 
Due to seller (cash)   551,003 
   $3,176,003 

 

The LSG acquisition has been accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total acquisition consideration price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their preliminary estimated fair values. The fair value measurements utilize estimates based on key assumptions of the LSG acquisition, and historical and current market data. The excess of the purchase price over the total of the estimated fair values assigned to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. To determine the fair values of tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed for LSG, we have engaged a third-party independent valuation specialist.

 

The Company had received a valuation from their specialist and recorded the value of the assets and liabilities acquired based on historical inputs and data as of April 15, 2022. The allocation of the purchase price is based on the best information available. The Company paid $44,752 in transaction costs of LSG.

  

During the measurement period (which is the period required to obtain all necessary information that existed at the acquisition date, or to conclude that such information is unavailable, not to exceed one year), additional assets or liabilities may be recognized, or there could be changes to the amounts of assets or liabilities previously recognized on a preliminary basis, if new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have resulted in the recognition of these assets or liabilities as of that date. There have been no adjustments in the six months ended June 30, 2022.

 

  F-14 

 

 

For all acquisitions disclosed, there were no transaction costs that were not recognized as an expense.

 

The following table shows unaudited pro-forma results for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, as if the acquisitions of Merrison, SSI, and LSG had occurred on January 1, 2021. These unaudited pro forma results of operations are based on the historical financial statements of each of the companies.

 

For the six months ended June 30, 2022
Revenues  $22,564,868 
Net loss  $(5,836,444)
Net loss per share - basic  $(0.01)

 

For the six months ended June 30, 2021   
Revenues  $19,412,910 
Net loss  $(240,884)
Net loss per share - basic  $(0.00)

 

NOTE 4: FIXED ASSETS

 

Fixed assets consisted of the following as of June 30, 2022 (unaudited) and December 31, 2021:

 

   June 30, 2022 (unaudited)  December 31, 2021
Equipment  $85,095   $60,148 
Furniture   32,574    32,574 
Software   44,746    —   
Leasehold improvements   75,701    75,265 
Total fixed assets   238,116    167,987 
Accumulated depreciation   (41,829)   (22,195)
Fixed assets, net  $196,287   $145,792 

 

Depreciation expense for the six months ended June 30, 2022, and 2021 was $13,484 and $951, respectively.

 

NOTE 5: INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL

 

Intangible assets consisted of the following as of June 30, 2022 (unaudited) and December 31, 2021: 

 

      June 30, 2022
(unaudited)
  December 31, 2021
Customer relationships   4.5– 15 years   $9,535,000   $9,025,000 
Trade name   4.5 years    266,000    266,000 
Trademark   10-15 years    533,863    533,863 
Backlog   2-5 years    1,436,000    947,000 
Non-compete agreement   3-5 years    684,000    674,000 
         12,454,863    11,445,863 
Accumulated amortization        (4,825,311)   (3,850,264)
Intangible assets, net       $7,629,552   $7,595,599 

 

The intangible assets with the exception of the trademarks were recorded as part of the acquisitions of Corvus, MFSI, Merrison, SSI, and LSG. Amortization expense for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, was $975,047 and $749,060, respectively, and the intangible assets are being amortized based on the estimated future lives as noted above. On March 31, 2022, $275,000 of customer relationships was adjusted for the contingent consideration that is no longer required to be paid for the acquisition related to The Albers Group.

 

Future amortization of the intangible assets for the next five years as of June 30 are as follows:

 

June 30, 2023  $1,976,650 
June 30, 2024   1,767,922 
June 30, 2025   1,141,598 
June 30, 2026   774,285 
June 30, 2027   574,372 
Thereafter   1,394,725 
Total  $7,629,552 

 

  F-15 

 

 

The activity of goodwill for the six months ended June 30, 2022 (unaudited) and year ended December 31, 2021, is as follows:

 

   2022  2021
Balance – beginning of period  $14,062,964   $4,136,011 
Additions   1,471,000    9,926,953 
Disposals   —      —   
Impairment   —      —   
   $15,533,964   $14,062,964 

 

When the Company acquires a controlling financial interest through a business combination, the Company uses the acquisition method of accounting to allocate the purchase consideration to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, which are recorded at fair value. Any excess of purchase consideration over the net fair value of the net assets acquired is recognized as goodwill. The additions of goodwill in the respective periods relate to the acquisitions made by the Company. The Company has not disposed of any entities, nor have they impaired the goodwill in these periods.

 

NOTE 6: CONVERTIBLE PROMISSORY NOTES – RELATED PARTIES

 

The Company entered into convertible promissory notes – related parties as follows as of June 30, 2022 (unaudited) and December 31, 2021:

 

   June 30,
2022
(unaudited)
  December 31,
2021
Convertible note payable with a trust related to one of the Company’s directors, convertible at $0.013 per share, at 5% interest (extinguished on April 4, 2022 for new note) (a)  $—      4,209,617 
Convertible note payable with a trust related to one of the Company’s directors, convertible at $0.013 per share, at 5% interest (amended April 4, 2022)   3,709,617    —   
           
Total Convertible Notes Payable – Related Parties  $3,709,617   $4,209,617 
Add: Premiums recorded on convertible note due to fair value adjustment at date of acquisition of Corvus   —      2,569 
Less: BCF Discount   (3,371,074)   (1,407,002)
   $338,543   $2,805,184 

 

Interest expense which includes amortization of discount and premium for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was $800,217 and $804,896, respectively. Accrued interest on the notes payable at June 30, 2022 is $64,126. The amount of the BCF discount recorded was evaluated for characteristics of liability or equity and was determined to be equity under ASC 470 and ASC 480. The Company recognized this as additional paid in capital, and the discount is being amortized over the life of the note.

 

(a)On February 1, 2021, the two promissory notes with The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust (Laurie Buckhout – Trustee), were combined into one new note in the principal balance of $4,279,617, that has a new maturity date of February 1, 2024. The interest rate remains at 5% per annum, and the note now includes monthly principal payments of $10,000. The conversion terms have remained at $0.013 per share. It was determined that under ASC 470, the debt amendment was considered a modification. Then again on August 12, 2021, the convertible note was amended to remove the principal payments and extend the debt further to September 30, 2024. It was determined that under ASC 470, the debt amendment was considered an extinguishment. The result of the extinguishment netted a gain of $2,667,903 that was recorded as additional paid in capital as the transaction was with a related party.

 

On April 4, 2022, the Company entered into a letter agreement with The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust (Laurie Buckhout – Trustee) whereby the Company made a partial repayment of $500,000 (“First Payment”) to reduce the note from $4,209,617 to $3,709,617. The Company is obligated to make a second payment (“Second Payment”) of $2,709,617 at the time of an anticipated secondary offering, originally expected to occur on or about August 1, 2022, subject to extensions through October 31, 2022. At the time of the Second Payment, the remaining $1,000,000 of the note will be converted into shares of common stock at the conversion price in the note of $0.013 per share. The Company shall accrue interest commencing March 1, 2022, however, no payment of interest is due through October 31, 2022. The First Payment of $500,000 was paid from proceeds from Crom Cortana Fund, LLC (“Crom”) as part of a unit agreement under the Securities Purchase Agreement (“SPA”) entered into with Crom on April 4, 2022.

 

  F-16 

 

 

The Company entered into an Amended and Restated Convertible Promissory Note (issued on April 4, 2022) (“Amendment #2 – BCT”) which summarizes the terms of the letter agreement. As the amendment resulted in an accounting extinguishment, the remaining note balance along with all unamortized discounts and premiums associated with the note were extinguished with the resulting gain being reflected in additional paid in capital as this is a related party transaction. The Company recorded the Amendment #2 – BCT and the discount on April 4, 2022, and amortizing the discount through the life of the note based on the effective interest method.

 

The entire convertible promissory note – related parties balance is reflected in long-term liabilities.

 

NOTE 7: NOTES PAYABLE

 

The Company entered into notes payable as follows as of June 30, 2022 (unaudited) and December 31, 2021:

 

   June 30, 2022
(unaudited)
  December
31, 2021
Note payable at 7% originally due November 2023, now maturing September 30, 2024 (a)  $5,600,000   $5,600,000 
Note payable at 10% interest dated February 28, 2022 and matures the earlier of (i) September 30, 2024 or (ii) the acceleration of the obligations as contemplated under the promissory note including the successful completion of an equity offering of at least $15,000,000 (b)   500,000    —   
Convertible note payable, convertible at $0.08 per share, at 7%, maturing April 4, 2023 (c)   1,050,000    —   
Note payable with bank, at prime plus 3% interest (7.75% at June 30, 2022 and 6.25% at December 31, 2021) maturing August 11, 2024   2,961,301    3,588,374 
         0 
Total Notes Payable   10,111,301    9,188,374 
Less: Debt Discount   (1,678,766)   (796,565)
   $8,432,535   $8,391,809 

 

(a)on August 12, 2021, the note payable was amended to extend the debt to September 30, 2024. It was determined that under ASC 470, the debt amendment was considered a modification.

 

(b)on February 28, 2022, the Company was obligated to issue 2,500,000 shares of common stock as further consideration for making this loan to the Company. The shares were issued in April 2022.

 

(c)on April 4, 2022, the Company entered into an SPA with Crom. The SPA includes (a) a Convertible promissory Note dated April 4, 2022 in the amount of $1,050,000 at 7% interest per annum. This note matures April 4, 2023 (one-year) and is convertible at a conversion price of $0.08 per share; (b) the issuance of 13,125,000 warrants that mature April 4, 2027, with an exercise price of $0.092 per share; and (c) the issuance of 25,000,000 common shares at $0.02 per share ($500,000), the proceeds of which were paid to The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust for the First Payment. In addition, Crom was issued 2,500,000 common shares as further inducement to enter into the SPA. The Company analyzed the debt instrument with Crom, under ASC 815-10, and determined that the conversion option should be separated from the host debt instrument (i.e., bifurcated) and classified as a derivative liability, along with the value of the warrants as a derivative liability at the inception date of April 4, 2022. The fair value of the derivative liabilities at inception were reflected as a discount on the note, along with an original issue discount of $50,000, and the discount of $93,000 on the 25,000,000 shares of common stock issued to Crom that had a fair value of $593,000 which exceeded the $500,000 paid by Crom that will be amortized over the life of the note (one year). The derivative liability is marked to market each reporting period, and the Company recognized a loss on the change in fair value of the derivative liabilities of $173,000 from April 4, 2022 to June 30, 2022.

 

Interest expense which includes amortization of discount for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was $787,219 and $381,484, respectively. Accrued interest on the notes payable as of June 30, 2022 is $13,921.

 

  F-17 

 

 

The note payable repayment schedule, net of discounts for the next three years as of June 30 is as follows:

 

June 30, 2023  $1,124,112 
June 30, 2024   6,626,233 
June 30, 2025   682,190 
Total  $8,432,535 

 

NOTE 8: NOTE PAYABLE – RELATED PARTY

 

The Company entered into a note payable with a related party in August 2021 with balances as of June 30, 2022 (unaudited) and December 31, 2021, as follows:

 

   June 30, 2022
(unaudited)
  December 31,
2021
Note payable at 5% due December 31, 2024, in connection with the acquisition of SSI  $400,000   $400,000 

 

Interest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was $9,918 and $0, respectively. The entire note payable – related party balance is reflected in long-term liabilities.

 

NOTE 9: REVOLVING CREDIT FACILITY

 

On April 4, 2022, the Company secured a $950,000 Revolving Credit Facility with Live Oak Bank. The credit facility matures on March 28, 2029, and draws on the credit facility are charged interest at the rate of 5.5% per annum. Interest is payable monthly. On April 12, 2022, the Company was advanced $300,025 under this credit facility. The Company incurred $3,667 in interest in the six months ended June 30, 2022, of which $1,192 is accrued for as of June 30, 2022.

 

NOTE 10: DUE TO SELLER

 

In the acquisition of assets in The Albers Group, LLC transaction, the Company is obligated to pay $200,000. This amount will be paid over a ten-month period which commenced February 2022. The $200,000 is non-interest bearing and is reflected as a current liability on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 under “Due to seller”. As of June 30, 2022 (unaudited) and December 31, 2021, the balance due for this obligation was $100,000 and $200,000, respectively.

 

In the acquisition of LSG, the Company is obligated to pay $551,003. This amount will be paid in two tranches over a ten (10) month period, with the first tranche of $271,003 paid six (6) months after the closing date and the second tranche of $280,000 paid ten (10) months after the closing date. The payment of $271,003 consists of a $250,000 payment plus a $21,003 closing adjustment. The $551,003 is non-interest bearing and is reflected as a current liability on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2022. As of June 30, 2022 (unaudited), the balance due for this obligation was $551,003.

 

NOTE 11: STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)

 

On July 19, 2021, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment with the State of Nevada to change the par value of all common and preferred stock to all be $0.0001. All changes to the par value dollar amount for these classes of stock and adjustment to additional paid in capital have been made retroactively.

 

Preferred Stock

 

The Company has 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock authorized. The Company has designated a Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock and recently as of July 16, 2021 designated a Series C Preferred Stock. 

 

Series A Preferred Stock

 

The Company has designated 10,000,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, par value of $0.0001. As of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company has 5,875,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, respectively. The 5,875,000 shares were issued to the former officers of the Company in settlement of debt.

 

  F-18 

 

 

On April 7, 2022, the Company amended the Certificate of Designation for their Series A Preferred Stock to (a) provide for an annualized dividend of $0.0125 per share to be paid monthly; (b) amend the conversion ratio for each share of Series A Preferred Stock converting into 2 shares of common stock from 20 shares of common stock; and (c) providing for the Company to have the option to repurchase the Series A Preferred Stock at any time at a price of $1 per share. Upon the Amendment to the Certificate of Designation, the former officers entered into a letter agreement dated April 4, 2022 with Crom and the Company for Crom to purchase 35,000,000 shares of Common Stock for $455,000, paid direct to the former officers from Crom. The letter agreement also provided for the former officers to sell certain amounts of the common stock they own through the date of the secondary offering, originally expected to occur on or about August 1, 2022.

 

For the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company recognized $18,359 in Series A dividends, all of which have been paid as of June 30, 2022.

 

Series B Preferred Stock

 

The Company has designated 10,000,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, par value of $0.0001. As of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company has 3,075,000 and 3,610,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, respectively. The 3,610,000 shares were issued to directors of the Company and a third party in June 2019. Each share of Series B Preferred Stock converts into 100 shares of common stock and has 10,000 votes per preferred share.

 

In the six months ended June 30, 2022, there were 535,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock converted into 53,500,000 common shares.

 

Series C Preferred Stock

 

The Company has designated 10,000,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock, par value of $0.0001 (effective July 19, 2021).

 

In the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company raised $150,000 for 150,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock along with 300,000 common shares. In the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company raised $620,000 for 620,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock along with 1,240,000 common shares.

 

Each share of the Series C Preferred Stock is convertible into 12.5 common shares, and the Series C Preferred Stock pays a $0.06 dividend per year. The dividend commenced accruing when the Series C Preferred Shares were fully designated and issued.

 

For the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company has preferred stock dividends recognized of $22,275 and accrued Series C Preferred Stock dividends of $1,925 as of June 30, 2022. The Series C Preferred Stockholders under their subscription agreements were issued a 2:1 ratio of common stock for their investment. As a result, the Company issued 1,540,000 common shares for the 770,000 Series C Preferred shares purchased.

 

Common Stock

 

The Company has 3,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.0001 authorized. The Company has 495,762,646 and 399,212,646 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2022 (unaudited) and December 31, 2021, respectively.

 

The Company issued the following common shares in the six months ended June 30, 2022:

 

The Company issued 300,000 shares of common stock in accordance with the Series C Preferred Stock subscription agreements.

 

The Company issued 300,000 shares of common stock in the exercise of stock options.

 

The Company issued 150,000 shares of common stock that vest over twelve months to an advisory board member.

 

The Company issued 53,500,000 shares of common stock in conversion of 535,000 Series B Preferred shares.

 

The Company issued 2,500,000 shares of common stock to Crom for entering into the Securities Purchase Agreement. The Company expensed this as a financing fee and include the amount in interest expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations for the six and three months ended June 30, 2022; and 2,500,000 shares of common stock for entering into the Eisiminger note (was recorded as Obligation to Issue Common Stock at March 31, 2022).

 

The Company issued 25,000,000 shares of common stock to Crom for $500,000 cash.

 

The Company issued 12,000,000 shares of common stock as described in Note 3, “Acquisitions” to the selling shareholder of LSG.

 

  F-19 

 

 

The Company issued 300,000 shares of common stock for services, 150,000 shares were accrued under Obligation to Issue Common Stock in March 31, 2022.

 

The Company issued the following common shares in the year ended December 31, 2021:

 

The Company issued 22,280,469 common shares in the acquisition of MFSI which were issued April 29, 2021 and June 15, 2021. In addition, upon the issuance of these shares the Company has cancelled 5,000,000 shares on May 12, 2021 that were previously issued to MFSI and returned those shares to treasury, with a reduction to equity of $400,000.

 

On August 6, 2021, the Company issued 10,000,000 shares in the acquisition of Merrison, and on August 25, 2021, the Company issued 52,000,000 shares in the acquisition of SSI. The Company issued 641,892 additional shares in October 2021 for payment of the working capital surplus delivered to the Company in the SSI acquisition.

 

In September through December 2021, the Company issued 1,240,000 shares of common stock in accordance with the Series C Preferred Stock subscription agreements.

 

In November 2021, the Company issued 9,625,000 shares of common stock in the SSI acquisition of certain assets of The Albers Group LLC.

 

In December 2021, 200,000 shares of common stock were issued in the exercise of stock options for $8,000.

 

Warrants

 

The following represents a summary of warrants for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and the year ended December 31, 2021:

 

   Six Months Ended June 30, 2022  Year Ended December 31, 2021
   Number  Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
  Number  Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
Beginning balance   63,231,367   $0.08    21,814,349   $0.00 
                     
Granted   20,345,348    0.13    41,417,018    0.12 
Exercised Cashless   —      —      —      —   
Forfeited   —      —      —      —   
Expired   —      —      —      —   
Ending balance   83,576,715   $0.09    63,231,367   $0.08 
                     
Warrants exercisable   83,576,715         63,231,367      
Intrinsic value of warrants  $11,857,510        $5,706,473      
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)   5.51                

 

The Company recorded $1,603,219 and $188,186 in stock-based compensation related to the granting of warrants for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The Company uses the Black-Scholes method for valuing the expense related to the grants. See below for the criteria used for each of the respective periods.

 

During the six months ended June 30, 2022, the Company granted 7,220,348 warrants to two of its officers at $0.19 per share that expire May 2, 2029 valued at $1,603,219 as well as 13,125,000 warrants with a strike price of $0.092 that expire April 4, 2027 to Crom as part of the SPA with them dated April 4, 2022, and during the six months ended June 30, 2021, the Company granted 2,600,000 warrants to two of its officers at $0.08 per share that expire January 20, 2028 valued at $188,186. The warrants were issued as part of a bonus achieved under the respective employment agreements for two of the officers of the Company.

 

All of the warrants have been fully expensed through June 30, 2022.

 

Options

 

The Company on November 9, 2021, approved the Stock Incentive Plan, that authorizes the Company to grant up to 50,000,000 shares. Prior to this date, the granting of options was not done in accordance with a stock option plan.

 

  F-20 

 

 

The following represents a summary of options for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and the year ended December 31, 2021:

 

   Six Months Ended June 30,
2022
  Year Ended December 31,
2021
   Number  Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
  Number  Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
Beginning balance   91,893,750   $0.1047    37,125,000   $0.04 
Granted   50,700,000    0.18    81,750,000    0.12 
Exercised   (300,000)   (0.04)   (200,000)   (0.04)
Forfeited   (5,793,750)   (0.03)   (26,781,250)   (0.03)
Expired   —      —      —      —   
Ending balance   136,500,000   $0.1368    91,893,750   $0.1047 
                     
Vested options   32,210,119         28,218,750      
Nonvested options   104,289,881         63,675,000      
Intrinsic value of options  $12,876,650        $6,140,313      
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)   6.14         6.21      

 

Stock based compensation expense for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021 was $1,992,975 and $670,882, respectively, which is comprised of $1,679,570 and $460,197 in service-based grants and $313,405 and $210,685 in performance-based grants, for the six months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, respectively. As of June 30, 2022, there remains unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to these grants of $21,283,128 comprising of $13,275,442 in service-based grants and $8,007,685 in performance-based grants, respectively. The vesting of these grants run through December 2026. The Company uses the Black-Scholes method for valuing the expense related to the grants. See below for the criteria used for each of the respective periods.

 

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2022

 

In January 2022, the Company granted a total of 14,500,000 stock options to four individuals as follows: (a) 1,000,000 service based options vest over 12 months at a strike price of $0.17 per share for a period of 7 years (expire December 31, 2028); (b) 500,000 service based options vest immediately at a strike price of $0.17 per share for a period of 7 years (expire December 31, 2028); (c) 3,000,000 options (1,500,000 service based options that vest over four years; and 1,500,000 performance based options that vest upon the successful implementation of an ERP) at a strike price of $0.17 per share for a period of 7 years (expire December 31, 2028); and (d) 10,000,000 options (5,000,000 service based options that vest over 42 months; and 5,000,000 performance based options that vest upon Corvus achieving an annualized run rate of $18,000,000 and net income of 7%) at a strike price of $0.17 per share for a period of 7 years (expire December 31, 2028).

 

On February 15, 2022, 300,000 stock options were exercised for $12,000.

 

In April 2022, the Company granted a total of 36,200,000 stock options to two individuals as follows: (a) 200,000 stock options at a strike price of $0.17 for a period of 7 years (expire March 31, 2029) to a consultant that vested upon the completion of the services he provided in completion of the year end audit; and (b) 36,000,000 stock options to our Chief Financial Officer at a strike price of $0.19 for a period of 7 years (expire April 24, 2029).

 

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

 

In January 2021, the Company granted 3,000,000 stock options to advisors (2,500,000) and an employee (500,000), that are service-based options that vest over a one-year period. The options have a strike price of $0.08 per share and expire seven years from the grant date (December 31, 2027).

 

In February 2021, the Company granted an advisor 1,000,000 stock options that are service-based options that vest immediately. The options have a strike price of $0.05 per share and expire seven years from the grant date (February 20, 2028).

 

In March 2021, the Company granted an advisor 1,000,000 stock options that are service-based options that vest over a one-year period. The options have a strike price of $0.09 per share and expire seven years from the grant date (March 11, 2028).

 

  F-21 

 

 

In April 2021, the Company granted an advisor 3,000,000 stock options that are that are half time-based and half performance-based options at a strike price of $0.09 per share. These options expire in seven years on March 31, 2028.

 

Changes to these inputs could produce a significantly higher or lower fair value measurement. The fair value of each option/warrant is estimated using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The following assumptions were used for the periods as follows:

 

  

Six Months

Ended

 

Year

Ended

  

June 30,

2022

 

December 31,

2021

Expected term   7 years    7 years 
Expected volatility   114 – 126%    135 – 177% 
Expected dividend yield   —      —   
Risk-free interest rate   2.00 – 2.85%    0.10%

 

NOTE 12: DERIVATIVE LIABILITIES

 

The Company issued common stock, a convertible note and warrants in a SPA with Crom (“Derivative Instruments”). The Company evaluated the conversion option in the convertible note and the warrants to determine proper accounting treatment and determined them to be Derivative Instruments. The Derivative Instruments identified have been accounted for utilizing ASC 815 “Derivatives and Hedging.” The Company has incurred a liability for the estimated fair value of Derivative Instruments. The estimated fair value of the Derivative Instruments has been calculated using binomial pricing model with key input variables by an independent third party, as of the date of issuance, with changes in fair value recorded as gains or losses on revaluation in other income (expense).

 

The Company’s derivative liabilities as of June 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 associated with the Derivative Instruments are as follows.

 

   June 30,
2022 (unaudited)
  December 31,
2021
  Inception
Fair value of conversion option of Crom Cortana Fund LLC convertible note  $(388,000)  $—     $(314,000)
Fair value of 13,125,000 warrants on April 4, 2022   (477,000)   —      (378,000)
   $(865,000)  $—        

 

During the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, the Company recognized changes in the fair value of the derivative liabilities of $(173,000) and $0, respectively.

 

Activity related to the derivative liabilities for the six months ended June 30, 2022 is as follows:

 

Beginning balance as of December 31, 2021  $—   
Issuances of convertible note/warrants – derivative liabilities   (692,000)
Warrants exchanged for common stock   —   
Change in fair value of warrant derivative liabilities   (173,000)
Ending balance as of June 30, 2022  $(865,000)

 

Changes to these inputs could produce a significantly higher or lower fair value measurement. The fair value of each Derivative Instrument is estimated using a binomial valuation model. The following assumptions were used for the periods as follows:

 

   June 30,
2022
  Inception –
April 4, 2022
Expected term – conversion option   0.76 years    1 year 
Expected term - warrants   4.76 years    5 years 
Stock price as of Measurement Date  $0.231   $0.19 
Equity volatility - unadjusted   284.80%   278.80%
Volatility haircut   5.00%   5.00%
Selected volatility – post haircut   107.60%   112.60%
Senior unsecured synthetic credit rating   CCC +    CCC + 
B- market yield   7.90%   4.50%
OAS differential between CCC+ and B- bonds   458 bps   383bps
Risk adjusted rate   12.50%   8.30%
Risk-free interest rate   2.70%   1.70%

 

  F-22 

 

 

NOTE 13: CONCENTRATIONS

 

Concentration of Credit Risk. The Company’s customer base is concentrated with a relatively small number of customers. The Company does not generally require collateral or other security to support accounts receivable. To reduce credit risk, the Company performs ongoing credit evaluations on its customers’ financial condition. The Company establishes allowances for doubtful accounts based upon factors surrounding the credit risk of customers, historical trends and other information.

 

For the three months ended June 30, 2022 and 2021, the Company had two and three customers representing 38% and 65% of revenue earned, respectively. Any customer that represents 10% or greater of total revenue represents a risk. The Company also has four and three customers that represent 78% and 69% of the total accounts receivable as of June 30, 2022 (unaudited) and December 31, 2021, respectively.

 

NOTE 14: RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

In June 2021, the Company raised $220,000 for 220,000 shares of the to be designated Series C Preferred Stock along with 440,000 common shares from the newly hired Chief Growth Officer of the Company.

 

In January 2021, August 2021, November 2021 and April 2022, the Company granted warrants to two of their officers pursuant to the employment agreements with these officers as a bonus for closing the MFSI, Merrison, SSI, Pax River (part of The Albers Group, LLC) and LSG transactions.

 

NOTE 15: COMMITMENTS

 

The Company since April 2020 has entered in a series of Employment Agreements with management and key employees. The employment agreements are generally for terms ranging from three to four years and stipulate the compensation which include base pay and bonuses, as well as non-cash compensation (warrants or stock options) that are to be issued to the employee. The Employment Agreements run through June 30, 2025.

 

See the Annual Report for the details of the Employment Agreements entered into through December 31, 2021.

 

On April 25, 2022, the Company entered into an employment agreement with David Bell, its Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”). The employment agreement has a term of three years and five days and automatically renews for successive one-year periods unless terminated by the Company or Mr. Bell, with ninety (90) days advance notice of its intent not to renew. The agreement provides for an annual base salary of $275,000 (the “Bell Base Salary”). The Bell Base Salary will increase as follows: (i) $25,000 per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $50,000,000 or greater; (ii) $35,000 per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of $75,000,000 or greater; (iii) $40,000 per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $150,000,000 or greater and EBITDA margin of no less than 7%; and (iv) $45,000 per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $300,000,000 or greater and adjusted EBITDA margin of no less than 8%. The Bell Base Salary shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Company’s general payroll practices.

 

Additionally, Mr. Bell shall be eligible to earn a performance bonus (the “Bell Performance Bonus”) at the discretion of the Board of the Company with target bonuses that are the following percentages of Bell Base Salary based on certain performance criteria set forth in the employment agreement: (i) 50% of Bell Base Salary of less than $35,000 per month; (ii) 60% of Bell Base Salary of $35,000 to less than $40,000 per month; and (iii) 100% of Bell Base Salary of $40,000 or more per month. The performance criteria include (a) ensure on time filing of all periodic filings (Form 10Q and Form 10K) and event driven filings (Form 13(d), Section 16 filings (forms 3 and 4) and Form 8K); (b) ensure on time filings and payment of all federal, state and local tax obligations; and (c) prepare an annual consolidated draft budget based on subsidiary budgets by October 31 each year. Mr. Bell is entitled to earn an additional bonus of (i) $50,000 and 10,000,000 warrants to purchase the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $0.10 upon the Company’s common stock trading on any tier of the Nasdaq or the New York Stock Exchange, and (ii) $100,000 and 15,000,000 warrants to purchase the Company’s common stock with an exercise price of $0.12 upon the Company joining the Russell 3000 and/or Russell 2000 stock index(ices). The Board of the Company may pay an additional bonus (separate from any target) in its sole discretion.

 

  F-23 

 

 

As an additional incentive for entering into the employment agreement, Mr. Bell was granted 36,000,000 stock options to purchase the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $0.19 per share. The price amount is subject to adjustment in the event of a forward or reverse stock split, stock dividend or other similar mechanism. The stock options vest ratably over the first 36 months of employment with the Company. In the event of a change in control of the Company, unvested options shall not vest unless (i) Mr. Bell is not given a commensurate position in the resulting organization, or (ii) the change in control transaction results in a price to stockholders of at least $.40 per share. The agreement entitles Mr. Bell to receive various employee benefits generally made available to other officers and senior executives of the Company.

 

NOTE 16: LEASES

 

The Company has adopted ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), and will account for their leases in terms of the right of use assets and offsetting lease liability obligations under this pronouncement. The Company had only short-term leases up through the acquisition of MFSI. The Company acquired a right of use asset and lease liability of $14,862 and $13,862, respectively on January 1, 2021 in the MFSI acquisition. In addition, with the SSI acquisition the Company acquired a right of use asset and lease liability of $169,063 and $167,333, respectively on August 12, 2021.

 

The Company recorded these amounts resulting from the acquisitions at present value, in accordance with the standard, using discount rates ranging between 5% and 7%. The right of use asset is composed of the sum of all lease payments, at present value, and is amortized straight-line over the life of the lease term.

 

As of June 30, 2022, the value of the unamortized right of use asset is $94,318 which is from an operating lease (through maturity in May 2024). As of June 30, 2022, the Company’s lease liability was $92,898, which is from an operating lease.

 

Maturity of lease liability for the operating lease for the period ended June 30,
2023  $73,732 
2024  $12,593 
2025  $6,055 
2026  $518 
      
Total lease liability  $92,898 

 

Disclosed as:   
Current portion  $73,732 
Non-current portion  $19,166 

 

Amortization of the right of use asset for the period ended June 30,   
2023  $74,593 
2024  $13,152 
2025  $6,055 
2026  $518 
      
Total  $94,318 

 

NOTE 17: INCOME TAXES

 

The Company's quarterly provision for income taxes is measured using an estimated annual effective tax rate adjusted for discrete items that occur within the quarter. For the three months ended June 30, 2022, the effective tax rate was (23.3%) compared to 25.1% for the three months ended June 30, 2021. The decrease in the effective tax rate was primarily due to the establishment of a valuation allowance against the Company's net deferred tax assets. For the six months ended June 30, 2022, the effective tax rate was (13.8%) compared to 25.3% for the six months ended June 30, 2021. The decrease in the effective tax rate was primarily due to the establishment of a valuation allowance against the Company's net deferred tax assets. The provision for income tax expense for the three months ended June 30, 2022, includes the recording of a valuation allowance of $0.6 million as a discrete item.

 

A full valuation allowance was established in the second quarter of 2022 due to the uncertainty of the utilization of deferred tax assets in future periods. In evaluating the Company's ability to realize the deferred tax assets, management considered all available positive and negative evidence, including cumulative historic earnings, reversal of temporary difference, projected taxable income and tax planning strategies. The Company's negative evidence, largely related to the Company's historical net losses, currently outweighs its positive evidence of future taxable income; therefore, it is more-likely-than-not that the Company will not realize a significant portion of its deferred tax assets. The amount of the deferred tax asset to be realized in the future could, however, be adjusted if objective negative evidence is no longer present.

 

  F-24 

 

 

NOTE 18: SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

The Company has evaluated subsequent events through August 12, 2022, the date the condensed consolidated statements were available to be issued.

 

  F-25 

 

  

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 To the Stockholders and the Board of Directors of Castellum, Inc.

 

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Castellum, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of operations, changes in stockholders’ equity and cash flows for the years then ended, and the related notes to the consolidated financial statements (collectively, the financial statements). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform, an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. As part of our audits, we are required to obtain an understanding of internal control over financial reporting but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion.

 

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

 

/s/ RSM US LLP  
   
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2020.  
   
McLean, Virginia  
March 29, 2022  

 

  F-26 

 

   

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

 

   2021   2020 
ASSETS          
CURRENT ASSETS          
Cash  $2,017,915   $2,412,382 
Accounts receivable   5,414,401    1,505,166 
Contract asset   591,055    - 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   185,824    36,805 
Total current assets   8,209,195    3,954,353 
           
Fixed assets, net   145,792    5,763 
           
NON-CURRENT ASSETS          
    Deferred tax asset   610,033    - 
    Right of use asset – operating lease   132,690    - 
Intangible assets, net   7,595,599    2,518,707 
Goodwill   14,062,964    4,136,011 
Total non-current assets   22,401,286    6,654,718 
TOTAL ASSETS  $30,756,273   $10,614,834 
           
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
CURRENT LIABILITIES          
Accounts payable and accrued expenses  $1,437,827   $234,219 
Accrued payroll and payroll related expenses   1,511,622    835,073 
Due to seller   200,000    - 
Obligation to issue common and preferred stock   25,000    - 
Contingent consideration   275,000    - 
Contingent earnout   257,000    - 
Current portion of notes payable, net of discount   1,279,390    - 
Current portion of lease liability – operating lease   111,999    - 
Total current liabilities   5,097,838    1,069,292 
           
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES          
    Deferred tax liability   -    1,065,245 
    Lease liability – operating lease, net of current portion   18,715    - 
    Note payable – related party, net of current portion   400,000    - 
Convertible promissory notes – related parties, net of discount, net of current portion   2,805,184    1,449,067 
Notes payable, net of discount, net of current portion   7,112,419    4,422,704 
Total non-current liabilities   10,336,318    6,937,016 
           
TOTAL LIABILITIES   15,434,156    8,006,308 
           
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
 Preferred stock, 50,000,000 shares authorized          
Series A Preferred stock, par value $0.0001; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 5,875,000 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively   588    588 
Series B Preferred stock, par value $0.0001; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 3,610,000 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively   361    361 
Series C Preferred stock, par value $0.0001; 10,000,000 shares authorized; 620,000 and 0 issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively   62    - 
Common stock, par value $0.0001; 3,000,000,000 shares authorized, 399,212,646 and 308,225,285 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively   39,921    30,822 
Additional paid in capital   26,367,201    6,104,051 
Accumulated deficit   (11,086,016)   (3,527,296)
Total stockholders’ equity   15,322,117    2,608,526 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY  $30,756,273   $10,614,834 

 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

  F-27 

 

  

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

 

   2021   2020 
         
REVENUES  $25,067,450   $13,338,667 
           
COST OF REVENUES   13,992,898    7,161,627 
           
GROSS PROFIT   11,074,552    6,177,040 
           
OPERATING EXPENSES:          
Indirect costs   3,409,649    1,679,783 
Overhead   850,999    276,855 
General and administrative   14,539,053    5,688,551 
Total operating expenses   18,799,701    7,645,189 
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)   (7,725,149)   (1,468,149)
           
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):          
 Realized gain on investment   38,851    - 
Interest expense, net of interest income   (2,516,775)   (2,295,906)
Total other income (expense)   (2,477,924)   (2,295,906)
LOSS FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE BENEFIT FOR INCOME TAXES   (10,203,073)   (3,764,055)
BENEFIT FROM INCOME TAXES   2,656,643    1,056,562 
NET LOSS   (7,546,430)   (2,707,493)
Less: Preferred Stock Dividends   12,290    - 
NET LOSS TO COMMON SHAREHOLDERS  $(7,558,720)  $(2,707,493)
           
NET LOSS PER SHARE          
Basic and diluted  $(0.02)  $(0.01)
           
SHARES USED IN CALCULATION OF NET LOSS PER SHARE          
Basic and diluted   365,185,666    324,984,930 

 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

  F-28 

 

 

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

 

   2021   2020 
         
Cash flows from operating activities:          
Net loss  $(7,546,430)  $(2,707,493)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:          
Depreciation and amortization   1,886,228    1,830,436 
Amortization of discount and premium   1,806,848    1,695.067 
Stock-based compensation   6,919,524    937,049 
Deferred tax provision   (2,895,571)   (1,230,924)
Realized gain on investment   (38,851)   - 
Lease cost   754    - 
Changes in assets and liabilities          
Accounts receivable   (1,217,326)   260,465 
Prepaid expenses and other current assets   8,119    (33,280)
Contract asset (liability)   (817,646)   - 
Payment of transaction costs in acquisition of SSI   (50,500)   - 
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   594,715    254,771 
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities   (1,350,136)   1,006,091 
           
Cash flows from investing activities:          
    Cash received in acquisition of MFSI   93,240    - 
    Cash received in acquisition of Merrison, net of amounts paid   161,305    - 
    Cash received in acquisition off SSI, net of amounts paid   198,935    - 
    Sale of investment   365,572    - 
    Purchases of intangible assets   -    (2,863)
Purchases of fixed assets   (10,218)   (2,587)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities   808,834    (5,450)
           
Cash flows from financing activities:          
    Proceeds from issuance of common stock   -    120,000 
    Proceeds from issuance of preferred and common stock   645,000    - 
    Preferred stock dividend   (12,290)   - 
    Proceeds from exercise of stock options   8,000    - 
    Repayment of convertible note payable – related party   (70,000)   - 
    Repayment of line of credit, net   (12,249)   - 
Repayment of notes payable   (411,626)   (11,000)
Net cash provided by financing activities   146,835    109,000 
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH   (394,467)   1,109,641 
Cash - beginning of period   2,412,382    1,302,741 
Cash - end of period  $2,017,915   $2,412,382 
           
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES:          
Cash paid for interest  $688,930   $599,154 
Cash paid for income taxes  $168,100   $363,300 
           
SUMMARY OF NONCASH ACTIVITIES:          
Conversion of purchase consideration payable to convertible note  $-   $579,617 
BCF discount on convertible note applied to additional paid in capital, net of tax  $-   $430,423 
Conversion of convertible notes – related parties and accrued interest to common stock  $-   $63,800 
Cancellation of shares offsetting acquisition of MFSI  $400,000   $- 

  

  F-29 

 

 

The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with MFSI, effective as of January 1, 2021. This acquisition closed on February 11, 2021. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby MFSI became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The following represents the assets and liabilities acquired in this acquisition:

 

Cash  $93,240 
Accounts receivable   33,540 
Unbilled receivable   45,316 
Other assets   329,509 
Right of use asset – operating lease   14,862 
Customer relationships   348,000 
Non-compete agreements   4,000 
Goodwill   685,072 
Deferred tax liability   (97,419)
Line of credit   (12,249)
Lease liability – operating lease   (13,862)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (47,573)
 Net assets acquired  $1,382,437 

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of MFSI was as follows:

 

Common stock  $1,382,437 

 

The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with Merrison, effective as of August 5, 2021. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby Merrison became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The following represents the assets and liabilities acquired in this acquisition:

 

Cash  $183,588 
Accounts receivable and unbilled receivables   391,049 
Customer relationships   322,000 
Non-compete agreement   7,000 
Trademarks   164,000 
Backlog   115,000 
Goodwill   780,730 
Deferred tax liability   (243,730)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (102,354)
 Net assets acquired  $1,617,283 

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of Merrison was as follows:

 

Common stock  $1,595,000 
Cash   22,283 
   $1,617,283 

 

  F-30 

 

 

 

The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with SSI, effective as of August 12, 2021. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby SSI became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The following represents the assets and liabilities acquired in this acquisition:

 

Cash  $998,935 
Accounts receivable and unbilled receivables   2,222,004 
Prepaid expenses   147,600 
Other asset   6,750 
Furniture and equipment   148,931 
Right of use asset – operating lease   169,063 
Customer relationships   3,102,000 
Non-compete agreements   65,000 
Trademarks   367,000 
Backlog   50,000 
Goodwill   8,461,150 
Deferred tax liability   (880,150)
Lease liability – operating lease   (167,333)
Contract liability   (226,591)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (1,134,509)
 Net assets acquired  $13,329,850 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of SSI was as follows:

 

Common stock  $7,872,850 
Seller note   400,000 
Cash   800,000 
Contingent earnout   257,000 
Lender financing   4,000,000 
   $13,329,850 

 

The Company entered into an acquisition agreement with The Albers Group, LLC, on October 22, 2021 which closed November 16, 2021 for certain assets represented by the Pax River business. This acquisition was accounted for as an asset purchase by the Company. The following represents the assets acquired in this acquisition:

 

Customer relationships (contracts)  $2,400,000 
 Net assets acquired  $2,400,000 

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of The Albers Group assets was as follows:

 

Common stock  $1,925,000 
Contingent consideration represented by obligation to issue shares   275,000 
Cash (included in amounts due to seller as of December 31, 2021)   200,000 
   $2,400,000 

 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

  F-31 

 

 

 

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)

YEARS ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

 

   Series A/B
  Preferred*
   Series C
  Preferred
   Common   Additional   Subscription   Accumulated     
   Shares   Amount   Shares   Amount   Shares   Amount   Paid-In Capital   Receivable   Deficit   Total 
Balances at December 31, 2019   9,485,000   $949    -   $-    294,890,659   $29,489   $4,554,112   $-   $(819,803)  $3,764,747 
                                                   
Shares issued for cash   -    -    -    -    2,334,626    233    119,767    -    -    120,000 
Shares issued in conversion of notes payable and accrued interest   -    -    -    -    11,000,000    1,100    62,700    -    -    63,800 
Stock-based compensation - options   -    -    -    -    -    -    937,049    -    -    937,049 
BCF discount, net of tax   -    -    -    -    -    -    430,423    -    -    430,423 
Net loss for the year   -    -         -    -    -    -    -    (2,707,493)   (2,707,493)
                                                   
Balances at December 31, 2020   9,485,000   $949    -   $-    308,225,285   $30,822   $6,104,051   $-   $(3,527,296)  $2,608,526 
                                                   
Balances at December 31, 2020   9,485,000   $949    -   $-    308,225,285   $30,822   $6,104,051   $-   $(3,527,296)  $2,608,526 
Stock-based compensation – options   -    -    -    -    -    -    3,113,261    -    -    3,113,261 
Stock-based compensation - warrants   -    -    -    -    -    -    3,806,263    -    -    3,806,263 
Shares issued in acquisition of MFSI   -    -    -    -    22,280,469    2,228    1,780,209    -    -    1,782,437 
Cancellation of shares in acquisition of MFSI   -    -    -    -    (5,000,000)   (500)   (399,500)   -    -    (400,000)
Shares issued in acquisition of Merrison   -    -    -    -    10,000,000    1,000    1,594,000    -    -    1,595,000 
Shares issued in acquisition of SSI, net of transaction costs   -    -    -    -    52,641,892    5,264    7,817,086    -    -    7,822,350 
Shares issued in asset acquisition of The Albers group, LLC   -    -    -    -    9,625,000    963    1,924,037    -    -    1,925,000 
Shares issued in exercise of stock options   -    -    -    -    200,000    20    7,980    -    -    8,000 
Shares issued for cash in Series C Preferred Subscription Agreements   -    -    620,000    62    1,240,000    124    619,844    -    -    620,000 
                                                   
Net loss for the year   -    -    -    -    -    -    -    -    (7,558,720)   (7,558,720)
                                                   
Balances at December 31, 2021   9,485,000   $949    620,000   $62    399,212,646   $39,921   $26,367,201   $-   $(11,086,016)  $15,322,117 

 

*There was no activity in Series A Preferred or Series B Preferred for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, so these classes of Preferred Stock have been grouped together.

**On July 19, 2021, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment with the State of Nevada to change the par value of all common and preferred stock to all be $0.0001. All changes to the par value dollar amount for these classes of stock and adjustment to additional paid in capital have been made retroactively.

 

See notes to consolidated financial statements.

 

  F-32 

 

  

CASTELLUM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

DECEMBER 31, 2021 AND 2020

 

NOTE 1: NATURE OF OPERATIONS

 

Castellum, Inc. (the “Company”) is focused on acquiring and growing technology companies in the areas of information technology, electronic warfare, information warfare and cybersecurity with businesses in the governmental and commercial markets. Services include intelligence analysis, software development, software engineering, program management, strategic planning, information assurance and cybersecurity and policy along with analysis support. These services, which largely focus on securing data and establishing related policies, are applicable to customers in the federal government, financial services, healthcare and other users of large data applications. The services can be delivered to legacy, customer owned networks or customers who rely upon cloud-based infrastructures. The Company has worked with multiple business brokers and contacts within their business network to identify potential acquisitions.

 

Bayberry Acquisition Corporation (“Bayberry”) was a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Jay Wright and Mark Fuller controlled and managed Bayberry and were named officers and directors of the Company upon the acquisition of Bayberry. The transaction was accounted for as a reverse merger. As a result, Bayberry was considered the accounting acquirer. On February 23, 2021, Bayberry was dissolved with the Nevada Secretary of State as there was no activity, and this company was non-operational post-merger with Castellum.

 

Corvus Consulting, LLC (“Corvus”), acquired in November 2019, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Corvus provides scientific, engineering, technical, operational support, and training services to federal government and commercial clients. Corvus focuses on Cyberspace Operations, Electronic Warfare, Information Operations, Intelligence and Joint/Electromagnetic Spectrum Operations. The specialties of Corvus range from high-level policy development and Congressional liaison to requirements analysis, DOTMLPF-p development assistance and design services for hardware and software systems fulfilling the mission needs of the Department of Defense and Intelligence Communities.

 

The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc. dba MFSI Government Group, a Delaware corporation (“MFSI”), effective as of January 1, 2021. This acquisition closed on February 11, 2021.MFSI, a government contractor, has built strong relationships with numerous customers, in the software engineering and IT arena. MFSI provides services in data security and operations for Army, Navy and Intelligence Community clients, and currently works as a software engineering/development, database administration and data analytics subcontractor.

 

The Company acquired Merrison Technologies, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (“Merrison”), on August 5, 2021. Merrison, is a government contractor with expertise in software engineering and IT in the classified arena.

 

Specialty Systems, Inc. (“SSI”) was acquired August 12, 2021. SSI is a New Jersey based government contractor that provides critical mission support to the Navy at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in the areas of software engineering, cyber security, systems engineering, program support and network engineering. SSI acquired the business assets that represented the Pax River from The Albers Group, LLC (“Pax River”) which closed on November 16, 2021 in an asset purchase for up to 11,000,000 shares of common stock and cash of $200,000 to be paid monthly over a ten-month period starting February 2022 upon the satisfaction of conditions in the acquisition agreement.

 

On July 19, 2021, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment with the State of Nevada to change the par value of all common and preferred stock to all be $0.0001. All changes to the par value dollar amount for these classes of stock and adjustment to additional paid in capital have been made retroactively.

 

  F-33 

 

 

The unprecedented events related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), have had significant health, economic, and market impacts and may have short-term and long-term adverse effects on our business that we cannot predict as the global pandemic continues to evolve. The extent and effectiveness of responses by governments and other organizations also cannot be predicted. Our ability to access the capital markets and maintain existing operations has been little affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Going forward any possible adverse effects on the business are uncertain given any possible limitations on available financing and how we conduct business with our customers and vendors.

 

NOTE 2: SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).

 

Principles of Consolidation

 

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Castellum, Inc. and its subsidiaries, collectively referred to as “the Company”. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Castellum, Inc. is a holding company that holds 100% of Corvus, MFSI, Merrison and SSI.

 

The Company applies the guidance of Topic 805 Business Combinations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”).

 

The Company accounted for these acquisitions as business combinations and the difference between the consideration paid and the net assets acquired was first attributed to identified intangible assets and the remainder of the difference was applied to goodwill. 

 

Reclassification 

 

The Company has reclassified certain amounts in the 2020 financial statements to comply with the 2021 presentation. These principally relate to classification of certain expenses and liabilities. The reclassifications had no impact on total net loss or net cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

Business Segments

 

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. The Company’s CODM, the Chief Executive Officer, reviews consolidated results of operations to make decisions. The Company maintains one operating and reportable segment, which is the delivery of products and services in the areas of information technology, electronic warfare, information warfare and cybersecurity in the governmental and commercial markets.

 

Use of Estimates 

 

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates include, but are not limited to, management’s estimate of provisions required for uncollectible accounts receivable, the acquired value of the intangible assets, impaired value of intangible assets, liabilities to accrue, cost incurred in the satisfaction of performance obligations, fair value for consideration elements of business combinations, permanent and temporary differences related to income taxes and determination of the fair value of stock awards. Actual results could differ from those estimates. 

 

Cash 

 

Cash consists of cash and demand deposits with an original maturity of three months or less. The Company holds no cash equivalents as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company maintains cash balances in excess of the FDIC insured limit at a single bank. The Company does not consider this risk to be material. 

 

  F-34 

 

 

Fixed Assets and Long-Lived Assets 

 

Fixed assets are stated at cost. Depreciation on fixed assets is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range from three to fifteen years for all classes of fixed assets. 

 

ASC 360 requires that long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles held and used by an entity be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The Company has adopted Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2017-04 Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350), Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment effective April 1, 2017.

 

The Company reviews recoverability of long-lived assets on a periodic basis whenever events and changes in circumstances have occurred which may indicate a possible impairment. The assessment for potential impairment is based primarily on the Company’s ability to recover the carrying value of its long-lived assets from expected future cash flows from its operations on an undiscounted basis. If such assets are determined to be impaired, the impairment recognized is the amount by which the carrying value of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets.

 

Intangible assets with finite useful lives are stated at cost less accumulated amortization and impairment. Intangible assets capitalized as of December 31, 2021 represent the valuation of the Company’s customer relationships, trade names, backlog and non-compete agreements which were acquired in the acquisitions. These intangible assets are being amortized on either the straight-line basis over their estimated average useful lives (certain trademarks, tradenames, backlog and non-compete agreements) or are being amortized based on the present value of the future cash flows (customer relationships, certain tradenames, backlog and non-compete agreements). Amortization expense of the intangible assets runs through December 2035. 

  

The Company assesses the impairment of identifiable intangibles whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors the Company considers to be important which could trigger an impairment review include the following:

 

1. Significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results;

 

2. Significant changes in the manner of use of the acquired assets or the strategy for the overall business; and

 

3. Significant negative industry or economic trends.

 

When the Company determines that the carrying value of intangibles may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more of the above indicators of impairment and the carrying value of the asset cannot be recovered from projected undiscounted cash flows, the Company records an impairment charge. The Company measures any impairment based on undiscounted cash flows. Significant management judgment is required in determining whether an indicator of impairment exists and in projecting cash flows. There were no indicators of impairment noted during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

Subsequent Events 

 

Subsequent events were evaluated through March 29, 2022, the date the consolidated financial statements were issued. 

 

Revenue Recognition

 

The Company accounts for revenue in accordance with ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers.

 

The Company accounts for a contract with a customer that is within the scope of this Topic only when the five steps of revenue recognition under ASC 606 are met.

 

The five core principles will be evaluated for each service provided by the Company and is further supported by applicable guidance in ASC 606 to support the Company’s recognition of revenue.

 

  F-35 

 

 

Revenue is derived primarily from services provided to the U.S. federal government. The Company enters into agreements with customers that create enforceable rights and obligations and for which it is probable that the Company will collect the consideration to which it will be entitled as services and solutions are transferred to the customer. The Company also evaluates whether two or more agreements should be accounted for as one single contract.

 

When determining the total transaction price, the Company identifies both fixed and variable consideration elements within the contract. The Company estimates variable consideration as the most likely amount to which the Company expects to be entitled limited to the extent that it is probable that a significant reversal will not occur in a subsequent period.

 

At contract inception, the Company determines whether the goods or services to be provided are to be accounted for as a single performance obligation or as multiple performance obligations. For most contracts, the customers require the Company to perform several tasks in providing an integrated output and, hence, each of these contracts are deemed as having only one performance obligation. When contracts are separated into multiple performance obligations, the Company allocates the total transaction price to each performance obligation based on the estimated relative standalone selling prices of the promised services underlying each performance obligation.

 

This evaluation requires professional judgment, and it may impact the timing and pattern of revenue recognition. If multiple performance obligations are identified, the Company generally uses the cost plus a margin approach to determine the relative standalone selling price of each performance obligation. The Company does not assess whether a contract contains a significant financing component if the Company expects, at contract inception, that the period between when payment by the client and the transfer of promised services to the client occur will be less than one year.

 

The Company currently generates its revenue from three different types of contractual arrangements: cost plus fixed fee, fixed-price contracts and time-and-materials (T&M) contracts. The Company generally recognizes revenue over time as control is transferred to the customer, based on the extent of progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation. The selection of the method used to measure progress requires judgment and is dependent on the contract type and the nature of the goods or services to be provided.

 

For cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts, the Company uses input progress measures to derive revenue based on hours worked on contract performance as follows: direct costs plus DCAA-approved provisional burdens plus fee. The provisional indirect rates are adjusted and billed at actual at year end. Revenue from fixed-price type contracts is recognized ratably over the contract term, using a time-based measure of progress. For T&M contracts, the Company uses input progress measures to estimate revenue earned based on hours worked on contract performance at negotiated billing rates, plus direct costs and indirect cost burdens associated with materials and the direct expenses incurred in performance of the contract. These arrangements generally qualify for the “right-to-invoice” practical expedient where revenue is recognized in proportion to billable consideration. Fixed-price level-of-effort contracts are substantially similar to T&M contracts except that the Company is required to deliver a specified level of effort over a stated period. For these contracts, the Company estimates revenue earned using contract hours worked at negotiated bill rates as the Company delivers the contractually required workforce.

 

Contract accounting requires judgment relative to assessing risks and estimating contract revenue and costs and assumptions for schedule and technical issues. Due to the size and nature of contracts, estimates of revenue and costs are subject to a number of variables. For contract change orders, claims or similar items, judgment is required for estimating the amounts, assessing the potential for realization and determining whether realization is probable. Estimates of total contract revenue and costs are continuously monitored during the term of the contract and are subject to revision as the contract progresses. From time to time, facts develop that require revisions of revenue recognized or cost estimates. To the extent that a revised estimate affects the current or an earlier period, the cumulative effect of the revision is recognized in the period in which the facts requiring the revision become known.

 

Most of SSI’s revenue is generated by Contract Support Service contracts and is recognized over time as services are provided, based on the transfer of control. A smaller portion of SSI’s revenue is generated by firm-fixed-price contracts. Revenue from these contracts is recognized over time as performance obligations are satisfied. Most contracts do not contain variable consideration and contract modifications are generally minimal. For these reasons, there is not a significant impact of electing these transition practical expedients.

 

  F-36 

 

 

Substantially all of SSI’s revenue is generated from contracts with federal, state, and local governments, and revenue from these contracts is recorded over time, rather than at a point in time. Under the Contract Support Services contracts, the Company performs software design work as it is assigned by the customer, and bills the customer, generally semi-monthly, on either a cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) or time- and-materials (T&M) basis, as labor hours are expended. Certain other government contracts for software development have specific deliverables and are structured as firm-fixed-price contracts, which are generally billed as the performance obligations under the contract are met. Revenue recognition under firm-fixed -price contracts require judgment to allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations. Contracts may have terms up to five years.

 

The Company accounts for contract costs in accordance with ASC Topic 340-40, Contracts with Customers. The Company recognizes the cost of sales of a contract as expense when incurred or at the time a performance obligation is satisfied. The Company recognizes an asset from the costs to fulfill a contract only if the costs relate directly to a contract, the costs generate or enhance resources that will be used in satisfying a performance obligation in the future and the costs are expected to be recovered. The incremental costs of obtaining a contract are capitalized unless the costs would have been incurred regardless of whether the contract was obtained.

 

The following table disaggregates the Company’s revenue by contract type for the years ended December 31:

 

   2021   2020 
Revenue:          
Time and material  $15,381,979   $10,419,729 
Firm fixed price   4,864,638    2,918,938 
Cost plus fixed fee   4,745,646    - 
Other   75,187    - 
Total  $25,067,450   $13,338,667 

   

Contract Balances

 

Contract assets include unbilled amounts typically resulting from firm-fixed-price contracts when the revenue recognized exceeds the amounts billed to the customer on uncompleted contracts. Contract liabilities consist of billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts.

 

In accordance with industry practice, contract assets and liabilities related to costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts, and billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts, have been classified as current. The contract cycle for certain long-term contracts may extend beyond one year; thus, collection of the amounts related to these contracts may extend beyond one year.

 

Accounts Receivable and Concentration of Credit Risk

 

An allowance is based on management’s estimate of the overall collectability of accounts receivable, considering historical losses. Based on these same factors, individual accounts are charged off against the allowance when management determines those individual accounts are uncollectible. Credit extended to customers is generally uncollateralized. Past-due status is based on contractual terms. The Company does not charge interest on accounts receivable; however, US government agencies may pay interest on invoices outstanding more than 30 days. Interest income is recorded when received. As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, management did not consider an allowance necessary.

 

  F-37 

 

 

 

Income Taxes

 

Income taxes are accounted under the asset and liability method. The current charge for income tax expense is calculated in accordance with the relevant tax regulations applicable to the entity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and for operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Differences between statutory tax rates and effective tax rates relate to permanent tax differences.

 

Uncertain Tax Positions

 

The Company follows ASC 740-10 Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes. This requires recognition and measurement of uncertain income tax positions using a “more-likely-than-not” approach. Management evaluates their tax positions on a quarterly basis.

 

Deferred income taxes reflect the impact of temporary differences between assets and liabilities recognized for financial reporting purposes and the amounts recognized for income tax reporting purposes, net operating loss carryforwards, and other tax credits measured by applying currently enacted tax laws. When necessary, a valuation allowance is provided to reduce deferred tax assets to an amount that is more likely than not to be realized.

 

The Company files income tax returns in the U.S. federal tax jurisdiction and various state tax jurisdictions. The federal and state income tax returns of the Company are subject to examination by the IRS and state taxing authorities, generally for three years after they were filed.

 

Vacation and Paid-Time-Off

 

The Company follows ASC 710-10 Compensation – General. The Company records liabilities and expense when obligations are attributable to services already rendered, will be paid even if an employee is terminated, payment is probable, and the amount can be estimated.

 

Share-Based Compensation

 

The Company follows ASC 718 Compensation – Stock Compensation and has adopted ASU 2017-09 Compensation – Stock Compensation (Topic 718) Scope of Modification Accounting. The Company calculates compensation expense for all awards granted, but not yet vested, based on the grant-date fair values. The Company recognizes these compensation costs, on a pro rata basis over the requisite service period of each vesting tranche of each award for service-based grants, and as the criteria is achieved for performance-based grants.

 

The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. Cash paid when shares are directly withheld for tax withholding purposes is classified as a financing activity in the statement of cash flows.

 

Leases

 

The Company follows ASC 842 Leases in accounting for its operating leases.

 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

 

ASC 825 Financial Instruments requires the Company to disclose estimated fair values for its financial instruments. Fair value estimates, methods, and assumptions are set forth below for the Company’s financial instruments: The carrying amount of cash, accounts receivable, prepaid and other current assets, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, approximate fair value because of the short-term maturity of those instruments. The fair value of debt reflects the price at which the debt instrument would transact between market participants, in an orderly transaction at the measurement date. The fair value of the equity consideration from business combinations are measured using the price of our common stock at the measurement date, along with applying an appropriate discount for lack of marketability. For contingent liabilities from business combinations, the fair value is measured on the acquisition date using an option pricing model. The Company does not utilize derivative instruments.

 

  F-38 

 

 

 

Earnings (Loss) Per Share of Common Stock

 

Basic net income (loss) per common share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding, as well a warrant to purchase 21,614,349 shares of common stock for a total aggregate exercise price of $1 granted in connection with the $5,600,000 note payable maturing September 30, 2024, as the cash consideration for the holder/grantee to receive common shares was determined to be nonsubstantive. Diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) include additional dilution from common stock equivalents, such as convertible notes, preferred stock, stock issuable pursuant to the exercise of stock options and all other warrants. Common stock equivalents are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share when the Company reports a loss because to do so would be anti-dilutive for periods presented, so only the basic weighted average number of common shares are used in the computations. The Company subtracts dividends on preferred stock when calculating earnings (loss) per share.

 

Fair Value Measurements

 

ASC 820 Fair Value Measurements defines fair value, establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with GAAP, and expands disclosure about fair value measurements. ASC 820 classifies these inputs into the following hierarchy:

 

Level 1 inputs: Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets.

 

Level 2 inputs: Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are observable.

 

Level 3 inputs: Instruments with primarily unobservable value drivers.

 

Investments

 

The Company measures their investments at fair value as a Level 3 with changes in fair value recognized in net income (loss) pursuant to ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments-Overall”.

 

Related-Party Transactions

 

Parties are considered to be related to the Company if the parties directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, control, are controlled by, or are under common control with the Company. Related parties also include principal stockholders of the Company, its management, members of the immediate families of principal stockholders of the Company and its management and other parties with which the Company may deal where one-party controls or can significantly influence the management or operating policies of the other to an extent that one of the transacting parties might be prevented from fully pursuing its own separate interests. The Company discloses all material related-party transactions. All transactions shall be recorded at fair value of the goods or services exchanged.

 

NOTE 3: ACQUISITIONS

 

The Company has completed the following acquisitions to achieve its business purposes as discussed in Note 1. As the acquisitions made by the Company in 2021 (MFSI, Merrison, and SSI) were all acquired for common stock, certain assets acquired (intangible assets) are not considered deductible for tax purposes.

 

  F-39 

 

 

Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc.

 

The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with MFSI, effective as of January 1, 2021. This acquisition closed on February 11, 2021. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby MFSI became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The following represents the assets and liabilities acquired in this acquisition:

  

Cash  $93,240 
Accounts receivable   33,540 
Unbilled receivable   45,316 
Other assets   329,509 
Right of use asset – operating lease   14,862 
Customer relationships   348,000 
Non-compete agreement   4,000 
Goodwill   685,072 
Deferred tax liability   (97,419)
Line of credit   (12,249)
Lease liability – operating lease   (13,862)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (47,572)
 Net assets acquired  $1,382,437 

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of MFSI was as follows:

 

Common stock  $1,382,437 

 

The MFSI acquisition has been accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total acquisition consideration price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their preliminary estimated fair values. The fair value measurements utilize estimates based on key assumptions of the MFSI acquisition, and historical and current market data. The excess of the purchase price over the total of the estimated fair values assigned to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. In order to determine the fair values of tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed for MFSI, we have engaged a third-party independent valuation specialist. The Company had estimated the preliminary purchase price allocations based on historical inputs and data as of January 1, 2021. The Company had a valuation prepared by an independent consultant. Upon the finalization of the valuation of MFSI, the Company reclassified $352,000 from goodwill into other intangible assets.

  

During the measurement period (which is the period required to obtain all necessary information that existed at the acquisition date, or to conclude that such information is unavailable, not to exceed one year), additional assets or liabilities may be recognized, or there could be changes to the amounts of assets or liabilities previously recognized on a preliminary basis, if new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have resulted in the recognition of these assets or liabilities as of that date. The Company had reclassified a portion of the goodwill upon the finalization of an independent valuation report during the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with Merrison, effective as of August 5, 2021. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby Merrison became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The following represents the assets and liabilities acquired in this acquisition:

 

Cash  $183,588 
Accounts receivable and unbilled receivables   391,049 
Customer relationships   322,000 
Non-compete agreements   7,000 
Trademarks   164,000 
Backlog   115,000 
Goodwill   780,730 
Deferred tax liability   (243,730)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (102,354)
 Net assets acquired  $1,617,283 

 

  F-40 

 

  

The consideration paid for the acquisition of Merrison was as follows:

 

Common stock  $1,595,000 
Cash   22,283 
   $1,617,283 

  

The Merrison acquisition has been accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total acquisition consideration price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their preliminary estimated fair values. The fair value measurements utilize estimates based on key assumptions of the Merrison acquisition, and historical and current market data.

 

The excess of the purchase price over the total of the estimated fair values assigned to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. In order to determine the fair values of tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed for Merrison, we have engaged a third-party independent valuation specialist. The Company had estimated the preliminary purchase price allocations based on historical inputs and data as of August 5, 2021. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price is based on the best information available and is pending, amongst other things: (i) the finalization of the valuations and useful lives for the intangible assets acquired; (ii) finalization of the valuation of accounts payable and accrued expenses; and (iii) finalization of the fair value of non-cash consideration. Upon finalization of the valuation, the Company allocated $608,000 from goodwill to other intangible assets. There was a $105,000 adjustment in total purchase consideration upon finalization of the valuations that was applied to goodwill.

  

During the measurement period (which is the period required to obtain all necessary information that existed at the acquisition date, or to conclude that such information is unavailable, not to exceed one year), additional assets or liabilities may be recognized, or there could be changes to the amounts of assets or liabilities previously recognized on a preliminary basis, if new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have resulted in the recognition of these assets or liabilities as of that date. The Company had reclassified a portion of the goodwill upon the finalization of an independent valuation report during the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

The Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with SSI, effective as of August 12, 2021. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination whereby SSI became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company. The following represents the assets and liabilities acquired in this acquisition:

 

Cash  $998,935 
Accounts receivable and unbilled receivables   2,222,004 
Prepaid expenses   147,600 
Other asset   6,750 
Furniture and equipment   148,931 
Right of use asset – operating lease   169,063 
Customer relationships   3,102,000 
Non-compete agreements   65,000 
Trademarks   367,000 
Backlog   50,000 
Goodwill   8,461,150 
Deferred tax liability   (880,150)
Lease liability – operating lease   (167,333)
Contract liability   (226,591)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses   (1,134,509)
 Net assets acquired  $13,329,850 

 

  F-41 

 

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of SSI was as follows:

 

Common stock  $7,872,850 
Seller note   400,000 
Cash   800,000 
Contingent earnout   257,000 
Lender financing   4,000,000 
   $13,329,850 

 

The SSI acquisition has been accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total acquisition consideration price was allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their preliminary estimated fair values. The fair value measurements utilize estimates based on key assumptions of the SSI acquisition, and historical and current market data. The excess of the purchase price over the total of the estimated fair values assigned to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recognized as goodwill. In order to determine the fair values of tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed for SSI, we have engaged a third-party independent valuation specialist.

 

The Company had estimated the preliminary purchase price allocations based on historical inputs and data as of August 12, 2021. The preliminary allocation of the purchase price is based on the best information available and is pending, amongst other things: (i) the finalization of the valuations and useful lives for the intangible assets acquired; (ii) finalization of the valuation of accounts payable and accrued expenses; and (iii) finalization of the fair value of non-cash consideration as well as any earnout to be paid out in cash if achieved by the Company per the merger agreement. Upon finalization of the valuation, the Company allocated $3,584,000 from goodwill to other intangible assets. The Company paid $50,500 in transaction costs of SSI. There was a $2,608,661 adjustment in total purchase consideration upon finalization of the valuations that was applied to goodwill.

  

During the measurement period (which is the period required to obtain all necessary information that existed at the acquisition date, or to conclude that such information is unavailable, not to exceed one year), additional assets or liabilities may be recognized, or there could be changes to the amounts of assets or liabilities previously recognized on a preliminary basis, if new information is obtained about facts and circumstances that existed as of the acquisition date that, if known, would have resulted in the recognition of these assets or liabilities as of that date. The Company had reclassified a portion of the goodwill upon the finalization of an independent valuation report during the year ended December 31, 2021.

 

The Company entered into an acquisition agreement with The Albers Group, LLC, on October 22, 2021 which closed November 16, 2021 for certain assets represented by the Pax River business. This acquisition was accounted for as an asset purchase by the Company. The following represents the assets acquired in this acquisition:

 

Customer relationships (contracts)   $ 2,400,000  
         
 Net assets acquired   $ 2,400,000  

 

The consideration paid for the acquisition of The Albers Group assets was as follows:

 

Common stock   $ 1,925,000  
Contingent consideration represented by obligation to issue shares     275,000  
Cash (included in amounts due to seller as of December 31, 2021)     200,000  
    $ 2,400,000  

 

  F-42 

 

  

The following table shows unaudited pro-forma results for the year ended December 31, 2020, as if the acquisitions of MFSI, Merrison and SSI had occurred on January 1, 2020, and for the year ended December 31, 2021, as if the acquisitions for Merrison and SSI occurred on January 1, 2021. These unaudited pro forma results of operations are based on the historical financial statements of each of the companies.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2020     
Revenues  $32,051,949 
Net loss  $(1,023,329)
Net loss per share - basic  $(0.003)
      
For the year ended December 31, 2021     
Revenues  $37,125,337 
Net loss  $(6,138,672)
Net loss per share - basic  $(0.018)

 

NOTE 4: FIXED ASSETS

 

Fixed assets consisted of the following as of December 31, 2021 and 2020:

 

   December 31, 2021   December 31, 2020 
Equipment  $60,148   $3,977 
Furniture   32,574    4,861 
Leasehold improvements   75,265    - 
Total fixed assets   167,987    8,838 
Accumulated depreciation   (22,195)   (3,075)
Fixed assets, net  $145,792   $5,763 

 

Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $19,120 and $1,901, respectively.

 

NOTE 5: INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL

 

Intangible assets consisted of the following as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020:

 

          December 31,
2021
    December 31,
2020
 
Customer relationships   4.5– 15 years     $ 9,025,000     $ 2,853,000  
Trade name   4.5 years       266,000       266,000  
Trademark   15 years       533,863       2,863  
Backlog   2 years       947,000       782,000  
Non-compete agreement   3-4 years       674,000       598,000  
            11,445,863       4,501,863  
Accumulated amortization           (3,850,264 )     (1,983,156 )
Intangible assets, net         $ 7,595,599     $ 2,518,707  

  

The intangible assets with the exception of the trademarks were recorded as part of the acquisition of Corvus, MFSI, Merrison and SSI. Amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $1,867,108 and $1,828,535, respectively, and the intangible assets are being amortized based on the estimated future lives as noted above.

 

  F-43 

 

 

Future amortization of the intangible assets for the next five years as of December 31 are as follows:

 

December 31, 2022   $ 1,909,412  
December 31, 2023     1,795,961  
December 31, 2024     1,443,449  
December 31, 2025     722,196  
December 31, 2026     520,743  
Thereafter     1,203,838  
Total   $ 7,595,599  

 

As of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company has recorded goodwill as follows:

 

    2021     2020  
Corvus   $ 4,136,011     $ 4,136,011  
MFSI     685,073       -  
Merrison     780,730       -  
SSI     8,461,150       -  
    $ 14,062,964     $ 4,136,011  

 

When the Company acquires a controlling financial interest through a business combination, the Company uses the acquisition method of accounting to allocate the purchase consideration to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, which are recorded at fair value. Any excess of purchase consideration over the net fair value of the net assets acquired is recognized as goodwill.

 

The Company evaluated ASC 350-20-35 for the goodwill associated with the Company’s acquisitions. In accordance with ASC 350-20-35-3 (a through g), the Company determined based on the seven qualitative factors set forth in the ASC surrounding these acquisitions which include such things as increases in and dollar volume of contracts from date of acquisition through the test date which is December 31, 2021, and the corresponding cost structure of the operating units from their acquisition date through December 31, 2021, Management determined that no impairment of goodwill was necessary at the testing date of December 31, 2021. Management also performed a quantitative assessment comparing the Company to other public companies operating in the same business as ours (the “peer group”) and noted that the Company’s stock price trades at a premium to the peer group, indicating that the market is not signaling any need for goodwill impairment. Management therefore concluded, based on their analysis, that no impairment was necessary as of December 31, 2021. Management will continue to do an annual assessment of its reporting units at each year-end as well as be alert during the calendar year for any sign of a need for a goodwill impairment charge due to a material negative change in one of the reporting units. If such a charge were needed, the Company would immediately take such charge which would be reflected in the next quarterly filing by the Company.

 

NOTE 6: CONVERTIBLE PROMISSORY NOTES – RELATED PARTIES

 

The Company entered into convertible promissory notes – related parties as follows as of December 31, 2021 and 2020:

 

    December 31,
2021
    December 31,
2020
 
Convertible note payable with a trust related to one of the Company’s directors, convertible at $0.013 per share, at 5% interest, maturing originally February 1, 2024 (a)   $ 4,209,617     $ -  
Convertible note payable with a trust related to one of the Company’s directors, convertible at $0.013 per share, at 5% interest, originally maturing March 31, 2023 (a)     -       579,617  
Convertible note payable with a trust related to one of the Company’s directors, convertible at $0.013 per share, at 5% interest, originally maturing November 22, 2022 (a)     -       3,700,000  
Total Convertible Notes Payable – Related Parties   $ 4,209,617     $ 4,279,617  
Add: Premium recorded on convertible note due to fair value adjustment at date of acquisition of Corvus, net of amortization of premium of $4,513 and $2,294 as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively (original November 22, 2022 note)     2,111       4,330  
Add: Premium recorded on convertible note due to fair value adjustment at date of acquisition of Corvus, net of amortization of premium of $580 and $240 as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively (original March 31, 2023 note)     458       798  
Less: BCF Discount     (1,407,002 )     (2,835,678 )
    $ 2,805,184     $ 1,449,067  

 

  F-44 

 

 

Interest expense which includes amortization of discount and premium for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $1,638,057 and $1,548,157, respectively. The amount of the debt discount recorded related to the warrants granted to the note holder was evaluated for characteristics of liability or equity and was determined to be equity under ASC 470 and ASC 480. The Company recognized this as additional paid in capital, and the discount is being amortized over the life of the note.

 

  (b) On February 1, 2021, the two promissory notes with The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust (Laurie Buckhout – Trustee), were combined into one new note in the principal balance of $4,279,617, that has a new maturity date of February 1, 2024. The interest rate remains at 5% per annum, and the note now includes monthly principal payments of $10,000. The conversion terms have remained at $0.013 per share. It was determined that under ASC 470, the debt amendment was considered a modification. Then again on August 12, 2021, the convertible note was amended to remove the principal payments and extend the debt further to September 30, 2024. It was determined that under ASC 470, the debt amendment was considered a modification.

 

The entire convertible promissory note – related parties balance is reflected in long-term liabilities.

 

NOTE 7: NOTES PAYABLE

 

The Company entered into notes payable as follows as of December 31, 2021 and 2020:

 

    December 31, 2021     December 31, 2020  
Note payable at 7% originally due November 2023, now maturing September 30, 2024 (a)   $ 5,600,000     $ 5,600,000  
Note payable with bank, at prime plus 3% interest (6.25% at December 31, 2021) maturing August 11, 2024     3,588,374       -  
Total Notes Payable     9,188,374       5,600,000  
Less: Debt Discount     (796,565 )     (1,177,296 )
    $ 8,391,809     $ 4,422,704  

 

  (c) on August 12, 2021, the note payable was amended to extend the debt to September 30, 2024. It was determined that under ASC 470, the debt amendment was considered a modification.

 

Interest expense which includes amortization of discount for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $859,744 and $748,092, respectively. The amount of the debt discount recorded related to the warrants granted to the note holder was evaluated for characteristics of liability or equity and was determined to be equity under ASC 470 and ASC 480. The Company recognized this as additional paid in capital, and the discount is being amortized over the life of the note. Accrued interest on the notes payable at December 31, 2021 is $16,198.

 

  F-45 

 

 

Future amortization of the notes payable for the next three years as of December 31 are as follows:

 

December 31, 2022  $1,279,390 
December 31, 2023   1,361,683 
December 31, 2024   6,547,301 
Total  $9,188,374 

 

NOTE 8: NOTE PAYABLE – RELATED PARTY

 

The Company entered into a note payable – related party as follows as of December 31, 2021 and 2020:

 

   December 31, 2021   December 31, 2020 
Note payable at 5% due December 31, 2024, in connection with the acquisition of SSI  $400,000   $- 

 

Interest expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $7,726 and $0, respectively.

 

The entire note payable – related party balance is reflected in long-term liabilities.

 

NOTE 9: DUE TO SELLER

 

In the acquisition of assets in The Albers Group, LLC transaction, the Company is obligated to pay $200,000. This amount will be paid over a ten-month period of time commencing February 2022. The $200,000 is non-interest bearing and is reflected as a current liability on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2021 under “Due to seller”.

 

NOTE 10: STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (DEFICIT)

 

On July 19, 2021, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment with the State of Nevada to change the par value of all common and preferred stock to all be $0.0001. All changes to the par value dollar amount for these classes of stock and adjustment to additional paid in capital have been made retroactively.

 

Preferred Stock

 

The Company has 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock authorized. The Company has designated a Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock and recently as of July 16, 2021 designated a Series C Preferred Stock. 

 

  F-46 

 

 

Series A Preferred Stock

 

The Company has designated 10,000,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock, par value of $0.0001. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company has 5,875,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, respectively. The 5,875,000 shares were issued to the former officers of the Company in settlement of debt. Each share of Series A Preferred Stock converts into 20 shares of common stock.

 

Series B Preferred Stock

 

The Company has designated 10,000,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock, par value of $0.0001. As of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the Company has 3,610,000 shares of Series B Preferred Stock issued and outstanding, respectively. The 3,610,000 shares were issued to directors of the Company in June 2019. Each share of Series B Preferred Stock converts into 100 shares of common stock and has 10,000 votes per preferred share.

 

Series C Preferred Stock

 

The Company has designated 10,000,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock, par value of $0.0001 (effective July 19, 2021). In the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company raised $620,000 for 620,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock along with 1,240,000 common shares. Each share of the Series C Preferred Stock is convertible into 12.5 common shares, and the Series C Preferred Stock pays a $0.06 dividend per year. The dividend commenced accruing when the Series C Preferred Shares were fully designated and issued. As of December 31, 2021, another $25,000 was raised for an additional 25,000 Series C Preferred shares and 50,000 common shares that were not issued as of the balance sheet date. The $25,000 is reflected as an obligation to issue shares on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2021, the Company has preferred stock dividends recognized of $12,290 and accrued Series C Preferred Stock dividends of $2,209. The Series C Preferred Stockholders under their subscription agreements were issued a 2:1 ratio of common stock for their investment. As a result, the Company issued 1,240,000 common shares for the 620,000 Series C Preferred shares purchased.

 

Common Stock

 

The Company has 3,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 authorized. The Company has 399,212,646 and 308,225,285 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

 

The Company issued 22,280,469 common shares in the acquisition of MFSI which were issued April 29, 2021 and June 15, 2021. In addition, upon the issuance of these shares the Company has cancelled 5,000,000 shares on May 12, 2021 that were previously issued to MFSI and returned those shares to treasury, with a reduction to equity of $400,000.

 

On August 6, 2021, the Company issued 10,000,000 shares in the acquisition of Merrison, and on August 25, 2021, the Company issued 52,000,000 shares in the acquisition of SSI. The Company issued 641,892 additional shares in October 2021 for payment of the working capital surplus delivered to the Company in the SSI acquisition.

 

In September through December 2021, the Company issued 1,240,000 shares of common stock in accordance with the Series C Preferred Stock subscription agreements.

 

In November 2021, the Company issued 9,625,000 shares of common stock in the SSI acquisition of certain assets of The Albers Group LLC.

 

In December 2021, 200,000 shares of common stock were issued in the exercise of stock options for $8,000.

 

The Company issued the following common shares in the year ended December 31, 2020:

 

  F-47 

 

 

On May 2, 2020, the Company and Jay Wright, a director/noteholder agreed to terms of a conversion/repayment of the directors’ notes (total face amount of note was $68,635). The director converted one of the notes plus accrued interest in its entirety and converted a portion of the other note and was paid cash of $10,747 in interest on his second note. The transaction resulted in the issuance of 11,000,000 shares of common stock.

 

The Company issued 2,200,000 shares of common stock at $0.05 per share for $110,000 in June 2020 to two existing shareholders of the Company, and 134,636 shares of common stock at $0.07428 per share for $10,000 in August 2020 to the former Chief Executive Officer of Corvus.

 

Warrants

 

On June 12, 2019, the Company granted a current officer and director of the Company warrants in connection with the issuance of a convertible promissory note. The warrant was for the purchase of 17,000,000 shares at $0.005 per share. This warrant was exercised under a cashless provision and amounted to the issuance of 13,964,286 shares of common stock.

 

On November 21, 2019, the Company granted a noteholder 21,814,349 warrants in connection with the note entered into. The warrants are exercisable at $1. The warrants have a term of 7 years and expire November 21, 2026. This beneficial conversion feature resulted in the recording of a discount on the note in the amount of $1,570,731.

 

On January 20, 2021, the Company granted 2,600,000 warrants to two of its officers at $0.08 per share that expire January 20, 2028 valued at $188,186. The warrants were issued as part of a bonus achieved under the respective employment agreements for two of the officers of the Company.

 

On August 20, 2021, the Company granted 3,200,000 warrants each to two of its officers at $0.17 per share that expire August 20, 2028 valued at $387,896 (each), and on August 20, 2021, the Company granted to the same two officers 14,508,509 warrants at $0.10 per share that expire August 20, 2028 valued at $1,035,312 (each). These were warrants granted pursuant to their employment agreements as a bonus for the acquisition of both Merrison and SSI.

 

On November 16, 2021, the Company granted 1,700,000 warrants each to two of its officers at $0.20 per share that expire November 16, 2028 valued at $385,831 (each). These were warrants granted pursuant to their employment agreements as a bonus for the acquisition of the assets related to The Albers Group, LLC asset purchase.

.

The following represents a summary of warrants for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

 

    December 31, 2021     December 31, 2020  
    Number     Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
    Number     Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
Beginning balance     21,814,349     $ 0.00       21,814,349     $ 0.00  
                                 
Granted     41,417,018       0.12       -       -  
Exercised Cashless     -       -       -       -  
Forfeited     -       -       -       -  
Expired     -       -       -       -  
Ending balance     63,231,367     $ 0.08       21,814,349     $ 0.00  
Intrinsic value of warrants   $ 5,706,473             $ 1,646,982          
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)     6.01                          

 

  F-48 

 

 

Options

 

In January 2020, the Company granted 2,000,000 stock options to two advisors (1,000,000 to each) at a strike price of $0.04 per share. The stock options expire February 28, 2027. In February 2020, the Company granted 1,000,000 stock options to an advisor at a strike price of $0.04 per share. The stock options expire February 28, 2027.

 

In January 2020, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with the then newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Corvus. The Employment Agreement was to run from a period of February 15, 2020 through February 29, 2024. The agreement called for a base salary of $240,000 and a grant of 25,000,000 stock options that are half time based and half performance-based options at a strike price of $0.04 per share. The stock options were to expire February 28, 2027. On December 31, 2021, the former Chief Executive Officer retired and all of the stock options were forfeited 60 days thereafter. All but 2,500,000 options were forfeited December 31, 2021 and the remaining 2,500,000 were forfeited March 1, 2022. None of the stock options were exercised.

 

In February 2020, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with a newly appointed Chief Administrative Officer of Corvus. The Employment Agreement runs from a period of February 7, 2020 through February 29, 2024. The agreement calls for a base salary of $155,000 and a grant of 5,000,000 stock options that are half time based and half performance-based options at a strike price of $0.04 per share. The stock options expire February 28, 2027. The Company revised the stock option grant on January 28, 2022 with an effective date of February 1, 2020, and increased the stock options to 12,500,000 of which 6,250,000 are service-based grants and 6,250,000 are performance-based grants.

 

In February 2020, the Company granted stock options to two current employees that are half time based and half performance-based options at a strike price of $0.04 per share. One employee received 1,250,000 total options and one received 1,875,000 total options. These options expire February 28, 2027. One of these employees resigned effective December 31, 2021. Of his 1,875,000 stock options granted, 1,218,750 were forfeited as of December 31, 2021. On February 15, 2022, 300,000 stock options were exercised for $12,000; and the remaining 356,250 options were forfeited March 1, 2022.

 

In February 2020, the Company granted 1,000,000 stock options to a former employee for past contributions to the Company at a strike price of $0.04. These options expire February 28, 2027 and vested immediately.

 

In January 2021, the Company granted 3,000,000 stock options to advisors (2,500,000) and an employee (500,000), that are service-based options that vest over a one-year period. The options have a strike price of $0.08 per share and expire seven years from the grant date (December 31, 2027).

 

In February 2021, the Company granted an advisor 1,000,000 stock options that are service-based options that vest immediately. The options have a strike price of $0.05 per share and expire seven years from the grant date (February 20, 2028).

 

In March 2021, the Company granted an advisor 1,000,000 stock options that are service-based options that vest over a one-year period. The options have a strike price of $0.09 per share and expire seven years from the grant date (March 11, 2028).

 

In April 2021, the Company granted an advisor 3,000,000 stock options that are half time based and half performance-based options at a strike price of $0.09 per share. These options expire in seven years on March 31, 2028.

 

In July 2021, the Company granted the Chief Growth Officer 30,000,000 stock options that are half time based and half performance-based options at a strike price of $0.08 per share under his Employment Agreement. These options expire in seven years on June 30, 2028. The breakout of the 30,000,000 stock options are as follows: 15,000,000 are considered time based grants over a vesting period of four years; and 15,000,000 are performance based grants as follows: (a) 5,000,000 upon the closing of an acquisition in the Navy division of a company with annualized revenue of $12 million or greater; (b) 5,000,000 upon the Navy division achieving $25 million in revenue and $2.5 million in EBITDA in any 12 month period; and (c) 5,000,000 upon the overall Company achieving $100 million in revenue run rate based on quarterly performance (i.e. $25 million in any calendar quarter).

 

  F-49 

 

 

In August 2021, the Company granted 250,000 options at a strike price of $0.17 per share to a consultant of MFSI for services performed. These options vested immediately, and mature August 31, 2028.

 

In September 2021, the Company granted to the former owner of Merrison, 3,000,000 stock options (effective August 6, 2021) that are half time based and half performance-based options at a strike price of $0.17 per share under his Employment Agreement. These options expire in seven years on August 6, 2028. The breakout of the options are as follows: 1,500,000 are considered time-based grants over a three-year period, and 1,500,000 are performance-based grants as follows: (a) 500,000 upon the Company growing revenue and EBITDA at 15% per year; (b) 500,000 by maintaining net margin of at least 15%; and (c) 500,000 if he fills any open employee requisition within 45 calendar days of open position.

 

In September 2021, the Company granted 18,000,000 stock options (effective August 12, 2021) to three key employees of SSI that are half time based and half performance based at a strike price of $0.17. The time-based options vest over 48 months, and each of the three employees has specific criteria based on their positions. These options expire August 10, 2028. One of the three employees retired as of December 31, 2021, and 5,718,750 stock options have been forfeited as of December 31, 2021, and the remaining 281,250 stock options were forfeited March 1, 2022. None of the options were exercised.

 

In November 2021, the Company granted 15,000,000 stock options to an employee of SSI that are half time based and half performance based at a strike price of $0.20 per share. The time-based options vest over 48 months. These options expire November 16, 2028.

 

Stock based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $3,113,261 and $937,049, respectively, which is comprised of $1,564,080 and $748,300 in service-based grants and $1,549,181 and $188,749 in performance-based grants, for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. As of December 31, 2021, there remains unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to these grants of $11,659,649 comprising of $6,129,699 in service-based grants and $5,529,950 in performance-based grants, respectively.

 

The following represents a summary of options for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020:

 

    December 31, 2021     December 31, 2020  
    Number     Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
    Number     Weighted
Average
Exercise
Price
 
Beginning balance     37,125,000     $ 0.04       -     $ -  
                                 
Granted     81,750,000       0.12       37,125,000       0.04  
Exercised     (200,000 )     (0.04 )     -       -  
Forfeited     (26,781,250 )     (0.03 )     -       -  
Expired     -       -       -       -  
Ending balance     91,893,750     $ 0.1047       37,125,000     $ 0.04  
Intrinsic value of options   $ 6,140,313             $ 1,317,938          
                                 
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (Years)     6.21                          

 

In accordance with ASC 718-10-50, the Company measures the fair value of its share-based payment arrangements using the Black-Scholes model. The Company measures the share-based compensation on the grant date using the following assumptions:

 

   Year   Year 
   Ended   Ended 
   December 31,   December 31, 
   2021   2020 
Expected term  7 years   2 years 
Expected volatility   135 – 177%   425%
Expected dividend yield   -    - 
Risk-free interest rate   0.10%   0.58%

 

The Company measures the share-based compensation for all stock options and warrants that are not considered derivative liabilities using the Black-Scholes method with these assumptions, and any changes to these inputs can produce significantly higher or lower fair value measurements. The weighted average grant date fair value of the options granted during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 was $0.12 and $0.10, respectively.

 

  F-50 

 

 

NOTE 11: CONCENTRATIONS

 

Concentration of Credit Risk. The Company’s customer base is concentrated with a relatively small number of customers. The Company does not generally require collateral or other security to support accounts receivable. To reduce credit risk, the Company performs ongoing credit evaluations on its customers’ financial condition. The Company establishes allowances for doubtful accounts based upon factors surrounding the credit risk of customers, historical trends and other information.

 

For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company had 3 customers represent 61% and 81% of revenue earned, respectively. Any customer that represents 10% or greater of total revenue represents a risk. The Company also has 3 customers that represent 78% and 78% of the total accounts receivable as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.

 

NOTE 12: RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS

 

The Company had convertible notes with officers and directors as noted herein and issued 134,636 shares of common stock for $10,000 to the Chief Executive Officer of Corvus in August 2020.

 

In June 2021, the Company raised $220,000 for 220,000 shares of the to be designated Series C Preferred Stock along with 440,000 common shares from the newly hired Chief Growth Officer of the Company.

 

In January 2021, August 2021 and November 2021, the Company granted warrants to two of their officers pursuant to the employment agreements with these officers as a bonus for closing the MFSI, Merrison, SSI and Pax River (part of The Albers Group, LLC) transactions.

 

NOTE 13: COMMITMENTS

 

Upon the acquisition of Corvus, the Company entered into a four-year employment agreement with the then sole shareholder of Corvus. In January and February 2020, effective February 2020, the Company entered into two employment agreements for a term of four years with the CEO of Corvus and the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Corvus. The employment agreement with the CEO provides for a base salary and was granted 25,000,000 stock options, and the CAO of Corvus provides for a base salary and was granted 5,000,000 stock options.

 

On April 1, 2020, the Company entered into Employment Agreements with both Mark Fuller and Jay Wright. The agreements have a term of three years. Pursuant to the agreements, each Employee has a base salary of $240,000 per year and may be increased to $25,000 per month upon reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $25,000,000 or greater, $30,000 per month upon reaching an annualized revenue of $50,000,000 or greater, or $40,000 per month upon reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $75,000,000 or greater.

 

The Company shall pay to the two officers a cash bonus equal to the lesser of (i) one percent (1%) of the trailing twelve months revenues of each company acquired during the term of the employment agreement, or (ii) four percent (4%) of the trailing twelve month EBITDA of each business acquired during the term of the employment agreement, provided that, for a bonus to be due, such acquisition must be accretive to the Company on both a revenue per share and EBITDA per share basis. Additionally, the Company shall issue 1 warrant to each Employee for each $1 of revenue acquired in any such acquisition with a 7-year term and a strike price equal to the price used in such acquisition or if no stock is used, the 30-day moving average closing price of the Company’s stock.

 

An additional bonus of $50,000 and 10 million warrants with a $0.10 strike price shall be paid to each Employee upon the Company commencing trading on either tier of Nasdaq or the NYSE, and an additional bonus of $125,000 and 25 million warrants with a $0.12 strike price shall be paid to each Employee upon the Company joining the Russell 3000 and/or Russell 2000 stock index(ices).

 

On July 1, 2021, the Company entered into an Employment Agreement with their Chief Growth Officer for a period of four years, expiring June 30, 2025. Pursuant to the agreements, the Employee has a base salary of $250,000 per year and may be increased to $25,000 per month upon the Navy division reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $25,000,000 or greater, $30,000 per month upon the Navy division reaching an annualized revenue of $60,000,000 or greater, or $40,000 per month upon the Navy division reaching an annualized revenue run rate of $100,000,000 or greater.

 

  F-51 

 

 

The Chief Growth Officer is entitled to a bonus at the discretion of the Board of Directors annually. In addition, the Chief Growth Officer was granted 30,000,000 stock options, which 15,000,000 are considered time based grants over a vesting period of four years; and 15,000,000 are performance based grants as follows: (a) 5,000,000 upon the closing of an acquisition in the Navy division of a company with annualized revenue of $12 million or greater; (b) 5,000,000 upon the Navy division achieving $25 million in revenue and $2.5 million in EBITDA in any 12 month period; and (c) 5,000,000 upon the overall Company achieving $100 million in revenue run rate based on quarterly performance (i.e. $25 million in any calendar quarter).

 

On August 5, 2021, the Company and the former executive of Merrison entered into an Employment Agreement for a period of three years through August 5, 2024. Under the Employment Agreement, the executive shall be paid a base salary of $220,000 annually and receive 3,000,000 stock options. In addition, the executive will be provided a bonus of $80,000 payable annually on August 31 each year, starting August 31, 2022, if and only if Merrison maintains an annualized net income of $500,000 for the one-year period ending on the applicable August 31.

 

On August 12, 2021, the Company entered into several Employment Agreements for three-year periods with the two executives of SSI as well as three management personnel. These agreements all contain base salaries and bonus criteria. In addition, the three key management personnel received 6,000,000 stock options each, of which one of those three retired December 31, 2021.

 

On December 27, 2021, the Company entered into a letter of intent to acquire a government contractor specializing in Information Warfare/Information Operations serving the special operations community (see Subsequent Events).

 

NOTE 14: LEASES

 

The Company has adopted ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), and will account for their leases in terms of the right of use assets and offsetting lease liability obligations under this pronouncement. The Company had only short-term leases up through the acquisition of MFSI. The Company acquired a right of use asset and lease liability of $14,862 and $13,862, respectively on January 1, 2021 in the MFSI acquisition. In addition, with the SSI acquisition the Company acquired a right of use asset and lease liability of $169,063 and $167,333, respectively on August 12, 2021.

 

The Company recorded these amounts at present value, in accordance with the standard, using discount rates ranging between 5% and 7%. The right of use asset is composed of the sum of all lease payments, at present value, and is amortized straight-line over the life of the lease term.

  

As of December 31, 2021, the value of the unamortized right of use asset is $132,690 which is from an operating lease (through maturity in May 2024). As of December 31, 2021, the Company’s lease liability was $130,714, which is from an operating lease.

 

Maturity of lease liability for the operating lease for the period ended December 31,      
2022   $ 111,999  
2023   $ 15,579  
2024   $ 3,136  
         
Total lease liability   $ 130,714  
         
Disclosed as:        
Current portion   $ 111,999  
Non-current portion   $ 18,715  
         
Amortization of the right of use asset for the period ended December 31,        
2022   $ 113,109  
2023   $ 16,190  
2024   $ 3,391  
         
Total   $ 132,690  

 

  F-52 

 

 

Total Lease Cost 

 

Individual components of the total lease cost incurred by the Company is as follows: 

 

    Year ended
December 31,
2021
    Year ended
December 31,
2020
 
Operating lease expense                
Depreciation of lease assets   $ 47,205     $      -  
Interest expense on liabilities     3,757       -  
                 
Total lease cost   $ 50,962     $ -  

 

NOTE 15: INCOME TAXES

 

The following table summarizes the significant differences between the U.S. Federal statutory tax rate and the Company’s effective tax rate for financial statement purposes for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020: 

 

    2021     2020  
Federal income taxes at statutory rate     21.00 %     21.00 %
State income taxes at statutory rate     7.61 %     4.76 %
Change in tax rate     (1.58 )%     2.17 %
Permanent differences     (0.98 )%     0.02 %
Other     (0.04 )%     0.00 %
Change in valuation allowance     0.00 %     0.00 %
Totals     26.01 %     27.95 %

 

The following is a summary of the net deferred tax asset (liability) as of December 31, 2021 and 2020: 

 

    As of     As of  
    December 31, 2021     December 31, 2020  
Deferred tax assets:                
Net operating losses   $ -     $ 53,457  
Accrued bonus/PTO/Vacation     95,673       73,390  
Stock options/consultant stock     2,358,218       243,628  
Section 195 costs     53,881       52,416  
Other     2,407       1,281  
Total deferred tax assets     2,510,179       424,172  
                 
Deferred tax liabilities:                
Intangible assets     (1,334,460 )     (620,722 )
Property and equipment     (14,312 )     (1,438 )
Debt discount     (400,064 )     (707,703 )
Section 481(a) adjustment     (151,310 )     (159,554 )
                 
Total deferred tax liabilities     (1,900,146 )     (1,489,417 )
                 
Net deferred tax assets (liabilities)   $ 610,033     $ (1,065,245 )

 

  F-53 

 

 

Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code provides an annual limitation on the amount of federal NOLs and tax credits that may be used in the event of an ownership change. The Company had a net operating loss carryforward totaling approximately $286,760 at December 31, 2019 that was used to offset 2020 taxable income.

 

The Company classifies accrued interest and penalties, if any, for unrecognized tax benefits as part of income tax expense. The Company did not accrue any penalties or interest as of December 31, 2021 and 2020.

 

The provision (benefit) for income taxes for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 is as follows:

 

    2021     2020  
Current   $ 238,927     $ 174,362  
Deferred     (2,895,570 )     (1,230,924 )
                 
Total   $ (2,656,643 )   $ (1,056,562 )

 

NOTE 16: SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

 

In January 2022, the Company granted a total of 3,500,000 stock options to two individuals.

 

On February 15, 2022, 300,000 stock options were exercised for $12,000.

 

On February 23, 2022, the Company issued 125,000 Series C Preferred shares and 250,000 common shares for $125,000.

 

On February 25, 2022, the Company entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Lexington Solutions Group, a government contractor focused on information operations.

 

On February 28, 2022, the Company entered into a promissory note for $500,000 with a non-related party. The promissory note bears interest at 10% per annum and matures the earlier of (i) September 30, 2024 or (ii) the acceleration of the obligations as contemplated under the promissory note including the successful completion of an equity offering of at least $15,000,000.

 

On March 2, 2022, the Company issued 25,000 Series C Preferred shares and 50,000 common shares to satisfy the obligation to issue common and preferred stock of $25,000 at December 31, 2021.

 

  F-54 

 

 

UNAUDITED PRO FORMA COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

The following unaudited pro forma combined financial statements of Castellum, Inc. (“our” or the “Company”) are presented to include the effect of one transaction and its corresponding financing impacts.

 

This transaction reflects our acquisition of Specialty Systems, Inc. (“SSI”), which was consummated on August 12, 2021. We refer to this acquisition as the “SSI Acquisition”.

 

The following unaudited pro forma combined financial information has been prepared in accordance with Article 11 of Regulation S-X, Pro Forma Financial Information, as amended by the final rule, Release No. 33-10786 “Amendments to Financial Disclosures about Acquired and Disposed Businesses”, which is herein referred to as Article 11, and are being provided pursuant to Rule 3-05 of Regulation S-X.

 

The unaudited pro forma combined statement of operations of the Company for the calendar year ended December 31, 2021 (“2021”) combines the historical statements of operations of the Company and SSI on a pro forma basis as if the SSI Acquisition been consummated on January 1, 2021.

 

The following unaudited pro forma combined financial statements have been updated to reflect the impact of reclassifications to conform prior period presentation to current period presentation, as further described in Note 1 to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this prospectus.

 

The SSI Acquisition and related financing transactions are summarized below:

 

On August 12, 2021, the Company entered into a definitive merger agreement with SSI, effective as of August 12, 2021. This acquisition was accounted for as a business combination. The consideration paid for the SSI Acquisition was as follows:

 

Common stock   $ 7,872,850  
Seller note     400,000  
Cash     800,000  
Contingent earnout     257,000  
Lender financing     4,000,000  
    $ 13,329,850  

 

In connection with the SSI Acquisition, the Company borrowed $4,000,000 in the form of a new term loan (the “Term Loan Facility”) to finance the acquisition. All of the net proceeds of the Term Loan Facility plus $800,000 of cash on hand were used to finance the SSI Acquisition and pay related fees and expenses.

 

The transaction was treated as a business combination in accordance with ASC 805, whereby SSI became a 100% owned subsidiary of the Company; the valuation and treatment of consideration paid, acquired assets, intangible assets and assumed liabilities has been finalized.

 

Management has conducted a review of the accounting policies of SSI to determine if differences in accounting policies require reclassification adjustments to conform to the Company’s accounting policies and did not become aware of any material differences between the accounting policies of the Company and SSI, other than the adoption of new accounting pronouncements.

 

The pro forma financial information gives effect to the SSI Acquisition, which includes adjustments for the following (collectively, the “SSI Transaction Accounting Adjustments”):

 

  · Application of the acquisition method of accounting under the provisions of ASC 805

 

  · Impacts of the $4,000,000 Term Loan Facility that was used to finance the SSI Acquisition

 

  · Impacts of SSI employee stock-based compensation and Castellum executive salary increases related to the SSI Acquisition

 

  · Impacts related to income taxes

 

  F-55 

 

 

For the SSI Acquisition, the pro forma adjustments and allocation of purchase price were based on management’s estimates of the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, utilizing all available information at the time of the acquisition, including work performed by independent valuation specialists.

 

Assumptions and estimates underlying the unaudited pro forma adjustments set forth in the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements are described in the accompanying notes. The unaudited pro forma adjustments represent management’s estimates based on information available as of the date of these unaudited pro forma combined financial statements and are subject to change as additional information becomes available and analyses are performed. The unaudited pro forma combined financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s and SSI’s historical financial statements contained elsewhere in this Prospectus.

 

The estimated income tax rate applied to the pro forma adjustments is 24.22%. The estimated pro forma blended statutory rate, and all other tax amounts, are stated at their historical amounts.

 

The following unaudited pro forma combined financial statements are provided for illustrative purposes only and are based on available information and assumptions that the Company’s management believes are reasonable. They do not purport to represent what the actual consolidated results of operations or the consolidated financial position of the Company would have been had the SSI Acquisition and its related financing transactions occurred on the date indicated, or on any other date, nor are they necessarily indicative of the Company’s future consolidated results of operations or consolidated financial position after the SSI Acquisition and its related financing transactions. The Company’s actual results of operations after these this transaction will differ, perhaps significantly, from the pro forma amounts reflected herein due to a variety of factors, including access to additional information, changes in value not currently identified and changes in operating results of the Company and SSI following the date of the unaudited pro forma condensed combined financial statements.

 

    2021  
    Castellum, Inc.     SSI
(Period from
January 1, 2021
through
August 12, 2021)
    SSI Transaction
Accounting
Adjustments
    Pro Forma
Combined
 
Revenues     25,067,450       9,855,941               34,923,391  
Cost of revenues     13,992,898       5,545,087               19,537,985  
Gross profit     11,074,552       4,310,854       -       15,385,406  
Operating expenses                                
Indirect costs     3,409,649      

1,936,912

              5,346,561  
Overhead     850,999      

504,560

             

1,355,559

 
General and administrative     14,539,053      

867,739

      272,775 (a)c)    

15,679,567

 
Total operating expenses     18,799,701       3,309,211       272,775       22,381,687  
Profit (loss) from operations before other income (expense)     (7,725,149 )     1,001,643       (272,775 )     (6,996,281 )
Other Income (Expense)                                
Realized gain on investment     38,851       -               38,851  
Interest expense, net of interest income     (2,516,775 )     (16,724 )     (121,452 )(b)     (2,654,951 )
Total other income (expense)     (2,477,924 )     (16,724 )     (121,452 )     (2,616,100 )
Profit (loss) from operations before benefit for income taxes     (10,203,073 )     984,919       (394,227 )     (9,612,381 )
Benefit (expense) from income taxes     2,656,643       (81,453 )     (143,064 )(d)     2,432,126  
Net income (loss)     (7,546,430 )     903,466       (537,290 )     (7,180,254 )
Less: Preferred Stock Dividends     12,290                       12,290  
Net income (loss) to common shareholders     (7,558,720 )     903,466       (537,290 )     (7,192,544 )
                                 
Net loss per share                                
Basic and diluted     (0.02 )                     (0.02 )
                                 
WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHARES OUTSTANDING:                                
Basic and diluted     365,185,666                       399,475,873  

  

  F-56 

 

 

NOTES TO THE UNAUDITED PRO FORMA COMBINED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Note 1. Description of the Transaction and Basis of Presentation

 

SSI Acquisition Overview

 

On August 12, 2021, the Company acquired all the equity interests of SSI for a purchase price of $13,329,850, subject to customary working capital adjustments. The cash consideration for the SSI Acquisition was funded in part through a new debt issuance as described below.

 

New Debt Issuance

 

In connection with the SSI Acquisition, we borrowed $4,000,000 in the Term Loan Facility to finance the acquisition. All the net proceeds received from the Term Loan Facility were used to finance the majority of the SSI Acquisition and pay related fees and expenses in the third quarter of 2021.

 

The unaudited pro forma combined financial statements for 2021 are derived from the historical consolidated financial statements of the Company and the historical financial statements of SSI.

 

Note 2. Accounting Policies

 

As part of preparing these unaudited pro forma combined financial statements, the Company conducted a review of the accounting policies of SSI to determine if differences in accounting policies require reclassification of results of operations to conform to the Company’s accounting policies and classifications. During the preparation of these unaudited pro forma combined financial statements, the Company did not become aware of any material differences between accounting policies of the Company and SSI, other than the adoption of new accounting pronouncements.

 

Note 3. Transaction Accounting Adjustments to Unaudited Pro Forma Combined Financial Statements

 

The adjustments included in the unaudited pro forma combined statement of operations for 2021 are as follows:

 

(a) Intangible amortization expense

 

The pro forma adjustment to amortization expense represents the amortization expense associated with the estimated fair values of the Company’s acquired amortizable intangible assets using the estimated remaining useful lives. The acquired intangible assets include customer relationships (estimated at $3,102,000 and estimated 15-year life), a trademark (estimated at $367,000 and estimated 10-year life), non-compete agreements (estimated at $65,000 and estimated 5-year lives), and backlog (estimated at $50,000 and estimated 2-year life). The pro forma adjustment is estimated to be $116,025 for 2021.

 

  F-57 

 

 

(b) Interest expense

 

The pro forma adjustment represents the estimated increase in interest expense associated with the additional $4,000,000 of indebtedness that was incurred by the Company to finance the SSI Acquisition.

 

The $4,000,000 of indebtedness carries a variable rate of interest, which is prime plus 3%. Given the prime rate did not fluctuate from 3.25% at any point in 2021, the rate used to estimate the pro forma interest expense was 6.25%.

 

(c) Stock-Based Compensation and salaries

 

Pursuant to the SSI Acquisition and/or employment agreements of certain executives, stock-based compensation was awarded to certain SSI employees in the form of stock options and/or warrants. Vesting of the awards vary; some vested immediately while some vest over time. The total amount of the awards that vest over time has been valued at $563,681, of which $52,845 has been recognized in the consolidated statement of operations of the Company for 2021. Additionally as a result of the SSI Acquisition, salaries of two Castellum executives were increased by $5,000 monthly. The pro forma adjustment of $156,749 represents the portion of the stock-based compensation and additional salaries that would have been recorded had the SSI Acquisition occurred on January 1, 2021.

(d) Income Taxes

 

SSI historically was a pass-through S-Corporation for U.S. federal and state income taxes. Accordingly, its historical financial statements do not include a provision for income taxes, with the exception of certain entity-level state taxes. In order to estimate the pro forma tax impacts of the SSI Acquisition, SSI’s historical income tax was estimated using a combined blended U.S. federal and state statutory tax rate of 24.22%, which was partially offset by the tax expense of $29,600 related to entity-level state taxes already recognized.

 

The pro forma income tax effects related to the additional pro forma amortization, stock compensation, and interest expense adjustments from the SSI Acquisition are calculated using an estimated pro forma combined blended U.S. federal and state statutory tax rate of 24.22%.

 

The combined blended U.S. federal and state statutory tax rate is not necessarily indicative of the effective tax rate of the combined company. The effective tax rate of the combined company could be significantly different (either higher or lower) depending on post-acquisition activities, cash needs, the geographical mix of income, and changes in tax law.

 

The 2021 net impact of the above adjustments is a pro forma tax expense of $143,064.

 

Note 4. Pro Forma Loss Per Share

 

Net pro forma loss per share is calculated using the pro forma combined loss after giving effect to the SSI Acquisition. The pro forma weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period was adjusted to give effect to 52,641,892 shares were issued to consummate SSI Acquisition as if those shares were outstanding as of January 1, 2021.

 

Common stock equivalents are not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share when the Company reports a loss because to do so would be anti-dilutive for periods presented, so only the basic weighted average number of common shares are used in the computations for historical and pro forma earnings per share.

 

  F-58 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Balance Sheet

As of June 30, 2021

 

Assets     
Current Assets     
Cash and Cash Equivalents  $1,851,231 
Accounts Receivable, Net   1,207,149 
Contract Assets   187,962 
Prepaid Expenses   112,503 
Total Current Assets   3,358,845 
      
Property and Equipment, Net   153,997 
Security Deposit   6,750 
      
Total Assets  $3,519,592 
      
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity     
Current Liabilities     
Current Portion of Note Payable – Bank  $8,912 
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses   981,510 
Contract Liability   270,927 
      
Total Current Liabilities   1,261,349 
      
Long Term Liabilities     
Notes Payable to Stockholders   441,486 
      
Total Liabilities   1,702,835 
      
Commitments and Contingencies     
      
Stockholders’ Equity     
Common Stock, No Par Value; 1000 shares authorized;     
100 shares issued and outstanding   124,736 
Retained Earnings   1,692,021 
Total Stockholders’ Equity   1,816,757 
      
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity  $3,519,592 

 

The accompanying Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

  F-59 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc. 

Statement of Income

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

 

Revenues   $ 7,823,374  
Cost of Revenues     4,403,819  
Gross Profit     3,419,555  
         
Operating Expenses        
Indirect costs     1,553,082  
Overhead     400,354  
General and administrative expenses     646,323  
         
Total operating expenses     2,599,759  
         
Income from Operations     819,796  
         
Other Expense        
Interest expense, net of interest income     (14,740 )
Total other expense     (14,740 )
         
Income Before Income Tax Expense     805,056  
         
Income Tax Expense     (29,600 )
         
Net Income to Common Shareholders   $ 775,456  
         
Net Income Per Share- Basic and Diluted   $ 7,754.56  
         
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding-        
Basic and Diluted     100  

 

The accompanying Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of these financial statements.

   

  F-60 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc. 

Statement of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity

 

    Common
Stock
    Retained
Earnings
    Total  
                   
Balance, January 1, 2021   $ 124,736     $ 1,044,565     $ 1,169,301  
                         
Distributions     -       (128,000 )     (128,000 )
                         
Net income     -       775,456       775,456  
                         
Balance, June 30, 2021   $ 124,736     $ 1,692,021     $ 1,816,757  

 

The accompanying Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

  F-61 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Statement of Cash Flows

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

 

Cash Flows from Operating Activities     
Net Income  $775,456 
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to     
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:     
Depreciation   21,450 
(Increase) Decrease in:     
Accounts Receivable   (301,755)
Contract Asset   (107,437)
Prepaid Expenses   (51,574)
Increase (Decrease) in:     
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses   182,275 
Contract Liability   153,817 
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities   672,232 
      
Cash Flows from Investing Activities     
Purchases of Fixed Assets   (12,248)
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities   (12,248)
      
Cash Flows from Financing Activities     
Stockholder Distributions   (128,000)
Repayments on Bank Note Payable   (26,272)
      
Net Cash Used in Financing Activities   (154,272)
      
Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents   505,712 
      
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year   1,345,519 
      
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year  $1,851,231 
      
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information:     
Cash Paid for:     
Interest  $14,740 
Income Tax  $29,600 

 

The accompanying Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

  F-62 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For The Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

 

1.Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Organization and Nature of Operations

 

Specialty Systems, Inc. (the Company) is a New Jersey corporation that provides information technology and engineering services to governmental agencies, international governments and commercial customers. The Company operates primarily in the Lakehurst, New Jersey, area.

 

Basis of Accounting

 

The financial statements of the Company have been prepared using the accrual basis of accounting in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (US GAAP).

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Substantially all of the Company’s revenue is generated from contracts with federal, state and local governments, and revenue from these contracts is recorded over time. Most contracts are contract support services contracts for software development, network administration, cybersecurity or other types of software services. Under these contracts, the Company performs software design work as it is assigned by the customer, and bills the customer, generally semi-monthly, on either a cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) or time-and-materials (T&M) basis, as labor hours are expended. Certain other government contracts for software development have specific deliverables and are structured as FFP contracts, which are generally billed as the performance obligations under the contract are met. Revenue recognition under FFP contracts requires judgment to allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations. Contracts may have terms up to five years.

 

The Company determines revenue recognition through the following steps:

 

  · Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer (Step 1)

  · Identification of the performance obligations in the contract (Step 2)

  · Determination of the transaction price (Step 3)

  · Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract (Step 4)

  · Recognition of revenue when, or as, a performance obligation is satisfied (Step 5)

 

  F-63 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For The Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Continued

 

To determine the proper revenue recognition, the Company first evaluates whether it has a duly approved and enforceable contract with a customer, in which the rights of the parties and payment terms are identified, and collectability is probable. The Company also evaluates whether two or more contracts should be combined and accounted for as a single contract.

 

In addition, the Company assesses contract modifications to determine whether the changes to existing contracts should be accounted for as part of the original contract or as a separate contract. The Company considers contract modifications to exist when the modification either creates new or changes the existing enforceable rights and obligations. Contract modifications are accounted for as a separate contract if the modification adds distinct goods or services and increases the contract value by its standalone selling price. Modifications that are not determined to be a separate contract are accounted for either as a prospective adjustment to the original contract if the goods or services in the modification are distinct from those transferred before the modification or as a cumulative adjustment if the goods and services are not distinct and are part of a single performance obligation that is partially satisfied.

 

Most of the Company's contracts comprise multiple promises which the Company evaluates to determine if each promise should be accounted for as separate performance obligations or combined into a single performance obligation. The Company generally separates multiple promises in a contract as separate performance obligations if those promises are distinct, both individually and in the context of the contract. If multiple promises in a contract are highly interrelated or comprise a series of distinct services performed over time, they are combined and accounted for as a single performance obligation. For a majority of the Company's contracts, there is a single performance obligation since there generally is a single, critical objective at the contract award level which is ultimately met with the successful completion of highly interrelated, interdependent or integral tasks, performed in conjunction with one another. While services provided may generally provide some benefit alone, they have no separable, distinct benefit within the context of the contract, related to the overall objective of the contract from the vantage point of the customer.

 

  F-64 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For The Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Continued

 

The Company's contracts often contain options for entering into another phase, task, or similar, under the same terms and conditions as the original contract. Once the option is exercised and the contract is amended, the options typically do not provide the customer any material rights under the contract and therefore are treated like separate contracts when they include distinct goods or services at standalone selling prices. Contracts with the U.S. government are subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and priced based on estimated or actual costs of providing the goods or services. The FAR provides guidance on types of costs that are allowable in establishing prices for goods and services provided to the U.S. government and its agencies. Each contract is competitively priced and bid separately. Pricing for non-U.S. government agencies and commercial customers is based on specific negotiations with each customer. The Company excludes any taxes collected or imposed when determining the transaction price.

 

The transaction prices associated with the Company's T&M and CPFF contracts are variable. These variable amounts are estimated at the most likely amount that the Company expects to be entitled to based largely on an assessment of the Company’s anticipated performance and all information (historical, current, and forecasted) that is reasonably available and the potential of significant reversal of revenue. In certain instances, the Company's contracts may contain fees, incentive fees, or other provisions or adjustments, such as incremental funding, an equitable adjustment, other modifications, or funding requested for added services, that can either increase or decrease the transaction price. None of the Company's contracts contain a significant financing component, which would require an adjustment to the transaction price of the contract.

 

When the Company determines there are multiple performance obligations the transaction price is allocated to its performance obligations in the proportion of their respective standalone selling prices or best estimate thereof. The standalone selling prices of the Company's performance obligations are generally based on an expected cost-plus margin approach with relatively consistent margins applied within each major customer group.

 

  F-65 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For The Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Continued

 

The Company recognizes revenue on all of the performance obligations within each contract over time as there is continuous transfer of control to the customer over the duration of the contract as the Company performs the promised services. For U.S. government contracts, continuous transfer of control to the customer is evidenced by clauses in the contract that allow the customer to unilaterally terminate the contract for convenience, pay for costs incurred plus a reasonable profit and take control of any work-in-process. Similarly, for non-U.S. government contracts, the customer typically controls the work-in-process as evidenced by rights to payment for work performed to date plus a reasonable profit to deliver products or services that do not have an alternate use to the Company.

 

For the performance obligation(s) where revenue is recognized over time, the Company uses a method that measures the extent of progress towards completion of a performance obligation. The selection of the method to measure progress towards completion requires judgment and is based on the nature of the products or services provided. In most instances, generally for certain T&M and CPFF contracts, revenue is recognized based on a right-to-invoice practical expedient as the Company is able to invoice the customer in an amount that corresponds directly with the value received by a customer for the Company’s performance completed to date. In certain instances, typically for the FFP contracts, where the practical expedient cannot be applied, the Company uses the cost-to-cost measure of progress for its contracts because it best depicts the transfer of control to the customer which occurs as the Company incurs costs on its contracts. Under the cost-to-cost measure of progress, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs at completion of the performance obligation. Revenues, including estimated fees or profits, are recorded proportionally as costs are incurred.

 

Changes in estimates related to contracts accounted for using the cost-to-cost method of accounting are recognized in the period in which such changes are made on a cumulative catch-up basis, which recognizes in the current period the cumulative effect of the changes on current and prior periods based on a performance obligations’ percentage of completion. A significant change in one or more estimates could affect the profitability of one or more of the Company's performance obligations. When estimates of total costs to be incurred on a performance obligation exceed total estimates of revenue to be earned, a provision for the entire loss on the performance obligation is recognized in the period the loss is determined.

 

Contract costs include all direct material and labor costs, and other costs related to contract performance, such as subcontract costs and travel expenses.

 

  F-66 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For The Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Continued

 

The following table presents the Company’s revenue disaggregated by contract type for the six months ended June 30, 2021:

 

Contract support services – CPFF or T&M   $ 6,473,653  
FFP     1,349,721  
    $ 7,823,374  

 

Contract Balances

 

Contract assets include unbilled amounts typically resulting from firm-fixed price contracts when the revenue recognized exceeds the amount billed to the customer on uncompleted contracts. Contract liabilities consist of billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts, which arise when revenues are recorded based on the satisfaction of performance obligations but are invoiced upon completion of contractual milestones or other criteria.

 

The components of contract assets and liabilities consisted of the following as of June 30, 2021 and January 1, 2021:

 

      June 30,
2021
   January 1
2021
 
Contract assets             
Billed accounts receivable, net  Accounts receivable, net  $1,207,149   $905,394 
Unbilled contract receivables  Contract assets  $187,962   $80,525 
              
Contract liabilities             
Deferred revenue  Contract liability  $270,927   $117,110 

 

In accordance with industry practice, contract assets and liabilities related to costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts, and billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts, have been classified as current. The contract cycle for certain long-term contracts may extend beyond one year; thus, collection of amounts related to these contracts may extend beyond one year.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an initial maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

 

  F-67 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For The Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Continued

 

Accounts Receivable

 

The Company carries its accounts receivable at cost less an allowance for doubtful accounts. On a periodic basis, the Company evaluates its accounts receivable and establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts based on a history of past write-offs, collections and current conditions. All accounts receivable arise from contracts with customers.

 

Property and Equipment

 

The Company carries property and equipment at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of three to fifteen years. Maintenance and minor repairs are charged directly to expense when incurred; major renewals and betterments are capitalized. Amortization of leasehold improvements is computed using the straight-line method over the lesser of the estimated useful lives of the underlying assets or the term of the related lease.

 

Compensated Absences

 

The Company allows employees to receive compensation for vacation, sick leave and other qualifying absences. Compensated absence balances at year end relating to full-time employees are forfeited, except for certain New Jersey sick leave compensation, which is treated in accordance with state law.

 

General and Administrative Expenses

 

In accordance with industry practice and the regulations that govern cost accounting requirements for government contracts, most general corporate expenses are considered allowable and allocable to government contracts. These costs are allocated to the contracts and are included as cost components of direct costs, overhead costs and general and administrative expenses. Certain costs not allocable to contracts are also included in general and administrative expenses.

 

  F-68 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Continued

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company has elected to be taxed as an S corporation for Federal and New Jersey tax purposes. In lieu of corporate income taxes, the stockholders are taxed on their proportionate share of the Company’s taxable income. New Jersey state law provides for a minimum corporation tax. In addition, the Company from time to time may pay state franchise taxes based on receipts sourced to other states. These state income taxes are included in General and Administrative expenses.

 

Effective January 1, 2020, New Jersey enacted legislation allowing pass-through businesses to elect to pay state income taxes at the entity level instead of at the owner level. The Company paid New Jersey Business Alternative Income Tax, also referred to as NJ BAIT, for the six months ended June 30, 2021, in the amount of $29,600.

 

Generally, tax returns for the past three tax years remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and state and local governments.

 

The Company evaluates uncertainty in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return based on a more-likely-than-not recognition standard. If that threshold is met, the tax position is then measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement and is recognized in the Company’s financial statements. To the extent that the Company’s estimates change or the final tax outcome of these matters is different than the amounts that have been recorded, such differences will impact the income tax provision when such determinations are made. If applicable, the Company records interest and penalties as a component of income tax expense. As of June 30, 2021 there were no accruals for uncertain tax positions. Tax years from December 31, 2018 through the current year remain open for examination by federal and state tax authorities.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

  F-69 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Continued

 

Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted

 

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which supersedes the existing lease accounting standard and sets out principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases. Under the new guidance, a lessee will be required to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities for all leases with lease terms in excess of twelve months. The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight line basis over the term of the lease. ASU 2016-02 was originally effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. In June 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-05, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and Leases (Topic 842), Effective Dates for Certain Entities, which delays the effective date of ASU 2016-02 to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2021. Entities are also allowed to choose to adopt the standard as of the original effective date. The Company has adopted this new standard as of August 12, 2021. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact from this new guidance.

 

2.Property and Equipment

 

Property and Equipment consists of the following as of June 30, 2021:

 

Leasehold Improvements  $103,860 
Office Equipment   60,211 
Furniture and Fixtures   281,349 
    445,420 
Less: Accumulated Depreciation   (291,423)
   $153,997 

 

Depreciation expense was $21,450 for the six months ended June 30, 2021.

 

  F-70 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Continued

 

3.Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

 

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses consist of the following as of June 30, 2021:

 

Accounts Payable   $ 304,071  
Accrued Employee Compensation     383,387  
Accrued Expenses     294,052  
    $ 981,510  


 

4.Contract Liability

 

The Company has billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts relating to firm-fixed-price contracts. As of June 30, 2021, there was one uncompleted contract with the following components:

 

Billings to Date   $ 1,199,716  
Less: Costs and Estimated Earnings on        
Uncompleted Contracts     (928,789 )
    $ 270,927  


 

5.Line of Credit

 

The Company has available a $1,000,000 line of credit with Wells Fargo Bank which expires June 28, 2022. Interest was payable monthly at the lender’s prime rate plus one percent. The interest rate in effect was 4.25% as of June 30, 2021. The line was secured by all accounts and equipment under a general business security agreement, and was guaranteed by the stockholders. There was no outstanding balance on this line at June 30, 2021.

 

6.Note Payable

 

The Company has a three-year term loan with Wells Fargo Bank requiring fixed monthly payments of $4,473, including principal and interest at 4.6%, through August 2021. This loan was guaranteed by the shareholders and was collateralized by all accounts receivable and equipment. The outstanding balance on this loan was $8,912 on June 30, 2021.

 

  F-71 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Continued

 

7.Stockholder Loans

 

The Company has notes payable to stockholders totaling $441,486 at June 30, 2021. The notes are due December 31, 2024 and require monthly payments of interest only at 5%. Interest expense paid to stockholders was $10,947 for the six months ended June 30, 2021. All stockholder notes are subordinated to the Wells Fargo Bank line of credit and term loan. One of the notes payable, in the amount of $41,738, was repaid during the acquisition of the Company in August 2021, as discussed in Note 13.

 

8.Commitments and contingencies

 

Leases

 

The Company leases office space in Toms River, New Jersey. Under the terms of the lease, the Company pays monthly rent of $8,349 plus a proportionate share of property taxes and common area charges. The lease expires January 31, 2023.

 

Rent expense for the six months ended June 30, 2021 was $60,730.

 

The Company has an automobile lease requiring monthly payments of $399 through February 2022, with an early termination penalty clause.

 

The Company has an automobile lease requiring monthly payments of $600 through August 2021, with an early termination penalty clause.

 

As of June 30, 2021, future minimum lease commitments under all leases, including estimated property taxes and common area changes, are as follows:

 

Period Ending
June 30,
    Total  
  2022     $ 126,633  
  2023       82,092  
        $ 208,725  

 

Employment Agreement

 

The Company has entered into an employment agreement with a stockholder effective through December 31, 2021. The agreement provides for compensation, incentives and benefits, as defined. In return, the Company has secured long-term stay and non-compete commitments.

 

  F-72 

 

  

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Continued

 

Reimbursement Rates

 

In the past, billings under cost-based government contracts were calculated using provisional rates which permit recovery of indirect costs. These rates are subject to audit on an annual basis by the government agencies' cognizant audit agency. The cost audit will result in the negotiation and determination of the final indirect cost rates which the Company may use for the year audited. The final rates, if different from the provisional rates, may create a receivable or a liability. As of June 30, 2021, the Company had negotiated final settlements on indirect cost rates through December 31, 2020. The Company periodically reviews its cost estimates and experience rates, and adjustments, if needed, are made and reflected in the period in which the estimates are revised. In the opinion of management, redetermination of any cost-based contracts for the open years will not have any material effect on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

 

9.401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

 

The Company sponsors a 401(k) profit sharing plan for the benefit of employees who meet certain eligibility requirements as to age and length of service. The Company’s matching contribution to the plan is discretionary but cannot exceed maximum defined limitations. Contributions totaling $86,250 were made by the Company for the six months ended June 30, 2021.

 

10.Concentrations of Risk

 

The Company maintains its cash in bank deposit accounts, which at times may exceed federally-insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts, and management believes the Company is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash and cash equivalents.

 

11.Major Customers

 

Approximately 89% of revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2021 were generated from three customers. These contracts represented approximately 71% of total receivables at June 30, 2021.

 

Revenue from government contracts represented approximately 99% of gross revenue for the six months ended June 30, 2021.

 

  F-73 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2021

Concluded

 

12.Shareholder Agreement

 

The stockholders have entered into a Shareholders Agreement that restricts the transfer of their shares of Company stock, as defined in the agreement.

 

13.Subsequent Events

 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by various governments to contain the virus have affected economic activity. The Company has taken a number of measures to monitor and mitigate the effects of COVID-19, such as safety and health measures for employees.

 

The Company was acquired by Castellum, Inc. on August 12, 2021.

 

Management has evaluated subsequent events through May 31, 2022, the date on which these financial statements were available to be issued.

 

  F-74 

 

  

Independent Auditor’s Report

 

To the Board of Directors

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Bethesda, Maryland

 

We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Specialty Systems, Inc. (an S Corporation), which comprise the Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related Statements of Income, Changes in Stockholders’ Equity, and Cash Flows for the years then ended, and the related notes to the financial statements.

 

Management’s Responsibilities for the Financial Statements

 

Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America; this includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

 

Auditor’s Responsibility

 

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United States of America. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement.

 

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amount and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor’s judgment including the assessment of the risks of material misstatements of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financials statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of significant accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements.

 

We believe that the audit evidence that we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion.

 

 

  F-75 

 

 

 

Independent Auditor’s Report (continued)

 

Opinion

 

In our opinion, the financial statements referenced to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Specialty Systems, Inc. as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

 

Adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2014-09

 

As discussed in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company changed its method of accounting for revenue from contracts with customers in these financial statements due to the adoption of ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), as amended, using the modified retrospective adoption method. Our opinion is not modified with respect to this matter.

 

 

 

 

May 26, 2022

Rockville, Maryland

 

 

 

  F-76 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Balance Sheets

 

    December 31,  
    2020     2019  
Assets            
Current Assets                
Cash and Cash Equivalents   $ 1,345,519     $ 893,956  
Accounts Receivable, net     905,394       1,900,427  
Contract Assets     80,525       17,107  
Prepaid Expenses     60,925       65,267  
Total Current Assets     2,392,363       2,876,757  
                 
Property and Equipment, Net     163,199       155,057  
Security Deposit     6,750       6,750  
                 
Total Assets   $ 2,562,312     $ 3,038,564  
                 
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                
Current Liabilities                
Line of Credit   $ -     $ 360,000  
Current Portion of Note Payable – Bank     35,184       50,794  
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses     799,231       517,375  
Contract Liability     117,110       166,722  
                 
Total Current Liabilities     951,525       1,094,891  
                 
Long Term Liabilities                
Note Payable – Bank     -       35,125  
Notes Payable to Stockholders     441,486       441,486  
                 
Total Long Term Liabilities     441,486       476,611  
                 
Total Liabilities     1,393,011       1,571,502  
                 
Commitments and Contingencies                
                 
Stockholders’ Equity                
Common Stock, No Par Value; 1000 shares authorized;                
100 shares issued and outstanding     124,736       124,736  
Retained Earnings     1,044,565       1,342,326  
Total Stockholders’ Equity     1,169,301       1,467,062  
                 
Total Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity   $ 2,562,312     $ 3,038,564  

 

The accompanying Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

  F-77 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Statements of Income

 

    For the Years Ended  
    December 31,  
    2020     2019  
             
Revenues   $ 12,885,439     $ 12,280,627  
Cost of Revenues     7,176,887       6,268,450  
Gross Profit     5,708,552       6,012,177  
                 
Operating Expenses                
Indirect Costs     3,124,041       2,853,031  
Overhead     798,311       695,383  
General and Administrative Expenses     1,177,585       1,150,644  
                 
Total Operating Expenses     5,099,937       4,699,058  
                 
Income from Operations     608,615       1,313,119  
                 
Other Expense                
Interest Expense, Net of Interest Income     (34,376 )     (27,383 )
Total Other Expense     (34,376 )     (27,383 )
                 
Income from Operations Before Income Tax Expense     574,239       1,285,736  
                 
Income Tax Expense     (30,000 )     -  
                 
Net Income to Common Shareholders   $ 544,239     $ 1,285,736  
                 
Net Income Per Share- Basic and Diluted   $ 5,442.39     $ 12,857.36  
                 
Weighted Average Shares Outstanding-                
Basic and Diluted     100       100  

 

The accompanying Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

  F-78 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Statements of Changes in Stockholders’ Equity

 

   Common Stock   Retained Earnings   Total 
Balance, January 1, 2019  $124,736   $899,138   $1,023,874 
                
Distributions   -    (842,548)   (842,548)
                
Net income   -    1,285,736    1,285,736 
                
Balance, December 31, 2019   124,736    1,342,326    1,467,062 
                
Distributions   -    (842,000)   (842,000)
                
Net income   -    544,239    544,239 
                
Balance, December 31, 2020  $124,736   $1,044,565   $1,169,301 

 

The accompanying Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

  F-79 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Statements of Cash Flows

  

    For the Years Ended  
    December 31,  
    2020     2019  
             
Cash Flows from Operating Activities                
Net Income   $ 544,239     $ 1,285,736  
Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to                
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities:                
Depreciation     33,737       34,071  
Bad Debt Expense     23,290       -  
(Increase) Decrease in:                
Accounts Receivable     971,743       477,032  
Contract Asset     (63,418 )     (5,412 )
Prepaid Expenses     4,345       (18,345 )
Increase (Decrease) in:                
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses     281,853       (71,883 )
Contract Liability     (49,612 )     (401,971 )
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities     1,746,177       1,299,228  
                 
Cash Flows from Investing Activities                
Purchases of Fixed Assets     (41,879 )     (17,767 )
Net Cash Used in Investing Activities     (41,879 )     (17,767 )
                 
Cash Flows from Financing Activities                
Stockholder Distributions     (842,000 )     (662,020 )
Proceeds from Line of Credit     200,000       360,000  
Repayments on Line of Credit     (560,000 )     (600,000 )
Proceeds from Note Payable – PPP     1,391,800       -  
Repayments on Note Payable – PPP     (1,391,800 )     -  
Repayments on Bank Note Payable     (50,735 )     (48,437 )
                 
Net Cash Used in Financing Activities     (1,252,735 )     (950,457 )
                 
Net Increase in Cash and Cash Equivalents     451,563       331,004  
                 
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Beginning of Year     893,956       562,952  
                 
Cash and Cash Equivalents, End of Year   $ 1,345,519     $ 893,956  
                 
Supplemental Disclosures of Cash Flow Information:                
Cash Paid for:                
Interest   $ 35,219     $ 30,169  
Income Tax   $ 31,500     $ 2,043  
                 
Supplemental Disclosures of Non-Cash Investing                
and Financing Activities:                
Loans Receivable Distributed to Stockholders   $ -     $ 180,528  

 

The accompanying Notes to Financial Statements are an integral part of these financial statements.

 

  F-80 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

 

1.Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Organization and Nature of Operations

 

Specialty Systems, Inc. (the Company) is a New Jersey corporation that provides information technology and engineering services to governmental agencies, international governments and commercial customers. The Company operates primarily in the Lakehurst, New Jersey, area.

 

Basis of Accounting

 

The financial statements of the Company have been prepared using the accrual basis of accounting in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (US GAAP).

 

Adoption of New Accounting Standard

 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). The ASU and all subsequently issued clarifying ASUs replaced most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP. The ASU also required expanded disclosures relating to the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. The Company adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2019, using the modified retrospective method.

 

The majority of the Company’s revenue is generated by contract support services contracts and is recognized over time as services are provided, based on the transfer of control. A smaller portion of the Company’s revenue is generated by Firm-Fixed-Price (FFP) contracts. Revenue from these contracts is recognized over time as performance obligations are satisfied.

 

The adoption of this ASU did not have a significant impact on the Company’s financial statements. Based on the Company’s evaluation process and review of its contracts with customers, the timing and amount of revenue recognized previously is consistent with how revenue is recognized under the new standard. No changes were required to previously reported revenues as a result of the adoption.

 

  F-81 

 

   

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

Revenue Recognition

 

Substantially all of the Company’s revenue is generated from contracts with federal, state and local governments, and revenue from these contracts is recorded over time. Most contracts are contract support services contracts for software development, network administration, cybersecurity or other types of software services. Under these contracts, the Company performs software design work as it is assigned by the customer, and bills the customer, generally semi-monthly, on either a cost-plus-fixed-fee (CPFF) or time-and-materials (T&M) basis, as labor hours are expended. Certain other government contracts for software development have specific deliverables and are structured as FFP contracts, which are generally billed as the performance obligations under the contract are met. Revenue recognition under FFP contracts requires judgment to allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations. Contracts may have terms up to five years.

 

The Company determines revenue recognition through the following steps:

 

  · Identification of the contract, or contracts, with a customer (Step 1)

 

  · Identification of the performance obligations in the contract (Step 2)

 

  · Determination of the transaction price (Step 3)

 

  · Allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract (Step 4)

 

  · Recognition of revenue when, or as, a performance obligation is satisfied (Step 5)

 

To determine the proper revenue recognition, the Company first evaluates whether it has a duly approved and enforceable contract with a customer, in which the rights of the parties and payment terms are identified, and collectability is probable. The Company also evaluates whether two or more contracts should be combined and accounted for as a single contract.

 

In addition, the Company assesses contract modifications to determine whether the changes to existing contracts should be accounted for as part of the original contract or as a separate contract. The Company considers contract modifications to exist when the modification either creates new or changes the existing enforceable rights and obligations. Contract modifications are accounted for as a separate contract if the modification adds distinct goods or services and increases the contract value by its standalone selling price. Modifications that are not determined to be a separate contract are accounted for either as a prospective adjustment to the original contract if the goods or services in the modification are distinct from those transferred before the modification or as a cumulative adjustment if the goods and services are not distinct and are part of a single performance obligation that is partially satisfied.

 

  F-82 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

Most of the Company's contracts comprise multiple promises which the Company evaluates to determine if each promise should be accounted for as separate performance obligations or combined into a single performance obligation. The Company generally separates multiple promises in a contract as separate performance obligations if those promises are distinct, both individually and in the context of the contract. If multiple promises in a contract are highly interrelated or comprise a series of distinct services performed over time, they are combined and accounted for as a single performance obligation. For a majority of the Company's contracts, there is a single performance obligation since there generally is a single, critical objective at the contract award level which is ultimately met with the successful completion of highly interrelated, interdependent or integral tasks, performed in conjunction with one another. While services provided may generally provide some benefit alone, they have no separable, distinct benefit within the context of the contract, related to the overall objective of the contract from the vantage point of the customer.

 

The Company's contracts often contain options for entering into another phase, task, or similar, under the same terms and conditions as the original contract. Once the option is exercised and the contract is amended, the options typically do not provide the customer any material rights under the contract and therefore are treated like separate contracts when they include distinct goods or services at standalone selling prices. Contracts with the U.S. government are subject to the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and priced based on estimated or actual costs of providing the goods or services. The FAR provides guidance on types of costs that are allowable in establishing prices for goods and services provided to the U.S. government and its agencies. Each contract is competitively priced and bid separately. Pricing for non-U.S. government agencies and commercial customers is based on specific negotiations with each customer. The Company excludes any taxes collected or imposed when determining the transaction price.

 

The transaction prices associated with the Company's T&M and CPFF contracts are variable. These variable amounts are estimated at the most likely amount that the Company expects to be entitled to based largely on an assessment of the Company’s anticipated performance and all information (historical, current, and forecasted) that is reasonably available and the potential of significant reversal of revenue. In certain instances, the Company's contracts may contain fees, incentive fees, or other provisions or adjustments, such as incremental funding, an equitable adjustment, other modifications, or funding requested for added services, that can either increase or decrease the transaction price. None of the Company's contracts contain a significant financing component, which would require an adjustment to the transaction price of the contract.

 

When the Company determines there are multiple performance obligations the transaction price is allocated to its performance obligations in the proportion of their respective standalone selling prices or best estimate thereof. The standalone selling prices of the Company's performance obligations are generally based on an expected cost-plus margin approach with relatively consistent margins applied within each major customer group.

 

  F-83 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

The Company recognizes revenue on all of the performance obligations within each contract over time as there is continuous transfer of control to the customer over the duration of the contract as the Company performs the promised services. For U.S. government contracts, continuous transfer of control to the customer is evidenced by clauses in the contract that allow the customer to unilaterally terminate the contract for convenience, pay for costs incurred plus a reasonable profit and take control of any work-in-process. Similarly, for non-U.S. government contracts, the customer typically controls the work-in-process as evidenced by rights to payment for work performed to date plus a reasonable profit to deliver products or services that do not have an alternate use to the Company.

 

For the performance obligation(s) where revenue is recognized over time, the Company uses a method that measures the extent of progress towards completion of a performance obligation. The selection of the method to measure progress towards completion requires judgment and is based on the nature of the products or services provided. In most instances, generally for certain T&M and CPFF contracts, revenue is recognized based on a right-to-invoice practical expedient as the Company is able to invoice the customer in an amount that corresponds directly with the value received by a customer for the Company’s performance completed to date. In certain instances, typically for the FFP contracts, where the practical expedient cannot be applied, the Company uses the cost-to-cost measure of progress for its contracts because it best depicts the transfer of control to the customer which occurs as the Company incurs costs on its contracts. Under the cost-to-cost measure of progress, the extent of progress towards completion is measured based on the ratio of costs incurred to date to the total estimated costs at completion of the performance obligation. Revenues, including estimated fees or profits, are recorded proportionally as costs are incurred.

 

Changes in estimates related to contracts accounted for using the cost-to-cost method of accounting are recognized in the period in which such changes are made on a cumulative catch-up basis, which recognizes in the current period the cumulative effect of the changes on current and prior periods based on a performance obligations’ percentage of completion. A significant change in one or more estimates could affect the profitability of one or more of the Company's performance obligations. When estimates of total costs to be incurred on a performance obligation exceed total estimates of revenue to be earned, a provision for the entire loss on the performance obligation is recognized in the period the loss is determined.

 

Contract costs include all direct material and labor costs, and other costs related to contract performance, such as subcontract costs and travel expenses.

 

  F-84 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

The following table presents the Company’s revenue disaggregated by contract type.

 

   For the Years Ended 
   December 31, 
   2020   2019 
Contract support services – CPFF or T&M  $11,496,018   $9,286,857 
FFP   1,389,421    2,993,770 
   $12,885,439   $12,280,627 

 

Contract Balances

 

Contract assets include unbilled amounts typically resulting from firm-fixed price contracts when the revenue recognized exceeds the amount billed to the customer on uncompleted contracts. Contract liabilities consist of billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts, which arise when revenues are recorded based on the satisfaction of performance obligations but are invoiced upon completion of contractual milestones or other criteria.

 

The components of contract assets and liabilities consisted of the following as of:

 

      December 31,
2020
   December 31,
2019
   January 1,
2019
 
Contract assets                  
Unbilled contract receivables  Contract assets  $80,525   $17,107   $11,695 
Contract liabilities                  
Deferred revenue  Contract liability  $117,110   $166,722   $568,693 

  

In accordance with industry practice, contract assets and liabilities related to costs and estimated earnings in excess of billings on uncompleted contracts, and billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts, have been classified as current. The contract cycle for certain long-term contracts may extend beyond one year; thus, collection of amounts related to these contracts may extend beyond one year.

 

Cash and Cash Equivalents

 

The Company considers all highly liquid debt instruments purchased with an initial maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

 

  F-85 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

Accounts Receivable

 

The Company carries its accounts receivable at cost less an allowance for doubtful accounts. On a periodic basis, the Company evaluates its accounts receivable and establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts based on a history of past write-offs, collections and current conditions. All accounts receivable arise from contracts with customers.

 

Property and Equipment

 

The Company carries property and equipment at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of three to fifteen years. Maintenance and minor repairs are charged directly to expense when incurred; major renewals and betterments are capitalized. Amortization of leasehold improvements is computed using the straight-line method over the lesser of the estimated useful lives of the underlying assets or the term of the related lease.

 

Compensated Absences

 

The Company allows employees to receive compensation for vacation, sick leave and other qualifying absences. Compensated absence balances at year end relating to full-time employees are forfeited, except for certain New Jersey sick leave compensation, which is treated in accordance with state law.

 

General and Administrative Expenses

 

In accordance with industry practice and the regulations that govern cost accounting requirements for government contracts, most general corporate expenses are considered allowable and allocable to government contracts. These costs are allocated to the contracts and are included as cost components of direct costs, overhead costs and general and administrative expenses. Certain costs not allocable to contracts are also included in general and administrative expenses.

 

  F-86 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

Income Taxes

 

The Company has elected to be taxed as an S corporation for Federal and New Jersey tax purposes. In lieu of corporate income taxes, the stockholders are taxed on their proportionate share of the Company’s taxable income. New Jersey state law provides for a minimum corporation tax. In addition, the Company from time to time may pay state franchise taxes based on receipts sourced to other states. These state income taxes are included in General and Administrative expenses.

 

Effective January 1, 2020, New Jersey enacted legislation allowing pass-through businesses to elect to pay state income taxes at the entity level instead of at the owner level. The Company paid New Jersey Business Alternative Income Tax, also referred to as NJ BAIT, for 2020 in the amount of $30,000.

 

Generally, tax returns for the past three tax years remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service and state and local governments.

 

The Company evaluates uncertainty in income tax positions taken or expected to be taken on a tax return based on a more-likely-than-not recognition standard. If that threshold is met, the tax position is then measured at the largest amount that is greater than 50% likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement and is recognized in the Company’s financial statements. To the extent that the Company’s estimates change or the final tax outcome of these matters is different than the amounts that have been recorded, such differences will impact the income tax provision when such determinations are made. If applicable, the Company records interest and penalties as a component of income tax expense. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019 there were no accruals for uncertain tax positions. Tax years from December 31, 2018 through the current year remain open for examination by federal and state tax authorities.

 

Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

 

  F-87 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

Recently issued accounting pronouncements not yet adopted

 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which supersedes the existing lease accounting standard and sets out principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases. Under the new guidance, a lessee will be required to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities for all leases with lease terms in excess of twelve months. The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight line basis over the term of the lease. ASU 2016-02 was originally effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. In June 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-05, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and Leases (Topic 842), Effective Dates for Certain Entities, which delays the effective date of ASU 2016-02 to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2021. Entities are also allowed to choose to adopt the standard as of the original effective date. The Company has adopted this new standard as of August 12, 2021. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact from this new guidance.

 

  2. Property and Equipment

 

Property and Equipment consists of the following:

 

   December 31, 
   2020   2019 
         
Leasehold Improvements  $103,860   $103,860 
Office Equipment   60,211    60,211 
Furniture and Fixtures   269,101    227,221 
    433,172    391,292 
Less: Accumulated Depreciation   (269,973)   (236,235)
   $163,199   $155,057 

 

Depreciation expense was $33,737 and $34,071 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

  F-88 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

  3. Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses

 

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses consist of the following:

 

   December 31, 
   2020   2019 
         
Accounts Payable  $173,516   $131,426 
Accrued Employee Compensation   493,211    359,521 
Accrued Expenses   132,504    26,428 
   $799,231   $517,375 

 

  4. Contract Liability

 

The Company has billings in excess of costs and estimated earnings on uncompleted contracts relating to firm-fixed-price contracts. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, there were three and one uncompleted contracts, respectively, with the following components:

 

   December 31, 
   2020   2019 
Billings to Date  $508,039   $2,528,460 
Less: Costs and Estimated Earnings on          
Uncompleted Contracts   (390,929)   (2,361,738)
   $117,110   $166,722 

 

  5. Line of Credit

 

The Company has available a $1,000,000 line of credit with Wells Fargo Bank which expired June 28, 2021. Interest was payable monthly at the lender’s prime rate plus one percent. The interest rate in effect was 4.25% and 4.75% as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The line was secured by all accounts and equipment under a general business security agreement, and was guaranteed by the stockholders. The outstanding balance on this line was $0 and $360,000 at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

  6. Note Payable

 

The Company has a three-year term loan with Wells Fargo Bank requiring fixed monthly payments of $4,473, including principal and interest at 4.6%, through August 2021. This loan was guaranteed by the shareholders and was collateralized by all accounts receivable and equipment. The outstanding balance on this loan was $35,184 and $85,919 on December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

  F-89 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

  7. Note Payable – Paycheck Protection Program

 

In May 2020, the Company received loan proceeds in the amount of $1,391,800 under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Established as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), the PPP provides for loans to qualifying businesses in amounts up to 2.5 times the business’s average monthly payroll expenses. PPP loans, including accrued interest, are forgivable after a “covered period” (eight to twenty-found weeks) as long as the borrower maintains its payroll levels and uses the loan proceeds for eligible purposes, including payroll, benefits, rent, and utilities. The forgiveness amount will be reduced if the borrower terminates employees or reduces salaries during the covered period. Any unforgiven portion of a PPP loan is payable over two or five years at an interest rate of 1%, with a deferral of payments for ten months following the date of the first disbursement of this loan. In November 2020, the Company repaid the PPP loan in full, including $7,741 in interest.

 

  8. Stockholder Loans

 

The Company has notes payable to stockholders totaling $441,486 at December 31, 2020 and 2019. The notes are due December 31, 2024 and require monthly payments of interest only at 5%. Interest expense paid to stockholders was $21,933 and $21,962 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. All stockholder notes are subordinated to the Wells Fargo Bank line of credit and term loan. One of the notes payable, in the amount of $41,738, was repaid during the acquisition of the Company in August 2021, as discussed in Note 15.

 

  9. Commissions

 

The Company’s stockholders established an interest charge domestic international sales corporation (IC-DISC), as defined by the Internal Revenue Code. The IC-DISC was terminated in 2019. There were no significant transactions with the IC-DISC during the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

  F-90 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

  10. Commitments and contingencies

 

Leases

 

The Company leases office space in Toms River, New Jersey. Under the terms of the lease, the Company pays monthly rent of $8,349 plus a proportionate share of property taxes and common area charges. The lease expires January 31, 2023.

 

Rent expense for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was $120,781 and $120,443, respectively.

 

The Company has an automobile lease requiring monthly payments of $399 through February 2022, with an early termination penalty clause.

 

The Company has an automobile lease requiring monthly payments of $600 through August 2021, with an early termination penalty clause.

 

As of December 31, 2020, future minimum lease commitments under all leases, including estimated property taxes and common area changes, are as follows:

 

Year Ending    
December 31,  Total 
2021  $130,233 
2022   121,433 
2023   10,054 
   $261,720 

 

Employment Agreement

 

The Company has entered into an employment agreement with a stockholder effective through December 31, 2021. The agreement provides for compensation, incentives and benefits, as defined. In return, the Company has secured long-term stay and non-compete commitments.

 

  F-91 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Continued

 

Reimbursement Rates

 

In the past, billings under cost-based government contracts were calculated using provisional rates which permit recovery of indirect costs. These rates are subject to audit on an annual basis by the government agencies' cognizant audit agency. The cost audit will result in the negotiation and determination of the final indirect cost rates which the Company may use for the year audited. The final rates, if different from the provisional rates, may create a receivable or a liability. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had negotiated final settlements on indirect cost rates through December 31, 2020. The Company periodically reviews its cost estimates and experience rates, and adjustments, if needed, are made and reflected in the period in which the estimates are revised. In the opinion of management, redetermination of any cost-based contracts for the open years will not have any material effect on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

 

  11. 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan

 

The Company sponsors a 401(k) profit sharing plan for the benefit of employees who meet certain eligibility requirements as to age and length of service. The Company’s matching contribution to the plan is discretionary but cannot exceed maximum defined limitations. Contributions totaling $152,123 and $122,013 were made by the Company for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

  12. Concentrations of Risk

 

The Company maintains its cash in bank deposit accounts, which at times may exceed federally-insured limits. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts, and management believes the Company is not exposed to any significant credit risk on cash and cash equivalents.

 

  13. Major Customers

 

Approximately 77% and 69% of revenues for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively, were generated from two customers. These contracts represented approximately 61% and 84% of total receivables at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

Revenue from government contracts represented approximately 98% and 99% of gross revenue for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

 

  F-92 

 

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

Notes to Financial Statements

Years Ended December 31, 2020 and 2019

Concluded

 

  14. Shareholder Agreement

 

The stockholders have entered into a Shareholders Agreement that restricts the transfer of their shares of Company stock, as defined in the agreement.

 

  15. Subsequent Events

 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by various governments to contain the virus have affected economic activity. The Company has taken a number of measures to monitor and mitigate the effects of COVID-19, such as safety and health measures for employees.

 

The Company was acquired by Castellum, Inc. on August 12, 2021.

 

Management has evaluated subsequent events through May 26, 2022, the date on which these financial statements were available to be issued.

 

  F-93 

 

 

Castellum, Inc.

 

3,200,000 Shares

 

Common Stock

 

PROSPECTUS

 

_______________, 2022

 

EF HUTTON

 

division of Benchmark Investments, LLC

 

Neither we nor the Selling Stockholders have authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. You must not rely on any unauthorized information. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where an offer or sale is not permitted. The information in this prospectus is current as of the date of this prospectus. You should not assume that this prospectus is accurate as of any other date.

  

Until [●], 2022 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade shares of our common stock, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as the underwriter and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

   

 

 

[Alternate Page for Security Holder Prospectus]

 

The information contained in this preliminary prospectus is not complete and may be changed. These securities may not be sold until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This preliminary prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS   SUBJECT TO COMPLETION  

DATED SEPTEMBER 2, 2022

  

2,218,750 Shares of Common Stock

 

Castellum, Inc.

 

The selling security holders named in this prospectus, referred to as the “Security Holders” in this prospectus, may offer and sell, from time to time, in one or more offerings, up to 2,218,750 shares of common stock of the Company consisting of: (a) 1,968,750 shares of common stock beneficially owned by Crom Cortana Fund LLC (“CCF”) and (b) 250,000 shares of common stock issued to two officers and directors upon the conversion of 3,054,000 shares of our Series B preferred stock outstanding immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part into 15,270,000 shares of common stock concurrently with our initial public offering. The 1,968,750 shares of common stock beneficially owned by CCF consists of: (a) 656,250 shares of common stock owned by CFF since April 2022; (b) 656,250 shares of common stock underlying a warrant issued by the Company to CCF; and (c) 656,250 shares of common stock underlying a convertible promissory note issued to CCF in April 2022 (the “CCF Note”).

 

The common stock may be sold by the Security Holders at prevailing market prices at the times of sale, prices related to the prevailing market prices or negotiated prices. The common stock may be offered by the Security Holders to or through underwriters, dealers or other agents, directly to investors or through any other manner permitted by law, on a continued or delayed basis. See “Plan of Distribution” beginning on page 7 of this prospectus. The Security Holders and intermediaries through whom the securities are sold may be deemed “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), with respect to the securities offered hereby, and any profits realized or commissions received may be deemed underwriting compensation. 

 

We are not selling any securities pursuant to this prospectus, and we will not receive any proceeds from the sale of any securities by the Security Holders. The registration of the securities covered by this prospectus does not necessarily mean that any of these securities will be offered or sold by the Security Holders.

 

The common stock will be quoted on the NYSE American. Usual and customary or specifically negotiated brokerage fees or commissions may be paid by the Security Holders upon the sale of the common stock being registered. No sales of common stock covered by this prospectus shall occur until the common stock sold in our initial public offering begins trading on the NYSE American.

 

On [ ] [ ] , 2022, a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to our initial public offering of $________ of the Common Stock was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). We received approximately $_____ million in net proceeds from the offering of common stock after payment of underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated expenses of the offering.

 

On August 31, 2022, our Board of Directors (the “Board”) and stockholders holding a majority of our outstanding voting shares, authorized a Reverse Stock Split of each of the outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, at a ratio to be determined by the Board of within a range of a minimum of a one-for-fifteen (1-for-15) to a maximum of one-for-twenty five (1-for-25) (the “Reverse Stock Split Ratio”), with the exact ratio to be set at a number within this range as determined by the Board in its sole discretion, with no change in par value. Unless otherwise noted and other than in our financial statements and the notes thereto, the share and per share information in this prospectus reflects a proposed 1-20 Reverse Stock Split Ratio with the Reverse Stock Split expected to occur immediately following the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and prior to the completion of this offering.

 

If all of the common stock is sold by the Security Holders, the officers and directors of the Company will control 52.4% of the voting power of the Company, and 51.9% of the voting power of the Company if the overallotment is fully exercised. This 52.4 % will consist of the officers and directors owning 53.4% of the common stock (equal to 52.4% of the Company’s voting power) and 42% of the Series C preferred stock (equal to approximately 1% of the Company’s voting power). The holders of the Series A preferred stock are entitled to 0.1 of a vote per share and the holders of the Series C preferred stock are entitled to 0.625 votes per share.

 

We are an “emerging growth company” under the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act of 2012 and have elected to comply with certain reduced public company reporting requirements. We do not intend to utilize the controlled company exemptions to the NYSE American corporate governance listing standards.

 

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 14. Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense. 

 

The date of this prospectus is ___________ ____, 2022

 

 1 

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
PROSPECTUS SUMMARY   1
RISK FACTORS   12
CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS   32
USE OF PROCEEDS   A-33
MARKET FOR OUR COMMON STOCK AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS   34
CAPITALIZATION   35
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS   39
BUSINESS   57
MANAGEMENT   66
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION   76
PRINCIPAL AND SELLING STOCKHOLDERS   83
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS   87
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES   88
TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR   93
COMMON STOCK REGISTERED FOR DISTRIBUTION   A-94

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

  A-96
LEGAL MATTERS   A-97
EXPERTS   98
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION   98
INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS   F-1

  

 2 

 

 

[Alternate Page for Security Holder Prospectus]

 

USE OF PROCEEDS

 

There will not be any proceeds from the distribution of the Common Stock by the Security Holders. All proceeds from the sale of the Common Stock will be paid directly to the Security Holders.

 

  A-33 

 

 

[Alternate Page for Security Holder Prospectus]

 

COMMON STOCK REGISTERED FOR DISTRIBUTION

 

This prospectus covers the possible resale by the Security Holders who are identified in the table below of up to 2,218,750 shares of our common stock. These shares consist of (a) 1,968,750 shares of common stock beneficially owned by CCF and (b) 250,000 shares of common stock issued to two officers and directors upon the conversion of 3,054,000 shares of our Series B preferred stock outstanding immediately prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part into 15,270,000 shares of common stock concurrently with our initial public offering. The Series B preferred stock was issued more than three years ago for cash consideration totaling $187,000, the conversion of a promissory note in the amount of $57,888 and merger consideration in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition. The 1,968,750 shares of common stock beneficially owned by CCF consists of: (i) 656,250 shares of common stock owned by CCF since April 2022; (b) 656,250 shares of common stock underlying a warrant issued by the Company to CCF; and (c) 656,250 shares of common stock underlying a convertible promissory note issued to CCF in April 2022 (the “CCF Note”).

 

The Security Holders may sell some, all, or none of their common stock being offered by this prospectus. We do not know how long any Security Holder will hold its shares being offered by this prospectus before selling them, and we currently have no agreements, arrangements, or understandings with any of the Security Holders regarding the sale of any of their shares. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes below, no Security Holder has had any material relationship with us or any of our affiliates within the past three years, other than as a security holder.

 

We have prepared the following table based on written representations and information furnished to us by or on behalf of the Security Holders included in such table. Unless otherwise indicated in the footnotes below, we believe that: (i) none of the Security Holders are broker-dealers or affiliates of broker-dealers, and (ii) no Security Holder has direct or indirect agreements or understandings with any person to distribute their Security Holder shares. To the extent any Security Holder identified below is, or is affiliated with a broker-dealer, it could be deemed, individually but not severally, to be an “underwriter” withing the meaning of the Securities Act. Information about the Security Holders may change over time.

 

The following table presents information regarding the Security Holders and shares that each may offer and sell from time to time under this prospectus. The table is prepared based on information supplied to us by the Security Holders and reflects their respective holdings as of August 24, 2022. The amounts and percentages of common stock beneficially owned are reported on the basis of regulations of the SEC governing the determination of beneficial ownership of securities. Under the rules of the SEC, a person is deemed to be a “beneficial owner” of a security if that person has or shares “voting power,” which includes the power to vote or to direct the voting of such security, or “investment power,” which includes the power to dispose of or to direct the disposition of such security. A person is also deemed to be a beneficial owner of any securities of which that person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership within 60 days through the exercise of any stock option, warrant, or other right. Under these rules, more than one person may be deemed a beneficial owner of the same securities and a person may be deemed a beneficial owner of securities as to which he has no economic interest. Except as indicated by footnote, to our knowledge, the persons named in the table below have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock shown as beneficially owned by them. The percentage of shares beneficially owned before and after the effectiveness of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part is based on 24,788,133 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding on August 24, 2022, and 27,988,132 shares issued and outstanding after our initial public offering (and excludes (i) 480,000 shares which may be sold upon exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option; and (ii) 96,000 (not including Representative warrants to be issued upon the exercise of the underwriter’s overallotment option) shares of our common stock issuable upon the exercise of the Representative’s warrant).

 

 A-94 

 

 

For purposes of the Table below, the term “Offering” means the offering and sale by Security Holders named below of up to 2,218,750 shares of the Company’s common stock.

 

Name of Beneficial Owner 

Shares of

Common Stock

Beneficially

Owned Before

this Offering

  

Percentage of

Common Stock
Beneficially

Owned Before

this Offering

  

Maximum

Number of

Shares To Be

Sold In This
Offering(5)

  

Shares Gained

Due To

this

Offering

  

Shares of

Common Stock

Beneficially

Owned After

This Offering

  

Percentage of

Common Stock

Beneficially

Owned After

This Offering

 
Named Executive Officers and Directors                              
Mark C. Fuller (2)   8,863,452    26.4%   125,000    500,000    9,238,452    33.0%
Jay O. Wright (3)   10,275,506    30.4%   125,000    500,000    10,650,506    38.1%
Executive Officers and Directors as a Group (2 persons) Other 5% Shareholders   19,138,958    63.30%   250,000    1,000,000    19,888,958    71.1%
Crom Cortana Fund LLC (4)(6)   4,437,500    17.0%   1,968,750        2,468,750    8.8%

* Less than 1%

 

  (1) Unless otherwise indicated, the principal address of the named officers, directors, and 5% stockholders of the Company is in c/o Castellum, Inc., 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700, Bethesda, MD 20814.

 

  (2)

Assumes all shares offered by the Security Holders are sold.

  

  (3)

Mr. Fuller was appointed a director, Chair of the Board, CEO and President on June 11, 2019 in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition. Mr. Fuller may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of 8,863,453 of the Company’s common shares, which total includes (i) 25,019 common shares held by The Mark Chappelle Fuller Revocable Trust, Mark Fuller, TTEE, of which Mr. Fuller is the trustee, (ii) 25,000 common shares held by Janice Lynn Dudley Revocable Trust, Janice Lynn Dudley TTEE of which Ms. Dudley is the trustee, (iii) 25,000 common shares held by Katherine Fuller, (iv) 50,000 common shares held by Michael Fuller, and (v) 1,504,500 shares of the Company’s Series B preferred stock which will be converted into 7,522,500 shares of the Company’s common stock concurrently with this offering held by The Mark Chappelle Fuller Revocable Trust, Mark Fuller, TTEE of which Mr. Fuller is the trustee. Mr. Fuller was also granted 1,215,934 warrants that are exercisable into 1,215,934 shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to the terms of Mr. Fuller’s employment agreement he will receive 500,000 warrants upon the closing of the Offering.

 

  (4)

Mr. Wright was appointed a director, Vice Chair of the Board, General Counsel, Treasurer and Secretary on June 11, 2019 in connection with the Bayberry Acquisition. Mr. Wright is the holder of 1,570,500 shares of the Company’s Series B preferred stock which will be converted into 7,852,500 shares of the Company’s common stock concurrently with this offering and was granted 1,215,934 warrants that are exercisable into 1,215,934 shares of the Company’s common stock. Pursuant to the terms of Mr. Wright’s employment agreement he will receive 500,000 warrants upon the closing of the Offering.

 

  (5) CCF is the holder of 3,125,000 shares of the Company’s common stock and holds a warrant to purchase 656,250 shares of the Company’s common stock. CCF is also the holder of the CCF Note which is convertible into 656,250 shares of the Company’s common stock.  Liam Sherif and John Chen hold voting and/or dispositive power over the shares held by CCF.

 

  (6)

The 1,968,750 shares being registered hereby consists of: (a) the 656,250 shares of the Company’s common stock underlying warrant that CCF holds; (b) the 656,250 shares of the Company’s common stock underlying the CCF Note; and (c) 656,250 shares of the Company’s common stock (out of the 3,125,000 shares) currently held by CCF.

 A-95 

 

 

[Alternate Page for Security Holder Prospectus]

 

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

 

We are registering 2,218,750 shares of our common stock owned by the Security Holders. These shares include shares that are beneficially owned by two of our directors. We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of the shares offered by the Security Holders. We will bear all fees and expenses incident to the registration of the shares offered by the Security Holders in the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

The Security Holders may sell all or a portion of their shares being offered through this prospectus from time to time directly or through one or more underwriters, broker-dealers, or agents. If the shares being offered by the Security Holders are sold through underwriters or broker-dealers, the Security Holders will be responsible for underwriting discounts or commissions or agent's commissions. The shares being offered by the Security Holders may be sold in one or more transactions at fixed prices, at prevailing market prices at the time of the sale, at varying prices determined at the time of sale, or at negotiated prices. These sales may be effected in transactions, which may involve crosses or block transactions:

 

  · on any national securities exchange or quotation service on which the securities may be listed or quoted at the time of sale;

  · in the over-the-counter market;

  · in transactions otherwise than on these exchanges or systems or in the over-the-counter market;

  · ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker-dealer solicits purchasers;

  · block trades in which the broker-dealer will attempt to sell the securities as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction;

  · purchases by a broker-dealer as principal and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

  · an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;

  · privately negotiated transactions;

  · short sales;

  · in transactions through broker-dealers that agree with the Security Holders to sell a specified number of such securities at a stipulated price per security;

  · through the writing or settlement of options or other hedging transactions, whether through an options exchange or otherwise;

  · a combination of any such methods of sale; or

  · any other method permitted pursuant to applicable law.

 

The Security Holders may also sell securities under Rule 144 or any other exemption from registration under the Securities Act, if available, rather than under this prospectus. However, the Security Holders will not sell any shares being offered by this prospectus until after the closing of our initial public offering on the date hereof.

 

Our directors and officers and any holder(s) of five percent (5%) or more of the outstanding shares of common stock as of the effective date of the Registration Statement (and all holders of securities exercisable for or convertible into shares of common stock) shall enter into customary “lock-up” agreement in favor of EF Hutton (the representative of the underwriters of initial public offering) pursuant to which such persons and entities shall agree that for a period of 180 days after the closing date of our initial public offering on the date hereof, they shall not offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any shares of capital stock of the Company or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of the Company, subject to customary exceptions and negotiated leak out agreements.

 

The Company, CCF, and EF Hutton have agreed that the 1,968,750 shares beneficially owned by CCF that are being registered hereby will not be subject to the lock-up agreement and will instead be subject to a leak out agreement for the same 180 day period as the lock-up agreement. On each trading day, CCF will be limited to selling up to ten percent (10%) of the daily trading volume of the Company’s common stock on NYSE American during the term of the leak-out agreement.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, EF Hutton (the representative of the underwriters of our initial public offering) may request “lock-up” agreements from any holder(s) of less than five percent (5%) of the outstanding shares of common stock as of the effective date of the Registration Statement, in its reasonable discretion. The Selling Stockholder’s shares that are being registered by the Registration Statement to which this prospectus forms a part are not subject to the lock-ups.

 

If the Security Holders effect such transactions by their shares to or through underwriters, broker-dealers, or agents, such underwriters, broker-dealers, or agents may receive commissions in the form of discounts, concessions, or commissions from the Security Holders or commissions from purchasers of the Security Holders shares for whom they may act as agent or to whom they may sell as principal (which discounts, concessions, or commissions as to particular underwriters, broker-dealers or agents may be in excess of those customary in the types of transactions involved). In connection with sales of the Security Holders shares or otherwise, the Security Holders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers, which may in turn engage in short sales of the Security Holders shares in the course of hedging in positions they assume. The Security Holders` may also sell their shares short and deliver them covered by this prospectus to close out short positions and to return borrowed shares in connection with such short sales. The Security Holders may also loan or pledge their shares to broker-dealers that in turn may sell such shares.

 

The Security Holders may pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of their shares and, if they default in the performance of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured parties may offer and sell the Security Holders shares from time to time pursuant to this prospectus or any amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act, amending, if necessary, the list of Security Holders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as Security Holders under this prospectus. The Security Holders also may transfer and donate the Security Holder shares in other circumstances in which case the transferees, donees, pledgees, or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.

 

 A-96 

 

 

The Security Holders and any broker-dealer participating in the distribution of their shares may be deemed to be "underwriters" within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any commission paid, or any discounts or concessions allowed to, any such broker-dealer may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. At the time a particular offering of the Security Holders shares is made, a prospectus supplement, if required, will be distributed which will set forth the aggregate amount of Security Holders shares being offered and the terms of the offering, including the name or names of any broker-dealers or agents, any discounts, commissions, and other terms constituting compensation from the Security Holders and any discounts, commissions, or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to broker-dealers.

 

Under the securities laws of some states, the shares being offered by the Security Holders pursuant to this prospectus may be sold in such states only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, in some states the Security Holders shares may not be sold unless such shares have been registered or qualified for sale in such state or an exemption from registration or qualification is available and is complied with.

 

There can be no assurance that any Security Holders will sell any or all of their shares registered pursuant to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part.

 

The Security Holders and any other person participating in such distribution will be subject to applicable provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder, including, without limitation, Regulation M of the Exchange Act, which may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the shares by the Security Holders and any other participating person. Regulation M may also restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the shares being offered by the Security Holders to engage in market-making activities with respect to the selling the shares being offered by the Security Holders. All of the foregoing may affect the marketability of the shares being offered by the Security Holders and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the shares being offered by the Security Holders.

 

Once sold under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, the shares being offered by the Security Holders will be freely tradeable in the hands of persons other than our affiliates.

 

 A-97 

 

 

[Alternative Page for Security Holder Prospectus]

 

LEGAL MATTERS

 

The validity of the issuance of the securities covered by this prospectus will be passed upon for us by Lucosky Brookman LLP.

 

 A-97 

 

 

 Castellum, Inc.

 

 

2,218,750 Shares

 

Common Stock

 

 

 

PROSPECTUS

 

_____________, 2022

 

 

Neither we nor the Security Holders have authorized any dealer, salesperson, or other person to give any information or to make any representations not contained in this prospectus or any prospectus supplement. You must not rely on any unauthorized information. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities in any jurisdiction where an offer or sale is not permitted. The information in this prospectus is current as of the date of this prospectus. You should not assume that this prospectus is accurate as of any other date.

 

Until [●], 2022 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), all dealers that buy, sell or trade shares of our common stock, whether or not participating in this offering, may be required to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as the underwriter and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

 

   

 

 

PART II

 

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 13. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

 

The following table sets forth the costs and expenses, other than underwriting discounts and commissions, to be paid by the Registrant in connection with the issuance and distribution of the common stock being registered.

 

SEC Registration Fee   $ 2,229  
FINRA Filing Fee     300  *
NYSE American     70,000
Legal Fees and Expenses     250,000  *
Accounting Fees and Expenses     225,000  *
Transfer Agent Fees     3,000
Printing and Engraving Expenses     20,000
Non-Accountable Expense Allowance     96,000 *
Miscellaneous     50,000 *
Total   $

716,529

 

 

* Estimated.

 

Item 14. Indemnification of Officers and Directors

 

The Nevada Revised Statutes limits or eliminates the personal liability of directors to corporations and their stockholders for monetary damages for breaches of directors’ fiduciary duties as directors. Our Amended and Restated Bylaws include provisions that require the company to indemnify our directors or officers against monetary damages for actions taken as a director or officer of our Company. We are also expressly authorized to carry directors’ and officers’ insurance to protect our directors, officers, employees and agents for certain liabilities. Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation do not contain any limiting language regarding director immunity from liability.

 

The limitation of liability and indemnification provisions under the Nevada Revised Statutes and our Amended and Restated Bylaws may discourage stockholders from bringing a lawsuit against directors for breach of their fiduciary duties. These provisions may also have the effect of reducing the likelihood of derivative litigation against directors and officers, even though such an action, if successful, might otherwise benefit us and our stockholders. However, these provisions do not limit or eliminate our rights, or those of any stockholder, to seek non-monetary relief such as injunction or rescission in the event of a breach of a director’s fiduciary duties. Moreover, the provisions do not alter the liability of directors under the Federal securities laws. In addition, your investment may be adversely affected to the extent that, in a class action or direct suit, we pay the costs of settlement and damage awards against directors and officers pursuant to these indemnification provisions.

 

Item 15. Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities.

 

The following sets forth information regarding all unregistered securities sold by us in transactions that were exempt from the requirements of the Securities Act since September 1, 2019. Except where noted, all of the securities discussed in this Item 15 were all issued in reliance on the exemption under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. All share and per share price information reflect a proposed reverse stock split at a ratio of 1-for-20.

 

 II- 1 

 

 

2022 Issuances

 

The Company issued the following common shares in the three months ended March 31, 2022:

 

The Company issued 15,000 shares of common stock in accordance with the Series C Preferred Stock subscription agreements.

 

The Company issued 15,000 shares of common stock in the exercise of stock options.

 

The Company issued 7,500 shares of common stock that vest over twelve months to an advisory board member.

 

The Company has issued the following securities since April 1, 2022:

 

On February 28, 2022, the Company was obligated to issue 125,000 shares of common stock as further consideration for taking a $500,000 loan. The shares were issued in April 2022 and are reflected in the Obligation to Issue Common and Preferred Stock on the Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2022.

 

On April 4, 2022, the Company entered into an SPA with Crom. The SPA includes (a) a Convertible Promissory Note dated April 4, 2022 in the amount of $1,050,000 at 7% interest per annum. This note matures April 4, 2023 (one-year) and is convertible at a conversion price of $1.60 per share; (b) the issuance of 656,250 warrants that mature April 4, 2027, with an exercise price of $1.84 per share; and (c) the issuance of 1,250,000 common shares at $0.40 per share ($500,000), the proceeds of which were paid to The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust for the first payment. In addition, Crom was issued 125,000 common shares as further inducement to enter into the SPA.

 

On April 15, 2022, the Company entered into Amendment No. 1 to Business Acquisition Agreement (“LSG Business Acquisition Agreement”) with Lexington Solutions Group, LLC (“LSG”) to acquire the assets of LSG. This LSG Business Acquisition Agreement superseded the Business Acquisition Agreement originally entered into on February 11, 2022. Under the terms of the LSG Business Acquisition Agreement, the Company acquired assets and assumed liabilities of LSG for consideration as follows: (a) 625,000 shares of common stock (600,000 shares paid at closing (issued on May 4, 2022) and 25,000 shares to be held and due within three business days of payment of the second tranche of cash described below); and (b) cash payments as follows: $250,000 due at closing (“initial cash payment”); $250,000 plus or minus any applicable post-closing adjustments paid on the date that is six months after the closing date (“second tranche”); and $280,000 that is due no later than December 31, 2022.

 

On April 19, 2022, the Company issued 7,500 shares of common stock in consideration of professional services rendered.

 

In April 2022, we issued 125,000 shares of common stock to Robert Eisiminger as a commitment fee to enter into a promissory note valued at $500,000.

 

In connection with the acquisition of LSG, the Company on May 2, 2022 granted warrants to two directors as a bonus. The Company granted 361,017 warrants at a strike price of $3.80, that expire on May 2, 2029.

 

In May 2022, 535,000 shares of Series B preferred stock were converted into 2,675,000 shares of common stock and 7,500 shares of common stock were issued in consideration for professional services rendered.

 

2021 Preferred Stock Issuance

 

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we issued a total of 620,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock as follows:

 

  (a) On September 16, 2021, September 23, 2021, October 20, 2021, November 18, 2021, November 23, 2021, and December 9, 2021, we issued a total of 620,000 shares of Series C Preferred Stock.

 

2021 Common Stock Issuance

 

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we issued a total of 4,308,118 shares of common stock as follows:

 

  (a)

On April 29, 2021 and June 15, 2021, we issued 1,114,023 shares of common stock in connection with the acquisition of MFSI.

 

  (b)

On August 6, 2021, we issued 500,000 shares of common stock in connection with the acquisition of Merrison.

 

  (c)

On August 25, 2021, we issued 2,600,000 shares of common stock in connection with the acquisition of SSI.

 

  (d)

On September 16, 2021, September 23, 2021, October 20, 2021, November 18, 2021, November 23, 2021, and December 9, 2021, we issued a total of 62,000 shares of common stock to the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock in accordance with the subscription agreements.

 

  (e)

On October 26, 2021, we issued 32,095 shares of common stock in connection with the acquisition of SSI.

  

2021 Stock Options Issuance

 

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we issued options to purchase a total of 3,212,500 shares of common stock as follows:

 

  (a)

On January 1, 2021, we granted options to five advisory board members and one employee to purchase 150,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.60 per share.

 

  (b)

On February 21, 2021, we granted options to an employee to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.00 per share.

 

  (c)

On March 12, 2021, we granted options to an advisory board member to purchase 50,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.80 per share for services rendered.

 

  (d)

On April 1, 2021, we granted options to and employee to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.80 per share.

 

  (e)

On July 1, 2021, we granted options pursuant to the terms of an employment agreement to an officer of the Company to purchase 750,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.60 per share.

 

  (f)

On August 6, 2021, we granted options to three employees to purchase a total of 600,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.40 per share.

 

  (g)

On August 12, 2021, we granted options to three employees to purchase a total of 750,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.40 per share.

 

  (h)

On August 31, 2021, we granted options to an employee to purchase 12,500 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $4.00 per share.

 

 II- 2 

 

 

2021 Warrants Issuance

 

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we issued warrants to purchase a total of 2,070,851 shares of common stock as follows:

 

  (a)

On January 20, 2021, we issued warrants to two executive officers pursuant to the terms of their employment agreements to purchase an aggregate of 130,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1.60 per share.

 

  (b)

On August 5, 2021, we issued warrants to two executive officers pursuant to the terms of their employment agreements to purchase an aggregate of 320,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.40 per share.

 

  (c)

On August 12, 2021, we issued warrants to two executive officers pursuant to the terms of their employment agreements to purchase an aggregate of 1,450,851 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.10 per share.

 

  (d)

On November 16, 2021, we issued warrants to two executive officers pursuant to the terms of their employment agreements to purchase an aggregate of 170,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $4.000000 per share.

 

2021 Unsecured Note Payable

 

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we issued an unsecured note payable, as follows:

 

  (a) On August 12, 2021, we issued the Kaunitz Note, in the principal amount of $400,000 that has a maturity date of December 31, 2024 and bears interest rate of five percent (5%).

  

2021 Convertible Note Payable

 

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we issued a convertible note payable, as follows:

 

  (a)

On February 1, 2021, the First BCR Trust Note and the Second BCR Trust Note were combined into one new note in the principal amount of $4,279,617 referred to as the Third BCR Trust Note, that had a maturity date of February 1, 2024. The interest rate remains at five percent (5%) per annum and required monthly principal payments of $10,000. The Third BCR Trust Note is convertible into common stock of the Company at $0.26 per share.

 

2020 Common Stock Issuance

 

During the year ended December 31, 2020, we issued a total of 666,732 shares of common stock as follows:

 

  (a)

On May 2, 2020, we issued 550,000 shares of common stock to a director in partial satisfaction for the repayment of directors’ notes plus accrued interest.

 

  (b)

On June 12, 2020, we issued 110,000 shares of common stock at $1.00 per share to two existing stockholders of the Company.

 

  (c)

On August 10, 2020, we issued 6,732 shares of common stock at $1.49 per share to the former chief executive officer of Corvus.

 

 II- 3 

 

 

2020 Stock Options Issuance

 

During the year ended December 31, 2020, we issued options to purchase a total of 1,309,375 shares of common stock as follows:

 

  (a)

On January 21, 2020, we granted options to two advisory board members to purchase 100,000 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.80 per share for services rendered.

 

  (b)

On February 1, 2020, we granted options to an advisory board member and employees to purchase 1,209,375 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $0.80 per share.

  

2020 Warrants Issuance

 

We did not issue any warrants during the year ended December 31, 2020.

 

2020 Convertible Note Payable

 

During the year ended December 31, 2020, we issued a convertible note payable, as follows:

 

  (a) On March 31, 2020, in connection with our acquisition of Corvus, we issued the Second BCR Trust Note in the principal amount of $670,138 that had a maturity date of November 21, 2022. The Second BCR Trust Note had an interest rate of five percent (5%) and is convertible into common stock of the Company at $0.26 per share.

  

 2019 Common Stock Issuance

 

From August 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019, we issued the following shares of common stock: 

 

 II- 4 

 

 

  (a)

On August 27, 2019, we completed the sale of 300,000 shares of common stock at $0.10 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $30,000 and issued 50,000 shares of common stock to a consultant for services rendered.

 

  (b)

On October 15, 2019, we completed the sale of 445,000 shares of common stock at $0.10 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $44,500, issued 100,000 shares of common stock to two consultants for services rendered, and issued 100,000 shares of common stock to two individuals for the conversion of debt.

 

  (c)

On December 2, 2019, we completed the sale of 137,500 shares of common stock at $0.40 per share, 250,000 shares of common stock at $0.10 per share, and 7,500 shares of common stock at $0.20 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $59,000 and issued 250,000 shares of common stock to a consultant for services rendered.

 

  (d)

On December 30, 2019, we completed the sale of 10,000 shares of common stock at $0.80 per share for an aggregate purchase price of $8,000 and issued 50,000 shares of common stock to a consultant for services rendered.

 

2019 Stock Options Issuance

 

We did not issue any stock options during the year ended December 31, 2019.

 

2019 Warrants Issuance

 

From August 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019, we issued the following warrants to purchase shares of common stock:

 

  (a)

On November 21, 2019, we granted a noteholder warrants to purchase 1,090,717 shares of common stock at $0.0000009254 per share, which amounts to $1.

 

2019 Secured Promissory Note

 

During the year ended December 31, 2019, we issued a secured promissory note, as follows:

 

  (a) On November 21, 2019, in connection with our acquisition of Corvus, we entered into the Eisiminger Note in the principal amount of $5,600,000 bearing interest at seven percent (7%).

 

2019 Convertible Notes Payable

 

From August 1, 2019 through December 31, 2019, we issued convertible notes payable, as follows:

 

  (a)

On November 21, 2019, in connection with our acquisition of Corvus, we entered into the First BCR Trust Note with the BCR Trust, in the principal amount of $3,700,000, that had an original maturity date of November 21, 2022. The interest rate on the First BCR Trust Note was five percent (5%) per annum and is convertible into common stock of the Company at $0.26 per share.

 

 II- 5 

 

 

The following exhibits are filed with this Registration Statement:

 

Exhibit Number   Exhibit Description
     
1.1**   Underwriting Agreement
2.1*   Stock Purchase Agreement dated May 6, 2019, by and among BioNovelus, Inc., Bayberry Acquisition Corp., and all of the stockholders of the Company
2.2*   First Amendment to Stock Purchase Agreement dated June 2, 2019 by and among BioNovelus, Inc., Bayberry Acquisition Corp., and all the stockholders of the Company
2.3*   Second Amendment to Stock Purchase Agreement dated June 8, 2019, by and among BioNovelus, Inc., Bayberry Acquisition Corp., and all the stockholders of the Company
2.4*   Securities Purchase Agreement dated November 21, 2019, by and among BioNovelus, Inc., Corvus Consulting, LLC, and the Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust
2.5*   Agreement and Plan of Merger dated August 12, 2021, by and among Castellum, Inc., KC Holdings Company, Inc., and Specialty Systems, Inc., and the Stockholders Named Herein
3.1*   Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation
3.2*   Amended and Restated Bylaws
3.3*   Form of Amendment to the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation
4.1*   Form of Warrant to Purchase Common Stock
4.2*   Amended Convertible Promissory Note Re-Issued as of February 1, 2021, by Corvus Consulting, LLC and Castellum, Inc. to The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust (Amended BCR Trust Note)
4.3*   Convertible Promissory Note Issued as of April 4, 2022 by Castellum, Inc. to Crom Cortana Fund LLC (CCF Note)
4.4*   Common Stock Purchase Warrant dated April 4, 2022, by and between Castellum, Inc. and Crom Cortana Fund LLC
4.5**   Form of Underwriter’s Warrant
5.1**   Legal Opinion of Lucosky Brookman LLP
10.1*   Secured Promissory Note Issued on August 10, 2021 by Corvus Consulting, LLC and BioNovelus, Inc. to Robert Eisiminger (Eisiminger Note)
10.2*   Term Loan Promissory Note Issued on August 11, 2021 by and between Castellum, Inc., Specialty Systems, Inc., Corvus Consulting, LLC, Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc., Merrison Technologies, LLC, and Live Oak Banking Company (Live Oak Term Loan Note)
10.3*   Term Loan and Security Agreement dated August 11, 2021, by and between Castellum, Inc., Specialty Systems, Inc., Corvus Consulting, LLC, Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc., Merrison Technologies, LLC and Live Oak Banking Company
10.4*   Promissory Note Issued on August 12, 2021 by Corvus Consulting, LLC and Castellum, Inc. to Emil Kaunitz (Kaunitz Note)
10.5*   Promissory Note Issued on February 28, 2022 by Corvus Consulting, LLC and Castellum, Inc. to Robert Eisiminger (Eisiminger Promissory Note)
10.6*   Revolving Line of Credit Promissory Note Issued on March 28, 2022 by Castellum, Inc., Specialty Systems, Inc., Corvus Consulting, LLC, Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc., Merrison Technologies, LLC to Live Oak Banking Company (Live Oak Revolving Note)
10.7*   Loan and Security Agreement dated March 28, 2022, by and between Castellum, Inc., Specialty Systems, Inc., Corvus Consulting, LLC, Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc., Merrison Technologies, LLC and Live Oak Banking Company
10.8*   Business Acquisition Agreement dated February 11, 2022, by and between Castellum, Inc. and Lexington Solutions Group, LLC
10.9+*   Castellum, Inc. Stock Incentive Plan
10.10+*   Form of Stock Option Agreement
10.11+*   Employment Agreement dated April 1, 2020, by and between Castellum, Inc. and Mark Fuller
10.12+*   Employment Agreement dated April 1, 2020, by and between Castellum, Inc. and Jay Wright
10.13+*   Employment Agreement dated April 1, 2020, by and between Castellum, Inc. and Glen Ives
10.14+*   Employment Agreement dated April 25, 2022, by and between Castellum, Inc. and David T. Bell
10.15*   Lease Agreement dated January 11, 2018, between LTD Realty investment, IV, LP, and Specialty Systems, Inc.
10.16+*   Form of Director Agreement
10.17++*   Labor Hour Subcontract Agreement between Corvus Consulting, LLC and CACI, Inc. - Federal  
10.18++*   Modification dated April 8, 2022 to Purchase Order No. P000096970 between Covus Consulting, LLC and CACI, Inc.- Federal
10.19++*   Contract No. N00178-14D-7931 effective February 14, 2019 between Specialty Systems, Inc. and NAVAIR Aircraft Division Lakehurst
10.20++*   Modification No. 1 of Contract effective November 2, 2021 between Specialty Systems, Inc. and NAVAIR Aircraft Division Lakehurst
10.21++*   Time and Material Subcontract Number PO-0018098 between Perpsecta Engineering, Inc. and Corvus Consulting, LLC
10.22++*   Modification 13 to Time and Material Subcontract between Perspecta Engineering, Inc. and Corvus Consulting, Inc.
14.1*   Code of Ethics and Business Conduct 
21.1*   List of Subsidiaries
23.1*   Consent of RSM US LLP
23.2*   Consent of Aronson LLC
23.3**   Consent of Lucosky Brookman LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1)
24.1*   Power of Attorney (included on signature page)
99.1*   Consent of Patricia Frost
99.2*   Consent of C. Thomas McMillen
99.3*   Consent of John F. Campbell
99.4*   Consent of Mark Alarie
99.5*   Consent of Bernard S. Champoux
107*   Filing Fee Table

 

* Filed herewith.
** To be filed by an amendment to this registration statement.

+Management contract or compensatory plan.
++

Portions of this exhibit have been omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(10)(iv) of Regulation S-K because such information is (i) not material and (ii) the type of information the Company treats as confidential. The Company will furnish supplementally an unredacted copy of such exhibit to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon its request.

 

 II- 6 

 

 

(b) Financial statement schedules.

 

All schedules have been omitted because either they are not required, are not applicable or the information is otherwise set forth in the financial statements and related notes thereto.

 

Item 17. Undertakings

 

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

 

  (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

 

  (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;
     
  (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;
     
  (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

 

  (2) That for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933 each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
     
  (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

 

  (4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser, each prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) as part of a registration statement relating to an offering, other than registration statements relying on Rule 430B or other than prospectuses filed in reliance on Rule 430A, shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the date it is first used after effectiveness. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such first use, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such date of first use.

 

 II- 7 

 

 

  (5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities:

 

The undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

 

  (i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;
     
  (ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;
     
  (iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and
     
  (iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

 

  (6) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes to provide to the underwriters at the closing specified in the underwriting agreement certificates in such denominations and registered in such names as required by the underwriters to permit prompt delivery to each purchaser.
     
  (7) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 14 above, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the SEC such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
     
  (8) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

 

  (i) That for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4), or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of this registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
     
  (ii) That for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and this offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
     
  * Paragraph references correspond to those of Regulation S-K, Item 512.

 

 II- 8 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of Bethesda, State of Maryland, on September 2, 2022.

 

    Castellum, Inc.
     
    By:  

 /s/ Mark C. Fuller

        Name: Mark C. Fuller
        Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

POWER OF ATTORNEY

 

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Mark C. Fuller and David T. Bell and each one of them, as his or her true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him or her and in their name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, and to sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by this registration statement that is to be effective on filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he or she might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or any of them, or his or her substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated: 

 

Signature   Title   Date
         
 /s/ Mark C. Fuller   Chief Executive Officer and Director   September 2, 2022.
Mark C. Fuller   (Principal Executive Officer)    
         
 /s/ David T. Bell   Chief Financial Officer   September 2, 2022.
David T. Bell   (Principal Accounting Officer and
Principal Financial Officer)
   
         
 /s/ Jay O. Wright   General Counsel, Director   September 2, 2022.
Jay O. Wright        
         
 /s/ Emil Kaunitz   Director   September 2, 2022.
Emil Kaunitz        
         
 /s/ Laurie Buckhout   Director   September 2, 2022.
Laurie Buckhout        
         

 

 II- 9 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 2.1

 

STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

AMONG

 

BIONOVELUS, INC.

 

AND

 

BAYBERRY ACQUISITION CORP.

 

AND

 

THE STOCKHOLDERS OF

 

BAYBERRY ACQUISITION CORP

 

MAY 6, 2019

 

 i 

 

 

STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

THIS STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this Agreement) is made and entered into as of May 6, 2019, by and among BioNovelus, Inc. (Buyer), Bayberry Acquisition Corp. (the Company), and all of the stockholders of Company (collectively, the Stockholdersand individually a Stockholder). Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined elsewhere in this Agreement.

 

RECITALS

 

A.        The Stockholders own of record one hundred percent (100%) of the outstanding common and preferred stock of Company.

 

B.        The Stockholders desire to sell, and Buyer desires to purchase, all of the issued and outstanding stock of Company, all upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, and for such other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

 

1.01 Certain Definitions. Each of the following terms shall have the meaning given such terms as set forth in the section of this Agreement set forth below opposite such term:

 

Defined Term Section
   
Agreement Preamble
Closing 2.02
Closing Date 2.02
Company Preamble
Company Common Stock 3.05(a)
Company Preferred Stock 3.05(a)
Company Indemnitees 7.02
Dispute 8.05(a)
Dispute Notice 8.05(a)
Financial Statements 3.08
Indemnification Notice 7.04(a)
Indemnification Objection Notice 7.04(b)
Indemnifying Party 7.03
Indemnitees 7.02
Leased Real Property 3.18(b)
Material Contract 3.11(b)
Permits 3.15

 

 1 

 

 

Defined Term Section
Permitted Indemnification Claim 7.04(b)
Pre-Closing Proceeding 6.01(g)
Real Property Leases 3.18(b)
Related Parties 3.10
Related Party Agreements 3.10
Buyer Preamble
Buyer Indemnitees 7.01
Shares 2.01
Stockholder Preamble
Stockholders Preamble
Straddle Proceeding 6.01(g)

 

1.02         Additional Definitions. The following terms, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings set forth below:

 

Annual Financial Statementsmeans the balance sheet of Company, at March 31, 2019, and the statement of income for the period from inception to March 31, 2019, attached to Section 3.8.

 

Balance Sheetmeans the balance sheet of Company as of April 30, 2019.

 

Business Daymeans any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York, New York are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed.

 

Claimmeans any and all claims, demands, actions, causes of action, suits, proceedings and administrative proceedings.

 

Codemeans the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Knowledgemeans the actual knowledge of any officer or majority shareholder of the Buyer and of any officer or shareholder of the Company.

 

Company Lettermeans and refers to the letter from Company to Buyer dated the date hereof and identifying exceptions to the warranties and representations set forth in Article III, which has been prepared by Company.

 

Damagesmeans all assessments, losses, damages, liabilities, debts, charges (including judgments and decrees which give rise to any of the foregoing), diminution in value, costs and expenses, including, without limitation, interest, penalties, court costs, attorneysand accountantsfees and expenses (including attorneysand accountantsfees and expenses of Buyer incurred in the investigation or defense of any matter, or in asserting, preserving or enforcing its rights under this Agreement).

 

 2 

 

 

Government Agencymeans (i) the United States Government, including all departments and agencies of any branch of the United States Government, all independent agencies or instrumentalities and all non-appropriated fund activities within the United States Government and United States Government corporations, and (ii) any state or local government, including all departments, agents, agencies, branches, independent agencies or instrumentalities, activities, and non-appropriated fund activities of or within a state or local government and all state or local government corporations.

 

Governmental Authoritymeans any court, administrative or regulatory agency or commission or other governmental authority of competent jurisdiction.

 

Intellectual Property Rightsmeans any and all United States and foreign (i) patents and patent applications (including without limitation docketed patent disclosures awaiting filing, reissues, divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part and extensions), patent disclosures awaiting filing determination, inventions and improvements thereto, (ii) trademarks, service marks, certification marks, trade name rights, trade dress, logos, business and product names, slogans, and registrations and applications for registration thereof, (iii) copyrights and registrations thereof, (iv) inventions, processes, designs, formulae, trade secret rights, know-how, industrial models, confidential, technical and business information, manufacturing, engineering and technical drawings, and product specifications, (v) intellectual property rights similar to any of the foregoing, (vi) computer software, and (vii) copies and tangible embodiments thereof (in whatever form or medium, including without limitation electronic media) that are (a) used by or on behalf of Company in performance of Companys business as conducted on the date hereof, (b) licensed or provided by or on behalf of Company to its customers or other licensees, or (c) otherwise necessary to conduct the business of Company.

 

Law or Lawsmeans any law, statute, code, ordinance, regulation, rule or other binding obligation or requirement of any Governmental Agency or Governmental Authority.

 

Lienmeans, with respect to any asset of any party hereto, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, debt, option, security interest, conditional sale or other title retention document or similar encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset.

 

Ordermeans any order, judgment, ruling, injunction, assessment, award, decree, writ or other binding decision of any Governmental Authority or Government Agency.

 

Personmeans an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, trust or other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or agency or instrumentality thereof.

 

 3 

 

 

Taxor Taxesmeans (i) any federal, state, local, Indian, or foreign income, gross receipts, gross margin, license, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, windfall profits, environmental (including taxes under Code Section 59A), customs duties, capital stock, franchise, profits, withholding, social security (or similar excises), unemployment, disability, ad valorem, real property, personal property, sales, use, transfer, registration, value added, alternative or add-on minimum, estimated, or other tax of any kind whatsoever, including any interest, penalty, or addition thereto, whether disputed or not, by any Governmental Authority responsible for imposition of any such tax (domestic or foreign), (ii) in the case of Company, liability for the payment of any amount of the type described in clause (i) as a result of being or having been on or before the Closing Date a member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined or unitary group, or a party to any agreement or arrangement, as a result of which liability of Company to a Governmental Authority is determined or taken into account with reference to the liability of any other Person, and (iii) liability of Company for the payment of any amount as a result of being party to any Tax Sharing Agreement or with respect to the payment of any amount of the type described in (i) or (ii) as a result of any existing express or implied obligation (including an indemnification obligation).

 

Tax Returnmeans any return, declaration, disclosure, election, schedule, estimate, report, claim for refund, estimates or information return or statement relating to Taxes, including any schedule or attachment thereto, and including any amendment thereof.

 

Tax Sharing Agreementmeans all existing agreements or arrangements (whether or not written) binding Company that provide for the allocation, apportionment, sharing or assignment of any Tax liability or benefit, or the transfer or assignment of income, revenues, receipts or gains for the principal purpose of determining any Persons Tax liability.

 

Transaction Documentsmeans this Agreement, the Company Letter and any documents, agreements or certificates required to be executed and delivered by Company, any Stockholder, and/or Buyer.

 

Transactionsmeans the purchase and sale of the Shares contemplated in Article II and the other transactions relating thereto contemplated under this Agreement.

 

1.03       Rules of Construction. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the following rules of construction:

 

(a) the terms defined in this Agreement include the plural as well as the singular;

 

(b) all references in the Agreement to designated Articles,” “Sectionsand other subdivisions are to the designated articles, sections and other subdivisions of the body of this Agreement;

 

(c) pronouns of either gender or neuter shall include, as appropriate, the other pronoun forms;

 

(d) the words herein,” “hereofand hereunderand other words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision;

 

(e) the words includesand includingare not limiting; and

 

(g) all references to days shall be deemed to refer to calendar days unless this Agreement specifically refers to Business Days.

 

 4 

 

 

ARTICLE II

PURCHASE AND SALE OF SHARES

 

2.01        Purchase and Sale of Shares. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, the Stockholders hereby agree to sell, convey, assign, transfer and deliver to Buyer, free and clear of all Liens whatsoever, and Buyer hereby agrees to purchase from the Stockholders one hundred percent (100%) of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Company (the Shares).

 

2.02        Closing. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions contained in Article V, the closing of the Transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the Closing) shall take place at the offices of Buyer as soon as practicable (but not later than 5 Business Days) after the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to Closing contained in Article V (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the fulfillment or waiver of those conditions), unless another date or place is agreed to in writing by the parties hereto. The date on which the Closing actually occurs is hereinafter referred to as the Closing Date.On or prior to the Closing, Buyer agrees to cause all of the affiliate debt of the Buyer to be converted into 240 million shares of common stock of the Buyer or such lesser or greater number such that there are 360 million shares of common stock and 0 shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding prior to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. At or prior to the Closing, the Stockholders shall cause to be delivered $42,500 of cash to certain creditors of the Buyer to pay certain of the Buyers non-audit liabilities as set forth on Schedule 2.02(a) in exchange for which the Person(s) listed on Schedule 2.02(b) shall be issued a 1-year convertible promissory note for $42,500 convertible into 8.5 million shares of Buyer plus 17 million warrants to purchase common stock of the Buyer at $0.005 per share.

 

2.03        Consideration; Delivery. In full consideration for the purchase by Buyer of the Shares, Buyer shall effectuate the following:

 

(a)        Preferred Stock. Upon closing, Buyer shall issue to the shareholders listed on Schedule 2.03(a) 1 million shares of Series B convertible preferred stock of the Buyer, convertible into 361 million shares of common stock. Each share of preferred stock shall have 10 votes per share.

 

(b)        Common Stock. Four hundred forty-two thousand eight hundred eighty six (442,886) shares of common stock to the shareholders listed on Schedule 2.03(b).

 

(c)        Reverse Stock Split. In order to facilitate a higher price for the common stock of the Buyer, it is contemplated that a stock split of between 1-for-10 and a 1-for-100 shall be effectuated (subject to FINRA rules and SEC Rule 10b-17) at some point within 12 months after the Closing but not within the first 4 months after the Closing, reducing the current shares outstanding and reducing other shares being issued prior to such split (such as those referenced in 2.02 and 2.03) proportionately. Fractional shares shall be rounded up to the next whole share. Each shareholder of Buyer with more than 10% ownership (inclusive of shares being issued hereunder) agrees to vote in favor of such reverse stock split at such time as it is voted on provided such vote occurs prior to April 30, 2020.

 

 5 

 

 

ARTICLE III

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF COMPANY

 

Company represents and warrants to Buyer as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as follows:

 

3.01        Corporate Existence and Power; Subsidiaries. Company is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of Nevada and Company has all corporate powers and all governmental licenses, authorizations, permits, consents and approvals required to carry on its business as now conducted and to own the properties and assets it now owns. Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction, including foreign countries, where the character of the property owned or leased by it or the nature of its activities makes such qualification necessary.

 

3.02        Corporate Authorization; Binding Effect; Board Authorization. Company has all requisite corporate power and corporate authority required to enter into this Agreement and each Transaction Document to which Company is or will be a party and to consummate the Transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution and delivery by Company of this Agreement and of each Transaction Document to which Company is or will be a party and the consummation of the Transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary and proper corporate action on the part of Company in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Company and constitutes, and each of the Transaction Documents to which Company is or will be a party upon execution and delivery by Company will constitute, a valid and binding agreement of Company enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditorsrights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

3.03        Governmental Authorization and Consents. No consent, approval or authorization of, filing with, or notice to, any Governmental Authority, or any lender, lessor, creditor, stockholder or any other Person, is required by Company or the Stockholders in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by Company and the Stockholders of this Agreement, each and every agreement contemplated under this Agreement to be entered into by Company or the Stockholders in connection with the Transactions, and the consummation by Company and the Stockholders of the Transactions contemplated hereunder to be consummated by Company or the Stockholders.

 

3.04      Non-contravention. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents by Company and the Stockholders, the performance by Company and the Stockholders of their respective obligations hereunder and thereunder, and the consummation of the Transactions, do not and will not (a) contravene or conflict with the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of Company, (b) contravene or conflict with any applicable provision of any law, regulation, rule, judgment, injunction, order or decree binding upon or applicable to Company or the Stockholders, (c) except as set forth in Section 3.04 of the Company Letter, require notice or constitute a default under, or impair or alter the rights of Company or any third party or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation, amendment or acceleration of any right or obligation of Company or to a loss of any benefit to which Company is entitled under, any provision of any agreement, contract or other instrument binding upon Company or by which any one or more of Companys assets or properties may be bound or subject, or any license, franchise, permit or other similar authorization held by Company or (d) result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any assets or properties of Company.

 

 6 

 

 

3.05        Capitalization. The authorized capital stock of Company consists of 1500 shares of common stock, (Company Common Stock) and zero (0) shares of preferred stock (Company Preferred Stock). As of May 2, 2019, there are outstanding 300 shares of Company Common Stock and zero (0) shares of Company Preferred Stock, all of which have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. Company has no other authorized, issued or outstanding class of capital stock. There are no existing options, rights, subscriptions, warrants, unsatisfied preemptive rights, calls or other written, oral or implied commitments relating to (a) the authorized and unissued capital stock of Company or (b) any securities or obligations convertible into or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire from Company, any shares of capital stock of Company and no such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations are outstanding. Each outstanding share of capital stock of Company is free and clear of Liens. All outstanding shares of Company Common Stock were issued in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive or similar right. No option, right, subscription, warrant, unsatisfied preemptive right, call or other written, oral or implied commitment relating to (i) the authorized and unissued capital stock of Company or (ii) any securities or obligations convertible into or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire from Company, capital stock of Company shall be outstanding after the Closing.

 

3.06        Trade Names. Company has no trade names, fictitious names, assumed names or

doing business asnames or other names under which it has done or is doing business.

 

3.07        Title to Properties; Absence of Liens; Sufficiency of Assets.

 

(a)        Company has good, valid, and marketable title to or, in the case of leased property and assets, valid and subsisting leasehold interests in, all of its assets and property, whether real personal, mixed, tangible or intangible, including, without limitation, all of the assets and properties reflected in the Balance Sheet, free and clear of all Liens.

 

(b)        The assets and property owned or leased by Company (i) constitute all of the property and assets used or held for use in connection with the business of Company, (ii) constitute all of the property and assets necessary to conduct such business as currently conducted and (iii) are in good condition and repair, ordinary wear and tear excepted and are usable in the ordinary course of business. Company has no owned or leased automobiles.

 

3.08        Financial Statements; Related Information.

 

The Company has not had material operations since its incorporation and has had no revenue and has no liabilities.

 

 7 

 

 

3.09        Absence of Certain Changes. Since January 1, 2019, Company has conducted business in the ordinary course consistent with past practice, including making all regularly scheduled payments and commitments and, except as disclosed in Section 3.09 of the Company Letter, there has not been:

 

(a)        any event, occurrence, development of a state of circumstances or facts, or change in the business, properties, assets, prospects, operations or condition (financial or otherwise) of Company which, individually or in the aggregate, has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and, to Companys Knowledge, no such event, occurrence, development or change is threatened;

 

(b)        (i) any declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or other distribution with respect to any shares of capital stock of Company, or (ii) any repurchase, redemption or other acquisition by Company of any outstanding shares of capital stock or other securities of, or other ownership interests in, Company (except that concurrent with closing, Company shall be making a distribution of its cash on hand to the shareholders);

 

(c)        any incurrence, assumption or direct or indirect guarantee by Company of any indebtedness for borrowed money or any creation or assumption by Company of any Lien (other than Permitted Liens) on any asset;

 

(d)        any material transaction or commitment made, or any material contract or agreement entered into, amended or terminated by Company or any waiver or relinquishment by Company of any contract or other right, other than those contemplated by this Agreement;

 

(e)        any change in any method of accounting or accounting practice by Company;

 

(f)        any (i) grant of any severance or termination pay to any director, officer or employee of Company, (ii) commencement, renewal or amendment of any consulting, employment, deferred compensation, severance, retirement or other similar agreement with any Person, (iii) increase in benefits payable under any existing severance or termination pay policies, employment agreements or commission arrangements or agreements, (iv) entry into any arrangement or agreement obligating Company to pay commissions or other similar payments; and (v) any other increase in compensation, bonus or other benefits payable to any director or officer of Company or, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices, to any employee of Company;

 

(g)        any agreement, by or on behalf of Company, whether written or otherwise, to take any action described in this Section 3.09.

 

 8 

 

 

3.10        Related Party Transactions. Except as set forth in Section 3.10 of the Company Letter, (a) no Stockholder, (b) no current or former director, officer, employee or affiliate of Company, (c) no immediate family member of any such director, officer, employee or affiliate, or of a Stockholder, and (d) no entity controlled by any one or more of the foregoing (excluding Company) (collectively, the Related Parties): (i) owns, directly or indirectly, any interest in (excepting not more than 5% stock holdings for investment purposes in securities of publicly held and traded companies), or is an officer, director, employee or consultant of, any Person which is, or is engaged in business as, a competitor, lessor, lessee, customer, distributor, sales agent, or supplier of Company; (ii) owns, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, any tangible or intangible property that Company uses or the use of which is reasonably necessary or desirable for the conduct of Companys business; (iii) has any cause of action or other Claim whatsoever against, or owes any amount to, Company; or (iv) on behalf of Company, has made any payment or commitment to pay any commission, fee or other amount to, or purchase or obtain or otherwise contract to purchase or obtain any goods or services from, any corporation or other Person of which any officer or director of Company, or an immediate family member of the foregoing, is a partner or stockholder (excepting stock holdings solely for investment purposes in securities of publicly held and traded companies).

 

3.11         Material Contracts.

 

(a)          Except as disclosed in the applicable subsection of Section 3.11(a) of the Company Letter, Company is not a party to or bound by any of the following (whether oral or written):

 

(i)        any lease (a) for real property or (b) for personal property involving annual expenditures of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) or more or aggregate expenditures of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) or more;

 

(ii)        any agreement (a) for the purchase of materials, software, supplies, goods, services, equipment or other assets providing for either annual payments by Company of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) or more under such agreement or aggregate payments by Company of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) or more under such agreement or which contains any exclusivity provision, or (b) that continues for a period of more than 12 months (unless it can be terminated at Companys convenience without premium or penalty) or provides for quantities in excess of the normal, ordinary and usual requirements of Company or is as at an excessive price;

 

(iii) any agreement (a) providing for the sale by Company of materials, supplies, goods, services, equipment or other assets that provides for either annual payments to Company of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) or more under such agreement or aggregate payments to Company of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) or more under such agreement or (b) which will result in any loss to Company upon completion of performance thereof, nor are there any outstanding bids or proposals that will not result in a normal profit;

 

(iv) any partnership, joint venture or limited liability company agreement;

 

 9 

 

 

(v)        any agreement relating to the acquisition or disposition of any (a) business (whether by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets or otherwise) or (b) assets outside the ordinary course of business;

 

(vi)        any agreement relating to indebtedness for borrowed money, capital lease obligation or the deferred purchase price of property (in either case, whether incurred, assumed, guaranteed (directly or indirectly) or secured by any asset) or the making of a loan;

 

(vii)        any option to license, license (including software license) or franchise agreement;

 

(viii)        any commission, agency, dealer, sales representative or marketing agreement;

 

(ix)        any agreement that limits the freedom of Company to compete in any line of business, in any market or customer segment or with any Person;

 

(x)        any agreement containing any right of first refusal or right of first negotiation or to provide goods or services to any Person on a preferential or most-favored basis;

 

(xi)        any agreement pursuant to which Company is subject to confidentiality or non-disclosure obligations; (assuming we have included all of these in the disclosure documents)

 

(xii)        any agreement under which Company agrees to indemnify any party other than in the ordinary course of business or in which Company agrees to indemnify any Person for consequential or incidental damages or lost profits;

 

(xiii)        any contract or other agreement with any current or former officer, director, employee, consultant, agent or other representative or any agreement or understanding pursuant to which Company may be liable for any severance or termination pay or obligations;

 

(xiv)        any outstanding contracts or agreements, other than task orders, with any or for Government Agency, including any subcontract with any prime or other contractor at any tier;

 

(xv)        any other agreement or series of related agreements, which, individually or in the aggregate, is material to Company.

 

(b)        Each agreement, contract, plan, lease, arrangement or commitment disclosed in Section 3.11(a) of the Company Letter or required to be disclosed in the Company Letter (each a Material Contract) constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Company and is in full force and effect. Each Material Contract is enforceable against Company in accordance with its terms, subject to general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at equity or at law), and except as enforceability thereof may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws of general application relating to creditorsrights. Company has satisfied in full or provided for all of its liabilities and obligations under the Material Contracts which are due and payable, except amounts or liabilities disputed in good faith by Company for which adequate reserves have been set aside. Company is not, and to Companys Knowledge, no other party is in default under or breach of any Material Contract, and, to Companys Knowledge, no event or circumstance has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would (i) constitute any default or breach thereunder, (ii) impair or alter the rights of Company or any third party, (iii) give rise to a right of termination, cancellation, amendment or acceleration, or (iv) result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any assets or properties of Company.

 

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(c)        To Companys Knowledge, no Person intends to terminate (whether for cause or convenience) or default under any Material Contract before the expiration of its stated term, if any, and, in the case of Material Contracts for which renewal is contemplated, no Person intends not to renew such contract. Except as set forth in Section 3.11(c) of the Company Letter, to Companys Knowledge, no Claim for non-performance of any Material Contract is pending or threatened. There are no pending renegotiations of, attempts to renegotiate or outstanding rights to renegotiate any material amounts paid or payable under any Material Contract, and no Person has requested any such renegotiation.

 

3.12        No Undisclosed Liabilities. (Except for liabilities which will be incurred as a result of this transaction, which will be born by the Shareholders), there are no liabilities of Company of any kind whatsoever including any liability for Taxes (whether accrued or unaccrued, actual or contingent, matured or unmatured, conditional or absolute, determined, determinable, unliquidated or otherwise), and there are no existing conditions, situations or circumstances which, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably could be expected to result in such a liability or obligation, other than:

 

(a)        liabilities or obligations disclosed on the face of the Balance Sheet; and

 

(b)        liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice since the Balance Sheet Date, which individually and in the aggregate are not material to Company and none of which is a liability resulting from, arising out of, relating or caused by any breach of contract, breach of warranty, tort, infringement, violation of law, claim or lawsuit.

 

3.13        Litigation. There is no action, suit, investigation or proceeding pending against or, to Companys Knowledge, threatened against or affecting Company, any of its assets or any of its officers or directors in their capacity as officers or directors of Company before any court or arbitrator or any governmental body, agency or official; nor, to Companys Knowledge, is there any valid basis for or circumstance which would give rise to any such action, suit, investigation or proceeding. Company is not subject to any judgment, Order or decree. Section 3.13 of the Company Letter sets forth a description of each legal proceeding instituted by or on behalf of Company.

 

3.14        Compliance with Laws and Court Orders. Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws, Orders or other requirements of a Governmental Authority applicable to its business, properties, assets and operations (including those Laws relating to wages and hours, classification of employees, record keeping, customs, export and sanctions compliance, possession of classified information or zoning). Company has not been given notice of any alleged violation or non-compliance of any such Law, order or requirement. To Companys Knowledge, Company is not and has not been under investigation with respect to or been threatened to be charged with or given notice of any violation of any applicable Law, order or requirement.

 

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3.15        Licenses and Permits. Company has all licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted, including without limitation all accreditations and laboratory certifications. Section 3.15 of the Company Letter correctly sets forth a list of each license, franchise, permit, order, registration, certificate, approval, accreditation, certification or other similar authorization affecting, or relating in any way to, the assets or business of Company (collectively, the Permits), and each pending application for any Permit, together with the name of the Government Agency or other Person issuing such Permit or with which such application is pending. Except as set forth in Section 3.15 of the Company Letter, (a) the Permits are valid and in full force and effect, (b) Company is not and has not been in violation of or default under, and, to Companys Knowledge, no condition exists that with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a violation of or default under, the Permits, (c) no proceeding is pending or, to Companys Knowledge, threatened, to revoke or limit any Permit and (d) none of the Permits will be terminated or impaired or become terminable, in whole or in part, as a result of the Transactions.

 

3.16        Proprietary Rights.

 

(a)        Ownership. Company has all Intellectual Property Rights necessary to conduct business as it has been conducted immediately prior to the Closing Date. Except for Intellectual Property Rights listed in Section 3.16(b), which are licensed to Company by another Person, Company is the sole and exclusive owner of the entire right, title, and interest in and to all Intellectual Property Rights.

 

(b)        Licenses to Company. Section 3.16(b) of the Company Letter sets forth all Intellectual Property Rights licensed to Company by other Persons that are used by or on behalf of Company in performance of Companys business as it has been conducted immediately prior to the Closing Date. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(b)(i) of the Company Letter, the Intellectual Property Rights licensed to Company by other Persons are licensed pursuant to valid and binding agreements that are enforceable by Company in accordance with their terms and freely assignable or otherwise transferable to Buyer in connection with the Transactions. Neither Company nor any other party to any such aforementioned valid and binding agreement is in default or breach in any material respect under the terms of any such aforementioned valid and binding agreements and no event or circumstance has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute any material event of default thereunder.

 

(c)        Licenses from Company to Third Parties. Company has not granted any licenses to another Person with respect to its Intellectual Property Rights.

 

(d)        Encumbrances. Company has not assigned, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered title in and to any of the Intellectual Property Rights and is not obligated to pay any further sums to another Person for the use of the Intellectual Property Rights greater than one thousand dollars ($1,000) per year.

 

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(e)        Infringement. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(e) of the Company Letter, (i) there are no infringements by any other party of any of the Intellectual Property Rights, and (ii) there are no pending or threatened claims against any Person, who would be entitled to indemnification by Company for such claims, that the Intellectual Property infringes any other Persons Intellectual Property Rights. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(e)(i) of the Company Letter, Company has not entered into any agreement to indemnify any other party against any charge of infringement of any of its Intellectual Property Rights except for any such violations or infringements as do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect Company. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(e)(ii) of the Company Letter, Company has not violated or infringed and does not violate or infringe any Intellectual Property Right of any other Person, and Company has not received any written communication alleging that it violates or infringes the Intellectual Property Right of any other Person. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(e)(iii) of the Company Letter, Company has not been sued at any time for infringing any Intellectual Property Right of another Person.

 

(f)        Know-How. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(f) of the Company Letter, there have been no disclosures by Company or any of its affiliates, to any other Person, other than disclosures to Persons who are bound to hold such information in confidence pursuant to confidentiality agreements or otherwise by operation of law, of any algorithms, process, technique, formula, research and development results or other know-how relating to the business of Company, the unauthorized public disclosure of which would have an adverse effect on Company.

 

3.17        Taxes.

 

Except as otherwise set forth on Section 3.17 of the Company Letter: (i) Company has timely filed (taking into account any properly granted extensions of time to file) all Tax Returns with the appropriate taxing authorities required to have been filed, and each such Tax Return is correct and complete in all material respects.

 

3.18        Real Property.

 

(a)        Company has never owned any real property or interest therein.

 

(b)        Section 3.18(b) of the Company Letter sets forth a true, correct and complete list of all leases, subleases, licenses and other agreements (collectively, the Real Property Leases) under which Company uses or occupies or has the right or obligation to use or occupy or pay rent or other fees for use thereof, now or in the future, any real property (the land, buildings and other improvements covered by the Real Property Leases.

 

(c)        Company has not received notice of any pending, or to Companys Knowledge, are there any threatened, condemnation, eminent domain or similar proceedings affecting the Leased Real Property, any improvements thereon or any portion thereof. Company has not received notice that there is any pending, or to Companys Knowledge, has there been any threatened, request, application or proceeding to alter or restrict any zoning or other use restrictions applicable to the Leased Real Property, any improvements thereon or any portion thereof. There are no adverse parties in possession of the Leased Real Property or any portion or portions thereof, and on the Closing Date the interests of Company in the Leased Real Property will be free and clear of any and all liens, subsequent leases, licenses, occupants or tenants. .

 

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3.19        Insurance Coverage. Section 3.19 of the Company Letter sets forth (a) a true and complete list of all insurance policies, fidelity bonds and other insurance arrangements and other contracts or arrangements for the transfer or sharing of insurance risks by Company with respect to the business, assets, properties, operations, employees, officers or directors of Company, (b) the dates since which such policies or other arrangements have been in effect, (c) a description of such risks that Company has designated as being self-insured and (d) an insurer generated list of claims under each policy for the last two (2) policy periods.

 

3.20        Books and Records. Company has maintained business records, including books of account, minute books and stock record books, with respect to the assets and its business and operations which are true, accurate and complete in all material respects, and to Companys Knowledge, there are no deficiencies in such business records.

 

3.21        Accounts Receivable; Accounts Payable. All accounts receivable, unbilled work in process and other debts due or recorded represent sales actually made by Company in the ordinary course of business and are collectible in full in the ordinary course of business on or prior to the first anniversary of the Closing Date, subject to such reserves for doubtful receivables as are included in the Balance Sheet. None of such accounts receivable or other debts is subject to any defense, counterclaim or right of set-off. Company has delivered to Buyer a complete and accurate list and aging schedule of all receivables of Company. There are no unpaid invoices or bills representing amounts alleged to be owed by Company, or other alleged obligations of Company, which Company has disputed or determined to dispute or refuse to pay.

 

3.22        Absence of Unlawful Payments. None of (a) Company, (b) any Stockholder, director, officer, agent or employee acting on behalf of Company, nor (c) any other Person acting on behalf of Company, has used any corporate or other funds for unlawful contributions, payments, gifts or entertainment, or made any unlawful expenditures relating to political activity to government officials or others or established or maintained any unlawful or unrecorded funds. None of (i) Company, (ii) any Stockholder, director, officer, agent or employee acting on behalf of Company or (iii) any other Person acting on behalf of Company has accepted or received any unlawful contributions, payments, gifts or expenditures.

 

3.23        Product or Service Liability. There is no action, suit, proceeding or to Companys Knowledge, inquiry or investigation, by or before any court or Governmental Authority pending or, to Companys Knowledge, threatened against or involving Company relating to any services performed by Company and alleged to have been defective or improperly rendered or not in compliance with contractual requirements, or any products or software delivered or sold by Company which are alleged to be defective or not in compliance with contractual requirements.

 

3.24        FindersFees. No broker, finder, agent or similar intermediary has acted on behalf of Company or the Stockholders in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions contemplated hereby, and there are no brokerage commissions, findersfees or similar fees or commissions payable in connection therewith based on any agreement, arrangement or understanding with Company or the Stockholders.

 

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3.25        Disclosure. Company has disclosed to Buyer all facts material to the business, results of operations, assets, liabilities, financial condition or prospects of Company. No representation or warranty by Company contained in this Agreement and no statement contained in any document, certificate, or other writing furnished or to be furnished by or on behalf of Company to Buyer or any of its representatives pursuant to the provisions hereof or in connection with the Transactions, contains or will contain any untrue statement of material fact or omits or will omit to state any material fact necessary, in light of the circumstances under which it was made, in order to make the statements herein or therein not misleading.

 

ARTICLE IV

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER

 

Buyer represents and warrants to Company and the Stockholders as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as follows:

 

4.01        Corporate Existence and Power. Buyer is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada, and has all corporate powers and all material governmental licenses, authorizations, permits, consents and approvals required to carry on its business as now conducted and to own the properties and assets it now owns.

 

4.02        Corporate Authorization; Binding Effect. Buyer has all requisite corporate power and corporate authority required to enter into the Transaction Documents to which it is or will be a party and to consummate the Transactions contemplated hereby and thereby to be consummated by it. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents to which Buyer is or will be a party by Buyer, and the consummation of the Transactions contemplated hereunder to be consummated by Buyer, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of Buyer in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Buyer and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of Buyer, enforceable against Buyer in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditorsrights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

4.03        Governmental Authorization. No consent, approval or authorization of, filing with, or notice to, any Governmental Authority or any other Person, is required by Buyer in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by Buyer of this Agreement, each and every agreement contemplated under this Agreement to be entered into by Buyer in connection with the Transactions, and the consummation by Buyer of the Transactions contemplated hereunder to be consummated by it.

 

4.04        Non-contravention. The execution and delivery by Buyer of the Transaction Documents to which Buyer is or will be a party, the performance by Buyer of its obligations hereunder and thereunder and the consummation of the Transactions do not and will not (a) contravene or conflict with the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of Buyer, or (b) assuming compliance with the matters referred to in Section 4.04 of the Company Letter, contravene or conflict with any applicable provision of any law, regulation, rule, judgment, injunction, order or decree binding upon or applicable to Buyer in any material respect.

 

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4.05        Litigation. There is no action, suit, investigation or proceeding pending against or, to Buyers knowledge, threatened against or affecting Buyer or any of its officers or directors in their capacity as officers or directors of Buyer before any court or arbitrator or any governmental body, agency or official, which in any manner challenges or seeks to prevent, enjoin, alter or materially delay any of the Transactions contemplated hereby; nor, to Buyers knowledge, is there any valid basis for any such action, suit, investigation or proceeding.

 

4.06        Financials. Attached hereto as Schedule 4.06 are the 2018 Income Statement and Balance Sheet of Buyer along with the March 2019 Income Statement and Balance Sheet of Buyer. Buyer represents that no material change has occurred since the December 31, 2018 financial statements.

 

4.07        No Undisclosed Liabilities or other Material Information. Buyer has no liabilities (including contingent liabilities such as litigation or potential finders fees) except what is disclosed on Schedule 4.07 hereto. Buyer has no Knowledge of any set of facts that would prevent it from becoming uplisted to the OTCQB provided Company meets the minimum bid price and SEC filing requirements of the OTCQB. Buyer has not infringed any intellectual property of a third party or otherwise violated the property or contract rights of any third party.

 

4.08.       Capitalization. The authorized capital stock of Buyer as of the Closing will consist solely of 1.05 billion shares of capital stock, of which 1 billion shares are designated as common stock, $0.001 par value, (Company Common Stock) and 50,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock (Company Preferred Stock). As of the date hereof, there are outstanding ____________________ shares of Company Common Stock and ZERO (0) shares of Company Preferred Stock, all of which have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. Company has no other authorized, issued or outstanding class of capital stock. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.08, there are no existing options, rights, subscriptions, warrants, unsatisfied preemptive rights, calls or other written, oral or implied commitments relating to (a) the authorized and unissued capital stock of Company or (b) any securities or obligations convertible into or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire from Company, any shares of capital stock of Company and no such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations are outstanding. Each outstanding share of capital stock of Company is free and clear of Liens. All outstanding shares of Company Common Stock were issued in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive or similar right. No option, right, subscription, warrant, unsatisfied preemptive right, call or other written, oral or implied commitment relating to (i) the authorized and unissued capital stock of Company or (ii) any securities or obligations convertible into or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire from Company, capital stock of Company shall be outstanding after the Closing.

 

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4.09.       Disclosure. Buyer has disclosed to Company all facts material to the business, results of operations, assets, liabilities, financial condition or prospects of Buyer. No representation or warranty by Buyer contained in this Agreement and no statement contained in any document, certificate, or other writing furnished or to be furnished by or on behalf of Buyer to Company or any of its representatives pursuant to the provisions hereof or in connection with the Transactions, contains or will contain any untrue statement of material fact or omits or will omit to state any material fact necessary, in light of the circumstances under which it was made, in order to make the statements herein or therein not misleading.

 

ARTICLE V

CONDITIONS TO CLOSING

 

5.01        General Conditions. The respective obligations of each party to this Agreement to consummate the Transactions shall be subject to the following conditions, unless waived in writing prior to the Closing Date by such party:

 

(a)        No Actions or Orders. No action shall have been taken, and no statute, rule, regulation, executive order, judgment, decree, or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or enforced (and not repealed, superseded, lifted or otherwise made inapplicable), by any court or governmental or regulatory agency of competent jurisdiction which restrains, enjoins or otherwise prohibits the consummation of the Transactions (each party agreeing to use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid the effect of any such statute, rule, regulation or order or to have any such order, judgment, decree or injunction lifted).

 

(b)        Government Approvals. To the extent required by applicable law, all permits, consents, approvals and waivers required to be obtained from, and notices required to be given to, any Governmental Authority to permit the consummation of the Transactions shall have been received, obtained or given, as the case may be, and shall be in full force and effect.

 

5.02        Conditions to Obligations of the Stockholders. The obligations of the Stockholders to consummate the Transactions shall be subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions, unless waived in writing prior to the Closing Date by the Stockholders:

 

(a)        Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of Buyer contained herein that are qualified as to materiality (or similar concept) shall be true and correct, and those not so qualified shall be true and correct in all material respects, in each case at and as of the date hereof and the Closing Date with the same force and effect as though made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent a representation or warranty speaks specifically as of an earlier date, in which case as of such date).

 

(b)        Covenants. Buyer shall have performed, in all material respects, all obligations and complied with all covenants required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by Buyer on or prior to the Closing Date and there shall have been no material adverse change in the Buyers financial condition (including contingent liabilities).

 

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(c)        Resignation. Written resignation of all Buyer employees, officers, and directors.

 

(d)       Closing Documents and Deliveries. Company shall have received the following agreements, deliveries and documents, each of which shall be in full force and effect:

 

(i)        a certificate executed on behalf of Buyer, dated the date of Closing and signed by an officer of Buyer, evidencing compliance with Sections 5.02(a) through (c) hereof;

 

(ii)        certificates from appropriate authorities as to the good standing of, and payment of all required fees by Buyer in Nevada and any other jurisdiction in which Buyer is doing business, as of a recent date prior to the Closing Date.

 

(iii)        A joint written consent of the Board and majority shareholders of Buyer approving the transactions contemplated herein.

 

(iv) Documents, including bank account signature cards, for any Company bank accounts.

 

(v)        Executed documents evidencing the settlement and release of claims originating under promissory notes issued by FirstIn Wireless (the former business of the Buyer) in form and substance suitable to the Company on the terms set forth on Schedule 5.02(d)(v).

 

(vi)        Evidence of Financing of at least $35,000 shall have been procured for the Buyer.

 

(vii)        Confirmation that the Articles of Incorporation of Buyer have been amended to increase the authorized common and preferred stock to 1 billion shares of common and 50 million shares of preferred.

 

5.03        Conditions to Obligations of Buyer. The obligation of Buyer to effect the Closing is subject to the fulfillment, prior to or at the Closing, of each of the following conditions, except to the extent waived in writing by Buyer:

 

(a)        Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of Company contained herein that are qualified as to materiality or Material Adverse Effect (or similar concept) shall be true and correct, and those not so qualified shall be true and correct in all material respects, in each case at and as of the date hereof and the Closing Date with the same force and effect as though made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent a representation or warranty speaks specifically as of an earlier date, in which case as of such date).

 

(b)        Covenants. Company and the Stockholders shall have performed, in all material respects, all obligations and complied with all covenants required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by each of them on or prior to the Closing Date.

 

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(c)        No Material Adverse Effect. There shall not have occurred after the date hereof any fact, development, event or circumstance that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)        Approvals. This Agreement and the Transactions involving Company shall have been duly approved by the requisite vote of the Board of Directors of Company in accordance with applicable law, and Company shall have delivered to Buyer certified resolutions of its Board of Directors evidencing such approval.

 

(e)        Consents. Company shall have obtained and provided to Buyer each approval and consent listed in Sections 3.03 and 3.04 of the Company Letter, each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Buyer and such consent shall be in full force and effect.

 

(f)        Closing Documents. Buyer shall have received the following agreements and documents, each of which shall be in full force and effect: a certificate executed on behalf of Company, dated the date of Closing and signed by an officer of Company, evidencing compliance with Sections 5.03(a) through (e) hereof;

 

5.04. Issuance of Stock Certificates. All new stock certificates required to be issued hereunder shall be issued as soon as practicable after the Closing either in book entry or certificate form. The fact that such certificates have not yet been issued does not mean that the new shareholders are not shareholders. Notice shall be provided to the transfer agent at the Closing of the new shareholders of the Buyer and such shareholders shall have all rights as shareholders despite not yet having stock certificates.

 

5.05. Bank Accounts. All bank accounts of the Buyer shall have new signatories designated by the Company post-closing.

 

5.06. Existing Business of Buyer. The parties shall negotiate in good faith the transfer of the Buyers existing operating business to the former majority shareholders of Buyer within 90 days of the Closing.

 

5.07. Termination Date. In the event that all of the conditions to closing have not been met by May 31, 2019 or waived, either the Buyer or the Company may terminate this Agreement at any time thereafter without liability to either party if the transactions contemplated by this Agreement have not closed.

 

ARTICLE VI

CERTAIN COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS

 

6.01        Tax Matters.

 

a.        Company shall prepare or cause to be prepared and file or cause to be filed all Tax Returns of Company that are required to be filed on or prior to the Closing Date (taking into account, for these purposes, any extension of the time to file any such Tax Return), including any amended Tax Returns required for such periods. Unless otherwise required by applicable Law, every material position taken on such Tax Returns shall be reasonably consistent with the methodology and elections employed by Company in prior years. Company shall provide Buyer with copies of any Tax Returns described in the preceding sentence that have not been provided to Buyer prior to the date hereof.

 

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b.        Buyer shall file or cause to be filed, all Tax Returns for Company for all Tax periods ending on or prior to the Closing Date that are required to be filed after the Closing Date. Unless otherwise required by applicable Law, every material position taken on such Tax Returns shall be reasonably consistent with the methodology and elections employed by Company in prior years. Company shall permit Buyer to review and comment on each such Tax Return described in the preceding sentence prior to filing as provided herein. Not less than thirty (30) days before the earlier of the due date of any such Tax Return or the date on which such Tax Returns are to be filed, Company shall furnish a draft of such Tax Return (as proposed to be filed) to Buyer for its review. Not less than twenty (20) days before the earlier of the due date of such Tax Return or the date on which such Tax Return is to be filed, Buyer shall forward to Company any comments it may have relating to such Tax Return, and Buyer and Company agree to resolve in good faith any disputes regarding such Tax Return.

 

c.        Buyer shall prepare or cause to be prepared and file or cause to be filed any Tax Returns of Company for Tax periods which begin before the Closing Date and end after the Closing Date. Unless otherwise required by applicable Law, every material position taken on such Tax Returns shall be reasonably consistent with the methodology and elections employed by Company in prior years.

 

d.        Buyer and Company shall cooperate fully, as and to the extent reasonably requested by the other party, in connection with the filing of Tax Returns pursuant to this Section 6.01 and any audit, litigation or other proceeding with respect to Taxes.

 

e.        Buyer and Company further agree, upon request, to use their commercially reasonable efforts (including those actions described in Section 6.01(e) to obtain any certificate or other document from any Governmental Authority or any other Person as may be necessary to mitigate, reduce or eliminate any Tax that could be imposed (including, but not limited to, with respect to the Transactions).

 

f.        All transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp, registration and other such Taxes and fees (including any penalties and interest) incurred in connection with this Agreement shall be paid by Company when due, and Company and Buyer shall cooperate in filing all necessary Tax Returns and other documentation with respect to all such transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp, registration and other Taxes and fees, and, if required by applicable law, the other parties shall, and shall cause their affiliates to, join in the execution of any such Tax Returns and other documentation. The expense of such filings shall be paid by the Stockholders jointly and severally.

 

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g.        Company shall have full responsibility for and discretion in handling any Tax controversy relating to a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date (a Pre-Closing Proceeding). Company shall furnish to Buyer or give Buyer access to all material relevant information in its possession concerning the Tax controversy that is the subject of such Pre-Closing Proceeding. Buyer shall have the right to participate in the defense or settlement of such Pre-Closing Proceeding, at its sole cost and expense, through its own legal counsel. Company shall not settle or compromise a claim or consent to the entry of any judgment that would adversely affect Buyer (or Company for any period or portion thereof beginning after the Closing Date) without the prior written consent of Buyer, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Buyer shall have full responsibility for and discretion in handling any Tax controversy relating to a Tax period which begins before the Closing Date and ends after the Closing Date (a Straddle Proceeding). Buyer shall furnish to Company or give Company access to all material relevant information in its possession concerning the Tax controversy that is the subject of such Straddle Proceeding. The Stockholders shall have the right to participate in the defense or settlement of such Straddle Proceeding, at its sole cost and expense, through its own legal counsel. Buyer shall not settle or compromise a claim or consent to the entry of any judgment that would adversely affect Company without the prior written consent of Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

 

6.02         Other Matters.

 

(a)        Buyer will use its commercially reasonable efforts post-closing to implement the reverse stock split referenced in Article II.

 

(b)        [omitted]

 

ARTICLE VII

SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; INDEMNIFICATION

 

7.01        Indemnification by Company. Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless in the manner and subject to the limitations and qualifications set forth in this Article VII, Buyer and its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, affiliates, successors and assigns (collectively, Buyer Indemnitees) against and hold the Buyer Indemnitees harmless from and in respect of any and all Damages based upon, arising out of, or otherwise in respect of or which may be incurred by virtue of or result from the inaccuracy in or breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement made by Company in this Agreement, any Transaction Document or in any document or instrument executed by or on behalf of Company in connection with the Closing or noncompetition with Company or Buyer following the Closing which shall be governed by the terms of any such agreement.

 

7.02        Indemnification by Buyer. Buyer agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless in the manner and subject to the limitations and qualifications set forth in this Article VII, Company and their respective agents, representatives, affiliates, successors and assigns (collectively, the Company Indemnitees,and, together with the Buyer Indemnitees, the Indemnitees) against and hold Company Indemnitees harmless from and in respect of any and all Damages based upon, arising out of, or otherwise in respect of or which may be incurred by virtue of or result from the inaccuracy in or breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement made by Buyer in this Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits hereto), any Transaction Document or in any document or instrument executed by or on behalf of Buyer in connection with the Closing or pursuant hereto, other than any agreement relating to a Stockholders employment or noncompetition with Company or Buyer following the Closing which indemnification thereunder shall be governed by the terms of any such agreement.

 

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7.03        Survival. All representations and warranties of the parties contained in this Agreement shall (i) subject to the limitations set forth in this Section 6.03, survive the Closing and not be affected by any investigation made by or on behalf of any party hereto or any knowledge acquired or capable of being acquired by any party hereto regarding the accuracy or inaccuracy of any representation or warranty or compliance with or breach of any covenant or agreement and (ii) be deemed to be made as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. The representations and warranties contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement or any Transaction Document and the indemnity obligations set forth in this Article VII shall terminate on, and no Claim or action based solely thereon may be initiated after the first anniversary of the Closing Date. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and the consummation of the Transactions indefinitely. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if any claim for Damages is asserted by any Indemnitee prior to the termination of the representation, warranty or indemnification obligation, the obligations of the party or parties providing indemnity therefore (each, an Indemnifying Party) shall continue with respect to such claim until the resolution and satisfaction thereof even if not finally resolved until after such termination.

 

7.04        Notice of Indemnification Claims.

 

(a)        Notice of Claims. Promptly after an Indemnitee becomes aware of (i) any facts or events that could give rise to indemnification by Indemnifying Parties hereunder, (ii) a claim made by a third party against such Indemnitee, or (iii) facts or circumstances establishing that an Indemnitee has experienced or incurred Damages subject to indemnification under this Article VII, the Indemnitee shall give to the Indemnifying Parties prompt written notice thereof (in each case, an Indemnification Notice). The failure to give notice pursuant to this Section 7.04(a) or any other similar notice provision of this Agreement shall not affect or limit the Indemnifying Parties’ obligations hereunder except, and then only to the extent that, the delay in giving, or failure to give, the notice is determined by final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction to have actually and materially prejudiced the Indemnifying Parties’ ability to defend against the claim. To the extent practicable under the circumstances taking into account the information readily available to the Indemnitee at such time, the Indemnification Notice will describe with reasonable specificity (x) the nature of and the basis for the set-off or indemnification claim, including any relevant supporting documentation, and (y) an estimate of all Damages associated therewith.

 

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(b)        Procedure in Event of Indemnification Claim. If an Indemnitee desires to assert an indemnification claim pursuant to Section 7.01 or Section 7.02, the Indemnitee promptly shall provide an Indemnification Notice to the Indemnifying Parties in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 7.04(a) hereof. If any Indemnifying Party does not object within twenty (20) days after receipt of the Indemnification Notice to the propriety of the indemnification claims described as being subject to indemnification pursuant to Section 7.01 or Section 7.02 or the amount of Damages asserted in the Indemnification Notice, the indemnification claims described and, if applicable, the amount of Damages asserted, in the Indemnification Notice shall be deemed final and binding upon that Indemnifying Party (hereinafter, collectively with any claims either agreed to between the parties or finally determined in accordance with Section 8.05, Permitted Indemnification Claims). If any Indemnifying Party contests the propriety of an indemnification claim described in the Indemnification Notice or the amount of Damages associated with such claim, then that Indemnifying Party shall deliver to the Indemnitee a written notice detailing with reasonable specificity all specific objections the Indemnifying Party has with respect to the indemnification claims contained in the Indemnification Notice (Indemnification Objection Notice). If the objecting Indemnifying Party and the Indemnitee are unable to resolve the disputed matters described in the Indemnification Objection Notice within fifteen (15) business days after the date the Indemnitee received the Indemnification Objection Notice, the disputed matters will be subject to the dispute resolution procedures set forth in Section 8.05 hereof. Any undisputed indemnification claims or Damages contained in the Indemnification Notice shall be deemed to be final and binding upon the Indemnifying Parties and shall constitute a Permitted Indemnification Claim. If the procedures in Section 8.05 result in all or any portion of an indemnification claim properly being subject to indemnification pursuant to Section 7.01 or Section 7.02 such claim or portion thereof shall be final and binding upon the Indemnifying Parties and shall constitute a Permitted Indemnification Claim.

 

(c)        Defense of Third Party Claims. After receipt of an Indemnification Notice in respect of a Claim brought by a Third Party, the Indemnifying Party or Parties shall have the right to assume the defense (at the Indemnifying Party or Partiessole cost and expense) of any such claim through counsel of the Indemnifying Partys or Partiesown choosing by so notifying the Indemnified Party in writing within twenty (20) days of receipt of such Indemnification Notice; provided, however, that any such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee. Each Indemnitee shall have the right to employ separate counsel in such Claim and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnitee unless: (i) the Indemnifying Party has agreed to pay such expenses; (ii) the Indemnifying Party has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party; or (iii) the named parties to any such Claim (including any impleaded parties) include any Indemnitee and the Indemnifying Party or an affiliate of the Indemnifying Party, and such Indemnified Party shall have been advised by counsel that either (x) there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Party or such affiliate or (y) a conflict of interest may exist if such counsel represents such Indemnitee and the Indemnifying Party or its affiliate; provided, that, if such Indemnitee notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel in the circumstances described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, the Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to assume the defense thereof and such counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party. Without the consent of the Indemnitees, the Indemnifying Parties shall not consent to, and the Indemnitees shall not be required to agree to, the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement unless such judgment or settlement (i) includes as an unconditional term thereof the giving of a release from all liability with respect to such claim by each claimant or plaintiff to each Indemnitee that is the subject of such third-party Claim, (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability or a failure to act, by or on behalf of an Indemnitee and (iii) in the case of any Claim regarding Taxes, such judgment or settlement does not and will not, in the reasonable determination of Buyer, give rise or result in an increase in any Tax liability of Buyer, or any of its Affiliates. If an Indemnification Notice is given to an Indemnifying Party and the Indemnifying Party does not, within twenty (20) days after the Indemnitees notice is given, give notice to the Indemnitee of its election to assume the defense of such claim, the Indemnifying Party will be bound by any determination made in such claim or any compromise or settlement effected by the Indemnitee. The Indemnitee and the Indemnifying Party will make available to each other and their attorneys and representatives at all reasonable times, all books and records relating to such Claim and will render to each other such assistance as may reasonably be requested to ensure proper and adequate defense of any such Claim.

 

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ARTICLE VIII

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

8.01        Amendment and Modifications. This Agreement may be amended, modified and supplemented only by written agreement among the parties hereto which states that it is intended to be a modification of this Agreement.

 

8.02        Waiver of Compliance. Any failure of Company or the Stockholders, on the one hand, or Buyer, on the other, to comply with any obligation, representation, warranty, covenant, agreement or condition herein may be waived in writing by the other applicable parties, but such waiver or failure to insist upon strict compliance with such obligation, representation, warranty, covenant, agreement or condition shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any subsequent or other failure.

 

8.03        Expenses. The parties agree that all fees and expenses incurred by them in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions contemplated hereby shall be borne by the party incurring such fees and expenses, including, without limitation, all fees of counsel, advisors and accountants. The parties further agree that the fees and expenses incurred by Company in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions contemplated hereby, including attorneysfees shall be accrued as a liability of Company immediately prior to the Closing.

 

8.04       Waiver. To the maximum extent permitted by law, all rights and remedies existing under this Agreement are cumulative to, and not exclusive of, any rights or remedies otherwise available under applicable law. No failure on the part of any party to exercise or delay in exercising any right hereunder shall be deemed a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise preclude any further or other exercise of such or any other right.

 

8.05       Dispute Resolution.

 

(a)        Negotiated Resolution. Except to the extent a different procedure is expressly provided for herein, if any dispute arises (i) out of or relating to, this Agreement, any Transaction Document or any alleged breach hereof or thereof, or (ii) with respect to any of the Transactions (Dispute), the party desiring to resolve such Dispute shall deliver a written notice describing such Dispute with reasonable specificity to the other parties (Dispute Notice). If any party delivers a Dispute Notice pursuant to this Section 8.05, or if any Stockholder delivers to any Indemnitee an Indemnification Objection Notice pursuant to Section 8.06, the parties involved in the Dispute shall meet at least twice within the twenty (20) day period commencing with the date of the Dispute Notice or the Indemnification Objection Notice (as the case may be) and in good faith shall attempt to resolve such Dispute (as the case may be).

 

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(b)        Litigation. Except to the extent a different procedure is expressly provided for herein, if the Dispute is not resolved pursuant to Section 8.05(a) above, the Dispute or Rejected Claim may be settled by litigation. The prevailing party in any litigation shall be entitled to be indemnified and held harmless by the other party to that litigation for all costs incurred in the litigation, including but not limited to the cost of the record or transcripts thereof, court fees, reasonable attorneysand expert witnessescosts and fees, and all other costs and fees incurred therein.

 

8.06        Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand, sent by facsimile (with confirmed receipt), mailed, certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, or sent by reputable overnight courier to the parties at the address set forth below or to such other address as may be furnished in writing to the other parties hereto. All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly given three (3) Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; one (1) Business Day after being sent by reputable overnight courier; and one (1) Business Day after confirmed receipt, if sent by facsimile:

 

Buyer:         Jean Ekobo

 

or to such other person or address as Buyer shall furnish to Company and the Stockholders in writing.

 

Company and Stockholders: Mark Fuller
  9812 Falls Road #114-299
  Potomac, MD 20854
   
With a copy to: Jay O. Wright
  9812 Falls Road #114-299
  Potomac, MD 20854
  Fax No.: 301.610.2094
  Email: jwright22@msn.com

 

or to such other person or address as Company, the Stockholders or any of the Stockholders shall furnish to Buyer in writing.

 

8.07        Assignment. This Agreement and all of the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors, but neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations hereunder shall be assigned by any of the parties hereto without the prior written consent of the other party; provided, that, Buyer may assign this Agreement to an affiliate of Buyer provided that such assignment shall not relieve Buyer of liability hereunder.

 

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8.08        Governing Law. This Agreement and the legal relationship among the parties hereto shall be governed and construed under the laws of the State of New York.

 

8.09       Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Signature by telecopy shall be sufficient to evidence a partys intention to be bound hereby.

 

8.10        Headings. The headings of the Sections and Articles of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not constitute a part hereof or affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

8.11        Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including the exhibits and schedules hereto, the Company Letter and the other documents and certificates delivered pursuant to the terms hereof, and the Confidentiality Agreement set forth the final, complete and exclusive agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter contained herein, and supersede all prior agreements, promises, covenants, arrangements, communications, representations or warranties, whether oral or written, by any officer, employee or representative of any party hereto, including without limitation that certain letter of intent from Buyer, and countersigned by Company or any amendments or supplements hereto.

 

8.12        Third Parties. Nothing herein expressed or implied is intended or shall be construed to confer upon or give to any Person other than the parties hereto or their successors and assigns any rights or remedies under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

8.13        Further Assurances. Each of the parties hereto agrees that from time to time, at the request of any of the other parties hereto and without further consideration, it will execute and deliver such other documents and take such other action as such other party may reasonably request in order to consummate more effectively the Transactions contemplated hereby. The parties shall cooperate with each other in such actions and in securing requisite approvals. Each party shall execute and deliver both before and after the Closing such further certificates, agreements and other documents and take such other actions as the other party reasonably may request to consummate or implement the Transactions contemplated hereby or to evidence such events or matters.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Stock Purchase Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

COMPANY   BUYER
     
BAYBERRY ACQUISITION CORP.   BIONOVELUS, INC.
     
By: /s/ Jay O. Wright   By: Jean M Okobo
        President/ CEO
Name: Jay O. Wright      
      /s/ Jean M Okobo
         
Title: Director      
         

 

STOCKHOLDERS  
     
     
By: Jay O. Wright  
  /s/ Jay O. Wright  
     
  Mark Fuller  
  /s/ Mark Fuller  
     
  Bill Forkner  
  /s/ Bill Forkner  

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 2.2

 

First Amendment to Stock Purchase Agreement

 

THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Amendment #1”) is made and entered into as of June 2, 2019, by and among BioNovelus, Inc. (“Buyer”), Bayberry Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”), and all of the stockholders of the Company (collectively, the “Stockholders” and individually a “Stockholder”)(Buyer, the Company, and the Stockholders collectively are the “Parties”). Terms not defined herein use the same definitions as used in the Stock Purchase Agreement dated May 6, 2019 by and among the Parties (the “Agreement”). Certain capitalized terms used in this Amendment #1 and not otherwise defined use their definitions from the Agreement.

 

RECITALS

 

A.       Pursuant to Section 5.07 of the Agreement, the Agreement was terminable by the parties after May 31, 2019 if the Agreement was not closed.

 

B.       The Parties wish to amend the Agreement by amending Section 5.07 of the Agreement to extend the termination date to June 21, 2019.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, and for such other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 5.07 of the Agreement is hereby amended and replaced in its entirety with:

 

5.07. Termination Date. In the event that all of the conditions to closing have not been met by June 21, 2019 or waived, either the Buyer or the Company may terminate this Agreement at any time.

 

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 1 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Stock Purchase Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

“COMPANY”   “BUYER”
       
BAYBERRY ACQUISITION CORP.   BIONOVELUS, INC.
         
By: /s/ Jay O. Wright   By: Jean M Ekobo
        President/ CEO
         
Name: Jay O. Wright     /s/ Jean M Ekobo
         
Title: Director      
         
STOCKHOLDERS”      
         
By: Jay O. Wright      
  /s/ Jay O. Wright      
         
  Mark Fuller      
  /s/ Mark Fuller      
         
  Bill Forkner      
  /s/ Bill Forkner      

 

  

 

 

Exhibit 2.3

 

Second Amendment to Stock Purchase Agreement

 

THIS SECOND AMENDMENT TO STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this “Amendment #2”) is made and entered into as of June 8, 2019, by and among BioNovelus, Inc. (“Buyer”), Bayberry Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”), and all of the stockholders of the Company (collectively, the “Stockholders” and individually a “Stockholder”)(Buyer, the Company, and the Stockholders collectively are the “Parties”). Terms not defined herein use the same definitions as used in the Stock Purchase Agreement dated May 6, 2019 by and among the Parties (the “Agreement”). Certain capitalized terms used in this Amendment #2 and not otherwise defined use their definitions from the Agreement.

 

RECITALS

 

A.       Section 2.02 of the Agreement set forth the terms by which Buyer is to cause all affiliate debt of the Buyer to convert into 240 million shares of common stock of Buyer.

 

B.       Section 2.03(a) of the Agreement sets forth terms under which Buyer shall issue 1 million shares of Series B convertible preferred stock of the Buyer convertible into 361 million common shares.

 

C.       The Parties have discussed and agreed to certain modifications of Section 2.02 and 2.03(a).

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, and for such other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

Section 2.02 is modified to reflect that the affiliate debt to Mr. Ekobo and affiliates shall be converted into 117.5 million common shares and 5.875 million Series A convertible preferred stock convertible into 117.5 million common shares and certain other parties shall have their debts converted into a combination of common stock, notes, and cash.

 

Section 2.03(a) is modified to read as follows: …”3,610,000 shares of Series B convertible stock convertible into 361 million shares of common stock.” …

 

All other terms of the Agreement, as amended by Amendment #1 to the Agreement, shall remain unchanged.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Amendment #2 to Stock Purchase Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

“COMPANY”   “BUYER”
         
BAYBERRY ACQUISITION CORP.   BIONOVELUS, INC.
         
By: /s/ Jay O. Wright   By: Jean M Ekobo
        President/ CEO
         
Name: Jay O. Wright     /s/ Jean M Ekobo
         
Title: Director      
         
STOCKHOLDERS”      
         
By: Jay O. Wright      
  /s/ Jay O. Wright      
         
  Mark Fuller      
  /s/ Mark Fuller      
         
  Bill Forkner      
  /s/ Bill Forkner      

 

  

 

 

Exhibit 2.4 

 

Securities Purchase Agreement

 

Among

 

Bionovelus, Inc.,

 

Corvus Consulting, llc,

 

And

 

The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust

 

November 21,2019

 

 

 

Securities Purchase Agreement

 

THIS SECURITIES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (this Agreement”) is made and entered into as of November 21, 2019, by and among BioNovelus, Inc. (“Buyer”), a Nevada corporation, and the acquirer of all membership interests of Corvus Consulting, LLC (“Company”), a Virginia limited liability company, and The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust, the owner of all member ship interests of Company (“CRT”).

 

RECITALS

 

A. CRT desires to sell, and Buyer desires to purchase, all of the membership interests (the “Securities”) of Company, a|l upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, and for such other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

DEFINITIONS

 

1.01       Definitions. The following terms, when used in this Agreement, shall have the meanings set forth below:

 

Annual Financial Statementsmeans the balance sheet of Company, at September 30, 2019, and the related statements of income for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2018, and nine months ending September 30,2019, attached hereto under the Disclosure Schedules, Section 3.8.

 

Balance Sheetmeans the balance sheet of Company as of September 30, 2019 and included in the Interim Financial Statements.

 

Business Daymeans any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions in The City of New York, New York are authorized or required by law or executive order to remain closed.

 

Claimmeans any and all claims, demands, actions, causes of action, suits, proceedings and administrative proceedings.

 

Codemeans the Internal [Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Damagesmeans all assessments, losses, damages, liabilities, debts, charges (including judgments and decrees which give rise to any of the foregoing), diminution in value, costs and expenses, including, without limitation, interest, penalties, court costs, attorneys’ and accountants’ fees and expenses (including attorneys’ and accountants’ fees and expenses of Buyer incurred in the investigation or defense of any matter, or in asserting, preserving or enforcing its: rights under this Agreement).

 

 

 

“Disclosure Schedules” means and refers to the schedules attached to this Agreement, prepared by Buyer, dated as of the date hereof and identifying exceptions to the warranties and representations set forth in Article III or providing requested information to Buyer.

 

“Government Agency” means (i) the United States Government, including all departments and agencies of any branch of the United States Government, all independent agencies or instrumentalities and al non-appropriated fund activities within the United States Government and United States Government corporations, and (ii) any state or local government, including all departments, agents, agencies, branches, independent agencies or instrumentalities, activities, and non-appropriated fund activities of or within a state or local government and all state or local government corporations.

 

“Governmental Authority” means any court, administrative or regulatory agency or commission or other governmental authority of competent jurisdiction.

 

“Intellectual Property Rights” means any and all United States and foreign (i) patents and patent applications (including without limitation docketed patent disclosures awaiting filing, reissues, divisions, continuations, continuations-in-part and extensions), patent disclosures awaiting filing determination, inventions and improvements thereto, (ii) trademarks, service marks, certification marks, trade name rights, trade dress, logos, business and product names, slogans, and registrations and applications for registration thereof, (iii) copyrights and registrations thereof, (iv) inventions, processes, designs, formulae, trade secret rights, know-how, industrial models, confidential, technical and business information, manufacturing, engineering and technical drawings, and product specifications, (v) intellectual property rights similar to any of the foregoing, (vi) computer software, and (vii) copies and tangible embodiments thereof (in whatever form or medium, including without limitation electronic media) that are (a) used by or on behalf of Company in performance of Company’s business as conducted on the date hereof, (b) licensed or provided by or on behalf of Company to its customers or other licensees, or (c) otherwise necessary to conduct the business of Company.

 

“Law or Laws” means any law, statute, code, ordinance, regulation, rule or other binding obligation or requirement of any Governmental Agency or Governmental Authority.

 

“Lien” means, with respect to any asset of any party hereto, any mortgage, lien, pledge, charge, debt, option, security interest, conditional sale or other title retention document or similar encumbrance of any kind in respect of such asset.

 

 

 

“Order” means any order, judgment, ruling, injunction, assessment, award, decree, writ or other binding decision of any Governmental Authority or Government Agency.

 

“Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, trust or other entity or organization, including a government or political subdivision or agency or instrumentality thereof.

 

“Tax” or “Taxes” means (i) any federal, state, local, Indian, or foreign income, gross receipts, gross margin, license, payroll, employment, excise, severance, stamp, occupation, premium, windfall profits, environmental (including taxes under Code Section 59A), customs duties, capital stock, franchise, profits, withholding, social security (or similar excises), unemployment, disability, ad valorem, real property, personal property, sales, use, transfer, registration, value added, alternative or add-on minimum, estimated, or other tax of any kind whatsoever, including any interest, penalty, or addition thereto, whether disputed or not, by any Governmental Authority responsible for imposition of any such tax (domestic or foreign), (ii) in the case of Company, liability for the payment of any amount of the type described in clause (i) as a result of being or having been on or before the Closing Date a member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined or unitary group, or a party to any agreement or arrangement, as a result of which liability of Company to a Governmental Authority is determined or taken into account with reference to the liability of any other Person, and (iii) liability of Company for the payment of any amount as a result of being party to any Tax Sharing Agreement or with respect to the payment of any amount of the type described in (i) or (ii) as a result of any existing express or implied obligation (including an indemnification obligation).

 

“Tax Return” means any return, declaration, disclosure, election, schedule, estimate, report, claim for refund, estimates or information return or statement relating to Taxes, including any schedule or attachment thereto, and including any amendment thereof.

 

“Tax Sharing Agreement” means all existing agreements or arrangements (whether or not written) binding Company that provide for the allocation, apportionment, sharing or assignment of any Tax liability or benefit, or the transfer or assignment of income, revenues, receipts or gains for the principal purpose of determining any Person’s Tax liability.

 

“Transaction Documents” means this Agreement, Disclosure Schedules and any documents, agreements or certificates required to be executed and delivered by Company, any Stockholder, and/or Buyer.

 

“Transactions” means the purchase and sale of the Securities contemplated in Article II and the other transactions relating thereto contemplated under this Agreement and its inseparable schedules.

 

 

 

1.03       Rules of Construction Error! Bookmark not defined. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the following rules of construction:

 

(a) the terms defined in this Agreement include the plural as well as the singular;

 

(b) all references in the Agreement to designated “Articles,” “Sections” and other subdivisions are to the designated articles, sections and other subdivisions of the body of this Agreement;

 

(c) pronouns of either gender or neuter shall include, as appropriate, the other pronoun forms;

 

(d) reference to persons shall include bodies corporate, unincorporated associations and partnerships in each case whether or not having a separate legal personality;

 

(e) the words “herein,” “hereof and “hereunder” and other words of similar import refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision;

 

(f) the words “includes” and “including” are not limiting;

 

(g) Any reference to writing or written includes taxes;

 

(h)Any agreement, covenant, representation, warranty, undertaking or liability arising under this agreement on the part of two or more persons shall be deemed to be made or given by such persons jointly and severally;

 

(i) all references to days shall be deemed to refer to calendar days unless this Agreement specifically refers to Business Days; and

 

(j) the schedules form part of this Agreement and a reference to this Agreement includes its schedules.

 

ARTICLE II

PURCHASE AND SALE OF SECURITIES

 

2.01       Purchase and Sale of Securities. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, CRT hereby agrees to sell, convey, assign, transfer and deliver to Buyer, free and clear of all Liens, claims whatsoever, and Buyer hereby agrees to purchase from CRT one hundred percent (100%) of the Securities.

 

2.02       Closing. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of all of the conditions contained in Article V, the closing of the Transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the Closing’') shall take place at the offices of Buyer as soon as practicable (but not later than five (5) Business Days) after the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to Closing contained in Article VI (other than those conditions that by their nature are to be satisfied at the Closing, but subject to the fulfillment or waiver of those conditions), unless another date or place is agreed to in writing by the parties hereto. The date on which the Closing actually occurs is hereinafter referred to as the Closing Date

 

 

 

2.03       Consideration: Delivery. In full consideration for the purchase by Buyer of the Securities, Buyer shall effectuate the following:

 

(a)       Cash. Upon closing, Buyer shall pay CRT $5.3 million in cash by

wire transfer.

 

(b)       Convertible Note. Buyer shall issue a three (3)-year Convertible Note payable to CRT, substantially in the form of Exhibit 2.03(b) for the principal amount of $3.7 million.

 

ARTICLE III

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF COMPANY AND CRT,

JOINTLY AND SEVERALLY

 

Company and CRT, jointly and severally, represent and warrant to Buyer as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as follows:

 

3.01       Corporate Existence and P 3wer: Subsidiaries. Corvus Consulting, LLC and CRT are duly formed, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and they have all necessary legal powers and all governmental licenses, authorizations, permits, consents and approvals required to carry on its business as now conducted and to own the properties and assets it now owns. Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation and is in good standing in each jurisdiction, including foreign countries, where the character of the property owned or leased by it or the nature of its activities makes such qualification necessary and each such jurisdiction is listed in Section 3.01 of the Disclosure Schedules. The current governing documents of Company as amended and in force as of the date hereof have been delivered to Buyer and such governing documents are true and complete.

 

3.02       Corporate Authorization: Binding Effect: Board Authorization. Company has all requisite corporate power and corporate authority required to enter into this Agreement and each Transaction Document to which Company is or will be a party and to consummate the Transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution and delivery by Company of this Agreement and of each Transaction Document to which Company is or will be a party and the consummation of the Transactions contemplated hereby have been duly authorized by all necessary and proper corporate action on the part of Company. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Company and constitutes, and each of the Transaction Documents to which Company is or will be a party upon execution and delivery by Company will constitute, a valid and binding agreement of Company enforceable against it in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

 

 

3.03       Governmental Authorization and Consents. No consent, approval or authorization of, filing with, or notice to, any Governmental Authority, or any lender, lessor, creditor, stockholder or any other Person, is required by Company or CRT in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by Company and CRT of this Agreement, each and every agreement contemplated under this Agreement to be entered into by Company or CRT in connection with the Transactions, and the consummation by Company and CRT of the Transactions contemplated hereunder to be consummated by Company or CRT.

 

3.04       Non-contravention. The execution and delivery of the Transaction Documents by Company and CRT, the performance by Company and CRT of their respective obligations hereunder and thereunder, and the consummation of the Transactions, do not and will not (a) contravene or conflict with the articles of organization or operating agreement of Company, (b) contravene or conflict with any applicable provision of any law, regulation, rule, judgment injunction, order or decree binding upon or applicable to Company or CRT, (c) require notice or constitute a default under, or impair or alter the rights of Company or any third party or give rise to a right of termination, cancellation, amendment or acceleration of any right or obligation of Company or to a loss of any benefit to which Company is entitled Linder, any provision of any agreement, contract or other instrument binding upon Company or by which any one or more of Company’s assets or properties may be bound or subject, or any license, franchise, permit or other similar authorization held by Company or (d) result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any assets or properties of Company.

 

3.05       Capitalization. All Securities of Company are owned by CRT and are free and clear of Liens. All outstanding Securities of Company were issued in compliance with all applicable federal and state securities laws and were not issued in violation of any preemptive or similar right. No option, right, subscription, warrant, unsatisfied preemptive right, call or other written, oral or implied commitment relating to (i) the Securities or (ii) any securities or obligations convertible into or exchangeable for, or giving any Person any right to subscribe for or acquire from Company the Securities, shall be outstanding after the Closing.

 

3.06       Trade Names. Company is the (lawful user or beneficiary of the name Corvus Consulting, LLC, and no other trade name than Corvus Consulting, LLC, thus Company has no other trade names, fictitious names, assumed names or “doing business as” names or other names under which it has done or is doing business. No proceeding is pending or threatened to revoke the Corvus Consulting, LLC trade name against Company.

 

 

 

3.07       Title to Properties: Absence of Liens: Sufficiency of Assets.

 

(a)       Company has good, valid, and marketable title to or, in the case of leased property and assets, valid and subsisting leasehold interests in, all of its assets and property, whether real personal, mixed, tangible or intangible, including, without limitation, all of the assets and properties reflected in the Balance Sheet, free and clear of all Liens, except (i) as set forth in Section 3.07(a) of the Disclosure Schedules, and (ii) for Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable or which Company is contesting in good faith and for which adequate reserves have been established (collectively, Permitted Liens”).

 

(b)       The assets and property owned or leased by Company (i) constitute all of the property and assets used or held for use in connection with the business of Company, (ii) constitute all of the properly and assets necessary to conduct such business as currently conducted and (iii) are in good condition and repair, ordinary wear and tear excepted and are usable in the ordinary course of business. Company has no owned or leased automobiles.

 

3.08       Financial Statements: Related Information.

 

A correct and complete copy of the Annual Financial Statements (the Financial Statements”) are attached :o Section 3.8 of the Disclosure Schedules. Furthermore, there has been no material adverse change to the financial status of Company or to the affairs of Company since the date of the financial statements.

 

3.09       Absence of Certain Changes. Since January 1, 2019, Company has conducted business in the ordinary course consistent with past practice, including making all regularly scheduled payments and commitments and, except as disclosed in Section 3.09 of the Disclosure Schedules, there has not been:

 

(a)        any event, occurrence, development of a state of circumstances or facts, or change in the business, properties, assets, prospects, operations or condition (financial or otherwise) of Company which, individually or in the aggregate, has had or could reasonably be expected to have i. Material Adverse Effect and to Company’s knowledge, no such event, occurrence, development or change is threatened;

 

(b)        (i) any declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or other distribution with respect to any Securities of Company, or (ii) any repurchase, redemption or other acquisition by Company of any outstanding Securities or other securities of, or other ownership interests in, Company (except that concurrent with closing, Company shall be making a distribution of its cash on hard to its members);

 

(c)        any incurrence, assumption or direct or indirect guarantee by Company of any indebtedness for borrowed money or any creation or assumption by Company of any Lien (other than Permitted Liens) on any asset;

 

 

 

(d)       there is no such threatened nor has there been any damage, destruction or loss which could have or has had a material adverse effect on the condition of Company;

 

(e)       No order has been ever made or petition presented or resolution passed for the winding up of Company and no distress, execution or other process has ever been levied on any of their assets;

 

(f)       any material transaction or commitment made, or any material contract or agreement entered into, amended or terminated by Company or any waiver or relinquishment by Company of any contract or other right, other than those contemplated by this Agreement;

 

(g)       any change in any method of accounting or accounting practice by Company;

 

(h)       any (i) grant of any severance or termination pay to any director, officer or employee of Company, (ii) commencement, renewal or amendment of any consulting, employment, deferred compensation, severance, retirement or other similar agreement with any Person, (iii) increase in benefits payable under any existing severance or termination pay policies, employment agreements or commission arrangements or agreements, (iv) entry into any arrangement or agreement obligating Company to pay commissions or other similar payments; and (v) any other increase in compensation, bonus or other benefits payable to any director or officer of Company or, other than in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practices, to any employee of Company;

 

(i)       Particulars of all money borrowed by Company have been disclosed. Company does not have any loans except from t lose presented in the accounts. All debts owed to Company are collectable in the ordinary course of business. Furthermore, particulars of the balances on Company’s bank accounts as of the accounts dates are attached hereto. All unpresented cheques drawn by Company and full details of all grants made to Company in the past six months have been disclosed. There has been no delay by Company in the payment of any material obligation due for payment.

 

(j) any agreement, by or on behalf of Company, whether written or otherwise, to take any action described in this Section 3.09.

 

3.10       Related Party Transactions. Except as set forth in Section 3.10 of the Disclosure Schedules, (a) no owner, (b) no current or former director, officer, employee or affiliate of Company, (c) no immediate family member of any such director, officer, employee or affiliate, or of CRT, and (d) no entity controlled by any one or more of the foregoing (excluding Company) (collectively, the Related Parties”): (i) owns, directly or indirectly, any interest in (excepting not more than 5% stock holdings for investment purposes in securities of publicly held and traded companies), or is an officer, director, employee or consultant of, any Person which is, or is engaged in business as, a competitor, lessor, lessee, customer, distributor, sales agent, o' supplier of Company; (ii) owns, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, any tangible or intangible property that Company uses or the use of which is reasonably necessary or desirable for the conduct of Company’s business; (iii) has any cause of action or other Claim whatsoever against, or owes any amount to, Company; or (iv) on behalf of Company, has made any payment or commitment to pay any commission, fee or other amount to, or purchase or obtain or otherwise contract to purchase or obtain any goods or services from, any corporation or other Person of which any officer or director of Company, or an immediate family member of the foregoing, is a partner or stockholder (excepting stock holdings solely for investment purposes in securities of publicly held and traded companies).

 

 

 

3.11       Material Contracts.

 

(a)       Except as disclosed in the applicable subsection of Section 3.11(a) of the Disclosure Schedules, Company is not a party to or bound by any of the following (whether oral or written):

 

(i)       any lease (a) for real property or (b) for personal property involving annual expenditures of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) or more or aggregate expenditures of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) or more;

 

(ii)       any agreement (a) for the purchase of materials, software, supplies, goods, services, equipment or other assets providing for either annual payments by Company of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) or more under such agreement or aggregate payments by Company of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) or more under such agreement or which contains any exclusivity provision, or (b) that continues for a period of more than 12 months (unless it can be terminated at Company’s convenience without premium or penalty) or provides for quantities in excess of the normal, ordinary and usual requirements of Company or is as at an excessive price;

 

(iii)       any agreement (a) providing for the sale by Company of materials, supplies, goods, services, equipment or other assets that provides for either annual payments to Company of Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000) or more under such agreement or aggregate payments to Company of Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) or more under such agreement or (b) which will result in any loss to Company upon completion of performance thereof, nor are there any outstanding bids or proposals that will not result in a normal profit;

 

(iv)       any partnership, joint venture or limited liability company

agreement;

 

(v)       any agreement relating to the acquisition or disposition of any (a) business (whether by merger, sale of stock, sale of assets or otherwise) or (b) assets outside the ordinary course of business;

 

(vi)       any agreement relating to indebtedness for borrowed money, capital lease obligation or the deferred purchase price of property (in either case, whether incurred, assumed, guaranteed (directly or indirectly) or secured by any asset) or the making of a loan;

 

 

 

(vii)       any option to license, license (including software license) or franchise agreement;

 

(viii)       any commission, agency, dealer, sales representative or marketing agreement;

 

(ix)       any agreement that limits the freedom of Company to compete in any line of business, in any market or customer segment or with any Person;

 

(x)       any agreement containing any right of first refusal or right of first negotiation or to provide goods or services to any Person on a preferential or most- favored basis;

 

(xi)       any agreement pursuant to which Company is subject to confidentiality or non-disclosure obligations; (assuming we have included all of these in

the disclosure documents)

 

(xii)       any agreement under which Company agrees to indemnify any party other than in the ordinary course of business or in which Company agrees to indemnify any Person for consequential or incidental damages or lost profits;

 

(xiii)       any contract or other agreement with any current or former officer, director, employee, consultant, agent or other representative or any agreement or understanding pursuant to which Company may be liable for any severance or termination pay or obligations;

 

(xiv)       any outstanding contracts or agreements, other than task orders, with any or for Government Agency, including any subcontract with any prime or other contractor at any tier;

 

(xv)       any other agreement or series of related agreements, which, individually or in the aggregate, is material to Company.

 

(b)       Each agreement, contract, plan, lease, arrangement or commitment disclosed in Section 3.11(a) of the Disclosure Schedules or required to be disclosed in the Disclosure Schedules (each a Material Contract”) constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Company and is in full force and effect. Each Material Contract is enforceable against Company in accordance with its terms, subject to general equitable principles (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding at equity or at law), and except as enforceability thereof may be limit jd by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other similar laws of general application relating to creditors’ rights. Company has satisfied in full or provided for all of its liabilities and obligations under the Material Contracts which are due and payable, except amounts or liabilities disputed in good faith by Company for which adequate reserves have been set aside. Company is not, and to Company’s Knowledge, no other party is in default under or breach of any Material Contract, and, to Company’s Knowledge, no event or circumstance has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would (i) constitute any default or breach thereunder, (ii) impair or alter the rights of Company or any third party, (iii) give rise to a right of termination, cancellation, amendment or acceleration, or (iv) result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any assets or properties of Company.

 

 

 

(c)       No Person intends to terminate (whether for cause or convenience) or default under any Material Contract before the expiration of its stated term, if any, and, in the case of Material Contracts for which renewal is contemplated, no Person intends not to renew such contract. Except as set forth in Section 3.11(c) of the Disclosure Schedules, until prior or on closing date, no Claim for non-performance of any Material Contract is pending or threatened. There are no pending renegotiations of, attempts to renegotiate or outstanding rights to renegotiate any material amounts paid or payable under any Material Contract, and no Person has requested any such renegotiation.

 

3.12       No Undisclosed Liabilities, (Except for liabilities which will be incurred as a result of this transaction, which will be borne by the shareholders of Buyer), there are no liabilities of Company of any kind whatsoever including any liability for Taxes (whether accrued or unaccrued, actual or contingent matured or unmatured, conditional or absolute, determined, determinable, unliquidated or otherwise), and there are no existing conditions, situations or circumstances which, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably could be expected to result in such a liability or obligation, other than:

 

(a)       liabilities or obligations disclosed on the face of the Balance Sheet;

and

 

(b)        liabilities incurred: n the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice since the Balance Sheet Date, which individually and in the aggregate are not material to Company and none of which is a liability resulting from, arising out of, relating or caused by any breach of contract, breach of warranty, tort, infringement, violation of law, claim or lawsuit. Furthermore, Company also keeps the financial books and records in accordance with applicable law and is not inconsistent with generally accepted accounting principles. Company has filed all the forms and returns required to all competent tax authorities including but not limited to all tax and social security authorities.

 

3.13       Litigation. Company has fulfilled all its relevant obligations to the Federal Government, State, 3rd parties, clients, suppliers, banks, debtors and in general to any creditor whatsoever in accordance with terms and conditions established in each case for the fulfilment of such obligation. There is no action, suit, investigation or proceeding pending against or, to Company’s Know edge, threatened against or affecting Company, any of its assets or any of its officers or directors in their capacity as officers or directors of Company before any court or arbitrator or any governmental body, agency or official; nor, is there any valid basis for or circumstance which would give rise to any such action, suit, investigation or proceeding. Company is not subject to any judgment, Order or decree. Section 3.13 of the Disclosure Schedules sets forth a description of each legal proceeding instituted by or on behalf of Company.

 

 

 

3.14       Compliance with Laws and Court Orders. Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws (including, but not limited to the FAR), Orders or other requirements of a Governmental Authority applicable to its business, properties, assets and operations (including those Laws relating to wages and hours, classification of employees, record keeping, customs, export and sanctions compliance, possession of classified information or zoning). Company has not been given notice of any alleged violation or non-compliance of any such Law, order or requirement. Company is not and has not been under investigation with respect to or been threatened to be charged with or given notice of any violation of any applicable Law, order or requirement.

 

3.15       Licenses and Permits. Company has all licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals necessary to carry on its business as now conducted, including without limitation all accreditations and laboratory certifications. Section 3.15 of the Disclosure Schedules correctly sets forth a list of each license, franchise, permit, order, registration, certificate, approval, accreditation, certification or other similar authorization affecting, or relating in any way to, the assets or business of Company (collectively, the “Permits”), and each pending application for any Permit, together with the name of the Government Agency or other Person issuing such Permit or with which such application is pending. Except as set forth in Section 3.15 of the Disclosure Schedules, (a) the Permits are valid and in full force and effect, (b) Company is not and has not been in violation of or default under, and, no condition exists that with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a violation of or default under, the Permits, (c) no proceeding is pending or, threatened, to revoke or limit any Permit and (d) none of the Permits will be terminated or impaired or become terminable, in whole or in part, as a result of the Transactions.

 

3.16       Proprietary Rights.

 

(a)       Ownership. Company has all Intellectual Property Rights necessary to conduct business as it has been conducted immediately prior to the Closing Date. Except for Intellectual Property Rights listed in Section 3.16(b), which are licensed to Company by another Person, Company is the sole and exclusive owner of the entire right, title, and interest in and to all Intellectual Property Rights, a list of which is set forth on Schedule 3.16(a).

 

(b)       Licenses to Company. Section 3.16(b) of the Disclosure Schedules sets forth all Intellectual Property Rights licensed to Company by other Persons that are used by or on behalf of Company in performance of Company’s business as it has been conducted immediately prior to the Closing Date. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(b)(i) of the Disclosure Schedules, the Intellectual Property Rights licensed to Company by other Persons are licensed pursuant to valid and binding agreements that are enforceable by Company in accordance with their terms and freely assignable or otherwise transferable to Buyer in connection with the Transactions. Neither Company nor any other party to any such aforementioned valid and binding agreement is in default or breach in any material respect under the terms of any such aforementioned valid and binding agreements and no event or circumstance has occurred that, with notice or lapse of time or both, would constitute any material event of default thereunder.

 

 

 

(c)       Licenses from Company to Third Parties. Company has not granted any licenses to another Person with respect to its Intellectual Property Rights.

 

(d)       Encumbrances. Company has not assigned, hypothecated or otherwise encumbered title in and to any of the Intellectual Property Rights and is not obligated to pay any further sums to another Person for the use of the Intellectual Property Rights greater than one thousand dollars ($1,000) per year.

 

(e)       Infringement. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(e) of the Disclosure Schedules, (i) there are no infringements by any other party of any of the Intellectual Property Rights, and (ii) there are no pending or threatened claims against any Person, who would be entitled to indemnification by Company for such claims, that the Intellectual Property infringes any other Person’s Intellectual Property Rights. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(e)(i) of the Disclosure Schedules, Company has not entered into any agreement to indemnify any other party against any charge of infringement of any of its Intellectual Property Rights except for any such violations or infringements as do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect Company. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(e)(ii) of the Disclosure Schedules, Company has not violated or infringed and does not violate or infringe any Intellectual Property Right of any other Person, and Company has not received any written communication alleging that it violates or infringes the Intellectual Property Right of any other Person. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(e)(iii) of the Disclosure Schedules, Company has not been sued at any time for infringing any Intellectual Property Right of another Person.

 

(f)       Know-How. Except as disclosed in Section 3.16(f) of the Disclosure Schedules, there have been no disclosures by Company or any of its affiliates, to any other Person, other than disclosures to Persons who are bound to hold such information in confidence pursuant to confidentiality agreements or otherwise by operation of law, of any algorithms, process, technique, formula, research and development results or other know- how relating to the business of Company, the unauthorized public disclosure of which would have an adverse effect on Company.

 

3.17       Taxes.

 

Except as otherwise set forth on Section 3.17 of the Disclosure Schedules:

(i)       Company has timely filed (taking into account any properly granted extensions of time to file) all Tax Returns with the appropriate taxing authorities required to have been filed, and each such Tax Return is correct and complete in all material respects.

 

3.18       Real Property.

 

(a)       Company has never owned any real property or interest therein. Any information regarding Company’s intangible and/or any movable assets is true, accurate and not misleading.

 

 

 

(b)       Section 3.18(b) of the Disclosure Schedules sets forth a true, correct and complete list of all leases, subleases, licenses and other agreements (collectively, the “Real Property Leases”) under which Company uses or occupies or has the right or obligation to use or occupy or pay rent or other lees for use thereof, now or in the future, any real property (the land, buildings and other improvements covered by the Real Property Leases.

 

(c)       Company has not received notice of any pending, or to Company’s Knowledge, are there any threatened, condemnation, eminent domain or similar proceedings affecting the Leased Real Property, any improvements thereon or any portion thereof. Company has not received notice that there is any pending, or to Company’s Knowledge, has there been any threatened, request, application or proceeding to alter or restrict any zoning or other use restrictions applicable to the Leased Real Property, any improvements thereon or any portion thereof. There are no adverse parties in possession of the Leased Real Property or any portion or portions thereof, and on the Closing Date the interests of Company in the Leased Real Property will be free and clear of any and all liens, subsequent leases, licenses, occupants or tenants.

 

3.19       Insurance Coverage. Section 3.19 of the Disclosure Schedules sets forth (a) a true and complete list of all insurance policies, fidelity bonds and other insurance arrangements and other contracts or arrangements for the transfer or sharing of insurance risks by Company with respect to the business, assets, properties, operations, employees, officers or directors of Company, (b) the dates since which such policies or other arrangements have been in effect, (c) a description of such risks that Company has designated as being self-insured and (d) an insurer generated list of claims under each policy for the last two (2) policy periods.

 

3.20       Books and Records. Company has maintained business records, including books of account, minute books and stock record books, with respect to the assets and its business and operations which are true, accurate and complete in all material respects, and, there are no deficiencies in such business records.

 

3.21       Accounts Receivable: Accounts Payable. All accounts receivable, unbilled work in process and other debts due or recorded represent sales actually made by Company in the ordinary course of business and are collectible in full in the ordinary course of business on or prior to the first anniversary of the Closing Date, subject to such reserves for doubtful receivables as are included in the Balance Sheet. None of such accounts receivable or other debts is subject to any defense, counterclaim or right of set-off. Company has delivered to Buyer a complete and accurate list and aging schedule of all receivables of Company. There are no unpaid invoices or bills representing amounts alleged to be owed by Company, or other alleged obligations of Company, which Company has disputed or determined to dispute or refuse to pay.

 

 

 

3 .22       Absence of Unlawful Payments. None of (a) Company, (b) CRT, director, officer, agent or employee acting on behalf of Company, nor (c) any other Person acting on behalf of Company, has used any corporate or other funds for unlawful contributions, payments, gifts or entertainment, or made any unlawful expenditures relating to political activity to government officials or others or established or maintained any unlawful or unrecorded funds. None of (i) Company,, (ii) CRT, director, officer, agent or employee acting on behalf of Company or (iii) any other Person acting on behalf of Company has accepted or received any unlawful contributions, payments, gifts or expenditures.

 

3.23       Product or Service Liability. There is no action, suit, proceeding or inquiry or investigation, by or before any court or Governmental Authority pending or, to Company’s Knowledge, threatened against or involving Company relating to any services performed by Company and alleged to have been defective or improperly rendered or not in compliance with contractual requirements, or any products or software delivered or sold by Company which are alleged to be defective or not in compliance with contractual requirements.

 

3.24       Finders’ Fees. No broker, finder, agent or similar intermediary has acted on behalf of Company or CRT in connection with this Agreement or the Transactions contemplated hereby, and there are no brokerage commissions, finders’ fees or similar fees or commissions payable in connection therewith based on any agreement, arrangement or understanding with Company or CRT.

 

3.25       Employees. There are no amounts owing to present or former directors, officers, and employees of Company. No liability has been incurred or is anticipated for breach of any contract of employment or for services or for severance payments or for redundancy payments or for failure to comply with any order for the reinstatement of any employee. No gratuitous payment has been made or promised in connection with the termination, suspension or variation of any contract of employment or for services of any present or former director, officer, employee. The completion of this Agreement will not entitle any director, officer, and employee to terminate his employment or trigger any entitlement to a severance payment or liquidated damages. No dispute exists or can reasonably be anticipated between Company and a material number or category of its employees or any trade union or works council. During the past six months Company has not endured any strike, work stoppages, slow-down or work-to-rule by its employees or works which has caused or is likely to cause Company to be materially incapable of carrying on its business in the normal and ordinary course.

 

3.26       Disclosure. Company has disclosed to Buyer all facts material to the business, results of operations, assets, liabilities, financial condition or prospects of Company. No representation or warranty by Company contained in this Agreement and no statement contained in any document, certificate, or other writing furnished or to be furnished by or on behalf of Company to Buyer or any of its representatives pursuant to the provisions hereof or in connection with the Transactions, contains or will contain any untrue statement of material fact or omits or will omit to state any material fact necessary, in light of the circumstances under which it was made, in order to make the statements herein or therein not misleading.

 

 

 

ARTICLE IV

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF BUYER

 

Buyer represents and warrants to Company and CRT as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date as follows:

 

4.01       Corporate Existence and Power. Buyer is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada and has all corporate powers and all material governmental licenses, authorizations, permits, consents and approvals required to carry on its business as now conducted and to own the properties and assets it now owns.

 

4.02       Corporate Authorization: Binding Effect. Buyer has all requisite corporate power and corporate authority required to enter into this Agreement and each Transaction Document to which it is or will be a party and to consummate the Transactions contemplated hereby and thereby to be consummated by it. The execution and delivery of this Agreement and of each Transaction Document to which Buyer is or will be a party by Buyer, and the consummation of the Transactions contemplated hereunder to be consummated by Buyer, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on the part of Buyer. This Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by Buyer and constitutes a valid and binding agreement of Buyer, enforceable against Buyer in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally and by general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).

 

4.03       Governmental Authorization. No consent, approval or authorization of, filing with, or notice to, any Governmental Authority or any other Person, is required by Buyer in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by Buyer of this Agreement, each and every agreement contemplated under this Agreement to be entered into by Buyer in connection with the Transaction s, and the consummation by Buyer of the Transactions contemplated hereunder to be consummated by it.

 

4.04       Non-contravention. The execution and delivery by Buyer of the Transaction Documents to which Buyer is or will be a party, the performance by Buyer of its obligations hereunder and thereunder and the consummation of the Transactions do not and will not (a) contravene or conflict with the certificate of incorporation or bylaws of Buyer, or (b) assuming compliance with the matters referred to in Section 4.04 of the Disclosure Schedules, contravene or conflict with any applicable provision of any law, regulation, rule, judgment, injunction, order or decree binding upon or applicable to Buyer in any material respect.

 

4.05       Litigation. There is no action, suit, investigation or proceeding pending against or, to Buyer’s knowledge, threatened against or affecting Buyer or any of its officers or directors in their capacity as officers or directors of Buyer before any court or arbitrator or any governmental body, agency or official, which in any manner challenges or seeks to prevent, enjoin, alter or materially delay any of the Transactions contemplated hereby; nor, to Buyer’s knowledge, is there any valid basis for any such action, suit, investigation or proceeding.

 

 

 

ARTICLE V

CONDITIONS TO CLOSING

 

5.01       General Conditions. The respective obligations of each party to this Agreement to consummate the Transactions shall be subject to the following conditions, unless waived in writing prior to the Closing Date by such party:

 

(a)       No Actions or Orders. No action shall have been taken, and no statute, rule, regulation, executive order, judgment, decrec, or injunction shall have been enacted, entered, promulgated or enforced (and not repealed, superseded, lifted or otherwise made inapplicable), by any court or governmental or regulatory agency of competent jurisdiction which restrains, enjoins or otherwise prohibits the consummation of the Transactions (each party agreeing to use commercially reasonable efforts to avoid the effect of any such statute, rule, regulation or order or to have any such order, judgment, decree or injunction lifted).

 

(b)       Government Approvals. To the extent required by applicable law, all permits, consents, approvals and waivers required to be obtained from, and notices required to be given to, any Governmental Authority to permit the consummation of the Transactions shall have been received, obtained or given, as the case may be, and shall be in full force and effect.

 

5.02       Conditions to Obligations of CRT. The obligations of CRT to consummate the Transactions shall be subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions, unless waived in writing prior to the Closing Date by CRT:

 

(a)       Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of Buyer contained herein that are qualified as to materiality (or similar concept) shall be true and correct, and those not so qualified shall be true and correct in all material respects, in each case at and as of the date hereof and the Closing Date with the same force and effect as though made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent a representation or warranty speaks specifically as of an earlier date, in which case as of such date).

 

(b)       Covenants. Buyer shall have performed, in all material respects, all obligations and complied with all covenants required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by Buyer on or prior to the Closing Date.

 

(c)       Closing Deliveries. Company shall have received the following agreements and other deliveries, each of which shall be in full force and effect:

 

 

 

(i)       a certificate executed on behalf of Buyer, dated the date of Closing and signed by an officer of Buyer, evidencing compliance with Sections 5.02(a) through (b) hereof;

 

(ii)       The cash and executed convertible note described in Section

2.03.

 

(iii)       A joint written consent of the Board and majority shareholders of Buyer approving the transactions contemplated herein.

 

5.03       Conditions to Obligations of Buyer. The obligation of Buyer to effect the Closing is subject to the fulfillment, prior to or at the Closing, of each of the following conditions, except to the extent waived in writing by Buyer:

 

(a)       Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of Company and CRT contained herein that are qualified as to materiality or Material Adverse Effect (or similar concept) shall be true and correct, and those not so qualified shall be true and correct in all material respects, in each case at and as of the date hereof and the Closing Date with the same force and effect as though made at and as of the Closing Date (except to the extent a representation or warranty speaks specifically as of an earlier date, in which case as of such date).

 

(b)       Covenants. Company and CRT shall have performed, in all material respects, all obligations and complied with all covenants required by this Agreement to be performed or complied with by each of them on or prior to the Closing Date.

 

(c)       No Material Adverse Effect. There shall not have occurred after the date hereof any fact, development, event or circumstance that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have Material Adverse Effect.

 

(d)       Approvals. This Agreement: and the Transactions involving Company shall have been duly approved by the requisite vote of the Manager of Company in accordance with applicable law.

 

(e)       Consents. Company shall have obtained and provided to Buyer each approval and consent listed in Sections 3.03 and 3.04 of the Disclosure Schedules, if any, each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Buyer and such consent shall be in full force and effect.

 

(f)       Key Employees. Each Person indicated on Schedule 5.03(f) shall be employed by Company immediately prior to the Closing and shall have acknowledged in writing in a form reasonably acceptable to Buy©' that he or she intends to continue to be employed by Buyer following the Closing. It is intended that each Key Employee shall execute a mutually acceptable employment or consulting agreement with Buyer as of closing.

 

 

 

(g)       Closing Documents. Buyer shall have received the following

agreements and documents, each of which i shall be in full force and effect: a certificate executed on behalf of Company, dated the date of Closing and signed by an officer of Company, evidencing compliance with Sections 5.03(a) through (f) hereof;

 

5.04.       Bank Accounts. All bank account of Company shall have new signatories designated by Buyer post-closing.

 

ARTICLE VI

CERTAIN COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS

 

6.01       Tax Matters.

 

a.       Company shall prepare or cause to be prepared and file or cause to be filed all Tax Returns of Company that are required to be filed on or prior to the Closing Date (taking into account, for these purposes, any extension of the time to file any such Tax Return), including any amended Tax Returns required for such periods. Unless otherwise required by applicable Law, every material position taken on such Tax Returns shall be reasonably consistent with the methodology and elections employed by Company in prior years. Company shall provide Buyer with copies of any Tax Returns described in the preceding sentence that have not been provided to Buyer prior to the date hereof.

 

b.       Buyer shall file or cause to be filed, all Tax Returns for Company for all Tax periods ending on or prior to the Closing Date that are required to be filed after the Closing Date. Unless otherwise required by applicable Law, every material position taken on such Tax Returns shall be reasonably consistent with the methodology and elections employed by Company in prior y ears. Company shall permit Buyer to review and comment on each such Tax Return described in the preceding sentence prior to filing as provided herein. Not less than thirty (30) days before the earlier of the due date of any such Tax Return or the date on which such Tax Returns are to be filed, Company shall furnish a draft of such Tax Return (as proposed to be filed) to Buyer for its review. Not less than twenty (20) days before the earlier of the clue date of such Tax Return or the date on which such Tax Return is to be filed, Buyer shall forward to Company any comments it may have relating to such Tax Return, and Buyer and Company agree to resolve in good faith any disputes regarding such Tax Return.

 

c.       Buyer shall prepare or cause to be prepared and file or cause to be filed any Tax Returns of Company for Tax periods which begin before the Closing Date and end after the Closing Date. Unless otherwise required by applicable Law, every material position taken on such Tax Returns shall be reasonably consistent with the methodology and elections employed by Company in prior years.

 

d.       Buyer and Company shall cooperate fully, as and to the extent reasonably requested by the other party: in connection with the filing of Tax Returns pursuant to this Section 6.01 and any audit, litigation or other proceeding with respect to Taxes.

 

 

 

e.       Buyer and Company further agree, upon request, to use their commercially reasonable efforts (including those actions described in Section 6.01(e) to obtain any certificate or other document from any Governmental Authority or any other Person as may be necessary to mitigate, reduce or eliminate any Tax that could be imposed (including, but not limited to, with respect to the Transactions).

 

f.       All transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp, registration and other such Taxes and fees (including any penalties and interest) incurred in connection with this Agreement shall be paid by Company when due, and Company and Buyer shall cooperate in filing all necessary Tax Returns and other documentation with respect to all such transfer, documentary, sales, use, stamp, registration and other Taxes and fees, and, if required by applicable law, the other parties shall, and shall cause their affiliates to, join in the execution of any such Tax Returns and other documentation. The expense of such filings shall be paid by CRT jointly and severally.

 

g.       Company shall have full responsibility for and discretion in handling any Tax controversy relating to a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date (a Pre-Closing Proceeding”). Company shall furnish to Buyer or give Buyer access to all material relevant information in its possession concerning the Tax controversy that is the subject of such Pre-Closing Proceeding. Buyer shall have the right to participate in the defense or settlement of such Pre-Closing Proceeding, at its sole cost and expense, through its own legal counsel. Company shall not settle or compromise a claim or consent to the entry of any judgment that would adversely affect Buyer (or Company for any period or portion thereof beginning after the Closing Date) without the prior written consent of Buyer, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. Buyer shall have full responsibility for and discretion in handling any Tax controversy relating to a Tax period which begins before the Closing Date and ends after the Closing Date (a Straddle Proceeding”). Buyer shall furnish to Company or give Company access to all material relevant information in its possession concerning the Tax controversy that is the subject of such Straddle Proceeding. CRT shall have the right to participate in the defense or settlement of such Straddle Proceeding, at its sole cost and expense, through its own legal counsel. Buyer shall not settle or compromise a claim or consent to the entry of any judgment that would adversely affect Company without the prior written consent of Company, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed.

 

ARTICLE VII

SURVIVAL OF REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES;

INDEMNIFICATION

 

7.01       Indemnification by Company. Company agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless in the manner and subject to the limitations and qualifications set forth in this Article VH, Buyer and its directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, affiliates, successors and assigns (collectively, Buyer Indemnitees”) against and hold the Buyer Indemnitees harmless from and in respect of any and all Damages based upon, arising out of, or otherwise in respect of or which may be incurred by virtue of or result from the inaccuracy in or breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement made by Company in this Agreement, any Transaction Document or in any document or instrument executed by or on behalf of Company in connection with the Closing or noncompetition with Company or Buyer Hollowing the Closing which shall be governed by the terms of any such agreement.

 

 

 

7.02       Indemnification by Buyer. Buyer agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless in the manner and subject to the limitations and qualifications set forth in this Article VII, Company and their respective agents, representatives, affiliates, successors and assigns (collectively, the Company Indemnitees,” and, together with the Buyer Indemnitees, the Indemnitees”) against and hold Company Indemnitees harmless from and in respect of any and all Damages based upon, arising out of, or otherwise in respect of or which may be incurred by virtue of or result from the inaccuracy in or breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or agreement made by Buyer in this Agreement (including all schedules and exhibits hereto), any Transaction Document or in any document or instrument executed by or on behalf of Buyer in connection with the Closing or pursuant hereto, other than any agreement relating to a Stockholder’s employment or noncompetition with Company or Buyer following the Closing which indemnification thereunder shall be governed by the terms of any such agreement.

 

7.3       Survival. All representations and warranties of the parties contained in this Agreement shall (i) subject to the limitations set forth in this Section 6.03, survive the Closing and not be affected by any investigation made by or on behalf of any party hereto or any knowledge acquired or capable of being acquired by any party hereto regarding the accuracy or inaccuracy of any representation or warranty or compliance with or breach of any covenant or agreement and (ii) be deemed to be made as of the date hereof and as of the Closing Date. The representations and warranties contained in or made pursuant to this Agreement or any Transaction Document and the indemnity obligations set forth in this Article VII shall terminate on, and no Claim or action based solely thereon may be initiated after the second anniversary of the Closing Date. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the covenants and agreements contained in this Agreement shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and the consummation of the Transactions indefinitely. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, if any claim for Damages is asserted by any Indemnitee prior to the termination of the representation, warranty or indemnification obligation, the obligations of the party or parties providing indemnity therefore (each, an Indemnifying Party”) shall continue with respect to such claim until the resolution and satisfaction thereof even if not finally resolved until after such termination.

 

7.04       Notice of Indemnification Claims.

 

(a)       Notice of Claims. Promptly after an Indemnitee becomes aware of (i) any facts or events that could give rise to indemnification by Indemnifying Parties hereunder, (ii) a claim made by a third party against such Indemnitee, or (iii) facts or circumstances establishing that an Indemnitee has experienced or incurred Damages subject to indemnification under this Article VII, the Indemnitee shall give to the Indemnifying Parties prompt written notice thereof (in each case, an Indemnification Notice”). The failure to give notice pursuant to his Section 7.04(a) or any other similar notice provision of this Agreement shall not affect or limit the Indemnifying Parties’ obligations hereunder except, and then only to the extent that, the delay in giving, or failure to give, the notice is determined by final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction to have actually and materially prejudiced the Indemnifying Parties’ ability to defend against the claim. To the extent practicable under the circumstances taking into account the information readily available to the Indemnitee at such time, the Indemnification Notice will describe with reasonable specificity (x) the nature of and the basis for the set-off or indemnification claim, including any relevant supporting documentation, and (y) an estimate of all Damages associated therewith.

 

 

 

(b)        Procedure in Event of Indemnification Claim. If an Indemnitee desires to assert an indemnification claim pursuant to Section 7.01 or Section 7.02, the Indemnitee promptly shall provide an Indemnification Notice to the Indemnifying Parties in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 7.04(a) hereof. If any Indemnifying Party does not object within twenty (20) days after receipt of the Indemnification Notice to the propriety of the indemnification claims described as being subject to indemnification pursuant to Section 7.01 or Section 7.02 or the amount of Damages asserted in the Indemnification Notice, the indemnification claims described and, if applicable, the amount of Damages asserted, in the Indemnification Notice shall be deemed final and binding upon that Indemnifying Party (hereinafter, collectively with any claims either agreed to between the parties or finally determined in accordance with Section 8.05, Permitted Indemnification Claims”). If any Indemnifying Party contests the propriety of an indemnification claim described in the Indemnification Notice or the amount of Damages associated with such claim, then that Indemnifying Party shall deliver to the Indemnitee a written notice detailing with reasonable specificity all specific objections the Indemnifying Party has with respect to the indemnification claims contained in the Indemnification Notice (“Indemnification Objection Notice”). If the objecting Indemnifying Party and the Indemnitee are unable to resolve the disputed matters described in the Indemnification Objection Notice within fifteen (15) business days after the date the Indemnitee received the Indemnification Objection Notice, the disputed matters will be subject to the dispute resolution procedures net forth in Section 8.05 hereof. Any undisputed indemnification claims or Damages contained in the Indemnification Notice shall be deemed to be final and binding upon the Indemnifying Parties and shall constitute a Permitted Indemnification Claim. If the procedures in Section 8.05 result in all or any portion of an indemnification claim properly being subject to indemnification pursuant to Section 7.01 or Section 7.02 such claim or portion thereof shall be final and binding upon the Indemnifying Parties and shall constitute a Permitted Indemnification Claim.

 

 

 

(c)      Defense of Third Party Claims. After receipt of an Indemnification Notice in respect of a Claim brought by a Third Party, the Indemnifying Party or Parties shall have the right to assume the defense (at the Indemnifying Party or Parties’ sole cost and expense) of any such claim through counsel of the Indemnifying Party’s or Parties’ own choosing by so notifying the Indemnified Party in writing within twenty (20) days of receipt of such Indemnification Notice; provided, however, that any such counsel shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee. Each Indemnitee shall have the right to employ separate counsel in such Claim and participate in the defense thereof, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnitee unless: (i)the Indemnifying Party has agreed to pay such expenses; (ii) the Indemnifying Party has failed promptly to assume the defense and employ counsel reasonably satisfactory to such Indemnified Party; or (iii) the named parties to any such Claim (including any impleaded parties) include any Indemnitee and the Indemnifying Party or an affiliate of the Indemnifying Party, and such Indemnified Party shall have been advised by counsel that either (x) there may be one or more legal defenses available to it which are different from or in addition to those available to the Indemnifying Party or such affiliate or (y) a conflict of interest may exist if such counsel represents such Indemnitee and the Indemnifying Party or its affiliate; provided, that if such Indemnitee notifies the Indemnifying Party in writing that it elects to employ separate counsel in the circumstances described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) above, the Indemnifying Party shall lot have the right to assume the defense thereof and such counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnifying Party. Without the consent of the Indemnitees, the Indemnifying Parties shall not consent to, and the Indemnitees shall not be required to agree to, the entry of any judgment or enter into any settlement unless such judgment or settlement (i) includes as an unconditional term thereof the giving of a release from all liability with respect to such claim by each claimant or plaintiff to each Indemnitee that is the subject of such third-party Claim, (ii) does not include a statement as to or an admission of fault, culpability era failure to act, by or on behalf of an Indemnitee and (iii) in the case of any Claim regarding Taxes, such judgment or settlement does not and will not, in the reasonable determination of Buyer, give rise or result in an increase in any Tax liability of Buyer, or any of its Affiliates. If an Indemnification Notice is given to an Indemnifying Party and the Indemnifying Party does not, within twenty (20) days after the Indemnitee’s notice is given, give notice to the Indemnitee of its election to assume the defense of such claim, the Indemnifying Party will be bound by any determination made in such claim or any compromise or settlement effected by the Indemnitee. The Indemnitee and the Indemnifying Party will make available to each other and their attorneys and representatives at all reasonable times, ail books and records relating to such Claim and will render to each other such assistance is may reasonably be requested to ensure proper and adequate defense of any such Claim.

 

ARTICLE VIII

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

 

8.01       Amendment and Modifications. This Agreement may be amended, modified and supplemented only by written agreement among the parties hereto which states that it is intended to be a modification of this Agreement.

 

8.02       Waiver of Compliance. Any failure of Company or CRT, on the one hand, or Buyer, on the other, to comply with any obligation, representation, warranty, covenant, agreement or condition herein may be waived in writing by the other applicable parties, but such waiver or failure to insist upon strict compliance with such obligation, representation, warranty, covenant, agreement or condition shall not operate as a waiver of, or estoppel with respect to, any subsequent or other failure.

 

 

 

8.03       Breach of Obligations. In case of breach of this Agreement the party in default shall be liable to the other party/parties for any losses attributable to its breach.

 

8.04       Expenses. The parties agree that all fees and expenses incurred by them in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions contemplated hereby shall be borne by the party incurring such fees and expenses, including, without limitation, all fees of counsel, advisors and accountants. The parties further agree that the fees and expenses incurred by Company in connection with this Agreement and the Transactions contemplated hereby, including attorneys’ fees and brokers’ fees, shall be paid by CRT individually.

 

8.05       Waiver. To the maximum extent permitted by law, all rights and remedies existing under this Agreement are cumulative to, and not exclusive of, any rights or remedies otherwise available under applicable law. No failure on the part of any party to exercise or delay in exercising any right hereunder shall be deemed a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise preclude any further or other exercise of such or any other right.

 

8.06       Dispute Resolution.

 

(a)       Negotiated Resolution. Except to the extent a different procedure is expressly provided for herein, if any dispute arises (i) out of or relating to, this Agreement, any Transaction Document or any alleged breach hereof or thereof, or (ii) with respect to any of the Transactions (“Dispute”), the party desiring to resolve such Dispute shall deliver a written notice describing such Dispute with reasonable specificity to the other parties (“Dispute Notice”). If any party delivers a Dispute Notice pursuant to this Section 8.06, or if any Stockholder delivers to any Indemnitee an Indemnification Objection Notice pursuant to Section 7.04, the parties involved in the Dispute shall meet at least twice within the twenty (20) day period commencing with the date of the Dispute Notice or the Indemnification Objection Notice (as the case may be) and in good faith shall attempt to resolve such Dispute (as the case may be).

 

(b)       Litigation. Except to the extent a different procedure is expressly provided for herein, if the Dispute is not resolved pursuant to Section 8.05(a) above, the Dispute or Rejected Claim may be settled by litigation. The prevailing party in any litigation shall be entitled to be indemnified and held harmless by the other party to that litigation for all costs incurred in the litigation, including but not limited to the cost of the record or transcripts thereof, court fees, reasonable attorneys’ and expert witnesses’ costs and fees, and all other costs and fees incurred therein.

 

 

 

8.06       Notices. All notices, requests, demands and other communications required or permitted hereunder shall be in writing and shall be delivered by electronic mail, hand, sent by facsimile (with confirmed receipt), mailed, certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, or sent by reputable overnight courier to the parties at the address set forth below or to such other address as may be furnished in writing to the other parties hereto. All such notices and communications shall be deemed to have been duly given three (3) Business Days after being deposited in the mail, postage prepaid, if mailed; one (1) Business Day after being sent by reputable overnight courier; and one (1) Business Day after confirmed receipt, if sent by electronic mail or facsimile:

 

Buyer: BioNovelus, Inc.
  9812 Falls Rd #14-299
  Potomac, MD 20854
  Email: mcfuller79@gmail.com

 

or to such other person or address as Buyer shall furnish to Company and CRTin writing.

 

CRT: The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust
  15416 Kentwell Circle, Suite 100A
  Centreville, VA 20120
  Email: laurie.buckhout@gmail.com
   
Company Corvus Consulting, LLC
  9812 Falls Rd #14-299
  Potomac, MD 20854
  Email: mcfuller79@gmail.com

 

or to such other person or address as Company or CRT shall furnish to Buyer in writing.

 

8.07       Assignment. This Agreement and all of the provisions hereof shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors, but neither this Agreement nor any of the lights, interests or obligations hereunder shall be assigned by any of the parties hereto without the prior written consent of the other party; provided, however, that Buyer may assign this Agreement to an affiliate of Buyer provided that such assignment shall not relieve Buyer of any liability hereunder.

 

8.08       Governing Law. This Agreement and the legal relationship among the parties hereto shall be governed and construed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia without regard to its conflict of law principles.

 

8.09       Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed simultaneously in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument. Signature by telecopy shall be sufficient to evidence a party’s intention to be bound hereby.

 

8.10       Headings. The headings of the Sections and Articles of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not constitute a part hereof or affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

 

 

8.11       Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including the exhibits and schedules hereto, the Disclosure Schedules and the other documents and certificates delivered pursuant to the terms hereof, set forth the final, complete and exclusive agreement and understanding of the parties hereto in respect of the subject matter contained herein, and supersede all prior agreements, promises, covenants, arrangements, communications, representations or warranties, whether oral or written, by any officer, employee or representative of any party hereto, including without limitation that certain Letter of Intent dated September 26,2019 from Buyer, and countersigned by Company or any amendments or supplements hereto.

 

8.12       Third Parties. Nothing herein expressed or implied is intended or shall be construed to confer upon or give to any Person other than the parties hereto or their successors and assigns any rights or remedies under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

8.13       Further Assurances. Each of the parties hereto agrees that from time to time, at the request of any of the other parties hereto and without further consideration, it will execute and deliver such other documents and take such other action as such other party may reasonably request in order to consummate more effectively the Transactions contemplated hereby. The parties shall cooperate with each other in such actions and in securing requisite approvals. Each party shall execute and deliver both before and after the Closing such further certificates, agreements and other documents and take such other actions as the other party reasonably may request to consummate or implement the Transactions contemplated hereby or to evidence such events or matters.

 

8.14       Non-compete. The CEO of the Company and Buyer are entering into that certain four (4)-year non-competition agreement as part of the CEO’s employment agreement attached hereto as Exhibit 8.14 at the Closing of the transactions described in this Agreement. Such non-competition agreement is “ancillary” to this Securities Purchase Agreement and is a specific condition of this Agreement. Buyer would not enter into this Agreement unless the CEO of the Company agreed to such non-competition agreement as it helps preserve the value of the Company to Buyer. Such “ancillary” non-competition agreement is agreed by both parties to be reasonable in scope, and enforceable even in jurisdictions where employment agreement related non-competition agreements may otherwise be illegal (e.g., California).

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Securities Purchase Agreement to be duly executed as of the day and year first above written.

 

“COMPANY”   “BUYER”
     
Corvus Consulting, LLC   BioNovelus, Inc.
     
By: /s/ Mark C. Fuller   By: /s/ Mark C. Fuller
  Name: Mark C. Fuller     Name: Mark C.Fuller
  Title: Director     Title: President and CEO

 

“CRT”

 

The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust

 

By: /s/ Laurie Buckhout  
  Name: Laurie Buckhout  
  Title: Trustee  

  

 

 

Exhibit 2.5

 

Execution Version

 

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

 

made and entered into as of August 12, 2021,

 

by and among

 

CASTELLUM, INC.,

 

KC HOLDINGS COMPANY, INC.,

 

SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC.,

 

AND

 

THE STOCKHOLDERS NAMED HEREIN

 

   

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
ARTICLE I THE MERGER 2
Section 1.1 Merger 2
Section 1.2 Merger Effective Time 2
Section 1.3 Certificate of Incorporation; Bylaws; Officers and Directors of the Surviving Entity 2
Section 1.4 Authorization of the Merger, this Agreement and the Merger 3
ARTICLE II EFFECT OF THE MERGER ON CAPITAL STOCK 3
Section 2.1 Effect of the Merger 3
Section 2.2 No Dissenting Shares 3
Section 2.3 Transfers; No Further Ownership Rights 4
Section 2.4 Closing Consideration Schedule 4
Section 2.5 Closing Date Payments 4
Section 2.6 Post-Closing Statement and Post-Closing Adjustment 5
Section 2.7 Withholding 8
Section 2.8 Earnout 8
ARTICLE III CLOSING; CLOSING DELIVERIES 10
Section 3.1 Closing 10
Section 3.2 Closing Deliverables 10
ARTICLE IV REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES RELATED TO THE COMPANY 12
Section 4.1 Organization of the Company; Authority; Due Execution 12
Section 4.2 Subsidiaries; Equity Investments 13
Section 4.3 Company Governmental Consents and Notices; Company Non- Governmental Consents; Violations of Law 13
Section 4.4 Financial Statements; Undisclosed Liabilities; Dividends and Distributions; Indebtedness 14
Section 4.5 Capitalization 15
Section 4.6 Litigation 16
Section 4.7 Personal Property 16
Section 4.8 Real Property 16
Section 4.9 Title to Assets 16

 

 i  

 

 

Section 4.10 Tax Matters 17
Section 4.11 Employees 20
Section 4.12 Employee Benefits 22
Section 4.13 Intellectual Property 26
Section 4.14 Databases 29
Section 4.15 Absence of Certain Changes 29
Section 4.16 Accounts Receivable 30
Section 4.17 Bank Accounts 30
Section 4.18 Compliance with Laws 30
Section 4.19 Environmental Matters 31
Section 4.20 Contracts and Commitments 31
Section 4.21 Insurance 33
Section 4.22 Affiliate Arrangements; Affiliate Interests 34
Section 4.23 Customers 34
Section 4.24 Privacy Laws 35
Section 4.25 Government Contract and Regulatory Matters 35
Section 4.26 Brokers and Finders 43
Section 4.27 No Other Representations 43
ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE STOCKHOLDERS 44
Section 5.1 Authorization of Transaction; Binding Agreement 44
Section 5.2 Noncontravention 44
Section 5.3 Ownership of Shares 45
Section 5.4 Consents 45
Section 5.5 Litigation 46
Section 5.6 Brokers and Finders 46
Section 5.7 Investment Intention 46
Section 5.8 Purchase Entirely for Own Account 46
Section 5.9 Disclosure of Information 46
Section 5.10 Accredited Investor 47
Section 5.11 No General Solicitation 47
Section 5.12 Exculpation Among Stockholders 47
Section 5.13 Residence 47
Section 5.14 No Other Representations 47

 

 ii  

 

 

ARTICLE VI REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SURVIVING ENTITY 47
Section 6.1 Organization of the Surviving Entity; Authority; Due Execution 47
Section 6.2 Government Filings; No Violation 48
Section 6.3 Securities Issued at Fair Market Value 49
Section 6.4 Litigation 49
Section 6.5 Compliance with Law 49
Section 6.6 OTC Reports 49
Section 6.7 Brokers and Finders 50
Section 6.8 Investment Intention 50
Section 6.9 Tax Matters 50
Section 6.10 Solvency 50
Section 6.10 No Other Representations; Non-Reliance 50
ARTICLE VII CERTAIN POST-CLOSING COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS OF THE STOCKHOLDERS, THE COMPANY AND THE SURVIVING ENTITY 51
Section 7.1 Company Non-Governmental Consents 51
Section 7.2 Public Announcements 51
Section 7.3 Tax Matters 52
Section 7.4 Employee Matters 55
Section 7.5 Bank Account Transfers 55
Section 7.6 Surviving Entity Board of Directors 56
Section 7.7 Further Assurances 56
Section 7.8 Post-Closing Consents and Approvals 56
Section 7.9 Confidentiality 57
Section 7.10 Indemnification 58
Section 7.11 Electronic Copy of Data Room. 64
ARTICLE VIII DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION 65
Section 8.1 Definitions 65
Section 8.2 Interpretation 78
ARTICLE IX MISCELLANEOUS 79
Section 9.1 Waiver 79
Section 9.2 Notices 79

 

 iii  

 

 

Section 9.3 Governing Law 80
Section 9.4 Counterparts 81
Section 9.5 Headings 81
Section 9.6 Entire Agreement 81
Section 9.7 Amendment and Modification 81
Section 9.8 Binding Effect; Benefits 81
Section 9.9 Severability 82
Section 9.10 Assignability 82
Section 9.11 Specific Performance 82
Section 9.12 Schedules 82
Section 9.13 Attorney-Client Privilege. 83

 

EXHIBITS

 

Schedule A – Sample Statement

Schedule B – Closing Merger Consideration Allocation and Taxable “Boot” Allocation Methodology

Schedule 3.1(a)(ix) – Consents

 

Exhibit A Stockholder Consent and Agreement
Exhibit B-1 Certificate of Merger
Exhibit B-2 Articles of Merger
Exhibit C Form of Restrictive Covenant Agreement
Exhibit D Form of Stockholder Employment Agreement
Exhibit E Form of Employment Agreement
Exhibit F Form of Kaunitz Note
Exhibit G Form of Escrow Agreement
Exhibit H Pro Rata Share

 

 iv  

 

 

AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER

 

This AGREEMENT AND PLAN OF MERGER (together with the Schedules and Exhibits attached hereto, herein referred to as this “Agreement”), dated as of August 12, 2021 (the “Closing Date”), by and among Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Surviving Entity”), KC Holdings Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Holdco”), Specialty Systems, Inc., a New Jersey corporation and wholly-owned subsidiary of Holdco (the “Company”) and Emil Kaunitz (“Kaunitz”) and William Cabey (“Cabey” and together with Kaunitz, the “Stockholders”). Capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined or otherwise referenced in Section 7.1 of this Agreement.

 

W I T N E S E T H:

 

A.       Prior to the Pre-Closing Reorganization (as defined below), the Stockholders were the record and beneficial owners of 100% of the issued and outstanding Company Capital Stock.

 

B.       Prior to the Closing, the Stockholders (i) contributed all of the Company Capital Stock to Holdco in exchange for a like kind and percentage ownership of shares of capital stock of Holdco (the “Contribution”) and (ii) caused Holdco to make an election on IRS Form 8869 to treat the Company as a “qualified subchapter S subsidiary” of Holdco within the meaning of Section 1361(b)(3) of the Code, effective as of the date of the Contribution (the “QSub Election”). The Contribution and the QSub Election are referred to herein collectively as the “Pre-Closing Reorganization”).

 

C.       The board of directors of the Surviving Entity has approved the merger of Holdco with and into the Surviving Entity (the “Merger”) pursuant to the Nevada Business Corporation Act (the “NBCA”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, whereupon, following consummation of the Merger in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein, Holdco shall cease to exist, the Surviving Entity shall continue to exist, and the Company shall continue as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Surviving Entity.

 

D.       The board of directors of each of the Company (the “Company Board”) and Holdco (the “Holdco Board”) have approved, adopted and declared advisable this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby, including the Merger, and the Holdco Board has recommended the adoption of this Agreement and the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to its stockholders, in accordance with the Delaware General Business Corporation Law (the “DGCL”) and upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein.

 

E.       Simultaneously with the execution and delivery of this Agreement, and as an inducement to the Surviving Entity’s willingness to enter into this Agreement, in accordance with Sections 228(a) and 228(c) of the DGCL, Holdco shall deliver or cause to be delivered a written stockholder consent and agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit A attached hereto (“Stockholder Consent and Agreement”), duly executed by the Stockholders holding sufficient shares of Holdco Capital Stock to constitute the Requisite Approval.

 

F.       The consideration payable to the Stockholders shall be allocated among the Stockholders in accordance with, and subject to the terms of, this Agreement and Holdco’s Certificate of Incorporation, dated July 15, 2021.

 

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NOW, THEREFORE, in reliance upon the representations and warranties made herein and in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained and other good and valuable consideration (the receipt and sufficiency of which are acknowledged), the Parties, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

 

THE MERGER

 

Section 1.1 Merger. Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of this Agreement, and in accordance with the DGCL and the NBCA, at the Effective Time, (i) Holdco shall be merged with and into the Surviving Entity, whereupon the separate existence of Holdco shall cease, (ii) the Surviving Entity shall continue under the name “Castellum, Inc.” and shall continue to be governed by the laws of the State of Nevada, and (iii) the identity, existence, corporate organization, purposes, powers, objects, franchises, privileges, rights, immunities, restrictions, debts, liabilities and duties (collectively, the “Corporate Rights”) of the Surviving Entity shall continue in effect and be unimpaired by the Merger, and the Corporate Rights of Holdco shall be merged with and into the Surviving Entity, which shall, as the Surviving Entity, be fully vested therewith.

 

Section 1.2 Merger Effective Time. At the Closing, the Surviving Entity and the Company shall cause the Certificate of Merger and Articles of Merger for the Merger, in the forms attached hereto as Exhibits B-1 and B-2 (collectively, the “Merger Filings”), to be filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware and the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the DGCL and the NBCA, respectively. The Merger shall become effective on the time set forth in the Merger Filings), such time being referred to herein as the “Effective Time”.

 

Section 1.3 Certificate of Incorporation; Bylaws; Officers and Directors of the Surviving Entity.

 

(a)       At the Effective Time, (i) the articles of incorporation of the Surviving Entity, as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, shall be and remain the articles of incorporation of the Surviving Entity until altered, amended or repealed as provided in the NBCA; (ii) the bylaws of the Surviving Entity shall be and remain the bylaws of the Surviving Entity, unless and until altered, amended or repealed as provided in the NBCA, the Surviving Entity’s articles of incorporation or such bylaws.

 

(b)       At the Effective Time, the officers and directors of the Surviving Entity shall be and remain the officers and directors of the Surviving Entity, respectively, unless and until removed or until their respective terms of office shall have expired in accordance with the NBCA or the Surviving Entity’s articles of incorporation or bylaws, as applicable.

 

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Section 1.4 Authorization of the Merger, this Agreement and the Merger Filings. Prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, (a) Stockholders holding sufficient shares of Holdco Capital Stock to constitute the Requisite Approval shall execute a Stockholder Consent and Agreement and (b) stockholders holding sufficient shares of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Surviving Entity and the board of directors of the Surviving Entity shall execute a written consent in lieu of a meeting (“Surviving Entity Approvals”); each of which written consents shall include resolutions approving and adopting the Merger, this Agreement, the applicable Merger Filing and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, in each case as required by the DGCL or the NBCA, as applicable, and the applicable Party’s Governing Documents.

 

ARTICLE II

 

EFFECT OF THE MERGER ON CAPITAL STOCK

 

Section 2.1 Effect of the Merger. On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, at the Effective Time, by virtue of the Merger and without any action on the part of any holder of the Holdco Capital Stock, the Surviving Entity, Holdco, or the Company:

 

(a)       Treasury Stock. Each share of Holdco Capital Stock that is held by Holdco as treasury stock or otherwise, shall be cancelled for no consideration and shall cease to exist;

 

(b)       Effect on Holdco Capital Stock in the Merger. Except as provided in Section 2.1(a), the shares of Holdco Capital Stock outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time shall be converted into the right to receive, without interest, the following (collectively, the “Merger Consideration”), which shall be allocated among the shares of Holdco Capital Stock in accordance with Schedule B:

 

(i)       At the Effective Time, the Closing Merger Consideration, to the Stockholders, in accordance with Schedule B; provided that the number of shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock that each Stockholder is to receive shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number of shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock after aggregating all Surviving Entity Common Stock such Stockholder is otherwise entitled to pursuant to this Section 2.1(b);

 

(ii)       When, and if released, the Indemnity Escrow Amount, to the Stockholders in accordance with each Stockholder’s Pro Rata Share; and

 

(iii)       When and if earned, the Earnout Payment, to the Stockholders in accordance with each Stockholder’s Pro Rata Share.

 

(c)       Effect on Surviving Entity Capital Stock. Each issued and outstanding share of the common stock of the Surviving Entity as of immediately prior to the Effective Time shall remain unchanged and continue to remain outstanding immediately after the Effective Time.

 

Section 2.2 No Dissenting Shares. Prior to the Closing, each Stockholder has waived any and all demand, appraisal, and payment rights with respect to any Holdco Capital Stock under Section 262 of the DGCL (“Dissenting Shares”), and no payments are required to be made with respect to Dissenting Shares by the Surviving Entity or Holdco.

 

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Section 2.3 Transfers; No Further Ownership Rights. After the Effective Time, there shall be no registration of transfers on the stock transfer books of Holdco of shares of Holdco Capital Stock that were outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time. If certificates or book-entry shares are presented to the Surviving Entity for transfer following the Effective Time, they shall be canceled against delivery of the Merger Consideration, as provided for in Section 2.1(b), for each share of Holdco Capital Stock formerly represented by such certificates or bookentry shares. Payment of the Merger Consideration in accordance with the terms of this ARTICLE II, and, if applicable, any unclaimed dividends upon the surrender of certificates, shall be deemed to have been paid in full satisfaction of all rights pertaining to the shares of Holdco Capital Stock formerly represented by such certificates or book-entry shares.

 

Section 2.4 Closing Consideration Schedule.

 

(a)       At least three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing Date, the Company shall deliver to the Surviving Entity a statement (the “Closing Consideration Schedule”) setting forth its good faith estimated balance sheet of the Company as of the Closing Date (the “Estimated Closing Balance Sheet”), and an estimate of, each as of the close of business on the Closing Date: (i) the Net Working Capital of the Company (the “Estimated Working Capital”); (ii) the Company Indebtedness (the “Estimated Closing Indebtedness Amount”); and (iii) Transaction Expenses (including a list of each person entitled to any Transaction Expenses). The Closing Consideration Schedule shall be prepared in accordance with the Accounting Principles and the Sample Statement. The Closing Consideration Schedule shall be used for the purposes of determining the Closing Cash Consideration. The Company may, at the Company’s option, deliver to the Surviving Entity an updated Closing Consideration Schedule no later than 10:00 a.m., New York City time on the Business Day immediately prior to the Closing.

 

(b)       The amount of the Closing Cash Consideration shall be calculated using the Estimated Working Capital, Estimated Closing Indebtedness Amount, and the Transaction Expenses set forth in the Closing Consideration Schedule, all in accordance with the definition of “Closing Cash Consideration” set forth in Section 8.1, and subject to a further “true up” adjustment after the Closing pursuant to Section 2.6.

 

Section 2.5 Closing Date Payments. On the Closing Date, the Surviving Entity shall:

 

(a)       pay to each applicable recipient, the respective amounts of the Transaction Expenses payable to such recipient, as set forth on the Closing Consideration Schedule;

 

(b)       pay to each Company Indebtedness obligee, amounts in respect of Company Indebtedness payable to such obligees, as set forth on the Closing Consideration Schedule; provided, however, the Kaunitz Note shall not be paid off on the Closing Date;

 

(c)       deliver to the Escrow Agent, in accordance with the Escrow Agreement, (i) by wire transfer of immediately available funds, the Indemnity Escrow; and

 

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(d)       pay to the Stockholders the Closing Cash Consideration, in accordance with Schedule B, to the accounts designated in writing by the Stockholders on the Closing Consideration Schedule;

 

(e)       deliver to the Stockholders evidence of the request of the book entry Surviving Entity Common Stock representing the Closing Share Consideration; and

 

(f)       within five (5) Business Days of the Closing Date, deliver to the Stockholders the book entry Surviving Entity Common Stock representing the Closing Share Consideration, in accordance with the Stockholders’ respective Pro Rata Shares.

 

Section 2.6 Post-Closing Statement and Post-Closing Adjustment.

 

(a)       Preparation of the Post-Closing Statement. As soon as reasonably practicable after the Closing Date (but not later than sixty (60) days thereafter), the Surviving Entity will prepare and deliver to the Stockholders a post-closing statement of the Company as of the close of business on the Closing Date (the “Post-Closing Statement”), setting forth in reasonable detail Surviving Entity’s good faith calculation of the following, each as of the Effective Time: (i) the Net Working Capital of the Company; and (ii) the aggregate amount of Company Indebtedness (the “Closing Indebtedness Amount”).

 

(b)       Review of the Post-Closing Statement. The Stockholders may review the Post-Closing Statement and may make inquiries of the Surviving Entity and its Representatives, and the Surviving Entity will make available to the Stockholders, as reasonably requested, all Company Records and other books, work papers, schedules or records of the Surviving Entity or its Representatives relating to the Post-Closing Statement that are within the Surviving Entity’s or the Company’s possession or control. The Post-Closing Statement shall be final, binding and conclusive upon, and deemed accepted by, the Stockholders unless the Stockholders deliver written notice to the Surviving Entity stating any objections thereto (the “Notice of Dispute”) within thirty (30) days after the delivery of the Post-Closing Statement to the Stockholders. The Notice of Dispute shall specify in reasonable detail each item on the Post-Closing Statement that the Stockholders dispute, the reasons for such dispute and the portion of the Post-Closing Statement, if any, which the Stockholders do not dispute. For the avoidance of doubt, the Parties acknowledge and agree that all Post-Closing Statement items not included or specified in such Notice of Dispute shall be final, binding, and conclusive upon, and accepted by, the Parties.

 

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(c)       Disputes. Disputes between the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders relating to the Post-Closing Statement that are not resolved by the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders within fifteen (15) days after Surviving Entity’s receipt of the Notice of Dispute shall, at the election of either the Surviving Entity or the Stockholders, be referred to the Arbiter for resolution. If, for any reason, the Arbiter is unwilling or unable to serve as the Arbiter and the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders cannot otherwise mutually agree on an alternative independent accounting firm to serve as the Arbiter, then either Party may petition a court of competent jurisdiction to appoint an independent accounting firm to serve as the Arbiter. The Parties shall instruct the Arbiter promptly, but no later than thirty (30) days after accepting its appointment, to (i) resolve all remaining items in dispute set forth in the Notice of Dispute in accordance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement and (ii) render a written report detailing the resolution of each of the remaining disputed items and the resulting calculation of the amounts required to be included in the Final Post-Closing Statement. In rendering its decision, the Arbiter shall (w) not resolve any disputed value at an amount less than the lower of the amounts proposed by Surviving Entity or the Stockholders nor greater than the higher of the amounts proposed by Surviving Entity or the Stockholders, (x) address only the remaining disputed items in the Notice of Dispute (and any items directly affected by changes to such disputed items), (y) except as provided in subclause (x), not consider any undisputed item, or any undisputed component of a disputed item and (z) base its determination solely on presentations by the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders and their respective Representatives, and not on independent review. The Surviving Entity and the Stockholders shall provide copies to one another of all written submissions to the Arbiter and shall be permitted to attend (and shall receive reasonable advance written notice of) any meeting with, presentations to or other similar communications with the Arbiter. The Arbiter shall have exclusive jurisdiction over, and resort to the Arbiter as provided in this Section 2.6(c) shall be the sole recourse and remedy of the Parties against one another, or any other Person, with respect to any disputes arising out of or relating to the Post-Closing Statement. The Arbiter’s determination, and the Final Post-Closing Statement, shall be conclusive and binding on all of the Parties and shall be enforceable in a court of law, absent fraud or manifest error. The fee of the Arbiter shall be borne fifty percent (50%) by the Stockholders, jointly and not severally, and fifty percent (50%) by the Surviving Entity, unless the Arbiter decides, based on its determination with respect to the reasonableness of the respective positions of the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders, that the fee should be borne in unequal proportions, in which such case the Arbiter shall determine the respective proportions to be borne by the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders.

 

(d)       Final Post-Closing Statement. The Post-Closing Statement shall become final and binding upon the Parties in its entirety upon the earliest of (i) the failure by the Stockholders to deliver any Notice of Dispute in accordance with Section 2.6(b), (ii) the written agreement between the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders with respect thereto and (iii) the decision by the Arbiter with respect to disputes under Section 2.6(c). The Post-Closing Statement, in the form determined pursuant to any of the foregoing clauses (i)-(iii) of this Section 2.6(d) shall be the “Final Post-Closing Statement”.

 

(e)       Post-Closing Adjustment to the Merger Consideration.

 

(i) If the sum of (A) the Net Working Capital in the Final Post Closing Statement minus the Estimated Working Capital, plus (B) the Estimated Closing Indebtedness Amount, minus the Closing Indebtedness Amount in the Final Post Closing Statement (such cumulative amount, the “Post-Closing Adjustment Amount”) is a positive number, then the Closing Merger Consideration shall be adjusted upward in an amount equal to the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount, with the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount allocated between the Closing Cash Consideration and the Closing Share Consideration in accordance with the Merger Consideration Allocation Percentages. As soon as practicable, but not more than five (5) Business Days after the Final Post-Closing Statement is determined, the Surviving Entity shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Stockholders (x) by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated by each of the Stockholders, an amount equal to the portion of the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount allocated to the adjustment of the Closing Cash Consideration in accordance with the Merger Consideration Allocation Percentages multiplied by each Stockholder’s respective Pro Rata Share and (y) book-entry Surviving Entity Common Stock evidencing the portion of the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount allocated to the adjustment of the Closing Share Consideration in accordance with the Merger Consideration Allocation Percentages, in accordance with each Stockholder’s respective Pro Rata Share; or

 

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(ii) If the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount is a negative number, then the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders shall jointly instruct the Escrow Agent in writing to release a portion of the Indemnity Escrow Amount equal to the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount to the Surviving Entity, up to the full amount of the Indemnity Escrow Amount. If the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount is in excess of the Indemnity Escrow Amount such excess shall be satisfied by the Stockholders, in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares, within five (5) Business Days following determination of the Final Post-Closing Statement by: (x) payment to the Surviving Entity by wire transfer of immediately available funds to an account designated by the Surviving Entity an amount equal to the Merger Consideration Allocation Percentage with respect to the Closing Cash Consideration of such excess and (y) book-entry transfer from the Stockholders of Surviving Entity Common Stock evidencing the Merger Consideration Allocation Percentage with respect to the Closing Share Consideration of such excess; provided, however, that if, after the payment, if any, of such excess amount by the Stockholders to the Surviving Entity, the percentage of the overall consideration paid to the Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes (taking into account any amounts treated as an adjustment to such consideration for U.S. federal income tax purposes and whether such adjustments are paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock) that is paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock (treating the value of any share of Surviving Entity Common Stock for these purposes as being equal to the Average Price of such share calculated as of the applicable date of the payment by the Surviving Entity of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock) would be less than 40%, then the Parties agree that such excess shall be paid as a combination of cash and Surviving Entity Common Stock such that the percentage of the overall consideration paid to the Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes (taking into account any amounts treated as an adjustment to such consideration for U.S. federal income tax purposes and whether such adjustments are paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock) that is paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock (treating the value of any share of Surviving Entity Common Stock for these purposes as being equal to the Average Price of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock on the applicable date of the payment by the Surviving Entity of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock) after payment of such excess to the Stockholders shall be no less than 40%.

 

Any amounts not paid when required pursuant to this Section 2.6(e) shall bear interest from the required date of payment to the actual date of payment at a rate which is two percentage points (2%) per annum in excess of the rate of interest announced publicly by Citibank N.A. in New York, New York from time to time as its base rate. The Closing Consideration Schedule, the Post-Closing Statement, the Final Post-Closing Statement and all components thereof shall be prepared in accordance with the Accounting Principles and the Sample Statement. For purposes of determining the number of shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock to be paid as part of the Post-Closing Adjustment Amount pursuant to this Section 2.6, the value of a share of Surviving Entity Common Stock shall be equal to the Average Price calculated as of the date of the payment.

 

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Section 2.7 Withholding. Each of the Surviving Entity and the Company shall be entitled to deduct and withhold from the Merger Consideration and from any amounts otherwise payable pursuant to this Agreement to any Person such amounts as are required to be deducted and withheld with respect to the making of such payment under the Code and the Treasury Regulations or any provision of applicable state, local or foreign Tax Law and shall timely and properly remit any such deducted and withheld amounts to the appropriate Governmental Entity. To the extent that amounts are so deducted and withheld and paid over to the appropriate Governmental Entity, such withheld amounts shall be treated for all purposes of this Agreement as having been paid to the Person in respect of which such deduction and withholding was made.

 

Section 2.8 Earnout.

 

(a)       In addition to the Closing Merger Consideration, as adjusted pursuant to Section 2.6, the Surviving Entity shall pay, or shall cause the Company to pay, to the Stockholders in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares, a contingent earnout payment in cash (subject Section 2.8(c)(ii)) in accordance with this Section 2.8.

 

(b)       Earnout Statement. On or before the date that is ninety (90) days following the end of the Earnout Measurement Period, the Surviving Entity (i) shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Stockholders an audited consolidated balance sheet and audited consolidated statements of income, equity and cash flows for the Company for the Earnout Measurement Period, prepared in accordance with the Accounting Principles, and (ii) shall calculate and deliver or cause to be calculated and delivered to the Stockholders a statement (an “Earnout Statement”) setting forth in reasonable detail the Surviving Entity’s good faith calculation of Operating Profit for the Earnout Measurement Period. The Stockholders may review each Earnout Statement and may make inquiries of the Surviving Entity, the Company and their respective Representatives, and the Surviving Entity and the Company will make available to the Stockholders, as reasonably requested, reasonable access to personnel and Representatives of the Company or the Surviving Entity involved in preparation of the Earnout Statement and access to all books, work papers, schedules or records of the Company, the Surviving Entity or their Representatives that are within their possession or control, in each case to the extent necessary to evaluate the Earnout Statement. If, within sixty (60) days following receipt of the final Earnout Statement setting forth the Surviving Entity’s calculation of the Operating Profit for the Earnout Measurement Period, the Stockholders do not deliver to the Surviving Entity written notice of a dispute (in accordance with the following sentence) with respect to the calculations set forth in the Earnout Statement, then the Operating Profit for the Earnout Measurement Period set forth in the Earnout Statement shall be deemed to be the final Operating Profit for the Earnout Measurement Period for all purposes under this Agreement and the Surviving Entity shall promptly pay or cause to be paid to the Stockholders, in accordance with their respective Pro Rata Shares, the applicable Earnout Payment, if any, for the Earnout Measurement Period as set forth in the Earnout Statement. If the Stockholders provide the Surviving Entity a written notice of dispute that objects to the Surviving Entity’s calculation of Operating Profit for the Earnout Measurement Period, specifying the basis for such objection in reasonable detail and sets forth the proposed modification to such Earnout Statement, such dispute shall be resolved in the same manner as any dispute regarding the Post-Closing Statement in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.6(c); provided, however, that the Earnout Payment shall be made no later than five (5) Business Days after the date the Operating Profit for the Earnout Measurement Period and Earnout Payment are finally determined (the “Earnout Payment Date”), without deduction or offset.

 

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(c)       Earnout Payment.

 

(i)       If the cumulative Operating Profit for the Earnout Measurement Period exceeds $2,400,000 (the “Earnout Target”), the “Earnout Payment” for each Stockholder shall equal (x) 50% (fifty percent) of the amount by which the Operating Profit exceeds the Earnout Target (the “Earnout Base”), multiplied by (y) the Stockholder’s Pro Rata Share; provided, however, that the aggregate Earnout Payment paid to the Stockholders shall not exceed a maximum of $4,000,000.

 

(ii)       If, after payment to the Stockholders of the total Earnout Payment, if any, by wire transfer of immediately available funds, the percentage of the overall consideration paid to the Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes (taking into account any amounts treated as an adjustment to such consideration for U.S. federal income tax purposes and whether such adjustments are paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock) that is paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock (treating the value of any share of Surviving Entity Common Stock for these purposes as being equal to the Average Price of such share calculated as of the applicable date of payment by the Surviving Entity of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock) would be less than 40%, then the Parties agree that the Earnout Payment shall be paid as a combination of cash and Surviving Entity Common Stock such that the percentage of the overall consideration paid to the Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes (taking into account any amounts treated as an adjustment to such consideration for U.S. federal income tax purposes and whether such adjustments are paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock) that is paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock (treating the value of any share of Surviving Entity Common Stock for these purposes as being equal to the Average Price of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock on the applicable date of payment by the Surviving Entity of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock) after payment of the Earnout Payment to the Stockholders shall be no less than 40%. To the extent that any portion of the Earnout Payment is characterized as a payment of interest for income Tax purposes under applicable Law, the Parties agree that such imputed interest shall be deemed to have been paid (to the maximum extent possible) out of the portion of the Earnout Payment that is paid in cash.

 

(d)       No Security. The parties hereto understand and agree that (i) the contingent rights to receive any Earnout Payment shall not be represented by any form of certificate or other instrument, are not transferable except by operation of Laws relating to descent and distribution, divorce and community property, and do not constitute an equity or ownership interest in the Surviving Entity or the Company, (ii) the Stockholders shall not have any rights as a securityholder of the Surviving Entity or the Company as a result of the Stockholders’ contingent right to receive any Earnout Payment hereunder, and (iii) no interest is payable with respect to any Earnout Payment, provided that if any Earnout Payment is not paid when finally due and owing hereunder such amount shall bear interest from the required date of payment to the actual date of payment at a rate which is two percentage points (2%) per annum in excess of the rate of interest announced publicly by Citibank N.A. in New York, New York from time to time as its base rate.

 

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(e)       Operation of Business.

 

(i)       Subsequent to the Closing, the Surviving Entity shall have sole discretion with respect to all matters relating to the operation of the business of the Company; provided, that during the Earnout Measurement Period, the Surviving Entity shall: (x) not, directly or indirectly, take any actions in bad faith that would have the specific intent or purpose of avoiding or reducing the Earnout Payment; (y) use commercially reasonable efforts to have and maintain the operations of the Company consistent with past practices in the Ordinary Course of Business and (z) upon the reasonable request of the Stockholders, provide the Stockholders with access during normal business hours to review and inspect the financial books and records of the Company for the purposes of monitoring Company performance during the Earnout Measurement Period.

 

(ii)       If during the Earnout Measurement Period, the Surviving Entity effects or causes to be effected the sale, transfer, assignment other disposal of a majority of the issued and outstanding capital stock of the Company or all or substantially all of the assets of the Company for a price in excess of $0.10 per share of Surviving Entity Common Stock, other than pursuant to any internal reorganization or transfer that does not involve an unaffiliated third-party (an “Acceleration Event”) then the Earnout Payment shall be calculated (A) for the period from Closing Date through the date of the Acceleration Event, based on the actual Operating Profit for such time period and (B) for the period from the date of the Acceleration Event through the end of the Earnout Measurement Period, based on the Company’s and Surviving Entity’s good faith projections of Operating Profit through the end of the Earnout Measurement Period as reflected in the annual operating budget of the Company, approved by the board of directors of the Surviving Entity for the fiscal year in which the Acceleration Event occurs ((A) and (B) cumulatively, the “Acceleration Event Calculation”) and the Surviving Entity shall pay or cause to be paid to the Stockholders within five (5) Business Days of the Acceleration Event an amount equal to the Acceleration Event Calculation calculated in accordance with this Section 2.8(e)(ii). Any disputes among the parties with respect to the Acceleration Event Calculation shall be resolved pursuant to Section 2.6(c).

 

ARTICLE III

 

CLOSING; CLOSING DELIVERIES

 

Section 3.1 Closing. The consummation of the transactions (the “Closing”) shall take place remotely by the electronic exchange of documents and signatures on the Closing Date.

 

Section 3.2 Closing Deliverables.

 

(a)       At the Closing, the Stockholders will deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Surviving Entity:

 

(i)         reserved;

 

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(ii)         restrictive covenant agreements, substantially in the form set forth on Exhibit C, (each, a “Restrictive Covenant Agreement”), duly countersigned by each of the Stockholders;

 

(iii)       employment agreements, substantially in the form set forth on Exhibit D, (each, a “Stockholder Employment Agreement”), duly countersigned by each of the Stockholders;

 

(iv)       employment agreements, substantially in the form set forth on Exhibit E, (each, an “Employment Agreement”), duly countersigned by each of Amanda Douglas, Robert Swigon, and Thomas Tiplady;

 

(v)         A certified copy of the Company’s certificate of incorporation filed with, and a certificate of good standing (or its equivalent) of the Company from, the State of New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, dated not earlier than five (5) Business Days prior to the date hereof;

 

(vi)        A certified copy of Holdco’s certificate of incorporation filed with, and a certificate of good standing of Holdco from, the Secretary of State of Delaware, dated not earlier than five (5) Business Days prior to the date hereof;

 

(vii)        payoff letters from each holder of Company Indebtedness other than the Kaunitz Note, wire instructions, forms of security interest termination statements to be filed promptly upon satisfaction of such Company Indebtedness and any other evidence of payment of the Closing Indebtedness Amount (other than the Note Amount) in full and instruments necessary to effect the release of all Encumbrances on the assets and properties of the Company, in each case in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Surviving Entity;

 

(viii)       an IRS Form W-9 from Holdco and each Stockholder;

 

(ix)          the Company Records;

 

(x)           duly executed resignation letters of each and every officer, director, member and manager of the Company, in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Surviving Entity;

 

(xi)          the Escrow Agreement, duly executed by the Stockholders;

 

(xii)         evidence, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Surviving Entity, that the Pre-Closing Reorganization is complete; and

 

(xiii)       evidence of receipt of all consents listed on Schedule 3.2(a)(xiii) in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the Surviving Entity.

 

(b)       At the Closing, the Surviving Entity will deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Stockholders:

 

(i)         the Closing Cash Consideration;

 

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(ii)       evidence of the request of the book entry Surviving Entity Common Stock representing the Closing Share Consideration;

 

(iii)       within five (5) Business Days after the Closing Date, book-entry evidencing the Closing Share Consideration;

 

(iv)       A certified copy of the Surviving Entity’s articles of incorporation filed with, and a certificate of good standing (or its equivalent) of the Surviving Entity from, the Secretary of State of Nevada, dated not earlier than five (5) Business Days prior to the date hereof;

 

(v)       the Restrictive Covenant Agreements, duly executed by the Surviving Entity;

 

(vi)       the Stockholder Employment Agreements, duly executed by the Company;

 

(vii)       the Employment Agreements, duly executed by the Company;

 

(viii)      an amended and restated promissory note duly executed by the Company and payable to Kaunitz, reflecting the outstanding principle and accrued but unpaid interest under that certain loan in a principal amount of $400,000 by Kaunitz to the Company, dated as of the Closing Date (the “Kaunitz Note”), in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F; and

 

(ix)       the Escrow Agreement, duly executed by the Surviving Entity.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES RELATED TO THE COMPANY

 

The Company hereby represents and warrants as follows to the Surviving Entity as of the date hereof, and acknowledges and confirms that the Surviving Entity is relying upon the following representations and warranties in entering into this Agreement and consummating the Merger:

 

Section 4.1 Organization of the Company; Authority; Due Execution.

 

(a)       The Company is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of New Jersey, has all corporate requisite power and authority to own (or, as applicable, lease) and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as presently conducted, and is qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in each jurisdiction where the ownership or operation of its properties or conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified and in good standing would not have a Material Adverse Effect. The Company has made available to the Surviving Entity a complete and correct copy of its Governing Documents. The Governing Documents are in full force and effect and, except as provided in this Agreement, no proceeding for the amendment thereof is pending or currently contemplated, and the Company is not in violation of any provision of its Governing Documents. Schedule 4.1(a) hereto contains a correct and complete list of each jurisdiction where the Company is qualified or licensed to do business. The Company has made available to the Surviving Entity the Company Records.

 

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(b)       The Company has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. This Agreement and each of the Transaction Documents to which the Company is a party have been executed and delivered by the Company and constitute valid, binding and enforceable obligations of the Company, subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar Laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

Section 4.2 Subsidiaries; Equity Investments. The Company does not own or control, directly or indirectly, or have the power to vote the shares of, any capital stock or other ownership interests of any Person.

 

Section 4.3 Company Governmental Consents and Notices; Company Non-Governmental Consents; Violations of Law.

 

(a)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.3(a) hereto, no notices, reports or other filings are required to be made by the Company (“Company Governmental Notices”) with, nor are any consents, registrations, approvals, permits or authorizations required to be obtained by the Company (“Company Governmental Consents”) from, any Governmental Entity under any Laws or Permits as a result of, in connection with, or as a condition to the execution, delivery or performance by the Company of this Agreement, or any other Transaction Document to which it is a party, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. Schedule 4.3(a) shall clearly distinguish between Company Governmental Notices and Company Governmental Consents.

 

(b)       Except for any consents, registrations, approvals, permits or authorizations required to be obtained by the Company from any non-Governmental Entity as provided in Schedule 4.3(b) (“Company Non-Governmental Consents”), the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, or any other Transaction Document to which it is a party, does not, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not, with or without notice, lapse of time or both: (i) constitute or result in (y) a breach or violation of, a default under, the Company’s Governing Documents, or (z) a breach or violation of, or a default under, the acceleration of any obligations under, the creation of a payment obligation under any Material Contract, or the creation of an Encumbrance on any assets of the Company; or (ii) give any party to any Material Contract, the right to revoke, renegotiate, withdraw, suspend, cancel, terminate or modify such Material Contract.

 

(c)       Except as provided in Schedule 4.3(c), the execution, delivery and performance by the Company of this Agreement, or any other Transaction Document to which it is a party, does not, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not, constitute or result in any violation of Laws or Permits to which the Company is subject or result in a prohibited transaction under the Code or ERISA.

 

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Section 4.4 Financial Statements; Undisclosed Liabilities; Dividends and Distributions; Indebtedness.

 

(a)       Attached as Schedule 4.4(a) hereto are the following financial statements of the Company (the “Financial Statements”): (i) the reviewed balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, (ii) the interim unaudited balance sheet of the Company as of May 31, 2021 (which balance sheet shall be the “Reference Balance Sheet”, and May 31, 2021 being the “Reference Balance Sheet Date”), (iii) the reviewed statements of income, equity and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, together with all related footnotes and schedules thereto, and (iv) the interim unaudited statements of income, equity and cash flows for the five (5) months ended May 31, 2021. The Financial Statements (x) have been prepared on an accrual basis in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis throughout the periods covered thereby consistent with the Accounting Principles, (y) fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of the respective dates thereof and for the periods referred to therein, and (z) are consistent with the Company’s books of account; provided, however, that the Reference Balance Sheet is subject to normal recurring year-end adjustments (which are not material, individually or in the aggregate) and does not include footnotes or other disclosure items. The Company has made available for inspection by Surviving Entity, true, correct and complete copies of all books of account relating to the Company, and such books of account have been maintained in accordance with good business and bookkeeping practices.

 

(b)       The Company does not have any liability or obligations of any nature (whether known or unknown), absolute or contingent, liquidated or unliquidated, due or to become due or otherwise) except for (i) liabilities and obligations reflected or reserved against on the Reference Balance Sheet or on Schedule 4.4(b) hereto, (ii) liabilities and obligations which have arisen since the Reference Balance Sheet Date in the Ordinary Course of Business, or (iii) contractual liabilities or obligations incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business which are not required by GAAP to be reflected on a balance sheet and would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

 

(c)       The Company maintains accurate books and records reflecting its assets and liabilities and maintains proper and adequate internal accounting controls that provide assurance that the Company maintains no off-the-book accounts and that the Company’s assets and properties are used only in accordance with the Company’s management directives. The Company has established and maintains a system of internal accounting controls which provide reasonable assurance that (i) financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements (including the Financial Statements) in accordance with GAAP, including policies and procedures that required records are maintained in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit the preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, (iii) receipts and expenditures of the Company are made only in accordance with appropriate authorizations of management and the Company Board and (iv) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of assets of the Company.

 

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(d)       Within the past three (3) years, neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any director, officer, employee, auditor, accountant or representative of the Company, has received or otherwise had or obtained any knowledge of any complaint, allegation, assertion or claim, whether made in writing or made orally to any director, officer or inside legal counsel or outside counsel to the Company, questioning the accounting or auditing practices, procedures, methodologies or methods of the Company or their respective internal accounting controls, including any complaint, allegation, assertion or claim that the Company has engaged in improper accounting or auditing practices.

 

(e)       Except as set forth on Schedule 4.4(e)(i), no Company Indebtedness contains any restriction upon the prepayment of any of such Company Indebtedness. With respect to each item of Company Indebtedness, the Company is not in material default and no material payments are past due. Except as set forth in Schedule 4.4(e) (ii), neither the execution, delivery or performance of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, will result in a default or breach of the terms of, or accelerate the maturity of or performance under, any conditions, covenants or other terms of any such Company Indebtedness. The Company has not guaranteed and is not responsible for, nor has any liability for, any Company Indebtedness of any other Person, and the Company has not guaranteed any other obligation of any other Person. Except as set forth in Schedule 4.4(e), there are no outstanding loans or Company Indebtedness involving the Company, on the one hand, and any Stockholder or any Affiliate of the Company or any Stockholder, on the other hand.

 

Section 4.5 Capitalization.

 

(a)       Schedule 4.5(a) contains a true, correct and complete listing of (i) all record owners of any Shares; (ii) all voting rights in the Company are vested exclusively in the Shares; and (iii) all of the Shares are validly issued in compliance with applicable Laws, fully paid and non-assessable.

 

(b)       (i) No subscription, warrant, option, convertible security or other right (contingent or otherwise) to purchase or acquire any Shares from the Company or any other equity interests from the Company is authorized or outstanding, (ii) the Company has no obligation (contingent or otherwise) to issue any subscription, warrant, option, convertible security or other such right, or to issue or distribute to holders of any Shares, or its other equity interests, evidences of indebtedness or assets, (iii) the Company has no obligation (contingent or otherwise) to purchase, redeem, or otherwise acquire, any Shares, its other equity interests, or any interest therein, or to pay any dividend or to make any other distribution in respect thereof, and (iv) there are no outstanding or authorized stock appreciation, phantom stock or similar rights with respect to the Company.

 

(c)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.5(c), there is no agreement, written or oral, between the Company, on the one hand, and any holder of its securities, on the other hand, or, to the Company’s Knowledge, among any holders of Company securities, relating to the sale or transfer (including agreements relating to rights of first refusal, co sale rights or “drag along” rights), registration under the Securities Act, as amended, or voting, of the Shares or their other equity interests.

 

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Section 4.6 Litigation. Except as set forth in Schedule 4.6, there are no pending Proceedings and, to the Company’s Knowledge, no Person has threatened to commence any Proceeding against the Company, or to enjoin the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Transaction Document related hereto, or involving any of the Company’s properties or rights. No event has occurred or circumstance exists which, to Company’s Knowledge, could reasonably be expected to give rise to or serve as a valid basis for the commencement of any Proceeding by or against the Company. Except as set forth in Schedule 4.6, in the past six (6) years, the Company has not been subject to any material Proceeding nor has the Company settled any threatened claim, suit or prosecution prior to commencement of any Proceeding.

 

Section 4.7 Personal Property. The Company currently owns or leases all personal property (“Personal Property”) necessary to conduct its business and operations as they are currently being conducted free and clear of all liens except Permitted Liens. The Company has maintained the Personal Property in satisfactory operating condition, ordinary wear and tear excepted, and is adequate for the business as currently conducted by the Company. The Personal Property owned or leased by the Company set forth on Schedule 4.7 is all of the Personal Property that is necessary and sufficient for the operation of the Company’s business as presently being conducted.

 

Section 4.8 Real Property. Schedule 4.8 hereto sets forth a complete and correct list of all real property leased, subleased, licensed, operated or occupied by the Company (collectively the “Company Leases”) and the location of the premises subject to the Company Leases (such premises, the “Company Leased Property”). Except as set forth in Schedule 4.8, (i) neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any other party, is in violation of or default under any of the Company Leases; and (ii) no condition exists which, upon the passage of time or the giving of notice or both, would cause a default. Except as set forth in Schedule 4.8 hereto, no Company Leased Property is occupied by a third party, and, to the Company’s Knowledge, no third party has any rights with respect to the Company Leased Property other than the rights of the lessor thereof. The Company has provided to the Surviving Entity complete and correct copies of all the Company Leases, including all amendments thereto; no term or condition of any of the Company Leases has been modified, amended or waived except as shown in such copies; and there are no other agreements or arrangements whatsoever relating to the Company’s use or occupancy of any of the Company Leased Property. The Company has not transferred, mortgaged, assigned, subleased or licensed any interest in any of the Company Leases. There has not been any fire or other casualty affecting any of the Company Leased Property. There does not exist any actual, or to the Company’s Knowledge threatened or contemplated condemnation, taking or other eminent domain proceeding that affects any of the Company Leased Property. The Company does not now own, nor has it ever owned, any real property.

 

Section 4.9 Title to Assets. The Company owns, and has good and valid title to, all assets purported to be owned by it, including all assets reflected on the Reference Balance Sheet, except for assets sold or otherwise disposed of in the Ordinary Course of Business since the Reference Balance Sheet Date. All of said assets are owned by the Company free and clear of any Encumbrances, except for Permitted Encumbrances.

 

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Section 4.10 Tax Matters.

 

(a)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.10(a), all Tax Returns required to have been filed by the Company have been duly and timely filed and all such Tax Returns are true, correct and complete in all material respects. All Taxes of the Company, whether or not shown as due on such Tax Returns have been fully paid when due. The unpaid Taxes of the Company, if any, do not exceed any payable or liability for Taxes plus any reserve for Tax liability (other than a reserve for deferred Taxes established to reflect timing differences between book and Tax income) in each case as set forth on the face of the Reference Balance Sheet (rather than in any notes thereto) as adjusted for the passage of time from the Reference Balance Sheet Date through the Closing Date in accordance with the past custom and practice of the Company.

 

(b)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.10(b), there are no audits, actions or proceedings currently pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened against the Company by any Governmental Entity for the assessment or collection of Taxes, no unresolved claim for the assessment or collection of Taxes has been asserted against the Company, and there are no matters under discussion, audit or appeal between the Company and any Governmental Entity with respect to the assessment or collection of Taxes. Any unpaid Taxes that have been claimed or imposed as a result of any examination of any Tax Return of the Company by any Governmental Entity are being contested in good faith and are fully described in Schedule 4.10(b). There are no Tax liens on any of the assets of the Company other than Permitted Encumbrances. Other than in favor of the Company’s outside accountants, no power of attorney has been granted by the Company with respect to any matter relating to Taxes. The Company has not participated in a transaction that is described as a “reportable transaction” within the meaning of Treasury Regulation § 1.6011-4(b)(1). Within the preceding three (3) years, the Company has not received any written claim from any Governmental Entity in a jurisdiction in which the Company has not filed Tax Returns that the Company or its business, income or assets may be subject to taxation by that jurisdiction. The Company is not subject to any action or proceeding of a Governmental Entity imposing on the Company any obligations or liabilities with respect to another Person’s Taxes.

 

(c)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.10(c), the Company has withheld or deducted all Taxes or other amounts from payments to Employees or other persons required to be so withheld or deducted, and has timely paid over such Taxes or other amounts to the appropriate Governmental Entity to the extent due and payable.

 

(d)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.10(d), the Company has not requested, offered to enter into or entered into any agreement or other arrangement, or executed any waiver (which request, offer, agreement, arrangement or waiver is currently in force), providing for any extension of time within which (i) to file any Tax Return covering any Taxes for which it is or may be liable; (ii) to file any elections, designations or similar filings relating to Taxes for which it is or may be liable; (iii) it is required to pay or remit any Taxes or amounts on account of Taxes; or (iv) any Governmental Entity may assess or collect Taxes for which it is or may be liable.

 

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(e)       Set forth in Schedule 4.10(e) is a list of the most recent examinations and audits by Governmental Entities for each Tax for which the Company has been audited during the last three (3) years. The Company has provided to the Surviving Entity true and complete copies of the relevant portions of any Tax audit reports, statements of deficiency and notices of assessment of the relevant Governmental Entity and any closing or other agreement or any final report received by or on behalf of the Company or otherwise relating to any Taxes of the Company in each case for each such examination or audit showing any adjustments to Taxes and the basis therefore. The Company has provided the Surviving Entity with true and complete copies of all federal and state income Tax Returns for the Company and all other material Tax Returns filed by or on behalf of the Company for all periods ending on or after December 31, 2017.

 

(f)       The Company is not a party to any agreement, contract, arrangement or plan that has resulted (or as a direct result of the Merger, will result), separately or in the aggregate, in the payment of (i) any “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Code Section 280G (or any corresponding provision of state, local, or non-U.S. Tax law) and (ii) any amount that will not be fully deductible as a result of Code Section 162(m) (or any corresponding provision of state, local, or non-U.S. Tax law). The Company is not a party to or bound by any Tax indemnity, Tax allocation or Tax sharing agreement, other than agreements entered into by the Company in the Ordinary Course of Business or the primary purpose of which does not relate to Taxes. The Company has not been a member of an affiliated group filing a consolidated federal income Tax Return (other than a group the common parent of which was the Company or Holdco or a member of which is the Surviving Entity) nor does it have any liability for the Taxes of any Person (other than Holdco or the Company or any member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined, unitary or other similar group of which the Surviving Entity is a member) under Treasury Regulations Section 1.1502-6 (or any similar provision of state, local, or non-U.S. law) or as a transferee or successor.

 

(g)       The Company will not be required to include any item of income in, or exclude any item of deduction from, taxable income for any taxable period (or portion thereof) ending after the Closing Date as a result of any:

 

(i)       change in method of accounting for a taxable period ending on or prior to the Closing Date;

 

(ii)       “closing agreement” as described in Code Section 7121 (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local, or non-U.S. income Tax law) executed on or prior to the Closing Date;

 

(iii)       intercompany transaction or excess loss account described in Treasury Regulations under Code Section 1502 (or any corresponding or similar provision of state, local, or non-U.S. income Tax law);

 

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(iv)       prepaid amount received on or before the Closing Date;

 

(v)       installment sale or open transaction disposition made on or prior to the Closing Date; or

 

(vi)       election under Code Section 108(i).

 

(h)       The Company is not a party to any joint venture, partnership or other arrangement or contract which could be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

 

(i)       The Company has not deferred the payment of any payroll Taxes pursuant to any provision of the COVID-19 Tax Acts or claimed any Tax credit in respect of payroll taxes or wages under any provision of the COVID-19 Tax Acts.

 

(j)       There are no outstanding rulings of, or requests for rulings with, any Tax authority addressed to the Company that are, or if issued would be, binding on the Company.

 

(k)       At all times since January 1, 2013 through the date immediately prior to the Pre-Closing Reorganization, the Company has been a validly electing S corporation within the meaning of Sections 1361 and 1362 of the Code for all federal and, to the extent allowable under applicable Laws, state and local income Tax purposes; each of the shareholders of the Company during such period was a person permitted to be a shareholder of an S corporation under Section 1361(b)(1)(B) of the Code; and the Company did not take any action during such period that would cause the Company to lose its status as an S corporation as defined in Sections 1361 and 1362 of the Code (and, to the extent allowable under applicable Laws, within the meaning of the income Tax Laws of all states and local jurisdictions in which the Company was required to file state and local income Tax Returns during such period).

 

(l)       Holdco filed a valid election, effective as of the date of the Contribution, to classify the Company as a “qualified subchapter S subsidiary” within the meaning of Section 1361(b)(3) of the Code.

 

(m)       Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Agreement: (i) nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as providing a representation or warranty with respect to (A) the existence, amount, expiration date or limitations on (or availability of) in a taxable period (or portion thereof) beginning after the Closing Date of any tax attribute of the Company generated or arising in or in respect of a Tax period (or portion thereof) ending on or before the Closing Date or (B) any Tax position that the Surviving Entity or its Affiliates (including the Company) may take in respect on any taxable period (or portion thereof) beginning after the Closing Date, and (ii) except for the representations and warranties in Section 4.10(g), (h), or (j) nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as providing a representation or warranty that could give rise to indemnification by the Stockholders relating or attributable to Taxes or Tax Returns of the Company for any taxable period (or portion thereof) beginning after the Closing Date.

 

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Section 4.11 Employees.

 

(a)       Schedule 4.11(a)(i) lists, as of the date of this Agreement, the name, current annual base salary or hourly rate of pay, current cash bonus target and current cash bonus received or accrued, current commission rate and current commissions received or accrued, 2020 base salary, 2020 cash bonus target and 2020 cash bonus received or accrued, title, date of hire, credited service, accrued and unused paid time off, status under the Fair Labor Standards Act/other similar law as exempt or non-exempt from minimum wage and overtime requirements, and employment status (active or nature of leave of absence and expected return date, and full-time or part-time), with respect to each present employee of the Company (each, an “Employee”). Schedule 4.11(a)(ii) lists all independent contractors of the Company who provide or have provided services for the Company during any period in 2020 or 2021 (“Independent Contractors”) and sets forth for each such Independent Contractor the fee schedule and the total amount, by calendar year, of all fees paid or accrued for such services provided during 2020 and 2021, a summary of the services rendered by the Independent Contractor, and the applicable term for which services were or are anticipated to be provided.

 

(b)       Schedule 4.11(a) lists all Employees and Independent Contractors covered by any written employment, consulting (other than with respect to tax, accounting and legal services, or which are exclusively related to the transactions contemplated hereby), severance, change-in-control, or retention agreement and any non-competition, nonsolicitation, non-disparagement, confidentiality, proprietary information or similar agreement with the Company (each of the foregoing, an “Employment and Services Agreement”), and the Company has provided or made available to the Surviving Entity current and complete copies of each such agreement. To the Company’s Knowledge, no Employee or Independent Contractor is in breach of any non-competition agreement to which the Company is not a party as a result of providing services to the Company. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.11(b), the employment of all Employees is “at will” and may be terminated by the Company at any time, for any reason or no reason, with or without advance notice, in accordance with applicable Law. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.11(b), no executive or management level Employee is owed any severance or other separation pay at the time of termination of employment or, to the Company’s Knowledge, has any plans to terminate his or her employment with the Company.

 

(c)       Schedule 4.11(c) describes the circumstances and outcome of each instance in the last three (3) years the Company has sought in writing to enforce a confidentiality, non-competition or non-solicitation agreement, including, but not limited to, formal Proceedings.

 

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(d)       Except as set forth on Schedule 4.11(d), the Company has not, nor has it ever been, bound by or subject to (and none of its assets or properties are bound by or subject to), and the Company is not currently negotiating any collective bargaining agreement or similar agreement or arrangement with any labor union or other collective bargaining representative, nor is there currently or has there been within the last three (3) years (or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened) any labor strike, dispute, walkout, work stoppage, slowdown, lockout or other proceeding or claim against or involving the Company relating to the alleged material violation of any Law pertaining to labor relations or employment matters, including any charge or complaint filed by an employee or union with the National Labor Relations Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or any comparable Governmental Entity. To the Company’s Knowledge, there is no current union organizing activity among any of the Employees or any union representative petition pending or threatened. There has been no “mass layoff” or “plant closing” (as defined by the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) with respect to the Company within the last three (3) years.

 

(e)       The Company is and has been in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Laws respecting employment and employment practices, independent contractor arrangements, terms and conditions of employment, termination of employment, discrimination and harassment in employment (relating to sex, age, religion, race national origin, ethnicity, disability, veteran status or any other protected category), leave policies, workers’ compensation, wages, hours of work, occupational safety and health, privacy, immigration Laws and employee classification, and has not engaged in any unfair labor practices that could result in material liability to the Company, and is not in breach of any Employment and Services Agreement. The Company is not liable for any payment to any trust or other fund or to any Governmental Entity with respect to unemployment compensation benefits, social security or other benefits or obligations for employees (other than routine payments to be made in the Ordinary Course of Business). Except as set forth on Schedule 4.11(e), there are no Proceedings pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened, involving the Company relating to its employment practices, any of the applicable Laws described in this Section 4.11, or an Employment and Services Agreement.

 

(f)       The Company has paid in full to all Employees and former employees, directors or managers and all Independent Contractors and former independent contractors of the Company any wages, salaries, commissions, bonuses, benefits, compensation, overtime, cashouts of accrued unused paid time off or leave, and severance or any other amounts due upon termination of employment that are due and payable.

 

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(g)       Except as set forth on Schedule 4.11(g), since January 1, 2020, whether in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic or otherwise, and whether written or oral, the Company has not taken any of the following actions: (i) pay or promise to pay (A) any non-ordinary course compensation or special remuneration to any current Company service provider who is unable to work normal hours, or (B) hazard pay to any Company service provider, (ii) provide or promise to provide to any current or former Company service provider any extension of benefits (whether paid or unpaid) under any Compensation and Benefit Plan in effect on the date hereof or any plan, policy or arrangement that would constitute a Compensation and Benefit Plan if adopted, implemented or established (each such Compensation and Benefit Plan, plan, policy or arrangement, a “Subject Plan”), (iii) provide or promise to provide to any current or former employee, director, manager or independent contractor any supplemental health benefits or additional wellbeing benefits (e.g., telemedicine, family care, mental health or similar benefits) under any Subject Plan, (iv) implement any changes to any Company benefit policies, (v) make any written statement or, to the Company’s Knowledge, any formal oral statement to any current or former Company service provider regarding the adoption, implementation or establishment of, or any changes to, any Subject Plans, compensation schemes or practices, employment practices or other employment-related matters that have not been implemented as of the date hereof, (vi) implement any changes to any Company bench policies, (vii) implement any changes to any Company layoff, furlough or leave of absence policies, plans or arrangements, or cause any current Company service providers to incur any layoff, furlough or leave of absence, (viii) implement, establish or otherwise adopt any business interruption insurance policies, (ix) implement any changes to any contractor or subcontractor policies, plans or arrangements, (x) require any current Company service providers to use paid sick leave, paid vacation or other paid time off for hours they are unable to work due to any documented case of COVID-19 applicable to such Company service provider or any family member, (xi) provide or promise to provide any Company-owned equipment or stipend to purchase equipment to any current Company service provider who is unable to work at his or her normal work location or otherwise permit any such Company service provider to utilize his or her own equipment to perform services for the Company, (xii) impose any travel or social distancing restrictions or implement any changes to onboarding or other operational procedures applicable to Company service providers, (xiii) implement any at-work precautionary measures applicable to Company service providers who are not currently working from home, (xiv) implement any tracking procedures for Company service providers (or their family members) who are infected by or suspected of being infected by COVID-19, (xv) adopt, implement or otherwise establish any other temporary or permanent non-ordinary course measures applicable to Company service providers as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, or (xvi) designate or otherwise treat as “essential” any Company service provider under any requirements of any Governmental Entity as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

 

Section 4.12 Employee Benefits.

 

(a)       Schedule 4.12(a) sets forth each “employee benefit plan” (as such term is defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA, whether or not subject to ERISA), as well as all other benefit or compensation plans, programs, contracts, policies, agreements or arrangements, including any bonus, deferred compensation, option, restricted stock, restricted stock unit, phantom stock, stock appreciation right, profits interests, equity or equity-based, retirement, pension, employment, offer letter, restrictive covenant, separation, consulting, severance, gratuity, termination indemnity, incentive, commission, retention, profit sharing, vacation, death benefit, sick leave, material fringe benefit, paid time off, accident, disability, change of control, employee health or other welfare benefit plan, program, policy, agreement or other arrangement, whether written or oral, involving direct or indirect benefits, (other than salary, as compensation for services rendered), maintained, sponsored, contributed to or obligated to be contributed to by the Company or its ERISA Affiliates for the benefit of current or former officers, directors, managers, employees, agents, contractors or representatives of the business of the Company, or with respect to which the Company has any liability, including on account of an ERISA Affiliate. Each such item listed, or required to be listed, on Schedule 4.12(a) is referred to herein as a “Compensation and Benefit Plan”. In addition, Schedule 4.12(a) indicates whether each Compensation and Benefit Plan providing for insurance benefits of any kind is fully insured or self-insured.

 

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(b)       There is no pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened Proceedings (i) relating to any of the Compensation and Benefit Plans or fiduciary or sponsor or administrator thereto, or (ii) relating to any compensation and benefit plans, policies, agreements or arrangements that have expired or terminated (other than, in each case, routine claims for benefits), and, to the Company’s Knowledge, there are no facts which could give rise to any such Proceedings. With respect to each Compensation and Benefit Plan (x) there are no matters currently pending under the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System maintained by the IRS or any similar voluntary self-disclosure program maintained by any other Governmental Entity, (y) there has been no breach of fiduciary duty (including violations under Part 4 of Title I of ERISA) which has resulted or could result in liability to the Company, its ERISA Affiliates or any of their respective employees, and (z) no prohibited transaction, as defined in Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administration exemption.

 

(c)       For each Compensation and Benefit Plan, true and complete copies of the following documents (to the extent applicable) have been made available to the Surviving Entity prior to the date hereof:

 

(i)       plan documents and any amendments thereto (or, if there is no written plan document, then a description of its terms);

 

(ii)      any trust agreement, insurance policy or Contract, or other funding agreement;

 

(iii)     summary plan descriptions and summaries of material modifications;

 

(iv)     the three (3) most recently filed Form 5500 annual reports, including all attachments, filed with the U.S. Department of Labor;

 

(v)      the most recent actuarial valuation or financial statement;

 

(vi)     the most recent IRS determination letter or opinion letter for all plans intended to be qualified under the Code;

 

(vii)    any minimum coverage, top-heavy or non-discrimination testing performed in the last three (3) years; and

 

(viii)   all material reports, letters or other communications from the relevant Governmental Entity regarding the Compensation and Benefit Plan.

 

(d)       All of the Compensation and Benefit Plans have been operated and administered and are in compliance in all material respects with their terms and all applicable Laws, including, but not limited to, the Code and ERISA. All contributions (including all employee and employer contributions, insurance premiums, or intercompany charges) to each Compensation and Benefit Plan that were required under the terms of such Compensation and Benefit Plan, ERISA, the Code, or other applicable Law have been made by the due date thereof, including any valid extension. With respect to each Compensation and Benefit Plan, there are no unfunded benefit obligations that have not been accounted for by reserves, or otherwise properly accrued on the Financial Statements.

 

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(e)       Each individual who renders or has rendered services to the Company who is or was classified by the Company as having the status of an independent contractor, consultant or other non-employee status for any purpose (including for purposes of taxation and tax reporting) is and was properly so characterized. The Company has not received any claim or notice from any Person to the effect that the Company has improperly classified an individual as an independent contractor, consultant, or other non-employee status, and there is no basis for any such claim. Each individual who renders or, within the last three (3) years has rendered, services to the Company who is or was classified by the Company as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and state, local and foreign wage and hour laws is and was properly so characterized. The Company has not received any claim or notice from any Person to the effect that the Company has improperly classified the exempt/non-exempt status of any employee, and, to the Company’s Knowledge, there is no reasonable basis for any such claim. No individual classified by the Company as an independent contractor or other non-employee status would be deemed an employee or common-law employee under any Compensation and Benefit Plan or applicable Law.

 

(f)       Each Compensation and Benefit Plan that is an “employee pension benefit plan” within the meaning of Section 3(2) of ERISA and intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter (or in the case of a master or prototype plan, a favorable opinion letter) as to its qualification under the Code, each such plan is and has been during the period from its adoption to the date of this Agreement so qualified, and has occurred, whether by action or failure to act, that could be expected to cause the loss of such qualification. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.12(e), no such Compensation and Benefit Plan currently holds or within the past five (5) years has held securities of the Company or any ERISA Affiliate.

 

(g)       Neither the Company nor any ERISA Affiliate maintains, sponsors, participates in, contributes to (or has ever maintained, sponsored, participated in or contributed to), or has any obligation to contribute to or has any other liability (including current or potential withdrawal liability) with respect to, any (i) “multiemployer plan” (as defined in Section 3(37) of ERISA), (ii) “defined benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA), or any other plan that is or was subject to Section 412 or 430 of the Code or Section 302 or Title IV of ERISA, (iii) “multiple employer welfare arrangement” (as such term is defined in Section 3(40) of ERISA) or (iv) “multiple employer plan” within the meaning of 210 of ERISA or Section 413(c) of the Code.

 

(h)       The Company does not have any obligations for retiree health, retiree life insurance or other retiree welfare benefits under any Compensation and Benefit Plan, except to the extent required by COBRA or similar applicable Laws and paid solely by the employee and his or her dependents. With respect to each Compensation and Benefit Plan which is a “welfare plan” (as described in Section 3(1) of ERISA): (i) no such plan provides health, life or death benefits with respect to current or former employees of the Company beyond their termination of employment (other than coverage mandated by Law, which is paid solely by such employees); and (ii) there are no reserves, assets, surplus or prepaid premiums under any such plan. The Company has complied, in all material respects, with the provisions of Section 601 et seq. of ERISA and Section 4980B of the Code and similar provisions of state law, and there are no outstanding, uncorrected violations under any such laws, provisions, rules or regulations with respect to any of the Compensation and Benefit Plans, covered employees or qualified beneficiaries that would be reasonably likely to result in a material liability to the Company or any ERISA Affiliate thereof, or the Surviving Entity.

 

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(i)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.12(i), neither the execution of this Agreement by the Company nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will (w) entitle any Person to a payment (including severance, unemployment compensation, golden parachute payment, bonus or otherwise), (x) trigger, increase or accelerate the time of payment of, or trigger or accelerate the vesting of any rights in, any payment, forgiveness of indebtedness or any other benefit pursuant to any Compensation and Benefit Plan, (y) obligate the Surviving Entity to continue any Compensation and Benefit Plan or (z) result in any material breach or violation of, or a material default under, any Compensation and Benefit Plan.

 

(j)       Except as provided in Schedule 4.12(j), each Compensation and Benefit Plan may be amended or terminated by the Company or the Surviving Entity on or at any time prior to or after the Closing on no more than thirty (30) days’ notice without giving rise to any liability other than for payment of benefits that have accrued prior to such amendment or termination.

 

(k)       Each Compensation and Benefit Plan that is a nonqualified deferred compensation plan within the meaning of Section 409A(d)(i) of the Code has been documented, operated and administered in compliance in all material respects with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and final Treasury Regulations and all other IRS guidance issued thereunder, and nothing has occurred or is reasonably expected or intended to occur with respect to any such Compensation and Benefit Plan that would cause the Company to incur any Tax withholding penalty or any Person to incur any Tax in respect of the provisions of Section 409A of the Code. No arrangement exists pursuant to which the Company or the Surviving Entity will be required to “gross up” or otherwise compensate any person because of the imposition of any Tax under Section 409A of the Code.

 

(l)       The Company does not sponsor, maintain or contribute to, is not obligated to contribute to, and has no liability with respect to, any employment, severance or similar contract or arrangement (whether or not written) or any plan, policy, fund, program or arrangement or contract, including multiemployer plan, retirement savings, superannuation, pension, severance, employment, change-in-control, fringe benefit, bonus, incentive, deferred compensation or any other employee benefit plan, agreement, program, policy or other arrangement, in each case, that is maintained outside the jurisdiction of the United States or covers any “nonresident aliens” within the meaning of Section 4(b)(4) of ERISA.

 

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(m)       The Company has not made any payments, is not obligated to make any payments, or is not a party to any agreement that has resulted or could result, separately or in the aggregate, in the payment of any “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Code §280G (or any corresponding provision of any federal, state, provincial, local or non-U.S. Tax Law). No arrangement exists pursuant to which the Company or the Surviving Entity will be required to “gross up” or otherwise compensate any person because of the imposition of any Tax under Section 4999 or Section 409A of the Code.

 

(n)       The Company does not have any liability by reason of an individual who performs or performed services for the Company in any capacity being improperly excluded from participating in any Compensation and Benefit Plan or any Person being improperly allowed to participate in any Compensation and Benefit Plan.

 

Section 4.13 Intellectual Property.

 

(a)       Schedule 4.13(a)(i) sets forth all United States and foreign patents and patent applications, trademark and service mark registrations and applications, Internet domain name registrations and applications, and copyright registrations and applications owned by or exclusively licensed to the Company, any material trade secrets, material common law trademarks, service marks, trade names, and any material unregistered copyrights owned by the Company. Schedule 4.13(a)(ii) sets forth all licenses, sublicenses and other agreements or permissions (the “IP Licenses”), under which the Company is a licensee or otherwise is authorized to use any Intellectual Property, other than commercially available, off-the-shelf, shrink-wrap license agreements. The Company exclusively owns, free and clear of all Encumbrances (other than Permitted Encumbrances), has valid and enforceable rights in, and has the unrestricted right to use, sell, license, transfer or assign, all Owned Intellectual Property or Intellectual Property used or held for use in the Company’s business, except for the Intellectual Property that is the subject of the IP Licenses or other Intellectual Property that is not required to be disclosed or listed on Schedule 4.13(a)(ii). The Company and its employees, consultants, contractors, and subcontractors, have not disclosed, delivered, licensed or otherwise made available, and does not have a duty or obligation (whether present, contingent or otherwise) to disclose, deliver, license or otherwise make available, any Company source code to any third party, except, in each case, only to the extent reasonably necessary in the Ordinary Course of Business to any current or former employee, consultant, independent contractor or director of the Company pursuant to written non-disclosure and use restriction obligations that prohibit use or disclosure except in connection with employment with the Company or the performances of services for or on behalf of the Company.

 

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(b)       The Company has valid and enforceable licenses to use all Intellectual Property that is the subject of the IP Licenses. The IP Licenses, together with the Owned Intellectual Property, constitute all the Intellectual Property necessary to operate the Company’s business as presently conducted. The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all obligations imposed on it in the IP Licenses, has made all payments required to date, and is not in breach or default thereunder, nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, has any event occurred that with notice or lapse of time or both would constitute a default thereunder. Subject to having obtained the Company Non-Governmental Consents set forth in Schedule 4.3(b), the continued use (through the applicable term of the IP License), by the Company of the Intellectual Property that is the subject of the IP Licenses in the same manner that it is currently being used is not restricted by any applicable license of the Company. All registrations for copyrights, patents and trademarks that are owned by or exclusively licensed to the Company are valid and in force, and all applications of the Company to register any copyrights, patents and trademarks are pending and in good standing, all without any pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened challenges of any kind. To the Company’s Knowledge, there are no facts or circumstances that would render any Owned Intellectual Property invalid or unenforceable. Except as set forth in Section 2.8(b), no person (including any Company employees, consultants, or contractors) other than the Company has any ownership rights in any Owned Intellectual Property. Neither the execution nor consummation by the Company of this agreement shall result in the Company being obligated to pay any royalties, fees or other material amounts to any third party in excess of those payable in the absence of this agreement.

 

(c)       No Claim is pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened, that challenges the validity, enforceability, ownership, or right of the Company to use, sell, license or sublicense any Intellectual Property or Company products or services or restricts the conduct of the Company’s business in order to accommodate or avoid Intellectual Property Rights of a third party. No item of Owned Intellectual Property is subject to any outstanding order, stipulation, charge or agreement restricting the use, the licensing, or the sublicensing thereof. The Company has received no Claim, written notice, or to the Company’s Knowledge, oral notice, alleging that the Company has, and to the Company’s Knowledge the Company has not, infringed upon or otherwise violated the Intellectual Property Rights of third parties; nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, is there any basis for any such Claim. To the Company’s Knowledge, no third party is infringing upon or otherwise violating any of the Intellectual Property owned by the Company or licensed to the Company.

 

(d)       All computer systems, including the Company software, firmware, hardware, networks, interfaces, and related systems owned or licensed by the Company (collectively, the “Business Systems”) are sufficient for the needs of the business as currently conducted, have sufficient capacity and maintenance and support requirements to satisfy the requirements of the business of the Company, as currently conducted, with regard to information and communications technology, data processing and communications. The Company has safeguarded its Business Systems with commercially reasonable information security controls, and disaster recovery and business continuity practices.

 

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(e)       The Company maintains policies and procedures regarding data security, privacy, and personal information that are commercially reasonable and, in any event, materially comply with all obligations to its customers and with all applicable Laws. Except as disclosed in Schedule 4.13(e)(1), the Company has required all officers, directors, employees, subcontractors, consultants, contractors, and other persons having or having had access to the Company’s confidential information or Intellectual Property or to such third party’s confidential information or Intellectual Property to execute valid, enforceable written agreements requiring them to maintain the confidentiality of such information and Intellectual Property and use such information and Intellectual Property only for the benefit of the Company or such third party in the ordinary course of employment or Contract performance for the Company. Except as set forth in Schedule 4.13(e)(2) of the Disclosure Schedule, to the Knowledge of the Company, no employee, consultant, contractor, or subcontractor of the Company has transferred or disclosed any Intellectual Property or confidential or proprietary information to the Company or to any third party or otherwise used, transferred or disclosed any Intellectual Property in violation of any Law or any term of any employment agreement, confidentiality or non-disclosure agreement, patent or invention disclosure agreement or other Contract relating to the relationship of such employee with the Company or any prior employer. There has been no successful data security breach of any Company Business Systems, unauthorized intrusions, or unauthorized acquisition, access, use or disclosure of any information related to the Company, whether owned, transmitted, used, stored, received or controlled by or on behalf of the Company within the last four (4) years.

 

(f)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.13(f) of the Disclosure Schedule, each person employed or engaged or formerly employed or engaged as an employee, officer, manager, consultant, independent contractor, subcontractor and any other person, in each case, who contributed to, developed, or conceived on behalf of the Company any part of any Intellectual Property owned or purported to be owned by the Company, (i) is or was a party to a valid and enforceable (except as enforceability may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and the exercise of judicial discretion in accordance with general equitable principles) written agreement that conveys or conveyed to the Company all such person’s right, title and interest in and to all Intellectual Property that was contributed to, developed by, or conceived by such person in the scope of such person’s employment with or engagement on behalf of the Company or (ii) is or was employed to develop Intellectual Property all of which under U.S. Copyright Law is a work made for hire, the Copyright of which is owned by the Company. The Company does not use or license any Intellectual Property owned by any manager, director, officer, employee or consultant of the Company.

 

(g)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.13(g) of the Disclosure Schedule, no Open Source Software was or is used in, incorporated into, integrated with, or bundled by the Company with any Company Intellectual Property distributed by the Company in a manner (i) that would require any portion of the Company Intellectual Property (A) to be disclosed or distributed to any third party, (B) to be disclosed or distributed in source code form, (C) to be licensed to any third party, including for the purpose of making modifications or derivative works, or (D) to be redistributable at no charge; or (ii) which would otherwise impose any other material limitation, restriction or condition on the right or ability of the Company to use or distribute any Company Intellectual Property. The Company is in material compliance with the license terms for all Open Source Software used by the Company Databases.

 

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Section 4.14 Databases.

 

(a)       Schedule 4.14(a) contains a complete and accurate list of all material Databases that are collected, held or used by the Company for which the Company is the licensee or lessee or which the Company has otherwise obtained the right to use (“Licensed Databases”). The Company has made available to Surviving Entity true and complete copies of all Contracts under which the Company has the right to use any such Licensed Databases. The Company is in material compliance with all material provisions of any Contract pursuant to which the Company has the right to use the Licensed Databases.

 

(b)       Schedule 4.14(b) contains a list or description of all material databases containing data used, recorded, stored, transmitted and retrieved in electronic or paper form licensed to customers in the conduct of the Company’s business owned by the Company and which are used or held for use in the Company’s business (“Owned Databases”). The Company is the owner of all right, title and interest in and to each element of the Owned Databases including all data, data elements and information contained in such Owned Databases and such Owned Databases. Such Owned Databases and Licensed Databases (collectively, the “Company Databases”), constitute all material Databases collected, held or used in the business. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.14(b), the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement will not cause a breach under any license or lease pursuant to which the Company has otherwise obtained the right to use the Company Databases or impair the ability of the Company to use the Company Databases in materially the same manner as such Company Databases are currently used by the Company.

 

Section 4.15 Absence of Certain Changes. Except as set forth in Schedule 4.15, since the Reference Balance Sheet Date the Company has conducted its business only in, and has not engaged in any transaction other than according to, the Ordinary Course of Business, and there has not occurred: (a) any Material Adverse Effect; (b) any damage, destruction or other casualty loss with respect to any material asset or property owned, leased or otherwise used by the Company, whether or not covered by insurance; (c) any declaration, setting aside or payment of any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, equity or property) in respect of the Shares or other securities of the Company, or any repurchase, redemption or other reacquisition of any Shares or other securities of the Company, or agreed to do any of the foregoing; (d) any sale, transfer or other disposition of any of its assets except (i) assets which were obsolete, (ii) inventory sold in the Ordinary Course of Business, or (iii) non-exclusive licenses granted to customers in the Ordinary Course of Business; (e) any change in the Company’s accounting principles, practices or methods; (f) any issue or sale of any Shares, bonds or other securities of any type whatsoever of the Company; (g) any capital expenditures which are not set forth in the annual budget; (h) any increase in its indebtedness for borrowed money or any loan or advance made to any Person, or assumed, guaranteed or otherwise become liable with respect to the obligation of any Person; (i) any cancellation of any debts or claims owed to it, or any amendment, termination or waiver of any rights of value to the Company; (j) write down of the value of any assets owned, leased or otherwise used by the Company, including inventory and capital lease assets, except on account of depreciation and amortization in the Ordinary Course of Business; (k) any acquisition, sale, assignment, transfer, termination, disposition or license, whether from or to any Person, of any Intellectual Property other than in the Ordinary Course of Business; (l) any write-off of any accounts receivable, or any portion thereof, as uncollectible; (m) any amendment to material Tax Returns, any change in any material Tax election or Tax accounting method or period, or any settlement or compromise of any Tax liability; or (n) any agreement or commitment to take any of the actions referred to in clauses (c) through (m) above. Since the Reference Balance Sheet Date, except as set forth in Schedule 4.15, there has not been any increase in or the acceleration of vesting or payment of the compensation payable or that could become payable by the Company other than in the Ordinary Course of Business to: (x) any Representatives of the Company, or (y) any employee, director, manager or independent contractor of the Company, and there has not been any amendment or termination of any of its Compensation and Benefit Plans.

 

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Section 4.16 Accounts Receivable. The accounts receivable appearing on the Reference Balance Sheet represent valid, actual, bona fide obligations owing to the Company and, to the Company’s Knowledge are fully collectible without set off or counterclaim by the Company, net of reserves. The accounts receivable arising from the Reference Balance Sheet Date through the Closing Date represent valid obligations owing to the Company and, to the Company’s Knowledge, as of the Closing Date, are fully collectible according to their terms in amounts not less than the aggregate amounts thereof carried on the books of the Company, net of reserves. Any reserves provided for accounts receivable in the financial books and records of the Company have been or will be computed in accordance with the Accounting Principles. Except as set forth in Schedule Section 4.16, up to the Closing Date, the Company’s rights in respect of accounts receivable, and under any security related thereto, have been enforced by the Company in the Ordinary Course of Business consistent with past practices.

 

Section 4.17 Bank Accounts. Schedule 4.17 hereto sets forth a list of all bank accounts, certificates of deposit and safe deposit boxes of the Company including the name and address of each bank branch and the names of those persons authorized to sign thereon as of the date of this Agreement.

 

Section 4.18 Compliance with Laws.

 

(a)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.18(a), the Company is and the business of the Company is being conducted in all material respects in compliance with all Laws applicable to the Company, its business, its assets or the Company Capital Stock. No Proceeding by any Governmental Entity with respect to the Company or affecting any of its properties or assets is pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened and no Governmental Entity has indicated an intention to conduct the same. To the Company’s Knowledge, no change is required in the Company’s processes, properties or procedures in connection with any such Laws and the Company has not received any notice or communication, whether written or oral, of any noncompliance with any such Laws that has not been cured as of the date hereof.

 

(b)       Schedule 4.18(b) sets forth the Permits that have been obtained by the Company, and such Permits are (i) all valid and in full force and effect and (ii) all of the Permits required for the Company to own, lease or operate its properties and other assets and to carry on its business and operations as presently conducted. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement or any Transaction Document, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby, will not result in a violation of or default under and will not cause the revocation or cancellation of any Permit. The Company has not received any communication and, to Company’s Knowledge, there are no facts or circumstances, which would reasonably lead it or them to believe that any of the Permits are not currently in good standing. The Company has kept all required records and has filed with Governmental Entities all required notices, supplemental applications and annual or other reports required to maintain any Permits to the operation of the Company’s business.

 

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Section 4.19 Environmental Matters. Except as disclosed in Schedule 4.19 hereto: (i) the Company has complied with all applicable Environmental Laws in all material respects; (ii) the Company does not have any liability under any Environmental Law for any Hazardous Substance disposal or contamination on the properties currently or formerly owned or operated by the Company; (iii) the Company does not have any liability under any Environmental Law for any Hazardous Substance disposal or contamination on any third party property; (iv) the Company is not in violation of or has any liability under any Environmental Law for any release or threat of release of any Hazardous Substance; (v) the Company has not received any written notice, demand, letter, claim or request for information alleging that it may be in violation of or liable under any Environmental Law; (vi) the Company is not subject to any orders, decrees, injunctions or other arrangements with any Governmental Entity under any Environmental Law or relating to Hazardous Substances; and (vii) to the Company’s Knowledge, there are no circumstances or conditions involving the Company that could reasonably be expected to result in any claims, liability, investigations, costs or restrictions on the ownership, use, or transfer of any of its property pursuant to any Environmental Law.

 

Section 4.20 Contracts and Commitments.

 

(a)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.20(a), neither the Company nor any of its properties or other assets is subject to any:

 

(i)       Contract by which the Company has sold or agreed to sell services to a customer during the 2019 fiscal year or to date during the 2020 fiscal year in excess of Seventy Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000) in any twelve-month period and for which any obligations of any party thereto remain unperformed or unsatisfied;

 

(ii)       Contract by which the Company has purchased or agreed to purchase goods or services from a supplier in excess of Seventy Five Thousand Dollars ($75,000) in any twelve-month period and for which any obligations of any party thereto remain unperformed or unsatisfied;

 

(iii)     covenant not to compete or other covenant (A) limiting or restricting the development, marketing, distribution or sale of any of the products or services of the Company or any future line extension of such products or services into other forms, (B) limiting or restricting the ability of the Company to enter into any market or line of business or to compete with any other Person, or (C) restricting or prohibiting the Company from transacting business or dealing in any manner with any other Person;

 

(iv)     Contract that contains a “most-favored nation” or “most-favored-customer” clause;

 

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(v)      Contract with any Affiliate, director, officer, manager, equityholder, or Employee of the Company;

 

(vi)     management, employment, service, consulting, severance, incentive, transaction bonus or other similar type of Contract, including any agreement pursuant to which any severance, golden parachute or bonus payments are due to Employees, directors, managers or Independent Contractors in connection with a change of control of the Company;

 

(vii)    profit sharing, equity option, equity purchase, equity appreciation, deferred compensation or other material plan or agreement for the benefit of the Company’s present and former employees or independent contractors;

 

(viii)   Company IP Contracts;

 

(ix)      mortgage, pledge, security agreement, deed of trust, loan agreement, credit agreement, indenture, conditional sale or title retention agreement, equipment financing obligation or other instrument or agreement either (A) creating or granting an Encumbrance upon any of the material properties or assets of the Company (other than Permitted Encumbrances), or (B) requiring the payment of penalties or other costs upon the early payment, termination or retirement of any amounts owing thereunder;

 

(x)       collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with any labor union or association representing Employees;

 

(xi)      Contract establishing, creating or governing any partnership, alliance, affiliation, subcontract, joint venture, limited liability company, limited liability partnership or similar relationship;

 

(xii)     Contract to make any capital expenditures or capital additions or improvements in an amount in excess of Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) and for which any obligations by any party remain;

 

(xiii)    guaranty, surety or similar Contracts by which the Company makes itself primarily or contingently liable in respect of any indebtedness of any other Person;

 

(xiv)    agency, dealer, sales representation or other similar Contract;

 

(xv)     Contract providing for the indemnification of any current or former Representative of the Company;

 

(xvi)    any teaming agreement in respect of any Government Contract or Government Bid;

 

(xvii)   Company Leases;

 

(xviii) Contracts under which a default by the Company under such Contract or a termination right by the customer under such Contract (i) would not arise or (ii) would not arise for a period of thirty (30) days if (A) the interruption of the delivery of a service or product of the Company results from the COVID-19 Pandemic, or (B) the delivery of a service or product of the Company otherwise not in compliance with such Contract results from the COVID-19 Pandemic; or

 

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(xix)  Contract entered into outside the Ordinary Course of Business or that is otherwise material to the Company.

 

Contracts required to be disclosed on Schedule 4.20(a) hereto pursuant to this Section 4.20(a), are hereinafter referred to as “Material Contracts.”

 

(b)       Each Material Contract is a valid and binding obligation of the Company, in full force and effect and enforceable in accordance with its terms, subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar Laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any other party to any Material Contract, is in material violation of or in material default under any Material Contract, and, to the Company’s Knowledge, no event has occurred, and no circumstance or condition exists, that, with or without notice, lapse of time or both, would reasonably be expected to (i) result in a violation of or default under any Material Contract, (ii) give any party the right to cancel, terminate or modify any Material Contract, or (iii) give any party to any Material Contract the right to seek damages or other remedies.

 

(c)       The Company has made available to the Surviving Entity true, correct and complete copies of all Material Contracts as currently in effect, and except as set forth in Schedule 4.20(c), there have been no oral or written modifications, amendments or waivers with respect to of any of the terms of any of the Material Contracts.

 

Section 4.21 Insurance.

 

(a)       Schedule 4.21 hereto sets forth (i) the policies of insurance presently in force covering the Company, including, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, those covering public liability, personnel, properties, buildings, equipment, furniture, fixtures and operations, specifying in each case the name of the insurer, type of coverage, term of policy, limits of liability and annual premium; (ii) any fidelity or performance bonds placed by the Company; (iii) all outstanding insurance claims by the Company for damage to or loss of property or income which have been referred to insurers or which the Company believes to be covered by commercial insurance and (vi) any agreements, arrangements or commitments by or relating to the Company under which the Company indemnifies any other Person or is required to carry insurance, fidelity bonds or performance bonds for the benefit of any other Person. The Company has delivered or made available to the Surviving Entity complete and correct copies of the policies and agreements set forth on Schedule 4.21, together with “loss runs” for the past three (3) years based on information received from the Company’s insurance carrier(s) or broker(s).

 

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(b)       The insurance policies, fidelity bonds and performance bonds set forth on Schedule 4.21 are in full force and effect, all premiums with respect thereto covering all periods up to and including the date of the Closing have been paid, and no notice of cancellation or termination has been received with respect to any such policy or bond. Such policies and bonds (i) are sufficient for compliance in all respects with all requirements of applicable Law and all agreements relating to the Company; (ii) are valid, outstanding and, to the Company’s Knowledge, enforceable policies, subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar Laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law); (iii) subject to obtaining the Company Non-Governmental Consents, will remain in full force and effect through the respective dates set forth in Schedule 4.21 without the payment of additional premiums; and (iv) subject to obtaining the Company Non-Governmental Consents, will not in any way be affected by, or terminate or lapse by reason of, the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. The Company has not been refused any insurance or bonds, nor has any such coverage been limited, by any insurance carrier or surety company to which the Company has applied for any such insurance or bonds or with which the Company has carried insurance or obtained bonds during the last five (5) years.

 

Section 4.22 Affiliate Arrangements; Affiliate Interests.

 

(a)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.22(a), there have been no transactions, agreements, arrangements, understandings, obligations, liabilities or claims (“Affiliate Arrangements”) between the Company and a Person (i) that is an Affiliate of the Company or (ii) with respect to which any Affiliate of the Company, or any member of the immediate family of any such Affiliate, owns more than ten percent (10%) of the voting equity of such Person. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.22(a), any such Affiliate Arrangements were entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business and on commercially reasonable terms and conditions. Any accounts due and payable by the Company to any Affiliate thereof are recorded on the Company Records, as the case may be, at their fair market value. Since the Reference Balance Sheet Date, there has been no repayment, forgiveness or other release of indebtedness owed by or to a Person not at arms-length with the Company.

 

(b)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.22(b), no equityholder, member, manager, employee, officer, director or other Representative of the Company has any interest in any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, including, without limitation, any Intellectual Property, used in or pertaining to the business of the Company.

 

Section 4.23 Customers.

 

(a)       Since January 1, 2019, the Company maintains and has maintained reasonably good commercial working relationships with its customers, no event has occurred that would reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the Company’s relations with any Material Customer.

 

(b)       Schedule 4.23 contains a list of the top twenty (20) customers (the “Material Customers”) by revenue of the Company during the 2020 fiscal year and during the 2021 fiscal year to date together with, in each case, the amount billed to, and revenue received from, each Material Customer during such periods.

 

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(c)       Except as set forth in Schedule 4.23, no Material Customer has notified the Company in writing that it intends to change its relationship or any material terms upon which it will conduct business with the Company (such as an intention to terminate or not renew a contract, to revise pricing, to decrease volume or to change the products purchased) which would have an economic consequence in excess of Twenty Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000).

 

Section 4.24 Privacy Laws. The Company, and to the Company’s Knowledge, each of its Employees and Independent Contractors in connection with providing services for the Company, have complied in all material respects with, and are in material compliance with, all applicable Laws and Contract provisions governing data protection, privacy and the use of personal or individually identifiable information howsoever defined under such Laws. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.24, the Company does not collect, possess or process any information which is subject to the data protection, privacy or any similar Laws of any jurisdiction outside of the U.S.

 

Section 4.25 Government Contract and Regulatory Matters.

 

(a)       Lists of Government Contracts and Government Bids.

 

(i)       Schedule 4.25(a)(i) sets forth, as of the date hereof, a current, complete and accurate list of each Current Government Contract. Each Current Government Contract is in full force and effect and constitutes a legal, valid and binding agreement, enforceable in accordance with its terms against the Company and, to the Company’s Knowledge, all other parties thereto. To the Company’s Knowledge, each Current Government Contract was awarded in compliance with applicable Law. The Company has not received notice that any Current Government Contract is currently the subject of bid or award protest proceedings. The Company has delivered or otherwise made available to the Surviving Entity complete and correct copies of each such Current Government Contract, including each open purchase order, task order or delivery order issued under such Current Government Contracts.

 

(ii)       Schedule 4.25(a)(ii) sets forth a current, complete and accurate list of each Government Bid. The Company has delivered or otherwise made available to the Surviving Entity complete and correct copies of all such Government Bids.

 

(iii)       Schedule 4.25(a)(iii) sets forth a current, complete and accurate list of each Current Government Vendor Subcontract and the Current Government Contract to which the Current Government Vendor Subcontract relates. The Company has delivered or otherwise made available to the Surviving Entity complete and correct copies of all such Current Government Vendor Subcontracts. 

 

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(iv)       Except as set forth on Schedule 4.25(a)(iv), there exists no Current Government Contract or Government Bid (A) in connection with which the Company represented to any Governmental Entity, prime contractor or third party that the Company qualified as a Small Business Concern, a Small Disadvantaged Business, an 8(a) concern, a Service-Disabled Veteran- Owned Small Business Concern, a Veteran-Owned Small Business Concern, a Historically Underutilized Business Zone Small Business Concern, a Woman-Owned Small Business Concern, a “protégé” under a mentor-protégé agreement or program, or any other preferential status (collectively, “Preferred Bidder Status”); or, (B) in the case of a Current Government Contract, that the Company would not have been eligible or invited to submit a bid or receive but for its Preferred Bidder Status.

 

(b)        Representations and Warranties Regarding Government Contracts and Government Bids.

  

(i)       Except as set forth on Schedule 4.25(b)(i), no Current Government Contract was, at the time of award or currently, dependent upon the Company having any Preferred Bidder Status, and no Government Bid required the Company to certify or represent that it had Preferred Bidder Status either to be eligible for award or to receive credit under the evaluation criteria of the Solicitation to which the Government Bid relates. In the past six (6) years, the Company has not submitted a Government Bid or been awarded a Government Contract which the Company was ineligible to be awarded due to its business classification at the time such Government Bid was submitted in connection with a procurement reserved or set-aside for companies having a Preferred Bidder Status which the Company did not have.

 

(ii)       During the past six (6) years, none of the Company’s revenue, sales volume or orders has been reduced (except for fluctuations in the Ordinary Course of Business) or canceled. Except as set forth on Schedule 4.25(b)(ii), no Current Government Contract is required to be terminated or reduced in any way by a Governmental Entity as a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(iii)       With respect to each Government Contract and Government Bid, during the preceding six (6) years:

 

(A)       The Company has complied, in all material respects, with all terms and conditions of each Government Contract, including all clauses, provisions and requirements incorporated expressly and by reference and including any requirements relating to the charging of prices or costs, minimum qualifications of personnel, warranties, industrial funding fees and price reductions. To the Company’s Knowledge, no event has occurred in connection with a Current Government Contract or Government Bid which, with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both, would reasonably be expected to result in a material default or breach of a Current Government Contract.

 

(B)       The Company has complied, in all material respects, with all applicable Laws pertaining to each Government Contract or Government Bid, including the following Laws to the extent applicable: the Truth in Negotiations Act of 1962, the Service Contract Act of 1965, the Office of Federal Procurement Policy Act, the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, the FAR, the Cost Accounting Standards, the International Traffic in Arms Regulation or other export control Laws.

 

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(C)       All representations and certifications made, acknowledged or set forth in or pertaining to each Government Contract or Government Bid were current, accurate and complete, in all material respects, as of their effective date, and all such representations and certifications have continued to be current, accurate and complete, in all material respects, to the extent required by the terms of a Government Contract or applicable Law. The Company has not submitted a Government Bid or been awarded a Government Contract based upon material misrepresentations or inaccuracies in representations and certifications executed in connection therewith or contained in the System for Award Management.

 

(D)       All invoices and claims for payment, reimbursement or adjustment, including requests for progress payments and provisional payments, submitted by or on behalf of the Company in connection with a Government Contract were current, accurate and complete, in all material respects, as of their applicable submission dates.

 

(E)       All certified cost or pricing data submitted by or on behalf of the Company in connection with a Government Contract or Government Bid were current, accurate and complete in all material respects as of the certification date.

 

(F)       The Company has, to the extent required by applicable Laws and the terms of its Government Contracts, maintained systems of internal controls, including quality control systems, cost accounting systems, estimating systems, purchasing systems, proposal systems, billing systems and material management systems, that are in compliance, in all material respects, with all requirements of the Government Contracts.

 

(G)       Except as set forth on Schedule 4.25(b)(iii)(G) no Government Contract has been terminated for convenience or default.

 

(H)       The Company has not received any cure notice or show cause notice regarding performance of a Government Contract or any notice of, claim for, or assertion of, a condition of default, breach of contract, or material violation of applicable Law, in connection with a Government Contract or Government Bid.

 

(I)       Except as set forth on Schedule 4.25(b)(iii)(I), there has not been any withholding or set-off of any payments by a Governmental Entity or prime contractor or higher-tier subcontractor nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, has there been any attempt to withhold or set-off, any payments due under any Government Contract on any basis, including the basis that a cost incurred or invoice rendered by the Company was questioned or disallowed by a Governmental Entity, prime contractor or higher-tier subcontractor or any of their audit representatives, nor to the Company’s Knowledge would any such withholding or set-off reasonably be expected to occur.

 

(J)       The Company has not performed any activities under any Government Contract and, to the Company’s Knowledge, no other facts exist, that would reasonably be expected to create or result in the Company having an actual Organizational Conflict of Interest as defined in FAR subpart 9.5 or other applicable Laws, as related to any of the Company’s other Government Contracts.

 

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(K)       The Company has not received written notice or, to the Company’s Knowledge oral notice, that any of its subcontractors, teaming partners, consultants, agents or representatives has violated any applicable Law in connection with any Government Contract or any Government Bid for which the Company would reasonably be expected to incur any material liability.

 

(L)       Except as set forth on Schedule 4.25(b)(iii)(L), no Government Contract has, to date, or, to the Company’s Knowledge, is currently projected to have, fully burdened costs incurred in excess of the Government Contract fixed price, or, in the case of flexibly-priced or cost-reimbursement Contracts, would reasonably be expected to have fully burdened costs incurred in excess of the ceiling price or funded amount of the Government Contract.

 

(M)       The Company is not subject to any forward pricing rate agreements as described in FAR section 15.407-3 or FAR subpart 42.17.

 

(N)       The Company has not received any past performance evaluations or ratings below “Satisfactory” pertaining to any Government Contract.

 

(c)       Investigations, Audits and Internal Controls. Except as set forth on the Schedule 4.25(c), at all times over the past six (6) years, with respect to any Government Contract or Government Bid:

 

(i)       The Company has not received any written notice or, to the Company’s Knowledge oral notice,, of any pending claim or, to the Company’s Knowledge, any reasonable basis to give rise to any claim against the Company for fraud or under the United States civil or criminal False Claims Acts, the United States Procurement Integrity Act, or other applicable Law.

 

(ii)       The Company has not been served with any document requests, subpoenas, search warrants or civil investigative demands addressed to or requesting information involving the Company, or any of its officers, employees, Affiliates, agents or representatives in connection with or related to any Government Contract or Government Bid.

 

(iii)       The Company has not received any notice that it, or any of its predecessors, officers, directors, employees, Affiliates, agents or representatives, has been under administrative, civil or criminal investigation, indictment or criminal information, or audit by a Governmental Entity (other than routine audits by the Government Audit Agency in the Ordinary Course of Business) with respect to any Government Contract, Government Bid or applicable Law, including any audit relating to a suspected, alleged or possible violation of United States civil or criminal False Claims Acts or the United States Procurement Integrity Act, provision of defective or non-compliant products or services, mischarging of prices or costs, misstatements of fact, or other acts, omissions or irregularities relating to any Government Contract or Government Bid.

 

(iv)       Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any other Person, has conducted any internal audit, review or inquiry (whether or not any outside legal counsel, auditor, accountant or investigator was engaged) with respect to any suspected, alleged or possible violation of any Government Contract, Government Bid or applicable Law.

 

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(v)       The Company has not made, and, to the Company’s Knowledge, is not and has never been required to make, any disclosure to a Governmental Entity under FAR Subpart 3.1003 or FAR clause 52.203-13.

 

(vi)       Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any predecessor of the Company has made a voluntary disclosure to any Governmental Entity with respect to any alleged suspected, alleged or possible breach, violation, irregularity, mischarging, misstatement or other improper act or omission arising under or relating to any Government Contract or Government Bid.

 

(vii)       The practices and procedures used by the Company in estimating costs and pricing proposals and accumulating, recording, segregating, reporting and invoicing costs in connection with a Government Contract or Government Bid are, in all material respects, in compliance with applicable Laws, including FAR Part 31 and all applicable Cost Accounting Standards and related regulations, to the extent such requirements are applicable and no audit by a Governmental Entity (including the Government Audit Agency) in the past six (6) years has questioned such costs or identified any other failure to comply, in all material respects, with contractual requirements or applicable Law.

 

(viii)       Schedule 4.25(c)(viii) lists each draft or final written audit report received by the Company and issued by any Governmental Entity (including the Government Audit Agency) with respect to any Government Contract, Government Bid or any direct or indirect cost or other accounting practice of the Company. The Company has delivered or otherwise made available to the Surviving Entity correct and complete copies of each such report.

 

(d)       Debarment, Suspension and Exclusion.

 

(i)       Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any Affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, or any “Principal” (as defined in FAR 2.101) of the Company are, or have been the subject of a debarment, suspension or exclusion from participation in programs funded by any Governmental Entity or in the award of any Government Contract, nor, are any of them listed on the List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement and Nonprocurement Programs (“Listing”), nor to the Company’s Knowledge has any such debarment, suspension or exclusion proceeding or proposed Listing been initiated in the past six (6) years.

 

(ii)       The Company has not been determined by a Governmental Entity to be non-responsible or ineligible for award of a Government Contract within the past six (6) years.

 

(e)       Claims, Disputes, Requests for Equitable Adjustment and Financing. With respect to Government Contracts and Government Bids. Except as described on Schedule 4.25(e):

 

(i) The Company does not have any outstanding requests for equitable adjustment or claims asserted against or, to the Company’s Knowledge, by, a Governmental Entity or any prime contractor, subcontractor, vendor or other third party arising under or relating to a Government Contract or Government Bid.

 

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(ii)       The Company has not received written notice or, to the Company’s Knowledge oral notice, of any material disputes between the Company and any Governmental Entity under the Contract Disputes Act or any other applicable Law governing disputes arising under such Government Contracts. To the Company’s Knowledge, there are no outstanding disputes between any prime contractor for which the Company serves as a subcontractor under the Contract Disputes Act or any other applicable Law governing disputes arising under such Government Contracts.

 

(iii)       The Company has not received written notice or, to the Company’s Knowledge oral notice, of any material disputes between the Company, on the one hand, and any prime contractor, subcontractor or vendor, on the other hand, arising under or relating to any such Government Contract or Government Bid.

 

(iv)       There are no financing arrangements or assignments of proceeds with respect to any Current Government Contract other than as provided in the Company’s commercial bank or financing documents set forth on Schedule 4.20(a).

 

(f)       Backlog and Government Property.

 

(i)       Schedule 4.25(f)(i) sets forth for each Current Government Contract having backlog as of June 30, 2021, the dollar amounts of Funded Backlog and Unfunded Backlog of the Company thereunder as of such date (calculated by the Company consistent with past practice) and the name of the customer. All of the Current Government Contracts constituting the backlog of the Company (A) were entered into in the Ordinary Course of Business and (B) management of the Company believes in good faith that such Current Government Contracts are capable of performance in accordance with the terms and conditions of each such Current Government Contract by the Company without a total Contract loss (without consideration of general and administrative expenses). For purposes of this Agreement, “Funded Backlog” means the total amount of funding allotted to a Government Contract minus the total amount of direct costs, indirect costs and profit or fee allocable to such Government Contract, and the term “Unfunded Backlog” means the total price or estimated cost of a Government Contract minus the total amount of direct costs, indirect costs and profit or fee allocable to such Government Contract.

 

(ii)       Schedule 4.25(f)(ii) identifies all personal property, equipment and fixtures loaned, bailed or otherwise furnished to the Company, and in the Company’s possession as of the date hereof, by or on behalf of a Governmental Entity (the “Government Furnished Items”), the current locations thereof and the Government Contract pursuant to which such Government Furnished Items were issued. The Company has complied, in all material respects, with all of its obligations relating to the Government Furnished Items and upon the return thereof to any Governmental Entity in the condition thereof on the date hereof, the Company would reasonably be expected to have no liability with respect thereto.

 

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(g)       Security Clearances. Where applicable, each employee of the Company possesses all United States Government personnel security clearances required to perform his/her work under the Current Government Contracts requiring such clearances (“Personnel Security Clearances”) and the Company possesses all facility security clearances required to perform the Government Contracts requiring such clearances (“Facility Security Clearances”) and (i) where applicable, to the Company’s Knowledge, the subcontractor(s) and independent contractor(s) of the Company possess all necessary security clearances required to perform the Current Government Contracts of the Company requiring such clearances; (ii) except to the extent disclosure thereof is prohibited by applicable Law, Schedule 4.25(g) sets forth a true and complete list of all Facility Security Clearances held by the Company and all Personnel Security Clearances held by the employees of the Company (by category only) to the extent held or required in connection with the work performed on a Current Government Contract on behalf of the Company. The clearances set forth on Schedule 4.25(g) are all of the Facility Security Clearances and Personnel Security Clearances reasonably necessary to conduct the current business of the Company; (iii) all requisite Personnel Security Clearances and Facility Security Clearances are valid and in full force and effect; and (iv) where applicable, the Company is in compliance with all material requirements of the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (“NISPOM”), and any other similar requirements in the Company’s Current Government Contracts requiring such clearances.

 

(h)       Export Control. The Company is registered with the U.S. Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (“DDTC”) as a manufacturer of defense articles or furnisher of defense services pursuant to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (“ITAR”). The Company has not received written notice that it is the subject of an investigation or inquiry or subject to civil or criminal penalties imposed by any Governmental Entity or made a voluntary disclosure with respect to violations of applicable Laws relating to the import, export or re-export of products, technology, software, services or other information from the United States. The Company has not manufactured “defense articles,” exported “defense articles” or furnished “defense services” or “technical data” to foreign nationals in the United States or abroad, as those terms are defined in 22 Code of Federal Regulations Sections 120.6, 120.9 and 120.10, in violation of applicable Law.

 

(i)       Government Relations. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s Knowledge, any officers, directors, employees or agents of the Company (or members, distributors, representatives or other persons acting on the express, implied or apparent authority of the Company), have paid, given or received or have offered or promised to pay, give or receive, any bribe or other unlawful payment of money or other unlawful thing of value, any unlawful discount, or any other unlawful inducement, to or from any Person or Governmental Entity in the United States or elsewhere in connection with or in furtherance of the Company’s business, including any offer, payment or promise to pay money or other thing of value (i) to any foreign official, political party (or official thereof) or candidate for political office for the purposes of influencing any act, decision or omission in order to assist the Company in obtaining business for or with, or directing business to, any person, or (ii) to any Person, while knowing that all or a portion of such money or other thing of value will be offered, given or promised to any such official or party for such purposes. The Company’s business is not in any manner dependent upon the making or receipt of such payments, discounts or other inducements. The Company has not otherwise taken any action that would reasonably be expected to cause the Company to be in violation in any material respect of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (the “FCPA”), as amended, the Anti-Kickback Act of 1986 (the “Anti-Kickback Act”), Laws restricting the payment of contingent fee arrangements, or any applicable Laws of similar effect. To the Company’s Knowledge, there is no charge, Proceeding or investigation by any Governmental Entity with respect to a violation of the FCPA or the Anti-Kickback Act that is now pending or has been threatened with respect to the Company. The Company has not, in the past six (6) years, made any voluntary disclosure with respect to a possible violation of the FCPA or the Anti-Kickback Act.

 

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(j)       Trade Compliance Laws and Customs Laws.

 

(i)       The Company, its Affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, managers, employees and agents have complied at all times in all material respects, and are in compliance in all material respects with all applicable Trade Compliance Laws. The Company and, to the Company’s Knowledge, its Affiliates, (A) have not directly or indirectly, exported, reexported, sold or otherwise transferred (including transfers to non-U.S. persons located in the United States) any supplies, software, technology or services subject to Trade Compliance Laws in violation of Trade Compliance Laws; (B) where required by applicable Law, have notified recipients of such supplies, software, technology or services of the potential applicability of Trade Compliance Laws to the recipients’ use or other disposition thereof; and (C) have not engaged in any other transactions, or otherwise dealt, with any Person with whom U.S. persons are prohibited from dealing under Trade Compliance Laws, including, for example, any Person designated by the Office of Foreign Assets Control on the list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.

 

(ii)       The Company has not received notice, written or otherwise, of any charge, proceeding or investigation by any Governmental Entity with respect to a violation of any applicable Trade Compliance Laws that is now pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, has been threatened with respect to the Company.

 

(iii)       The Company is in compliance in all material respects with all applicable U.S. and non-U.S. customs Laws and regulations (“Customs Laws”), including any export or import declaration filing, payment of customs duties, compliance with import quotas, import registration or any other similar requirements related to the exportation or importation of supplies or services by the Company. The Company has not received notice, written or otherwise, of any charge, proceeding or investigation by any Governmental Entity with respect to a violation of any applicable Customs Laws that is now pending or, to the Company’s Knowledge, threatened with respect to the Company.

 

(iv)       Except as set forth on Schedule Section 4.25(j)(iv), the Company has not, in the past six (6) years, made any voluntary disclosure with respect to a possible violation of Trade Compliance Laws or Customs Laws to any Governmental Entity.

 

(k)       Intellectual Property Under Government Contracts. Schedule 4.25(k) sets forth a true and complete list of all of the Owned Intellectual Property that was developed using funds from a Governmental Entity. The Company is not using any Intellectual Property developed under any Government Contract for purposes outside of the scope of that Government Contract without having obtained the necessary and appropriate prior permission of the cognizant Governmental Entity or prime contractor, subcontractor, vendor, or other authorized Person. The Company has not granted to any government entity or university, college, or other educational institution or research center, either expressly, or by any act or omission, any unlimited, unrestricted, exclusive or government purpose rights, or any similar rights in Owned Intellectual Property or Company products and services.

 

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(l)         Multiple Award Schedules.

 

(i)       Except as disclosed on Schedule 4.25(l)(i), the Company has not at any time charged the U.S. government a price higher than its commercial customers or basis of award customers with respect to each multiple award schedule Current Government Contract (each a “MAS Contract”).

 

(ii)       Except as set forth on Schedule 4.25(l)(ii), the Company has complied with the notice and pricing requirements of the price reduction clause in each Current MAS Contract, and there are no facts or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to result in a demand by the U.S. Government for a refund based upon the Company’s failure to comply with the price reduction clause. The Company has not offered any discounts to any of its customers in violation of the price reductions clause of any of its MAS Contracts. 

(iii)       Except as set forth on Schedule 4.25(l)(iii), the Company has complied with all payment requirements of the industrial funding fee in each MAS Contract, and there are no facts or circumstances that could reasonably be expected to result in a demand by the U.S. Government for additional payment(s) based upon the Company’s failure to comply with the industrial funding fee payments.

 

Section 4.26 Brokers and Finders. Neither the Company nor any of the Company’s Representatives has employed any broker or finder or incurred any liability for any brokerage fees, commissions or finders’ fees in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Section 4.27 No Other Representations. EXCEPT FOR THE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS ARTICLE IV, THE COMPANY DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, STATEMENT MADE OR INFORMATION COMMUNICATED (WHETHER ORALLY OR IN WRITING) TO THE SURVIVING ENTITY, ITS AFFILIATES OR REPRESENTATIVES (INCLUDING ANY OPINION, INFORMATION OR ADVICE WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE SURVIVING ENTITY, ITS AFFILIATES OR REPRESENTATIVES BY ANY STOCKHOLDER, PARTNER, DIRECTOR, OFFICER, EMPLOYEE, ACCOUNTING FIRM, LEGAL COUNSEL OR OTHER AGENT, CONSULTANT OR REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY STOCKHOLDER, HOLDCO OR THE COMPANY).

 

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ARTICLE V

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE STOCKHOLDERS

 

Each Stockholder, severally, but not jointly, represents and warrants to the Surviving Entity as of the date hereof and again as of the Closing Date that:

 

Section 5.1 Authorization of Transaction; Binding Agreement for Stockholders and Holdco.

 

(a)       Such Stockholder has the full right, capacity and power to enter into this Agreement and each of the other Transaction Documents to which he is a party. All necessary action on the part of such Stockholder has been taken to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement and the performance of his obligations hereunder and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby.

 

(b)       This Agreement constitutes the valid and legally binding obligation of such Stockholder, enforceable against him in accordance with its terms and conditions except to the extent enforcement thereof may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency or moratorium laws, or other laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights or by the principles governing the availability of equitable remedies.

 

(c)       Holdco is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Delaware, has all corporate requisite power and authority to own (or, as applicable, lease) and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as presently conducted. Holdco has made available to the Surviving Entity a complete and correct copy of its Governing Documents. The Governing Documents of Holdco are in full force and effect and, except as provided in this Agreement, no proceeding for the amendment thereof is pending or currently contemplated, and Holdco is not in violation of any provision of its Governing Documents.

 

(d)       Holdco has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and each of the Transaction Documents to which it is a party, to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder, and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. This Agreement and each of the Transaction Documents to which Holdco is a party have been executed and delivered by Holdco and constitute valid, binding and enforceable obligations of Holdco, subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar Laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

Section 5.2 Noncontravention.

 

(a)       Neither the execution and the delivery of this Agreement by such Stockholder, nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby by such Stockholder, will: (a) violate any injunction, judgment, order, decree, ruling, charge or other restriction, or law, statute, rule or regulation of any Governmental Entity to which such Stockholder is subject, (b) violate any provisions of any trust document of any Stockholder that is a trust or (c) violate or constitute a default under, result in the termination of, accelerate the performance required by any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any note, bond, mortgage, indenture, deed of trust, license, lease, agreement or other instrument of such Stockholder, or by which such Stockholder or any of his respective assets, is bound.

 

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(b)       Neither the execution and the delivery of this Agreement by Holdco, nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby by Holdco, will: (a) violate any injunction, judgment, order, decree, ruling, charge or other restriction, or law, statute, rule or regulation of any Governmental Entity to which Holdco is subject or (b) violate or constitute a default under, result in the termination of, accelerate the performance required by any of the terms, conditions or provisions of any note, bond, mortgage, indenture, deed of trust, license, lease, agreement or other instrument of Holdco, or by which Holdco or any of its assets, are bound.

 

Section 5.3 Ownership of Shares.

 

(a)       Such Stockholder holds of record and owns beneficially the number of shares of Holdco Capital Stock set forth next to his name on Schedule I hereto free and clear of any restrictions on transfer (other than any restrictions under the Securities Act and state securities laws), liens or other encumbrances, options, warrants, purchase rights, contracts, commitments, equities, claims and demands. Such Stockholder is not a party to any option, warrant, purchase right or other contract or commitment (other than this Agreement) that could require such Stockholder to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any shares of capital stock of Holdco.

 

(b)       Holdco holds of record and owns beneficially one hundred percent (100%) of the issued and outstanding shares of Company Capital Stock free and clear of any restrictions on transfer (other than any restrictions under the Securities Act and state securities laws), liens or other encumbrances, options, warrants, purchase rights, contracts, commitments, equities, claims and demands. Holdco is not a party to any option, warrant, purchase right or other contract or commitment (other than this Agreement) that could require Holdco to sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of any shares of capital stock of the Company.

 

Section 5.4 Consents.

 

(a)       No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, qualification or filing with, any Governmental Entity or other Person is required for the execution and delivery by such Stockholder of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document to which it is a party, or for the consummation by such Stockholder of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

(b)       No consent, approval or authorization of, or registration, qualification or filing with, any Governmental Entity or other Person is required for the execution and delivery by Holdco of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document to which it is a party, or for the consummation by Holdco of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

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Section 5.5 Litigation.

 

(a)       There are no pending Proceedings and, to such Stockholder’s knowledge, no Person has threatened to commence any Proceeding against such Stockholder, or to enjoin the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Transaction Document related hereto, or involving any of the Stockholder’s properties or rights. No event has occurred or circumstance exists which, to such Stockholder’s knowledge, could reasonably be expected to give rise to or serve as a valid basis for the commencement of any Proceeding by or against such Stockholder.

 

(b)       There are no pending Proceedings and, to such Stockholder’s knowledge, no Person has threatened to commence any Proceeding against Holdco, or to enjoin the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any Transaction Document related hereto, or involving any of Holdco’s properties or rights. No event has occurred or circumstance exists which, to such Stockholder’s knowledge, could reasonably be expected to give rise to or serve as a valid basis for the commencement of any Proceeding by or against Holdco.

 

Section 5.6 Brokers and Finders. Neither Holdco nor such Stockholder has employed any broker or finder or incurred any liability for any brokerage fees, commissions or finders’ fees in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Section 5.7 Investment Intention. Each Stockholder is acquiring through the Merger the shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock for its own account, for investment purposes only and not with a view to the distribution (as such term is used in Section 2(11) of the Securities Act) thereof. Each Stockholder understands that the shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock have not been registered under the Securities Act or any Blue Sky Laws and cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act, any applicable Blue Sky Laws or pursuant to an exemption from any such registration.

 

Section 5.8 Purchase Entirely for Own Account. Each Stockholder hereby confirms that the Surviving Entity Common Stock to be acquired by such Stockholder will be acquired for investment for the Stockholder’s own account, not as a nominee or agent, and not with a view to the resale or distribution of any part thereof, and that such Stockholder has no present intention of selling, granting any participation in, or otherwise distributing the same. By executing this Agreement, each Stockholder further represents that such Stockholder does not presently have any contract, undertaking, agreement or arrangement with any Person to sell, transfer or grant participations to such Person or to any third Person, with respect to any of the Surviving Entity Common Stock.

 

Section 5.9 Disclosure of Information. Each Stockholder has had an opportunity to discuss the Surviving Entity’s business, management, financial affairs and the terms and conditions of the offering of the Surviving Entity Common Stock with the Surviving Entity’s management.

 

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Section 5.10 Accredited Investor. Each Stockholder is an accredited investor as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D promulgated under the Securities Act.

 

Section 5.11 No General Solicitation. At no time (a) has any Stockholder or any of its Affiliates, been presented with or solicited by any publicly issued or circulated newspaper, mail, radio, television or other form of general advertising or solicitation in connection with the offer, sale or purchase of the Surviving Entity Common Stock, whether or not such advertising or solicitation was received directly from the Surviving Entity or indirectly from a broker, finder or other person or entity, nor (b) has any Stockholder or any of its Affiliates attended any public meeting or seminar concerning an investment in the Surviving Entity Common Stock.

 

Section 5.12 Exculpation Among Stockholders. Each Stockholder acknowledges that it is not relying upon any Person in making its investment or decision to invest in the Surviving Entity. Each Stockholder agrees that neither any Stockholder nor the respective controlling Persons, officers, directors, partners, agents, or employees of any Stockholder shall be liable to any other Stockholder for any action heretofore taken or omitted to be taken by any of them in connection with the purchase of the Surviving Entity Common Stock.

 

Section 5.13 Residence. Each Stockholder resides in the state or province identified in the address of the Stockholder set forth on Schedule I hereto.

 

Section 5.14 No Other Representations. EXCEPT FOR THE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS ARTICLE V, SUCH STOCKHOLDER DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, STATEMENT MADE OR INFORMATION COMMUNICATED (WHETHER ORALLY OR IN WRITING) TO THE SURVIVING ENTITY, ITS AFFILIATES OR REPRESENTATIVES (INCLUDING ANY OPINION, INFORMATION OR ADVICE WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO THE SURVIVING ENTITY, ITS AFFILIATES OR REPRESENTATIVES BY ANY STOCKHOLDER, PARTNER, DIRECTOR, OFFICER, EMPLOYEE, ACCOUNTING FIRM, LEGAL COUNSEL OR OTHER AGENT, CONSULTANT OR REPRESENTATIVE OF ANY STOCKHOLDER, HOLDCO OR THE COMPANY).

 

ARTICLE VI

 

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE SURVIVING ENTITY

 

The Surviving Entity hereby represents and warrants to the Company as of the date hereof and again as of the Closing Date that:

 

Section 6.1 Organization of the Surviving Entity; Authority; Due Execution; Capitalization.

 

(a)       The Surviving Entity is a corporation duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the State of Nevada and has all requisite power and authority to own and operate its properties and assets and to carry on its business as presently conducted and is qualified to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation or other business entity in each jurisdiction where the ownership or operation of its properties or conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where failure to be so qualified or in good standing, when taken together with all other such failures, is not reasonably likely to prevent, materially delay or materially impair the Surviving Entity’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

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(b)       The Surviving Entity has all requisite corporate power and authority to enter into this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is party, to perform its obligations hereunder and thereunder and to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is party by the Surviving Entity and the consummation by the Surviving Entity of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby have been duly and validly authorized. This Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which the Surviving Entity is party have been duly executed and delivered by the Surviving Entity and constitute the valid, binding and enforceable obligation of the Surviving Entity, subject to the effects of bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent conveyance, reorganization, moratorium and other similar Laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally, general equitable principles (whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and an implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing.

 

(c)       All issued and outstanding shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock have been duly authorized and validly issued in compliance with applicable securities Laws. Upon the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, assuming fulfillment of all obligations of the Seller and the Stockholders hereunder, the Surviving Entity Common Stock comprising the Closing Share Consideration will be duly and validly issued to the Stockholders in accordance with this Agreement, free and clear of liens or other encumbrances, fully-paid, and non-assessable. The Surviving Entity Common Stock comprising the Closing Share Consideration, when issued to the Stockholders in accordance with this Agreement, will be eligible to freely trade and be quoted on, and is quoted on, the OTC Pink market maintained by OTC Markets, Inc. (“OTC”), and the Surviving Entity has received no notice or other communication indicating that such eligibility is subject to challenge or review by the any applicable regulatory agency, electronic market administrator, or exchange.

 

Section 6.2 Government Filings; No Violation.

 

(a)       Except as set forth in Schedule 6.2(a), no notices, reports or other filings are required to be made by the Surviving Entity (“Surviving Entity Governmental Notices”) with, nor are any consents, registrations, approvals, permits or authorizations required to be obtained by the Surviving Entity (“Surviving Entity Governmental Consents”) from, any Governmental Entity in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by the Surviving Entity of this Agreement or any Transaction Documents to which it is a party, or the consummation by the Surviving Entity of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby. Schedule 6.2(a) shall clearly distinguish between Surviving Entity Governmental Notices and Surviving Entity Governmental Consents.

 

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(b)       The execution, delivery and performance by the Surviving Entity of this Agreement and the Transaction Documents to which it is a party does not, and the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby will not, constitute or result in a breach or violation of, or a default, with or without notice, lapse of time or both, under (i) the Surviving Entity’s Governing Documents, or (ii) any contract to which the Surviving Entity is a party that is material to the Surviving Entity and its subsidiaries, taken as a whole, including the acceleration of any material obligations under or the creation of a material payment obligation under any such contract or the creation of an Encumbrance on any material assets of the Company. The Surviving Entity has made available to the Stockholders a complete and correct copy of its Governing Documents. The Governing Documents are in full force and effect and, except as provided in this Agreement, no proceeding for the amendment thereof is pending or currently contemplated, and the Surviving Entity is not in violation of any provision of its Governing Documents.

 

Section 6.3 Securities Issued at Fair Market Value. The Surviving Entity has not issued or sold any of its securities at less than fair market value to any employee, consultant or other provider of services to the Surviving Entity. The Surviving Entity has not accelerated vesting of any of the Surviving Entity’s securities in such a way as to cause the holder of such security to recognize ordinary income subject to an excise tax pursuant to Section 409A of the Code. The Surviving Entity has made available to the Stockholders true, correct and complete copies of all material agreements related to the sale of equity securities of the Surviving Entity since March 31, 2021.

 

Section 6.4 Litigation. There is no Proceeding pending or, to the Surviving Entity’s Knowledge, threatened against or affecting the Surviving Entity or any of its properties or rights, nor is there any judgment, decree, injunction, rule or order of any Governmental Entity or arbitrator outstanding against or affecting the Surviving Entity or any of its properties or rights that is reasonably likely, either individually or in the aggregate, to delay the ability of Surviving Entity to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Section 6.5 Compliance with Law. The Surviving Entity is not in violation of any Law that would impair the Surviving Entity’s ability to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Section 6.6 OTC Reports. Surviving Entity has filed all documents required to be filed by it with the OTC through June 30, 2021 (collectively, the “Surviving Entity OTC Reports”). The Surviving Entity OTC Reports, including the financial statements and exhibits and schedules contained therein, (a) at the time filed, complied (giving effect to any amendments or supplements thereto filed prior to the date of this Agreement) in all material respects with the applicable requirements of the OTC, and (b) at the time they were filed (or if amended or superseded by a filing or amendment prior to the date of this Agreement, then at the time of such filing or amendment), at the time of effectiveness, did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated in such Surviving Entity OTC Reports or necessary in order to make the statements made in such Surviving Entity OTC Reports, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

 

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Section 6.7 Brokers and Finders. The Surviving Entity has not employed any broker or finder or incurred any liability for any brokerage fees, commissions or finders’ fees in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Section 6.8 Investment Intention. Surviving Entity is acquiring through the Merger the shares of capital stock of the Company for its own account, for investment purposes only and not with a view to the distribution (as such term is used in Section 2(11) of the Securities Act) thereof. Surviving Entity understands that the shares of capital stock of the Company have not been registered under the Securities Act or any Blue Sky Laws and cannot be sold unless subsequently registered under the Securities Act, any applicable Blue Sky Laws or pursuant to an exemption from any such registration.

 

Section 6.9 Tax Matters. The Surviving Entity plans and intends to continue at least one significant historic business line of the Company, or to use at least a significant portion of the Company’s historic business assets in a business, in each case within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.368-1(d). Furthermore, neither the Surviving Entity (nor any person related to the Surviving Entity within the meaning of Treasury Regulation Section 1.368-1(e)(4)) has any plan, intention or right (other than as set forth in this Agreement) to acquire, purchase or redeem any Surviving Entity Common Stock from the Stockholders following the Closing.

 

Section 6.10 Solvency. Both before and after the Closing: (a) the fair value of the assets of the Surviving Entity (on a stand alone basis), and of the Surviving Entity and its subsidiaries, including after Closing, the Company (taken as a whole), exceed their respective liabilities; (b) the Surviving Entity (on a stand-alone basis) does not have, and the Surviving Entity and its subsidiaries including after Closing, the Company (taken as a whole) do not have, unreasonably small capital; and (c) each of the Surviving Entity (on a stand alone basis), and the Surviving Entity and its subsidiaries including after Closing, the Company (taken as a whole), will be able to pay their respective liabilities as they mature or otherwise become due. Immediately after the Closing, and assuming the correctness of the Stockholders’ and Holdco’s representations herein, each of the Surviving Entity and the Company will be solvent and will have assets which have fair value in excess of its liabilities.

 

Section 6.10 No Other Representations; Non-Reliance. NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING CONTAINED IN THIS AGREEMENT TO THE CONTRARY, THE SURVIVING ENTITY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE SURVIVING ENTITY HAS NOT RELIED OR IS RELYING UPON ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THE COMPANY, HOLDCO, OR THE TRANSACTIONS (INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION IN ANY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION MEMORANDUM, ANY PROJECTIONS, OR ANY INFORMATION SET FORTH IN THE VIRTUAL DATA ROOM, OR ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN MANAGEMENT MEETINGS) OTHER THAN THE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES SET FORTH IN ARTICLE IV (AS MODIFIED BY THE COMPANY DISCLOSURE SCHEDULES). EXCEPT FOR THE REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS ARTICLE VI, THE SURVIVING ENTITY DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, STATEMENT MADE OR INFORMATION COMMUNICATED (WHETHER ORALLY OR IN WRITING) TO THE STOCKHOLDERS, OR THE STOCKHOLDERS’ AFFILIATES OR REPRESENTATIVES (INCLUDING ANY OPINION, INFORMATION OR ADVICE WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN PROVIDED STOCKHOLDERS, THEIR AFFILIATES OR REPRESENTATIVES BY THE SURVIVING ENTITY ANY STOCKHOLDER, PARTNER, DIRECTOR, OFFICER, EMPLOYEE, ACCOUNTING FIRM, LEGAL COUNSEL OR OTHER AGENT, CONSULTANT OR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SURVIVING ENTITY).

 

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ARTICLE VII

 

CERTAIN POST-CLOSING COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS OF THE
STOCKHOLDERS, THE COMPANY AND THE SURVIVING ENTITY

 

Section 7.1 Company Non-Governmental Consents. Following the Closing, the Stockholders shall cooperate fully with the Surviving Entity, and shall use all commercially reasonable efforts to obtain any Company Non-Governmental Consents from any third parties and to deliver all notices required to be delivered under any Contracts (including Government Contracts) in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement to the extent not obtained prior to the Closing, provided that the Stockholders shall not be required to make any material monetary expenditure, commence or be a plaintiff in any litigation or offer or grant any material accommodation (financial or otherwise) to any third Person.

 

Section 7.2 Public Announcements. The Parties agree that no public release, announcement or any other disclosure concerning any of the transactions contemplated hereby shall be made or issued by any Party without the prior written consent of the Surviving Entity and the Company (or following the Closing, the Stockholders) (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed), provided, however, that Surviving Entity may make any public disclosure it believes in good faith is required by applicable law or any listing or trading agreement concerning its publicly-traded securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, following the Effective Time, the Surviving Entity may disclose that the Merger has taken place (but not the terms thereof) to its and the Company’s customers, suppliers and employees without the prior written consent of the Stockholders.

 

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Section 7.3 Tax Matters.

 

(a)       The Stockholders, shall prepare or cause to be prepared and timely file or cause to be timely filed all income Tax Returns that are required to be filed by the Company or Holdco for a taxable period ending on or before the Closing Date (the “Stockholder Prepared Returns”). Each Stockholder Prepared Return shall be prepared in a manner consistent with past practice (except as required by Law). The Stockholders will provide Surviving Entity with copies of any such Stockholder Prepared Returns for Surviving Entity’s review and comment at least thirty (30) days prior to the due date thereof (giving effect to any extensions thereto) and will make changes to each Stockholder Prepared Return as reasonably requested by Surviving Entity in writing at least five (5) Business Days prior to the date on which such Stockholder Prepared Returns is to be filed (provided that such requested changes are consistent with the past practices of the Company, if such past practices are permitted under applicable Law). The Stockholders shall be responsible for any Taxes shown as due with respect to any Stockholder Prepared Return that is a Pass-Through Tax Return and that is filed in a manner consistent with the Intended Tax Treatment. The Surviving Entity shall cause the Company to prepare and timely file all Tax Returns (other than Stockholder Prepared Returns) of the Company for Tax periods ending on or prior to the Closing that have not previously been filed and that are due (taking into account any extension) after the Closing Date, and for any Straddle Periods (the “Surviving Entity Prepared Returns”); provided, however, that the Surviving Entity shall provide each Surviving Entity Prepared Return to the Stockholders for review and comment at least thirty (30) days prior to the date on which such Surviving Entity Prepared Return is to be filed (or, if later, within ten (10) Business Days after the Closing Date), and the Surviving Entity shall consider in good faith changes to each such Surviving Entity Prepared Return reasonably requested by the Stockholders in writing at least five (5) Business Days before the date on which such Surviving Entity Prepared Return is to be filed (or, in the case of a Surviving Entity Prepared Return that is provided to the Stockholders for their review and comment later than the tenth (10th) Business Day prior to the due date of such Surviving Entity Prepared Return, within at least five (5) Business Days after such Surviving Entity Prepared Return is provided to the Stockholders by the Surviving Entity). Each Surviving Entity Prepared Return shall be prepared in a manner consistent with past practices of the Company unless otherwise required by Law. The Surviving Entity will file its U.S. federal income tax return for the taxable year that includes the Closing Date on a consolidated basis with the Company and in accordance with the rules set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502- 76(b)(1)(ii)(A)(1).

 

(b)       The Stockholders, on one hand, and Surviving Entity, on the other, shall each be liable for, and shall pay when due fifty percent (50%) of any transfer, documentary, sales, use, registration, stamp, value-added or other similar Taxes and fees (including any penalties and interest thereon) payable by reason of the transactions contemplated under this Agreement (“Transfer Taxes”), and the party legally obligated to do so shall file all necessary returns, reports or other filings with respect to all such Taxes.

 

(c)       For purposes of this Agreement, whenever it is necessary to determine the liability for Taxes of the Company with respect to any Straddle Period, the Taxes of the Company for such Straddle Period shall be allocated between the portion of the Straddle Period ending on the Closing Date and the portion of the Straddle beginning on the day following the Closing Date as follows:

 

(i) In the case of (A) Taxes based on the income, receipts or payroll of the Company, (B) Taxes imposed in connection with any sale or other transfer or assignment of property (including sales, use and transfer Taxes), other than Transfer Taxes described in Section 7.3(b), and (C) withholding Taxes, the determination of the Taxes of the Company for the portion of the Straddle Period ending on and including the Closing Date shall be calculated by assuming that the Straddle Period consisted of two taxable periods, one which ended at the close of the Closing Date and the other which began at the beginning of the day following the Closing Date and items of income, gain, deduction, loss or credit of the Company for the Straddle Period shall be allocated between such two taxable years or periods on a “closing of the books basis” by assuming that the books of the Company were closed at the close of the Closing Date, provided, however, that exemptions, allowances or deductions that are calculated on an annual basis, such as the deduction for amortization and depreciation, shall be apportioned between such two taxable years or periods on a daily basis (notwithstanding that such exemptions, allowances or deductions may under applicable Law be determined solely at the end of the taxable period); provided further, for the avoidance of doubt, that in the event the Company is treated as a member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined, unitary or similar group with the Surviving Entity or its Affiliates on the Closing Date, the Taxes of the Company with respect to such group shall be determined on a standalone basis without taking into account items of income, gain, deduction, loss or credit attributable to other members of the group; and

 

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(ii) In the case of Taxes not described in Section 7.3(c)(i) for a Straddle Period (e.g., such as real property or other ad valorem Taxes), the determination of the Taxes of the Company for the portion of the Straddle Period ending on and including the Closing Date shall be calculated pro rata, based on the number of days of the Straddle Period in the period before and ending on the Closing Date, on the one hand, and the number of days in the Straddle Period in the period after the Closing Date, on the other hand.

 

(d)       Surviving Entity shall provide the Stockholders with written notice of any demand, claim, or notice of commencement of a claim, proposed adjustment, assessment, examination or other administrative or court proceeding with respect to Taxes of the Company for which the Stockholders may be liable (including pursuant to this Agreement) (“Tax Contest”), along with any written correspondence received from the relevant Governmental Entity with respect thereto, within ten (10) days of receipt by Surviving Entity or any of its Affiliates.

 

(i)       With respect to Tax Contests (1) related solely to Taxes of the Company for a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date or (2) concerning the qualification of the Pre-Closing Reorganization or the Merger as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, the Stockholders may elect to assume and control the defense of such Tax Contest by written notice to Surviving Entity within sixty (60) days after delivery by Surviving Entity to the Stockholders of the written notice of the Tax Contest. If the Stockholders elects to assume and control the defense of such Tax Contest, the Stockholders (A) shall bear their own costs and expenses, and (B) shall be entitled to engage their own counsel. The Surviving Entity shall (and shall cause its Affiliates including the Company to) cooperate with the Stockholders in pursuing such Tax Contest (including by providing appropriate powers of attorney and executing any and all agreements, instruments and other documents that are necessary or appropriate in connection with the settlement or compromise of any Tax Contest). If the Stockholders elect to assume the defense of any Tax Contest, the Stockholders shall keep Surviving Entity reasonably informed of all material developments and events relating to such Tax Contest, and Surviving Entity shall have the right to participate in (but not control) the defense of such Tax Contest at its own cost and expense. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Stockholders shall not settle or compromise any Tax Contest without the consent of Surviving Entity which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed.

 

(ii)       In connection with any Tax Contest that relates to Taxes of the Company for a Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date that the Stockholders do not elect to control pursuant to Section 7.3(d)(i) or that relates to a Straddle Period, such Tax Contest shall be controlled by Surviving Entity and the Stockholders agree to cooperate with Surviving Entity in pursuing such Tax Contest, provided, however, that none of Surviving Entity or its Affiliates (including the Company) shall enter into any settlement or compromise with respect to any such Tax Contest without the prior written consent of the Stockholders, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed. In connection with any Tax Contest that is described in this Section 7.3(d)(ii) and controlled by Surviving Entity, Surviving Entity shall keep the Stockholders reasonably informed of all material developments and events relating to such Tax Contest and, at its own cost and expense, the Stockholders shall have the right to participate in (but not control) the defense of such Tax Contest.

 

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(e)       The Parties intend that each of the Pre-Closing Reorganization and the Merger will separately qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code for U.S. federal and other applicable income Tax purposes (the “Intended Tax Treatment”) and intend, by executing this Agreement, to adopt a “plan of reorganization” with respect to the Merger within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Sections 1.368-2(g) and 1.368-3(a). Subject to Section 7.10(d), from and after the date of this Agreement, Surviving Entity, the Company and the Stockholders shall each use all reasonable best efforts to cause the Pre-Closing Reorganization and the Merger to be treated as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code and shall not knowingly take any action, or fail to take any action, which action or failure would prevent, or reasonably be expected to prevent, the Pre-Closing Reorganization or the Merger from qualifying as a “reorganization” under Section 368(a) of the Code. The Parties agree that (i) each Party hereto shall cause all Tax Returns relating to the Pre-Closing Reorganization or the Merger to be filed on the basis of treating each of the Pre-Closing Reorganization and the Merger as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a)(1) of the Code (including satisfying all requirements under Treasury Regulation Section 1.368-3) and (ii) neither Surviving Entity nor the Company shall take, nor permit their respective Affiliates to take any action that reasonably would be expected to cause the Pre-Closing Reorganization or the Merger to fail to qualify as a “reorganization” within the meaning of Section 368(a) of the Code, unless otherwise formally required by a Governmental Entity in connection with the settlement of an audit or other Tax proceeding or pursuant to a change in Law. Without limiting the foregoing, Surviving Entity shall continue or cause to be continued the historic business of the Company or use or cause to be used in a business a significant portion of the historic business assets of the Company, in each case, within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.368-1(d). Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of Surviving Entity, the Company, Holdco or Stockholders have or will make any representations or warranties to the other Parties or to any Stockholder regarding the Tax consequences of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. Surviving Entity, the Company, Stockholders and Holdco are each are relying solely on their own Tax advisors in connection with this Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions and other agreements contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(f)       After the Closing Date, the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders agree to provide each other with such cooperation and information relating to the Company as any other Party may reasonably request in (i) filing any Tax Return, amended Tax Return or other Tax filing or claim for refund of Taxes, (ii) determining any Tax liability or right to refund of Taxes, (iii) conducting or defending any audit or other proceeding in respect of Taxes, or (iv) effectuating the terms of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Party shall be unreasonably required to prepare any document, or determine any information, not then in its possession in response to a request under this Section 7.3. Any and all existing Tax sharing agreements (whether written or not, but excluding agreements entered into by the Company in the Ordinary Course of Business or the primary purpose of which does not relate to Taxes) binding upon the Company shall be terminated as of the Closing Date.

 

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(g)       Unless required by applicable law, without the prior consent of the Stockholders, the Surviving Entity will not (and will not permit any Affiliate of the Surviving Entity, including the Company, to) in respect of any Tax period ending on or prior to the Closing Date or any Straddle Period of the Company: (i) amend, modify or otherwise refile, or cause to be amended, modified or otherwise refiled, any Tax Return, (ii) make or change any election or change any method of accounting with respect to Taxes, (iii) initiate any discussion with any Government Entity regarding any voluntary disclosure involving Taxes, or (iv) take any other similar action, or omit to take any action, relating to the filing of any Tax Return or the payment of any Tax, if such action or omission would have the effect of increasing the Tax liability of the Stockholders or the Company.

 

(h)       The Parties agree that the portion of the Merger Consideration allocated to the Restrictive Covenant Agreements entered into by the Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement shall be $10,000, all of which shall be deemed to have been paid out of the Closing Cash Consideration based on the Stockholders’ Pro Rata Shares.

 

Section 7.4 Employee Matters.

 

(a)       Prior to the Closing and subject to applicable Laws, the Company has taken all actions necessary to make all employer contributions and premium payments that are required under Compensation and Benefit Plans, and accrued on the Company’s financial statements all amounts earned or payable under Compensation and Benefit Plans to the extent not yet due, with respect to periods ending on or prior to the Closing Date.

 

(b)       Prior to the Closing, the Company has paid (A) to each Employee or former employee of the Company any and all amounts necessary to satisfy all cash commissions and cash bonuses or incentive compensation of any kind accrued through the day prior to the Closing Date, irrespective of whether such amount is due and payable as of such date, and (B) to each Employee the amount necessary to cash out such Employee’s accrued and unused paid time off credited as of the Closing under the Company’s paid time off policy or program.

 

(c)       Nothing in this Section 7.4 is intended to or shall entitle any person other than the Parties and their respective transferees and permitted assigns to any claim, cause of action, remedy or right of any kind, or create any right to employment or prohibit Surviving Entity, the Company or any of their Affiliates from terminating the employment or service of any Employee.

 

Section 7.5 Bank Account Transfers. No later than ten (10) days after the Closing Date, the Stockholders shall add, or cause to be added, any persons designated by the Surviving Entity as authorized signatories on all bank accounts, certificates of deposit and safe deposit boxes of the Company set forth on Schedule 4.17.

 

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Section 7.6 Surviving Entity Board of Directors. At the next election of the board of directors of the Surviving Entity pursuant to the Surviving Entity’s Governing Documents, Surviving Entity shall elect, or shall cause to be elected, Kaunitz to the Surviving Entity’s board of directors; provided, however, that such election shall be effective no more than one (1) year following the Closing Date, and provided, further, that Kaunitz shall continue to serve on the board of directors of the Surviving Entity until the expiration of the Earnout Measurement Period and the final determination of the Earnout Payment pursuant to Section 2.8, subject to customary removal for cause. During the period between the Closing Date and the effective date of Kaunitz’s election to the board of directors of the Surviving Entity, Kaunitz shall have the right to attend all meetings of the board of directors of the Surviving Entity in a nonvoting observer capacity and, in this respect, the Surviving Entity shall provide Kaunitz with copies of all notices, minutes, consents, and other materials that it provides to its directors at the same time and in the same manner as provided to such directors.

 

Section 7.7 Further Assurances. From and after the date hereof, the Stockholders shall, as and when requested by the Surviving Entity execute and deliver, or cause to be executed and delivered, all such documents and instruments, and shall take, or cause to be taken, all such further or other actions as the Surviving Entity may reasonably deem necessary or desirable to carry out the intent and purpose of this Agreement.

 

Section 7.8 Post-Closing Consents and Approvals.

 

(a)       As soon as commercially practicable following the Closing Date, but no later than ten (10) Business Days following the Closing Date, the Stockholders and the Surviving Entity will, in accordance with, and to the extent required by, NISPOM, cooperate in good faith to submit or cause the submission to the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (“DCSA”) via the National Industrial Security System such documentation and information as may be required by DCSA in order to obtain DCSA’s approval of the change of condition impacting the Company’s Facility Security Clearances in accordance with NISPOM (the “Security Clearance Approval”). The Stockholders and the Surviving Entity will reasonably cooperate with each other, including by way of furnishing to the other Party or the U.S. Government such documents and other information as may be reasonably requested by the other Party or the U.S. Government or required by Law, in connection with the Security Clearance Approval. The Stockholders and the Surviving Entity will each use commercially reasonable efforts to provide all reasonable information and take all other commercially reasonable actions necessary to obtain the Security Clearance Approval.

 

(b)       As soon as commercially practicable following the Closing Date, but no later than five (5) Business Days following the Closing Date, the Company will, in accordance with, and to the extent required by, applicable Law and DDTC, submit a written notification to DDTC of the change in the Company’s statement of registration as a result of the change in ownership and control of the Company (the “ITAR Notification”), along with any other documentation reasonably requested by DDTC. The Stockholders and the Surviving Entity will reasonably cooperate with each other and the Company, including by way of furnishing to any Party or the U.S. Government such documents and other information as may be reasonably requested by any other Party or the U.S. Government or required by Law, in connection with the ITAR Notification. The Stockholders and the Surviving Entity will each use commercially reasonable efforts to provide all reasonable information and take all other commercially reasonable actions necessary to submit the ITAR Notification.

 

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Section 7.9 Confidentiality. The Company and the Surviving Entity will hold, and will cause their respective Representatives and Affiliates to hold, all documents or information disclosed or otherwise made available by inspection, observation or otherwise concerning the Company furnished to the Surviving Entity and all documents and information concerning the Surviving Entity furnished to the Company, in each case, whether disclosed in writing, orally, electronically or otherwise in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby, in strict confidence, unless compelled to disclose by judicial or administrative process, or, in the opinion of its counsel, by other requirements of applicable Law or except to the extent that such information can be shown to have been (i) previously known by the Surviving Entity prior to its disclosure by or on behalf of the Company, (ii) previously known by the Company prior to its disclosure by or on behalf of the Surviving Entity, (iii) in the public domain through no fault of the Company or the Surviving Entity, as applicable, (iv) later lawfully acquired by the Company or the Surviving Entity, as applicable, from other sources not under an obligation of confidentiality, or (v) developed by the Company or the Surviving Entity, as applicable, independently and without reference to any confidential information of the other Parties; and will not release or disclose such information to any third party, except in connection with this Agreement to its Representatives. The Parties agree that all information obtained in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby shall be kept confidential in accordance with the provisions of this Section 7.9. From and after the Closing, the provisions of this Section 7.9 shall not apply to or restrict in any manner the Surviving Entity’s use of any confidential information of or relating to the Company. If a Party becomes compelled in any Proceeding (other than a Proceeding between or among the Parties) or is required by a Governmental Entity having regulatory jurisdiction over the transactions contemplated hereby to make any disclosure that is prohibited or otherwise constrained by this Section 7.9, such Party shall provide the other Parties with prompt notice of such compulsion or request so that it may seek an appropriate protective order or other appropriate remedy or waive compliance with the provisions of this Section 7.9. In the absence of a protective order or other remedy, such Party may disclose that portion (and only that portion) of the confidential information that, based upon advice of such Party’s counsel, such Party is legally compelled to disclose; provided, however, that such Party shall use commercially reasonable efforts to obtain assurance that confidential treatment will be afforded by any Person to whom any confidential information is so disclosed.

 

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Section 7.10 Indemnification.

 

(a)       Stockholder Indemnification. Following the Closing, the Stockholders (the “Stockholder Indemnifying Parties”) shall, severally and not jointly, based on their respective Pro Rata Shares, indemnify and hold harmless Surviving Entity and its subsidiaries (including the Company), their respective officers, directors, employees and equityholders, and Affiliates (each a “Surviving Entity Indemnified Person” and collectively as “Surviving Entity Indemnified Persons”) from and against any and all Losses arising from Claims arising out of or resulting from: (i) the inaccuracy in or breach of any representation or warranty made by the Company, Holdco or any Stockholder in this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents; (ii) any breach of or default in connection with any of the covenants and agreements made by the Company, Holdco or any Stockholder in this Agreement or the Transaction Documents; (iii) any Excluded Taxes; (iv) any Fraud-Type Claim (x) arising from the acts or omissions of the Company or Holdco or (y) arising from the acts or omissions of any Stockholder, provided, however, that no Stockholder shall be liable for any Fraud-Type Claim arising out of the acts or omissions of any other Stockholder; (v) the exercise of dissenters’, appraisal or similar rights with respect to holders of certificates or book-entry shares, to the extent Losses in respect thereof are in excess of the consideration that otherwise would have been payable in respect of such Holdco Capital Stock in accordance with this Agreement, provided that, for the avoidance of doubt, that any Losses associated with the defense of any claims relating to the exercise of such rights shall be deemed indemnifiable Losses pursuant hereto; (vi) any matters described on Schedule 4.11(e) of the Disclosure Schedules; and (vii) any claims against the Company or Holdco or their respective boards of directors or management arising prior to the Closing and relating to the authorization and approval of the Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(b)       Indemnification by the Surviving Entity. Subject to the other terms and conditions of this Section 7.9, the Surviving Entity (and together with the Stockholder Indemnifying Parties, the “Indemnifying Parties”) shall indemnify and defend the Stockholders their respective Representatives, successors and assigns (collectively, the “Stockholder Indemnitees,” and together with the Surviving Entity Indemnified Persons, the “Indemnified Parties”) against, and shall hold each of them harmless from and against, and shall pay and reimburse each of them for, any and all Losses arising out of or resulting from (i) the inaccuracy in or breach of any representation or warranty made by the Surviving Entity in this Agreement or the other Transaction Documents; (ii) any breach of or default in connection with any of the covenants and agreements made by Surviving Entity in this Agreement or the Transaction Documents; (iii) any Fraud-Type Claim arising from the acts or omissions of the Surviving Entity; or (iv) any claims against Surviving Entity and its board of directors or management arising prior to the Closing and relating to the authorization and approval of the Agreement, the Merger and the other transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(c)       Limitations.

 

(i)       Subject to the other limitations set forth in this Article VII, with respect to any Losses for which a Surviving Entity Indemnified Person is entitled to indemnification under this Article VII, such Surviving Entity Indemnified Person shall satisfy such Losses (i) first from the Indemnity Escrow Amount to the extent then available in accordance with Section 7.10(m); (ii) second, by set off against the Earnout Payment, if any, in accordance with Section 7.10(m)(iii); (iii) third by the Stockholder Indemnifying Parties. To the extent any claim for indemnity by a Surviving Entity Indemnified Person is satisfied with Surviving Entity Common Stock, the Parties shall treat the value of such shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock as being equal to the Average Price as of the date of such payment.

 

(ii)       Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the maximum aggregate amount of indemnification payments for which the Stockholder Indemnifying Parties will have liability to the Surviving Entity Indemnified Persons, other than with respect to Fundamental Representations, Excluded Taxes, Statutory Representations or Fraud-Type Claims, will not exceed $1,000,000.

 

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(iii)       Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the maximum aggregate amount of indemnification payments for Losses related to (i) Statutory Representations will not exceed $3,000,000 and (ii) Excluded Taxes or Fundamental Representations will not exceed the Merger Consideration (the “Cap”), provided, that the individual liability with respect to any Stockholder Indemnifying Party resulting from a Fraud-Type Claim or willful breach of covenant committed by such Stockholder Indemnifying Party shall not be subject to the Cap; and provided, further, that any such Losses resulting from a Fraud-Type Claim or willful breach of covenant committed by such Stockholder Indemnifying Party shall be recoverable only against that Stockholder Indemnifying Party and not against any other Stockholder Indemnifying Party.

 

(d)       Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement:

 

(i)       Subject to the other limitations set forth in this Article VII, no Surviving Entity Indemnified Person shall have recourse directly against any Stockholder Indemnifying Party other than against (i) the Indemnity Escrow Amount in accordance with Section 7.10(m), (ii) the Earnout Payment in accordance with Section 7.10(m)(iii), and (iii) the Merger Consideration actually received by such Stockholder Indemnifying Party, in the order of recourse set forth in Section 7.10(c) above, except in the case of a Fraud-Type Claim, in which case the Surviving Entity Indemnified Persons’ recourse against such Stockholder Indemnifying Party shall be unlimited; provided, however, that to the extent that a Surviving Entity Indemnified Person makes a claim against the Merger Consideration actually received by the Stockholder Indemnifying Party and such claim would cause the percentage of the overall consideration paid to the Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes (taking into account any amounts treated as an adjustment to such consideration for U.S. federal income tax purposes and whether such adjustments are paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock) that is paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock (treating the value of any share of Surviving Entity Common Stock for these purposes as being equal to the Average Price of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock calculated as of the applicable date of the payment by the Surviving Entity of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock) to be less than 40%, the Stockholder Indemnifying Party shall have the option to pay the amounts owed under such claim in cash, rather than with Surviving Entity Common Stock; and

 

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(ii)       No Stockholder Indemnitee shall have recourse directly against any Surviving Entity Indemnifying Party other than to receive shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock from the Surviving Entity up to a maximum amount equal to the value of the Merger Consideration actually paid to such Stockholder Indemnitee, except in the case of a Fraud-Type Claim, in which case the Stockholder Indemnitees’ recourse against such Surviving Entity Indemnifying Party shall be unlimited; provided, however, that to the extent a Stockholder Indemnitee makes a claim under this Section 7.10 against a Surviving Entity Indemnifying Party that, if paid in cash, would cause the percentage of the overall consideration paid to the Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes (taking into account any amounts treated as an adjustment to such consideration for U.S. federal income tax purposes and whether such adjustments are paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock) that is paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock (treating the value of any share of Surviving Entity Common Stock for these purposes as being equal to the Average Price of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock calculated as of the applicable date of the payment by the Surviving Entity of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock) to be less than 40%, then the Parties agree that such indemnification claim shall be paid as a combination of cash and Surviving Entity Common Stock such that the percentage of the overall consideration paid to the Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes (taking into account any amounts treated as an adjustment to such consideration for U.S. federal income tax purposes and whether such adjustments are paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock) that is paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock (treating the value of any share of Surviving Entity Common Stock for these purposes as being equal to the Average Price of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock calculated as of the applicable date of the payment by the Surviving Entity of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock) after payment of such indemnification claim to the relevant Stockholder Indemnitees shall be no less than 40%.

 

(e)       Recovery under this Section 7.10 shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of the Indemnified Parties against the Indemnifying Parties in connection with this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Section 7.10(e) shall not (i) interfere with or impede the operation of the provisions of Section 2.6(c) or Section 2.8(b) for the resolution of certain disputes or (ii) limit the rights of the Parties to specific performance in accordance with Section 9.11.

 

(f)       Losses shall (i) be calculated net of actual recoveries under existing insurance policies, (net of any applicable collection costs and reserves and deductibles, premium adjustments and retrospectively rated premiums directly resulting therefrom), it being understood that each Indemnified Party shall be obligated to use commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate any indemnifiable Losses hereunder to the extent required by applicable Law, including if applicable to seek recovery under any insurance policies with respect to any particular Losses, (ii) not include any punitive, special, consequential, or exemplary damages (unless such amounts are actually awarded to a third party by a Governmental Entity), and (iii) be reduced by the amount of any prior or subsequent cash recovery in respect of the same Loss actually paid to and received by an Indemnified Party following the Closing from any other Person (net of any Taxes, expenses or costs incurred by such Indemnified Party in obtaining such recoveries). If an Indemnified Party receives any amounts under applicable insurance policies or third party indemnification or contribution payments that specifically relate to Losses subject to indemnification under this Agreement subsequent to its receipt of an indemnification payment by the Indemnifying Parties with respect to such Losses, then such Indemnified Party will, without duplication, promptly reimburse the Indemnifying Parties for any payment made by such Indemnifying Parties up to the amount received by the Indemnified Party from such Indemnifying Parties; provided, that the aggregate amount of reimbursement payments to the Indemnifying Parties will not in any event exceed the aggregate indemnification payment received by the Indemnified Party from the Indemnifying Parties; provided, further, that the reimbursement payments to the Indemnifying Parties pursuant to this Section 7.10(f) will be paid in the same form (i.e., cash or Surviving Entity Common Stock) as the associated indemnification payment made from the Indemnifying Party, and the number of shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock transferred in any reimbursement payment made in the form of Surviving Entity Common Stock will be determined based on a value equal to the Average Price of the Surviving Entity Common Stock calculated as of the date such reimbursement payment is made.

 

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(g)       No Indemnified Party shall be entitled to reimbursement or recovery under any provision of this Agreement (including, without limitation, under this Section 7.10) for any Losses to the extent such Indemnified Party has been actually reimbursed for or recovered the same amount under any other provision of this Agreement.

 

(h)       For the purposes of determining an Indemnified Party’s rights to indemnification under this Section 7.10, solely for the purposes of determining the amount of any Losses in respect of the failure of any representation or warranty to be true and correct as of any particular date (but not for purposes of determining if there has been a breach of such representation or warranty), any materiality or Material Adverse Effect standard or qualification contained in or otherwise applicable to such representation or warranty shall be disregarded.

 

(i)       Subject in all respects to the limitations contained elsewhere in this Section 7.10, if an Indemnified Party’s claim under this Section 7.10 may be characterized in multiple ways in accordance with this Section 7.10 such that such Claim may or may not be subject to different caps and other limitations depending on such characterization, then such Indemnified Party shall have the right to characterize such indemnifiable claim in a manner that maximizes the recovery permitted in accordance with this Section 7.10.

  

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(j)       Indemnification Procedures

 

(i)        Third Party Claims. If any Indemnified Party receives notice of the assertion or commencement of any Claim made or brought by any Person who is not a party to this Agreement or an Affiliate of a Party to this Agreement or a Representative of the foregoing (a “Third Party Claim”) against such Indemnified Party with respect to which the Indemnifying Party is obligated to provide indemnification under this Agreement, the Indemnified Party shall give the Indemnifying Party reasonably prompt written notice thereof, but in any event not later than thirty (30) days after receipt of such notice of such Third Party Claim. The failure to give such prompt written notice shall not, however, relieve the Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations, except and only to the extent that the Indemnifying Party is harmed by reason of such failure. Such notice by the Indemnified Party shall describe the Third Party Claim in reasonable detail, shall include copies of all material written evidence thereof and shall indicate the estimated amount, if reasonably practicable, of the Loss that has been or may be sustained by the Indemnified Party. The Indemnifying Party shall have the right to participate in, or by giving written notice to the Indemnified Party, to assume the defense of any Third Party Claim at the Indemnifying Party’s expense and by the Indemnifying Party’s own counsel, and the Indemnified Party shall cooperate in good faith in such defense; provided, that if the Indemnifying Party is Stockholder, such Indemnifying Party shall not have the right to defend or direct the defense of any such Third Party Claim that (x) is asserted directly by or on behalf of a Person that is a then-current supplier or customer of the Company, or (y) seeks an injunction or other equitable relief against the Indemnified Party. In the event that the Indemnifying Party assumes the defense of any Third Party Claim, subject to Section 7.10(j)(i), it shall have the right to take such action as it deems necessary to avoid, dispute, defend, appeal or make counterclaims pertaining to any such Third Party Claim in the name and on behalf of the Indemnified Party. The Indemnified Party shall have the right to monitor the defense of any Third-Party Claim with counsel selected by it subject to the Indemnifying Party’s right to control the defense thereof. The fees and disbursements of such counsel shall be at the expense of the Indemnified Party, provided, that if in the reasonable opinion of counsel to the Indemnified Party, (A) there are legal defenses available to an Indemnified Party that are different from or additional to those available to the Indemnifying Party; or (B) there exists a conflict of interest between the Indemnifying Party and the Indemnified Party that cannot be waived, the Indemnifying Party shall be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel to the Indemnified Party in each jurisdiction for which in the reasonable opinion of the Indemnified Party’s counsel such separate counsel is required. If the Indemnifying Party elects not to compromise or defend such Third Party Claim, fails to promptly notify the Indemnified Party in writing of its election to defend as provided in this Agreement, or fails to diligently prosecute the defense of such Third Party Claim, the Indemnified Party may, subject to Section 7.10(j)(i), pay, compromise, defend such Third Party Claim and seek indemnification for any and all Losses based upon, arising from or relating to such Third Party Claim. The Stockholders and the Surviving Entity shall cooperate with each other in all reasonable respects in connection with the defense of any Third Party Claim, including making available records relating to such Third Party Claim and furnishing, without expense (other than reimbursement of actual out-of-pocket expenses) to the defending party, management employees of the non-defending party as may be reasonably necessary for the preparation of the defense of such Third Party Claim.

 

(ii)       Settlement of Third-Party Claims. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Indemnifying Party shall not enter into settlement of any Third Party Claim without the prior written consent of the Indemnified Party (which shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed), except as provided in this Section 7.10(j)(ii). If a firm offer is made to settle a Third Party Claim without leading to liability or the creation of a financial or other obligation on the part of the Indemnified Party and provides, in customary form, for the unconditional release of each Indemnified Party from all liabilities and obligations in connection with such Third Party Claim and the Indemnifying Party desires to accept and agree to such offer, the Indemnifying Party shall give written notice to that effect to the Indemnified Party. If the Indemnified Party fails to consent to such firm offer within ten (10) days after its receipt of such notice, the Indemnified Party may continue to contest or defend such Third Party Claim and, in such event, the maximum liability of the Indemnifying Party as to such Third Party Claim shall not exceed the amount of such settlement offer. If the Indemnified Party fails to consent to such firm offer and also fails to assume defense of such Third Party Claim, the Indemnifying Party may settle the Third Party Claim upon the terms set forth in such firm offer to settle such Third Party Claim. If the Indemnified Party has assumed the defense pursuant to Section 7.10(b), it shall not agree to any settlement without the written consent of the Indemnifying Party (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

 

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(iii)       Direct Claims. Any Claim by an Indemnified Party on account of a Loss which does not result from a Third Party Claim (a “Direct Claim”) shall be asserted by the Indemnified Party giving the Indemnifying Party reasonably prompt written notice thereof, but in any event not later than thirty (30) days after the Indemnified Party becomes aware of such Direct Claim. The failure to give such prompt written notice shall not, however, relieve the Indemnifying Party of its indemnification obligations, except and only to the extent that the Indemnifying Party is harmed by reason of such failure. Such notice by the Indemnified Party shall describe the Direct Claim in reasonable detail, shall include copies of all material written evidence thereof and shall indicate the estimated amount, if reasonably practicable, of the Loss that has been or may be sustained by the Indemnified Party. The Indemnifying Party shall have thirty (30) days after its receipt of such notice to respond in writing to such Direct Claim. The Indemnified Party shall allow the Indemnifying Party and its professional advisors to investigate the matter or circumstance alleged to give rise to the Direct Claim, and whether and to what extent any amount is payable in respect of the Direct Claim and the Indemnified Party shall assist the Indemnifying Party’s investigation by giving such information and assistance (including access to the Company’s or Indemnified Party’s premises and personnel and the right to examine and copy any accounts, documents or records) as the Indemnifying Party or any of its professional advisors may reasonably request. If the Indemnifying Party does not so respond within such thirty (30) day period, the Indemnifying Party shall be deemed to have rejected such claim, in which case the Indemnified Party shall be free to pursue such remedies as may be available to the Indemnified Party on the terms and subject to the provisions of this Agreement.

 

(iv)        Tax Claims. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the rights and obligations of the Parties with respect to Tax Contests shall be governed exclusively by Section 7.3(d) hereof.

 

(k)       Tax Treatment of Indemnification Payments. All indemnification payments made under this Agreement shall be treated by the Parties as an adjustment to the Merger Consideration for Tax purposes, unless otherwise required by Law.

 

(l)       Survival. As of the Closing, (i) the Fundamental Representations will remain operative and in full force and effect for six (6) years after the date of this Agreement, except in the case of the representations and warranties of the Company or Surviving Entity, as the case may be, contained in Section 4.10 (Tax Matters), which will remain operative and in full force and effect until 60 days after the expiration of the statute of limitations, (ii) the Statutory Representations will remain operative and in full force and effect until 60 days after the expiration of the statute of limitations applicable to the subject matter of the representation in question, (iii) the General Representations of the Company and Holdco will terminate and be of no further force or effect as of the Closing as of the date that is twelve (12) months following the Closing (such date that is twelve (12) months following the Closing, the “Survival Date”); (iv) all covenants and agreements of the Parties (including the covenants set forth in ARTICLE VII) will expire and be of no further force or effect as of the Survival Date, except to the extent such covenants provide that they are to be performed after the Closing (in which case they shall survive in accordance with their terms); and (v) Fraud-Type Claims will survive until the sixtieth (60th) day following the applicable statute of limitations (the periods specified in clauses (i) through (iv), each, a “Claims Period”); provided, that no right to indemnification pursuant to Section 7.10 in respect of any Claim based upon any failure of a representation or warranty or covenant that is set forth in a Notice of Third Party Claim or Direct Claim timely delivered to the Indemnifying Party in accordance with the provisions of Section 7.10 prior to the expiration of the applicable Claims Period with respect to such representation or warranty or covenant shall be affected by the expiration of such Claims Period.

 

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(m)        Indemnity Escrow.

 

(i)       Within three (3) Business Days following the Survival Date (such payment date, the “Release Date”) the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders shall deliver joint written instructions to the Escrow Agent directing the Escrow Agent to disburse to the Stockholders in accordance with the Escrow agreement that portion of the Indemnity Escrow Amount, if any, equal to (x) the aggregate remaining amount of the Indemnity Escrow Amount, less (y) the sum of the aggregate amount of Losses specified in any then unresolved indemnification Claims made by the Surviving Entity pursuant to Section 7.10 on or prior to the Survival Date for such Claims (such Claim amounts under clause (y), “Pending Claims,” and such amount that is retained in the Escrow Amount in respect of the Pending Claims, the “Reserve Amount”). Within three (3) Business Days after resolution of any Pending Claim, the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders shall deliver joint written instructions to the Escrow Agent directing the remaining portion of the Reserve Amount (if any) related to such Pending Claim be released pursuant to such joint written instructions and the terms of the Escrow Agreement. If the Indemnity Escrow Amount is not sufficient to pay the entire amount of any Claim under Section 7.10, the Surviving Entity Indemnified Parties shall have all other rights and remedies available to them under this Section 7.10 as applicable to such Claim.

 

(ii)       The “Indemnity Escrow Amount” shall be an amount equal to One Million Dollars ($1,000,000) (the “Indemnity Escrow”). Any Losses satisfied from the Indemnity Escrow shall be paid in accordance with each such Stockholder’s Pro Rata Share of the Indemnity Escrow Amount.

 

(iii)       Upon written notice to the Stockholders specifying in reasonable detail the basis therefor, the Surviving Entity will have the right, subject to the limitations contained in this Section 7.10, to set-off any amounts finally judicially determined to be payable by a Stockholder to the Surviving Entity under this Agreement against any Earnout Payment payable and the Surviving Entity Common Stock issued to such Stockholder (in either case, treating the value of all shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock surrendered or subject to setoff as being equal to the Average Price calculated as of the date of set-off); provided, however, that this Section 7.10(m)(iii) may not be applied to the extent that its application would cause the percentage of the overall consideration paid to the Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes (taking into account any amounts treated as an adjustment to such consideration for U.S. federal income tax purposes and whether such adjustments are paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock) that is paid in Surviving Entity Common Stock (treating the value of any share of Surviving Entity Common Stock for these purposes as being equal to the Average Price of such share calculated as of the applicable date of payment by the Surviving Entity of such share of Surviving Entity Common Stock) to be less than 40%.

 

Section 7.11 Electronic Copy of Data Room. Within three (3) Business Days following the Closing, the Stockholders shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Surviving Entity one or more USB drives (which shall be permanent and accessible with readily and commercially available Software) containing, in electronic format, all documents posted to the virtual data room by the Company or the Stockholders as of the Closing.

 

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ARTICLE VIII

 

DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION

 

Section 8.1 Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

 

Accounting Principles” means GAAP as historically and consistently applied by the Company, as in effect on the Reference Balance Sheet Date, using the same accounting methods, principles, practices, procedures and estimation methodologies as those utilized in preparation of the Reference Balance Sheet.

 

Acceleration Event” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(e)(ii).

 

Accredited Stockholder” means a Stockholder that has certified to the Company in writing, not more than thirty (30) days prior to the Closing Date, that such Stockholder is an “accredited investor” as defined in Securities Act Rule 501(a) promulgated pursuant to the Securities Act.

 

Adjusted Closing Cash Consideration” means the amount equal to the sum of the Closing Cash Consideration plus the Note Amount.

 

Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, another Person that directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, such first Person.

 

Affiliate Arrangements” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.22(a).

 

Agreement” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Arbiter” means Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP or such other nationally or regionally recognized independent accounting firm with expertise in government contracts mutually agreed upon by the Surviving Entity and the Stockholders, provided, however, that the Arbiter may not have had in the twenty-four (24) months prior to the date of the engagement, a material business relationship with any Party to the Agreement or any of their Affiliates.

 

Average Price” means, for any particular date, (i) the average closing price for Surviving Entity Common Stock, as reported on the OTC Markets website (www.otcmarkets.com/stock/ONOV/disclosure), for each of the five (5) consecutive trading days preceding such date or (ii) at any time following the listing of Surviving Entity Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange or another public securities exchange following the Closing Date, the average closing price for Surviving Entity Common Stock as reported by such exchange (or on the OTC Markets website, as applicable, for the portion of the applicable five-day period that ends on the day prior to the date on which the Surviving Entity Common Stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange or another public securities exchange following the Closing Date) for each of the five (5) consecutive trading days preceding such date.

 

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Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which commercial banking institutions in Potomac, Maryland is authorized or obligated by Law or executive order to be closed.

 

Business Systems” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.13(d).

 

Cash” means, as of the date of determination, the difference of (a) the aggregate amount of unrestricted cash and cash equivalents held by the Company as of the Closing in bank accounts, including money market accounts of the Company, plus (b) deposits in transit and deposits not yet cleared minus (c) the aggregate balance of all outstanding checks written against such accounts or other debt instruments against such accounts.

 

Claim” means any claim, action, litigation, third party or other proceeding (arbitral, administrative, legal or otherwise, including any informal proceeding), cause of action, third party audit, settlement, stipulation, hearing, formal charge, suit, demand or similar matter.

 

Closing” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.

 

Closing Cash Consideration” means cash in an aggregate amount equal to (a) $5,200,000; minus (b) the Transaction Expenses as set forth on the Closing Consideration Schedule; minus (c) the Estimated Closing Indebtedness Amount; minus (d) the Indemnity Escrow; minus (e) the amount, if any, by which the Target Working Capital exceeds the Estimated Working Capital; plus (f) the amount, if any, by which the Estimated Working Capital exceeds the Target Working Capital.

 

Closing Consideration Schedule” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

 

Closing Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.1.

 

Closing Indebtedness Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(a).

 

Closing Merger Consideration” means an amount equal to the sum of the Closing Cash Consideration and the value of the Closing Share Consideration, as determined by the Average Price as of the Closing Date.

 

Closing Share Consideration” means 52,000,000 shares of Surviving Entity Common Stock, validly issued and outstanding, fully paid, non-assessable, free and clear of all Encumbrances other than the transfer and other restrictions and pursuant to any State or federal securities Laws.

 

COBRA” means Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended.

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. All citations to the Code or to the regulations promulgated thereunder shall include any amendments or any substitute or successor provisions thereto.

 

Company” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

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Company Board” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Company Capital Stock” means each share of the Company common stock and any other capital stock of the Company.

 

Company Databases” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.14(b).

 

Company Governmental Consents” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.3(a).

 

Company Governmental Notices” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.3(a).

 

Company Indebtedness” means, with respect to the Company, (a) all obligations of the Company for principal of, interest on, and premium (if any), whether or not contingent, for borrowed money, including the Kaunitz Note, (b) all obligations of the Company for the deferred purchase price of property or services, (c) all obligations of the Company evidenced by notes, bonds, debentures or other similar instruments, (d) all obligations of the Company as lessee under leases that have been or should be, in accordance with GAAP, recorded as capital leases, (e) all obligations, contingent or otherwise, of the Company under acceptance, letter of credit or similar facilities, (f) all obligations pursuant to a swap collar, cap or similar contracts, (g) all obligations of the Company to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise acquire for value any capital stock, units or other equity interests of the Company or any warrants, rights or options to acquire such capital stock, units or other equity interests, valued, in the case of redeemable equity interests, at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends, (h) all indebtedness of others referred to in clauses (a) through (g) above guaranteed directly or indirectly in any manner by the Company, (i) obligations of the Company secured by an Encumbrance (other than a Permitted Encumbrance on any assets of the Company, provided, however, there shall be no duplication of amounts treated as Company Indebtedness, Transaction Expenses and Current Liabilities for the calculation of Net Working Capital), and (j) all unfunded obligations under any pension, retirement, retiree medical, deferred compensation, non-qualified retirement, severance, sick leave, vacation leave or paid time off plan, program, agreement or arrangement, and any accrued or earned but unpaid bonuses or commissions related to periods prior to the Closing (in each case including the employer portion of any employment or payroll taxes related thereto). Notwithstanding the foregoing, any items treated as Transaction Expenses or included in the calculation of Net Working Capital shall not be considered Company Indebtedness.

 

Company Intellectual Property” means all owned Intellectual Property Rights and all Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Rights exclusively licensed to the Company.

 

Company IP Contract” means any Contract to which the Company is a party or by which the Company is bound, that contains any assignment or license of, or covenant not to assert or enforce, any Intellectual Property Right or that otherwise relates to any Company Intellectual Property or any Intellectual Property developed by, with, for or on behalf of the Company, other than in each case any assignments by present or former employees or independent contractors in favor of the Company executed in the Ordinary Course of Business.

 

Company Leased Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.8.

 

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Company Leases” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.8.

 

Company Non-Governmental Consents” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.3(b).

 

Company Records” means the original minute and stock books, and other current and historical books and records of the Company.

 

Company’s Knowledge” means a fact, event, circumstance or occurrence that is or was actually known by any of the Stockholders and Amanda Douglas, or would have reasonably been known by such if such persons had made reasonable inquiries about the same based on such Person’s position, but does not otherwise include any constructive, imputed or implied knowledge.

 

Compensation and Benefit Plans” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.12(a).

 

Consents” means, collectively, the Surviving Entity Governmental Consents, the Company Governmental Consents and the Company Non-Governmental Consents.

 

Contract” means any agreement, lease, contract, note, mortgage, indenture or other legally binding obligation or commitment, written or oral.

 

Contribution” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

control” (including the terms “controlled by” and “under common control with”), with respect to the relationship between or among two or more Persons, means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the affairs or management of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by Contract or otherwise, including the ownership, directly or indirectly, of securities having the power to elect a majority of the board of directors or similar body governing the affairs of such Person.

 

Corporate Rights” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.1.

 

COVID-19” means the mild to severe respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus discovered in China in or about December 2019.

 

COVID-19 Pandemic” means the epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak associated with the novel coronavirus 2019 referred to as COVID-19 and any evolutions thereof.

 

COVID-19 Tax Acts” shall mean The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Pub. L. 116-127), The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (Pub. L. 116-136), as amended (including by the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-142) and the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260)), and any executive order relating to the deferral of any payroll or similar Taxes in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, and includes any Treasury Regulations or other official guidance promulgated under any of the foregoing.

 

Current” (i) when used to modify any Government Contract (other than a MAS Contract) or a Government Vendor Subcontract means that final payment has not been made or remains subject to audit on such Government Contract or Government Vendor Subcontract and (ii) when used to modify any MAS Contract, means that (x) such MAS Contract has not terminated or expired and (y) final payment has not been made or remains subject to audit on one (1) or more delivery orders or task orders awarded under such MAS Contract.

 

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Current Assets” means all Cash and assets of the Company that, in accordance with the Accounting Principles and GAAP, applied in a manner consistent with the historical past practices of the Company, constitute current assets of the Company, except that accounts receivable that are outstanding for more than 90 days and deferred Tax assets shall not be included.

 

Current Liabilities” means all accounts payable and other liabilities of the Company that, in accordance the Accounting Principles and GAAP, applied in a manner consistent with the historical past practices of the Company, constitute current liabilities of the Company, except that deferred Tax liabilities, the Company Indebtedness, and Transaction Expenses shall not be included.

 

Database” means the data used, recorded, stored, transmitted and retrieved in electronic or paper form licensed to customers in the conduct of the Company’s business. The term “Database” includes all documentation, written narratives and flow diagrams of all procedures used in connection with the collection, processing, projection and distribution of data contained in Databases.

 

DCSA” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.8.

 

DDTC” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.25(h).

 

DGCL” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Dissenting Shares” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Dollar” or “$” means a dollar or other equivalent unit in such coin or currency of the United States as at the time shall be legal tender for the payment of public and private debt.

 

Earnout Base” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(c).

 

Earnout Measurement Period” means August 1, 2021 through July 31, 2023.

 

Earnout Payment” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(c).

 

Earnout Payment Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(b).

 

Earnout Target” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(c).

 

Earnout Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.8(b).

 

Effective Time” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.2.

 

Employee” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.11(a).

 

Employment and Services Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.11(b).

 

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Employment Letter Agreement” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(a)(ii).

 

Encumbrance” means all mortgages, deeds of trust, collateral assignments, security interests, Uniform Commercial Code financing statements, conditional or other sales agreements, liens, pledges, hypothecations, options, rights of first refusal, preemptive rights, community property interests, restrictions on transfer, any other encumbrances on or ownership interests in assets owned by the Company or the Shares (including any restriction on the voting of any security or any restriction on the transfer of any security or other asset) as applicable.

 

Environmental Law” means any Law applicable to the Company relating to: (A) the protection, investigation or restoration of the environment, health and safety, or natural resources or exposure to any harmful material or Hazardous Substance; or (B) the handling, use, presence, disposal, release or threatened release of any chemical substance, waste water or other Hazardous Substance.

 

ERISA” shall mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

 

ERISA Affiliate” shall mean any other organization that is a member of the same “controlled group” as the Company within the meaning of Sections 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Code.

 

Escrow Agent” means Acquiom Clearinghouse LLC, or its successor under the Escrow Agreement.

 

Escrow Agreement” means that certain escrow agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, by and among the Surviving Entity, the Stockholders, and the Escrow Agent in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit G.

Estimated Closing Balance Sheet” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

 

Estimated Closing Indebtedness Amount” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

 

Estimated Working Capital” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.4.

 

Excluded Taxes” means (i) all Taxes of any Stockholder or of Holdco; (ii) all Taxes of the Company for all Tax periods ending on or prior to the Closing Date, and with respect to any Straddle Period, the portion of such Straddle Period ending on and including the Closing Date (as allocated pursuant to Section 7.3(c)); (iii) all Taxes imposed on the Company as a result of having been a member of an affiliated, consolidated, combined or unitary group prior to the Closing Date pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.1502-6 or any comparable provisions of foreign, state or local Law; and (iv) all Taxes of any person imposed on the Company under the principles of transferee or successor liability or by contract, which Taxes relate to an event or transaction occurring before the Closing Date; provided, however, that Excluded Taxes shall not include (I) any Taxes attributable to any transaction occurring after the Closing on the Closing Date and that is not in the Ordinary Course of Business of the Company; (II) any Taxes imposed on the Company as a result of any breach of any of the Surviving Entity’s covenants under this Agreement; or (III) any Taxes that are taken into account in the final determination of Net Working Capital, the Closing Indebtedness Amount or the Transaction Expenses.

 

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Execution Time” has the meaning set forth in preamble.

 

FAR” means the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Title 48 of the Code of Federal Regulations, and any agency supplement thereto.

 

Final Post-Closing Statement” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(d).

 

Financial Statements” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a).

 

Fraud-Type Claims” means that a Party to this Agreement (i) made a false representation of a fact in this Agreement; (ii) such Party knew that the representation was false; (iii) such Party intended to induce another Party to this Agreement to act or refrain from acting in reliance upon it; (iv) such other Party acted, or refrained from taking action, in justifiable reliance on the representation and with ignorance of the falsity of the representation; and (v) such other Party was injured by such reliance. For the avoidance of doubt, “Fraud-Type Claim” shall not include constructive or equitable fraud.

 

Fundamental Representations” means the representations and warranties of (i) the Company set forth in Section 4.1 (Organization of the Company; Authority; Due Execution), Section 4.5 (Capitalization), Section 4.9 (Title to Assets), Section 4.10 (Tax Matters), and Section 4.26 (Brokers and Finders); (ii) the Stockholders set forth in Section 5.1 (Organization of the Company; Authority; Due Execution) and Section 5.3 (Ownership of Shares); and (iii) the Surviving Entity set forth in Section 6.1 (Organization of the Surviving Entity; Authority; Due Execution), Section 6.7 (Brokers and Finders) and Section 6.9 (Tax Matters).

 

GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S.

 

General Representations” means the representations and warranties in Article IV, Article V and Article VI other than the Statutory Representations and the Fundamental Representations.

 

Governing Documents” means, with respect to a Person, (i) its then in-effect articles or certificate of incorporation and bylaws or certificate of formation and operating agreement (or equivalent creation, formation, or organizational documents), and (ii) any amendment or supplement to the foregoing.

 

Government Bid” means any bid, proposal, offer or quote for supplies, services or construction, whether solicited or unsolicited, made by the Company, and all amendments, modifications or supplements thereto that is outstanding and in effect, which is intended by the Company to result in a Government Contract. A Government Bid (a) includes but is not limited to any bid, proposal, offer or quote made by the Company that has been received or accepted by the offeree or other recipient but has not resulted in a Government Contract prior to the Closing Date, but (b) does not include any bid, proposal, offer or quote made by the Company that has resulted in a Government Contract prior to the Closing Date.

 

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Government Contract” means any prime contract, subcontract, or arrangement, joint venture, basic ordering agreement, blanket purchase agreement, pricing agreement, letter contract, contract awarded under the Federal Supply Schedule program, purchase order, task order or delivery order or other Contract or similar arrangement of any kind, and all amendments, modifications or supplements thereto, between the Company and (a) any Governmental Entity, (b) any prime contractor of a Governmental Entity in its capacity as a prime contractor, or (c) any subcontractor (or lower tier subcontractor) with respect to any contract of a type described in clauses (a) or (b) above. Unless otherwise indicated, task, purchase or delivery order under a Government Contract will not constitute a separate Government Contract, for purposes of this definition, but will be part of the Government Contract under which it was issued.

 

Government Vendor Subcontract” means a Contract between the Company and another Person to supply supplies or services to the Company to be used in performing a Government Contract that is in effect.

 

Government Audit Agency” means a “responsible audit agency” as defined in FAR 2.101 or any other Governmental Entity responsible for conducting audits of the Company or its Government Contracts, including without limitation the Defense Contract Audit Agency and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.

 

Governmental Entity” means any supranational, national, state, municipal, local or foreign government, any instrumentality, subdivision, court, tribunal, administrative agency or commission or other governmental authority or instrumentality, or any quasi-governmental or private body exercising any Tax, regulatory or governmental or quasi-governmental authority.

 

Hazardous Substance” means any substance that is: (A) listed, classified or regulated in any concentration pursuant to any Environmental Law; (B) any petroleum product or by-product, asbestos-containing material, lead-containing paint or plumbing, polychlorinated biphenyls, radioactive materials or radon; or (C) any other substance which may be the subject of regulatory action by any Governmental Entity pursuant to any Environmental Law.

 

Holdco Board” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Holdco Capital Stock” means each share of Holdco common stock and any other capital stock of Holdco.

 

Independent Contractors” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.11(a).

 

Intellectual Property” means and includes all algorithms, application program interfaces (APIs), customer lists, databases, schemata, data collections, design documents and analyses, diagrams, documentation, domain names, drawings, formulae, discoveries and inventions (whether or not patentable), internet protocol addresses, know-how, literary works, copyrightable works, mask works, logistics information, logos, graphics, images, photographs, publicity rights, maps, marketing plans and collateral, marks (including names, logos, slogans, and trade dress), methods, methodologies, network configurations, architectures, topologies and topographies, processes, program listings, programming tools, proprietary information, protocols, sales data, schematics, specifications, Software, Software code (in any form including source code and executable or object code), subroutines, user interfaces, techniques, URLs, domain names, web sites, works of authorship, and other forms of technology (whether or not embodied in any tangible form and including all tangible embodiments of the foregoing such as blueprints, compilations of information, instruction manuals, notebooks, prototypes, reports, samples, studies, and summaries).

 

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Intellectual Property Rights” means and includes all past, present, and future rights of the following types, which may exist or be created under the laws of any jurisdiction in the world: (a) rights associated with works of authorship, including exclusive exploitation rights, copyrights, moral rights, and mask works; (b) trademark and trade name rights and similar rights; (c) trade dress rights; (d) trade secret rights; (e) patents and industrial property rights; (f) other proprietary rights in Intellectual Property of every kind and nature; and (g) all registrations, renewals, extensions, combinations, divisions, continuations, continuations in part, reexamination certificates, or reissues of, and applications for, any of the rights referred to in clauses (a) through (f) above.

 

IP Licenses” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.13(a).

 

IRS” means the Internal Revenue Service.

 

ITAR” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.25(h).

 

ITAR Notification” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.8(b).

 

Kaunitz Note” has the meaning set forth in Section 3.2(b)(viii).

 

Law” means any law (including common law), statute, constitution, treaty, decree, code, ordinance, rule, ordinance, regulation, treaty, judgment, order or injunction (whether temporary, preliminary or permanent), decree, arbitration award, license, permit or other requirement of any national, federal, state or local Governmental Entity.

 

Law Firm” has the meaning set forth in the definition of “Transaction Expenses.”

 

Licensed Databases” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.14(a).

 

Losses” means any loss, damage, dues penalty, fine, cost, amount paid in settlement, liability, Tax, cost of investigation, expenses and fees (including court costs and reasonable attorneys’ or other professional’s fees and expenses).

 

Material Adverse Effect” means any change, event, violation, inaccuracy, circumstance or effect (whether alone or together with other changes, events, violations, inaccuracies, circumstances or effects) that is or would reasonably be expected to (i) be materially adverse to the condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets (including intangible assets), business, liabilities, results of operations or prospects of the Company or (ii) prevent or materially delay consummation of the transactions contemplated under this Agreement or any of the other Transaction Documents or otherwise prevents the Company or the Stockholders from performing their obligations hereunder or thereunder; provided, however, that Material Adverse Effect shall not include any adverse change, event, circumstance or effect resulting solely from, or attributable to (a) the announcement or Closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or each of the other Transaction Documents, (b) the general deterioration of the economy, the financial markets or market conditions generally affecting the industries in which the Company participates, including the government contracting industry, provided such event, change, occurrence or effect does not disproportionately affect the Company or (c) the engagement by the United States in hostilities, whether or not pursuant to the declaration of a national emergency or war, or the occurrence of any military or terrorist attack upon the United States, or any of its territories, possessions, or diplomatic or consular offices or upon any military installation, equipment or personnel of the United States, (d) changes in GAAP, or (e) changes in Laws issued by any Governmental Entity.

 

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Material Contracts” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.20(a).

 

Material Customer” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.23(b).

 

Merger” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Merger Consideration” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1(b).

 

Merger Consideration Allocation Percentages” means fifty percent (50%) with respect to the Closing Cash Consideration and fifty percent (50%) with respect to the Closing Share Consideration.

 

Merger Filings” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.2.

 

NBCA” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Net Working Capital” with respect to the Company means Current Assets minus Current Liabilities.

 

Note Amount” means the amount remaining to be paid, including principal and interest, under the Kaunitz Note as of the Closing Date.

 

Notice of Dispute” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.6(b).

 

Open Source Software” means software, coding and other materials that are distributed as “free software” (as defined by the Free Software Foundation), “open source software” (meaning software distributed under any license approved by the Open Source Initiative as set forth at www.opensource.org) or under a similar licensing or distribution model (including under a GNU General Public License (GPL), a GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), a Mozilla Public License (MPL), a BSD license, an Artistic License, a Netscape Public License, a Sun Community Source License (SCSL), a Sun Industry Standards License (SISL), and an Apache License).

 

Operating Profit” means, with respect to any time period, an amount equal to the gross revenues of the Company for that period, minus the operating expenses of the Company for that period, all determined in accordance with the Accounting Principles.

 

Ordinary Course of Business” means the ordinary course of business of the Company consistent with past custom and practice (including with respect to frequency and amount).

 

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Owned Databases” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.14(b).

 

Owned Intellectual Property” means all Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Rights in and to which the Company owns or purports to own all right, title and interest, with the understanding that, for the purposes of this definition, a non-exclusive license or access right to any Intellectual Property or Intellectual Property Right granted by a third party to Company will not be considered Owned Intellectual Property.

 

Party” or “Parties” means one or more of the Surviving Entity, Holdco, the Stockholders, and the Company, as context of this Agreement dictates.

 

Pass-Through Tax Return” means any income Tax Return of Holdco or the Company in respect of which items of income, deduction, credit, gain or loss are passed through, directly or indirectly, to the Stockholders under applicable Law as a result of the Company being treated as an S corporation (or Holdco being treated as an S corporation and the Company being treated as a qualified subchapter S subsidiary of Holdco) for U.S. federal and applicable state and local income Tax purposes.

 

Permits” means any approvals, authorizations, certificates, filings, franchises, consents, licenses, notices and permits of or with all Governmental Entities.

 

Permitted Encumbrances” means: (i) Encumbrances reflected in the Reference Balance Sheet, (ii) Encumbrances for current Taxes not yet due and payable, (iii) minor Encumbrances that have arisen in the Ordinary Course of Business and that do not, individually or in the aggregate, materially detract from the value of the assets subject thereto or materially impair the operations of the Company, and (iv) Encumbrances arising by operation of Law in favor of warehousemen, landlords, carriers, mechanics, materialmen, laborers, or suppliers, incurred in the Ordinary Course of Business for sums not yet due and payable.

 

Person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, trust or unincorporated organization or a government or any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity.

 

Personal Property” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.7.

 

Pre-Closing Reorganization” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Pro Rata Share” means, as to any Stockholder, the percentage that is set forth opposite each Stockholder’s name on the Pro Rata Share Schedule, attached hereto as Exhibit H.

 

Proceeding” shall mean any action, suit, litigation, arbitration, proceeding (including any civil, criminal, administrative, investigative or appellate proceeding), hearing, audit, investigation or examination commenced, brought, conducted or heard by or before, or otherwise involving, any court or other Governmental Entity or any arbitrator or arbitration panel.

 

QSub Election” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Reference Balance Sheet” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a).

 

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Reference Balance Sheet Date” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a).

 

Representative” means, with respect to each Party, its respective partners, principals directors, officers, members, managers, employees, agents, counsel, accountants and other authorized Persons.

 

Requisite Approval” means the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of Holdco Capital Stock necessary for Holdco to approve, authorize, and adopt this Agreement, the Merger, and the other Transaction Documents to which Holdco is a party and the other transactions contemplated hereby and thereby and to confirm the allocation of the consideration to be paid in the Merger.

 

Sample Statement” means the sample closing statement attached hereto as Schedule A.

 

Schedule” or “Schedules” means the schedule or schedules attached to this Agreement.

 

Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Software” means computer programs, together with input and output formats, the applicable source or object codes, data models, flow charts, outlines, narrative descriptions, operating instructions, software manufacturing instructions and scripts, test specifications and test scripts and supporting documentation, and shall include the tangible media upon which such programs and documentation are recorded, including all corrections, updates, new releases and new versions, translations, modifications, updates, upgrades, substitutions, replacements and other changes to the foregoing.

 

Stockholder Consent and Approval” has the meaning set forth in the Recitals.

 

Stockholders” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Straddle Period” means any taxable period beginning on or before and ending after the Closing Date.

 

Statutory Representations” means the representations and warranties of Section 4.12 (Employee Benefits) and Section 4.25 (Government Contract and Regulatory Matters).

 

Surviving Entity” has the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Surviving Entity Approvals” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.4.

 

Surviving Entity Common Stock” means common stock of the Surviving Entity par value $0.0001 per share.

 

Surviving Entity Governmental Consents” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.2(a).

 

Surviving Entity Governmental Notices” has the meaning set forth in Section 6.2(a).

 

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Surviving Entity’s Knowledge” means a fact, event, circumstance or occurrence actually known by any of Mark Fuller, Jay Wright or Laurie Buckhout after due inquiry of those managers of the Company who would reasonably be expected to have the most relevant knowledge of the fact, event, circumstance or occurrence in the course of their duties on behalf of Company, but does not otherwise include any constructive, imputed or implied knowledge.

 

Target Working Capital” means an amount equal to One Million Nine Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($1,950,000).

 

Tax” or “Taxes” means any taxes of any kind, including but not limited to those on or measured by or referred to as income, gross receipts, capital, transfer, gains, sales, goods and services, use, ad valorem, franchise, profits, stamp, license, withholding, employment, payroll, premium, value added, property or windfall profits taxes, surtaxes, environmental transfer taxes, social security taxes, national health contributions, pension and employment insurance contributions, customs, duties or similar fees, assessments or charges of any kind whatsoever, in each case in the nature of a tax, together with any interest and any penalties, additions to tax or additional amounts imposed by any Governmental Entity, domestic or foreign.

 

Tax Return” means any return, declaration, report, election, notice, statement or information return and including any amendment, schedule, attachment, part, supplement, appendix and exhibit thereto, made, prepared, filed or required to be filed with any Governmental Entity, domestic or foreign, with respect to Taxes.

 

Trade Compliance Laws” means any Laws applicable to the Company or its operations concerning export controls, economic sanctions, trade embargoes, boycotts, (excluding Customs Laws), including: (i) the United States Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) (22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130); (ii) the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (15 C.F.R. Parts 730-774); (iii) export control laws implemented by the United States Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission; (iv) United States anti-boycott regulations administered by the Office of Anti-boycott Compliance of the United States Department of Commerce and the Internal Revenue Service; (v) the Trading with the Enemy Act; and (vi) the economic sanctions laws and regulations implemented by United States Office of Foreign Assets Control.

 

Transaction Documents” means this Agreement and each agreement, instrument, or other document attached hereto as an Exhibit and other agreements, certificates, and instruments to be executed by any of the Parties hereto in connection with or pursuant to the Agreement.

 

Transaction Expenses” means the (x) fees, costs and expenses of attorneys, accountants or other third parties, in each case incurred by or for the benefit of the Stockholders or the Company at or prior to the Closing in connection with: (a) the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (b) the due diligence conducted in anticipation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, (c) the negotiation, preparation and review of this Agreement (including the Schedules) and all agreements, certificates, opinions and other instruments and documents delivered or to be delivered in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, or (d) the preparation and submission of any filing or notice required to be made or given in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the obtaining of any Consent required to be obtained in connection with any transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, but not limited to, (i) the legal services performed by PilieroMazza PLLC, Gallagher, Evelius & Jones LLP and Wilkins Finston Friedman Law Group (the entities listed in this clause (i), collectively, the “Law Firm”), and (ii) any broker’s or finder’s fees, and (y) and all special bonuses, transaction-related bonuses, amounts under phantom equity or retention plans or agreements, severance plans or agreements, accelerated benefits or other similar compensation payable to any officer, manager, employee, equityholder, member or Affiliate of the Company, in each case including the employer portion of all payroll or employment taxes applicable thereto, payable as a result of or in connection with the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (whether before or after the Closing). Notwithstanding the foregoing, any items treated as Company Indebtedness or in included the calculation of Net Working Capital shall not be considered Transaction Expenses.

 

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Treasury Regulations” means regulations promulgated by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

 

U.S.” or “United States” means the United States of America (including the states thereof and the District of Columbia), and its “possessions”, including Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Wake Island and the Northern Mariana Islands.

 

Where any group or category of items or matters is defined collectively in the plural number, any item or matter within such definition may be referred to using such defined term in the singular number, and vice versa.

 

Section 8.2 Interpretation. In this Agreement, except as otherwise expressly provided or as the context otherwise requires:

 

(a)       reference to an Article, a Section, a Subsection or a Schedule is to an article, section, Subsection or Schedule to this Agreement;

 

(b)       the words “hereof,” “herein,” “hereby,” “hereunder” and “herewith” and words of similar import shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement;

 

(c)       the word “including” and words of similar import, when following a general statement or term, is not to be construed as limiting the general statement or term to any specific item or matter set forth or to similar items or matters, but rather as permitting the general statement or term to refer also to all other items or matters that could reasonably fall within its broadest possible scope;

 

(d)       an accounting term not otherwise defined herein has the meaning assigned to it, and, unless otherwise specifically noted, every calculation to be made hereunder is to be made in accordance with GAAP as historically and consistently applied by the Company;

 

(e)       a reference to a statute includes all statutory instruments, rules and regulations made thereunder, all amendments to or restatements of the foregoing in force from time to time, and every statute or regulation that supplements, supersedes or is a successor to such statute, statutory instrument, rule or regulations (provided, that for purposes of any representations and warranties contained in this Agreement that are made as of a specific date or dates, references to any statute shall be deemed to refer to such statute, as amended, and to any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder, in each case, as of such date);

 

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(f)       a reference to a Person includes any successor to that Person;

 

(g)       a word importing the masculine gender includes the feminine and neuter, a word in the singular includes the plural, a word importing a corporate entity includes an individual, and vice versa; and

 

(h)       any reference to a document or matter being “made available to the Surviving Entity” includes: (A) the posting of such document or matter on the virtual data room to which the Surviving Entity has had access in a manner in which the presence of the posting is made known to users if the virtual data room; provided that (i) such document or matter has not since been removed from such virtual data room prior to the date hereof, unless otherwise agreed to by the Company and the Surviving Entity, and (ii) access to such documents or matters via the virtual data room shall have been granted to the Surviving Entity at least two (2) Business Days prior to the relevant date or (B) documents delivered to the Surviving Entity or its Representatives, with confirmation of receipt by the Surviving Entity or such Representatives, via electronic mail at least two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing Date.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 9.1 Waiver. Any failure of the Company to comply with any of its obligations or agreements herein contained may be waived only in writing by the Surviving Entity. Any failure of the Surviving Entity to comply with any of its obligations or agreements herein contained may be waived only in writing by the Stockholders.

 

Section 9.2 Notices. All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given upon receipt of hand delivery; certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested; nationally-recognized overnight courier; or electronic mail transmission with confirmation of receipt by the intended addressee:

 

(a)        If to the Company (before Closing), or to the Stockholders to:

 

Emil Kaunitz

242 Oval Road

Manasquan, NJ 08736

Email: EKaunitz@specialtysystems.com

Telephone No.: (732) 822-6162

 

William Cabey

1011 Gowdy Avenue

Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742

 

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Email: bcabey@specialtysystems.com

Telephone No.: (732) 773-3901

 

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

PilieroMazza PLLC

888 17th Street, NW

11th Floor

Washington, D.C. 20006

Attention: Kathryn L. Hickey

Email: khickey@pilieromazza.com

 

(b)        If to Surviving Entity or the Company (after Closing), to:

 

Castellum, Inc.

9812 Falls Road #299-114

Potomac, MD 20854

Attention: Jay Wright, General Counsel

Email: jwright22@msn.com

Telephone No.: 301-524-4759

 

With a copy to (which shall not constitute notice):

 

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

1200 Seventeenth Street NW

Washington, DC 20036

Attention: Nicole M. Islinger

Email: Nicole.islinger@pillsburylaw.com

Telephone No.: 202.663.8207

 

Such names and addresses may be changed by written notice to each person listed above.

 

Section 9.3 Governing Law.

 

(a)       This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal substantive laws and not the choice of law rules of the State of Delaware.

 

(b)       Any legal action or other Proceeding relating to this Agreement or the enforcement of any provision of this Agreement shall be brought or otherwise commenced exclusively in any state or federal court located in Montgomery County in the State of Maryland. Each Party:

 

(i)       expressly and irrevocably consents and submits to the jurisdiction of each state and federal court located in Montgomery County in the State of Maryland (and each appellate court located in Montgomery County in the State of Maryland), in connection with any such Proceeding;

 

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(ii)       agrees that service of any process, summons, notice or document by U.S. mail addressed to it at the address set forth in Section 9.2 shall constitute effective service of such process, summons, notice or document for purposes of any such Proceeding;

 

(iii)       agrees that each state and federal court located in Montgomery County in the State of Maryland, shall be deemed to be a convenient forum;

 

(iv)       hereby waives its rights to jury trial of any claim or cause of action based upon or arising out of this Agreement. Each Party acknowledges that this waiver is a material inducement to enter into this Agreement, and that each Party will continue to rely on the waiver in their future dealings. Each Party has had the opportunity to review this waiver with legal counsel and each knowingly and voluntarily waives its jury trial rights;

 

(v)       agrees not to assert (by way of motion, as a defense or otherwise), in any such Proceeding commenced in any state or federal court located in Montgomery County in the State of Maryland, any claim by either Party that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of such court, that such Proceeding has been brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of such Proceeding is improper or that this Agreement or the subject matter of this Agreement may not be enforced in or by such court; and

 

(vi)       agrees that the prevailing Party in such Proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other Party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such Proceeding.

 

Section 9.4 Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts (including by electronic signature), each of which shall be deemed an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

Section 9.5 Headings. The section headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect in any way the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

Section 9.6 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, including the Exhibits and Schedules hereto and the documents referred to herein, embody the entire agreement and understanding of the Parties in respect of the subject matter contained herein. This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings between the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

 

Section 9.7 Amendment and Modification. This Agreement may be amended or modified only by written agreement of the Parties hereto.

 

Section 9.8 Binding Effect; Benefits. Except as provided in Section 7.9, this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Parties and their respective successors and assigns; nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer on any Person other than the Parties and their respective successors and assigns (and, to the extent provided in Section 7.10(a) and Section 7.10(b), the other Indemnitees) any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement.

 

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Section 9.9 Severability. Any provision of this Agreement, which is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to that jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability, without affecting in any way the remaining provisions hereof in such jurisdiction or rendering that or any other provision of this Agreement invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any other jurisdiction.

 

Section 9.10 Assignability. No Party may assign, delegate, or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of each other Party. Any purported violation of this Section 9.10 shall be void.

 

Section 9.11 Specific Performance. The Parties agree that immediate and irreparable harm and damage would occur for which monetary damages alone would not be an adequate remedy in the event that any of the provisions of this Agreement were not performed in accordance with their specific terms or were otherwise breached. It is accordingly agreed that in the event of such breach or non-performance, neither Party shall interfere with, delay, obstruct, or prevent the non-breaching Party from taking, or require such Party to take, any steps prior to taking action to seek an interim and interlocutory equitable remedy (including an injunction or order for specific performance) on notice or ex parte to enforce its rights or to preserve the status quo or prevent irreparable harm and each Party covenants and agrees not to contest, object to, or otherwise oppose an application for equitable relief by the other Party in such circumstances, and waives any and all immunities from any equitable relief to which it may be entitled. Any such relief or remedy shall not be exclusive, but shall be in addition to all other available legal or equitable remedies. Each Party agrees that the provisions of this Section 9.11 are fair and reasonable in the commercial circumstances of this Agreement, and that neither Party would have entered into this Agreement but for each Party’s agreement with the provisions of this Section 9.11.

 

Section 9.12 Schedules. All Disclosure Schedules attached hereto are incorporated herein and expressly made a part of this Agreement as though completely set forth herein. All references to this Agreement contained herein shall only be deemed to refer to this entire Agreement, including all Disclosure Schedules; provided, however, that information and disclosures provided in any particular Schedule shall be deemed to be disclosed and included in another Schedule as though fully set forth therein or to qualify any representation and warranty herein to the extent that it is readily evident on the face of the text of such disclosure that such disclosure applies to such other Schedule or a specific cross-reference is made. Inclusion of any item in the Disclosure Schedules shall not be deemed (a) an admission that any item is material, (b) an admission of any liability by or to any Party, or (c) to expand in any way the scope or effect of any representation or warranty.

 

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Section 9.13 Attorney-Client Privilege. The Surviving Entity acknowledges that, as to all communications that have occurred between or among any of the Stockholders, the Company, Holdco, or any of their respective Affiliates, on the one hand, and the Law Firm, on the other hand, to the extent such communications constitute advice for preparing or negotiating this Agreement and the transactions contemplated hereby which, immediately prior to the Closing, were an attorney-client privileged communications between such Party, on the one hand, and the Law Firm, on the other hand belong to the Stockholders, may be controlled by the Stockholders, shall not pass to or be claimed by the Surviving Entity or the Company following Closing, and shall be and remain the property of the Stockholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that a dispute arises between the Surviving Entity and the Company, on the one hand, and a third party other than the Stockholders or any Representative or Affiliate of the Stockholders, on the other hand, the Surviving Entity and the Company may assert the attorney-client privilege to prevent disclosure of communications involving attorney-client privilege of the Company, or the Stockholders that relate to the negotiation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Transaction Documents to such third party; provided, however, that neither the Surviving Entity nor the Company may waive such privilege without the prior written consent of the Stockholders.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have duly executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

 

  CASTELLUM, INC., as Surviving Entity
     
  By: /s/ Mark Fuller          
  Name: Mark Fuller
  Title: Chief Executive Officer
     
  SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC., as Company
     
  By: /s/ Emil A. Kaunitz
  Name: Emil A. Kaunitz
  Title: President
     
  KC HOLDINGS COMPANY, INC., as Holdco
     
  By: /s/ Emil A. Kaunitz
  Name: Emil A. Kaunitz
  Title: President
     
  STOCKHOLDERS:
   
  /s/ Emil A. Kaunitz
  Emil Kaunitz
   
  /s/ William Cabey
  William Cabey

 

[Signature Page to Agreement and Plan of Merger]

 

   

 

 

Schedule A

 

Sample Statement

 

   

 

 

Schedule B

 

Closing Merger Consideration Allocation and Taxable “Boot” Allocation Methodology

 

Allocation of Closing Merger Consideration

 

The Closing Share Consideration shall be allocated between the Stockholders in accordance with each Stockholder’s Pro Rata Share.

 

The Closing Cash Consideration shall be allocated between the Stockholders as follows: (i) Cabey shall be allocated his Pro Rata Share of the Adjusted Closing Cash Consideration and (ii) Kaunitz shall be allocated an amount equal to the difference between his Pro Rata Share of the Adjusted Closing Cash Consideration and the Note Amount.

 

Taxable “Boot” Allocation Methodology

 

This Schedule B sets forth the Parties’ agreement with respect to which shares of Holdco Capital Stock that are outstanding immediately prior to the Effective Time are exchanged for the portion of the Merger Consideration that consists of “other property or money” within the meaning of (and for purposes of) Section 356(a)(1)(B) of the Code (and any corresponding provision of applicable state or local income tax law) (such other property or money, “Taxable Boot”). The Parties agree that, for U.S. federal (and applicable state and local) income tax purposes, the methodology set forth in this Schedule B constitutes an agreement regarding the terms of the exchange for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.356-1(b) (and any corresponding provision of applicable state or local income tax law). For the avoidance of doubt, any amount treated as imputed interest in accordance with Section 2.8(c)(ii) and the amount allocated to the Restrictive Covenant Agreements pursuant to Section 7.3(h) shall, in each case, not be taken into account as Taxable Boot in the allocation methodology described below.

 

The Parties acknowledge and agree that:

 

Pursuant to the Pre-Closing Reorganization, (i) Kaunitz exchanged 75 shares of Company Capital Stock for 75 shares of Holdco Capital Stock (the “Kaunitz Holdco Shares”) and (ii) Cabey exchanged 25 shares of Company Capital Stock for 25 shares of Holdco Capital Stock (the “Cabey Holdco Shares”).

 

Schedule A to that certain Contribution Agreement pursuant to which the Pre-Closing Agreement was effected (the “Contribution Agreement”) sets forth the designation of which share of Holdco Capital Stock was received in exchange for each share of Company Capital Stock.

 

   

 

 

Each share of KC Holding Stock (as defined in the Contribution Agreement) is separately referred to in this Schedule B as a share of Holdco Capital Stock with the corresponding numerical identification assigned to such share in Schedule A to the Contribution Agreement (i.e., the share of Holdco Capital Stock that is referred to as KC Holding Share 1 in Schedule A to the Contribution Agreement is referred to in this Schedule B as Holdco Share 1, the share of Holdco Capital Stock that is referred to as KC Holding Share 16 in Schedule A to the Contribution Agreement is referred to in this Schedule B as Holdco Share 16, the share of Holdco Capital Stock that is referred to as KC Holding Share 26 in Schedule A to the Contribution Agreement is referred to in this Schedule B as Holdco Share 26, etc.). As a result, following the Pre-Closing Reorganization Cabey is the owner of Holdco Shares 1-25 and Kaunitz is the owner of Holdco Shares 26-100.

 

 

The overall consideration paid to each Stockholder with respect to his shares of Holdco Capital Stock pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes (taking into account any adjustment to such consideration for U.S. federal income tax purposes) shall be allocated among the shares of Holdco Capital Stock held by such Stockholder in a manner that causes the amount realized by such Stockholder for U.S. federal income tax purposes with respect to each of his shares of Holdco Capital Stock to be equal (such amount with respect to such Stockholder, the “Per Share Tax Consideration”).

 

To the extent that any portion of the overall consideration received by Cabey pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes consists of Taxable Boot, such Taxable Boot will be allocated first to (and deemed to have been paid to Cabey in exchange for) the Cabey Holdco Shares in numerical order (based on their numerical designation in this Schedule B and beginning with Holdco Share 1), in each case, up to the amount of Cabey’s Per Share Tax Consideration with respect to such Cabey Holdco Share. The remaining consideration received by Cabey following the allocation of such Taxable Boot will be allocated to (and deemed to have been paid to Cabey in exchange for) the remaining Cabey Holdco Shares in a manner that causes each such Cabey Holdco Share to have been exchanged for an amount equal to Cabey’s Per Share Tax Consideration. In the event of any adjustment to the overall consideration paid pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the allocation of Taxable Boot to the Cabey Holdco Shares shall be adjusted as appropriate, applying the principles set forth above.

 

To the extent that any portion of the overall consideration received by Kaunitz pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes consists of Taxable Boot, such Taxable Boot will be allocated first to (and deemed to have been paid to Kaunitz in exchange for) the Kaunitz Holdco Shares in numerical order (based on their numerical designation in this Schedule B and beginning with Holdco Share 26), in each case, up to the amount of Kaunitz’s Per Share Tax Consideration with respect to such Kaunitz Holdco Share. The remaining consideration received by Kaunitz following the allocation of such Taxable Boot will be allocated to (and deemed to have been paid to Kaunitz in exchange for) the remaining Kaunitz Holdco Shares in a manner that causes each such Kaunitz Holdco Share to have been exchanged for an amount equal to Kaunitz’s Per Share Tax Consideration. In the event of any adjustment to the overall consideration paid pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the allocation of

Taxable Boot to the Kaunitz Holdco Shares shall be adjusted as appropriate, applying the principles set forth above.

 

   

 

 

Neither the Surviving Entity nor any Affiliate (i) makes any representations regarding the validity of the allocation methodology set forth in this Schedule B or (ii) shall be responsible for any loss suffered by either Kaunitz or Cabey as a result of the IRS or any other Governmental Entity disagreeing with the application of the allocation methodology set forth in this Schedule B.

 

The allocation methodology described above is illustrated in the following example.

 

Example: Assume that the overall consideration received by the Stockholders pursuant to this Agreement for U.S. federal income tax purposes is as follows:

 

Cabey receives $4 million, with $1.5 million of that consideration consisting of cash (i.e., Taxable Boot) and $2.5 million consisting of Surviving Entity Common Stock.

 

Kaunitz receives $11.6 million, with $4.1 million of that consideration consisting of cash (i.e., Taxable Boot) and $7.5 million of that consideration consisting of Surviving Entity Common Stock.

 

Under these facts, (i) the Per Share Tax Consideration for Cabey’s Holdco Capital Stock is $160,000 (i.e., $4 million, divided by 25 shares) and (ii) the Per Share Tax Consideration for Kaunitz’s Holdco Capital Stock is $154,666.67 (i.e., $11.6 million, divided by 75 shares).

 

$160,000 of Taxable Boot is allocated to (and Cabey is deemed to have been paid such amount in cash for) each of Holdco Shares 1-9. Cabey is deemed to have exchanged Holdco Share 10 for $60,000 of Taxable Boot (the remaining Taxable Boot allocated to Cabey after the allocation of Taxable Boot to Holdco Shares 1-9) and $100,000 of Surviving Entity Common Stock.

Cabey is deemed to have exchanged each of Holdco Shares 11-25 solely for an amount of Surviving Entity Common Stock equal to the Per Share Tax Consideration for Cabey’s Holdco Capital Stock.

 

$154,666.67 of Taxable Boot is allocated to (and Kaunitz is deemed to have been paid such amount in cash for) each of Holdco Shares 26-51. Kaunitz is deemed to have exchanged Holdco Share 52 for $78,666.58 of Taxable Boot (the remaining Taxable Boot allocated to Kaunitz after the allocation of Taxable Boot to Holdco Shares 26-51) and $76,000.09 of Surviving Entity Common Stock. Kaunitz is deemed to have exchanged each of Holdco Shares 53-100 solely for an amount of Surviving Entity Common Stock equal to the Per Share Tax Consideration for Kaunitz’s Holdco Capital Stock.

 

   

 

 

Schedule 3.1(a)(xiii)

 

Consents

 

None.

 

   

 

 

 

Exhibit 3.1

 

Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation

of

 

Castellum, Inc.

 

a Nevada corporation

 

ARTICLE I

 

The name of the corporation is Castellum, Inc. (the “Corporation”).

 

ARTICLE II

 

The Corporation may engage in any lawful activity.

 

ARTICLE III

 

A.          Classes of Stock. The Corporation is authorized to issue two classes of stock to be designated, respectively, “Common Stock” and “Preferred Stock.” The total number of shares that the Corporation is authorized to issue is 3,050,000,000. 3,000,000,000 shares shall be Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share, and 50,000,000 shares shall be Preferred Stock, par value $0.0001 per share.

 

B.          Rights, Preferences, Privileges and Restrictions of Preferred Stock. The Preferred Stock authorized by these Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation may be issued from time to time in one or more series. The rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions granted to and imposed on the Series A Preferred Stock, Series B Preferred Stock, and Series C Preferred Stock are set forth below in Article III(C), Article III(D), Article III(E), respectively. The Corporation’s Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”) hereby is authorized to fix or alter the rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions granted to or imposed on each additional series of Preferred Stock, and the number of shares constituting any such series and the designation thereof, or any of them. Subject to compliance with applicable protective voting rights that have been or may be granted to the Preferred Stock or any series thereof in certificates of designation or in these Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (“Protective Provisions”), but notwithstanding any of the other rights of the Preferred Stock or any series thereof, the rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions of any such additional series of Preferred Stock may be subordinated to, pari passu with (including, without limitation, inclusion in provisions with respect to liquidation and acquisition preferences, redemption and/or approval of matters by vote or written consent) or senior to any of those of any present or future class or series of Preferred Stock or Common Stock. Subject to compliance with applicable Protective Provisions, if any, the Board of Directors also is authorized to increase or decrease the number of shares of any series of Preferred Stock, before or after the issuance of such series, but not below the number of shares of such series then outstanding. In case the number of shares of any series is so decreased, the shares constituting such decrease shall resume the status that they had before the adoption of the resolution originally fixing the number of shares of such series.

 

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C.           Rights, Preferences, Privileges, and Restrictions of Series A Preferred Stock. The rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions granted to and imposed on the Series A Preferred Stock are as set forth below in this Article III(C).

 

1. Designation, Amount, Par Value and Stated Value.

 

a. The series of preferred stock shall be designated Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares designated shall be 10,000,000. The par value of each issued share of Series A Preferred Stock shall be $0.0001 per share.

 

2. Dividends.

 

a. Series A Preferred Stock Dividends and Distributions. Before any dividends shall be paid or set aside for payment or any distribution shall be made to the Common Stock of the Corporation or on any series of Preferred Stock that is subordinate in the right to receive dividends and distributions to the Series A Preferred Stock each Holder of the Series A Preferred Stock (“Series A Holder”) shall be entitled to receive cumulative dividends and distributions at a rate of $0.0125 per month.

 

b. Payment Procedures. Dividends and distributions shall be payable to Series A Holders of record, as they appear on the stock books of the Corporation on such record dates as may be declared by the Board, not more than 60 days, nor less than ten days preceding the payment dates of such dividends or distributions.

 

3. Conversion.

 

a. Each Series A Holder shall have the right, at its option, at any time and from time to time, upon written notice to the Corporation, to convert any outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock held by such Series A Holder into the number of fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock at a rate of two shares of the Corporation’s common stock for each one share of Series A Preferred Stock.

 

b. The Corporation covenants that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Series A Preferred Stock, free from preemptive rights or any other actual contingent purchase rights of persons other than the Series A Holders not less than such aggregate number of shares of the Common Stock as shall be issuable upon the conversion of all outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock. The Corporation covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

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4. Series A Preferred Stock Voting Rights.

 

a. In addition to the voting rights to which the Series A Holders are entitled under or granted by Nevada law the Series A Holders shall be entitled to vote, in person or by proxy, at a special or annual meeting of stockholders or in any written consent in lieu of a meeting, on all matters entitled to be voted on by holders of shares of Common Stock voting together as a single class with the Common Stock (and with other shares entitled to vote thereon, if any), in each case, irrespective of the provisions of Nevada Revised Statute 78.350. With respect to any such vote, each share of Series A Preferred Stock shall entitle the Series A Holder to cast that number of votes as is equal to the number of shares of Common Stock into which such share is convertible pursuant to Article III(C)3 on the record date for determining the stockholders of the Corporation entitled to vote on such matters.

 

5. Redemption.

 

a. No Other Redemptions or Acquisitions. The Series A Preferred Stock shall have no maturity date or scheduled redemption date.

 

b. No Sinking Fund. The Corporation shall not be required to make sinking fund payments with respect to the Series A Preferred Stock.

 

D.        Rights, Preferences, Privileges, and Restrictions of Series B Preferred Stock. The rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions granted to and imposed on the Series B Preferred Stock are as set forth below in this Article III(D).

 

1. Designation, Amount, Par Value and Stated Value.

 

a. The series of preferred stock shall be designated Series B Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares designated shall be 10,000,000. The par value of each issued share of Series B Preferred Stock shall be $0.0001 per share.

 

2. Dividends and Distributions.

 

a. Series B Preferred Stock Have No Dividend Rights. The holders of the Series B Preferred Stock (the “Series B Holders”) shall have no dividend rights. The Series B Holders shall not be entitled to receive dividends upon the declaration or payment of any dividend on any other series of the Corporation’s Preferred Stock or upon the declaration or payment of any dividend on the Common Stock of the Corporation.

 

3. Conversion.

 

a. Each Series B Holder shall have the right, at its option, at any time and from time to time, upon written notice to the Corporation, to convert any outstanding share of Series B Preferred Stock held by such Series B Holder into 100 shares of the Common Stock of the Corporation.

 

b. The Corporation covenants that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Series B Preferred Stock, free from preemptive rights or any other actual contingent purchase rights of persons other than the Series B Holders not less than such aggregate number of shares of the Common Stock as shall be issuable upon the conversion of all outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock. The Corporation covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

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4. Series B Preferred Stock Voting Rights.

 

a. In addition to the voting rights to which the Holders are entitled under or granted by Nevada law the Series B Holders shall be entitled to vote, in person or by proxy, at a special or annual meeting of stockholders or in any written consent in lieu of a meeting, on all matters entitled to be voted on by holders of shares of Common Stock voting together as a single class with the Common Stock (and with other shares entitled to vote thereon, if any), in each case, irrespective of the provisions of Nevada Revised Statute 78.350. With respect to any such vote, each share of Series B Preferred Stock shall entitle the Series B Holder to cast 10,000 votes.

 

5. Redemption.

 

a. No Other Redemptions or Acquisitions. The Series B Preferred Stock shall have no maturity date or scheduled redemption date.

 

b. No Sinking Fund. The Corporation shall not be required to make sinking fund payments with respect to the Series B Preferred Stock.

 

E.           Rights, Preferences, Privileges, and Restrictions of Series C Preferred Stock. The rights, preferences, privileges, and restrictions granted to and imposed on the Series C Preferred Stock are as set forth below in this Article III(E).

 

1. Designation, Amount, Par Value and Stated Value.

 

a. The series of preferred stock shall be designated Series C Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Series C Preferred Stock”) and the number of shares designated shall be 10,000,000. The par value of each issued share of Series C Preferred Stock shall be $0.0001 per share. The Stated Value ("Stated Value") of each issued share of Series C Preferred Stock shall be $1.00 per share.

 

2. Dividends.

 

a. Series C Preferred Stock Dividends and Distributions. Before any dividends shall be paid or set aside for payment or any distribution shall be made to the Common Stock of the Corporation or on any series of Preferred Stock that is subordinate in the right to receive dividends and distributions to the Series C Preferred Stock each Holder of the Series C Preferred Stock (“Series C Holder”) shall be entitled to receive cumulative dividends and distributions at a rate of 6%, paid at the rate of 0.5% per month.

 

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b. Payment Procedures. Dividends and distributions shall be payable to Series C Holders of record, as they appear on the stock books of the Corporation on such record dates as may be declared by the Board, not more than 60 days, nor less than ten days preceding the payment dates of such dividends or distributions.

 

3. Conversion.

 

a. Each Series C Holder shall have the right, at its option, at any time and from time to time, upon written notice to the Corporation, to convert any outstanding share of Series C Preferred Stock held by such Series C Holder into the number of fully paid and non- assessable shares of Common Stock at a rate per share of Series C Preferred Stock equal to $0.08. In other words, each share of Series C Preferred Stock is convertible into 12.5 shares of common stock.

 

b. The Corporation covenants that it will at all times reserve and keep available out of its authorized and unissued shares of Common Stock for the sole purpose of issuance upon conversion of the Series C Preferred Stock, free from preemptive rights or any other actual contingent purchase rights of persons other than the Series C Holders not less than such aggregate number of shares of the Common Stock as shall be issuable upon the conversion of all outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock. The Corporation covenants that all shares of Common Stock that shall be so issuable shall, upon issue, be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

 

4. Series C Preferred Stock Voting Rights.

 

a. In addition to the voting rights to which the Series C Holders are entitled under or granted by Nevada law the Holders shall be entitled to vote, in person or by proxy, at a special or annual meeting of stockholders or in any written consent in lieu of a meeting, on all matters entitled to be voted on by holders of shares of Common Stock voting together as a single class with the Common Stock (and with other shares entitled to vote thereon, if any), in each case, irrespective of the provisions of Nevada Revised Statute 78.350. With respect to any such vote, each share of Series C Preferred Stock shall entitle the Holder to cast that number of votes as is equal to the number of shares of Common Stock into which such share is convertible pursuant to Article III(E)3(a) on the record date for determining the stockholders of the Corporation entitled to vote on such matters.

 

5. Equity Incentive.

 

a. Corporation agrees to issue to certain investors and investors agree to accept two (2) shares of Common Stock of the Corporation for every one (1) share of Series C Preferred Stock (“Equity Incentive”).

 

6. Redemption.

 

a. Redemption at Option of Company. At any time after July 13, 2028, at the option of the Corporation, the Corporation may provide an irrevocable written notice to the Series C Holders to redeem all (but not less than all) of the Series C Preferred Stock outstanding at a redemption price per share of Series C Preferred Stock equal to the Stated Value, plus any unpaid Equity Incentive, payable in cash (the “Optional Redemption Price”) on the date that is at least 30 days but no more than 60 days after such notice is given.

 

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b. No Other Redemptions or Acquisitions. The Series C Preferred Stock shall have no maturity date or scheduled redemption date.

 

c. No Sinking Fund. The Corporation shall not be required to make sinking fund payments with respect to the Series C Preferred Stock.

 

d. Redemption Procedures.

 

i. Surrender and Payment. Upon any redemption pursuant to this Article III(E)6(d)(i), each Series C Holder shall surrender the certificate or certificates (if any) representing such Series C Holder’s shares of Series C Preferred Stock to the Corporation (duly endorsed or assigned for transfer) prior to the applicable redemption date in any manner and any place reasonably designated by the Corporation. The full Optional Redemption Price for such shares shall be payable on the redemption date by wire transfer to the Person whose name appears on such certificate or certificates (or book-entry record, as applicable) as the owner thereof to a bank account designated in writing by such Person (such designation to be made at least one (1) Business Day prior to the redemption date), and each surrendered certificate shall be canceled and retired.

 

e. Redemption Preference. Any redemption under Article III(E)6(d) shall be in preference to and in priority over any dividend or other distribution upon, or any payment on account of, or set apart for payment money for a sinking or other similar fund, and pro rata with any shares of Preferred Stock that rank pari passu with the Series C Preferred Stock that is then being redeemed.

 

f. No Further Rights Upon Redemption. The Series C Holders of any redeemed shares of Series C Preferred Stock shall cease to have any further rights with respect thereto from and after the applicable redemption date, other than the right to receive the Redemption Price, without interest. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article III(E), if the funds necessary for redemption shall have been irrevocably deposited in trust for the equal and ratable benefit of the Series C Holders of the shares to be redeemed, then at the close of business on such day on which such notice has been given and such funds are segregated and set aside (which day shall, for the avoidance of doubt, be no earlier than the applicable redemption date), the Series C Holders of the shares to be redeemed shall cease to be stockholders of the Corporation for all purposes under this Article III(E) (and such shares shall be deemed to be no longer outstanding) and shall be entitled to receive only the Redemption Price.

 

7. Registration Rights.

 

a. Mandatory Registration; Piggyback Registrations.

 

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i. In compliance with the terms of this Article III(E), the Corporation shall, when eligible, prepare and file with the SEC a registration statement covering the resale as a secondary offering to be made on a continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 of all the Series C Preferred Stock. Such registration statement shall be on Form S-3 (or any successor form). The registration statement required to be filed pursuant to this Section 7 is referred to herein as the “Registration Statement.”

 

ii. Corporation shall prepare and file the Registration Statement with the SEC within 180 days of the date on which the Corporation (i) becomes eligible to utilize Form S-3 and (ii) has an aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates in excess of $75 million. To the extent the Registration Statement is not automatically effective upon such filing, Corporation shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Registration Statement to be declared or become effective as promptly as practical. Subject to the terms of this Article III(E), Corporation shall use commercially reasonable efforts to keep the Registration Statement continuously effective as promptly as practical and in compliance with the Securities Act and usable for resale of Registrable Securities covered thereby from the date of its initial effectiveness (the “Effective Date”) until the earlier of (1) the date on which no securities covered by the Registration Statement remain Registrable Securities and (2) three years from the Effective Date (such period, the “Effectiveness Period”).

 

iii. It shall be a condition precedent to the obligations of Corporation to take any action pursuant to Article III(E)7 with respect to Registrable Securities of a Series C Holder that the Holder shall furnish to Corporation such information regarding such Series C Holder as reasonably required by the Corporation under this Article III(E)7.

 

iv. Corporation shall notify the holders of an Equity Incentive who has invested at least $250,000 (“Equity Incentive Holder”) in writing at least seven (7) days prior to the filing of any registration statement under the Securities Act for purposes of a public offering of securities of Corporation (including, but not limited to, registration statements relating to secondary offerings of securities of Corporation) and will afford each Equity Incentive Holder an opportunity to include in such registration statement all or a part of such Registrable Securities held by such Equity Incentive Holder subject to such reasonable limitations as the Board shall impose. Each Equity Incentive Holder desiring to include in any such registration all or any part of the Registrable Securities held by it shall, within seven (7) days after the above-described notice from Corporation, so notify Corporation in writing. Such notice shall state the intended method of disposition of the Registrable Securities by such Equity Incentive Holder. If an Equity Incentive Holder decides not to include all of its Registrable Securities in any registration statement thereafter filed by Corporation, such Equity Incentive Holder shall nevertheless continue to have the right to include any Registrable Securities in any subsequent registration statement or registration statements as may be filed by Corporation with respect to offerings of its securities, all upon the terms and conditions set forth herein.

 

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8. Miscellaneous.

 

a. Minimum Investment. The minimum investment amount in the Series C Preferred Stock shall be $100,000, and Series C Holders shall represent that they are “accredited investors” as defined in Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

b. Conversion or Exchange. Except as set forth in Article III(E)3, the Series C Holders shall not have any rights hereunder to convert the shares of Series C Preferred Stock into or exchange such shares for shares of any other class or classes or of any other series of any class or classes of Capital Stock of the Corporation.

 

c. Reissuance of Series C Preferred Stock. Shares of Series C Preferred Stock that have been issued and reacquired in any manner, including shares purchased, redeemed or exchanged, shall not be reissued and shall (upon compliance with any applicable provisions of the laws of the State of Nevada) have the status of authorized and unissued shares of Preferred Stock undesignated as to Series C and may be redesignated and reissued as part of any series of Preferred Stock, provided that the issuance of such shares of Preferred Stock is not prohibited by the terms hereof.

 

d. Business Day. If any payment or redemption shall be required by the terms hereof to be made on a day that is not a Business Day, such payment or redemption shall be made on the immediately succeeding Business Day.

 

e. Notice. Wherever provision is made in this Article III(E) for the giving of any notice, such notice shall be in writing and shall be delivered personally to such party, or sent by facsimile transmission or overnight courier, and, in the case of the Corporation, to the address set forth as follows:

 

c/o Castellum, Inc.

9812 Falls Road, #114-299

Potomac, MD 20854 Attention: General Counsel

 

or to such other address, in any such case, as the Corporation shall designate. Any notice or communication mailed to a Series C Holder shall be mailed to the Series C Holder at the Series C Holder’s address as it appears in the stock register of the Corporation and shall be sufficiently given if so mailed within the time prescribed. Failure to mail a notice or communication to a Series C Holder or any defect in such notice shall not affect its sufficiency with respect to other Series C Holders. Notice shall be deemed to have been given on the day that it is so delivered personally or sent by facsimile transmission and the appropriate confirmation of successful transmission is received. If sent by overnight air courier guaranteeing next day delivery, such courier to be an internationally recognized service, notice shall be deemed to have been given upon the earlier of (A) actual receipt by the intended recipient and (B) seven (7) Business Days after timely delivery to the courier. If a notice or communication is mailed in the manner provided above, it shall be deemed to be duly given, whether or not the addressee receives it.

 

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F.       Common Stock.

 

1. Dividend Rights. Subject to the prior rights of holders of all classes of stock at the time outstanding having prior rights as to dividends, the holders of Common Stock shall be entitled to receive, when, and if declared by the Board of Directors, out of any assets of the Corporation legally available therefor, such dividends as may be declared from time to time by the Board of Directors.

 

2. Liquidation Rights. Upon the liquidation, dissolution, or winding up of the Corporation, the assets of the Corporation shall be distributed as provided in Article III(C)3 and Article III(E)3 hereof.

 

3. Redemption. The Common Stock is not redeemable.

 

4. Voting Rights. The holder of each share of Common Stock shall have the right to one (1) vote for each such share, shall be entitled to notice of any stockholders’ meeting in accordance with the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation and shall be entitled to vote upon such matters and in such manner as may be provided by law.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

The Board of Directors is authorized, from time to time, to create and issue, whether or not in connection with the issuance and sale of any of the stock or other securities or property of the Corporation, rights entitling the holders thereof to purchase from the Corporation shares of stock or other securities of the Corporation or any other corporation. The times at which and the terms upon which such rights are to be issued will be determined by the Board of Directors and set forth in the contracts or instruments that evidence such rights. The authority of the Board of Directors with respect to such rights shall include, but not be limited to, determination of the following:

 

(a)       The initial purchase price per share or other unit of the stock or other securities or property to be purchased upon exercise of such rights.

 

(b)       Provisions relating to the times at which and the circumstances under which such rights may be exercised or sold or otherwise transferred, either together with or separately from any other stock or other securities of the Corporation.

 

(c)       Provisions that adjust the number or exercise price of such rights or amount or nature of the stock or other securities or property received upon exercise of such rights in the event of a combination, split, or recapitalization of any stock of the Corporation, a change in ownership of the Corporation’s stock or other securities or a reorganization, merger, consolidation, sale of assets, or other occurrence relating to the Corporation or any stock of the Corporation, and provisions restricting the ability of the Corporation to enter into any such transaction absent an assumption by the other party or parties thereto of the obligations of the Corporation under such rights.

 

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(d)       Provisions that deny the holder of a specified percentage of the outstanding stock or other securities of the Corporation the right to exercise such rights and/or cause the rights held by such holder to become void.

 

(e)       Provisions that deny the holder of a specified percentage of the outstanding stock or other securities of the Corporation the right to exercise such rights and/or cause the rights held by such holder to become void.

 

(f)       The appointment of a rights agent with respect to such rights.

 

ARTICLE V

 

The governing board of the Corporation shall be styled as a “Board of Directors,” and any member of such Board of Directors shall be styled as a “director.” The number of directors of the Corporation may be fixed and increased or decreased in the manner provided in the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation, provided that the number of directors shall never be less than one (1). In the interim between elections of directors by stockholders entitled to vote, all vacancies, including vacancies caused by an increase in the number of directors and including vacancies resulting from the removal of directors by stockholders entitled to vote that are not filled by such stockholders, may be filled by the remaining directors, though less than a quorum. Notwithstanding the foregoing, whenever the holders of any one or more series of shares of Preferred Stock issued by the Corporation have the right, voting separately by series, to elect directors at an annual or special meeting of stockholders, the election, term of office, filling of vacancies and other features of such directorships shall be governed by the terms of these Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or the resolution or resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors pursuant to Article III(B) hereof.

 

ARTICLE VI

 

The personal liability of the directors and officers of the Corporation hereby is eliminated to the fullest extent permitted by Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 78, as the same exists or hereafter may be amended. No director or officer of the Corporation will be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director or officer, excepting only (i) acts or omissions that involve intentional misconduct, fraud, or a knowing violation of law or (ii) the payment of dividends in violation of Nevada Revised Statutes Section 78.300. No amendment, modification, or repeal of this Article VI applies to or has any effect on the liability or alleged liability of any director or officer of the Corporation for or with respect to any act or omission of such director or officer having occurred before such amendment, modification, or repeal, except as otherwise required by law.

 

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ARTICLE VII

 

The Corporation shall, to the fullest extent permitted by the laws of the State of Nevada, as the same exist or hereafter may be amended (but in the case of such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than such laws permitted the Corporation to provide before such amendment), indemnify and hold harmless each person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is involved in any action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative (a “Proceeding”), by reason of the fact that such person or a person for whom such person is the legal representative is or was a director, or officer of the Corporation or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, manager, or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, including service with respect to employee benefits plans, whether the basis of such Proceeding is alleged action or inaction in an official capacity or in any other capacity while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation or at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, manager, or trustee of another corporation or of a partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, against and from all costs, charges, expenses, liabilities, and losses (including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines, ERISA excise taxes, or penalties ad amounts paid or to be paid in settlement and amounts expended in seeking indemnification granted to such person under applicable law, this Article VII or any agreement with the Corporation) reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection therewith. The Corporation may, by action of the Board of Directors or through the adoption of Bylaws, provide indemnification to employees and agents of the Corporation, and to persons who are serving or did serve at the request of the Corporation as an employee or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, limited liability company, join venture, trust, or other enterprise, which the same scope and effect as provided to the directors and officers of the Corporation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Article VII.

 

The indemnification provided for herein shall not be deemed exclusive of any other right to which a person indemnified may be entitled under any Bylaw, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to actions of such person in such person’s official capacity and as to actions of such person in another capacity while holding such office. The Corporation shall have the power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any person who is or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, manager, trustee, employee, or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, against any liability asserted against such person in any such capacity or arising out of such person’s status as such, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such liability under the provisions of Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 78. The expenses of any director or officer, current or past, incurred in defending a civil or criminal action, suit, or proceeding shall be paid by the Corporation as incurred and in advance of the final disposition of such action, suit, or proceeding upon the Corporation’s receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such current or past director or officer to repay the Corporation for all of such expenses if it ultimately is determined by a court of competent jurisdiction that such current or past director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation. The indemnification provided for herein shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, manager, trustee, employee, or agent of the Corporation, or who has ceased to serve at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, manager, trustee, employee, or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, and shall inure to the benefit of such person’s heirs, executors, and administrators. No amendment, modification or repeal of this Article VII applies to or has any effect on any right or protection of any director, officer, employee, or agent of the Corporation, or any person who is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, manager, trustee, employee, or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, existing at the time of such amendment, modification, or repeal.

 

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ARTICLE VIII

 

In furtherance and not in limitation of the rights, powers, privileges, and discretionary authority granted or conferred by Nevada Revised Statutes, Chapter 78 or other statutes or laws of the State of Nevada, the Board of Directors is expressly authorized: (i) to make, adopt, amend, alter, or repeal the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation, except as and to the extent otherwise provided in such Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation; (ii) from time to time to adopt Bylaw provisions with respect to indemnification of directors, officers, employees, agents and other persons as the Board of Directors deems expedient and in the best interests of the Corporation and to the extent permitted by law; and (iii) to fix and determine designations, preferences, privileges, rights and powers, and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, qualifications, limitations, or restrictions, on the capital stock of the Corporation as provided by Nevada Revised Statutes Section 78.195, unless provided herein.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada (the “District Court”) shall be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee, or other agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of Title 7 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to such District Court having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Federal District Courts of the United States of America shall be the exclusive forum for the resolution of any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

ARTICLE X

 

The Corporation reserves the right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provision contained in these Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation in the manner now or hereafter prescribed by statute, and all rights conferred upon stockholders herein are granted subject to this reservation.

 

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Exhibit 3.2

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

 

OF

 

CASTELLUM, INC.

 

(A Nevada Corporation)

 

ARTICLE I

 

OFFICES

 

Section 1. Registered Office. The registered office of the Castellum, Inc. (the “Corporation”) in the State of Nevada shall be at such place as the board shall resolve.

 

Section 2. Other Offices. The Corporation shall also have and maintain an office or principal place of business at such place as may be fixed by the Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors”), and may also have offices at such other places, both within and without the State of Nevada as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.

 

ARTICLE II

 

STOCKHOLDERS' MEETINGS

 

Section 3. Place of Meetings. Meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation shall be held at such place, either within or without the State of Nevada, as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors, or, if not so designated, then at the office of the Corporation required to be maintained pursuant to Section 2 hereof.

 

Section 4. Annual Meeting.

 

(a)     The annual meeting of the stockholders of the Corporation, for the purpose of election of directors and for such other business as may lawfully come before it, shall be held on such date and at such time as may be designated from time to time by the Board of Directors.

 

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(b)     At an annual meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted as shall have been properly brought before the meeting. To be properly brought before an annual meeting, business must be: (A) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, (B) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, or (C) otherwise properly brought before the meeting by a stockholder. For business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation. To be timely, a stockholder's notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the sixtieth (60th) day nor earlier than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day prior to the first anniversary of the preceding year's annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that no annual meeting was held in the previous year or the date of the annual meeting has been changed by more than thirty (30) days from the date contemplated at the time of the previous year's proxy statement, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so received not earlier than the close of business on the ninetieth (90th) day prior to such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the sixtieth (60th) day prior to such annual meeting or, in the event public announcement of the date of such annual meeting is first made by the Corporation fewer than seventy (70) days prior to the date of such annual meeting, the close of business on the tenth (10th) day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made by the Corporation. A stockholder's notice to the Secretary shall set forth as to each matter the stockholder proposes to bring before the annual meeting: (i) a brief description of the business desired to be brought before the annual meeting and the reasons for conducting such business at the annual meeting, (ii) the name and address, as they appear on the Corporation's books, of the stockholder proposing such business, (iii) the class and number of shares of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by the stockholder, (iv) any material interest of the stockholder in such business and (v) any other information that is required to be provided by the stockholder pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), in his capacity as a proponent to a stockholder proposal.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, in order to include information with respect to a stockholder proposal in the proxy statement and form of proxy for a stockholder's meeting, stockholders must provide notice as required by the regulations promulgated under the 1934 Act. Notwithstanding anything in these Amended and Restated Bylaws to tile contrary, no business shall be conducted at any annual meeting except in accordance with the procedures set forth in this paragraph (b). The chairman of the annual meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare at the meeting that business was not properly brought before the meeting and in accordance with the provisions of this paragraph (b), and, if he should so determine, he shall so declare at the meeting that any such business not properly brought before the meeting shall not be transacted.

 

(c)     Only persons who are confirmed in accordance with the procedures set forth in this paragraph (c) shall be eligible for election as directors. Nominations of persons for election to the Board of Directors of the Corporation may be made at a meeting of stockholders by, or at the direction of the Board of Directors or by any stockholder of the Corporation entitled to vote in the election of directors at the meeting who complies with the notice procedures set forth in this paragraph (c).

 

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Such nominations, other than those made by or at the direction of the Board of Directors, shall be made pursuant to timely notice in writing to the Secretary of the Corporation in accordance with the provisions of paragraph (b) of this Section 4. Such stockholder's notice shall set forth (i) as to each person, if any, whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director: (A) the name, age, business address and residence address of such person, B) the principal occupation or employment of such person, (C) the class and number of shares of the Corporation which are beneficially owned by such person, (D) a description of all arrangements or understandings between the stockholder and each nominee and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the nominations are to be made by the stockholder, and (E) any other information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the 1934 Act (including without limitation such person's written consent to being named in the proxy statement, if any, as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected); and (ii) as to such stockholder giving notice, the information required to be provided pursuant to paragraph (b) of this Section 4. At the request of the Board of Directors, any person nominated by a stockholder for election as a director shall furnish to the Secretary of the Corporation that information required to be set forth in the stockholder's notice of nomination which pertains to the nominee. No person shall be eligible for election as a director of the Corporation unless nominated in accordance with the procedures set forth in this paragraph (c). The chairman of the meeting shall, if the facts warrant, determine and declare at the meeting that a nomination was not made in accordance with the procedures prescribed by these Amended and Restated Bylaws, and if he should so determine, he shall so declare at the meeting, and the defective nomination shall be disregarded.

 

(d)     For purposes of this Section 4, "public announcement" shall mean disclosure in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press or comparable national news service or in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.

 

Section 5. Special Meetings.

 

(a)     Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may be called, for any purpose or purposes, by ( i) the Chair of the Board of Directors, (ii) the Chief Executive Officer, or (iii) the Board of Directors pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors (whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board of Directors for adoption), and shall be held at such place, on such date, and at such time, as the Board of Directors shall determine.

 

(b)     If a special meeting is called by any person or persons other than the Board of Directors, the request shall be in writing, specifying the general nature of the business proposed to be transacted, and shall be delivered personally or sent by registered mail or by telephonic or other facsimile transmission to the Chair of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, or the Secretary of the Corporation. No business may be transacted at such special meeting otherwise than specified in such notice. The Board of Directors shall determine the time and place of such special meeting, which shall be held not less than thirty-five (35) nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the date of the receipt of the request. Upon determination of the time and place of the meeting, the officer receiving the request shall cause notice to be given to the stockholders entitled to vote, in accordance with the provisions of this Section 5 of these Amended and Restated Bylaws. If the notice is not given within sixty (60) days after the receipt of tile request, the person or persons requesting the meeting may set the time and place of the meeting and give the notice. Nothing contained in this paragraph (b) shall be construed as limiting, fixing, or affecting the time when a meeting of stockholders called by action of the Board of Directors may be held.

 

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Section 6. Notice of Meetings. Except as otherwise provided by law or the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, written notice of each meeting of stockholders shall be given not less than ten (10) nor more than sixty (60) days before the date of the meeting to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting, such notice to specify the place, date and hour and purpose or purposes of the meeting.

 

Notice of the time, place and purpose of any meeting of stockholders may be waived in writing, signed by the person entitled to notice thereof, either before or after such meeting, and will be waived by any stockholder by his attendance thereat in person or by proxy, except when the stockholder attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Any stockholder so waiving notice of such meeting shall be bound by the proceedings of any such meeting in all respects as if due notice thereof had been given.

 

Section 7. Quorum. At all meetings of stockholders, except where otherwise provided by statute or by the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, or by these Amended and Restated Bylaws, the presence, in person or by proxy duly authorized, of the holder or holders of not less than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. In the absence of a quorum, any meeting of stockholders may be adjourned, from time to time, either by the chairman of the meeting or by vote of the holders of a majority of the shares represented thereat, but no other business shall be transacted at such meeting. The stockholders present at a duly called or convened meeting, at which a quorum is present, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum. Except as otherwise provided by law, the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or these Amended and Restated Bylaws, all action taken by the holders of a majority of the votes cast, excluding abstentions, at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be valid and binding upon the Corporation; provided, however, that directors shall be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the meeting and entitled to vote on tile election of directors. Where a separate vote by a class or classes or series is required, except where otherwise provided by the statute or by the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or these Amended and Restated Bylaws, a majority of the outstanding shares of such class or classes or series, present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum entitled to take action with respect to that vote on that matter and, except where otherwise provided by the statute or by the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or these Amended and Restated Bylaws, the affirmative vote of the majority (plurality, in the case of the election of directors) of the votes cast, including abstentions, by the holders of shares of such class or classes or series shall be the act of such class or classes or series.

 

Section 8. Adjournment and Notice of Adjourned Meetings. Any meeting of stockholders, whether annual or special, may be adjourned from time to time either by the chair of the meeting or by the vote of a majority of the shares casting votes, excluding abstentions. When a meeting is adjourned to another time or place, notice need not be given of the adjourned meeting if the time and place thereof are announced at the meeting at which the adjournment is taken. At the adjourned meeting, the Corporation may transact ally business which might have been transacted at the original meeting. If the adjournment is for more than thirty (30) days or if after the adjournment a new record date is fixed for the adjourned meeting, a notice of the adjourned meeting shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at the meeting.

  

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Section 9. Voting Rights. For the purpose of determining those stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of the stockholders, except as otherwise provided by law, only persons in whose names shares stand on the stock records of the Corporation on the record date, as provided in this Section 9 of these Amended and Restated Bylaws, shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders. Every person entitled to vote shall have the right to do so either in person or by an agent or agents authorized by a proxy granted in accordance with Nevada law. An agent so appointed need not be a stockholder. No proxy shall be voted after three (3) years from its date of creation unless the proxy provides for a longer period.

 

Section 10. Joint Owners of Stock. If shares or other securities having voting power stand of record in the names of two (2) or more persons, whether fiduciaries, members of a partnership, joint tenants, tenants in common, tenants by the entirety, or otherwise, or if two (2) or more persons have the same fiduciary relationship respecting the same shares, unless the Secretary is given written notice to the contrary and is furnished with a copy of the instrument or order appointing them or creating the relationship wherein it is so provided, their acts with respect to voting shall have the following effect: (a) if only one (1) vote, his act binds all; (b) if more than one (1) vote, the act of the majority so voting binds all; (c) if more than one (1) vote, but the vote is evenly split on any particular matter, each faction may vote the securities in question proportionally, or may apply to the Nevada Court of Chancery for relief as provided in the General Corporation Law of Nevada, Section 217(b). If the instrument filed with the Secretary shows that any such tenancy is held in unequal interests, a majority or even-split for the purpose of subsection (c) shall be a majority or even-split in interest.

 

Section 11. List of Stockholders. The Secretary shall prepare and make, at least ten (10) days before every meeting of stockholders, a complete list of the stockholders entitled to vote at said meeting, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the address of each stockholder and the number of shares registered in the name of each stockholder. Such list shall be open to the examination of any stockholder, for any purpose germane to the meeting, during ordinary business hours, for a period of at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting, either at a place within the city where the meeting is to be held, which place shall be specified in the notice of the meeting, or, if not specified, at the place where the meeting is to be held. The list shall be produced and kept at the time and place of meeting during the whole time thereof and may be inspected by any stockholder who is present.

 

Section 12. Action Without Meeting. No action shall be taken by the stockholders except at an annual or special meeting of stockholders called in accordance with these Amended and Restated Bylaws, or by the written consent of the stockholders setting forth the action so taken and signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at a meeting at which all shares entitled to vote upon were present and voted.

 

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Section 13. Organization.

 

(a)     At every meeting of stockholders, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, or, if a Chairman has not been appointed or is absent, the President, or, if the President is absent, a chairman of the meeting chosen by a majority in interest of the stockholders entitled to vote, present in person or by proxy, shall act as chairman. The Secretary, or, in his absence, an Assistant Secretary directed to do so by the President, shall act as secretary of the meeting.

 

(b)     The Board of Directors of the Corporation shall be entitled to make such rules or regulations for the conduct of meetings of stockholders as it shall deem necessary, appropriate, or convenient. Subject to such rules and regulations of the Board of Directors, if any, the chair of the meeting shall have the right and authority to prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and to do all such acts as, in the judgment of such chair, are necessary, appropriate or convenient for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, establishing an agenda or order of business for the meeting, rules and procedures for maintaining order at the meeting and the safety of those present, limitations on participation in such meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation and their duly authorized and constituted proxies and such other persons as the chairman shall permit, restrictions on entry to the meeting after the time fixed for the commencement thereof, limitations on the time allotted to questions or comments by participants and regulation of the opening and closing of the polls for balloting on matters which are to be voted on by ballot. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with rules of parliamentary procedure.

 

ARTICLE III

 

DIRECTORS

 

Section 14. Number and Qualification. The authorized number of directors of the Corporation shall be not less than one (1) nor more than thirteen (13) as fixed from time to time by resolution of the Board of Directors; provided that no decrease in the number of directors shall shorten the term of any incumbent directors. Directors need not be stockholders unless so required by the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation. If for any cause, the directors shall not have been elected at an annual meeting, they may be elected as soon thereafter as convenient at a special meeting of the stockholders called for that purpose in the manner provided in these Amended and Restated Bylaws.

 

Section 15. Powers. The powers of the Corporation shall be exercised, its business conducted, and its property controlled by the Board of Directors, except as may be otherwise provided by statute or by the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation.

 

Section 16. Election and Term of Office of Directors. Members of the Board of Directors shall hold office for the terms specified in the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as it may be amended from time to time, and until their successors have been elected as provided in the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation.

 

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Section 17. Vacancies. Unless otherwise provided in the Articles of Incorporation, any vacancies on the Board of Directors resulting from death, resignation, disqualification, removal or other causes and any newly created directorships resulting from any increase in the number of directors, shall unless the Board of Directors determines by resolution that any such vacancies or newly created directorships shall be filled by stockholder vote, be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office, even though less than a quorum of the Board of Directors. Any director elected in accordance with the preceding sentence shall hold office for the remainder of the full term of the director for which the vacancy was created or occurred and until such director's successor shall have been elected and qualified. A vacancy in the Board of Directors shall be deemed to exist under this Bylaw in the case of the death, removal, or resignation of any director.

 

 Section 18. Resignation. Any director may resign at any time by delivering his written resignation to the Secretary, such resignation to specify whether it will be effective at a particular time, upon receipt by the Secretary or at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. If no such specification is made, it shall be deemed effective at the pleasure of the Board of Directors. When one or more directors shall resign from the Board of Directors, effective at a future date, a majority of the directors then in office, including those who have so resigned, shall have power to fill such vacancy or vacancies, the vote thereon to take effect when such resignation or resignations shall become effective, and each director so chosen shall hold office for the unexpired portion of the term of the director whose place shall be vacated and until his successor shall have been duly elected and qualified.

 

Section 19. Removal. Subject to the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, any director may be removed by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Corporation then entitled to vote, with or without cause.

 

Section 20. Meetings.

 

(a)     Annual Meetings. The annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held immediately after the annual meeting of stockholders and at the place where such meeting is held. No notice of an annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be necessary and such meeting shall be held for the purpose of electing officers and transacting such other business as may lawfully come before it.

 

(b)     Regular Meetings. Except as hereinafter otherwise provided, regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held in the office of the Corporation required to be maintained pursuant to Section 2 hereof. Unless otherwise restricted by the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, regular meetings of the Board of Directors may also be held at any place within or without the state of Nevada which has been designated by resolution of the Board of Directors or the written consent of all directors.

 

(c)     Special Meetings. Unless otherwise restricted by the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, special meetings of the Board of Directors may be held at any time and place within or without the State of Nevada whenever called by the Chair of the Board, the President or any two of the directors.

 

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(d)     Telephone Meetings. Any member of the Board of Directors, or of any committee thereof, may participate in a meeting by means of conference telephone or similar communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting by such means shall constitute presence in person at such meeting.

 

(e)     Notice of Meetings. Notice of the time and place of all special meetings of the Board of Directors shall be orally or in writing, by telephone, facsimile, telegraph or telex, during normal business hours, at least twenty-four (24) hours before the date and time of the meeting or sent in writing to each director by first class mail, charges prepaid, at least three (3) days before the date of the meeting. Notice of any meeting may be waived in writing at any time before or after the meeting and will be waived by any director by attendance thereat, except when the director attends the meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

 

(f)     Waiver of Notice. The transaction of all business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, or any committee thereof, however called or noticed, or wherever held, shall be as valid as though had at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice, if a quorum be present and if, either before or after the meeting, each of the directors not present shall sign a written waiver of notice. All such waivers shall be filed with the corporate records or made a part of the minutes of the meeting.

 

Section 21. Quorum and Voting.

 

(a)     Unless the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation requires a greater number and except with respect to indemnification questions arising under Section 42 hereof; for which a quorum shall be one-third of the exact number of directors fixed from time to time in accordance with the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, a quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of a majority of the exact number of directors fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors in accordance with the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation provided, however, at any meeting whether a quorum be present or otherwise, a majority of the directors present may adjourn from time to time until the time fixed for the next regular meeting of the Board of directors, without notice other than by announcement at the meeting.

 

(b)     At each meeting of the Board of Directors at which a quorum is present, all questions and business shall be determined by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors present, unless a different vote be required by law, the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or these Amended and Restated Bylaws.

 

Section 22. Action Without Meeting. Unless otherwise restricted by the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or these Amended and Restated Bylaws, any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof may be taken without a meeting, if all members of the Board of Directors or committee, as the case may be, consent thereto in writing, and such writing or writings are filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors or committee.

 

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Section 23. Fees and Compensation. Directors shall be entitled to such compensation for their services as may be approved by the Board of Directors, including, if so approved, by resolution of the Board of Directors, a fixed sum and expenses of attendance, if any, for attendance at each regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors and at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any director from serving the Corporation in any other capacity as an officer, agent, employee, or otherwise and receiving compensation therefor.

 

Section 24. Committees.

 

(a)     Executive Committee. The Board of Directors may by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board of Directors appoint an Executive Committee to consist of one or more members of the Board of directors. The Executive Committee, to the extent permitted by law and provided in the resolution of the Board of directors shall have and may exercise all the powers and authority of the Board of Directors in the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation, including without limitation the power or authority to declare a dividend, to authorize the issuance of stock and to adopt a certificate of ownership and merger, and may authorize the seal of the Corporation to be affixed to all papers which may require it; but no such committee shall have the power or authority in reference to amending the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (except that a committee may, to the extent authorized in the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of shares of stock adopted by the Board of Directors fix the designations and any of the preferences or rights of such shares relating to dividends, redemption, dissolution, any distribution of assets of the Corporation or the conversion into, or the exchange of such shares for, shares of any other class or classes or any other series of the same or any other class or classes of stock of the Corporation or fix the number of shares of any series of stock or authorize the increase or decrease of the shares of any series), adopting an agreement of merger or consolidation, recommending to the stockholders the sale, lease or exchange of all or substantially all of the Corporation's property and assets, recommending to the stockholders a dissolution of the Corporation or a revocation of a dissolution, or amending the bylaws of the Corporation.

  

 (b)     Other Committees. The Board of directors may, by resolution passed by a majority of the whole Board of Directors, from time to time appoint such other committees as may be permitted by law. Such other committees appointed by the Board of Directors shall consist of one (I) or more members of the Board of Directors and shall have such powers and perform such duties as may be prescribed by the resolution or resolutions creating such committees, but in no event shall such committee have the powers denied to the Executive Committee in these Amended and Restated Bylaws.

 

(c)     Term. Each member of a committee of the Board of directors shall serve a term on the committee coexistent with such member's term on the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors, subject to the provisions of subsections (a) or (b) of this Bylaw may at any time increase or decrease the number of members of a committee or terminate the existence of a committee. The membership of a committee member shall terminate on the date of his death or voluntary resignation from the committee or from the Board of Directors. The Board of directors may at any time for any reason remove any individual committee member and the Board of directors may fill any committee vacancy created by death, resignation, removal or increase in the number of members of the committee. The Board of directors may designate one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent or disqualified member at any meeting of the committee, and, in addition, in the absence or disqualification of any member of a committee, the member or members thereof present at any meeting and not disqualified from voting, whether or not he or they constitute a quorum, may unanimously appoint another member of the Board of Directors to act at the meeting in the place of any such absent or disqualified member.

 

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(d)     Meetings. Unless the Board of Directors shall otherwise provide, regular meetings of the Executive Committee or any other committee appointed pursuant to this Section 24 shall be held at such times and places as are determined by the Board of Directors, or by any such committee, and when notice thereof has been given to each member of such committee, no further notice of such regular meetings need be given thereafter. Special meetings of any such committee may be held at any place which has been determined from time to time by such committee, and may be called by any director who is a member of such committee, upon written notice to the members of such committee of the time and place of such special meeting given in the manner provided for the giving of written notice to members of the Board of Directors of the time and place of special meetings of the Board of Directors. Notice of any special meeting of any committee may be waived in writing at any time before or after the meeting and will be waived by any director by attendance thereat, except when the director attends such special meeting for the express purpose of objecting, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. A majority of the authorized number of members of any such committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the act of a majority of those present at any meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the act of such committee.

 

Section 25. Organization. At every meeting of the directors, the Chair of the Board of Directors, or, if a Chair has not been appointed or is absent, the Vice-Chair, and if the Vice-Chair has not been appointed or is absent, the President, or if the President is absent, the most senior Vice President, or, in the absence of any such officer, a chair of the meeting chosen by a majority of the directors present, shall preside over the meeting. The Secretary, or in his/her absence, an Assistant Secretary directed to do so by the Chair, Vice-Chair or President, shall act as secretary of the meeting.

 

ARTICLE IV

 

OFFICERS

 

Section 26. Officers Designated. The officers of the Corporation shall include, if and when designated by the Board of Directors, the Chair of the Board of Directors, the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, one or more Vice Presidents, the Secretary, the Chief Financial Officer, the General Counsel, the Treasurer, the Controller, all of whom shall be elected at the annual organizational meeting of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may also appoint one or more Assistant Secretaries, Assistant Treasurers, Assistant Controllers and such other officers and agents with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary. The Board of Directors may assign such additional titles to one or more of the officers as it shall deem appropriate. Any one person may hold any number of offices of the Corporation at any one time unless specifically prohibited therefrom by law. The salaries and other compensation of the officers of the Corporation shall be fixed by or in the manner designated by the Board of Directors.

 

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Section 27. Tenure and Duties of Officers.

 

(a)       General. All officers shall hold office at the pleasure of the Board of Directors and until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified, unless sooner removed. Any officer elected or appointed by the Board of Directors may be removed at any time by the Board of Directors. If the office of any officer becomes vacant for any reason, the vacancy may be filled by the Board of Directors.

 

(b)       Duties of Chair of the Board of Directors. The Chair of the Board of Directors, when present, shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors.

 

The Chair of the Board of Directors shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors shall designate from time to time. If there is no President, then the Chair of the Board of Directors shall also serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation and shall have the powers and duties prescribed in paragraph (c) of this Section 27.

 

(c)       Duties of the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors. The Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors shall, in the absence of the Chair of the Board of Directors, preside at all meetings of the stockholders and the Board of Directors.

 

The Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors shall designate from time to time.

 

(d)       Duties of President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and at all meetings of the Board of Directors unless the Chair of the Board of Directors or the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors has been appointed and is present. Unless some other officer has been elected Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, the President shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation and shall, subject to the control of the Board of Directors, have general supervision, direction and control of the business and officers of the Corporation. The President shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of directors shall designate from time to time.

 

(e)       Duties of Vice Presidents. The Vice Presidents may assume and perform the duties of the President in the absence or disability of the President or whenever the office of President is vacant. The Vice Presidents shall perform other duties commonly incident to their office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time.

 

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(f)       Duties of Secretary. The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the stockholders and of the Board of Directors and shall record all acts and proceedings thereof in the minute book of the Corporation. The Secretary shall give notice in conformity with these Amended and Restated Bylaws of all meetings of the stockholders and of all meetings of the Board of Directors and any committee thereof requiring notice. The Secretary shall perform all other duties given him/her in these Amended and Restated Bylaws and other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors shall designate from time to time. The President may direct any Assistant Secretary to assume and perform the duties of the Secretary in the absence or disability of the Secretary, and each Assistant Secretary shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time.

 

(g)       Duties of Chief Financial Officer. The Chief Financial Officer shall keep or cause to be kept the books of account of the Corporation in a thorough and proper manner and shall render statements of the financial affairs of the Corporation in such form and as often as required by the Board of Directors or the President. The Chief Financial Officer, subject to the order of the Board of Directors, shall have the custody of all funds and securities of the Corporation. The Chief Financial Officer shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer or President shall designate from time to time. The Chief Executive Officer or President may direct the Treasurer or any Assistant Treasurer, or the Controller or any Assistant Controller to assume and perform the duties of the Chief Financial Officer in the absence or disability of the Chief Financial Officer, and each Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer and each Controller and Assistant Controller shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the President shall designate from time to time.

 

(h)       Duties of General Counsel. The General Counsel shall act as the Corporation’s chief legal officer and shall perform other duties commonly incident to his office and shall also perform such other duties and have such other powers as the Board of Directors or the Chief Executive Officer or President shall designate from time to time.

 

Section 28. Delegation of Authority. The Board of Directors may from time-to-time delegate the powers or duties of any officer to any other officer or agent, notwithstanding any provision hereof.

 

Section 29. Resignations. Any officer may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Board of Director, the Chief Executive Officer, President or to the Secretary. Any such resignation shall be effective when received by the person or persons to whom such notice is given, unless a later time is specified therein, in which event the resignation shall become effective at such later time. Unless otherwise specified in such notice, the acceptance of any such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective. Any resignation shall be without prejudice to the rights, if any, of the Corporation under any contract with the resigning officer.

 

Section 30. Removal. Any officer may be removed from office at any time, either with or without -cause, by the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors in office at the time, or by the unanimous written consent of the directors in office at the time, or by any committee or superior officers upon whom such power of removal may have been conferred by the Board of Directors.

 

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ARTICLE V

 

EXECUTION OF CORPORATE INSTRUMENTS AND VOTING OF SECURITIES OWNED BY THE CORPORATION

 

Section 31. Execution of Corporate Instruments. The Board of Directors may, in its discretion, determine the method and designate the signatory officer or officers, or other person or persons, to execute on behalf of the Corporation any corporate instrument or document, or to sign on behalf of the Corporation the corporate name without limitation, or to enter into contracts on behalf of the Corporation, except where otherwise provided by law or these Amended and Restated Bylaws, and such execution or signature shall be binding upon the Corporation.

 

Unless otherwise specifically determined by the Board of Directors or otherwise required by law, promissory notes, deeds of trust, mortgages and other evidences of indebtedness of the Corporation, and other corporate instruments or documents requiring the corporate seal, and certificates of shares of stock owned by the Corporation, shall be executed, signed or endorsed by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the General Counsel, the President or any Vice President, and by the Secretary or Treasurer or any Assistant Secretary or Assistant Treasurer. All other instruments and documents requiting the corporate signature, but not requiring the corporate seal, may be executed as aforesaid or in such other manner as may be directed by the Board of Directors.

 

All checks and drafts drawn on banks or other depositaries on funds to the credit of the Corporation or in special accounts of the Corporation shall be signed by such person or persons as the Board of Directors shall authorize so to do.

 

Unless authorized or ratified by the Board of Directors or within the agency power of an officer, no officer, agent or employee shall have any power or authority to bind the Corporation by any contract or engagement or to pledge its credit or to render it liable for any purpose or for any amount.

 

Section 32. Voting of Securities Owned by the Corporation. All stock and other securities of other corporations owned or held by the Corporation for itself, or for other parties in any capacity, shall be voted, and any proxies with respect thereto shall be executed, by the person authorized so to do by resolution of the Board of Directors, or, in the absence of such authorization, by the Chair of the Board of Directors, the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the General Counsel or any Vice President.

 

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ARTICLE VI

 

SHARES OF STOCK

 

Section 33. Form and Execution of Certificates. Certificates for the shares of stock of the Corporation shall be in such form as is consistent with the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and applicable law. Every holder of stock in the Corporation shall be entitled to have a certificate signed by or in the name of the Corporation by the Chair of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President or any Vice President and by the Treasurer or Assistant Treasurer or the Secretary or Assistant Secretary, certifying the number of shares owned by him in the Corporation. Any or all of the signatures on the certificate may be facsimiles. In case any officer, transfer agent, or registrar who has signed or whose facsimile signature has been placed upon a certificate shall have ceased to be such officer, transfer agent, or registrar before such certificate is issued, it may be issued with the same effect as if he were such officer, transfer agent, or registrar at the date of issue. Each certificate shall state upon the face or back thereof, in full or in summary, all of the powers, designations, preferences, and rights, and the limitations or restrictions of the shares authorized to be issued or shall, except as otherwise required by law, set forth on the face or back a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional, or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Within a reasonable time after the issuance or transfer of uncertificated stock, the Corporation shall send to the registered owner thereof a written notice containing the information required to be set forth or stated on certificates pursuant to this section or otherwise required by law or with respect to this section a statement that the Corporation will furnish without charge to each stockholder who so requests the powers, designations, preferences and relative participating, optional or other special rights of each class of stock or series thereof and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions of such preferences and/or rights. Except as otherwise expressly provided by law, the rights and obligations of the holders of certificates representing stock of the same class and series shall be identical.

 

  

Section 34. Lost Certificates. A new certificate or certificates shall be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, stolen, or destroyed. The Corporation may require, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, the owner of such lost, stolen, or destroyed certificate or certificates, or his legal representative, to advertise the same in such manner as it shall require or to give the Corporation a surety bond in such form and amount as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation with respect to the certificate alleged to have been lost, stolen, or destroyed.

 

Section 35. Transfers.

 

(a)     Transfers of record of shares of stock of the Corporation shall be made only upon its books by the holders thereof, in person or by attorney duly authorized, and upon the surrender of a properly endorsed certificate or certificates for a like number of shares.

 

(b)     The Corporation shall have power to enter into and perform any agreement with any number of stockholders of anyone or more classes of stock of the Corporation to restrict the transfer of shares of stock of the Corporation of any one or more classes owned by such stockholders in any manner not prohibited by the General Corporation Law of Nevada.

 

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Section 36. Fixing Record Dates.

 

(a)     In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or any adjournment thereof, the Board of Directors may fix, in advance, a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted by the Board of directors, and which record date shall not be more than sixty (60) nor less than ten (10) days before the date of such meeting. If no record date is fixed by the Board of Directors, the record date for determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall be at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which notice is given, or if notice is waived, at the close of business on the day next preceding the day on which the meeting is held. A determination of stockholders of record entitled to notice of or to vote at a meeting of stockholders shall apply to any adjournment of the meeting; provided, however, that the Board of Directors may fix a new record date for the adjourned meeting.

 

(b)     In order that the Corporation may determine the stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or other distribution or allotment of any rights or the stockholders entitled to exercise any rights in respect of any change, conversion or exchange of stock, or for the purpose of any other lawful action, the Board of Directors may fix, in advance, a record date, which record date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the record date is adopted, and which record date shall be not more than sixty (60) days prior to such action. If no record date is filed, the record date for determining stockholders for any such purpose shall be at the close of business on the day on which the Board of Directors adopts the resolution relating thereto.

 

Section 37. Registered Stockholders. The Corporation shall be entitled to recognize the exclusive right of a person registered on its books as the owner of shares to receive dividends, and to vote as such owner, and shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or shares on the part of any other person whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of Nevada.

 

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ARTICLE VII

 

OTHER SECURITIES OF THE CORPORATION

 

Section 38. Execution of Other Securities. All bonds, debentures and other corporate securities of the Corporation, other than stock certificates (covered in Section 33), may be signed by the Chair of the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer, the President, the General Counsel, or any Vice President, or such other person as may be authorized by the Board of Directors, and the corporate seal impressed thereon or a facsimile of such seal imprinted thereon and attested by the signature of the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary, or the Chief Financial Officer or Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer; provided, however, that where any such bond, debenture or other corporate security shall be authenticated by the manual signature, or where permissible facsimile signature, of a trustee under an indenture pursuant to which such bond, debenture or other corporate security shall be issued, the signatures of the persons signing and attesting the corporate seal on such bond, debenture or other corporate security may be the imprinted facsimile of the signatures of such persons. Interest coupons appertaining to any such bond, debenture, or other corporate security, authenticated by a trustee as aforesaid, shall be signed by the Treasurer or an Assistant Treasurer of the Corporation or such other person as may be authorized by the Board of Directors, or bear imprinted thereon the facsimile signature of such person. In case any officer who shall have signed or attested any bond, debenture or other corporate security, or whose facsimile signature shall appear thereon or on any such interest coupon, shall have ceased to be such officer before the bond, debenture or other corporate security so signed or attested shall have been delivered, such bond, debenture or other corporate security nevertheless may be adopted by the Corporation and issued and delivered as though the person who signed the same or whose facsimile signature shall have been used thereon had not ceased to be such officer of the Corporation.

 

ARTICLE VIII

 

DIVIDENDS

 

Section 39. Declaration of Dividends. Dividends upon the capital stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, if any, may be declared by the Board of Directors pursuant to law at any regular or special meeting. Dividends may be paid in cash, in property, or in shares of the capital stock, subject to the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation.

 

Section 40. Dividend Reserve. Before payment of any dividend, there may be set aside out of any funds of the Corporation available for dividends such sum or owns as the Board of Directors from time to time, in their absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve or reserves to meet contingencies, or for equalizing dividends, or for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation, or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors shall think conducive to the interests of the Corporation, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve in the manner in which it was created.

 

ARTICLE IX

 

FISCAL YEAR

 

Section 41. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Corporation shall be fixed by resolution of the Board of Directors. In the absence of any such resolution the fiscal year shall be the calendar year.

 

ARTICLE X

 

INDEMNIFICATION

 

Section 42. Indemnification of Directors, Executive Officers, Other Officers, Employees, and Other Agents.

 

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(a)     Directors and Officers. The Corporation shall indemnify its directors and officers to the fullest extent not prohibited by the Nevada Revised Statutes; provided, however, that the Corporation may modify the extent of such indemnification by individual contracts with its directors and officers; and, provided, further, that the Corporation shall not be required to indemnify any director or officer in collection with any proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person unless (i) such indemnification is expressly required to be made by law, (ii) the proceeding was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation, (iii) such indemnification is provided by the Corporation, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Corporation under the Nevada Revised Statutes or (iv) such indemnification is required to be made under subsection (d).

 

(b)     Employees and Other Agents. The Corporation shall have power to indemnify its employees and other agents as set forth in the Nevada Revised Statutes.

 

(c)     Expenses. The Corporation shall advance to any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he is or was a director or officer of the Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director or executive officer of another Corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, prior to the final disposition of the proceeding, promptly following request therefor, all expenses incurred by any director or officer in connection with such proceeding upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of such person to repay said mounts if it should be determined ultimately that such person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Bylaw or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise determined pursuant to paragraph (e) of this Bylaw, no advance shall be made by the Corporation to an officer of the Corporation (except by reason of the fact that such officer is or was a director of the Corporation in which event this paragraph shall not apply) in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, if a determination is reasonably and promptly made (i) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who were not parties to the proceeding, or (ii) if such quorum is not obtainable, or, even if obtainable, a quorum of disinterested directors so directs, by independent legal counsel in a written opinion, that the facts known to the decision-making party at the time such determination is made demonstrate clearly and convincingly that such person acted in bad faith or in a manner that such person did not believe to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation.

 

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(d)     Enforcement. Without the necessity of entering into an express contract, all rights to indemnification and advances to directors and officers under this Bylaw shall be deemed to be contractual rights and be effective to the same extent and as if provided for in a contract between the Corporation and the director or officer. Any right to indemnification or advances granted by this Bylaw to a director or officer shall be enforceable by or on behalf of the person holding such right in any court of competent jurisdiction if (i) the claim for indemnification or advances is denied, in whole or in part, or (ii) no disposition of such claim is made within ninety (90) days of request therefor. The claimant in such enforcement action, if successful in whole or in part, shall be entitled to be paid also the expense of prosecuting his claim. In connection with any claim for indemnification, the Corporation shall be entitled to raise as a defense to any such action that the claimant has not met the standard of conduct that make it permissible under the Nevada Revised Statutes for the Corporation to indemnify the claimant for the amount claimed. In collection with any claim by an officer of the Corporation (except in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that such officer is or was a director of the Corporation) for advances, the Corporation shall be entitled to raise a defense as to any such action clear and convincing evidence that such person acted in bad faith or in a manner that such person did not believe to be in or not opposed in the best interests of the Corporation, or with respect to any criminal action or proceeding that such person acted without reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was lawful. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Board of Directors, independent legal counselor its stockholders) to have made a determination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the claimant is proper in the circumstances because he has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in the Nevada Revised Statutes, nor an actual determination by the Corporation (including its Board of directors, independent legal counselor its stockholders) that the claimant has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that claimant has not met the applicable standard of conduct. In any suit brought by a director or officer to enforce a right to indemnification or to an advancement of expenses hereunder, the burden of proving that the director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified, or to such advancement of expenses, under this Article X or otherwise shall be on the Corporation.

 

(e)     Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Bylaw shall not be exclusive of any other right which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, Amended and Restated Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise, both as to action in his official capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding office. The Corporation is specifically authorized to enter into individual contracts with any or all of its directors, officers, employees or agents respecting indemnification and advances, to the fullest extent not prohibited by the Nevada Revised Statutes.

 

(f)     Survival of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Bylaw shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a director, officer, employee, or other agent and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors, and administrators of such a person.

 

(g)     Insurance. To the fullest extent permitted by the Nevada Revised Statutes, the Corporation, upon approval by the Board of Directors, may purchase insurance on behalf of any person required or permitted to be indemnified pursuant to this Bylaw.

 

(h)     Amendments. Any repeal or modification of this Bylaw shall only be prospective and shall not affect the rights under this Bylaw in effect at tile time of the alleged occurrence of any action or omission to act that is the cause of any proceeding against any agent of the Corporation.

 

(i)     Saving Clause. If this Bylaw or any portion hereof shall be invalidated on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, then the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify each director and officer to the full extent not prohibited by any applicable portion of this Bylaw that shall not have been invalidated, or by any other applicable law.

 

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(j)     Certain Definitions. For the purposes of this Bylaw, the following definitions shall apply:

 

(i)     The term "proceeding" shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, the investigation, preparation, prosecution, defense, settlement, arbitration, and appeal of, and the giving of testimony in, any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, or investigative.

 

(ii)    The term "expenses" shall be broadly construed and shall include, without limitation, court costs, attorneys' fees, witness fees, fines, amounts paid in settlement or judgment and any other costs and expenses of any nature or kind incurred in collection with any proceeding.

 

(iii)   The term the "Corporation" shall include, in addition to the resulting Corporation, any constituent Corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, and employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent Corporation, or is or was serving at the request of such constituent Corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent or another Corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Bylaw with respect to the resulting or surviving Corporation as he would have with respect to such constituent Corporation if its separate existence had continued.

 

(iv)     References to a "director,” "executive officer,” "officer," "employee,” or "agent" of the Corporation shall include, without limitation, situations where such person is serving at the request of the Corporation as, respectively, a director, executive officer, officer, employee, trustee or agent of another Corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise.

 

(v)     References to "other enterprises" shall include employee benefit plans; references to "fines" shall include any excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan; and references to "serving at the request of the Corporation" shall include any service as a director, officer, employee or agent of the Corporation which imposes duties on, or involves services by, such director, officer, employee, or agent with respect to an employee benefit plan, its participants, or beneficiaries; and a person who acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan shall be deemed to have acted in a manner "not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation" as referred to in this Bylaw.

 

ARTICLE XI

 

NOTICES

 

Section 43. Notices.

 

(a)     Notice to Stockholders. Whenever, under any provisions of these Amended and Restated Bylaws, notice is required to be given to any stockholder, it shall be given in writing, timely and duly deposited in the United States mail, postage prepaid, and addressed to his last known post office address as shown by the stock record of the Corporation or its transfer agent.

 

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(b)     Notice to directors. Any notice required to be given to any director may be given by the method stated in subsection (a), or by facsimile, telex, or telegram, except that such notice other than one which is delivered personally shall be sent to such address as such director shall have filed in writing with the Secretary, or in the absence of such filing, to the last known post office address of such director.

 

(c)     Affidavit of Mailing. An affidavit of mailing, executed by a duly authorized and competent employee of the Corporation or its transfer agent appointed with respect to the class of stock affected, specifying the name and address or the names and addresses of the stockholder or stockholders, or director or directors, to whom any such notice or notices was or were given, and the time and method of giving the same, shall in the absence of fraud, be prima facie evidence of the facts therein contained.

 

(d)     Time Notices Deemed Given. All notices given by mail, as above provided, shall be deemed to have been given as at the time of mailing, and all notices given by facsimile, telex, or telegram shall be deemed to have been given as of the sending time recorded at time of transmission.

 

(e)     Methods of Notice. It shall not be necessary that the same method of giving notice be employed in respect of all directors, but one permissible method may be employed in respect of any one or more, and any other permissible method or methods may be employed in respect of any other or others.

 

(f)     Failure to Receive Notice. The period or limitation of time within which any stockholder may exercise any option or right, or enjoy any privilege or benefit, or be required to act, or within which any director may exercise any power or right, or enjoy any privilege, pursuant to any notice sent him ill the manner above provided, shall not be affected or extended in any manner by the failure of such stockholder or such director to receive such notice.

 

(g)     Notice to Person with Whom Communication Is Unlawful. Whenever notice is required to be given, under any provision of law or of the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation, to any person with whom communication is unlawful, the giving of such notice to such person shall not be required and there shall be no duty to apply to any governmental authority or agency for a license or permit to give such notice to such person. Any action or meeting which shall be taken or held without notice to any such person with whom communication is unlawful shall have the same force and effect as if such notice had been duly given. In the event that the action taken by the Corporation is such as to require the filing of a certificate under any provision of the Nevada Revised Statutes, the certificate shall state, if such is the fact and if notice is required, that notice was given to all persons entitled to receive notice except such persons with whom communication is unlawful.

 

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(h)     Notice to Person with Undeliverable Address. Whenever notice is required to be given, under any provision of law or the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation or the Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Corporation, to any stockholder to whom (i) notice of two consecutive annual meetings, and all notices of meetings or of the taking of action by written consent without a meeting to such person during the period between such two consecutive annual meetings, or (ii) all, and at least two, payments (if sent by first class mail) of dividends or interest on securities during a twelve-month period, have been mailed addressed to such person at his address as shown on the records of the Corporation and have been returned undeliverable, the giving of such notice to such person shall not be required. Any action or meeting which shall be taken or held without notice to such person shall have the same force and effect as if such notice had been duly given. If any such person shall deliver to the Corporation a written notice setting forth his then current address, the requirement that notice be given to such person shall be reinstated. In the event that the action taken by the Corporation is such as to require the filing of a certificate under any provision of the Nevada Revised Statutes, the certificate need not state that notice was not given to persons to whom notice was not required to be given pursuant to this paragraph.

 

ARTICLE XII

 

AMENDMENTS

 

Section 44. Amendments. The Board of Directors shall have the sole power to adopt, amend, or repeal Bylaws as set forth in the Articles of Incorporation.

 

ARTICLE XIII

 

LITIGATION FORUM

 

Section 45. Litigation Forum. Unless the Corporation consents in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the Eighth Judicial District Court of Clark County, Nevada (the “District Court”) shall be the sole and exclusive form for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on behalf of the Corporation (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer, employee, or other agent of the Corporation to the Corporation or the Corporation’s stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of Title 7 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, or (iv) any action asserting a claim governed by the internal affairs doctrine, in each case subject to the District Court having personal jurisdiction over the indispensable parties named as defendants therein.

 

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ARTICLE XIV

 

BOARD OF ADVISORS

 

Section 46. Board of Advisors. The Board of Directors, in its discretion, may establish a Board of Advisors (“Board of Advisors”) consisting of individuals who may or may not be stockholders or directors of the Corporation. The purpose of the Board of Advisors is to advise the officers and directors of the Corporation with respect to such matters as such officers and directors shall choose, and any other such matters which the members of such Board of Advisors deem appropriate in furtherance of the best interests of the Corporation. The Board of Advisors shall meet on such basis as the members thereof may determine. The Board of Directors may eliminate the Board of Advisors at any time. No member of the Board of Advisors, nor the Board of Advisors itself, shall have any authority within the Corporation or any decision-making power and shall be merely advisory in nature. Unless the Board of Directors determines another method of appointment, the Chief Executive Officer, President or General Counsel shall recommend possible members to the Board of Directors, who shall approve or reject such appointments.

 

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Exhibit 3.3

 

Amendment to

Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation

 

of

 

Castellum, Inc.

 

a Nevada corporation

 

Article III (F)5 of Castellum, Inc.’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation is amended to read as follows:

 

A reverse stock split of 1 post-split share of Common Stock for each ____ shares of Common Stock outstanding or held in treasury immediately prior to such time, shall be effected upon announcement of such reverse stock split by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority in calendar year 2022, rounded up to the nearest whole share, (except if the holder of the Common Stock has less than one share, then they shall receive a cash payment for such fractional share), which reverse stock split shall automatically and without any action on the part of the holders thereof occur (the “Reverse Stock Split”). The par value of the Common Stock shall not be affected. This conversion shall apply to all shares of Common Stock. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon the Reverse Stock Split or otherwise, and shares shall be rounded up to the nearest whole share. All certificates representing shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately prior to the filing of this amendment to the Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation shall immediately after this amendment represent instead the number of shares of Common Stock as provided above. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any holder of Common Stock may (but shall not be required to) surrender his, her or its stock certificate or certificates to the Corporation, and upon such surrender the corporation will issue a certificate for the correct number of shares of Common Stock to which the holder is entitled under the provisions of this amendment. Shares of Common Stock that were outstanding prior to the filing of this amendment, and that are not outstanding after and as a result of the filing of this amendment, shall resume the status of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock.

 

  

 

 

Exhibit 4.1

 

THIS WARRANT AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THIS WARRANT HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), OR UNDER THE SECURITIES LAWS OF APPLICABLE STATES. THESE SECURITIES ARE SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS ON TRANSFERABILITY AND RESALE AND MAY NOT BE TRANSFERRED OR RESOLD EXCEPT AS PERMITTED HEREUNDER AND UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT AND THE APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, PURSUANT TO REGISTRATION OR EXEMPTION THEREFROM. INVESTORS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT THEY MAY BE REQUIRED TO BEAR THE FINANCIAL RISKS OF THIS INVESTMENT FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME. THE ISSUER OF THESE SECURITIES MAY REQUIRE AN OPINION OF COUNSEL IN FORM AND SUBSTANCE SATISFACTORY TO THE ISSUER TO THE EFFECT THAT ANY PROPOSED TRANSFER OR RESALE IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SECURITIES ACT AND ANY APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS.

 

WARRANT TO PURCHASE COMMON STOCK

OF

CASTELLUM, INC.

Issued on: [___________]

Void after: [___________]

This certifies that ___________________ or his registered assigns (the “Holder”) is entitled, subject to the terms and conditions of this Warrant (this "Warrant"), to purchase from Castellum, Inc. (the “Company”) at any time during the Exercise Period (defined below) and prior to _____________ (the “Expiration Date”) all, or any portion, of ___________ shares of Warrant Stock (as defined below) as may be purchased at a price per share equal to the Exercise Price (as defined below), upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal offices of the Company, together with a duly executed exercise form in the form attached hereto as Exhibit 1 (the “Notice of Exercise Form”) and simultaneous payment of the full Exercise Price for the shares of Warrant Stock so purchased in lawful money of the United States.

 

The Exercise Price and the number and character of shares of Warrant Stock purchasable under this Warrant are subject to adjustment as provided herein.

 

1.           Definitions. The following definitions shall apply for purposes of this Warrant. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in that certain Convertible Note between the Company and the Holder:

 

1.1       Exercise Period” means that period that shall commence on the date of this Warrant and end on the Expiration Date.

 

1.2       Exercise Price” means $_____ (___ cents) per share, subject to adjustment as provided herein.

 

1.3       Holder” means any person who shall at the time be the registered holder of this Warrant.

 

  

 

 

1.4       Warrant” means this Warrant and any warrant(s) delivered in substitution or exchange therefor, as provided herein.

 

1.5       Warrant Stock” means shares of the Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The number and character of shares of Warrant Stock are subject to adjustment as provided herein and the term “Warrant Stock” shall include stock and other securities and property at any time receivable or issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with its terms.

 

2.           Exercise.

 

2.1       Method of Exercise. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Warrant, the Holder may exercise this Warrant at any time or from time to time, in whole or in part, on any Trading Day before the Expiration Date, for that number of shares of Warrant Stock set forth herein with the Notice of Exercise Form duly executed by the Holder (the “Notice of Exercise”), and payment of an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying (i) the number of shares of Warrant Stock to be purchased by the Holder by (ii) the Exercise Price as determined in accordance with the terms hereof. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Holder shall not be required to physically surrender this Warrant to the Company until the Holder has purchased all of the Warrant Stock available hereunder and the Warrant has been exercised in full, in which case, the Holder shall surrender this Warrant to the Company for cancellation within three (3) Trading Days of the date the final Notice of Exercise is delivered to the Company. Partial exercises of this Warrant resulting in purchases of a portion of the total number of Warrant Stock available hereunder shall have the effect of lowering the outstanding number of Warrant Stock purchasable hereunder in an amount equal to the applicable number of Warrant Stock purchased. The Holder and the Company shall maintain records showing the number of Warrant Stock purchased and the date of such purchases. The Company shall deliver any objection to any Notice of Exercise Form within 1 Business Day of receipt of such notice. In the event of any dispute or discrepancy, the records of the Holder shall be controlling and determinative in the absence of manifest error.

 

2.2       Form of Payment. Payment may be made by (i) a check payable to the Company’s order, (ii) wire transfer of funds to the Company, or (iii) any combination of the foregoing

 

2.3       Cashless Exercise. This Warrant may also be exercised, in whole or in part, at such time by means of a “cashless exercise” in which the Holder shall be entitled to receive a certificate for the number of shares of Warrant Stock equal to the quotient obtained by dividing [(A-B) (X)] by (A), where:

 

(A) = the per share price of the Company's Common Stock as determined by the closing bid price of the Company’s common stock on the date immediately prior to the date on which Holder elects to exercise this Warrant by means of a “cashless exercise,” as set forth in the applicable Notice of Exercise;

 

(B) = the Exercise Price of this Warrant, as adjusted hereunder; and

 

 2 

 

 

(X) = the number of shares of Warrant Stock that would be issuable upon exercise of this Warrant in accordance with the terms of this Warrant if such exercise were by means of a cash exercise rather than a cashless exercise.

 

2.4       No Fractional Shares. No fractional shares may be issued upon any exercise of this Warrant, and any fractions shall be rounded down to the nearest whole number of shares. If upon any exercise of this Warrant a fraction of a share results, the Company will pay the cash value of any such fractional share, calculated on the basis of the Exercise Price.

 

2.5       Restrictions on Exercise. This Warrant may not be exercised if the issuance of the Warrant Stock upon such exercise would constitute a violation of any applicable federal or state securities laws or other laws or regulations. As a condition to the exercise of this Warrant, the Holder shall execute the Notice of Exercise Form.

 

3.           Issuance of Stock.

 

3.1       Delivery of Certificates Upon Exercise. Certificates for shares purchased hereunder shall be transmitted by the Company to the Holder by physical delivery to the address specified by the Holder in the Notice of Exercise by the date that is two (2) Trading Days after the latest of (A) the delivery to the Company of the Notice of Exercise Form, (B) surrender of this Warrant (if required), and (C) payment of the aggregate Exercise Price as set forth above (including by cashless exercise, if permitted) (such date, the “Warrant Stock Delivery Date”). This Warrant shall be deemed to have been exercised on the first date on which all of the foregoing have been delivered to the Company. The Warrant Shares shall be deemed to have been issued, and Holder or any other person so designated to be named therein shall be deemed to have become a holder of record of such shares for all purposes, as of the date the Warrant has been exercised, with payment to the Company of the Exercise Price (or by cashless exercise, if permitted) and all taxes required to be paid by the Holder, if any, pursuant to Section 3.4 prior to the issuance of such shares, having been paid.

 

3.2       Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of certificates for Warrant Stock shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such certificate, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such certificates shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event certificates for Warrant Stock are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto.

 

4.          Adjustment Provisions. The number and character of shares of Warrant Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (or any shares of stock or other securities or property at the time receivable or issuable upon exercise of this Warrant) and the Exercise Price therefor, are subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of the following events between the date this Warrant is issued and the date it is exercised:

 

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4.1       Adjustment for Stock Splits and Stock Dividends. The Exercise Price of this Warrant and the number of shares of Warrant Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant (or any shares of stock or other securities at the time issuable upon exercise of this Warrant) shall each be proportionally adjusted to reflect any stock dividend, stock split or reverse stock split, or other similar event affecting the number of outstanding shares of Common Stock (or such other stock or securities). Each adjustment under this Section 4.1 shall become effective on the close of business on the date such dividend, stock split or reverse stock split, or other similar event becomes effective.

 

4.2       Adjustment for Reorganization, Consolidation, Merger. In case of any recapitalization or reorganization of the Company after the date of this Warrant, or in case, after such date, the Company shall consolidate with, merge into, or enter into a share exchange with, another corporation or entity (the “Successor Entity”) or other similar event, then, and in each such case, the Warrant Holder shall be entitled to receive, at any time on or after the consummation of such recapitalization, reorganization, consolidation, merger, share exchange or other similar event, shall be entitled to receive, at the option of the Warrant Holder, either (a) warrants or other securities exercisable or convertible into common stock of the Successor Entity, or (b) in lieu of the securities contemplated by clause (a) hereof, the cash, stock or other securities or property to which the Warrant Holder would have been entitled upon the consummation of such recapitalization, reorganization, consolidation, merger, share exchange or other similar event, if the Warrant Holder had exercised this Warrant immediately prior thereto at the Exercise Price. The Company covenants and agrees that any Successor Entity in such reorganization, consolidation, merger, share exchange or other similar event (if other than the Company) shall duly execute and deliver to the Warrant Holder a supplement hereto acknowledging such corporation’s obligations under this Warrant; and in each such case, the terms of this Warrant shall be applicable to the cash, shares of stock or other securities or property receivable upon the exercise of this Warrant after the consummation of such reorganization, consolidation, merger, share exchange or other similar event.

 

4.3       Adjustment for Dilutive Issuances. If the Company, at any time after the date of this Warrant, shall, prior to [___________], issue any shares of Common Stock or securities of the Company convertible into shares of Common Stock at a price per share of Common Stock less than the Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such issuance, in any case other than an Excluded Issuance (as hereinafter defined) (a “Dilutive Issuance”), then, and in each such case, the Exercise Price shall be reduced to the effective per share price of the Common Stock in connection with such additional issuance of securities.

 

The following shall be deemed “Excluded Issuances” for the purpose of this Section 4.3:

 

(a)       The Company’s granting of stock options, and/or issuance of Common Stock upon exercise thereof, to directors, officers, employees or consultants of the Company; or

 

(b)       The issuance of shares of Common Stock or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of Common Stock (and the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the conversion, exercise or exchange thereof) in connection with any future acquisition, merger or other business combination, purchase of assets or of all or a portion of a business or other strategic relationship entered, by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

 

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4.4       Number of Shares of Warrant Stock. Simultaneously with any adjustment to the Exercise Price pursuant to Section 4.1 above, the number of shares of Warrant Stock that may be purchased upon exercise of this Warrant shall be increased or decreased proportionately, so that after such adjustment the aggregate Exercise Price payable hereunder for the increased or decreased number of shares of Warrant Stock shall be the same as the aggregate Exercise Price in effect immediately prior to such adjustment; provided, however, any adjustment of the Exercise Price and the number of shares of Warrant Stock available for exercise, if applicable, made pursuant to this section shall adjust back in the event none of the convertible securities or options or warrants which caused such adjustment are converted or exercised, as the case may be.

 

4.5       Calculations. All calculations under this Section 4 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as applicable. The number of shares of Common Stock outstanding at any given time shall not include shares owned or held by or for the account of the Company, and the disposition of any such shares shall be considered an issue or sale of Common Stock.

 

4.6       Notice of Adjustments. The Company shall promptly give written notice of each adjustment or readjustment of the Exercise Price or the number of shares of Warrant Stock or other securities issuable upon exercise of this Warrant. The notice shall describe the adjustment or readjustment and show in reasonable detail the facts on which the adjustment or readjustment is based.

 

4.7       No Change Necessary. The form of this Warrant need not be changed because of any adjustment in the Exercise Price or in the number of shares of Warrant Stock issuable upon its exercise.

 

4.8       Reservation of Stock. If at any time the number of authorized but unissued (or treasury shares) of Common Stock or other securities issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall not be sufficient to effect the exercise of this Warrant, the Company will take such corporate action as may, in the opinion of its counsel, be necessary to increase its authorized but unissued shares of Warrant Stock or other securities issuable upon exercise of this Warrant as shall be sufficient for such purpose.

 

5.           PIGGYBACK REGISTRATION RIGHTS. The Company shall notify all Holders in writing at least thirty (30) days prior to filing any registration statement under the Securities Act for purposes of effecting a public offering of securities of the Company (including, but not limited to, registration statements relating to secondary offerings of securities of the Company, but excluding registration statements relating to any employee benefit plan or a corporate reorganization or other transaction covered by Rule 145 promulgated under the Securities Act, or a registration on any registration form which does not permit secondary sales or does not include substantially the same information as would be required to be included in a registration statement covering the sale of Common Stock) and will afford each such Holder an opportunity to include in such registration statement all or any part of the Warrant Stock then held by such Holder. Each Holder desiring to include in any such registration statement all or any part of the Warrant Stock held by such Holder shall, within twenty (20) days after receipt of the above-described notice from the Company, so notify the Company in writing, and in such notice shall inform the Company of the number of Warrant Stock such Holder wishes to include in such registration statement. If a Holder decides not to include all of its Warrant Stock in any registration statement thereafter filed by the Company, such Holder shall nevertheless continue to have the right to include any Warrant Stock in any subsequent registration statement or registration statements as may be filed by the Company with respect to offerings of its securities, all upon the terms and conditions set forth herein.

 

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6.          No Rights or Liabilities as Shareholder. This Warrant does not by itself entitle the Holder to any voting rights or other rights as a shareholder of the Company. In the absence of affirmative action by the Holder to purchase Warrant Stock by exercise of this Warrant, no provisions of this Warrant, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall cause the Holder to be a shareholder of the Company for any purpose.

 

7.         No Impairment. The Company will not, by amendment of its certificate of incorporation or bylaws, or through reorganization, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities, sale of assets or any other voluntary action, willfully avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in the taking of all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order to protect the rights of the Holder against wrongful impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company will take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may duly and validly issue fully paid and nonassessable shares of Warrant Stock upon the exercise of this Warrant.

 

8.        NOTICE REQUIREMENT. In case (i) the Company shall take a record of the holders of its Common Stock (or other stock or securities at the time deliverable upon the exercise of this Warrant) for the purpose of entitling or enabling them to receive any dividend or other distribution, or to receive any right to subscribe for or purchase any shares of stock of any class or any other securities, or to receive any other rights; or (ii) of any capital reorganization of the Company, any reclassification of the capital stock of the Company, any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into another corporation (other than a consolidation or merger in which the Company is the surviving entity), or any transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company; or (iii) of the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Company, then, in each case, the Company will give notice thereof to the Holder of this Warrant specifying in such notice , as the case may be, (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution or right, or (y) the effective date on which such reorganization, reclassification, consolidation , merger, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is to take place, and the time, if any is to be fixed, as of which the holders of record of Common Stock (or such other stock or securities at the time deliverable upon the exercise of this Warrant) shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock (or such other stock or securities) for the security or other property deliverable upon such reorganization, reclassification, consolidation, merger, transfer, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up. Such notice shall be given by the Company at least ten Trading Days prior to the record date or effective date for the event specified in such notice.

 

9.        Attorneys’ Fees. In the event any party is required to engage the services of any attorneys for the purpose of enforcing this Warrant, or any provision thereof, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover its reasonable expenses and costs in enforcing this Warrant, including reasonable attorneys’ fees.

 

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 10.     Transfer. Subject to compliance with any applicable securities laws, this Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney and funds sufficient to pay any transfer taxes payable upon the making of such transfer. Upon such surrender and, if required, such payment, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such instrument of assignment, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. The Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Warrant Stock without having a new Warrant issued.

 

11.     Loss, Theft, Destruction or Mutilation of Warrant. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Warrant Stock, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of the Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.

 

12.     Limitation of Liability. No provision hereof, in the absence of any affirmative action by Holder to exercise this Warrant to purchase Warrant Stock, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of Holder, shall give rise to any liability of Holder for the purchase price of any Common Stock or as a stockholder of the Company, whether such liability is asserted by the Company or by creditors of the Company.

 

13.     Remedies. The Holder, in addition to being entitled to exercise all rights granted by law, including recovery of damages, will be entitled to specific performance of its rights under this Warrant. The Company agrees that monetary damages would not be adequate compensation for any loss incurred by reason of a breach by it of the provisions of this Warrant and hereby agrees to waive and not to assert the defense in any action for specific performance that a remedy at law would be adequate.

 

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14.       Governing Law and jurisdiction. All questions concerning the construction, validity, enforcement and interpretation of this Warrant shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the internal laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof. Each party agrees that all legal proceedings concerning the interpretations, enforcement and defense of the transactions contemplated by this Warrant (whether brought against a party hereto or its respective affiliates, directors, officers, shareholders, employees or agents) shall be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the State of Maryland. Each party hereby irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts sitting in the State of Maryland for the adjudication of any dispute hereunder or in connection herewith or with any transaction contemplated hereby or discussed herein, and hereby irrevocably waives, and agrees not to assert in any suit, action or proceeding, any claim that it is not personally subject to the jurisdiction of any such court, that such suit, action or proceeding is improper or is an inconvenient venue for such proceeding. Each party hereby irrevocably waives personal service of process and consents to process being served in any such suit, action or proceeding by mailing a copy thereof via registered or certified mail or overnight delivery (with evidence of delivery) to such party at the address in effect for notices to it under this Warrant and agrees that such service shall constitute good and sufficient service of process and notice thereof. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit in any way any right to serve process in any other manner permitted by law. If either party shall commence an action or proceeding to enforce any provisions of this Warrant, then the prevailing party in such action or proceeding shall be reimbursed by the other party for its reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs and expenses incurred with the investigation, preparation and prosecution of such action or proceeding.

 

15.       Headings. The headings and captions used in this Warrant are used only for convenience and are not to be considered in construing or interpreting this Warrant. All references in this Warrant to sections and exhibits shall, unless otherwise provided, refer to sections hereof and exhibits attached hereto, all of which exhibits are incorporated herein by this reference.

 

16.       Severability. If one or more provisions of this Warrant are held to be unenforceable under applicable law, such provision(s) shall be excluded from this Warrant and the balance of the Warrant shall be interpreted as if such provision(s) were so excluded and shall be enforceable in accordance with its terms.

 

17.       Terms Binding. By acceptance of this Warrant, the Holder accepts and agrees to be bound by all the terms and conditions of this Warrant.

 

18.       MISCELLANEOUS. In any instance where the word “days” is used herein, unless otherwise indicated, “days” shall mean calendar days, including Saturday, Sunday and holidays.

 

[The balance of this page intentionally left blank]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Warrant as of the date first above written.

 

  CASTELLUM, INC.
   
  By:  
    Name: Mark Fuller
    Title: President and CEO

 

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Exhibit 1

 

FORM OF exercise

(To be signed only upon exercise of Warrant)

 

To: Castellum, Inc.

 

The undersigned Holder hereby elects to purchase ____________ shares of Common Stock of Castellum, Inc. (the “Warrant Stock”), at a purchase price of $____ per share for a total purchase price of $________________, pursuant to the terms of the attached Warrant, and tenders herewith payment of the purchase price for such shares in full.

 

Please issue a certificate or certificates representing such shares of Warrant Stock in the name specified below:

 

   
  (Name)
   
  (Address)
   
  (City, State, Zip Code)
   
  (Federal Tax Identification Number)
   
  (Date)

 

In the event that this exercise is for less than the total number of shares of Warrant Stock available for exercise under this Warrant, please also issue a new Warrant for the remaining number of shares of Warrant Stock.

 

   
  Signature of Warrant Holder

 

  

 

 

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(ENTIRE)

 

[To be signed only upon transfer of entire Warrant]

 

TO BE EXECUTED BY THE REGISTERED HOLDER

TO TRANSFER THE WITHIN WARRANT

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED ___________________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto _______________________________ all rights of the undersigned under and pursuant to the within Warrant, and the undersigned does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint _____________________ Attorney to transfer the said Warrant on the books of Castellum, Inc., with full power of substitution.

 

   
[Type Name of Holder]  
     
By:      
Title:      
     
Dated:    

 

NOTICE

 

The signature to the foregoing Assignment must correspond exactly to the name as written upon the face of the within Warrant, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

 

  

 

 

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT

(PARTIAL)

 

[To be signed only upon partial transfer of Warrant]

 

TO BE EXECUTED BY THE REGISTERED HOLDER

TO TRANSFER THE WITHIN WARRANT

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED ___________________________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto ____________________________ (i) the rights of the undersigned to purchase ____________________ shares of Common Stock under and pursuant to the within Warrant, and (ii) on a non-exclusive basis, all other rights of the undersigned under and pursuant to the within Warrant, it being understood that the undersigned shall retain, severally (and not jointly) with the transferee(s) named herein, all rights assigned on such non-exclusive basis. The undersigned does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint __________________________ Attorney to transfer the said Warrant on the books of Castellum, Inc., with full power of substitution.

 

   
[Type Name of Holder]  
     
By:      
Title:      
     
Dated:    

 

NOTICE

 

The signature to the foregoing Assignment must correspond exactly to the name as written upon the face of the within Warrant, without alteration or enlargement or any change whatsoever.

 

  

 

 

Exhibit 4.2

 

THIS CONVERTIBLE PROMISSORY NOTE AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS PROMISSORY NOTE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE, AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED UNLESS AND UNTIL REGISTERED UNDER SUCH ACT AND/OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, OR 1`1`UNLESS THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL OR OTHER EVIDENCE REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND ITS COUNSEL THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.

 

$4,279,616.67 Re-Issued as of February 1, 2021

 

AMENDED CONVERTIBLE PROMISSORY NOTE

(hereinafter referred to as this Promissory Note)

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Corvus Consulting, LLC (Corvus Consulting) and Castellum, Inc. f/k/a BioNovelus, Inc. (the Parent) (Parent and Corvus Consulting collectively referred to as the Obligor(s)), hereby promise to pay to the order of The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust or any future permitted holder of this promissory note (the Holder), the principal sum of FOUR MILLION TWO HUNDRED SEVENTY-NINE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED SIXTEEN AND 67/100 DOLLARS ($4,279,616.67) (the Principal Amount) plus any accrued but unpaid interest thereon at the rate of FIVE PERCENT (5%) per annum (the Interest Rate) until the Principal Amount is paid in full. All payments made under this Promissory Note will be made to the Holder, at such address as the Holder may designate, in monies of the United States of America. This Amended Convertible Promissory Note replaces in its entirety those two prior Convertible Promissory Notes in the amounts of $579,616.67 and $3,700,000 issued in connection with the sale of Corvus Consulting (the Prior Notes), which Prior Notes are hereby cancelled.

 

1.           Interest; Principal. Interest accrued at the Interest Rate shall be payable in monthly installments on the last day of each month or upon mandatory prepayment in cash from the date of this Promissory Note unless the Principal Amount and all interest accrued thereon and all other amounts owed hereunder are prepaid or converted into shares of common stock of the Obligors as provided for herein. Principal shall be paid as follows: $10,000 each month with the remainder due upon Maturity.

 

2.           Maturity. The Obligors shall pay in full (unless the Promissory Note is converted pursuant to Section 3 hereof) the entire unpaid principal balance then outstanding plus any accrued but unpaid interest under this Promissory Note on the earliest to occur of (i) three (3) years following the date of its issuance or (ii) the acceleration of the obligations as contemplated by this Promissory Note.

 

3.           Conversion. While any portion of the principal balance of this Promissory Note remains outstanding, the Holder may convert, in whole or in part, the Principal Amount plus any accrued but unpaid interest into shares of Common Stock of the Parent (the Shares), at a conversion price (the Conversion Price) equal to ONE AND THREE TENTH CENTS ($0.013) per share. Such conversion shall be effected by the surrender of this Promissory Note, together with written notice of such to the secretary of the Parent at its principal offices. If the conversion is for less than the entire principal balance then outstanding, then a replacement of this Promissory Note shall be issued to the Holder reflecting the adjusted principal balance following such conversion.

 

  

 

 

3.1.          Certificates for Shares. As soon as practicable upon conversion (but in no event more than ten (10) business days after conversion) of this Promissory Note, the Parent shall issue to the Holder a certificate or certificates for the number of Shares into which this Promissory Note is convertible and/or make a book entry of such Shares with the Parent.

 

3.2.          Adjustment of Conversion Price and Number of Shares. The number of and kind of securities for which this Promissory Note is convertible into and the Conversion Price shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as follows:

 

3.2.1.       Subdivisions, Combinations and Other Issuances. If the Parent shall at any time prior to the repayment of this Promissory Note subdivide its Shares by split-up or otherwise, or combine its Shares, or issue additional shares of its Shares as a dividend, the number of Shares issuable on the conversion of this Promissory Note shall be proportionately increased in the case of a subdivision or stock dividend, or proportionately decreased in the case of a combination. Appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the conversion price payable per share, but the aggregate purchase price payable for the total number of Shares purchasable under this Promissory Note (as adjusted) shall remain the same. Any adjustment under this Section 3.2.1 shall become effective as of the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective, or as of the record date of such dividend, or if no record date is fixed, upon the making of such dividend.

 

3.2.2.       Reclassification, Reorganization and Consolidation. In case of any reclassification, capital reorganization, or change in the capital stock of the Parent (other than as a result of a subdivision, combination, or stock dividend provided or in Section 3.2.1 above), then the Parent shall make appropriate provision so that the Holder shall have the right at any time prior to the repayment of the outstanding balance of this Promissory Note to convert, at an aggregate price equal to that payable upon the conversion of this Promissory Note, the kind and amount of Shares and other securities and property receivable in connection with such reclassification, reorganization, or change by the Holder of the same number of Shares as were convertible into by the Holder immediately prior to such reclassification, reorganization, or change. In any such case, appropriate provisions shall be made with respect to the rights and interest of the Holder so that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable with respect to any Shares or other securities and property deliverable upon conversion hereof, and appropriate adjustments shall be made to the purchase price per share payable hereunder, provided the aggregate purchase price shall remain the same.

 

3.2.3.       Notice of Adjustment. When any adjustment is required to be made pursuant to this Section 3.2, the Obligors shall promptly notify the Holder of such event and the number of Shares or other securities or property thereafter convertible into upon conversion of this Promissory Note.

 

  

 

 

3.2.4.      Reservation of Stock. The Parent agrees that, during the term the rights under this Promissory Note are exercisable, to reserve and keep available from its authorized and unissued Shares for the purpose of effecting the conversion of this Promissory Note such number of Shares as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the exercise of the rights under this Promissory Note.

 

3.2.5.      No Fractional Shares or Scrip. No fractional Shares or scrip representing fractional Shares shall be issued upon the conversion of this Promissory Note, but, in lieu of such fractional Shares, the Parent shall make a cash payment therefor on the basis of the conversion price then in effect.

 

3.2.6.     No Change Necessary. The form of this Promissory Note need not be changed because of any adjustment in the Conversion Price or in the number of Shares issuable upon its conversion.

 

3.2.7.    No Rights or Liabilities as Stockholder. This Promissory Note does not by itself entitle the Holder to any voting rights or other rights as a stockholder of the Obligors. In the absence of conversion of this Promissory Note, no provisions of this Promissory Note, and no enumeration herein of the rights or privileges of the Holder, shall cause the Holder to be a stockholder of the Parent or a member of Corvus Consulting for any purpose.

 

4.            Representations. The Obligors hereby represent and warrant to the Holder as follows:

 

4.1.         Due Formation; Good Standing; Due Authorization. The Parent is duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada. The Parent is duly qualified and is authorized to do business and is in good standing as a foreign corporation in all jurisdictions in which the nature of its activities and of its properties makes such qualification necessary.

 

4.2.         Power and Authority. All action on the part of the Parent, its directors and its stockholders necessary for the authorization, execution, issuance, delivery and performance of this Promissory Note has been taken.

 

4.3.         Litigation. There is no material action, suit, proceeding or investigation pending or, to the Parents knowledge, currently threatened against the Parent. The Parent is not a party or subject to the provisions of any order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree of any court or government agency or instrumentality.

 

4.4.         Due Execution and Delivery. From and after its delivery to the Holder, this Promissory Note has been duly executed and delivered to the Holder by the Obligors, is the legal, valid and binding obligation of the Obligors and is enforceable against the Obligors in accordance with its terms, subject to laws of general application relating to bankruptcy, insolvency and the relief of debtors.

 

4.5.         Consents. All consents, approvals, orders, or authorizations of, or registrations, qualifications, designations, declarations, or filings with, any governmental authority or any other person or entity, required on the part of the Obligors in connection with the valid execution, delivery and issuance of this Promissory Note have been obtained.

 

  

 

 

4.6.         Compliance with Laws; Permits. The Parent is not in material violation of any applicable statute, rule, regulation, order or restriction of any domestic or foreign government or any instrumentality or agency thereof in respect of the conduct of its business or the ownership of its properties. The Parent has all material permits, licenses and any similar authority necessary for the conduct of its business as now being conducted by it.

 

4.7.         Liabilities. The Parent hereby confirms that, as of the date of this Promissory Note, the Parent is not subject to any liabilities beyond those detailed in the Parents latest quarterly filing with OTCMarkets.com for the quarter ending December 31, 2019.

 

5.Remedies.

 

5.1.         Events of Default. Event of Default,wherever used herein, means any one of the following events:

 

5.1.1.       default in the payment of the principal of this Promissory Note or any interest payment required to be made hereunder; or

 

5.1.2.       the entry by a court having jurisdiction in the premises of (A) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Obligors in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (B) a decree or order adjudging either one of the Obligors a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of either one of the Obligors under any applicable federal or state law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of either one of the Obligors or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days; or

 

5.1.3.       the commencement by either one of the Obligors of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Obligors in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable federal or state law, or the consent by it to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of either of the Obligors or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the taking of corporate or company action, as applicable, by the Obligor in furtherance of any such action; or

 

5.1.4.       the dissolution of either of the Obligors; or

 

  

 

 

5.1.5.       any representation or warranty made to the Holder by the Obligors pursuant to this Promissory Note is false or misleading in any material respect; or

 

5.1.6.       the Obligors fail to observe or perform any material covenant or agreement made by the Obligors to the Holder pursuant to this Promissory Note.

 

5.2.         Acceleration of Maturity. If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case the Holder may declare the principal on this Promissory Note to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing to the Obligors, and upon any such declaration such principal shall become immediately due and payable, and such accelerated amount shall thereafter bear interest at the rate equal to twelve percent (12%) per annum.

 

5.3.        Payment of Expenses. If any part of the balance is not paid when due, or if the Obligors fail to perform any obligation required hereunder, the Obligors shall pay any and all reasonable costs of collection or enforcement of all outstanding obligations under this Promissory Note incurred by the Holder, including reasonable attorneys fees and expenses.

 

6.           Covenant of the Company. The Parent covenants and agrees that, during the period in which this Promissory Note may be converted, to have authorized and reserved a sufficient amount of the applicable Shares into which this Promissory Note becomes convertible.

 

7.           Negative Covenants. Until this Promissory Note is paid and performed in full, the Obligors shall not, without the prior written consent of the Holder, do any of the following:

 

7.1.        Sell, lease, assign, transfer or otherwise dispose of any of their assets (except in the ordinary course of business) unless the proceeds from such sale are used to pay down the balance of this Promissory Note; or

 

7.2.       Directly or indirectly, declare, order, pay, make or set apart any sum for any dividends or other distributions to its equity holders or redeem or otherwise acquire any stock or stock equivalent of the Parent (other than redemptions of stock from employees upon termination of employment).

 

8.            Prepayment; Offset. The Obligors may prepay this Promissory Note without penalty in full at any time upon thirty (30) days written notice to the Holder or in part, with the same notice, provided that such part payment is at least $100,000. Until thirty (30) day have elapsed following the Holders receipt of Obligorsprepayment notice, the Holder may elect to convert, in whole or in part, the outstanding balance of this Promissory Note that the Obligors have indicated is to be prepaid.

 

9.           Notices. All notices and other communications required or permitted under this Promissory Note shall be in writing and shall be delivered personally by hand or by courier, mailed by United States first-class mail, postage prepaid, sent electronic mail directed (a) if to a Holder, at such Holders address or electronic mail address set forth below, or at such other address or electronic mail address as such Holder may designate by ten (10) daysadvance written notice to the Obligor or (b) if to the Obligor to its address or electronic mail address and directed to the attention of the Chief Executive Officer as set forth below. All such notices and other communications shall be deemed given upon personal delivery, on the date of mailing or upon confirmation of electronic mail delivery.

 

  

 

 

The Holder: The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust
  15416 Kentwell Circle, Ste 100A
  Centreville, VA 20120
  Email: laurie.buckhout@gmail.com
   
and to : Gant Redmon, Trustee
  Redmon, Peyton & Braswell, LLP
  510 King Street, Suite 301
  Alexandria, VA 22314
  Email: gredmon@rpb-law.com

 

or to such other person or address as the Holder shall furnish to the Obligors in writing.

 

The Obligors: Castellum, Inc. and
  Corvus Consulting, LLC
  9812 Falls Rd #14-299
  Potomac, MD 20854
  Email: mcfuller79@gmail.com

 

or to such other person or address as the Obligors shall furnish to the Holder in writing.

 

10.          Miscellaneous.

 

10.1.         This Promissory Note may be amended only by writing signed by both the Obligors and the Holder. All covenants and agreements in this Promissory Note by the Obligors shall bind their successors and assigns.

 

10.2.         If action is instituted to collect this Promissory Note and the Holder prevails on claims in such action, the Obligor promises to pay all reasonable costs and expenses of the Holder, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys fees and costs of the Holder, incurred in connection with such action.

 

10.3.         This Promissory Note shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Any judicial proceeding brought by any party hereto to enforce, or otherwise in connection with, this Note may be brought in any state court of competent jurisdiction in Fairfax County, Virginia and the federal courts in Alexandria, Virginia, and, by execution and delivery of this Promissory Note, the parties hereto (i) accept, generally and unconditionally, the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts and any related appellate court and irrevocably agree to be bound by any judgment rendered thereby in connection with this Note and (ii) irrevocably waive any objection they may now or hereafter have as to the venue of any such proceeding brought in such a court or that such a court is an inconvenient forum.

 

  

 

 

10.4.         In case any provision in this Promissory Note shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

10.5.         This Promissory Note (and related agreements, exhibits, certificates and schedules) constitutes the full and entire understanding between the Obligors and the Holder with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof.

 

10.6.         This Promissory Note is binding on the Obligors, and the Obligors hereby waive presentment, demand, notice and protest and any defense by reason of an extension of time for payment or other indulgences. Failure of, or delay by, the Holder to assert any right herein shall not be deemed to be a waiver thereof, nor shall any such failure or delay on any one or more occasions be deemed to prohibit or waive the same or any other right on any future occasion.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

  

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Obligors have caused this Promissory Note to be duly executed as of the date first referenced above.

 

OBLIGORS:

 

Corvus Consulting, LLC

 

By: /s/ Mark C. Fuller  
  Name: Mark C. Fuller  
  Title: Director  

 

By: /s/ Mark C. Fuller  
  Name: Mark C. Fuller  
  Title: President and CEO  

 

HOLDER:

 

The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust

 

By: /s/ Laurie Moe Buckhout  
  Name: Laurie Moe Buckhout  
  Title: Trustee  

 

By: /s/ Gant Redmon, Trustee  
  Gant Redmon, Trustee  

 

[Signature Page to the Amended Convertible Promissory Note with The Buckhout Charitable
Remainder Trust]

 

  

 

 

Exhibit 4.3

 

THIS NOTE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY. THIS NOTE AND THE SECURITIES ISSUABLE UPON CONVERSION OF THIS NOTE MAY BE PLEDGED IN CONNECTION WITH A BONA FIDE MARGIN ACCOUNT SECURED BY SUCH SECURITIES.

 

CASTELLUM, INC.

 

Convertible Promissory Note
due April 4th, 2023

 

Note No. 1 $1,050,000
Dated: April 4th, 2022 (the “Issuance Date”)  

 

For value received, Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Maker” or the “Company”), hereby promises to pay to the order of Crom Cortana Fund LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (together with its successors and representatives, the “Holder”), in accordance with the terms hereinafter provided, the principal amount of ONE MILLION FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,050,000.00) (the “Principal Amount”).

 

All payments under or pursuant to this Convertible Promissory Note (this “Note”) shall be made in United States Dollars in immediately available funds to the Holder at the address of the Holder set forth in the Purchase Agreement (as hereinafter defined) or at such other place as the Holder may designate from time to time in writing to the Maker or by wire transfer of funds to the Holder’s account, instructions for which are attached hereto as Exhibit A. The outstanding principal balance of this Note shall be due and payable on April 4th, 2023 (the “Maturity Date”) or at such earlier time as provided herein; provided that the Maturity Date may be extended by the mutual agreement of the Maker and the Holder. In the event that the Maturity Date shall fall on Saturday or Sunday, such Maturity Date shall be the next succeeding Business Day. All calculations made pursuant to this Note shall be rounded down to three decimal places.

 

ARTICLE 1

 

1.1       Purchase Agreement. This Note has been executed and delivered pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 1st, 2022 (as the same may be amended from time to time, the “Purchase Agreement ”), by and between the Maker and the Holder. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth for such terms in the Purchase Agreement.

 

  

 

 

1.2       Principal and Interest. The Outstanding Principal Amount shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to seven percent (7.0%) (the “Interest Rate”). Interest shall be payable in monthly installments. The Outstanding Principal Amount of this Note and all accrued but unpaid interest thereon shall be due and payable on the Maturity Date. Any overdue principal of, or interest on, the Loan shall bear interest, payable on demand, for each day until paid at a rate equal to eight percent (8%) above the Interest Rate (the “Default Rate”). Interest shall be computed on the basis of a year of 360 days and paid for the actual number of days elapsed (including the first day but excluding the last day).

 

1.3       Prepayment. The Maker may prepay this Note upon seven Trading Days’ notice to the Holder, by paying in cash to the Holder the product of the sum of (a) the outstanding Principal Amount of this Note, plus (b) accrued and unpaid interest hereon, plus (c) all other amounts, costs, fees, expenses and liquidated damages due in respect of this Note, multiplied by 1.10.

 

1.4       Payment on Non-Business Days. Whenever any payment to be made shall be due on a day which is not a Business Day, such payment may be due on the next succeeding Business Day.

 

1.5       Transfer. This Note may be transferred or sold, subject to the provisions of Section 5.8 of this Note, or pledged, hypothecated or otherwise granted as security by the Holder; provided that no portion of this Note in excess of 1.99% may be transferred to Persons not under the control of citizens of the United States of America.

 

1.6       Replacement. Upon receipt of a duly executed and notarized written statement from the Holder with respect to the loss, theft or destruction of this Note (or any replacement hereof), or, in the case of a mutilation of this Note, upon surrender and cancellation of such Note, the Maker shall issue a new Note, of like tenor and amount, in lieu of such lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated Note.

 

1.7       Use of Proceeds. The Maker shall use the proceeds of this Note as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

 

ARTICLE 2

 

2.1       Events of Default. An “Event of Default” under this Note shall mean the occurrence of any of the events defined in the Purchase Agreement, and any of the additional events described below:

 

(a)       any default in the payment of (i) the Principal Amount or any accrued and unpaid interest hereunder when due, or any principal or interest owing under any other Note; or (ii) liquidated damages in respect of this Note or any other Note as and when the same shall become due and payable (whether on the Maturity Date or by acceleration or otherwise);

 

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(b)       the Maker shall fail to observe or perform any other covenant, condition or agreement contained in this Note or any Transaction Document;

 

(c)       the Maker’s notice to the Holder, including by way of public announcement, at any time, of its inability to comply (including for any of the reasons described in Section 3.6(a) hereof) or its intention not to comply with proper requests for conversion of this Note into Common Stock;

 

(d)       the Maker shall fail to (i) timely deliver the shares of Common Stock as and when required in Section 3.2; or (ii) make the payment of any fees and/or liquidated damages under this Note, the Purchase Agreement or the other Transaction Documents;

 

(e)       default shall be made in the performance or observance of any material covenant, condition or agreement contained in the Purchase Agreement or any other Transaction Document that is not covered by any other provisions of this Section 2.1;

 

(f)       at any time the Maker shall fail to have a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock authorized, reserved and available for issuance to satisfy the potential conversion in full (disregarding for this purpose any and all limitations of any kind on such conversion) of this Note or upon exercise of the Warrant;

 

(g)       any representation or warranty made by the Maker or any of its Subsidiaries herein or in the Purchase Agreement, the Note, the Warrant or any other Transaction Document shall prove to have been false or incorrect or breached in a material respect on the date as of which made;

 

(h)       unless otherwise approved in writing in advance by the Holder, the Maker shall, or shall announce an intention to pursue or consummate a Change of Control, or a Change of Control shall be consummated, or the Maker shall negotiate, propose or enter into any agreement, understanding or arrangement with respect to any Change of Control;

 

(i)       the Maker or any of its Subsidiaries shall (A) default in any payment of any amount or amounts of principal of or interest (if any) on any Indebtedness (other than the Indebtedness hereunder), the aggregate principal amount of which Indebtedness is in excess of $250,000 or (B) default in the observance or performance of any other agreement or condition relating to any such Indebtedness or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating thereto, or any other event shall occur or condition exist, the effect of which default or other event or condition is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders or beneficiary or beneficiaries of such Indebtedness to cause with the giving of notice if required, such Indebtedness to become due prior to its stated maturity;

 

 3 

 

 

(j)       the Maker or any of its Subsidiaries shall: (i) apply for or consent to the appointment of, or the taking of possession by, a receiver, custodian, trustee or liquidator of itself or of all or a substantial part of its property or assets; (ii) make a general assignment for the benefit of its creditors; (iii) commence a voluntary case under the United States Bankruptcy Code (as now or hereafter in effect) or under the comparable laws of any jurisdiction (foreign or domestic); (iv) file a petition seeking to take advantage of any bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, reorganization or other similar law affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally; (v) acquiesce in writing to any petition filed against it in an involuntary case under United States Bankruptcy Code (as now or hereafter in effect) or under the comparable laws of any jurisdiction (foreign or domestic); (vi) issue a notice of bankruptcy or winding down of its operations or issue a press release regarding same; or (vii) take any action under the laws of any jurisdiction (foreign or domestic) analogous to any of the foregoing;

 

(k)       a proceeding or case shall be commenced in respect of the Maker or any of its Subsidiaries, without its application or consent, in any court of competent jurisdiction, seeking: (i) the liquidation, reorganization, moratorium, dissolution, winding up, or composition or readjustment of its debts; (ii) the appointment of a trustee, receiver, custodian, liquidator or the like of it or of all or any substantial part of its assets in connection with the liquidation or dissolution of the Maker or any of its Subsidiaries; or (iii) similar relief in respect of it under any law providing for the relief of debtors, and such proceeding or case described in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) shall continue undismissed, or unstayed and in effect, for a period of forty-five (45) days or any order for relief shall be entered in an involuntary case under United States Bankruptcy Code (as now or hereafter in effect) or under the comparable laws of any jurisdiction (foreign or domestic) against the Maker or any of its Subsidiaries or action under the laws of any jurisdiction (foreign or domestic) analogous to any of the foregoing shall be taken with respect to the Maker or any of its Subsidiaries and shall continue undismissed, or unstayed and in effect for a period of forty-five (45) days;

 

(l)       one or more final judgments or orders for the payment of money are rendered against one or more of the Company and its Subsidiaries (i) aggregating in excess of $250,000 (or its equivalent in the relevant currency of payment), and (ii) which remain unpaid and are not being appealed or contested in good faith by the Company;

 

(m)       the failure of the Maker to instruct its transfer agent to remove any legends from shares of Common Stock and issue such unlegended certificates to the Holder within three (3) Trading Days of the Holder’s request so long as the Holder has provided reasonable assurances to the Maker that such shares of Common Stock can be sold pursuant to Rule 144 or any other applicable exemption; or

 

(n)       the occurrence of a Material Adverse Effect in respect of the Maker, or the Maker and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole.

 

Apart from the Events of Default described in clauses (j) and (k), any Event of Default capable of being cured shall be subject to a cure period of ten (10) Business Days from the occurrence of such Event of Default, whether or not the Holder has been sent notice or has received notice of such Event of Default. For the avoidance of doubt, any default pursuant to clauses (j) and (k) above shall not be subject to any cure periods pursuant to the instrument governing such Indebtedness or this Note.

 

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2.2       Remedies Upon an Event of Default.

 

(a)       Upon the occurrence of any Event of Default, the Maker shall be obligated to pay to the Holder the Mandatory Default Amount. The Mandatory Default Amount shall be earned by the Holder on the date of such Event of Default and shall be due and payable on the earlier to occur thereafter of (i) the Maturity Date, (ii) the date of any conversion, (iii) the date of any redemption, (iv) the date of any prepayment of this Note, or (v) the date on which all amounts owing hereunder have been accelerated in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

(b)       Upon the occurrence of any Event of Default, the Maker shall, as promptly as possible but in any event within one (1) Business Day of such Event of Default, notify the Holder of the occurrence of such Event of Default, describing the event or factual situation giving rise to the Event of Default and specifying the relevant subsection or subsections of Section 2.1 hereof under which such Event of Default has occurred.

 

(c)       Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, the Holder may at any time at its option (1) declare the Mandatory Default Amount due and payable, and thereupon, the same shall be accelerated and so due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or notice, all of which are hereby expressly unconditionally and irrevocably waived by the Maker and (2) exercise all other rights and remedies available to it under the Transaction Documents; provided, however, that upon the occurrence of an Event of Default described in Sections 2.1(j) or (k) above, the Mandatory Default Amount shall become immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Maker. No course of delay on the part of the Holder shall operate as a waiver thereof or otherwise prejudice the rights of the Holder. No remedy conferred hereby shall be exclusive of any other remedy referred to herein or now or hereafter available at law, in equity, by statute or otherwise.

 

ARTICLE 3

 

3.1       Conversion.

 

(a)       Conversion. At any time following the date of effectiveness of a Registration Statement covering the applicable Conversion Shares (as set forth in the Purchase Agreement), this Note shall be convertible (in whole or in part), at the option of the Holder, into such number of fully paid and non-assessable Common Stock as is determined by dividing (x) that portion of the Outstanding Principal Amount and any accrued by unpaid interest that the Holder elects to convert (the “Conversion Amount”) by (y) the Conversion Price then in effect on the date on which the Holder delivers a notice of conversion, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the “Conversion Notice”), in accordance with Section 5.1 to the Maker. The Holder shall deliver this Note to the Maker at the address designated in the Purchase Agreement at such time that this Note is fully converted. With respect to partial conversions of this Note, the Maker shall keep written records of the amount of this Note converted as of the date of such conversion (each, a “Conversion Date”).

 

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(b)       Conversion Price. The “Conversion Price” means $0.08, and shall be subject to adjustment as provided herein.

 

3.2       Delivery of Conversion Shares. As soon as practicable after the occurrence of any event requiring the issuance of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note (“Conversion Shares”), and in any event within two (2) Business Days thereafter (such date, the “Share Delivery Date”), the Maker shall, at its expense, cause to be issued in the name of and delivered to the Holder, or as the Holder may direct, a certificate or certificates evidencing the number of fully paid and nonassessable Common Stock to which the Holder shall be entitled, in such denominations as may be requested by the Holder, which certificate or certificates shall be free of restrictive and trading legends, except for any such legends as may be required under the Securities Act. In lieu of delivering physical certificates for the shares of Common Stock issuable upon the occurrence of any event requiring the issuance of Conversion Shares in accordance with this Note, provided the Company’s transfer agent is participating in the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) Fast Automated Securities Transfer program or a similar program, upon request of the Holder, the Company shall cause its transfer agent to electronically transmit such Conversion Shares so issuable to the Holder (or its designee), by crediting the account of the Holder’s (or such designee’s) broker with DTC through its Deposit and Withdrawal At Custodian (“DWAC”) system (provided that the same time periods herein as for stock certificates shall apply) as instructed by the Holder (or its designee); provided, that such issuance shall only be made through DTC’s DWAC system if such Conversion Shares will be issued free of restrictive legends. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any Conversion Notice is delivered by the Holder after 12:00 noon on the Conversion Date, the applicable Share Delivery Date shall be three (3) Business Days following the Conversion Date.

 

3.3       Ownership Cap. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Holder shall not be entitled to receive shares representing Equity Interests upon conversion of this Note to the extent (but only to the extent) that such exercise or receipt would cause the Holder Group (as defined below) to become, directly or indirectly, a “beneficial owner” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the 1934 Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) of a number of Equity Interests of a class that is registered under the 1934 Act which exceeds the Maximum Percentage (as defined in the Purchase Agreement) of the Equity Interests of such class that are outstanding at such time. Any purported delivery of Equity Interests in connection with the conversion of this Note prior to the termination of this restriction in accordance herewith shall be void and have no effect to the extent (but only to the extent) that such delivery would result in the Holder Group becoming the beneficial owner of more than the Maximum Percentage of the Equity Interests of a class that is registered under the 1934 Act that is outstanding at such time. If any delivery of Equity Interests owed to the Holder following conversion of this Note is not made, in whole or in part, as a result of this limitation, the Company’s obligation to make such delivery shall not be extinguished and the Company shall deliver such Equity Interests as promptly as practicable after the Holder gives notice to the Company that such delivery would not result in such limitation being triggered or upon termination of the restriction in accordance with the terms hereof. To the extent limitations contained in this Section 3.3 apply, the determination of whether this Note is convertible and of which portion of this Note is convertible shall be the sole responsibility and in the sole determination of the Holder, and the submission of a notice of conversion shall be deemed to constitute the Holder’s determination that the issuance of the full number of Conversion Shares requested in the notice of conversion is permitted hereunder, and the Company shall not have any obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. For purposes of this Section 3.2, (i) the term “Maximum Percentage” shall mean 4.99%; provided, that if at any time after the date hereof the Holder Group beneficially owns in excess of 4.99% of any class of Equity Interests in the Company that is registered under the 1934 Act, then the Maximum Percentage shall automatically increase to 9.99% so long as the Holder Group owns in excess of 4.99% of such class of Equity Interests (and shall, for the avoidance of doubt, automatically decrease to 4.99% upon the Holder Group ceasing to own in excess of 4.99% of such class of Equity Interests); and (ii) the term “Holder Group” shall mean the Holder plus any other Person with which the Holder is considered to be part of a group under Section 13 of the 1934 Act or with which the Holder otherwise files reports under Sections 13 and/or 16 of the 1934 Act. In determining the number of Equity Interests of a particular class outstanding at any point in time, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding Equity Interests of such class as reflected in (x) the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (y) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (z) a more recent notice by the Company or its transfer agent to the Holder setting forth the number of Equity Interests of such class then outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall, within one (1) Business Day of such request, confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of Equity Interests of any class then outstanding. The provisions of this Section 3.3 shall be construed, corrected and implemented in a manner so as to effectuate the intended beneficial ownership limitation herein contained.

 

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3.4       Adjustment of Conversion Price.

 

(a)       Until the Note has been paid in full or converted in full, the Conversion Price shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as follows (but shall not be increased, other than pursuant to Section 3.4(a)(i) hereof):

 

(i)       Adjustments for Stock Splits and Combinations. If the Maker shall at any time or from time to time after the Closing Date (but whether before or after the Issuance Date) effect a split or other subdivision of the outstanding Common Stock, the applicable Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to the stock split shall be proportionately decreased. If the Maker shall at any time or from time to time after the Closing Date (but whether before or after the Issuance Date), combine the outstanding Common Stock, the applicable Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to the combination shall be proportionately increased. Any adjustments under this Section 3.4(a)(i) shall be effective concurrent with such stock split or combination.

 

(ii)       Adjustments for Certain Dividends and Distributions. If the Maker shall at any time or from time to time after the Closing Date (but whether before or after the Issuance Date) make or issue or set a record date for the determination of holders of Common Stock entitled to receive a dividend or other distribution payable in Common Stock, then, and in each event, the applicable Conversion Price in effect immediately prior to such event shall be decreased as of the time of such issuance or, in the event such record date shall have been fixed, as of the close of business on such record date, by multiplying the applicable Conversion Price then in effect by a fraction:

 

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(1)       the numerator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date; and

 

(2)       the denominator of which shall be the total number of shares of Common Stock issued and outstanding immediately prior to the time of such issuance or the close of business on such record date plus the number of shares of Common Stock issuable in payment of such dividend or distribution.

 

(iii)       Adjustment for Other Dividends and Distributions. If the Maker shall at any time or from time to time after the Closing Date (but whether before or after the Issuance Date) make or issue or set a record date for the determination of holders of Common Stock entitled to receive a dividend or other distribution payable in other than Common Stock, then, and in each event, an appropriate revision to the applicable Conversion Price shall be made and provision shall be made (by adjustments of the Conversion Price or otherwise) so that the Holder of this Note shall receive upon conversions thereof, in addition to the number of shares of Common Stock receivable thereon, the number of securities of the Maker or other issuer (as applicable) or cash or other property that it would have received had this Note been converted into shares of Common Stock in full (without regard to any conversion limitations herein) on the date of such event and had thereafter, during the period from the date of such event to and including the Conversion Date, retained such securities (together with any distributions payable thereon during such period) or assets, giving application to all adjustments called for during such period under this Section 3.4(a)(iii) with respect to the rights of the holders of this Note; provided, however, that if such record date shall have been fixed and such dividend is not fully paid or if such distribution is not fully made on the date fixed therefor, the Conversion Price shall be adjusted pursuant to this paragraph as of the time of actual payment of such dividends or distributions.

 

(iv)       Adjustments for Reclassification, Exchange or Substitution. If the shares of Common Stock at any time or from time to time after the Closing Date (but whether before or after the Issuance Date) shall be changed to the same or different number of shares or other securities of any class or classes of stock or other property, whether by reclassification, exchange, substitution or otherwise (other than by way of a stock split or combination of shares or stock dividends provided for in Sections 3.4(a)(i), (ii) and (iii) hereof, or a reorganization, merger, consolidation, or sale of assets provided for in Section 3.4(a)(vii) hereof), then, and in each event, an appropriate revision to the Conversion Price shall be made and provisions shall be made (by adjustments of the Conversion Price or otherwise) so that the Holder shall have the right thereafter to convert this Note into the kind and amount of shares of stock or other securities or other property receivable upon reclassification, exchange, substitution or other change, by holders of the number of shares of Common Stock into which such Note might have been converted immediately prior to such reclassification, exchange, substitution or other change, all subject to further adjustment as provided herein.

 

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(v)       Adjustments for Issuance of Additional Shares of Common Stock. In the event the Maker shall at any time or from time to time after the Closing Date (but whether before or after the Issuance Date) issue or sell any additional Common Stock (“Additional Common Stock”), other than (A) as provided in this Note (including the foregoing subsections (i) through (iv) of this Section 3.4(a)), pursuant to any Equity Plan (including pursuant to Common Stock Equivalents granted or issued under any Equity Plan), (B) pursuant to Common Stock Equivalents (as defined below) granted or issued prior to the Closing Date, (C) Exempted Securities, or (D) pursuant to the terms of this Note, in any case, at an effective price per share that is less than the Conversion Price then in effect or without consideration, then the Conversion Price upon each such issuance shall be reduced to a price equal to the consideration per share paid for such Additional Common Stock. For purposes of clarification, the amount of consideration received for such Additional Common Stock shall not include the value of any additional securities or other rights received in connection with such issuance of Additional Common Stock (i.e., warrants, rights of first refusal or other similar rights).

 

(vi)       Issuance, Amendment or Adjustment of Common Stock Equivalents. Except for Exempted Securities, if (x) the Maker, at any time after the Closing Date (but whether before or after the Issuance Date), shall issue any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, directly or indirectly, Common Stock (“Convertible Securities”), or any rights or warrants or options to purchase any such Common Stock or Convertible Securities, other than Common Stock Equivalents granted or issued under any Equity Plan (collectively with the Convertible Securities, the “Common Stock Equivalents”) and the price per share for which Common Stock may be issuable pursuant to any such Common Stock Equivalent shall be less than the applicable Conversion Price then in effect, or (y) the price per share for which Common Stock may be issuable under any Common Stock Equivalents is amended or adjusted, pursuant to the terms of such Common Stock Equivalents or otherwise, and such price as so amended or adjusted shall be less than the applicable Conversion Price in effect at the time of such amendment or adjustment, then, in each such case (x) or (y), the applicable Conversion Price upon each such issuance or amendment or adjustment shall be adjusted as provided in subsection (vi) of this Section 3.4(a) as if the maximum number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion, exercise or exchange of such Common Stock Equivalents had been issued on the date of such issuance or amendment or adjustment.

 

(vii)       Consideration for Stock. In case any Common Stock or any Common Stock Equivalents shall be issued or sold:

 

(1)       in connection with any merger or consolidation in which the Maker is the surviving corporation (other than any consolidation or merger in which the previously outstanding Common Stock of the Maker shall be changed to or exchanged for the stock or other securities of another corporation), the amount of consideration therefor shall be deemed to be the fair value, as determined reasonably and in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Maker and approved by the Holder, of such portion of the assets and business of the nonsurviving corporation as such Board of Directors may determine to be attributable to such shares of Common Stock, Convertible Securities, rights or warrants or options, as the case may be; or

 

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(2)       in the event of any consolidation or merger of the Maker in which the Maker is not the surviving corporation or in which the previously outstanding Common Stock of the Maker shall be changed into or exchanged for the stock or other securities of another corporation or other property, or in the event of any sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Maker for stock or other securities or other property of any corporation, the Maker shall be deemed to have issued shares of Common Stock, at a price per share equal to the valuation of the Maker’s Common Stock based on the actual exchange ratio on which the transaction was predicated, as applicable, and the fair market value on the date of such transaction of all such stock or securities or other property of the other corporation. If any such calculation results in adjustment of the applicable Conversion Price, or the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Note, the determination of the applicable Conversion Price or the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Note immediately prior to such merger, consolidation or sale, shall be made after giving effect to such adjustment of the number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of the Note. In the event shares of Common Stock are issued with other shares or securities or other assets of the Maker for consideration which covers both, the consideration computed as provided in this Section 3.4(a)(vii) shall be allocated among such securities and assets as determined in good faith by the Board of Directors of the Maker, and approved by the Holder.

 

(viii)       Record Date. In case the Maker shall take record of the holders of its Common Stock for the purpose of entitling them to subscribe for or purchase shares of Common Stock or Convertible Securities, then the date of the issue or sale of the shares of Common Stock shall be deemed to be such record date.

 

(b)       No Impairment. The Maker shall not, by amendment of its Articles of Incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms to be observed or performed hereunder by the Maker, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all the provisions of this Section 3.4 and in the taking of all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order to protect the conversion rights of the Holder against impairment. In the event the Holder shall elect to convert this Note as provided herein, the Maker cannot refuse conversion based on any claim that the Holder or anyone associated or affiliated with the Holder has been engaged in any violation of law, violation of an agreement to which the Holder is a party or for any reason whatsoever, unless, an injunction from a court, or notice, restraining and or adjoining conversion of this Note shall have issued and the Maker posts a surety bond for the benefit of the Holder in an amount equal to one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the Principal Amount of the Note the Holder has elected to convert, which bond shall remain in effect until the completion of arbitration/litigation of the dispute and the proceeds of which shall be payable to the Holder (as liquidated damages) in the event it obtains judgment.

 

(c)       Certificates as to Adjustments. Upon occurrence of each adjustment or readjustment of the Conversion Price or number of shares of Common Stock issuable upon conversion of this Note pursuant to this Section 3.4, the Maker at its expense shall promptly compute such adjustment or readjustment in accordance with the terms hereof and furnish to the Holder a certificate setting forth such adjustment and readjustment, showing in detail the facts upon which such adjustment or readjustment is based. The Maker shall, upon written request of the Holder, at any time, furnish or cause to be furnished to the Holder a like certificate setting forth such adjustments and readjustments, the applicable Conversion Price in effect at the time, and the number of shares of Common Stock and the amount, if any, of other securities or property which at the time would be received upon the conversion of this Note. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Maker shall not be obligated to deliver a certificate unless such certificate would reflect an increase or decrease of at least one percent (1%) of such adjusted amount.

 

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(d)       Issue Taxes. The Maker shall pay any and all issue and other taxes, excluding federal, state or local income taxes, that may be payable in respect of any issue or delivery of shares of Common Stock on conversion of this Note pursuant thereto; provided, however, that the Maker shall not be obligated to pay any transfer taxes resulting from any transfer requested by the Holder in connection with any such conversion.

 

(e)       Fractional Shares. No fractional shares of Common Stock shall be issued upon conversion of this Note. In lieu of any fractional shares to which the Holder would otherwise be entitled, the Maker shall pay cash equal to such fractional shares multiplied by the Conversion Price then in effect.

 

(f)       Reservation of Shares of Common Stock. The Maker shall at all times while this Note shall be outstanding, reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued Common Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the conversion of this Note (disregarding for this purpose any and all limitations of any kind on such conversion). The Maker shall, from time to time, use all commercially reasonable efforts to increase the authorized number of shares of Common Stock or take other effective action if at any time the unissued number of authorized shares shall not be sufficient to satisfy the Maker’s obligations under this Section 3.4(f).

 

(g)       Regulatory Compliance. If any shares of Common Stock to be reserved for the purpose of conversion of this Note require registration or listing with or approval of any governmental authority, stock exchange or other regulatory body under any federal or state law or regulation or otherwise before such shares may be validly issued or delivered upon conversion, the Maker shall, at its sole cost and expense, in good faith and as expeditiously as possible, secure such registration, listing or approval, as the case may be.

 

(h)       Effect of Events Prior to the Issuance Date. If the Issuance Date of this Note is after the Closing Date, then, if the Conversion Price or any other right of the Holder of this Note would have been adjusted or modified by operation of any provision of this Note had this Note been issued on the Closing Date, such adjustment or modification shall be deemed to apply to this Note as of the Issuance Date as if this Note had been issued on the Closing Date.

 

3.5       Reserved.

 

3.6       Inability to Fully Convert.

 

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(a)       Holder’s Option if Maker Cannot Fully Convert. If, upon the Maker’s receipt of a Conversion Notice or as otherwise required under this Note, including with respect to repayment of principal in Common Stock as permitted under this Note, the Maker cannot issue Common Stock for any reason, including, without limitation, because the Maker (x) does not have a sufficient number of shares of Common Stock authorized and available or (y) is otherwise prohibited by applicable law or by the rules or regulations of any stock exchange, interdealer quotation system or other self-regulatory organization with jurisdiction over the Maker or any of its securities from issuing all of the shares of Common Stock which are to be issued to the Holder pursuant to this Note, then the Maker shall issue as many shares of Common Stock as it is able to issue and, with respect to the unconverted portion of this Note or with respect to any shares of Common Stock not timely issued in accordance with this Note, the Holder, solely at Holder’s option, can elect to:

 

(i)       require the Maker to prepay that portion of this Note for which the Maker is unable to issue Common Stock or for which shares of Common Stock were not timely issued (the “Mandatory Prepayment”) at the Mandatory Default Amount;

 

(ii)       void its Conversion Notice and retain or have returned, as the case may be, this Note that was to be converted pursuant to the Conversion Notice (provided that the Holder’s voiding its Conversion Notice shall not affect the Maker’s obligations to make any payments which have accrued prior to the date of such notice); or

 

(iii)       defer issuance of the applicable Conversion Shares until such time as the Maker can legally issue such shares; provided, that the Principal Amount underlying such Conversion Shares shall remain outstanding until the delivery of such Conversion Shares; provided, further, that if the Holder elects to defer the issuance of the Conversion Shares, it may exercise its rights under either clause (i) or (ii) above at any time prior to the issuance of the Conversion Shares upon two (2) Business Days ’ notice to the Maker.

 

(b)       Mechanics of Fulfilling Holder’s Election. The Maker shall immediately send to the Holder, upon receipt of a Conversion Notice from the Holder, which cannot be fully satisfied as described in Section 3.6(a) above, a notice of the Maker’s inability to fully satisfy the Conversion Notice (the “Inability to Fully Convert Notice”). Such Inability to Fully Convert Notice shall indicate (i) the reason why the Maker is unable to fully satisfy the Holder’s Conversion Notice; and (ii) the amount of this Note which cannot be converted. The Holder shall notify the Maker of its election pursuant to Section 3.6(a) above by delivering written notice to the Maker (“Notice in Response to Inability to Convert”).

 

(c)       No Rights as Stockholder. Nothing contained in this Note shall be construed as conferring upon the Holder, prior to the conversion of this Note, the right to vote or to receive dividends or to consent or to receive notice as a stockholder in respect of any meeting of stockholders for the election of directors of the Maker or of any other matter, or any other rights as a stockholder of the Maker.

 

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3.7       Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Conversion Shares. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause its transfer agent to transmit to the Holder Conversion Shares or any other shares pursuant to a conversion on or before the Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Conversion Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such conversion (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (a) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Conversion Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the conversion at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (b) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Note and equivalent number of Conversion Shares for which such conversion was not honored (in which case such conversion shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its conversion and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases shares of Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted conversion of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (a) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon conversion of the Note as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

ARTICLE 4

 

4.1       Covenants. For so long as any Note is outstanding, without the prior written consent of the Holder:

 

(a)       Compliance with Transaction Documents. The Maker shall, and shall cause its Subsidiaries to, comply with its obligations under this Note and the other Transaction Documents.

 

(b)       Payment of Taxes, Etc. The Maker shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, promptly pay and discharge, or cause to be paid and discharged, when due and payable, all lawful taxes, assessments and governmental charges or levies imposed upon the income, profits, property or business of the Maker and the Subsidiaries, except for such failures to pay that, individually or in the aggregate, have not had and would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; provided, however, that any such tax, assessment, charge or levy need not be paid if the validity thereof shall currently be contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and if the Maker or such Subsidiaries shall have set aside on its books reserves with respect thereto in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and provided, further, that the Maker and such Subsidiaries will pay all such taxes, assessments, charges or levies forthwith upon the commencement of proceedings to foreclose any lien which may have attached as security therefor.

 

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(c)       Corporate Existence. The Maker shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, maintain in full force and effect its corporate existence, rights and franchises (other than the existence, rights and franchises of the Subsidiaries of the Maker that the board of directors of the Maker determine are no longer necessary or useful to the operation of the Maker’s business) and all licenses and other rights to use property owned or possessed by it and reasonably deemed to be necessary to the conduct of its business.

 

(d)       Investment Company Act. The Maker shall conduct its businesses in a manner so that it will not become subject to, or required to be registered under, the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

 

(e)       Prohibited Transactions. The Company hereby covenants and agrees not to enter into any Prohibited Transactions until thirty (30) days after such time as this Note has been converted into Conversion Shares or repaid in full.

 

(f)       Repayment of This Note. If the Company or any Subsidiary issues any debt (excluding the $950,000 revolving credit facility with Live Oak Banking Company), including any subordinated debt or convertible debt (other than the Note or any other “Note” as defined in the Purchase Agreement), Equity Interests or any Preferred Stock, other than Exempted Securities, unless otherwise waived in writing by and at the discretion of the Holder, the Company will immediately utilize the proceeds of such issuance to repay this Note.

 

4.2       Set-Off. This Note shall be subject to the set-off provisions set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

 

ARTICLE 5

 

5.1       Notices. Any and all notices or other communications or deliveries required or permitted to be provided hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed given and effective on the earliest of (a) the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email at the email address specified in this Section prior to 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on a Business Day, (b) the next Business Day after the date of transmission, if such notice or communication is delivered via email at the email address specified in this Section on a day that is not a Business Day or later than 5:00 p.m. (New York time) on any date and earlier than 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on such date, (c) the Business Day following the date of mailing, if sent by U.S. nationally recognized overnight courier service, or (d) upon actual receipt by the party to whom such notice is required to be given. The addresses for such notices and communications shall be as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

 

5.2       Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of the State of Nevada, without reference to principles of conflict of laws or choice of laws.

 

5.3       Headings. The headings herein are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of this Note and shall not be deemed to limit or affect any of the provisions hereof. The language used in this Note will be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties to express their mutual intent, and no rules of strict construction will be applied against any party. This Note shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties, and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions of this Note.

 

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5.4       Remedies, Characterizations, Other Obligations, Breaches and Injunctive Relief. The remedies provided in this Note shall be cumulative and in addition to all other remedies available under this Note, at law or in equity (including, without limitation, a decree of specific performance and/or other injunctive relief), no remedy contained herein shall be deemed a waiver of compliance with the provisions giving rise to such remedy and nothing herein shall limit the Holder’s right to pursue actual damages for any failure by the Maker to comply with the terms of this Note. Amounts set forth or provided for herein with respect to payments, conversion and the like (and the computation thereof) shall be the amounts to be received by the holder thereof and shall not, except as expressly provided herein, be subject to any other obligation of the Maker (or the performance thereof). The Maker acknowledges that a breach by it of its obligations hereunder will cause irreparable and material harm to the Holder and that the remedy at law for any such breach would be inadequate. Therefore, the Maker agrees that, in the event of any such breach or threatened breach, the Holder shall be entitled, in addition to all other available rights and remedies, at law or in equity, to equitable relief, including but not limited to an injunction restraining any such breach or threatened breach, without the necessity of showing economic loss and without any bond or other security being required.

 

5.5       Enforcement Expenses. The Maker agrees to pay all costs and expenses of enforcement of this Note, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses.

 

5.6       Binding Effect. The obligations of the Maker and the Holder set forth herein shall be binding upon the successors and assigns of each such party, whether or not such successors or assigns are permitted by the terms herein.

 

5.7       Amendments; Waivers. No provision of this Note may be waived or amended except in a written instrument signed by the Company and the Holder. No waiver of any default with respect to any provision, condition or requirement of this Note shall be deemed to be a continuing waiver in the future or a waiver of any subsequent default or a waiver of any other provision, condition or requirement hereof, nor shall any delay or omission of either party to exercise any right hereunder in any manner impair the exercise of any such right.

 

5.8       Compliance with Securities Laws. The Holder of this Note acknowledges that this Note is being acquired solely for the Holder’s own account and not as a nominee for any other party, and for investment, and that the Holder shall not offer, sell or otherwise dispose of this Note in violation of securities laws. This Note and any Note issued in substitution or replacement therefor shall be stamped or imprinted with a legend in substantially the following form:

 

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“THIS NOTE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY.”

 

5.9       Jurisdiction; Venue. Any action, proceeding or claim arising out of, or relating in any way to this Note shall be brought and enforced in the New York Supreme Court, County of New York, or in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. The Company and the Holder irrevocably submit to the jurisdiction of such courts, which jurisdiction shall be exclusive, and hereby waive any objection to such exclusive jurisdiction or that such courts represent an inconvenient forum. The prevailing party in any such action shall be entitled to recover its reasonable and documented attorneys’ fees and out-of-pocket expenses relating to such action or proceeding.

 

5.10       Parties in Interest. This Note shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Maker, the Holder and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

 

5.11       Failure or Indulgence Not Waiver. No failure or delay on the part of the Holder in the exercise of any power, right or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such power, right or privilege preclude other or further exercise thereof or of any other right, power or privilege.

 

5.12       Maker Waivers. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Maker and all others that may become liable for all or any part of the obligations evidenced by this Note, hereby waive presentment, demand, notice of nonpayment, protest and all other demands and notices in connection with the delivery, acceptance, performance and enforcement of this Note, and do hereby consent to any number of renewals of extensions of the time or payment hereof and agree that any such renewals or extensions may be made without notice to any such persons and without affecting their liability herein and do further consent to the release of any person liable hereon, all without affecting the liability of the other persons, firms or Maker liable for the payment of this Note, AND DO HEREBY WAIVE TRIAL BY JURY.

 

(a)        No delay or omission on the part of the Holder in exercising its rights under this Note, or course of conduct relating hereto, shall operate as a waiver of such rights or any other right of the Holder, nor shall any waiver by the Holder of any such right or rights on any one occasion be deemed a waiver of the same right or rights on any future occasion.

 

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(b)      THE MAKER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE TRANSACTION OF WHICH THIS NOTE IS A PART IS A COMMERCIAL TRANSACTION, AND TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEREBY WAIVES ITS RIGHT TO NOTICE AND HEARING WITH RESPECT TO ANY PREJUDGMENT REMEDY WHICH THE HOLDER OR ITS SUCCESSORS OR ASSIGNS MAY DESIRE TO USE.

 

5.13       Definitions. Capitalized terms used herein and not defined shall have the meanings set forth in the Purchase Agreement. For the purposes hereof, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

 

(a)       “Convertible Securities” means any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for, directly or indirectly, Common Stock.

 

(b)       “Common Stock Equivalents” means any rights or warrants or options to purchase any Common Stock or Convertible Securities, other than rights or warrants or options to purchase any Common Stock or Convertible Securities granted or issued under any Equity Plan.

 

(c)       “Indebtedness” means: (a) all obligations for borrowed money; (b) all obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, or other similar instruments and all reimbursement or other obligations in respect of letters of credit, bankers acceptances, current swap agreements, interest rate hedging agreements, interest rate swaps, or other financial products; (c) all capital lease obligations that exceed $150,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year; (d) all obligations or liabilities secured by a lien or encumbrance on any asset of the Maker, irrespective of whether such obligation or liability is assumed; (e) all obligations for the deferred purchase price of assets, together with trade debt and other accounts payable that exceed $150,000 in the aggregate in any fiscal year (which shall not include $530,000 payable in connection with the Lexington Solutions Group acquisition expected to occur on are about the date hereof); (f) all synthetic leases; (g) any obligation guaranteeing or intended to guarantee (whether directly or indirectly guaranteed, endorsed, co-made, discounted or sold with recourse) any of the foregoing obligations of any other person; (h) trade debt; and (i) endorsements for collection or deposit.

 

(d)       “Mandatory Default Amount” means an amount equal to one hundred fifteen percent (115%) of the Outstanding Principal Amount of this Note on the date on which the first Event of Default has occurred hereunder.

 

(e)       “Outstanding Principal Amount” means, at the time of determination, the Principal Amount outstanding after giving effect to any adjustments, conversions or prepayments pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

(f)       “Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market.

 

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Maker has caused this Note to be duly executed by its duly authorized officer as of the date first above indicated.

 

  CASTELLUM INC.  
     
  By: /s/ Mark C. Fuller  
  Name: Mark C. Fuller  
  Title: President & CEO  

 

Acknowledged and agreed:

 

CROM CORTANA FUND LLC

 

By:    
Name: Liam Sherif  
Title: Managing Director  

 

  

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Maker has caused this Note to be duly executed by its duly authorized officer as of the date first above indicated.

 

  CASTELLUM INC.  
     
  By:    
  Name: Mark Fuller  
  Title: CEO  

 

Acknowledged and agreed:

 

CROM CORTANA FUND LLC

 

By: /s/ Liam Sherif  
Name: Liam Sherif  
Title: Managing Member  

 

  

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

WIRE INSTRUCTIONS

Name of Bank:

Routing #:

For credit to:

Account #:

 

  

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

FORM OF CONVERSION NOTICE

 

(To be Executed by the Registered Holder in order to Convert the Note)

 

The undersigned hereby irrevocably elects to convert $ ________________ of the principal amount of the above Note No. _____ into Common Stock of Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Maker”) according to the conditions hereof, as of the date written below.

 

Date of Conversion:

 

Conversion Price:

 

Number of Shares of Common Stock beneficially owned or deemed beneficially owned by the Holder on the Conversion Date:

 

  [HOLDER]  
       
  By:     
  Name:    
  Title:    
       
  Address:    

 

  

 

 

Exhibit 4.4

 

THIS WARRANT HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION OR THE SECURITIES COMMISSION OF ANY STATE IN RELIANCE UPON AN EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED (THE “SECURITIES ACT”), AND, ACCORDINGLY, MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD EXCEPT PURSUANT TO AN EFFECTIVE REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OR PURSUANT TO AN AVAILABLE EXEMPTION FROM, OR IN A TRANSACTION NOT SUBJECT TO, THE REGISTRATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE SECURITIES ACT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS AS EVIDENCED BY A LEGAL OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE TRANSFEROR TO SUCH EFFECT, THE SUBSTANCE OF WHICH SHALL BE REASONABLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMPANY.

 

THE NUMBER OF SHARES OF COMMON STOCK ISSUABLE UPON EXERCISE OF THIS WARRANT MAY BE LESS THAN THE AMOUNTS SET FORTH ON THE FACE HEREOF.

 

This Warrant is issued pursuant to that certain Securities Purchase Agreement dated April 4, 2022 by and between the Company and the Holder (as defined below) (the “Purchase Agreement”). Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set forth for such terms in the Purchase Agreement. Receipt of this Warrant by the Holder shall constitute acceptance and agreement to all of the terms contained herein.

 

No. [•]

 

CASTELLUM, INC.

 

COMMON STOCK PURCHASE WARRANT

 

Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation (together with any corporation which shall succeed to or assume the obligations of Castellum, Inc. hereunder, the “Company”), hereby certifies that, for value received, Crom Cortana Fund LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Holder”), is entitled, subject to the terms set forth below, to purchase from the Company at any time during the Exercise Period (as defined in Section 9) up to 13,125,000 fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock (as defined in Section 9), at a purchase price per share equal to the Exercise Price (as defined in Section 9). The number of shares of Common Stock for which this Common Stock Purchase Warrant (this “Warrant”) is exercisable and the Exercise Price are subject to adjustment as provided herein.

 

1.           DEFINITIONS. Certain terms are used in this Warrant as specifically defined in Section 9.

 

2.           EXERCISE OF WARRANT.

 

2.1.       Exercise. This Warrant may be exercised prior to its expiration pursuant to Section 2.5 hereof by the Holder at any time or from time to time during the Exercise Period, by submitting the form of subscription attached hereto (the “Exercise Notice”) duly executed by the Holder, to the Company at its principal office, indicating whether the Holder is electing to purchase a specified number of shares by paying the Aggregate Exercise Price as provided in Section 2.2 or is electing to exercise this Warrant as to a specified number of shares pursuant to the net exercise provisions of Section 2.3. On or before the first Trading Day following the date on which the Company has received the Exercise Notice, the Company shall transmit by electronic mail an acknowledgement of confirmation of receipt of the Exercise Notice. Subject to Section 2.4, this Warrant shall be deemed exercised for all purposes as of the close of business on the day on which the Holder has delivered the Exercise Notice to the Company. The Aggregate Exercise Price, if any, shall be paid by wire transfer to the Company within five (5) Business Days of the date of exercise and prior to the time the Company issues the certificates evidencing the shares issuable upon such exercise. In the event this Warrant is not exercised in full, the Company may, at its expense, require the Holder, after such partial exercise, to promptly return this Warrant to the Company and the Company will forthwith issue and deliver to or upon the order of the Holder a new Warrant or Warrants of like tenor, in the name of the Holder or as the Holder (upon payment by the Holder of any applicable transfer taxes) may request, calling in the aggregate on the face or faces thereof for the number of shares of Common Stock equal (without giving effect to any adjustment therein) to the number of such shares called for on the face of this Warrant minus the number of such shares (without giving effect to any adjustment therein) for which this Warrant shall have been exercised.

 

  

 

 

2.2.       Payment of Exercise Price by Wire Transfer. If the Holder elects to purchase a specified number of shares by paying the Aggregate Exercise Price, the Holder shall pay such amount by wire transfer of immediately available funds to the account designated by the Company in its acknowledgement of receipt of such Exercise Notice pursuant to Section 2.1.

 

2.3.       Net Exercise. If a registration statement covering the shares of Common Stock that are the subject of the Notice of Exercise (the “Unavailable Warrant Shares”) is not available for the resale of such Unavailable Warrant Shares to the public or upon exercise of this Warrant in connection with a Fundamental Transaction, the Holder may elect to exercise this Warrant by receiving shares of Common Stock equal to the number of shares determined pursuant to the following formula:

 

X = Y (A - B)

    A

 

where,  
X = the number of shares of Common Stock to be issued to Holder;
   
Y = the number of shares of Common Stock as to which this Warrant is to be exercised
  (as indicated on the Exercise Notice);
   
A = VWAP for the Trading Day immediately preceding the date of exercise or if the
  VWAP is unavailable the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock; and
   
B = the Exercise Price.

 

2.4.       Antitrust Notification. If the Holder determines, in its sole judgment upon the advice of counsel, that the issuance of any Warrant Shares pursuant to the terms hereof would be subject to the provisions of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended (the “HSR Act”), the Company shall file as soon as practicable after the date on which the Company receives notice from the Holder of the applicability of the HSR Act and a request to so file with the United States Federal Trade Commission and the United States Department of Justice the notification and report form required to be filed by it pursuant to the HSR Act in connection with such issuance.

 

2.5.       Termination. This Warrant shall terminate upon the earlier to occur of (i) exercise in full or (ii) the expiration of the Exercise Period.

 

3.           REGISTRATION RIGHTS. The Holder of this Warrant has certain rights to require the Company to register its resale of the Warrant Shares under the Securities Act and any blue sky or securities laws of any jurisdictions within the United States at the time and in the manner specified in the Purchase Agreement.

 

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4.            DELIVERY OF STOCK CERTIFICATES ON EXERCISE.

 

4.1.       Delivery of Exercise Shares. As soon as practicable after any exercise of this Warrant and in any event within three (3) Trading Days thereafter (such date, the “Exercise Share Delivery Date”), the Company shall, at its expense (including the payment by it of any applicable issue or stamp taxes), cause to be issued in the name of and delivered to the Holder, or as the Holder may direct, a certificate or certificates evidencing the number of fully paid and non-assessable shares of Common Stock (which number shall be rounded down to the nearest whole share in the event any fractional share may otherwise be issuable upon such exercise and the Company shall pay a cash adjustment to the Holder in respect of such final fraction in an amount equal to such fraction multiplied by the Exercise Price) to which the Holder shall be entitled on such exercise, in such denominations as may be requested by the Holder, which certificate or certificates shall be free of restrictive and trading legends (except for any such legends as may be required under the Securities Act). In lieu of delivering physical certificates for the shares of Common Stock issuable upon any exercise of this Warrant, provided the Warrant Shares are not restricted securities and the Company’s transfer agent is participating in the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) Fast Automated Securities Transfer program or a similar program, upon request of the Holder, the Company shall cause its transfer agent to electronically transmit such shares of Common Stock issuable upon exercise of this Warrant to the Holder (or its designee), by crediting the account of the Holder’s (or such designee’s) broker with DTC through its Deposit Withdrawal Agent Commission system (provided that the same time periods herein as for stock certificates shall apply) as instructed by the Holder (or its designee).

 

4.2.       Compensation for Buy-In on Failure to Timely Deliver Exercise Shares. In addition to any other rights available to the Holder, if the Company fails to cause its transfer agent to transmit to the Holder Exercise Shares pursuant to an exercise on or before the Exercise Share Delivery Date, and if after such date the Holder is required by its broker to purchase (in an open market transaction or otherwise) or the Holder’s brokerage firm otherwise purchases, shares of Common Stock to deliver in satisfaction of a sale by the Holder of the Exercise Shares which the Holder anticipated receiving upon such exercise (a “Buy-In”), then the Company shall (a) pay in cash to the Holder the amount, if any, by which (x) the Holder’s total purchase price (including brokerage commissions, if any) for the shares of Common Stock so purchased exceeds (y) the amount obtained by multiplying (1) the number of Exercise Shares that the Company was required to deliver to the Holder in connection with the exercise at issue times (2) the price at which the sell order giving rise to such purchase obligation was executed, and (b) at the option of the Holder, either reinstate the portion of the Warrant and equivalent number of Exercise Shares for which such exercise was not honored (in which case such exercise shall be deemed rescinded) or deliver to the Holder the number of shares of Common Stock that would have been issued had the Company timely complied with its exercise and delivery obligations hereunder. For example, if the Holder purchases Common Stock having a total purchase price of $11,000 to cover a Buy-In with respect to an attempted exercise of shares of Common Stock with an aggregate sale price giving rise to such purchase obligation of $10,000, under clause (a) of the immediately preceding sentence the Company shall be required to pay the Holder $1,000. The Holder shall provide the Company written notice indicating the amounts payable to the Holder in respect of the Buy-In and evidence of the amount of such loss. Nothing herein shall limit a Holder’s right to pursue a decree of specific performance and/or injunctive relief with respect to the Company’s failure to timely deliver shares of Common Stock upon exercise of the Warrant as required pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

4.3.       Charges, Taxes and Expenses. Issuance of Exercise Shares shall be made without charge to the Holder for any issue or transfer tax or other incidental expense in respect of the issuance of such Exercise Shares, all of which taxes and expenses shall be paid by the Company, and such Exercise Shares shall be issued in the name of the Holder or in such name or names as may be directed by the Holder; provided, however, that in the event Exercise Shares are to be issued in a name other than the name of the Holder, this Warrant when surrendered for exercise shall be accompanied by the Assignment Form attached hereto (the “Assignment Form”) duly executed by the Holder and the Company may require, as a condition thereto, the payment of a sum sufficient to reimburse it for any transfer tax incidental thereto.

 

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5.           CERTAIN ADJUSTMENTS.

 

5.1.       Stock Dividends and Splits. If the Company, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding: (a) pays a stock dividend or otherwise makes a distribution or distributions on shares of its Common Stock or any other equity or equity equivalent securities payable in shares of Common Stock (which, for avoidance of doubt, shall not include any shares of Common Stock issued by the Company upon exercise of this Warrant), (b) subdivides outstanding shares of Common Stock into a larger number of shares, (c) combines (including by way of reverse stock split) outstanding shares of Common Stock into a smaller number of shares, or (d) issues by reclassification of shares of the Common Stock any shares of capital stock of the Company, then in each case the Exercise Price shall be multiplied by a fraction of which the numerator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) outstanding immediately before such event and of which the denominator shall be the number of shares of Common Stock outstanding immediately after such event and the number of shares issuable upon exercise of this Warrant shall be proportionately adjusted such that the aggregate Exercise Price of this Warrant shall remain unchanged. Any adjustment made pursuant to this Section 5.1 shall become effective immediately after the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to receive such dividend or distribution and shall become effective immediately after the effective date in the case of a subdivision, combination or re-classification. In connection with the provisions of this Section 5.1 and by way of example only and assuming no other adjustments hereunder, if the Company conducts a 20:1 reverse stock split and the original unadjusted exercise price was $1.00 prior to such reverse stock split, then following such reverse stock split the exercise price would be $20.00 and the number of Warrant Shares would be reduced to 656,250.

 

5.2       Pro Rata Distributions. During such time as this Warrant is outstanding, if the Company shall declare or make any dividend or other distribution of its assets (or rights to acquire its assets) to holders of shares of Common Stock, by way of return of capital or otherwise (including, without limitation, any distribution of cash, stock or other securities, property or options by way of a dividend, spin off, reclassification, corporate rearrangement, scheme of arrangement or other similar transaction) (a “Distribution”), at any time after the issuance of this Warrant, then, in each such case, the Holder shall be entitled to participate in such Distribution to the same extent that the Holder would have participated therein if the Holder had held the number of shares of Common Stock acquirable upon complete exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on exercise hereof, including without limitation, the Beneficial Ownership Limitation) immediately before the date of which a record is taken for such Distribution, or, if no such record is taken, the date as of which the record holders of shares of Common Stock are to be determined for the participation in such Distribution (provided, however, that, to the extent that the Holder's right to participate in any such Distribution would result in the Holder exceeding the beneficial ownership limitation provided for in Section 10, then the Holder shall not be entitled to participate in such Distribution to such extent (or in the beneficial ownership of any shares of Common Stock as a result of such Distribution to such extent) and the portion of such Distribution shall be held in abeyance for the benefit of the Holder until such time, if ever, as its right thereto would not result in the Holder exceeding the beneficial ownership limitation).

 

 -4- 

 

 

5.3       Fundamental Transaction. If, at any time while this Warrant is outstanding, (a) the Company effects any merger or consolidation of the Company with or into another Person, (b) the Company effects any sale of all or substantially all of its assets in one or a series of related transactions, (c) any tender offer or exchange offer (whether by the Company or another Person) is completed pursuant to which holders of Common Stock are permitted to tender or exchange their shares for other securities, cash or property, or (d) the Company effects any reclassification of the Common Stock or any compulsory share exchange pursuant to which the Common Stock is effectively converted into or exchanged for other securities, cash or property (each, a “Fundamental Transaction”), then, upon the closing of a Fundamental Transaction and payment of the exercise price therefore (including at the election of the Holder by cashless exercise), the Holder shall have the right to receive, for each Warrant Share that would have been issuable upon such exercise immediately prior to the occurrence of such Fundamental Transaction, at the option of the Holder (without regard to any limitation in Section 10 on the exercise of this Warrant), the number of shares of Common Stock of the successor or acquiring corporation or of the Company, if it is the surviving corporation, and any additional consideration (the “Alternate Consideration”) receivable as a result of such Fundamental Transaction by a holder of the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is exercisable immediately prior to such Fundamental Transaction (without regard to any limitation in Section 10 on the exercise of this Warrant). For purposes of any such exercise, the determination of the Exercise Price shall be appropriately adjusted to apply to such Alternate Consideration based on the amount of Alternate Consideration issuable in respect of one share of Common Stock in such Fundamental Transaction, and the Company shall apportion the Exercise Price among the Alternate Consideration in a reasonable manner reflecting the relative value of any different components of the Alternate Consideration. If holders of Common Stock are given any choice as to the securities, cash or property to be received in a Fundamental Transaction, then the Holder shall be given the same choice as to the Alternate Consideration it receives upon any exercise of this Warrant following such Fundamental Transaction. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, in the event of a Fundamental Transaction, the Company or any Successor Entity (as defined below) shall, at the Holder’s option, exercisable at any time concurrently with, or within 30 days after, the consummation of the Fundamental Transaction (or, if later, the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction), purchase this Warrant from the Holder by paying to the Holder an amount of cash equal to the Black Scholes Value (as defined below) of the remaining unexercised portion of this Warrant on the date of the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction. “Black Scholes Value” means the value this Warrant based on the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model obtained from the “OV” function on Bloomberg, L.P. (“Bloomberg”) determined as of the day of consummation of the applicable Fundamental Transaction for pricing purposes and reflecting (A) a risk-free interest rate corresponding to the U.S. Treasury rate for a period equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the final day of the Exercise Period, (B) an expected volatility equal to the greater of 100% and the 100 day volatility obtained from the HVT function on Bloomberg as of the Trading Day immediately following the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction, (C) the underlying price per share used in such calculation shall be the greater of (i) the sum of the price per share being offered in cash, if any, plus the value of any non-cash consideration, if any, being offered in such Fundamental Transaction and (ii) the greater of (x) the last volume weighted average price immediately prior to the public announcement of such Fundamental Transaction and (y) the last volume weighted average price immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction and (D) a remaining option time equal to the time between the date of the public announcement of the applicable Fundamental Transaction and the final day of the Exercise Period. The payment of the Black Scholes Value will be made by wire transfer of immediately available funds within five Business Days of the Holder’s election (or, if later, on the effective date of the Fundamental Transaction). The Company shall cause any successor entity in a Fundamental Transaction in which the Company is not the survivor (the “Successor Entity”) to assume in writing all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents in accordance with the provisions of this 5.3 pursuant to written agreements in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Holder and approved by the Holder (without unreasonable delay) prior to such Fundamental Transaction and shall, at the option of the Holder, deliver to the Holder in exchange for this Warrant a security of the Successor Entity evidenced by a written instrument substantially similar in form and substance to this Warrant which is exercisable for a corresponding number of shares of capital stock of such Successor Entity (or its parent entity) equivalent to the shares of Common Stock acquirable and receivable upon exercise of this Warrant (without regard to any limitations on the exercise of this Warrant) prior to such Fundamental Transaction, and with an exercise price which applies the exercise price hereunder to such shares of capital stock (but taking into account the relative value of the shares of Common Stock pursuant to such Fundamental Transaction and the value of such shares of capital stock, such number of shares of capital stock and such exercise price being for the purpose of protecting the economic value of this Warrant immediately prior to the consummation of such Fundamental Transaction), and which is reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Holder. Upon the occurrence of any such Fundamental Transaction, the Successor Entity shall succeed to, and be substituted for (so that from and after the date of such Fundamental Transaction, the provisions of this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents referring to the “Company” shall refer instead to the Successor Entity), and may exercise every right and power of the Company and shall assume all of the obligations of the Company under this Warrant and the other Transaction Documents with the same effect as if such Successor Entity had been named as the Company herein.

 

 -5- 

 

 

5.4         Reserved

 

5.5         Calculations. All calculations under this Section 5 shall be made to the nearest cent or the nearest 1/100th of a share, as the case may be. For purposes of this Section 5, the number of shares of Common Stock deemed to be issued and outstanding as of a given date shall be the sum of the number of shares of Common Stock (excluding treasury shares, if any) issued and outstanding at the close of the Trading Day on or, if not applicable, most recently preceding, such given date.

 

5.6         Notice to Holder.

 

(a)       Adjustment to Exercise Price. Whenever the Exercise Price is adjusted pursuant to any provision of this Section 5, the Company shall promptly mail to the Holder a notice setting forth the Exercise Price after such adjustment and setting forth a brief statement of the facts requiring such adjustment.

 

(b)       Notice to Allow Exercise by Holder. If (i) the Company shall declare a dividend (or any other distribution in whatever form) on the Common Stock; (ii) the Company shall declare a special nonrecurring cash dividend on or a redemption of the Common Stock; (iii) the Company shall authorize the granting to all holders of the Common Stock rights or warrants to subscribe for or purchase any shares of capital stock of any class or of any rights; (iv) the approval of any stockholders of the Company shall be required in connection with any reclassification of the Common Stock, any consolidation or merger to which the Company is a party, any sale or transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of the Company, of any compulsory share exchange whereby the Common Stock is converted into other securities, cash or property; or (v) the Company shall authorize the voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding up of the affairs of the Company; then, in each case, the Company shall cause to be mailed to the Holder at its last address as it shall appear upon the Warrant Register of the Company, at least twenty (20) calendar days prior to the applicable record or effective date hereinafter specified, a notice stating (x) the date on which a record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution, redemption, rights or warrants, or if a record is not to be taken, the date as of which the holders of the Common Stock of record to be entitled to such dividend, distributions, redemption, rights or warrants are to be determined or (y) the date on which such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange is expected to become effective or close, and the date as of which it is expected that holders of the Common Stock of record shall be entitled to exchange their shares of the Common Stock for securities, cash or other property deliverable upon such reclassification, consolidation, merger, sale, transfer or share exchange; provided that the failure to mail such notice or any defect therein or in the mailing thereof shall not affect the validity of the corporate action required to be specified in such notice. Subject to applicable law, the Holder is entitled to exercise this Warrant during the period commencing on the date of such notice to the effective date of the event triggering such notice. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the delivery of the notice described in this Section 5.6 is not intended to and shall not bestow upon the Holder any voting rights whatsoever with respect to outstanding unexercised Warrants.

 

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6.           NO IMPAIRMENT. The Company will not, by amendment of the Articles of Incorporation or through any reorganization, transfer of assets, consolidation, merger, dissolution, issue or sale of securities or any other voluntary action, avoid or seek to avoid the observance or performance of any of the terms of this Warrant, but will at all times in good faith assist in the carrying out of all such terms and in taking all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order to protect the rights of the Holder against impairment. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Company (a) will not increase the par value of any shares of Common Stock receivable on the exercise of this Warrant above the amount payable therefor on such exercise and (b) will take all such action as may be necessary or appropriate in order that the Company may validly and legally issue fully paid and non-assessable shares of stock on the exercise of this Warrant from time to time outstanding.

 

7.           NOTICES OF RECORD DATE. In the event of:

 

(a)       any taking by the Company of a record of the holders of any class of securities for the purpose of determining the holders thereof who are entitled to receive any dividend or other distribution, or any right to subscribe for, purchase or otherwise acquire any shares of stock of any class or any other securities or property, or to receive any other right;

 

(b)       any capital reorganization of the Company, any reclassification or recapitalization of the capital stock of the Company or any transfer of all or substantially all the assets of the Company to or any consolidation or merger of the Company with or into any other Person or any other Change of Control; or

 

(c)       any voluntary or involuntary dissolution, liquidation or winding-up of the Company;

 

then, and in each such event, the Company will mail or cause to be mailed to the Holder a notice specifying (i) the date on which any such record is to be taken for the purpose of such dividend, distribution or right, and stating the amount and character of such dividend, distribution or right, or (ii) the date on which any such reorganization, reclassification, recapitalization, transfer, consolidation, merger, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up is anticipated to take place, and the time, if any is to be fixed, as of which the holders of record of Common Stock shall be entitled to exchange their shares of Common Stock for securities or other property deliverable on such reorganization, reclassification, recapitalization, transfer, consolidation, merger, dissolution, liquidation or winding-up. Such notice shall be mailed at least fifteen (15) days prior to the date specified in such notice on which any such action is to be taken.

 

8.           RESERVATION OF STOCK ISSUABLE ON EXERCISE OF WARRANT; REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.

 

8.1.       Reservation of Stock Issuable on Exercise of Warrant. The Company shall at all times while this Warrant shall be outstanding, reserve and keep available out of its authorized but unissued Common Stock, such number of shares of Common Stock as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the exercise of all or any portion of the Warrant Shares (disregarding for this purpose any and all limitations of any kind on such exercise). The Company shall, from time to time in accordance with the Nevada Revised Statutes, increase the authorized number of shares of Common Stock or take other effective action if at any time the unissued number of authorized shares shall not be sufficient to satisfy the Company’s obligations under this Section 8.

 

8.2.       Regulatory Compliance. If any shares of Common Stock to be reserved for the purpose of exercise of the Warrant Shares require registration or listing with or approval of any Governmental Authority, stock exchange or other regulatory body under any federal or state law or regulation or otherwise before such shares may be validly issued or delivered upon exercise, the Company shall, at its sole cost and expense, in good faith and as expeditiously as possible, secure such registration, listing or approval, as the case may be.

 

 -7- 

 

 

9.           DEFINITIONS. As used herein the following terms, unless the context otherwise requires, have the following respective meanings:

 

Affiliate” means a Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls or is controlled by, or is under common control with, the Person specified.

 

Aggregate Exercise Price” means, in connection with the exercise of this Warrant at any time, an amount equal to the product obtained by multiplying (i) the Exercise Price times (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is being exercised at such time.

 

Articles of Incorporation” means the Company’s Restated Articles of Incorporation as amended

to date.

 

Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or any other day on which banks are permitted or required to be closed in New York City.

 

Change of Control” has the meaning set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

 

Common Stock” means (i) the Company’s Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, and (ii) any other securities into which or for which any of the securities described in clause (i) above have been converted or exchanged pursuant to a plan of recapitalization, reorganization, merger, sale of assets or otherwise.

 

Common Stock Equivalents” means any rights or warrants or options to purchase any Common Stock or Convertible Securities, other than rights or warrants or options to purchase any Common Stock or Convertible Securities granted or issued under any Equity Plan.

 

Convertible Securities” means any debt, equity or other securities that are, directly or indirectly, convertible into or exchangeable for Common Stock.

 

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.

 

Exercise Period” means the period commencing on the [Issue Date] [date of the Liquidity Event] and ending 11:59 P.M. (New York City time) on the date that is sixty (60) months from the Issue Date or earlier closing of a Fundamental Transaction (other than a Fundamental Transaction of the type described in clause (d) of the definition thereof resulting in the conversion into or exchange for another security of the Company).

 

Exercise Price” means $0.092 per share, as may be adjusted pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

Exercise Shares” means the shares of Common Stock for which this Warrant is then being exercised.

 

Fair Market Value” means, with respect to any security or other property, the fair market value of such security or other property as determined by the Board of Directors, acting in good faith.

 

Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

 

 -8- 

 

 

Issue Date” means April 4, 2022.

 

Note” means the senior secured convertible promissory note issued by the Company to the Holder pursuant to the Purchase Agreement.

 

Person” means an individual or corporation, partnership, trust, incorporated or unincorporated association, joint venture, limited liability company, joint stock company, government (or an agency or subdivision thereof) or other entity of any kind.

 

Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder from time to time in effect.

 

Subsidiary” means, as of any time of determination and with respect to any Person, any United States corporation, partnership, limited liability company or limited liability partnership, all of the stock (or other equity interest) of every class of which, except directors’ qualifying shares (or any equivalent), shall, at such time, be owned by such Person either directly or through Subsidiaries and of which such Person or a Subsidiary shall have 100% control thereof, except directors’ qualifying shares. Unless the context otherwise clearly requires, any reference to a “Subsidiary” is a reference to a Subsidiary of the Company.

 

Trading Day” means a day on which the Common Stock is traded on a Trading Market.

 

Trading Market” means whichever of the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE: Amex Exchange, or the Nasdaq Stock Market (including the Nasdaq Capital Market), on which the Common Stock is listed or quoted for trading on the date in question.

 

VWAP” means, as of any date, the price determined by the first of the following clauses that applies: (a) if the Common Stock is then listed or quoted on a Trading Market, the daily volume weighted average price of one share of Common Stock trading in the ordinary course of business on the applicable Trading Price for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on such Trading Market as reported by Bloomberg Financial L.P.; (b) if the Common Stock is not then listed on a Trading Market and if the Common Stock is traded in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the OTC Bulletin Board, the volume weighted average price of one share of Common Stock for such date (or the nearest preceding date) on the OTC Bulletin Board, as reported by Bloomberg Financial L.P.; (c) if the Common Stock is not then listed or quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board and if prices for the Common Stock is then reported in the “Pink Sheets” published by the Pink OTC Markets Inc. (or a similar organization or agency succeeding to its functions of reporting prices), the most recent bid price of one share of Common Stock so reported, as reported by Bloomberg Financial L.P.; or (d) in all other cases, the fair market value of one share of Common Stock as determined by an independent appraiser selected in good faith by the Holder and reasonably acceptable to the Company (in each case rounded to four decimal places).

 

Warrant Shares” means collectively the shares of Common Stock of the Company issuable upon exercise of the Warrant in accordance with its terms, as such number may be adjusted pursuant to the provisions thereof.

 

 -9- 

 

 

10.          LIMITATION ON BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Holder shall not be entitled to receive shares of Common Stock or other securities (together with Common Stock, “Equity Interests”) upon exercise of this Warrant to the extent (but only to the extent) that such exercise or receipt would cause the Holder Group to become, directly or indirectly, a “beneficial owner” (within the meaning of Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder) of a number of Equity Interests of a class that is registered under the Exchange Act which exceeds the Maximum Percentage (as defined below) of the Equity Interests of such class that are outstanding at such time. Any purported delivery of Equity Interests in connection with the exercise of the Warrant prior to the termination of this restriction in accordance herewith shall be void and have no effect to the extent (but only to the extent) that such delivery would result in the Holder Group becoming the beneficial owner of more than the Maximum Percentage of the Equity Interests of a class that is registered under the Exchange Act that is outstanding at such time. If any delivery of Equity Interests owed to the Holder following exercise of this Warrant is not made, in whole or in part, as a result of this limitation, the Company’s obligation to make such delivery shall not be extinguished and the Company shall deliver such Equity Interests as promptly as practicable after the Holder gives notice to the Company that such delivery would not result in such limitation being triggered or upon termination of the restriction in accordance with the terms hereof. To the extent limitations contained in this Section 10 apply, the determination of whether this Warrant is exercisable and of which portion of this Warrant is exercisable shall be the sole responsibility and in the sole determination of the Holder, and the submission of an Exercise Notice shall be deemed to constitute the Holder’s determination that the issuance of the full number of Warrant Shares requested in the Exercise Notice is permitted hereunder, and neither the Company nor any Warrant agent shall have any obligation to verify or confirm the accuracy of such determination. For purposes of this Section 10, (i) the term “Maximum Percentage” shall mean 4.99%; provided, that if at any time after the date hereof the Holder Group beneficially owns in excess of 4.99% of any class of Equity Interests in the Company that is registered under the Exchange Act (excluding any Equity Interests deemed beneficially owned by virtue of this Warrant or the Note), then the Maximum Percentage shall automatically increase to 9.99% so long as the Holder Group owns in excess of 4.99% of such class of Equity Interests (and shall, for the avoidance of doubt, automatically decrease to 4.99% upon the Holder Group ceasing to own in excess of 4.99% of such class of Equity Interests); and (ii) the term “Holder Group” shall mean the Holder plus any other Person with which the Holder is considered to be part of a group under Section 13 of the Exchange Act or with which the Holder otherwise files reports under Sections 13 and/or 16 of the Exchange Act. In determining the number of Equity Interests of a particular class outstanding at any point in time, the Holder may rely on the number of outstanding Equity Interests of such class as reflected in (x) the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as the case may be, (y) a more recent public announcement by the Company or (z) a more recent notice by the Company or its transfer agent to the Holder setting forth the number of Equity Interests of such class then outstanding. For any reason at any time, upon written or oral request of the Holder, the Company shall, within one (1) Trading Day of such request, confirm orally and in writing to the Holder the number of Equity Interests of any class then outstanding. The provisions of this Section 10 shall be construed, corrected and implemented in a manner so as to effectuate the intended beneficial ownership limitation herein contained.

 

11.          REGISTRATION AND TRANSFER OF WARRANT.

 

11.1.       Registration of Warrant. The Company shall register and record transfers, exchanges, reissuances and cancellations of this Warrant, upon the records to be maintained by the Company for that purpose, in the name of the record holder hereof from time to time. The Company may deem and treat the registered holder of this Warrant as the absolute owner hereof for the purpose of any exercise hereof or any distribution to the Holder, and for all other purposes, absent actual notice to the contrary. The Company shall be entitled to rely, and held harmless in acting or refraining from acting in reliance upon, any notices, instructions or documents it believes in good faith to be from an authorized representative of the Holder.

 

 -10- 

 

 

11.2       Transferability. This Warrant and all rights hereunder (including, without limitation, any registration rights) are transferable, in whole or in part, upon surrender of this Warrant at the principal office of the Company or its designated agent, together with a written assignment of this Warrant substantially in the form of assignment (the “Assignment Notice”) attached hereto duly executed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. The Company may require the transferor thereof to provide to the Company an opinion of counsel selected by the transferor, the form and substance of which opinion shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Company, to the effect that such transfer does not require registration of the transferred Warrant under the 1933 Act. Upon such surrender, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in the name of the assignee or assignees, as applicable, and in the denomination or denominations specified in such Assignment Notice, and shall issue to the assignor a new Warrant evidencing the portion of this Warrant not so assigned, and this Warrant shall promptly be cancelled. This Warrant, if properly assigned in accordance herewith, may be exercised by a new holder for the purchase of Exercise Shares without having a new Warrant issued.

 

11.3.       New Warrants. This Warrant may be divided or combined with other Warrants upon presentation hereof at the aforesaid office of the Company, together with a written notice specifying the names and denominations in which new Warrants are to be issued, signed by the Holder or its agent or attorney. Subject to compliance with Section 11.2, as to any transfer which may be involved in such division or combination, the Company shall execute and deliver a new Warrant or Warrants in exchange for this Warrant or Warrants to be divided or combined in accordance with such notice. All Warrants issued on transfers or exchanges shall be dated the original Issue Date and shall be identical with this Warrant except as to the number of Exercise Shares issuable pursuant thereto.

 

12.          LOSS, THEFT, DESTRUCTION OR MUTILATION OF WARRANT. The Company covenants that upon receipt by the Company of evidence reasonably satisfactory to it of the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of this Warrant or any stock certificate relating to the Exercise Shares, and in case of loss, theft or destruction, of indemnity or security reasonably satisfactory to it (which, in the case of this Warrant, shall not include the posting of any bond), and upon surrender and cancellation of such Warrant or stock certificate, if mutilated, the Company will make and deliver a new Warrant or stock certificate of like tenor and dated as of such cancellation, in lieu of such Warrant or stock certificate.

 

13.         REMEDIES. The Company stipulates that the remedies at law of the Holder in the event of any default or threatened default by the Company in the performance of or compliance with any of the terms of this Warrant are not and will not be adequate, and that such terms may be specifically enforced by a decree for the specific performance of any agreement contained herein or by an injunction against a violation of any of the terms hereof or otherwise.

 

14.         NO RIGHTS AS A STOCKHOLDER. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as a holder of this Warrant, shall not be entitled to vote or receive dividends or be deemed the holder of share capital of the Company for any purpose, nor shall anything contained in this Warrant be construed to confer upon the Holder, solely in such Person’s capacity as the Holder of this Warrant, any of the rights of a stockholder of the Company or any right to vote, give or withhold consent to any corporate action (whether any reorganization, issue of stock, reclassification of stock, consolidation, merger, conveyance or otherwise), receive notice of meetings, receive dividends or subscription rights, or otherwise, prior to the issuance to the Holder of the Exercise Shares.

 

15.       NOTICES. All notices, requests, demands and other communications that are required or may be given pursuant to the terms of this Warrant shall be in writing and shall be deemed delivered (i) on the date of delivery when delivered by hand on a Business Day during normal business hours or, if delivered on a day that is not a Business Day or after normal business hours, then on the next Business Day, (ii) on the date of transmission when sent by facsimile transmission or email during normal business hours on a Business Day with telephone confirmation of receipt or, if transmitted on a day that is not a Business Day or after normal business hours, then on the next Business Day, or (iii) on the second Business Day after the date of dispatch when sent by a reputable courier service that maintains records of receipt. The addresses for notice shall be as set forth in the Purchase Agreement.

 

 -11- 

 

 

16.       CONSENT TO AMENDMENTS. Any term of this Warrant may be amended, and the Company may take any action herein prohibited, or compliance therewith may be waived, only if the Company shall have obtained the written consent (and not without such written consent) to such amendment, action or waiver from the Holder. No course of dealing between the Company and the Holder nor any delay in exercising any rights hereunder shall operate as a waiver of any rights of the Holder.

 

17.       MISCELLANEOUS. In case any provision of this Warrant shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, or partially invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the extent, if any, that it may legally be enforced and the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby. If any provision of this Warrant is found to conflict with the Purchase Agreement, the provisions of this Warrant shall prevail. If any provision of this Warrant is found to conflict with the Note, the provisions of the Note shall prevail. THIS WARRANT SHALL BE CONSTRUED AND ENFORCED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, AND THE RIGHTS OF THE PARTIES SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, THE INTERNAL LAW OF THE STATE OF NEVADA EXCLUDING CHOICE-OF-LAW PRINCIPLES OF THE LAW OF SUCH STATE THAT WOULD PERMIT THE APPLICATION OF THE LAWS OF A JURISDICTION OTHER THAN SUCH STATE. The headings in this Warrant are for purposes of reference only, and shall not limit or otherwise affect any of the terms hereof.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

 -12- 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Warrant to be executed by its duly authorized officer.

 

Dated as of April 4, 2022

 

  CASTELLUM, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Mark Fuller
     
  Name: Mark Fuller
     
  Title: President & CEO

 

 -13- 

 

 

FORM OF SUBSCRIPTION

 

(To be signed only on exercise
of Common Stock Purchase Warrant)

 

TO:Castellum, Inc.

 

1.       The undersigned Holder of the attached Warrant hereby elects to exercise its purchase right under such Warrant to purchase shares of Common Stock of Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “Company”), as follows (check one or more, as applicable):

 

oto exercise the Warrant to purchase ________________ shares of Common Stock and to pay the Aggregate Exercise Price therefor by wire transfer of United States funds to the account of the Company, which transfer has been made prior to or as of the date of delivery of this Form of Subscription pursuant to the instructions of the Company;

 

and/or

 

oto exercise the Warrant with respect to _______________ shares of Common Stock pursuant to the net exercise provisions specified in Section 2.3 of the Warrant.

 

2.            In exercising this Warrant, the undersigned Holder hereby confirms and acknowledges that the shares of Common Stock are being acquired solely for the account of the undersigned and not as a nominee for any other party, and for investment, and that the undersigned shall not offer, sell or otherwise dispose of any such shares of Common Stock except under circumstances that will not result in a violation of the Securities Act or any state securities laws. The undersigned hereby further confirms and acknowledges that it is an “accredited investor”, as that term is defined under the Securities Act.

 

3.           Please issue a stock certificate or certificates representing the appropriate number of shares of Common Stock in the name of the undersigned or in such other name(s) as is specified below:

 

Name:    
Address:    
     
     
     
TIN:    

 

  Dated:  
(Signature must conform exactly to name of      
Holder as specified on the face of the Warrant)      

 

  

 

 

FORM OF ASSIGNMENT
(To be signed only on transfer of Warrant)

 

For value received, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns, and transfers unto ____________ the right represented by the within Warrant to purchase _____________ shares of Common Stock of Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation, to which the within Warrant relates, and appoints _______________ attorney to transfer such right on the books of Castellum, Inc., with full power of substitution in the premises.

 

[insert name of Holder]

 

Dated:     By:  
         
      Title:  
         
      [insert address of Holder]

 

Signed in the presence of:  
   
   

 

  

 

Exhibit 10.1

 

THIS PROMISSORY NOTE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE, AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, ASSIGNED, FLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED UNLESS AND UNTIL REGISTERED UNDER SUCH ACT AND/OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, OR UNLESS THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL OR OTHER EVIDENCE REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND ITS COUNSEL THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.

 

Face Value: $5,600,000 Issued on August [    ], 2021 (“Issuance Date”)

 

AMENDED AND RESTATED PROMISSORY NOTE

(hereinafter referred to as this “Promissory Note”)

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Corvus Consulting, LLC (“Corvus”) and Castellum, Inc. f/k/a BioNovelus, Inc. (“Parent”) (collectively, the “Obligors”), hereby jointly and severally promise to pay to the order of Robert Eisiminger or any future permitted holder of this promissory note (the “Holder”), the principal sum of FIVE MILLION AND SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND NO/100 ($5,600,000.00) (the “Principal Amount”) plus any accrued but unpaid interest thereon at the rate of SEVEN PERCENT (7%) per annum (the “Interest Rate”) until the Principal Amount is paid in full. All payments made under this Promissory Note will be made to the Holder, at such address as the Holder may designate, in monies of the United States of America. This Amended and Restated Promissory Note supersedes and replaces in its entirety that certain prior Promissory Note in the amount of $5,600,000, dated November 21, 2019 (the “Prior Note”), which Prior Note is hereby cancelled.

 

1.       Interest. Subject to Section 1.1. below, interest accrued at the Interest Rate shall be payable in [quarterly] [monthly] installments (with interest accruing from [September 1, 2021] and with payments commencing with the [month ended September 30, 2021])1 on the first day of each [quarter] [monthly] or upon mandatory prepayment in cash from the date of this Promissory Note unless the Principal Amount and all interest accrued thereon and all other amounts owed hereunder are prepaid as provided for herein.

 

1.1       Subordination of Payments. Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, all of Holder’s rights to payment and the other terms and conditions hereunder shall be subject in all respects to the terms of the Subordination and Standby Agreement, dated as of August [    ], 2021 between, inter alios, Holder, the Obligors and Live Oak Banking Company (the “Subordination Agreement”).

 

2.       Maturity. The Obligors shall repay in full the entire principal balance then outstanding plus any accrued but unpaid interest under this Promissory Note on the earliest to occur of (i) September 30, 2024 or (ii) the acceleration of the obligations as contemplated by this Promissory Note (see, e.g., Section 5,2 hereof).

 

 

1 NTD: to be confirmed whether interest will be payable quarterly or monthly; believe interest for August has already been paid.

 

 

 

 

3.       Equity Warrant.2 As partial consideration for making the loan underlying this Promissory Note, Parent issued to the Holder pursuant to the Prior Note [21,614,349] [7]-year warrant (from the date of the Prior Note) to purchase shares of common stock of the Obligor at a total aggregate price for the exercise of $[1.00] for all shares, representing (as of the date of the Prior Note) [1.999]% of the fully diluted shares of the Obligor. To the extent that Holder chooses to exercise any warrants prior to [November 21, 2023], Holder hereby grants a four-year proxy to Mr. Mark Fuller, CEO of the Obligor, to vote such shares as Mr. Fuller deems appropriate. Holder shall have no right to vote such shares during the continuance of the proxy, and shall have no right to appoint directors, or otherwise central the management of the Obligor.

 

3.1       Adjustment of Number of Shares. The number of and kind of securities for pursuant to the Equity Warrant shall be subject to adjustment from time to time as follows:

 

3.1.1       Subdivisions, Combinations and Other Issuances. If the Parent shall at any time subdivide its Shares by split-up or otherwise, or combine its Shares, or issue additional shares of its Shares as a dividend, the number of shares issuable on exercise of the Equity Warrant shall be proportionately increased in the case of a subdivision or stock dividend, or proportionately decreased in the case of a combination. Appropriate adjustments shall also be made to the conversion price payable per share, but the aggregate purchase price payable for the total number of Shares exercisable under the Equity Warrant (as adjusted) shall remain the same. Any adjustment under this Section 3.1.1 shall become effective as of the close of business on the date the subdivision or combination becomes effective, or as of the record date of such dividend, or if no record date is fixed, upon the making of such dividend.

 

3.1.2       Reclassification, Reorganization and Consolidation. In case of any reclassification, capital reorganization, or change in the capital stock of the Parent (other than as a result of a subdivision, combination, or stock dividend provided or in Section 1.1 above) or any Change of Control (as defined below) of the Parent, then the Parent shall make appropriate provision so that the Holder shall have the right at any time to exercise the Equity Warrant, the kind and amount of shares of stock and other securities and property receivable in connection with such reclassification, reorganization, or change by a holder of the same number of Shares as were exercisable into by the Holder immediately prior to such reclassification, reorganization, or change. In any such case, appropriate provisions shall be made with respect to the rights and interest of the Holder so that the provisions hereof shall thereafter be applicable with respect to any shares of stock or other securities and property deliverable upon conversion hereof, and appropriate adjustments shall be made to the purchase price per share payable hereunder, provided the aggregate purchase price shall remain the same.

 

3.1.3       Notice of Adjustment. When any adjustment is required to be made pursuant to this Section 3.1, Parent shall promptly notify the Holder of such event and the number of Shares or other securities or property thereafter exercisable.

  

 

2 NTD: to be determined if this section needs to be modified in any way.

 

 

 

 

3.1.4       Reservation of Stock. Parent agrees that, to reserve and keep available from its authorized and unissued Shares for the purpose of effecting the exercise of Equity Warrant such number of Shares as shall from time to time be sufficient to effect the exercise of the rights under the Equity Warrant.

 

4.       Representations. The Obligors hereby represent and warrant to the Holder as follows:

 

4.1       Due Incorporation; Good Standing; Due Authorization. The Obligors are each duly formed and validly existing as entities in good standing under the laws of the state of each of its formation. The Obligors have the requisite power and authorization to enter into this Promissory Note and all necessary action has been taken by the Obligors to do so. As of the Corvus Closing, the Parent owned all of equity interest and membership interests of Corvus and Corvus became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Parent.

 

4.2       Use of Proceeds. The original proceeds of this Promissory Note were used only for the purchase of 100% of the equity interests and membership interests of Corvus and for working capital,

 

4.3      Capitalization.

 

(a)       Schedule 4.3(b) of the Prior Note set forth the fully diluted capitalization of Parent on the date of issuance thereof, after giving effect to the Corvus Closing, including the number of shares and the holders of the following: (i) issued and outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock, (ii) issued and outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock, (iii) issued and outstanding shares of Common Stock; (iv) the number of shares reserved under any convertible notes including the principal amounts, the interest rate, the maturity date and the conversion rate or conversion price associated therewith; (v) granted stock options, including vesting schedule and exercise price; (v) shares of Common Stock reserved for issuance under any equity incentive plan but not yet subject to grants; and (vi) warrants or purchase rights, if any. As of the date of issuance of the Prior Note, except as set forth on such Schedule 4.3(b), and except as may be granted pursuant to this Note, there are no outstanding options, warrants, rights (including conversion or preemptive rights and rights of first refusal), proxy or stockholder agreements, or agreements of any kind forth: purchase or acquisition from the Parent of any of its securities and there are no outstanding or authorized equity appreciation, phantom equity or similar rights with respect to the Parent.

 

(b)       All issued and outstanding shares of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock of the Parent (i) have been duly authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and nonassessable, (ii) were issued in compliance with all applicable laws concerning the issuance of securities and applicable preemptive and other similar rights; and (iii) are not subject to a right of first refusal in favor of the other shareholders of the Company upon transfer.

 

 

 

 

(c)       The Parent is not subject to any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to redeem, purchase or otherwise acquire or retire any of its securities. No person or entity has any right of first offer, right of first refusal, preemptive right or other similar right in connection with the issuance or sale of the outstanding securities of the Parent, or with respect to any future offer, sale or issuance of securities by the Parent. There are no agreements, written or oral, relating to the acquisition, issuance, disposition, repurchase, voting or registration of securities of the Parent. There are no agreements or arrangements of any kind providing anti-dilution protection to any security holder. There is no employee, advisor, consultant or other person or entity with an offer letter; agreement or other arrangement that contemplates a grant of options to purchase shares of the Common Stock or other equity or equity-based awards with respect to the capital stock of the Parent, or who has otherwise been promised options to purchase shares of the Common Stock or other equity or equity-based awards with respect to the capital stock of the Parent, which options or other awards have not been granted as of the date of issuance of the Prior Note.

 

4.4       Articles of Incorporation. Schedule 4.4 to the Prior Note contained a true and complete copy of the Articles of Incorporation of the Parent with all amendments.

 

4.5       Litigation. The Obligor hereby confirm that, as of the Issuance Date, neither of the Obligors is subject to either any actual or threatened litigation.

 

4.6       Liabilities. Except as previously disclosed to Holder, each of the Obligors hereby confirm that, as of the Issuance Date, neither of the Obligors is subject to any liabilities.

 

5.       Remedies.

 

5.1       Events of Default. “Event of Default” wherever used herein, means any one of the following events:

 

5.1.1       default in the payment of the principal of this Promissory Note at its maturity or any interest payment required to be made hereunder; or

 

5.1.2       the entry by a start having jurisdiction in the premi ses of (A) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Obligors in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (B) a decree or order adjudging either one of the Obligors a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Obligors under any applicable federal or state law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Obligors or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order unstayed and in effete for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days; or

 

5.1.3       the commencement by either one of the Obligors of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Obligors in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable federal or state law, or the consent by it to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Obligors or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the taking of corporate action by the Obligors in furtherance of any such action; or

 

 

 

 

5.1.4       the dissolution of the Obligors; or

 

5.1.5       any representation or warranty made to the Holder by the Obligors pursuant to this Promissory Note is false or misleading in any material respect; or

 

5.1.6       the Obligors fail to observe or perform any material covenant or agreement made by the Obligors to the Holder pursuant to this Promissory Note.

 

5.2       Acceleration of Maturity. If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case the Holder may (subject to the Subordination Agreement) declare the principal on this Promissory Note to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing-to the Obligors, and upon any such declaration such principal shall become immediately due and payable, and such accelerated amount shall thereafter bear interest at the rate equal to twelve percent (12%) per annum.

 

5.3       Payment of Expenses. If any part of the balance is not paid when due, or if the Obligors fail to perform any obligation required hereunder, the Obligors shall (subject to the Subordination Agreement) pay any and all reasonable costs of collection or enforcement of all outstanding obligations under this Promissory Note incurred by the. Holder, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses.

 

6.       Negative Covenants. As long as the Holder is owed principal and interest hereunder, the Parent shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without the written consent of the Holder given in writing, and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect.

 

6.1       liquidate, dissolve or wind-up the business and affairs of the Parent, adopt effect or enter into any merger or consolidation, dissolution, liquidation, reorganization or recapitalization of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other Change of Control, or consent to any of the foregoing;

 

6.2       amend, alter or repeal any provision of Parent’s Articles of incorporation or Bylaws of the Parent, except that Parent shall increase its authorized common stock to a total of 3 billion shares after the Corvus Closing;

 

6.3       create, or authorize the creation of, or issue or obligate itself to issue shares of, any additional class or series of capital stock, or increase the authorized number of shares of Common Stock (except as provided in Section 6.2) or any Preferred Stock or increase the authorized number of shares of any additional class or series of capital stock of the Parent;

 

6.4       (i) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Parent in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution, voting or winding up of the Parent or (ii) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Parent at in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution, voting or winding up of the Parent, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption;

 

 

 

 

6.5       purchase or redeem (or permit any subsidiary to purchase or redeem) or pay or declare any dividend in cash or securities, or make any distribution on, any shares of capital stock of the Parent other than repurchases of stock from former employees, officers, directors, consultants or other persons who performed services for the Parent or any subsidiary in connection with the cessation of such employment or service at no greater than the original purchase price thereof:

 

6.6       create, or authorize the creation of, or issue, or authorize the issuance of any debt security, incur or maintain any debt, or create any lien or security interest (except purchase money liens or statutory liens of landlords, mechanics, materialmen, workmen, warehousemen and other similar persons arising or incurred in the ordinary course of business) or incur other indebtedness for borrowed money, including but not limited to obligations and contingent obligations under guarantees, or permit any subsidiary to take any such action with respect to any debt security or debt lien, security interest or other indebtedness for borrowed money:

 

6.7       dissolve, wind-up or liquidate itself or initiate a bankruptcy proceeding involving itself; or

 

6.8       agree to do any of the foregoing;

 

provided that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, if any of the covenants described in this Section 6 is not otherwise expressly prohibited by the Loan Agreement (as defined in the Subordination Agreement) for so long as the Loan Agreement is in effect, no breach of any of the foregoing covenants in this Section 6 will constitute a default or Event of Default hereunder.

 

7.      Release of Security Interest; Termination of Liens. Any security interest or lien granted to the Holder in the Collateral (as defined in the Prior Note) or any other property of the Obligors securing amounts evidenced by the Prior Note, shall be automatically released and terminated in full, in each case, without the necessity of further action by any person, upon the entry into this Promissory Note by the parties hereto.

 

8.      Prepayment. The Obligors may not prepay this Promissory Note without the Holder’s consent. If the Obligors choose to prepay this Promissory Note, such prepayment will be subject to Section 1.1 herein.

 

9.      Various Definitions.

 

9.1       “Change of Control” shall mean (A) any consolidation or merger of the Parent or Corvus with or into any other corporation or other entity or person, or any other corporate reorganization, other than any such consolidation, merger or reorganization in which the stockholders of Parent or Corvus immediately prior to such consolidation, merger or reorganization continue to hold at least a majority of the voting power of the surviving entity in substantially the same proportions (or, if the surviving entity is a wholly owned subsidiary, its parent) immediately after such consolidation, merger or reorganization; or (B) any transaction or series of related transactions to which the Parent or Corvus is a party in which in excess of 50% of the Parent or Corvus’ voting power is transferred; and (ii) a sale, lease, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Parent or Corvus.

 

 

 

 

9.2       [Reserved].

 

9.3       “Corvus Closing” shall mean the Closing (as defined therein) of the transactions contemplated by that certain Stock Purchase Agreement made and entered into as of November 20, 2019, by and among the Parent, Corvus Consulting, LLC, and the member of Corvus Consulting, LLC (and with the Company Letter and all exhibits and schedules), all as attached as Schedule 9.3 to this Note.

 

10.    Notices. All notices and communications provided for herein or made hereunder shall be delivered, or mailed first class with postage prepaid, addressed in each case as follows, until some other address shall have been designated in a written notice given in like manner, and shall he deemed to have been given or made when so delivered or mailed:

 

The Holder: Robert Eisiminger

 

or to such other person or address as the Obligors shall furnish to the Holder in writing.

 

The Obligor: Castellum, Inc. and
  Corvus Consulting, LLC
  9812 Fall Rd Hl 14-299
  Potomac, MD 20854

 

or to such other person or address as the Holder shall furnish to the Obligors in writing.

 

11.    Miscellaneous.

 

11.1       This Promissory Note may be amended only by writing signed by both the Obligors and the Holder. All covenants and agreements in this Promissory Note by the Obligors shall bind its successors and assigns.

 

11.2       In case any provision in this Promissory Note shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

11.3       This Promissory Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia in without regard to the principles of conflicts of laws thereof.

 

11.4       This Promissory Note (and related agreements, exhibits, certificates and schedules) constitutes the full and entire understanding between the Obligors and the Holder with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof.

 

 

 

 

11.5       This Promissory Note is binding on the Obligor; and the Obligors hereby waive presentment, demand, notice and protest and any defense by reason of an extension of time for payment or other indulgences. Failure of, or delay by, the Holder to assert any right herein shall not be deemed to be a waiver thereof, nor shall any such failure or delay on any one or more occasions be deemed to prohibit or waive the same or any other right on any future occasion.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Obligors have caused this instrument to be duly executed as of the date first referenced above.

 

OBLIGORS;  
     
Corvus Consulting, LLC  
     
By: /s/ Mark C. Fuller  
     
Castellum Inc.  
     
By: /s/ Mark C. Fuller  
     
Accepted: ROBERT EISIMINGER  
     
By:   /s/ Robert Eisiminger  

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.2

 

THIS INSTRUMENT CONTAINS A CONFESSION OF JUDGMENT PROVISION WHICH CONSTITUTES A WAIVER OF IMPORTANT RIGHTS YOU MAY HAVE AS A DEBTOR AND ALLOWS THE CREDITOR TO OBTAIN A JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU WITHOUT ANY FURTHER NOTICE.

 

TERM LOAN PROMISSORY NOTE

 

$4,000,000.00 August 11, 2021

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, CASTELLUM, INC., a Nevada corporation, SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC., a New Jersey corporation, CORVUS CONSULTING, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company dba CORVUS DEFENSE CONSULTING LLC, MAINNERVE FEDERAL SERVICES, INC., a Delaware corporation, and MERRISON TECHNOLOGIES LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (individually and collectively, the “Maker”), jointly and severally promise to pay to the order of LIVE OAK BANKING COMPANY, a North Carolina banking corporation, at 1741 Tiburon Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403 (the “Lender”), or such other address as the Lender may from time to time specify in writing, the principal sum of FOUR MILLION AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($4.000,000.00), together with interest on the outstanding principal balance hereof at the “Note Rate”, as that term is hereafter defined.

 

Unless the context otherwise specifies or requires, the following terms shall have the meaning herein specified, such definitions to be applicable equally to the singular and the plural forms of such terms and to all genders:

 

“Business Day” shall mean a day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in the State of North Carolina are authorized or required by law to close.

 

“Default Rate” means an annual rate of interest equal to five percentage points (5%) in excess of the Note Rate, adjusted daily.

 

“Note Rate” means a per annum rate equal to the “Prime Rate” as quoted in the Wall Street Journal, plus three percentage points (3.00%) as of the day of this Note, adjusted quarterly to reflect the Prime Rate as of the first day of each calendar quarter thereafter (said composite interest rate, as adjusted, being hereafter referred to as the “Note Rate”). The initial Note Rate as of the date hereof is six and one-quarter percentage points (6.25%).

 

The rate of interest chargeable under this Note will not exceed applicable legal limits and in the event payment is made by the undersigned or received by the Lender in excess of the applicable legal limits such excess payment shall be credited as a payment of principal. Interest shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year factor applied to the actual number of days funds are outstanding hereunder.

 

Principal and interest due hereon shall be payable as follows:

 

(a)Commencing on September 5, 2021, and continuing on the 5th day of each succeeding month to and including July 5, 2024, equal monthly installments of principal and interest in the amount of One Hundred Twenty Two Thousand Two Hundred Ninety Nine and 00/100 Dollars ($122,299.00). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Lender shall have the right to adjust the payment amount at least annually as needed to amortize principal over the remaining term of this Note.

 

 

 

 

(b)If not sooner paid, the entire remaining principal balance hereunder, together with all accrued and unpaid interest due thereon, and all unpaid fees and costs due hereunder shall all be due and payable on August 11, 2024 (“Maturity Date”).

 

This Note is issued under and secured pursuant to the terms of that certain Loan and Security Agreement executed by Maker and Lender, dated as of even date herewith, as the same may be amended (“Loan Agreement”). Reference is hereby made to the terms of the Loan Agreement as to additional rights and remedies of the Lender and as to the Lender’s obligation to advance and readvance funds hereunder. Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Note shall have the meanings set forth in the Loan Agreement.

 

Maker may prepay the principal indebtedness evidenced hereby, in whole or in part, at any time, and from time to time, subject to the provisions of Section 2.9 of the Loan Agreement. Prepayments shall be applied to principal in the inverse order of maturity.

 

If Maker shall fail to make any payment required hereunder before the expiration of any applicable grace period, such amount shall, at the option of the Lender, bear interest at the Default Rate from the date such payment was due until the date such payment is received by the Lender. In addition, the Lender may collect a late charge equal to four percent (4%) of any regularly scheduled monthly payment amount not received by the Lender within fifteen (15) days after the date such payment is due.

 

Maker hereby waives demand, presentment for payment, protest and notice of dishonor and agrees that at any time and from time to time and with or without consideration, the Lender may, without notice to or further consent of Maker, and without in any manner releasing, lessening, or affecting the obligations of Maker, release, surrender, waive, add, substitute, settle, exchange, compromise, modify, extend, or grant indulgences with respect to this Note and all or any part of any collateral or security for this Note, and grant any extension or other postponements of the time of payment thereof.

 

The occurrence of any one or more of the following events shall constitute an Event of Default hereunder: (1) the failure to pay this Note on or before the Maturity Date; (2) the failure to make any installment payment of interest and/or principal when due under this Note; (3) the failure to observe or perform any covenant, condition or agreement on the part of Maker pursuant to the terms of this Note and such failure shall continue unremedied for five (5) days after written notice thereof from the Lender, provided that if any such default cannot be cured within five (5) days, if Maker fails to commence and diligently pursue curing such non-monetary default within five (5) days, and fails to cure the same within twenty (20) days after such written notice; (4) the occurrence of an Event of Default under the Loan Agreement or any “Loan Document” identified in the Loan Agreement; or (5) the failure to make any payment of principal or interest when due (including any grace period) to the Lender under any other promissory note or obligation made or guaranteed by Maker or by any guarantor of this Note.

 

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Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default: (1) the entire outstanding principal balance shall become immediately due and payable together with interest accrued to the date of payment, without notice, at the option of the Lender; (2) the Lender is authorized to offset any amount owed under this Note against any money or credits which Maker may have in checking, savings or other accounts or deposits with the Lender; (3) Maker shall pay to the Lender all expenses and costs (including reasonable attorney’s fees) which the Lender may incur in connection with the collection of any monies due under this Note or in connection with the enforcement of any right under this Note or under any other agreement related to the loan evidenced hereby, including the commencement of proceedings to dispose of any collateral securing this Note; and/or (4) the Lender may exercise any and all rights which it may have under any or all instruments, documents or agreements now or hereafter evidencing, securing or otherwise relating to the loan evidenced by this Note (including but not limited to the Loan Agreement) or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute or otherwise.

 

Maker represents and warrants that the loan evidenced hereby is obtained solely for purposes of carrying on or acquiring a business or commercial investment.

 

Each right, power and remedy of the Lender as provided for in this Note or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute or otherwise shall be cumulative and concurrent and shall be in addition to every other right, power or remedy, and the exercise or beginning of the exercise by the Lender of any one or more of such rights, powers or remedies shall not preclude the simultaneous or later exercise by the Lender of any or all such other rights, powers or remedies. Maker understands and agrees that Lender may institute suit to collect amounts outstanding under this Note without seeking recourse to any of the collateral securing the repayment of this Note, and the failure of Lender to pursue the collateral shall in no way diminish or affect Maker’s liability hereunder.

 

No failure or delay by the Lender to insist upon the strict performance of any term, condition or covenant of this Note or to exercise any right, power or remedy upon a breach hereof, shall constitute a waiver of any such term, condition, covenant or agreement or of any such breach, or preclude the Lender from exercising any such right, power or remedy at any later time or times unless in writing. If the Lender accepts any payment after its due date, it shall not constitute a waiver of the Lender's right to receive timely payment of all other amounts or to declare a default for the failure to make any other payment when due.

 

Any payment on this Note coming due on a day on which the Lender is not open to conduct full banking business shall be made on the next succeeding Business Day. Each payment hereunder shall be applied first to the payment of all unpaid fees due hereunder, then to interest accrued hereunder as of the date such payment is received and finally to the unpaid principal balance hereof. Any payments made after default hereunder may be applied to pay interest, principal or costs as the Lender, in its sole discretion, may determine.

 

The pleading of any statute of limitations as a defense hereto is expressly waived.

 

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TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE MAKER HEREBY VOLUNTARILY AND KNOWINGLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS NOTE OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREIN. THE MAKER HEREBY CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OR AGENT OF THE LENDER (INCLUDING ITS COUNSEL) HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT THE LENDER WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF SUCH LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THIS WAIVER OF RIGHT TO JURY TRIAL. THE MAKER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE LENDER HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS LOAN TRANSACTION BY, INTER ALIA, THE PROVISIONS OF THIS JURY WAIVER.

 

If any one or more of the provisions contained in this Note shall for any reason be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Note, but this Note shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.

 

In the event that the unpaid balance of this Note shall be accelerated, or if the Note is not paid in full at maturity, then Maker hereby authorizes and empowers any Clerk of any Court of Record in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of North Carolina, the State of Nevada, the State of New Jersey, the State of Delaware and/or any other State or Commonwealth to enter judgment by confession against Maker in favor of the Lender for the unpaid balance of this Note, together with all interest due thereon, costs and expenses of collection, including costs of suit and further including reasonable attorneys’ fees not to exceed fifteen percent (15%) of all unpaid amounts due and owing on this Note, expressly waiving summons and other process, and Maker does further consent to the immediate execution of said judgment. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 8.01- 431, et. seq., Code of Virginia, Maker hereby nominates, constitutes and appoints Jessica B. Summers, Esq. and/or Michelle J. Chapin, Esq., either of whom may act alone, as Maker’s lawful attorney-in-fact, for it and in its name, place and stead, and upon default of payment hereof as set forth herein to confess judgment against Maker, in the Circuit Court for Fairfax County, Virginia, or in any other court of record in the Commonwealth of Virginia, upon such obligation and for the amounts due hereunder, including all costs of collection and court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees in the amount of fifteen percent (15%) of the unpaid principal balance hereof and accrued interest thereon, hereby ratifying and confirming the acts of said attorney-in-fact as fully as if done by itself, expressly waiving the benefit of any homestead or other exemption laws. This power of attorney is coupled with an interest and may not be terminated by Maker and shall not be revoked or terminated by Maker’s disability or dissolution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties acknowledge that attorneys’ fees are stated to be fifteen percent (15%) solely for purposes of fixing a sum certain for which judgment can be entered by confession, and Lender agrees that in enforcing any such judgment by confession, Lender shall not collect, solely with respect to attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with such indebtedness, any amounts in excess of the actual amount of attorneys’ fees and expenses reasonably charged or billed to Lender (which fees shall be charged or billed at such attorneys’ standard hourly rate). The authority and power to appear for and enter judgment against Maker shall not be exhausted by one or more exercises thereof or by any imperfect exercise thereof and shall not be extinguished by any judgment entered pursuant thereto. Such authority may be exercised on one or more occasions or from time to time in the same or different jurisdictions as often as the Lender shall deem necessary or desirable, for all of which this Note shall be sufficient warrant. It is the express intent of Maker and Lender that Lender’s ability and right to collect from and confess judgment against Maker for all amounts due hereunder, including, without limitation, post judgment costs, shall not merge into any judgment or judgments entered in favor of Lender, but shall survive the entry of any judgment or judgments in favor of Lender and to that Lender’s ability and right to collect from and confess judgment against Maker shall continue undiminished until Lender has received payment in full of all amounts due hereunder, including, without limitation, all post judgement costs.

 

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Maker and each person executing this Note on Maker’s behalf, hereby represent and warrant to Lender that, by their execution below, Maker has the full power, authority and legal right to execute and deliver this Note and that the indebtedness evidenced hereby constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Maker without execution or limitation.

 

Maker hereby irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of any state or federal court in the State of North Carolina, the State of Nevada, the State of New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Virginia and/or the State of Delaware.

 

This Note may not be changed orally, but only by an agreement in writing signed by the parties against whom enforcement of any waiver, change, modification or discharge is sought.

 

This Note has been delivered to and accepted by the Lender in the State of North Carolina and shall be governed by and interpreted under the laws of the State of North Carolina (but not including the choice of law rules thereof).

 

This Note may be assigned by the Lender or any holder at any time. This Note shall inure the benefit of and be enforceable by the Lender and the Lender’s successors and assigns and any other person to whom the Lender may grant an interest in the Maker’s obligations to the Lender, and shall be binding and enforceable against the Maker and the Maker’s personal representatives, successors and assigns.

 

Time is of the essence with respect to every provision hereof.

 

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Signatures on following page

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker has duly executed this Note as of the day and year first written above, intending this to be a document under seal.

 

WITNESS: MAKER:

 

     

CASTELLUM, INC.,

a Nevada corporation

         
/s/ Jay Wright   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Jay Wright     Mark Fuller  
        Chief Executive Officer  

 

     

SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC.,

a New Jersey corporation

         
/s/ Jay Wright   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Jay Wright     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  

 

     

CORVUS CONSULTING, LLC

dba CORVUS DEFENSE CONSULTING LLC,

a Delaware limited liability company

         
/s/ Jay Wright   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Jay Wright     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  

 

     

MAINNERVE FEDERAL SERVICES, INC.,

a Delaware corporation

         
/s/ Jay Wright   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Jay Wright     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  

 

     

MERRISON TECHNOLOGIES LLC,

a Virginia limited liability company

         
/s/ Jay Wright   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Jay Wright     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  

 

Term Loan Promissory Note

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Signature Page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.3

 

TERM LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

 

THIS TERM LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made this 11th day of August, 2021, by and between CASTELLUM, INC., a Nevada corporation (“Castellum”), SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC., a New Jersey corporation (“Specialty Systems”), CORVUS CONSULTING, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company d/b/a Corvus Defense Consulting LLC (“Corvus”), MAINNERVE FEDERAL SERVICES, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Mainnerve”), and MERRISON TECHNOLOGIES LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (“Merrison” and, together with Castellum, Specialty Systems, Corvus, and Mainnerve, individually or collectively, as the context may require, the “Borrower”); and LIVE OAK BANKING COMPANY, a North Carolina banking company (“Lender”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested and the Lender has agreed, subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, to make a term loan to Borrower in the principal amount of Four Million and 00/100 Dollars ($4,000,000.00); and

 

WHEREAS, as one of the conditions for the aforementioned Credit Facility, Lender has required the Borrower to grant Lender a security interest in substantially all of Borrower’s assets.

 

NOW THEREFORE for and in consideration of the sum of Ten Dollars ($10.00) in hand paid and such other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Borrower and Lender hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

GENERAL DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.1      Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:

 

Account” shall have the meaning attributed to such term in the UCC, and shall also include any right to payment of a monetary obligation, whether or not earned by performance, due or to become due, including without limitation any receivable, Contract Right, note, draft, instrument, acceptance, chattel paper, lease, or other writing or open account resulting from the sale, lease, license, assignment or other disposal of Property by Borrower, or from services rendered or to be rendered by Borrower.

 

Account Debtor” shall mean any Person who is, or who may become, obligated to Borrower on, under or on account of any Account, Contract Right, chattel paper or general intangible.

 

Acquisition” shall mean the acquisition by Castellum of 100% of the issued and outstanding equity of Specialty Systems, pursuant to and in accordance with the Acquisition Agreement.

 

Acquisition Agreement” shall mean that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of August 12, 2021, by and between Castellum, Specialty Systems and the Sellers.

 

Affiliate” shall mean any Person, which, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Borrower. As used herein, the term “control” means possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.

 

 

 

 

Borrower” means, individually or collectively as the context may require, CASTELLUM, INC., a Nevada corporation, SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC., a New Jersey corporation, CORVUS CONSULTING, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company dba CORVUS DEFENSE CONSULTING LLC, MAINNERVE FEDERAL SERVICES, INC., a Delaware corporation, and MERRISON TECHNOLOGIES LLC, a Virginia limited liability company.

 

Business Day” shall mean any day, excluding Saturday, Sunday and any other day which is a legal holiday under the laws of the State of North Carolina or is a day on which banking institutions located in the State of North Carolina are required by law to close.

 

“Capital Lease” means any lease of property by the Borrower which, in accordance with GAAP, should be reflected as a capital lease on the consolidated balance sheet of the Borrower.

 

Change in Control” with respect to any Person shall mean, (1) in the case of Specialty Systems (following the Acquisition), Corvus, Mainnerve, Merrison and any subsequent Affiliate of Borrower (or any of them) that becomes party to this Agreement and is a direct or indirect subsidiary of Castellum, any change in the ownership of such Person such that the voting securities of such Person are not 100% owned, directly or indirectly, by Castellum, and (2) in the case of Castellum, a Person or group (within the meaning of Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 of the Exchange Act) not currently owning voting securities in Castellum as of the Closing Date (a) shall have acquired, directly or indirectly, beneficial ownership of 50% or more on a full diluted basis of the voting or economic interest in the voting securities of Castellum or (b) shall have obtained the power to elect a majority of the board of directors (or, if none, the officers) of Castellum.

 

Closing” shall mean the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

“Closing Date” shall mean August 11, 2021.

 

“Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Collateral” means all of Borrower’s Accounts, chattel paper, money, motor vehicles, motor vehicle replacement parts, motor vehicle trailers, watercraft, accounts receivable, goods, equipment, documents, inventory, instruments, general intangibles, and Intellectual Property; whether any of the foregoing is owned now or acquired later; all accessions, additions, replacements, and substitutions relating to any of the foregoing; all books and records of any kind in relation to any of the foregoing; all proceeds relating to any of the foregoing (including, but not limited to insurance, general intangibles and other accounts proceeds) and the proceeds thereof. In addition to, and not in limitation of, the foregoing, Collateral shall include all “accounts”, “chattel paper”, “commercial tort claims”, “deposit accounts”, “documents”, “equipment”, “inventory”, “fixtures”, “farm products”, “as-extracted collateral”, “general intangibles” (including all “payment intangibles”), “goods”, “instruments”, “investment property”, “supporting obligations”, “software”, “health-care insurance receivables”, “letter of credit rights”, and “money” as such terms are defined under Article 9 of the UCC (hereafter defined), and any proceeds of the foregoing.

 

Contracts” means, collectively, all contracts giving rise to Accounts of Borrower.

 

Contract Right” means any right of the Borrower to payment under a Contract for the sale or lease of goods or the rendering of services, which right is at the time not yet earned by performance.

 

Credit Facility” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.1 of this Agreement.

 

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Current Assets” means, as of any date of determination, the amount at which all of the current assets of a Person would be properly classified as current assets shown on a balance sheet at such date in accordance with GAAP.

 

Current Liabilities” means, as of any date of determination, the aggregate amount of all current liabilities of a Person as determined in accordance with GAAP, but in any event shall include all liabilities except those having a maturity date which is more than one year from the date as of which such computation is being made.

 

Current Portion of Long Term Debt” means that portion of Funded Debt payable within one year from the date of such determination, determined in accordance with GAAP.

 

Debt” as applied to a Person as of any date, shall mean, without duplication: (a) obligations arising from the lending of money by any Person to Borrower; (b) obligations, whether or not in any such case arising from the lending by any Person of money to Borrower, (i) represented by notes payable or drafts accepted that evidence extensions of credit, (ii) which constitute obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments, or (iii) upon which interest charges are customarily paid (other than accounts payable) or that were issued or assumed as full or partial payment for Property; (c) obligations that constitute a capitalized lease obligation; (d) reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit or guarantees of letters of credit; and (e) obligations of Borrower under any guaranty of obligations that would constitute obligations arising from the lending of money by any Person to Borrower under clauses (i) through (iii) hereof, if owed directly by Borrower.

 

Debt for Borrowed Money” means, as to any Person, Debt for borrowed money or as evidenced by notes (in connection with a line of credit, term loan, or otherwise), bonds, debentures, letters of credit or similar evidences of any such Debt of such Person, the deferred and unpaid purchase price of any property or business (other than trade accounts payable incurred in the ordinary course of business and constituting current liabilities) and all obligations under Capital Leases.

 

Default” shall mean a condition or event, the occurrence of which would, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, or both, become an Event of Default, unless cured or waived pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

Distribution(s)” means any dividend, distribution, or other similar payment, whether in cash, property, securities, by reduction of capital or otherwise (including any combination of the foregoing), by Borrower with respect to any membership interests, units or other ownership interests of Borrower, whether now or hereafter outstanding.

 

EBITDA” means for any relevant period an amount determined on a consolidated basis for the Borrowers and their subsidiaries equal to the sum, without duplication, of (i) consolidated net income, plus (ii) to the extent deducted in determining consolidated net income for such period (A) consolidated interest expense, (B) consolidated provision for taxes, (C) consolidated depreciation expense, (D) consolidated amortization expense, (E) non-cash stock compensation, and (F) other non-cash items (as such non-cash items pursuant to this clause (ii)(F) may be determined or agreed to by Lender in its sole and absolute discretion).

 

Effective Date” means the date on which this Agreement becomes effective in accordance with Section 10.11.

 

Equity Pledge and Security Agreement” shall mean that certain Equity Pledge and Security Agreement in favor of Lender, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit C.

 

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Event of Default” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.1 of this Agreement.

 

“Field Exam” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 6.14 of this Agreement.

 

“Fiscal Year” shall mean Borrower’s Fiscal Year.

 

Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” means: (A) an amount equal to (i) EBITDA, plus (ii) Rent/Lease Expenses, minus (ii) Distributions; divided by (B) an amount equal to (i) the Current Portion of Long Term Debt, plus (ii) (without duplication) Interest Expense, plus (iii) Rent/Lease Expenses, plus (iv) (without duplication) Capital Lease payments.

 

“Funded Debt” with respect to any Person means the sum of (i) all outstanding liabilities of such Person for borrowed money and all other interest bearing liabilities, including without limitation, current and long term Debt, plus (ii) (without duplication) any Capital Lease obligations of such Person, plus (ii) (without duplication) any primary or contingent guaranty liability of such Person.

 

GAAP” shall refer to the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, as established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, in effect from time to time.

 

Government Account” means any Account arising under a Government Contract.

 

Governmental Authority” means any federal, state, local, foreign or other governmental administrative body, instrumentality, department or agency or any court, tribunal, administrative hearing body, arbitration panel, commission or other similar dispute resolving panel or body.

 

Government Contract” means any written contract between the Borrower and the United States Federal Government or any state or political subdivision thereof, or any department, agency, authority, board or instrumentality thereof.

 

Intellectual Property” means any patent, copyright, trademark, trade name, service mark, service name, brand mark, brand name, logo, corporate name, Internet domain name or industrial design, any registrations thereof and pending applications therefor (to the extent applicable), any other intellectual property right (including, without limitation, any know-how, trade secret, trade right, formula, conditional or proprietary report or information, customer or membership list, any marketing data, and any computer program, software, database or data right), and license or other contract (including without limitation license(s) to use specific telephone numbers and/or radio channels/frequencies) relating to any of the foregoing, and any goodwill associated with any business owning, holding or using any of the foregoing.

 

“Interest Expense” with respect to any Person means, for any period, the total interest expense of such Person calculated in accordance with GAAP.

 

Liabilities” means all past, present and future loans and advances and all other extensions of credit, or other financial accommodations of whatever type made, issued or extended by the Lender to or for the account or benefit of the Borrower, all indebtedness and obligations of any kind, including, without limitation, expenses and fees of the Borrower to the Lender whether absolute or contingent, matured or unmatured, direct or indirect, sole, joint, several or joint and several, similar or dissimilar, related or unrelated, due or to become due or hereinbefore contracted or acquired, and all extensions, alterations, modifications, revisions and renewals of any of the foregoing; all reasonable costs and fees incurred by the Lender to obtain, administer, preserve and enforce any security interest or lien granted in connection with any of the foregoing, to collect all of the foregoing liabilities and obligations, and to maintain and preserve all Collateral therefor (including without limitation costs incurred for taxes, assessments, insurance premiums, repairs, reasonable attorneys' fees and legal expenses, rent, storage costs and expenses of sale); and interest on the foregoing amounts, at the rates agreed between the Lender and the Borrower or, if no such agreement is made, at the maximum rate provided for in this Loan.

 

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Lien” shall mean any interest in Property securing an obligation owed to, or a claim by, a Person other than the owner of the Property, whether such interest is based on common law, statute or contract. The term “Lien” shall also include reservations, exceptions, encroachments, easements, rights-of-way, covenants, conditions, restrictions, leases, pledge, charge, security interest and other title exceptions and encumbrances of any kind affecting the Property. For purposes of this Agreement, Borrower shall be deemed to be the owner of any Property which it has acquired or holds subject to a conditional sale agreement or other arrangement pursuant to which title to the Property has been retained by or vested in some other Person for security purposes.

 

Loan Documents” means this Agreement, the Note, the Subordination Agreement, the Equity Pledge and Security Agreement, and any and all other agreements, instruments, and documents heretofore, now or hereafter executed by Borrower or any third party and delivered to Lender in respect of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, any and all other instruments and agreements now or at any time hereafter securing the whole or any part of the Liabilities.

 

Note” shall mean the Term Loan Promissory Note dated of even date herewith, made by Borrower payable to the order of Lender, in the stated principal amount of FOUR MILLION AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($4,000,000.00), in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated by this reference herein.

 

Note Rate” shall mean the Note Rate set forth in the Note.

 

“OFAC” means the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, and any successor thereto.

 

Operating Company Equity” means all issued and outstanding equity of Corvus, Mainnerve, and Specialty Systems.

 

“Organizational Documents” means (a) the articles or certificate of incorporation and the by-laws or code of regulations of a corporation; (b) the partnership agreement and any statement of partnership of a general partnership; (c) the limited partnership agreement and the certificate of limited partnership of a limited partnership; (d) the articles or certificate of formation and operating agreement of a limited liability company; (e) any other document performing a similar function to the documents specified in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) adopted or filed in connection with the creation, formation or organization of a Person; and (f) any and all amendments to any of the foregoing.

 

Origination Fee” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.7 of this Agreement.

 

PATRIOT Act” means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT Act of 2001), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute, and all rules and regulations from time to time promulgated thereunder.

 

Permitted Encumbrances” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 of this Agreement.

 

“Permitted Purpose” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.1 of this Agreement.

 

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Person” shall mean an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, trust (including, without limitation, a land trust, common law trust or business trust), joint stock company, unincorporated organization or any other entity or organization, including, but not limited to, any government or political subdivision or any agency or instrumentality thereof.

 

Projections” shall mean Borrower’s forecasted (a) balance sheets and (b) profit and loss statements, all prepared on a consistent basis with the Borrower’s historical financial statements, together with appropriate supporting details and a statement of underlying assumptions.

 

Property” shall mean any interest in any kind of property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible.

 

Rent/Lease Expenses” means for any period, all lease and rental expense of Borrower during such period under all leases for real property, determined in conformity with GAAP.

 

Responsible Officer” shall mean Mark Fuller, and such other officers as may have been so designated by the Borrower and reasonably approved by the Lender from time to time.

 

Restricted Investment” shall mean any investment made in cash or by delivery of Property to any Person, whether by acquisition of stock, Debt or other obligation or security, or by loan, advance or capital contribution, or otherwise, or in any Property except the following: (a) Property to be used in the ordinary course of business; (b) cash and cash equivalents; (c) current assets arising from the sale of goods and services in the ordinary course of business of Borrower and its Affiliates (if any); (d) investments in direct obligations of the United States of America, or any agency thereof or obligations guaranteed by the United States of America, provided that such obligations mature within one (1) year from the date of acquisition thereof; (e) the Acquisition; or (f) any investment or loan made by one Borrower into any other Borrower.

 

Sanctioned Country” means a country subject to a sanctions program identified on the list maintained by OFAC and available at http://www.treas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/sanctions/index/html, or as otherwise published from time to time.

 

Sanctioned Person” means (i) a Person named on the list of Specially Designated Nationals or Blocked Persons maintained by OFAC available at http://www.treas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/sdn/index/html, or as otherwise published from time to time, or (ii) (A) an agency of the government of a Sanctioned Country, (B) an organization controlled by a Sanctioned Country, or (C) a Person resident in a Sanctioned Country, to the extent subject to a sanctions program administered by OFAC.

 

Sellers” shall mean, collectively, Emil Kaunitz and William Cabey.

 

Seller Note” shall mean the [Demand Promissory Note] executed on the date hereof by, inter alios, Specialty Systems to the order of Emil Kaunitz for the principal amount of [$400,000].

 

Senior Debt to EBITDA Ratio” means: (A) an amount equal to (i) Borrower’s Debt for Borrowed Money, minus (ii) Subordinated Debt; divided by (B) EBITDA.

 

Shareholders” shall mean, collectively, Robert Eisminger, Emil Kaunitz and The Buckhout Charitable Remainder Trust.

 

Solvent” shall mean, with respect to any Person, as of any date of determination, that such Person: (a) owns Property whose fair saleable value is greater than the amount required to pay all of such Person’s Debt (including contingent debts), (b) is able to pay all of its Debt as such Debt matures and (c) has capital sufficient to carry on its business and transactions and all business and transactions in which it is about to engage.

 

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Subordination Agreement” means a Subordination and Standby Agreement in favor of Lender, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit D.

 

Subordinated Debt” shall mean the Seller Note and all other Debt of Borrower that is subject to a Subordination Agreement in favor of Lender.

 

Term Loan” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.1 of this Agreement.

 

UCC” shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of North Carolina on the date of this Agreement, as the same may be amended and/or otherwise modified, including, without limitation, any revisions to Article 9 and other Articles of the UCC.

 

Section 1.2      Accounting Terms and Determinations. Unless otherwise specified herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be interpreted, all accounting determinations hereunder shall be made, and all financial statements required to be delivered hereunder shall be prepared (except with respect to interim financial statements) in accordance with GAAP as in effect from time to time, applied on a basis consistent (except for changes concurred in by the Borrower's independent public accountants) with the most recent reviewed financial statements of the Borrower delivered to the Lender.

 

ARTICLE II

THE CREDIT FACILITY

 

Section 2.1      Term Loan. Subject to the terms and conditions of, and in reliance upon the representations and warranties made in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, Lender agrees to make a term loan to Borrower in the principal amount of FOUR MILLION AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($4,000,000.00) (“Credit Facility” or “Term Loan”). Funds advanced under the Credit Facility shall be used solely for the purpose of funding the Acquisition (the “Permitted Purpose”).

 

Section 2.2      Term Loan Promissory Note. Borrower agrees to execute and deliver to Lender the Note, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.

 

Section 2.3      Repayment of Term Loan. Principal and interest due and payable under the Credit Facility shall be paid in accordance with the Note.

 

Section 2.4      Interest Rate. Absent an Event of Default, interest shall accrue on the principal amount of the Term Loan at the Note Rate specified in the Note.

 

Section 2.5      Maturity Date. If not sooner paid, Borrower’s Liabilities under the Term Loan shall be due and payable on the Maturity Date as set forth in the Note.

 

Section 2.6      Mandatory Prepayments. Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by Lender, if Borrower sells any of the Collateral, other than in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business, to any Person other than Lender, or if any of the Collateral is lost, destroyed or taken by condemnation, Borrower shall make a mandatory prepayment to Lender of Borrower’s Liabilities, as and when received by Borrower, of a sum equal to the full amount of the proceeds (including, without limitation, any insurance payments in respect thereof) received by Borrower from such sale, loss, destruction or condemnation.

 

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Section 2.7      Origination Fee. Borrower shall pay to Lender, in cash at Closing, an origination fee of Forty Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($40,000.00) (the “Origination Fee”).

 

Section 2.8      Default Interest Rate. Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default with respect to the Note, including, without limitation, the failure to make any regularly scheduled payment when due, and during the continuation of such Event of Default, the outstanding principal balance of the Note shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to [five percentage points (5.00%)] above the Note Rate otherwise applicable thereto (“Default Interest Rate”), until such time as the Event of Default with respect to the Note shall have been fully cured, including the payment of any costs, expenses and reasonable attorney’s fees incurred by the Lender or the holder of the Note in connection with any such Event of Default.

 

Section 2.9      Prepayment; Prepayment Penalty. Borrower may prepay the Liabilities evidenced by the Note, in whole or in part, at any time, and from time to time; provided however, upon any such prepayment, including, without limitation, upon acceleration of the Liabilities, or otherwise on or prior to August [11], 2023, the Borrower shall also pay to the Lender at the time of such prepayment, a prepayment penalty equal to a percentage of the total principal amount then outstanding, in accordance with the following schedule:

 

Time of Payment Penalty as Percentage of Outstanding Principal
On or Before August 11, 2022 5%
On or Before August 11, 2023 3%

 

Section 2.10      No Setoff or Deduction. All payments of principal and interest under the Credit Facility and other amounts payable by the Borrower hereunder shall be made by the Borrower without setoff or counterclaim, and free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding for or on account of, any present or future taxes or assessments imposed by any governmental authority, or by any department, agency or other political subdivision or taxing authority.

 

Section 2.11      Late Charge. If Borrower shall fail to make any payment due under the Note or under any of the other Loan Documents, including, without limitation, any installment payments due under the Note, and such amount is not paid in full within fifteen (15) days after the date such payment is due, or if the total outstanding principal balance of the Note, accrued but unpaid interest and any other unpaid amounts due under the Note or under any of the other Loan Documents is not paid in full on the Maturity Date (as defined in the Note), then Lender may collect a late charge equal to four percent (4%) of the payment due but not received by Lender.

 

Section 2.12      General Provisions as to Payments. The Borrower shall make each payment due on the Note not later than 2:00 P.M. (Eastern Time) on the date when due, in Federal or other funds immediately available in the State of North Carolina, to the Lender at its address referred to in Section 10.1 below. Whenever any payment of principal or interest due under a Note shall be due on a day which is not a Business Day, the date for payment thereof shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day. If the date for any payment of principal is extended by operation of law or otherwise, interest thereon shall be payable for such extended time.

 

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Section 2.13      Maximum Interest and Fees; Computation of Interest. In no event shall the aggregate of all amounts deemed interest under the Note and charged or collected pursuant to the terms of this Agreement exceed the highest rate permissible under any law which a court of competent jurisdiction shall, in a final determination, deem applicable hereto. If any provisions of this Agreement are in contravention of any such law, such provisions shall be deemed amended to conform thereto. Interest shall be computed on the outstanding balance of the Note on the basis of a year of 360-day year factor applied to the actual number of days funds are outstanding thereunder.

 

ARTICLE III

CLOSING AND CONDITIONS TO CREDIT FACILITY

 

Section 3.1      Closing. Subject to satisfaction of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Closing shall take place on the Closing Date at Borrower’s offices, or in such other manner as the parties shall mutually agree in writing.

 

Section 3.2      Conditions to Disbursement. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, and without affecting in any manner the rights of Lender under any provision contained herein, the obligation of Lender to disburse funds under the Credit Facility pursuant to this Agreement, shall be subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions as of the Closing Date, in addition to any other conditions provided in this Agreement:

 

3.2.1      No Default. No Default or Event of Default shall exist.

 

3.2.2      Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties contained in Article V of this Agreement shall be true, correct and complete in all material respects on and as of the Effective Date.

 

3.2.3      No Change in Financial Condition. There shall be no material adverse change in the financial condition of Borrower, which, in the good faith judgment of Lender, would materially impair the ability of Borrower to pay or perform any of the Liabilities. Borrower shall not be involved in any bankruptcy, reorganization or insolvency proceedings, nor shall Borrower be in Default under any Debt owed to Lender or any of Lender’s affiliates.

 

3.2.4      Legal Matters. All legal matters incident to the Loan Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby shall be reasonably satisfactory to counsel for Lender.

 

3.2.5      Satisfaction of Other Conditions. All other terms and conditions of the Loan Documents required to be met as of the Closing Date shall have been met to the reasonable satisfaction of Lender.

 

Section 3.3      Conditions to Closing Credit Facility. Closing of the Credit Facility under this Agreement shall be subject to Borrower’s satisfaction of the following conditions as of the Closing Date (in addition to any other conditions set forth in this Agreement):

 

3.3.1      Loan Documents. Lender shall have received, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Lender, a duly executed copy of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, together with such additional documents, instruments and certificates as Lender shall require in connection therewith from time to time, all in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Lender, duly executed under seal, including, without limitation, the following:

 

 (a)       Satisfactory evidence, dated not earlier than thirty (30) days prior to the Effective Date of this Agreement, as to the good standing of Borrower in its state of incorporation or organization, and in any other jurisdiction in which it is or should be authorized to conduct business;

 

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(b)       A certificate of an authorized officer of Borrower, dated as of the date of this Agreement, certifying as follows: (i) that attached thereto are true and complete copies of the Organizational Documents of Borrower, together with any amendments/and or restatements thereof, (ii) as to the absence of any dissolution or liquidation proceedings commenced by or against Borrower, (iii) that attached thereto is a true, correct and complete copy of resolutions, duly adopted by the Board of Directors or Managers of Borrower, as applicable, authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and that said resolutions have not been amended or rescinded and are in full force and effect as of the date of such certificate, and (iv) as to the incumbency and specimen signatures of each officer of Borrower executing this Agreement, the Note and/or any other document(s) delivered in connection herewith or therewith;

 

(c)       an updated Contract backlog, in form reasonably satisfactory to Lender, such backlog to be provided within thirty (30) days following Closing; and

 

(d)       All documents Lender may reasonably request relating to the existence of Borrower, and Borrower’s corporate or limited liability company authority to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement, the Note and the other Loan Documents and the validity of this Agreement, the Note and the other Loan Documents and any other matters related hereto or thereto, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender.

 

3.3.2      No Litigation. No action, proceeding, investigation, regulation or legislation shall have been instituted, threatened or proposed before any court, governmental agency or legislative body to enjoin, restrain or prohibit, or to obtain damages in respect of, or which is related to or arises out of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

3.3.3      Insurance Policies. Borrower shall have provided Lender with copies of any insurance policies required to be carried by Borrower and any other Person pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents; such insurance policies shall be provided by a company or companies and shall be in form and amount reasonably satisfactory to Lender; Borrower shall also provide Lender, to the extent required by Lender, written evidence, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Lender, that (a) Borrower shall have obtained (i) insurance on Borrower’s inventory and equipment naming Lender as “lender-loss payee”, and (ii) commercial general liability insurance for itself, naming the Lender as an additional insured and as “lender-loss payee”, and (b) all fees and premiums due on account of any insurance policies required hereunder have been paid in full.

 

3.3.4      Payment of Origination Fee. Lender shall have received payment of the Origination Fee in accordance with Section 2.7, above.

 

3.3.5      Financial Statements. Lender shall have received from Borrower financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2019, December 31, 2020, and for the interim period ending June 30, 2021 satisfactory to Lender in its sole discretion, and setting forth in a manner that is true, accurate and complete, the financial condition of Borrower.

 

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3.3.6      Other Loan Documents. Each of the conditions precedent set forth in the other Loan Documents shall have been and shall continue to be satisfied.

 

3.3.7      Field Exam. Lender shall have completed a Field Exam to its satisfaction.

 

3.3.8      Subordination Agreement. Lender shall have received a Subordination Agreement duly executed by each of the Sellers and Shareholders.

 

3.3.9      Acquisition. All conditions to the closing of the Acquisition, with the sole exception of the funding of the Term Loan, shall have been satisfied or waived, as determined by Lender in its sole discretion.

 

3.3.10    Other Matters. All other terms and conditions of the Loan Documents required to be met as of the date of the Closing shall have been met to the reasonable satisfaction of Lender and all legal matters incident to the Loan Documents and the transaction contemplated hereby and thereby shall be reasonably satisfactory to counsel for Lender.

 

ARTICLE IV

SECURITY FOR CREDIT FACILITY

 

Section 4.1     Grant of Security Interest. As security for Borrower’s punctual payment and performance of its Liabilities under the Loan Documents, including without limitation, the payment of all sums due under the Note, and whether any of the Liabilities are from time to time reduced or entirely extinguished, Borrower hereby pledges and assigns to Lender and grants to Lender, subject only to the Permitted Encumbrances, a first priority lien on and security interest in all of the Collateral.

 

Section 4.2     Further Assurances. Borrower agrees to execute and deliver to Lender, upon Lender’s request and at Lender’s option, at any time and from time to time, at Borrower’s sole cost and expense, any and all other instruments, documents, security agreements, amendments, supplements, substitutions, modifications and powers of attorney, requested by Lender, in its reasonable discretion, and to take all actions reasonably requested of Borrower from time to time by Lender to create, attach, perfect, protect and enforce this Agreement, and the security interest in all Collateral now or hereafter granted to secure payment of the Credit Facility and Liabilities.

 

Section 4.3     Authorization to File Financing Statements. Borrower hereby authorizes Lender to file one or more UCC financing statements, in such jurisdictions as Lender shall deem appropriate publicizing Lender’s security interests arising hereunder and file any assignments, amendments, or continuations thereof, as the Lender deems appropriate.

 

Section 4.4     Covenants. Borrower hereby covenants that:

 

4.4.1     Defend. Borrower will defend, at its cost, Borrower’s title to the Collateral and the security interest of the Lender against all claims and demands of any Persons whomsoever at any time claiming the same or any interests under this Article IV adverse to Lender.

 

4.4.2     No Assignment. Except for the Permitted Encumbrances, or sales or transfers in the ordinary course of its business, Borrower will not make or permit to be made in the future any assignment, pledge, hypothecation, mortgage, encumbrance or transfer of any of the Collateral, and will keep all of the Collateral free from all levies, attachments, liens, security interests, encumbrances and charges of whatsoever kind, whether arising by judicial process or otherwise, and will pay or cause to be paid promptly when due all taxes, fees, assessments and other charges now or hereafter imposed upon the Collateral, and provide the Lender with written evidence of the payment of same before the imposition of any penalty or late fee.

 

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4.4.3     Books and Records. The Borrower shall keep and maintain adequate records and books of account with respect to the Collateral.

 

4.4.4     Additional Remedies.

 

(a)      In addition to any other remedies Lender may have under any of the other Loan Documents, the rights and remedies of a secured party under the UCC and any additional rights and remedies as may be provided to a secured party in any jurisdiction in which the Collateral is located, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default hereunder, Lender shall have the right to take immediate and exclusive possession and control of the Collateral not already in Lender’s possession.

 

(b)      After the occurrence of an Event of Default, Lender shall have the right to receive, endorse, assign or deliver in Lender’s own name or the name of Borrower any and all checks, drafts and other instruments for the payment of money relating to the Collateral, and Borrower hereby waives notice of presentment, protest and nonpayment of any instruments so endorsed. Lender shall not, under any circumstances or in any event whatsoever, have any liability for any error or omission or delivery of any kind made in the settlement, collection or payment of any of the Collateral or of any instrument received in payment therefor or for any damage resulting therefrom other than arising from Lender’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. The costs of collection, notification and enforcement, including but not limited to reasonable attorney’s fees and out-of-pocket expenses, shall be borne solely by Borrower.

 

(c)      After the occurrence of an Event of Default, the Borrower will, upon receipt by it of any sums for or on account of the Collateral, or of any check, draft, note, trade acceptance or other instrument evidencing an obligation to pay any such sum, hold the same in trust for the Lender in precisely the form received, and will forthwith, without any notice or demand whatsoever (all notices, demands or other actions on the part of the Lender being hereby expressly waived), endorse, transfer and deliver any such sums or instruments, or both, to the Lender, for application to the payment of the Loans in the Lender’s sole and absolute discretion.

 

4.4.5     Attorney-in-Fact. Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints the Lender, as its attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution, said power being coupled with an interest, to do any act which the Borrower is obligated to do pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and, after an Event of Default, to exercise such rights and powers as the Borrower might exercise with respect to the Collateral, including, without limitation, (a) to demand, collect by legal proceedings or otherwise, and endorse and receive all interest, payments, proceeds or other sums and/or property now or hereafter payable on or on account of the Collateral; (b) to insure, process and/or protect the Collateral; (c) to transfer the Collateral to its own or to a nominee's name; (d) to make any compromise, adjustment or settlement, and take any action it deems advisable (including commencing and prosecuting any and all suits, actions or proceedings at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction to collect or otherwise realize on all or any of the Collateral or to enforce any rights in respect thereof), with respect to the Collateral; (e) to endorse the name of the Borrower upon any notes, acceptances, checks, drafts, money orders or other evidence of payment that may come into the possession of the Borrower; (f) to demand, collect, receive payment of, receipt for and give discharges and releases of all or any of the Collateral; (g) to enter into and perform such agreements as may be necessary in order to carry out the provisions of this Agreement or to carry out the terms, covenants and conditions of this Agreement which are required to be observed or performed by the Borrower; (h) to execute such other and further grants, pledges and assignments of the Collateral as the Borrower may reasonably require for the purpose of protecting or maintaining the security interest granted hereby; (i) to execute any UCC financing statements, continuation statements, amendments thereto, and other documents in the Borrower’s name and to perform all other acts which the Lender deems appropriate to create, validate, preserve, protect, perfect and continue the security interest created hereunder and to enable the Lender to exercise and enforce its rights hereunder; (j) to endorse the name of Borrower upon such Federal Assignments of Claims and/or instruments of assignment in connection therewith, as Lender deems necessary and appropriate, in its reasonable discretion, with respect to the Contracts; and (k) generally to perform all other acts necessary or proper to carry out the intention of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, the power to redirect the delivery of mail addressed to the Borrower. The Borrower shall be liable to the Lender for all reasonable costs and expenses, including without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees and legal expenses, that the Lender may incur while acting as Borrower's attorney-in-fact hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Lender shall not be obligated to do any act or to exercise any such rights and powers. The foregoing power of attorney is coupled with an interest and shall be irrevocable until all of the Borrower's obligations under this Agreement relating to the Note shall have been fully satisfied.

 

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4.4.6     Release. Upon the repayment in full in cash of the Liabilities (other than non-asserted contingent indemnification obligations), under this Agreement and all other Loan Documents, the termination and/or expiration of all of the commitments, all Liens, powers of attorney and security interests granted hereunder shall automatically terminate, and upon the Borrower’s request and at Borrower’s sole cost and expense, Lender shall execute such documents necessary to evidence such release and/or terminate any Loan Document, but only if and provided that there is no commitment or obligation (whether or not conditional) of the Lender to re-advance amounts that would be secured thereby. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, Borrower acknowledges that this Section does not release or terminate obligations of Borrower that expressly provide that they shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the commitments and the payment and performance of all of the other Liabilities.

 

Section 4.5     Equity Pledge and Security Agreement. In addition to the security interest granted pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Article IV, Castellum shall execute and deliver (together with certificates representing the equity) to Lender at Closing an Equity Pledge and Security Agreement, granting Lender a first position Lien in the Operating Company Equity as security for the prompt payment and performance of all Liabilities hereunder.

 

ARTICLE V

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Section 5.1     General Representations and Warranties. To induce Lender to enter into this Agreement and to disburse funds hereunder, and in addition to any other representations and warranties contained herein, Borrower represents, warrants and covenants to Lender that the statements contained in this Article V are correct and complete as of the date of this Agreement and will be correct and complete as of the Closing Date (except as expressly set forth herein):

 

5.1.1     Existence and Power. Borrower is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of its incorporation or other organization, and Borrower has all powers and all governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals required to carry on its business as now conducted. Borrower is duly qualified or registered and in good standing in each jurisdiction where qualification or licensing is required by the nature of its business or the character and location of its property, business or customers and in which the failure to so qualify or be licensed may have a material adverse effect on the business, financial position, results of operations or properties of such entity.

 

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5.1.2     Authority and Governmental Authorization; Contravention. The execution, delivery and performance by Borrower of this Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents to which it is a party are within Borrower’s limited liability company or corporate power, as applicable, have been duly authorized by all necessary limited liability company or corporate action, as applicable, require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and do not contravene, or constitute (with or without the giving of notice or lapse of time or both) a default under, any provision of applicable law or of Borrower’s Organizational Documents, or of any agreement, judgment, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon or affecting the Borrower, or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any of Borrower’s assets. No consent of any Person is required for Borrower’s execution and delivery of the Loan Documents to which it is a party or for the performance of its obligations thereunder. Borrower has, and is in good standing with respect to, all governmental consents, approvals, licenses, authorizations, permits, certificates, and franchises necessary to continue to conduct its business as heretofore or proposed to be conducted by it and to own or lease and operate its Properties as now owned or leased by it.

 

5.1.3     Binding Effect. This Agreement constitutes, and each of the other Loan Documents when executed and delivered by Borrower, pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, will constitute, the legal, valid and binding obligation of Borrower, enforceable against Borrower in accordance with their respective terms, except as (a) the enforceability hereof and thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and (b) the availability of equitable remedies may be limited by equitable principles of general applicability.

 

5.1.4     Financial Information.

 

(a)      The financial statements of the Borrower as of December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020, and June 30, 2021, copies of which have been delivered to the Lender, fairly present, in conformity with GAAP (except as disclosed to Lender in writing), the financial position of the Borrower as of such date and the results of Borrower’s operations and cash flows as of the dates thereof. Since the date of such financial statements, Borrower has not had any material contingent obligation, contingent liability or liability for taxes, long-term lease or unusual forward or long-term commitment, which is not reflected in any of such financial statements or notes thereto.

 

(b)      Since December 31, 2020, there has been no material adverse change in the business, financial position, and results of operations of Borrower.

 

5.1.5     Litigation, Absence of Defaults, Compliance with Laws and Regulations. There is no action, suit, proceeding or investigation pending, or to the knowledge of Borrower, threatened against or affecting, Borrower, or on the business, operations, Properties, or financial condition of Borrower, before any court, governmental body, agency or official, or which in any manner draws into question the validity of the Loan Documents, and there is no basis known to the Borrower for any such action, suit or proceeding. Borrower is not in default with respect to any order, writ, injunction, judgment, decree, or rule of any court, Governmental Authority or arbitration board or tribunal, or under any material contract or agreement to which it is a party and is in compliance, in all material respects, with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and court or administrative orders relating to the conduct of its business.

 

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5.1.6     Marketable Title. Borrower has good, indefeasible and marketable title to and fee simple ownership of, or valid and subsisting leasehold interests in, all of its real Property, and good title to all of the Collateral and all of its other Property, in each case, free and clear of all Liens except Permitted Encumbrances. Borrower has paid or discharged all lawful claims, which, if unpaid, might become a Lien against any of Borrower’s Properties that is not a Permitted Encumbrance.

 

5.1.7     Filings. All actions by or in respect of, and all filings with, any governmental body, agency or official required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents by the Borrower, or necessary for the validity or enforceability thereof or for the protection or perfection of the rights and interests of the Lender thereunder, will, prior to the date of delivery thereof, have been duly taken or made, as the case may be, and will at all times thereafter remain in full force and effect.

 

5.1.8     Fictitious Names. Except as set forth in the preamble to this Agreement, Borrower is not doing business under any name other than under its full corporate or limited liability company name as stated herein.

 

5.1.9     Taxes and Liens. Borrower has filed on a timely basis all tax returns all required federal, state, local and foreign, as applicable, tax returns and other reports, they are required by law to file and have paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns and other reports (as applicable), including any and all interest, penalties, assessments, fees, levies, and other applicable governmental charges, or have established adequate financial reserves on its books and records for payment thereof. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Borrower in respect of taxes or other governmental charges are, in the opinion of the Borrower, adequate. Borrower has paid all other charges, assessments and taxes whether real, personal or otherwise due and payable, or imposed, levied or assessed against its properties or its assets including those which may become a Lien on any of its property or assets.

 

5.1.10     Environmental Compliance.

 

(a)      Borrower (including for purposes of this Section 5.1.10, any former or current Affiliate of the Borrower) is in material compliance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and orders of all governmental authorities, agencies and officials relating to environmental matters and the release, handling and disposal of hazardous, toxic and polluting substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”).

 

(b)      Borrower has obtained and is in material compliance with all required governmental permits, certificates, licenses, approvals and other authorizations, and has filed all notifications relating to air emissions, effluent discharges and solid and hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal required in connection with its ownership or use of real estate or the operation of its business.

 

(c)      There are no outstanding notices of violation, orders, claims, citations, complaints, penalty assessments, suits or other proceedings, administrative, criminal or civil, at law or in equity, pending against the Borrower or its properties that would have a material adverse effect on the Borrower’s business, financial position, results of operations or on any facility or the operation of any facility, and no investigation or review is pending or to the knowledge of the Borrower threatened against the Borrower by any governmental body, agency or official with respect to any alleged violation of any Environmental Law in connection with its ownership or use of any real estate or the conduct of its business.

 

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(d)      No waste generated by the Borrower has ever been sent, nor is waste generated by the Borrower being sent, directly or indirectly, to any site listed or formerly proposed for listing on the National Priority List promulgated pursuant to CERCLA or to any site listed on any state list of hazardous substances sites requiring investigation or clean up.

 

5.1.11     Borrower’s Chief Executive Office and Business Locations. Borrower’s Chief Executive Office and principal place of business, office and the location where the Collateral is to be held shall be located at the address set forth in Section 10.1 of this Agreement. Borrower shall, prior to changing or adding to the aforesaid location, notify the Lender of any such change or additional locations where the Collateral, or any portion thereof, is to be held.

 

5.1.12     Regulation U. The Borrower does not own any “margin stock” as such term is defined in Regulation U. None of the proceeds of the Credit Facility will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin stock or for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry margin stock or for any other purpose which might cause the Credit Facility to constitute a “purpose credit” within the meaning of Regulation U or Regulation X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

 

5.1.13     ERISA. Each employee benefit plan, as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), maintained by the Borrower or by any Affiliate of the Borrower meets, as of the date hereof, the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of ERISA, all applicable requirements of ERISA and of the Code, and no “Reportable Event” nor “Prohibited Transaction” (each as defined by ERISA) has occurred with respect to any such plan.

 

5.1.14     Commercial Purpose. The Credit Facility will be used solely for purposes of carrying on or acquiring a business or commercial enterprise or investment, including the consummation of the Acquisition.

 

5.1.15     Accounts. Unless otherwise indicated in writing to Lender, with respect to each Account of Borrower:

 

(a)      It is genuine and in all respects what it purports to be, and it is not evidenced by a judgment;

 

(b)      It arises out of a completed, bona fide sale and delivery of goods or rendition of services by Borrower in the ordinary course of its business and in accordance with the terms and conditions of all purchase orders, contracts or other documents relating thereto and forming a part of the contract between Borrower and the respective Account Debtor;

 

(c)      It is for a liquidated amount maturing as stated in the duplicate invoice covering such sale or rendition of services, a copy of which has been furnished or is available to Lender;

 

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(d)      Such Account, and Lender’s security interest therein, is not, and will not (by voluntary act or omission of Borrower) be in the future, subject to any offset, Lien (other than any Permitted Encumbrance), deduction, recoupment, defense, dispute, counterclaim or any other adverse condition except for disputes in the ordinary course of business or where the amount in controversy is deemed by Lender to be immaterial, and each such Account is absolutely owing to Borrower and is not contingent in any respect or for any reason;

 

(e)      Borrower has made no agreement with any Account Debtor thereunder for any extension, compromise, settlement or modification of any such Account or any deduction therefrom, except discounts or allowances which are granted by Borrower in the ordinary course of its business for prompt payment and which are reflected in the calculation of the net amount of each respective invoice related thereto;

 

(f)      There are no facts, events or occurrences which in any way impair the validity or enforceability of any Accounts or tend to reduce the amount payable thereunder from the face amount of the invoice and statements delivered to Lender with respect thereto;

 

(g)      To the best of Borrower’s knowledge, the Account Debtor thereunder (i) had the capacity to contract at the time any contract or other document giving rise to the Account was executed and (ii) such Account Debtor is solvent; and

 

(h)      To the best of Borrower’s knowledge, there are no proceedings or actions which are threatened or pending against any Account Debtor thereunder which might result in any material adverse change in such Account Debtor’s financial condition or the collectability of such Account.

 

5.1.16     Contracts.

 

(a)      Each Contract constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Borrower and, to the knowledge of Borrower, of the other party or parties thereto, and is fully enforceable in accordance with its respective terms.

 

(b)      With respect to the Contracts, and with respect to any pending bids by Borrower for any new Contracts, Borrower has complied in all material respects with the requirements of all applicable laws, regulations and procedures with respect thereto, including, without limitation, the Service Contract Act, the Contract Disputes Act, the Procurement Integrity Act, the Federal Procurement and Administrative Services Act, the FAR and related cost principles and the Cost Accounting Standards, Executive Order 11246 and related equal opportunity and affirmative action laws and regulations, applicable national security obligations, and any supplements, amendments or revised editions of any of the foregoing. Borrower is in compliance in all material respects with all terms and conditions, including all clauses, provisions, specifications and other requirements, with respect to each Government Contract and each and any bid by Borrower for any new Government Contract, whether incorporated expressly, by reference or by operation of law. All representations and certifications executed, acknowledged or set forth in, pertaining to, or made in connection with the negotiation or award of any such Government Contract and bids were current, accurate and complete in all material respects when made and all such representations and certifications were updated so that they remain current, accurate and complete, if updating was required, and Borrower has complied in all material respects with all such representations and certifications.

 

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(c)      Borrower has not received any communications of any nature from any governmental entity or third (3rd) party which would indicate that there is any material contractual issue or problem associated with any Contract that would likely give rise to the termination thereof. Borrower has not received any show of cause, cure, deficiency, default or similar notice relating to any Contract. Borrower has not waived any of its material rights under, or modified the material terms of, any Contract. No event has occurred which constitutes or, after notice or the passage of time, or both, would constitute, a default by Borrower under any Contract and, to the knowledge of Borrower, no event or circumstance has occurred which, with or without notice or lapse of time (or both), would constitute a default under any Contract on the part of any party thereto. Borrower has not undergone in the past three (3) years, and is not now undergoing, any audit, review, inspection, investigation, survey or examination of records relating to any Contract by any Governmental Authority, other than by the Defense Contract Audit Agency and other routine audits in the ordinary course of business of Borrower.

 

(d)      Borrower has not assigned any Contract, or any right, title or interest therein, thereunder or with respect thereto, to any Person other than Lender.

 

(e)      Borrower possesses the necessary facility clearance for the execution of its obligations under all of the Contracts. All of the employees of Borrower performing services under the Contracts hold the necessary personnel security clearances to perform such services. The security clearance of Borrower is valid, in full force and effect and has not been suspended, revoked, canceled or adversely modified. Borrower is in compliance in all material respects with all national security measures required by the Contracts, and all laws and regulations applicable thereto, including those obligations specified in the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, DOD 5220.22-M, and any supplements, amendments and/or revised editions thereof. Borrower has in place the proper procedures and practices necessary to hold and maintain the facility and personnel security clearances associated with all of its Contracts. There are no proceedings in progress, pending or, to the knowledge of Borrower, threatened, which would likely result in the revocation, cancellation, suspension, or non-renewal of security clearance of Borrower.

 

(f)      Borrower’s system(s) of internal controls (including, without limitation, Borrower’s cost accounting system, estimating system, purchasing system, proposal system, billing system and material management system) is/are in compliance in all material respects with all requirements of the Contracts.

 

5.1.17     Debarment. Neither Borrower, nor any stockholder, agent, director, officer, member, officer or employee of Borrower has been debarred or suspended from bidding on any Government Contract or the participation in the award of contracts with any governmental entity, or is a party to or the subject of any pending or threatened proceeding or investigation relating to debarment or suspension; and neither Borrower, nor any stockholder, agent, director, member, officer or employee of Borrower is permanently or temporarily enjoined or barred from engaging in, or continuing any conduct or practice relating to, the conduct of Borrower’s business, or enjoining or requiring any of them to take any action of any kind relating thereto. No fact or facts currently exist which are reasonable likely to cause the suspension or debarment of Borrower from bidding on contracts for or with any governmental entity.

 

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5.1.18     Prior Contract Termination for Cause. Borrower has not within the past three (3) years: (a) been terminated for default under any Government Contract, (b) received any subpoena from an inspector general, grand jury, or similar investigative agency, or a civil investigative demand, relating to any Government Contract, or been advised that Borrower is or was the target or subject of any investigation by any governmental entity relating to any Government Contract, (c) made a written disclosure to any governmental entity concerning a potential violation of law by Borrower in connection with any Government Contract under Federal Acquisition Regulations (“FAR”) 52.203-13(b)(3)(i), nor do any facts or circumstances currently exist for which such a disclosure should have been made or should now be made, or (d) made any written disclosure to any governmental entity of any alleged irregularity, misstatement, omission, or overpayment in connection with any Government Contract.

 

5.1.19     Improper Payments. Neither Borrower, nor any stockholder, agent, director, officer, member, officer or employee of Borrower has (a) made any unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee or to any foreign or domestic political party or campaign, (b) violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any other applicable anti-corruption law, (c) made any payment or given anything of value to a prime contractor, prime contractor’s employee, or the employee of any governmental entity in violation of the Anti-Kickback Act, 41 U.S.C. §§ 8701 et seq., or (d) paid a contingent fee in violation of FAR 52.203-5.

 

5.1.20     Intellectual Property.

 

(a)      None of the Intellectual Property owned by Borrower has been adjudged invalid or unenforceable nor has any such Intellectual Property been cancelled, in whole or in part, and each such Intellectual Property is presently subsisting;

 

(b)      To Borrower’s knowledge, each of the Intellectual Property owned by Borrower and material to Borrower’s business is valid and enforceable;

 

(c)      Borrower is the sole and exclusive owner of the entire and unencumbered right, title and interest in and to its Intellectual Property, free and clear of any liens, security interests, mortgages, charges and encumbrances, (including, without limitation, licenses other than non-exclusive licenses which may be granted in the ordinary course of business, consent-to-use agreements, shop rights and covenants by Borrower not to sue third persons) other than a security interest granted in favor of Lender;

 

(d)      Borrower has adopted, used and is currently using all of the trademarks and patents owned by Borrower that are material to Borrower’s business;

 

(e)      Borrower has no knowledge of any suits or actions commenced or threatened within the last three years with reference to or in connection with any of its Intellectual Property;

 

(f)      No trademark opposition or cancellation proceedings have been filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office against any of the trademarks owned by Borrower; and

 

(g)      To Borrower’s knowledge, none of the Intellectual Property owned by Borrower infringes upon the rights or property of any other person or entity or is currently being challenged in any way, and there are no pending or threatened claims, litigation, proceedings or other investigations regarding any such Intellectual Property.

 

5.1.21     OFAC; Anti-Terrorism Laws.

 

(a)      Neither Borrower, nor any Affiliate of Borrower, is a Sanctioned Person or does business in a Sanctioned Country or with a Sanctioned Person in violation of the economic sanctions of the United States administered by OFAC.

 

(b)      Neither the making of the Credit Facility hereunder nor the use of the proceeds thereof will violate the PATRIOT Act, the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or any of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) or any enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto. Borrower, and each Affiliate of Borrower, is in compliance in all material respects with the PATRIOT Act.

 

Section 5.2     Continuous Nature of Representations and Warranties. Each representation and warranty contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be continuous in nature and shall remain accurate, complete and not misleading at all times during the term of this Agreement, except for changes in the nature of Borrower’s business or operations that would render the information in any exhibit attached hereto either inaccurate, incomplete or misleading, so long as Lender has consented to such changes or such changes are expressly permitted by this Agreement.

 

Section 5.3     Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties of Borrower contained in this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents shall survive the execution, delivery and acceptance thereof by Lender and the parties thereto and the closing of the transactions described therein or related thereto until this Agreement and/or the applicable Loan Document shall be terminated in the manner provided herein or therein.

 

ARTICLE VI

AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

 

During the term of this Agreement, and thereafter for so long as there are any Liabilities to Lender, Borrower covenants that, unless otherwise consented to by Lender in writing, it shall:

 

Section 6.1     Financial Information. Deliver, or cause to be delivered, to Lender:

 

(a)        as soon as available, but not later than one hundred twenty (120) days after the end of Borrower’s Fiscal Year, financial statements of Borrower, on a consolidated and consolidating basis, audited by an independent public accountant satisfactory to the Lender, including a balance sheet of Borrower, as applicable, as of the end of such fiscal year and the related statements of income and cash flows for such fiscal year, setting forth in each case in comparative form the figures for the previous fiscal year, all in reasonable detail and [accompanied by an opinion thereon by such independent public accountant], which opinion shall state that such financial statements present fairly the financial position of Borrower as of the date of such financial statements and the results of its operations for the period covered by such financial statements in conformity with GAAP applied on a consistent basis, and shall not contain any “going concern” or like qualification or exception or qualifications;

 

(b)       promptly, but in no event later than forty-five (45) days following the end of each calendar quarter, a copy of the Borrower’s company prepared balance sheet and statement of income, on a consolidated [and consolidating] basis, signed by a Responsible Officer of Borrower and containing results for both such quarter and the period from the beginning of the relevant Fiscal Year to the last day of such quarter;

 

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(c)       within thirty (30) days of the end of each month, bank statements for each depository account of Borrower other than any depository account Borrower may have with Lender from time to time;

 

(d)       promptly upon any Responsible Officer of Borrower learning of the occurrence of any of the following, written notice thereof, describing the same and the steps being taken by the appropriate party with respect thereto: (i) the occurrence of any Event of Default or event which, with the giving of notice or the passage of time (or both), would constitute an Event of Default or (ii) the institution of, or any adverse determination in, any litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding which could have a material adverse effect on the Borrower and/or the satisfaction of the Liabilities;

 

(e)       not later than thirty (30) days after filing with the appropriate government agencies, a copy of Borrower’s annual federal income tax returns;

 

(f)        promptly, but in no event later than thirty (30) days following the end of each Fiscal Year, Projections (approved by an officer of the Borrower) for the immediately following Fiscal Year prepared on a monthly basis;

 

(g)       within forty-five (45) days following the end of each calendar quarter, an updated Contract backlog in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Lender;

 

(h)       within thirty (30) days of Borrower’s receipt or filing thereof, copies of any proxy statements, financial statements or reports which Borrower has made available to its stockholders, members and/or partners, and copies of any regular, periodic and special reports or registration statements which Borrower files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (and/or any other national securities exchange) or any governmental authority which may be substituted therefor, and/or any other documents (applications, financial or other reports, disclosures, etc.) with respect to Castellum’s (or any other Borrower’s) status on the OTC or any other publicly traded market; and

 

(i)         such other data and information (financial and otherwise) as Lender may, from time to time, reasonably request from Borrower, bearing upon or related to Borrower’s or Guarantor’s financial condition.

 

Section 6.2     Existence/Maintenance of Records. Borrower will maintain and preserve its existence and all of its rights, privileges, licenses, patents, patent rights, copyrights, trademarks, trade names, franchises and other authority to the extent material and necessary for the conduct of its business in the ordinary course as conducted from time to time. Borrower will maintain a standard and modern system of accounting, consistently applied, with computer printouts and computer records pertaining to its affairs which contain such information as may from time to time be reasonably requested by Lender. Borrower shall not modify or change its method of accounting without the prior written consent of Lender.

 

Section 6.3     Observance of Agreements. Observe and perform and comply with all the terms, covenants and agreements contained herein and in the Note and the other Loan Documents to which Borrower is a party.

 

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Section 6.4     Access. Permit access by the Lender, or Lender’s authorized agents or representatives, from time to time, as often as may be reasonably requested, but only during normal business hours, to visit and inspect the Properties of Borrower, inspect, audit and make extracts from Borrower’s books and records, and discuss with Borrower’s officers, employees and independent accountants, Borrower’s business, assets, liabilities, financial condition, business prospects and results of operations. It is expressly agreed that any inspections made by or on behalf of Lender shall be made solely an exclusively for the protection and benefit of Lender, and neither Borrower nor any third party shall be entitled to claim any loss or damage against Lender or its employees, agents or representative, arising out of or in connection with such inspections by Lender unless such loss or damage arises from Lender’s gross negligence or willful misconduct.

 

Section 6.5     Conduct and Location of Business; Change of Name; State of Organization. Borrower shall conduct and operate its business in substantially the same manner and under the existing name in which they are presently conducted and operated without material alteration or change in such business and at such locations specified in Section 5.1.11 hereof as the same may be changed from time to time in compliance with Section 5.1.11 of this Agreement. Borrower shall immediately provide Lender with written notice of any change in the Borrower’s name or state of organization.

 

Section 6.6     Repair. Borrower shall maintain, preserve and keep the Properties in which it owns or in which it possess rights, including, without limitation, the Collateral, in good repair, working order and condition (ordinary wear and tear excluded) and from time to time make all necessary and proper repairs, renewals, replacements, additions, betterments and improvements thereto, all in a manner which is consistent with the past business practices of the Borrower.

 

Section 6.7     Taxes and Liabilities. Borrower shall properly accrue and pay when due all of its taxes, assessments and other liabilities, except as contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings and shall make timely payments or deposit of all of its respective F.I.C.A. payments and withholding taxes required by all applicable laws and, upon Lender’s request, shall furnish Lender with proof satisfactory to Lender that such payments or deposits have been made.

 

Section 6.8     Compliance. Borrower shall comply in all material respects with all statutes, laws and governmental rules and regulations applicable to Borrower including, without limitation, all applicable Environmental Laws, zoning regulations, building codes, ERISA and shall include any and all applicable Federal, state, regional, county or local laws, statutes, rules, regulations, ordinances, decrees or orders (including, but not limited to, court or administrative orders) concerning access of handicapped or disabled persons, whether now existing or hereafter enacted or promulgated, including but not limited to, the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as the same may be amended from time to time.

 

Section 6.9     Maintenance of Liens and the Collateral Documents. Borrower shall observe and comply with all the terms, conditions and covenants contained in this Agreement, the Note and the other Loan Documents to which Borrower is a party, promptly, upon the reasonable request of the Lender, and at the Borrower’s expense, execute, acknowledge and deliver, or cause the execution, acknowledgment and delivery of, and thereafter register, file or record in an appropriate governmental office, any document or instrument supplemental to or confirmatory of the collateral documents or otherwise necessary or desirable for the creation, preservation and/or perfection of the Liens purported to be created by the collateral documents.

 

Section 6.10     Notification to Lender. Notify the Lender promptly in writing of (a) the occurrence of an Event of Default, (b) any litigation (whether pending, or pending or threatened if relating to the Collateral), investigation (whether by any Governmental Authority or any other Person) or audit or business development which could have a material adverse effect on the business, properties operation or financial condition of the Borrower or Guarantor, or (c) claims against any Properties of the Borrower or Guarantor.

 

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Section 6.11    Lender Expenditures. If the Borrower fails at any time to obtain insurance covering any of the Collateral, maintain or preserve the Collateral, discharge taxes or liens at any time placed upon the Collateral, or pay or perform any of its obligations hereunder, Lender, after ten (10) days’ written notice to Borrower, shall have the right, in Lender’s sole discretion and without liability to Borrower or any other Person, to do or provide for any or all of the foregoing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Lender determines that the occurrence of any of the conditions set forth in the preceding sentence requires immediate remedy, then the Lender shall have the right, without notice to the Borrower, to take all such actions as the Lender deems necessary to preserve the Collateral, or any other rights of the Lender provided for hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents. Any such expenditure by the Lender shall bear interest at the Default Interest Rate and shall be secured by all of the Collateral. The Lender shall not be obligated to take any such action contemplated in this Section 6.11 nor shall it be liable to the Borrower for its failure to take or delay in taking any such action.

 

Section 6.12     Payment of Obligations. The Borrower will pay and discharge, as the same shall become due and payable, (a) all of its obligations and liabilities, including all claims or demands of materialmen, mechanics, carriers, warehousemen, landlords and other like Persons which, in any such case, if unpaid, might by law give rise to a Lien upon any of Borrower’s Property, and (b) all lawful taxes, assessments and charges or levies made upon Borrower or its Properties, by any governmental body, agency or official except where any of the items in clause (a) or (b) of this Section 6.12 may be diligently contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, and if required under GAAP, appropriate reserves for the accrual of any such items shall have been set aside.

 

Section 6.13     Insurance. In addition to any other insurance required to be provided pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, Borrower shall, at its sole cost and expense, procure and maintain in full force and effect during the Term of this Agreement, in form and amount, and from an insurance carrier or carriers, reasonably satisfactory to Lender: (a) casualty or physical damage insurance (for full replacement value) covering Borrower’s Property, including, without limitation, the Collateral, which policy shall name Lender as mortgagee and lender loss payee as to the Collateral, (b) business interruption insurance (c) all such worker’s compensation or similar insurance as may be required in accordance with applicable law and/or regulation, (d) comprehensive commercial general liability insurance for Borrower, naming Lender as an additional insured, and (e) such other insurance against such risks, hazards, liabilities, casualties and contingencies as is customarily maintained by companies similarly situated to Borrower. In connection with the foregoing, Borrower shall furnish Lender with copies of all policies and evidence of the renewal thereof at least thirty (30) days prior any expiration date, and no such policy may be cancelled, amended or terminated without Lender’s prior written consent. If Borrower fails to obtain the insurance required in this Section 6.13, or as otherwise provided in this Agreement, or to keep the same in force, Lender, if Lender so elects, may obtain such insurance and pay the premium therefor on behalf of Borrower, and such expenses so paid shall be part of the Liabilities hereunder.

 

Section 6.14     Fees and Expenses - Indemnity. The Borrower will pay to the Lender or as the Lender directs all fees, charges, costs and expenses reasonably required to satisfy the conditions of the Loan Documents including, but not limited to, costs incurred by Lender in connection with any on-site review of the Collateral, such costs to include (but not limited to) travel expenses, the cost of specialized equipment to count or value the Collateral, and third-party contractor costs incurred by Lender. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Borrower shall permit three (3) Collateral examinations and inspections (“Field Exam”) by Lender each loan year at Borrower’s expense. Furthermore, Borrower shall permit additional Field Exams as Lender may reasonably request. Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, such additional Field Exams shall be at Lender’s sole expense unless such Field Exams occur upon and/or during the continuance of a Default or an Event of Default, in which even Borrower shall reimburse Lender for such expense. The Borrower will hold the Lender harmless and indemnify the Lender from all claims of brokers and “finders” arising by reason of the execution and delivery hereof or the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby.

 

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Section 6.15     Subordination of Liabilities to Affiliates and Others. Borrower shall, at Lender’s reasonable request, at any time and from time to time, cause each officer, director, member, shareholder and Affiliate of Borrower to subordinate, pursuant to a written agreement acceptable to Lender in its sole discretion, to the Credit Facility any obligations due from Borrower.

 

Section 6.16     Management. Maintain executive and management personnel with substantially the same qualifications and experience as the present executive and management personnel; provide written notice to Lender of any change in executive and management personnel; conduct its business affairs in a reasonable and prudent manner.

 

Section 6.17     Joinder; Pledge of Collateral. To the extent Castellum or any other Borrower acquires a new subsidiary following the Effective Date, upon Lender’s request, (i) such subsidiary shall join in as a Borrower hereunder; and (ii) the acquiring entity shall pledge the equity of such subsidiary as security for the payment and performance in full of all Liabilities, pursuant to and in accordance with the Equity Pledge and Security Agreement.

 

Section 6.18     Errors and Omissions. In the event that any of the Loan Documents misstate or inaccurately reflect the true and correct terms and provisions of the Credit Facilities, then in such event, upon the request of Lender, in its reasonable discretion, Borrower shall fully cooperate in order to correct any such misstatement or inaccuracy, execute such new documents or initial such corrected original documents as Lender may deem necessary to remedy said inaccuracy or mistake. Borrower agrees to assume all costs including by way of illustration and not limitation, actual expenses, legal fees and marketing losses for failing to reasonably comply with Lender’s requests within thirty (30) days.

 

Section 6.19     Compliance Certificate. Promptly, but in no event later than forty-five (45) days following the end of each calendar quarter, deliver: (i) a duly completed compliance certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, executed by the Responsible Officer of Borrower, certifying to Lender that, as of the date of each such report, Borrower was in full compliance with all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and (ii) such other information as Lender shall reasonably request.

 

Section 6.20     PATRIOT Act Compliance. The Borrower will, and will cause Guarantor and each of its and their Affiliates to, provide such information and take such actions as are reasonably requested by the Lender in order to assist the Lender in maintaining compliance with the PATRIOT Act.

 

ARTICLE VII

NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

Borrower covenants and agrees that from the date of this Agreement, and thereafter for so long as there are any Liabilities to Lender, Borrower shall not, without the prior written consent of Lender:

 

Section 7.1     Liens. Create, incur, assume, or suffer to exist any Lien upon or with respect to any of its Property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, including, without limitation, the Collateral, except (collectively, the “Permitted Encumbrances”):

 

(a)         Liens at any time granted in favor of Lender or its assigns;

 

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(b)       Liens arising in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business by operation of law or regulation, but only if payment in respect of any such Lien is not at the time required and such Liens do not, in the aggregate, materially detract from the value of the Property of Borrower or materially impair the use thereof in the operation of Borrower’s business, as determined by Lender in its reasonable discretion; and

 

(c)        Such other Liens as Lender may hereafter approve in writing.

 

Section 7.2     Debt. Create, incur, assume, or suffer to exist any Debt, except:

 

(a)       Liabilities owing to the Lender or its assigns;

 

(b)       Accounts payable to trade creditors and current operating expenses (other than for Money Borrowed) which are not aged more than one hundred twenty (120) days from invoice date or more than thirty (30) days from the due date, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business and paid within such time period, unless the same are being actively contested in good faith and by appropriate and lawful proceedings; and Borrower shall have set aside such reserves, if any, with respect thereto as are required by GAAP and deemed adequate by Borrower and its independent accountants;

 

(c)        Subordinated Debt; and

 

(d)       Contingent liabilities arising out of endorsements of checks and other negotiable instruments for deposit or collection in the ordinary course of Borrower’s business.

 

Section 7.3     Guaranties. Assume, guarantee, endorse, or otherwise be or become directly or contingently liable for any obligations of any Person, except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business.

 

Section 7.4     Loans to Affiliates and Others. Borrower shall not make any loans or other advances of money (other than for salary, travel advances, advances against commissions and other similar advances in the ordinary course of business) to any Person, including, without limitation, to any directors, officers, shareholders, or Affiliates.

 

Section 7.5     Agreements. Enter into any agreement containing any provisions, which would be violated or breached by the performance of Borrower’s obligations under this Loan or in connection herewith.

 

Section 7.6     Restricted Investment. Make or have any Restricted Investment, except in connection with an acquisition permitted by Section 7.9.

 

Section 7.7     Disposition of Assets. Sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets, other than in the ordinary course of business, including any disposition of Property as part of a sale and leaseback transaction, to or in favor of any Person, except dispositions expressly authorized by this Agreement or agreed to in writing by the Lender.

 

Section 7.8     Distributions or Dividends. Following the occurrence of a Default or an Event of Default that persists beyond any applicable notice and cure period and/or which has not been waived or otherwise cured, make or pay, directly or indirectly, any Distributions other than Distributions in an amount not in excess of the applicable Annual Tax Liability and Distributions made by a Borrower to another Borrower. For purposes of this Section 7.8, the term “Annual Tax Liability” shall mean an amount equal to the aggregate, annual tax liabilities of the stockholder(s)/member(s) of the Borrower, arising on account of or in connection with said stockholder(s)’s/member(s)’ ownership interests in the Borrower.

 

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Section 7.9     Mergers; Consolidations; Acquisitions; Structural Changes; Continuing Operations. Change Borrower’s name or the legal form of Borrower’s business; nor cease operations, liquidate, dissolve, merge, transfer, acquire or consolidate with any Person; nor acquire all or any substantial part of the Properties of any Person (other than in connection with the Acquisition); nor engage in any business activities substantially different than those in which Borrower is presently engaged; provided, however, that (a) any Borrower may merge with any other Borrower, so long as Castellum is the surviving entity resulting from a merger between Castellum and any other Borrower and (b) Borrower may acquire all or substantially all of the voting securities or Properties of any other Person so long as the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of such Person or Properties, as applicable, is positive for the most recent four quarter period of such Person or Properties ended prior to such acquisition for which financials of such Person or Properties are available (as evidenced in a manner reasonably acceptable to Lender); provided further, however, in the case of (a) or (b) above, Borrower shall not be permitted to engage in any such merger or acquisition unless (i) Borrower shall have given Lender at least thirty (30) days advance written notice of the applicable transaction, (ii) Borrower shall promptly provide Lender with such documentation and/or information as Lender may request in connection with such transaction, and (iii) the transaction shall not involve the assumption by Borrower of any material liabilities or Liens, unless Lender approves the same in its sole and absolute discretion.

 

Section 7.10     Change in Control. Permit or cause a Change in Control with respect to Borrower.

 

ARTICLE VIII

FINANCIAL COVENANTS

 

Section 8.1     Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio. For so long as there shall remain any Liabilities outstanding, Borrower shall maintain a Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio of at least 1.35:1.00, measured quarterly, on a consolidated and trailing four quarter basis, commencing with the calendar quarter ending December 31, 2021. The foregoing shall be as determined by Lender based on: (i) financial information delivered in accordance with Section 6.1 of this Agreement, and (ii) other information requested by Lender.

 

Section 8.2     Senior Debt to EBITDA Ratio. For so long as there shall remain any Liabilities outstanding, Borrower’s Senior Debt to EBITDA Ratio shall not exceed 2.75:1.00, measured quarterly, on a consolidated and trailing four quarter basis, commencing with the calendar quarter ending December 31, 2021. The foregoing shall be as determined by Lender based on: (i) financial information delivered in accordance with Section 6.1 of this Agreement, and (ii) other information requested by Lender.

 

Section 8.3     Current Ratio. For so long as there shall remain any Liabilities outstanding, Borrower shall not permit the ratio of (a) its Current Assets (minus prepaid expenses, as determined by Lender), to (b) its Current Liabilities, to be less than 1.25:1.00, measured quarterly on a consolidated basis, commencing with the quarter ending September 30, 2021. All of the foregoing shall be as determined by Lender based on: (i) financial information delivered in accordance with Section 6.1 of this Agreement, and (ii) other information requested by Lender.

 

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ARTICLE IX

EVENTS OF DEFAULT

 

Section 9.1     Events of Default. The occurrence of one or more of the following events shall constitute an “Event of Default” hereunder:

 

9.1.1     Payments under Note. Borrower fails to pay (i) any installment of principal and/or interest due under the Note when due as provided in the Note, or (ii) Borrower fails to pay at the Maturity Date of the Note all outstanding principal, interest, costs and other fees due on the Note, time being of the essence.

 

9.1.2     Covenants in Agreement. Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant contained in Article VI, Article VII or Article VIII.

 

9.1.3     Other Obligations. Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those covered by Sections 9.1.1 and 9.1.2 hereof) and such failure is not cured before the expiration of ten (10) days after the effective date of written notice thereof by Lender.

 

9.1.4     Representations and Warranties. Any representation, warranty, certification or statement made or furnished to Lender by or on behalf of Borrower in this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents, or any instrument, certificate, financial statement or other document delivered in compliance with or in reference thereto shall prove to have been false or misleading in any material respect when made or furnished.

 

9.1.5     Default under other Debt. Any event or condition shall occur which results in the acceleration of the maturity of any Debt of the Borrower (including Debt of other Persons guaranteed by the Borrower) for all such Debt or enables (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, would enable) the holder of such Debt or any Person acting on such holder’s behalf to accelerate the maturity thereof.

 

9.1.6     Voluntary Bankruptcy or Insolvency. Borrower shall commence a voluntary case or other proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to itself or its debts under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of its or any substantial part of its property, or shall consent to any such relief or to the appointment of or taking possession by any such official in an involuntary case or other proceeding commenced against it, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or shall fail generally to pay its debts as they become due, or shall take any corporate action to authorize any of the foregoing.

 

9.1.7     Involuntary Bankruptcy or Insolvency. An involuntary case or other proceeding shall be commenced against Borrower seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to it or its debts under any Bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of it or any substantial part of its property, and such involuntary case or other proceeding shall remain undismissed and unstayed for a period of 60 days; or an order for relief shall be entered against the Borrower under the federal Bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter in effect.

 

9.1.8     Entry of Judgment. One or more judgments or orders for the payment, in the aggregate, of money in excess of Ten Thousand No/100 Dollars ($10,000.00) not covered by insurance or indemnity, excepting any judgment or order which has been either bonded off or stayed pending appeal, shall be rendered against the Borrower and such judgment or order shall continue unsatisfied for a period of thirty (30) days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed.

 

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9.1.9     Material Adverse Change or Impairment. Lender’s good faith determination in the exercise of its sole and reasonable discretion (a) that a material adverse change in the financial condition of the Borrower has occurred since the date hereof or (b) that the Lender’s prospect of payment hereunder has been materially impaired.

 

9.1.10     Existence. Borrower shall liquidate, dissolve or terminate its existence other than as permitted pursuant to Section 7.9.

 

9.1.11     Default under Other Loan Documents. An Event of Default (as defined therein) shall occur under, or Borrower shall default in the performance or observance of any term, covenant, condition or agreement contained in, any of the other Loan Documents, and such default shall continue beyond any applicable grace or cure period.

 

9.1.12     Challenge to Agreement. Borrower shall challenge or contest, in any action, suit or proceeding, the validity or enforceability of this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents, the legality or enforceability of the Liabilities (or any portion thereof) or the perfection or priority of any Lien granted to Lender in connection with the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

9.1.13     Admission of Inability to Pay. Borrower shall admit its inability to pay its debts as they mature or shall make any assignment for the benefit of any of its creditors, then, and in every such event, the Lender, at its option, may by notice to the Borrower terminate the Credit Facility and it shall thereupon terminate, and may, at its option, by notice to the Borrower declare the Note to be, and said Note shall thereupon become, immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower; provided that in the case of any of the Events of Default specified in Sections 9.1.6 or 9.1.7 of this Article IX, without any notice to the Borrower or any other act by the Lender, the Credit Facility shall thereupon terminate and the Note (together with accrued interest thereon) shall become immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.

 

Section 9.2     Acceleration of the Liabilities. Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, (i) all outstanding Liabilities (including, without limitation, all fees) may, at the option of Lender and without demand, notice or legal process of any kind, be declared, and immediately shall become, due and payable, and (ii) Lender shall be entitled to exercise the rights and remedies available to the Lender under the provisions of this Loan and the other Loan Documents, withhold further advances, and all other rights and remedies available to the Lender under applicable law, including but not limited to the UCC or the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the jurisdictions where the Collateral is located. All such rights and remedies being cumulative and enforceable alternatively, successively or concurrently.

 

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ARTICLE X

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 10.1     Notices. When either party desires to give notice to the other in connection with this Agreement, such notice shall be given in writing and shall be effective (a) on the date of delivery, if given by hand, (b) upon facsimile transmission during regular business hours, (c) upon the date of written confirmation of receipt by electronic mail, if delivered by electronic mail (and each party agrees to promptly provide such written confirmation upon request) (d) one (1) day after being sent, if sent by overnight mail, or (e) three (3) days after being sent by U.S. registered or certified mail, and such notices shall be addressed as follows:

 

If to Borrower, to: Castellum, Inc.
  3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700
  Bethesda, Maryland 20814
   
  Specialty Systems, Inc.
  1451 Route 37 West
  Toms River, New Jersey 08755
   
  Corvus Consulting, LLC dba Corvus Defense Consulting LLC
  15416 Kentwell Circle
  Centreville, Virginia 20120
  Attn: Laurie Buckhout
   
  Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc.
  1252 Chloe Drive
  Gallatin, Tennessee 37066
   
  Merrison Technologies LLC
  1934 Old Gallows Road, Suite 350
  Vienna, Virginia 22182
   
With a copy to: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP  
  1200 Seventeenth Street, NW
  Washington, DC 20036
  Attn: Nicole Islinger, Esq.
   
If to Lender, to: Live Oak Banking Company
  1741 Tiburon Drive
  Wilmington, North Carolina 28403
  Attn: Loan Operations
   
With a copy to: Paley Rothman
  4800 Hampden Lane, Suite 600
  Bethesda, Maryland 20814
  Attn: Alan S. Mark, Esq.

 

Nothing herein contained shall be construed as prohibiting the parties respectively from changing the place at which notice is thenceforth to be given, but no such change shall be effective unless and until it shall have been accomplished by written notice given in the manner set forth in this provision.

 

Section 10.2     No Waivers. No failure or delay by the Lender in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder or under the Note shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. The rights and remedies herein provided shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law.

 

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Section 10.3     Expenses. The Borrower shall pay (a) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses of the Lender, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Lender, in connection with the preparation and administration of this Agreement, any waiver or consent hereunder or any amendment hereof or any Default or alleged Default hereunder and (b) if an Event of Default occurs, all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Lender, including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel, in connection with such Event of Default and collection and other enforcement proceedings resulting therefrom. Borrower shall indemnify the Lender against any transfer taxes, documentary taxes, assessments or charges made by any Governmental Authority by reason of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Note or the other Loan Documents.

 

Section 10.4     Right of Set-Off. Without constituting a retention of Collateral in satisfaction of an obligation within the meaning of Section 9-620 of the UCC, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default, the Lender is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other indebtedness at any time owing by the Lender to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations now or hereafter existing under this Agreement, the Note or any other Loan Document, irrespective of whether or not the Lender shall have made any demand hereunder or under the Note and although such obligation may be unmatured. The rights of the Lender under this Section 10.4 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including, without limitation, other rights of set-off) which the Lender may have. Borrower agrees, to the fullest extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any holder of a participation in any Note may exercise rights of set-off or counterclaim or other rights with respect to such participation as fully as if such holder of a participation were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation. The Lender agrees to notify the Borrower promptly after it exercises any such right of set-off.

 

Section 10.5     Amendments and Waivers. Any provision of this Agreement or of the Note or any other Loan Document may be amended or waived if, but only if, such amendment or waiver is in writing and is signed by the Borrower and the Lender.

 

Section 10.6     Successors and Assigns.

 

(a)      The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights under this Loan without the prior written consent of the Lender.

 

(b)      The Lender may at any time grant to one or more Lenders or other institutions (each a “Participant”) participating interests in the Credit Facility or in the Note. In the event of any such grant by the Lender of a participating interest to a Participant, whether or not upon notice to the Borrower, the Lender shall remain responsible for the performance of its obligations hereunder, and the Lender shall continue to deal solely and directly with the Borrower in connection with the Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement.

 

(c)      The Lender may at any time assign all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement and the Note to a Federal Reserve lender.

 

(d)      The Lender may furnish any information concerning the Borrower in its possession from time to time to assignees and Participants (including prospective assignees and Participants) and may furnish such information in response to credit inquiries consistent with general banking practice.

 

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Section 10.7     WAIVER. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE BORROWER HEREBY VOLUNTARILY AND KNOWINGLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREIN. THE BORROWER HEREBY CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OR AGENT OF THE LENDER (INCLUDING ITS COUNSEL) HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT THE LENDER WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF SUCH LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THIS WAIVER OF RIGHT TO JURY TRIAL. THE BORROWER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE LENDER HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS LOAN TRANSACTION BY, INTER ALIA, THE PROVISIONS OF THIS JURY WAIVER.

 

Section 10.8     Submission to Jurisdiction. Any legal action or proceeding with respect to this Agreement, the Note or any document related hereto or thereto may be brought in any state or federal court in the State of North Carolina, the State of Nevada, the State of New Jersey, the State of Delaware, and/or the Commonwealth of Virginia and by execution and delivery of this Agreement the Borrower hereby accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts. The Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection, including without limitation, any objection to the laying of venue or based on the grounds of forum non conveniens which it now or hereafter may have to the bringing of any action or proceeding in such jurisdiction. The Borrower hereby agrees and consents that, in addition to any methods of service of process provided for under applicable law, all service of process in any such legal action or proceeding in any state court or any United States federal court may be made by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, directed to the Borrower at its address for notice as provided in this Agreement, and service so made shall be complete five days after the same shall have been so mailed. Nothing herein shall affect the right of the Lender to bring proceedings against the Borrower in any other court or jurisdiction, nor the right of the Lender to serve process in any manner permitted by law.

 

Section 10.9     Governing Law. This Agreement, the Note and all other Loan Documents shall be deemed to be contracts made under seal and shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, except as otherwise provided herein.

 

Section 10.10     Third Parties-Benefit. All conditions of the obligations of the Lender to make advances hereunder are imposed solely and exclusively for the benefit of the Lender and its assigns and no other persons shall have standing to require satisfaction of such conditions in accordance with their terms or be entitled to assume that the Lender will refuse to make advances in the absence of strict compliance with any or all thereof and no other person shall, under any circumstances, be deemed to be beneficiary of such conditions, any or all of which may be freely waived in whole or in part by the Lender at any time in the sole and absolute exercise of its discretion. The terms and provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents are for the benefit of the parties hereto and, except as herein specifically provided, no other person shall have any right or cause of action on account thereof.

 

Section 10.11     Counterparts; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement shall become effective when the Lender shall have received counterparts hereof signed by both parties.

 

Section 10.12     Entire Agreement. This Agreement, the Note and all other Loan Documents set forth the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all previous understandings, written or oral, in respect thereof.

 

Section 10.13     UCC. Terms contained in this Agreement shall have, when the context so indicates, the meanings provided for by the UCC, to the extent the same are used or defined therein.

 

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Section 10.14     Indemnification. Borrower hereby agrees to indemnify and hold Lender harmless from and against any liability, loss, damage, suit, action or proceeding ever suffered or incurred by Lender (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and legal expenses) as the result of Borrower’s failure to observe, perform or discharge Borrower’s duties hereunder, or resulting from or arising out of any breach of or inaccuracy in any representation and/or warranty made by Borrower in any Loan Document. In addition, Borrower shall defend and save Lender harmless from and against any and all claims made by any Person with respect to the Collateral.

 

Section 10.15     Cross Default. Borrower hereby agrees that a Default or an Event of Default under this Agreement is a default or an event of default under all the other Loan Documents, and/or under all other agreements between Borrower, or any Affiliate of Borrower, and Lender, and a default under any of such other Loan Documents or agreements is a Default or an Event of Default under this Agreement.

 

Section 10.16     Joint and Several Liability. If Borrower consists of more than one person or entity, their liability shall be joint and several, and the compromise of any claim with, or the release of, any Borrower shall not constitute a compromise with, or a release of, any other Borrower.

 

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[Signatures on the Following Page]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written, intending this to be a document under seal.

 

WITNESS:     BORROWER:
           
      CASTELLUM, INC.,
      a Nevada corporation
           
/s/ Jay Wright   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Jay Wright     Mark Fuller  
        Chief Executive Officer  
           
      SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC.,
      a New Jersey corporation
           
/s/ Jay Wright   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Jay Wright     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  
           
      CORVUS CONSULTING, LLC
      dba CORVUS DEFENSE CONSULTING LLC,
      a Delaware limited liability company
           
/s/ Jay Wright   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Jay Wright     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  
           
      MAINNERVE FEDERAL SERVICES, INC.,
      a Delaware corporation
           
/s/ Jay Wright   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Jay Wright     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  
           
      MERRISON TECHNOLOGIES LLC,
      a Virginia limited liability company
           
/s/ Jay Wright   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Jay Wright     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  
           
      LENDER:
           
WITNESS:     LIVE OAK BANKING COMPANY
           
/s/ Daniel Aronson   By: /s/ Sandy McGrath (SEAL)
Print Name: Daniel Aronson   Name:  Sandy McGrath  
      Title: AVP - Closing  

 

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Signature Page

 

 

Exhibit 10.4

 

Execution Version

 

PROMISSORY NOTE

 

$400,000.00 August 12, 2021

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Specialty Systems, Inc., a New Jersey corporation (the “Maker”) promises to pay to the order of Emil Kaunitz, a resident of the State of New Jersey (the “Holder”), the principal sum of Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000.00) (the “Principal”), together with interest at the rate provided in this promissory note (this “Note”), in accordance with the terms and conditions contained herein. This Note is being delivered in connection with that certain Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of the date hereof, by and among Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation, KC Holdings Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation, the Maker, and the other parties thereto (the “Merger Agreement”).

 

1.           Interest. The unpaid Principal shall bear interest at a fixed rate equal to five percent (5%) per annum (the “Interest Rate”) from the date hereof until the Principal is paid in full. All interest payable under the terms of this Note shall be calculated on the basis of a three hundred sixty-five (365) day year. Interest shall begin to accrue on the Principal on the day on which this Note is made.

 

2.Payments.

 

2.1       Commencing on September 1, 2021, and continuing on the 1st day of each succeeding month thereafter until the Principal is paid in full, the Maker will make payments of interest only at the Interest Rate.

 

2.2       The outstanding Principal balance, unless sooner paid due to prepayment, demand or default shall be due and payable at maturity on December 31, 2024.

 

2.3       Subject to Section 2.5 below, Maker shall have the right to prepay this Note in whole or in part at any time without penalty. Prepayments will first be applied to any interest due and any sums then remaining shall be applied to the Principal.

 

2.4       All payments made pursuant to this Note shall be made in lawful money of the United States of America by wire transfer or immediately available funds to an account designated in writing by the Holder. All payments made hereunder shall be applied first to the payment of any fees or charges outstanding hereunder, second to accrued interest, and third to the payment of the Principal.

 

2.5       Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, all of Holder’s rights to payment hereunder shall be subject in all respects to the terms of the Subordination and Standby Agreement, dated as of August 12, 2021 between, inter alios, Holder, Maker and Live Oak Banking Company.

 

 

 

 

3.        Events of Default; Remedies. If any payment due hereunder is not paid within fifteen (15) days after the date due, it shall constitute an event of default under this Note (a “Default”). Upon the occurrence of a Default, at the option of the Holder, all amounts payable by the Maker to the Holder under the terms of this Note shall immediately become due and payable by the Maker to the Holder without notice to the Maker or any other person, and the Holder shall have all of the rights, powers, and remedies available under the terms of this Note, and all applicable laws. The Maker hereby waives presentment, protest and demand, notice of protest, notice of demand and of dishonor and non-payment of this Note and expressly agrees that this Note or any payment hereunder may be extended from time to time without in any way affecting the liability of the Maker.

 

4.        Notice. All notices, requests, demands and other communications under this Note shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given on the date of service if served personally on the party to whom notice is to be given, when delivered if sent via electronic mail (receipt acknowledged; and each party agrees to provide such acknowledgement if requested), or on the third (3rd) day after mailing if mailed to the party to whom notice is to be given by certified mail, postage prepaid and properly addressed as follows:

 

If to Holder: Emil Kaunitz
  242 Oval Road,
  Manasquan, NJ 08736
  Email: ekaunitz@specialtysystems.com
   
If to Maker: Specialty Systems, Inc.
  c/o Castellum, Inc.
  3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700,
  Bethesda, MD 20814
  Email: mfuller@castellumus.com

 

Either party hereto may change the address for notices set forth above by providing the other party with written notice of such change.

 

5.        Assignment. This Note may be assigned by the Holder at any time or from time to time. The Maker may not assign or transfer this note or any of its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Holder. This Note shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Holder and the Holder’s successors and assigns and any other person to whom the Holder may grant an interest in the Maker’s obligations to the Holder, and shall be binding and enforceable against the Maker and the Maker’s successors and assigns.

 

6.        Amendment. No term of this Note may be waived, modified or amended except by an instrument in writing signed by both of the parties hereto. Any waiver of the terms hereof shall be effective only in the specific instance and the specific purpose given.

 

7.        Cumulative Remedies; No Waiver by the Holder. Each right, power, and remedy of the Holder as provided for in this Note, or now or hereafter existing under any applicable law or otherwise, shall be cumulative and concurrent and shall be in addition to every other right, power, or remedy provided for in this Note or now or hereafter existing under any applicable law, and the exercise or beginning of the exercise by the Holder of any one or more of such rights, powers, or remedies shall not preclude the simultaneous or later exercise by the Holder of any or all such other rights, powers, or remedies. No failure or delay by the Holder to insist upon the strict performance of any term, condition, covenant, or agreement of this Note, or to exercise any right, power, or remedy consequent upon a breach thereof, shall constitute a waiver of any such term, condition, covenant, or agreement or of any such breach, or preclude the Holder from exercising any such right, power, or remedy at a later time or times.

 

 2 

 

 

8.        Evidence of Indebtedness. This Note is given and accepted as evidence of indebtedness only, and not in payment or satisfaction of any indebtedness or obligation.

 

9.        Severability. If, for any reason, any of the terms or provisions (or any part of any provision) of this Note are found to be invalid, illegal, unenforceable, or contrary to any applicable law, that invalidity, illegality, or unenforceability shall not affect any other provisions (or any remaining part of any provision) of this Note, but this Note shall be construed as if that invalid, illegal, or unenforceable provision (or any part of that provision) had never been contained in this Note, and the undersigned agrees that this Note shall still remain in full force and effect subject only to the exclusion of those terms or provisions (and only to the extent to which those terms or provisions) shall have been found invalid, illegal, unenforceable, or contrary to any applicable law.

 

10.       Maximum Rate of Interest. If any provision of this Note shall ever be construed to require the payment of any amount of interest in excess of that permitted by applicable law, then the interest to be paid pursuant to this Note shall be held subject to reduction to the amount allowed under applicable law, and any sums paid in excess of the interest rate allowed by law shall be applied in reduction of the outstanding Principal pursuant to this Note.

 

11.       Time of the Essence. Time is of the essence.

 

12.       Headings. The headings used in this Note are for convenience only and are not to be interpreted as a part of this Note.

 

13.       Governing Law. The laws of the State of New Jersey shall govern the validity and construction of this Note and any dispute arising out of or relating to this Note, without regard to the principles of conflict of laws.

 

14.       Waiver of Jury Trial. THE MAKER HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY RELATING TO THIS NOTE OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY.

 

15.       Entire Agreement. This Note, along with the Merger Agreement, constitutes the entire agreement between the Maker and the Holder in any way relating to the loan evidenced hereby. This Note supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings, negotiations, and discussions, written or oral, of the parties, relating to the loan evidenced hereby, including without limitation that certain Officer Loan Note Payable, dated as of January 1, 2019 by and between the Maker and the Holder.

 

[Signatures contained on following page.]

 

 3 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker has executed and delivered this Note as of the date first written above.

 

  MAKER:
   
  SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC.
   
  by: its sole Member, CASTELLUM, INC.
   
  By: /s/ Mark Fuller
  Name: Mark Fuller
  Title: Chairman/President & Chief
    Executive Officer

 

ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACCEPTED:  
   
HOLDER:  
   
Emil Kaunitz  

 

[Signature Page to Promissory Note (Kaunitz)]

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Maker has executed and delivered this Note as of the date first written above.

 

  MAKER:
   
  SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC.
   
  by: its sole Member, CASTELLUM, INC.
   
  By:
  Name: Mark Fuller
  Title: Chairman/President & Chief
    Executive Officer

 

ACKNOWLEDGED AND ACCEPTED:  
   
HOLDER:  
   
/s/ Emil Kaunitz  
Emil Kaunitz  

 

[Signature Page to Promissory Note (Kaunitz)]

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.5

 

THIS PROMISSORY NOTE HAS NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE, AND MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED OR HYPOTHECATED UNLESS AND UNTIL REGISTERED UNDER SUCH ACT AND/OR APPLICABLE STATE SECURITIES LAWS, OR UNLESS THE COMPANY HAS RECEIVED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL OR OTHER EVIDENCE REASONABLY SATISFACTORY TO THE COMPANY AND ITS COUNSEL THAT SUCH REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED.

 

Face Value: $500,000 Issued on February 28, 2022 (“Issuance Date”)

 

PROMISSORY NOTE

(hereinafter referred to as this “Promissory Note”)

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, Corvus Consulting, LLC (“Corvus”) and Castellum, Inc. (“Parent”) (collectively, the “Obligors”), hereby jointly and severally promise to pay to the order of Robert Eisiminger or any future permitted holder of this promissory note (the “Holder”), the principal sum of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND NO/lOO ($500,000.00) (the “Principal Amount”) plus any accrued but unpaid interest thereon at the rate of TEN PERCENT (10%) per annum (the “Interest Rate”) until the Principal Amount is paid in full. All payments made under this Promissory Note will be made to the Holder, at such address as the Holder may designate, in monies of the United States of America.

 

1.           Interest.

 

Subject to Section 1.1. below, interest accrued at the Interest Rate shall be payable in monthly installments (with interest accruing from the Issuance Date and with payments commencing with the month ended March 31, 2022 on or before the last business day of each month or upon mandatory prepayment in cash from the date of this Promissory Note unless the Principal Amount and all interest accrued thereon and all other amounts owed hereunder are prepaid as provided for herein.

 

1.1       Subordination of Payments. Notwithstanding anything else herein to the contrary, all of Holder’s rights to payment and the other terms and conditions hereunder shall be subject in all respects to the terms of the Subordination and Standby Agreement, dated as of August 10, 2021 between, inter alios, Holder, the Obligors and Live Oak Banking Company (the “Subordination Agreement”).

 

2.           Maturity.

 

2.1. The Obligors shall repay in full the entire principal balance then outstanding plus any accrued but unpaid interest under this Promissory Note on the earliest to occur of (i) September 30, 2024 or (ii) the acceleration of the obligations as contemplated by this Promissory Note (see, e.g., Section 5.2 hereof).

 

  

 

 

3.           Equity.

 

3.1. As partial consideration for making the loan underlying this Promissory Note, Parent is issuing to the Holder 2,500,000 common shares of stock. Together with prior equity issued to the Holder, Holder shall be below 2.0% of the fully diluted capitalization of the Parent as of the date hereof. Holder hereby grants a proxy, valid until November 21, 2023, to Mr. Mark Fuller, CEO of the Obligor, to vote such shares as Mr. Fuller deems appropriate. Holder shall have no right to vote such shares during the continuance of the proxy, and shall have no right to appoint directors, or otherwise control the management of the Obligor.

 

4.          Representations.

 

The Obligors hereby represent and warrant to the Holder as follows:

 

4.1       Due Incorporation; Good Standing; Due Authorization. The Obligors are each duly formed and validly existing as entities in good standing under the laws of the state of each of its formation. The Obligors have the requisite power and authorization to enter into this Promissory Note and all necessary action has been taken by the Obligors to do so.

 

4.2       Use of Proceeds. The proceeds of this Promissory Note shall be used to acquire Lexington Solutions Group, LLC and for working capital,

 

4.3       Capitalization. There has been no material change in the capitalization of the Parent since the issuance of the Parent’s third quarter 2021 report with OTC Markets.

 

4.4       Articles of Incorporation. The Articles of Incorporation of the Parent have not been amended since August 1, 2021.

 

4.5       Litigation. Other than one (1) employment related matter concerning a former mid-level employee, The Obligors hereby confirm that, as of the Issuance Date, neither of the Obligors is subject to either any actual or threatened litigation.

 

4.6       Liabilities. Except as previously disclosed to Holder and as disclosed in the Parent’s 3rd quarter 2021 report with OTC Markets, each of the Obligors hereby confirm that, as of the Issuance Date, neither of the Obligors is subject to any liabilities.

 

5.           Remedies.

 

5.1         Events of Default. “Event of Default” wherever used herein, means any one of the following events:

 

5.1.1       default in the payment of the principal of this Promissory Note at its maturity or any interest payment required to be made hereunder; or

 

5.1.2       the entry by a start having jurisdiction in the premises of (A) a decree or order for relief in respect of the Obligors in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or (B) a decree or order adjudging either one of the Obligors a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition of or in respect of the Obligors under any applicable federal or state law, or appointing a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or other similar official of the Obligors or of any substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such decree or order for relief or any such other decree or order unstayed and in effete for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days; or

 

  

 

 

5.1.3         the commencement by either one of the Obligors of a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or of any other case or proceeding to be adjudicated a bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the entry of a decree or order for relief in respect of the Obligors in an involuntary case or proceeding under any applicable federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law or to the commencement of any bankruptcy or insolvency case or proceeding against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable federal or state law, or the consent by it to the filing of such petition or to the appointment of or taking possession by a custodian, receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator or similar official of the Obligors or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or the taking of corporate action by the Obligors in furtherance of any such action; or

 

5.1.4          the dissolution of the Obligors; or

 

5.1.5         any representation or warranty made to the Holder by the Obligors pursuant to this Promissory Note is false or misleading in any material respect; or

 

5.1.6         the Obligors fail to observe or perform any material covenant or agreement made by the Obligors to the Holder pursuant to this Promissory Note.

 

5.2         Acceleration of Maturity; Secondary offering. If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, then and in every such case the Holder may (subject to the Subordination Agreement) declare the principal on this Promissory Note to be due and payable immediately, by a notice in writing-to the Obligors, and upon any such declaration such principal shall become immediately due and payable, and such accelerated amount shall thereafter bear interest at the rate equal to twelve percent (12%) per annum. This Note shall become immediately due and owing upon the successful completion of a secondary offering of equity by the Parent with gross proceeds of at least Fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000).

 

5.3         Payment of Expenses. If any part of the balance is not paid when due, or if the Obligors fail to perform any obligation required hereunder, the Obligors shall (subject to the Subordination Agreement) pay any and all reasonable costs of collection or enforcement of all outstanding obligations under this Promissory Note incurred by the. Holder, including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses.

 

6.           Negative Covenants.

 

6.1.       As long as the Holder is owed principal and interest hereunder, the Parent shall not, either directly or indirectly by amendment, merger, consolidation or otherwise, do any of the following without the written consent of the Holder given in writing, and any such act or transaction entered into without such consent shall be null and void ab initio, and of no force or effect.

 

  

 

 

6.1       liquidate, dissolve or wind-up the business and affairs of the Parent, adopt effect or enter into any merger or consolidation, dissolution, liquidation, reorganization or recapitalization of the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any other Change of Control, or consent to any of the foregoing;

 

6.2       amend, alter or repeal any provision of Parent’s Articles of incorporation or Bylaws of the Parent, except that Parent shall increase its authorized common stock to a total of 3 billion shares after the Corvus Closing;

 

6.3       create, or authorize the creation of, or issue or obligate itself to issue shares of, any additional class or series of capital stock, or increase the authorized number of shares of Common Stock (except as provided in Section 6.2) or any Preferred Stock or increase the authorized number of shares of any additional class or series of capital stock of the Parent;

 

6.4       (i) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Parent in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution, voting or winding up of the Parent or (ii) reclassify, alter or amend any existing security of the Parent at in respect of the distribution of assets on the liquidation, dissolution, voting or winding up of the Parent, the payment of dividends or rights of redemption in a way adverse to the Holder’s interests;

 

6.5       purchase or redeem (or permit any subsidiary to purchase or redeem) or pay or declare any dividend in cash or securities, or make any distribution on, any shares of capital stock of the Parent other than repurchases of stock from former employees, officers, directors, consultants or other persons who performed services for the Parent or any subsidiary in connection with the cessation of such employment or service at no greater than the original purchase price thereof except for dividends on existing preferred stock of the Parent.

 

6.6       Other than with Live Oak Bank and the Crom Cortana Fund, create, or authorize the creation of, or issue, or authorize the issuance of any debt security, incur or maintain any debt, or create any lien or security interest (except purchase money liens or statutory liens of landlords, mechanics, materialmen, workmen, warehousemen and other similar persons arising or incurred in the ordinary course of business) or incur other indebtedness for borrowed money, including but not limited to obligations and contingent obligations under guarantees, or permit any subsidiary to take any such action with respect to any debt security or debt lien, security interest or other indebtedness for borrowed money.

 

6.7       dissolve, wind-up or liquidate itself or initiate a bankruptcy proceeding involving itself; or

 

6.8       agree to do any of the foregoing;

 

provided that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, if any of the covenants described in this Section 6 is not otherwise expressly prohibited by the Loan Agreement (as defined in the Subordination Agreement) for so long as the Loan Agreement is in effect, no breach of any of the foregoing covenants in this Section 6 will constitute a default or Event of Default hereunder.

 

  

 

 

7.           [intentionally omitted]

 

Prepayment.

 

7.1.     The Obligors may not prepay this Promissory Note without the Holder’s consent. If the Obligors choose to prepay this Promissory Note, such prepayment will be subject to Section 1.1 herein.

 

9.           Various Definitions.

 

9.1       “Change of Control” shall mean (A) any consolidation or merger of the Parent or Corvus with or into any other corporation or other entity or person, or any other corporate reorganization, other than any such consolidation, merger or reorganization in which the stockholders of Parent or Corvus immediately prior to such consolidation, merger or reorganization continue to hold at least a majority of the voting power of the surviving entity in substantially the same proportions (or, if the surviving entity is a wholly owned subsidiary, its parent) immediately after such consolidation, merger or reorganization; or (B) any transaction or series of related transactions to which the Parent or Corvus is a party in which in excess of 50% of the Parent or Corvus’ voting power is transferred; and (ii) a sale, lease, exclusive license or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the Parent or Corvus.

 

9.2       [Reserved].

 

10.         Notices.

 

10.1       All notices and communications provided for herein or made hereunder shall be delivered, or mailed first class with postage prepaid, addressed in each case as follows, until some other address shall have been designated in a written notice given in like manner, and shall he deemed to have been given or made when so delivered or mailed:

 

The Holder: Robert Eisiminger

 

or to such other person or address as the Obligors shall furnish to the Holder in writing.

 

The Obligor: Castellum, Inc. and
  Corvus Consulting, LLC
  9812 Fall Rd H114-299
  Potomac, MD 20854

 

or to such other person or address as the Holder shall furnish to the Obligors in writing.

 

  

 

 

11.Miscellaneous.

 

11.1       This Promissory Note may be amended only by writing signed by both the Obligors and the Holder. All covenants and agreements in this Promissory Note by the Obligors shall bind its successors and assigns.

 

11.2       In case any provision in this Promissory Note shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby.

 

11.3       This Promissory Note shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia in without regard to the principles of conflicts of laws thereof.

 

11.4       This Promissory Note (and related agreements, exhibits, certificates and schedules) constitutes the full and entire understanding between the Obligors and the Holder with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof.

 

11.5       This Promissory Note is binding on the Obligor; and the Obligors hereby waive presentment, demand, notice and protest and any defense by reason of an extension of time for payment or other indulgences. Failure of, or delay by, the Holder to assert any right herein shall not be deemed to be a waiver thereof, nor shall any such failure or delay on any one or more occasions be deemed to prohibit or waive the same or any other right on any future occasion.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

  

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Obligors have caused this instrument to be duly executed as of the date first referenced above.

 

OBLIGORS;  
   
Corvus Consulting, LLC  
     
By: /s/ Mark C. Fuller     
     
Castellum, Inc.  
     
By: /s/ Mark C. Fuller  
     
Accepted: ROBERT EISIMINGER  
     
By: /s/ Robert Eisiminger  

 

  

 

Exhibit 10.6 

 

THIS INSTRUMENT CONTAINS A CONFESSION OF JUDGMENT PROVISION WHICH CONSTITUTES A WAIVER OF IMPORTANT RIGHTS YOU MAY HAVE AS A DEBTOR AND ALLOWS THE CREDITOR TO OBTAIN A JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU WITHOUT ANY FURTHER NOTICE.

 

REVOLVING LINE OF CREDIT

PROMISSORY NOTE

 

$950,000.00 March 28, 2022

 

FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned, CASTELLUM, INC., a Nevada corporation, SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC., a New Jersey corporation, CORVUS CONSULTING, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company dba CORVUS DEFENSE CONSULTING LLC, MAINNERVE FEDERAL SERVICES, INC., a Delaware corporation, and MERRISON TECHNOLOGIES LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (individually and collectively, the Maker”), jointly and severally promises to pay to the order of LIVE OAK BANKING COMPANY, a North Carolina banking corporation, at 1741 Tiburon Drive, Wilmington, North Carolina 28403 (the “Lender”), or such other address as the Lender may from time to time specify in writing, the principal sum of NINE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($950,000.00) or so much thereof as may from time to time be advanced and outstanding hereunder as evidenced by this Revolving Line of Credit Promissory Note (this “Note”), together with interest on the outstanding principal balance hereof at a per annum rate equal to the “Prime Rate” as quoted in the Wall Street Journal, plus two percentage points (2.00%) as of the day of this Note, adjusted quarterly to reflect the Prime Rate as of the first day of each calendar quarter thereafter (said composite interest rate, as adjusted, being hereafter referred to as the “Note Rate”). The initial Note Rate as of the date hereof is five and one-half percent (5.50%). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, the Note Rate shall never be less than five percent (5%).

 

Until the “Maturity Date” (as hereinafter defined) or earlier demand as hereafter provided, amounts advanced hereunder and subsequently repaid may, in the absence of an “Event of Default” (as hereinafter defined), be re advanced.

 

Unless the context otherwise specifies or requires, the following terms shall have the meanings herein specified, such definitions to be applicable equally to the singular and the plural forms of such terms and to all genders:

 

Default Rate” means an annual rate of interest equal to five percentage (5%) points in excess of the Note Rate, as adjusted.

 

The rate of interest chargeable under this Note will not exceed applicable legal limits and in the event payment is made by the undersigned or received by the Lender in excess of the applicable legal limits such excess payment shall be credited as a payment of principal. Interest shall be computed on the basis of a 360-day year factor applied to the actual number of days funds are outstanding hereunder.

 

   

 

 

 

Principal and interest due hereon shall be payable as follows:

 

(a)Commencing on April 5, 2022, and continuing on the fifth (5th) day of each succeeding month to and including March 5, 2029, subject to earlier demand as hereafter provided, monthly installments of interest only, payable in arrears, at the Note Rate.

 

(b)This Note is payable at any time, in whole or in part upon ninety (90) days’ written DEMAND provided by Lender to Borrower.

 

(c)If not sooner paid, the entire principal balance, together with all accrued and unpaid interest due thereon, and all unpaid fees and costs due hereafter shall be all due and payable in full on the 28 day of March, 2029 (“Maturity Date”).

 

The privilege is reserved to prepay the principal indebtedness evidenced hereby, in whole or in part, at any time, and from time to time, without premium or penalty.

 

All payments under this Note shall be made by Maker without any offset, decrease, reduction or deduction of any kind or nature whatsoever.

 

Any payment on this Note coming due on a day on which the Lender is not open to conduct full banking business shall be made on the next succeeding business day. Each payment hereunder shall be applied first to the payment of all unpaid fees due hereunder, then to interest accrued hereunder as of the date such payment is received and finally to the unpaid principal balance hereof. Any payments made after default hereunder may be applied to pay interest, principal or costs as the Lender, in its sole discretion, may determine.

 

If Maker shall fail to make any payment required hereunder before the due date thereof, such amount shall, at the option of the Lender, bear interest at the Default Rate from the date such payment was due until the date such payment is received by the Lender. In addition, the Lender may collect a late charge equal to four percent (4%) of any amount not received by the Lender within fifteen (15) days after the date such payment is due.

 

This Note is issued under and secured pursuant to the terms of that certain Loan and Security Agreement executed by Maker and Lender, dated as of even date herewith, as the same may be amended and/or restated from time to time (“Loan Agreement”). Reference is hereby made to the terms of the Loan Agreement as to additional rights and remedies of the Lender and as to the Lender s obligation to advance and readvance funds hereunder.

 

Maker hereby waives demand, presentment for payment, protest and notice of dishonor and agrees that at any time and from time to time and with or without consideration, the Lender may, without notice to or further consent of Maker, and without in any manner releasing, lessening, or affecting the obligations of Maker, release, surrender, waive, add, substitute, settle, exchange, compromise, modify, extend or grant indulgences with respect to this Note and all or any part of any collateral or security for this Note, and grant any extension or other postponements of the time of payment thereof.

 

Revolving Line of Credit Promissory Note

Castellum, Inc. et al.

Page 2

 

   

 

 

All records of payments received by Lender shall be maintained at Lender’s office, and the records of Lender shall, absent manifest error, be binding and conclusive upon Maker. The failure of Lender to record any payment or expense shall not limit or otherwise affect the obligations of Maker under this Note.

 

The occurrence of any one or more of the following events shall constitute an Event of Default hereunder: (1) the failure to pay this Note upon demand or in the absence of a demand on or before the Maturity Date; (2) the failure to make any installment payment of interest when due hereunder; (3) the occurrence of an Event of Default under the Loan Agreement; or (4) the failure to make any payment of principal or interest when due (including any grace period) to the Lender under any other promissory note or obligation made or guaranteed by Maker or Guarantor of this Note.

 

Upon the occurrence of an Event of Default: (1) the entire outstanding principal balance due hereunder shall become immediately due and payable together with interest accrued to the date of payment at the option of Lender; (2) Lender is authorized to offset any amount owed under this Note against any money or credits which Maker may have in checking, savings or other account(s) or deposit(s) with Lender; (3) Maker shall pay to Lender all expenses and costs (including reasonable outside attorneys’ fees) which Lender may incur in connection with the collection of any monies due under this Note or in connection with the enforcement of any right under this Note or under any other agreement related to the loan evidenced hereby, including the commencement of proceedings to dispose of any collateral securing this Note; (4) Lender may exercise any and all rights which it may have under any or all instruments, documents or agreements now or hereafter evidencing, securing or otherwise relating to the loan evidenced by this Note (including but not limited to the Loan Agreement) or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute or otherwise; and/or (5) Lender may refuse to make any further advances hereunder.

 

Each right, power and remedy of Lender as provided for in this Note, or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute or otherwise, shall be cumulative and concurrent and shall be in addition to every other right, power or remedy available to Lender hereby or thereby, and the exercise or beginning of the exercise by Lender of any one or more of such rights, powers or remedies shall not preclude the simultaneous or later exercise by Lender of any or all such other rights, powers or remedies. Maker understands and agrees that Lender may institute suit to collect amounts outstanding under this Note without seeking recourse to any of the collateral securing the repayment of this Note, and the failure of Lender to pursue the collateral shall in no way diminish or affect Maker’s liability hereunder.

 

No failure or delay by Lender to insist upon the strict performance of any term, condition or covenant of this Note or to exercise any right, power or remedy upon a breach hereof, shall constitute a waiver of any such term, condition, covenant or agreement or of any such breach, or preclude Lender from exercising any such right, power or remedy at any later time or times unless in writing. If Lender accepts any payment after its due date, it shall not constitute a waiver of Lender’s right to receive timely payment of all other amounts or to declare a default for the failure to make any other payment when due.

 

Revolving Line of Credit Promissory Note

Castellum, Inc. et al.

Page 3

 

   

 

 

Maker represents and warrants that the loan evidenced hereby is obtained solely for purposes of carrying on or acquiring a business or commercial investment.

 

The pleading of any statute of limitations as a defense hereto is expressly waived.

 

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, MAKER HEREBY VOLUNTARILY AND KNOWINGLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS NOTE OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREIN. MAKER HEREBY CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OR AGENT OF THE LENDER (INCLUDING ITS COUNSEL) HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT THE LENDER WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF SUCH LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THIS WAIVER OF RIGHT TO JURY TRIAL. MAKER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE LENDER HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS LOAN TRANSACTION BY, INTER ALIA, THE PROVISIONS OF THIS JURY WAIVER.

 

If any one or more of the provisions contained in this Note shall for any reason be held invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability shall not affect any other provision of this Note, but this Note shall be construed as if such invalid, illegal or unenforceable provision had never been contained herein or therein.

 

In the event that the unpaid balance of this Note shall be accelerated, or if the Note is not paid in full at maturity, then Maker hereby authorizes and empowers any Clerk of any Court of Record in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of North Carolina, the State of Nevada, the State of New Jersey, the State of Delaware and/or any other State or Commonwealth to enter judgment by confession against Maker in favor of the Lender for the unpaid balance of this Note, together with all interest due thereon, costs and expenses of collection, including costs of suit and further including reasonable attorneys’ fees not to exceed fifteen percent (15%) of all unpaid amounts due and owing on this Note, expressly waiving summons and other process, and Maker does further consent to the immediate execution of said judgment. Pursuant to the provisions of Section 8.01- 431, et. seq., Code of Virginia, Maker hereby nominates, constitutes and appoints Jessica B. Summers, Esq. and/or Michelle J. Chapin, Esq., either of whom may act alone, as Maker’s lawful attorney-in-fact, for it and in its name, place and stead, and upon default of payment hereof as set forth herein to confess judgment against Maker, in the Circuit Court for Fairfax County, Virginia, or in any other court of record in the Commonwealth of Virginia, upon such obligation and for the amounts due hereunder, including all costs of collection and court costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees in the amount of fifteen percent (15%) of the unpaid principal balance hereof and accrued interest thereon, hereby ratifying and confirming the acts of said attorney-in-fact as fully as if done by itself, expressly waiving the benefit of any homestead or other exemption laws. This power of attorney is coupled with an interest and may not be terminated by Maker and shall not be revoked or terminated by Maker’s disability or dissolution. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the parties acknowledge that attorneys’ fees are stated to be fifteen percent (15%) solely for purposes of fixing a sum certain for which judgment can be entered by confession, and Lender agrees that in enforcing any such judgment by confession, Lender shall not collect, solely with respect to attorneys’ fees incurred in connection with such indebtedness, any amounts in excess of the actual amount of attorneys’ fees and expenses reasonably charged or billed to Lender (which fees shall be charged or billed at such attorneys’ standard hourly rate). The authority and power to appear for and enter judgment against Maker shall not be exhausted by one or more exercises thereof or by any imperfect exercise thereof and shall not be extinguished by any judgment entered pursuant thereto. Such authority may be exercised on one or more occasions or from time to time in the same or different jurisdictions as often as the Lender shall deem necessary or desirable, for all of which this Note shall be sufficient warrant. It is the express intent of Maker and Lender that Lender’s ability and right to collect from and confess judgment against Maker for all amounts due hereunder, including, without limitation, post judgment costs, shall not merge into any judgment or judgments entered in favor of Lender, but shall survive the entry of any judgment or judgments in favor of Lender and to that Lender’s ability and right to collect from and confess judgment against Maker shall continue undiminished until Lender has received payment in full of all amounts due hereunder, including, without limitation, all post judgement costs.

 

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Maker and each person executing this Note on Maker’s behalf, hereby represent and warrant to Lender that, by their execution below, Maker has the full power, authority and legal right to execute and deliver this Note and that the indebtedness evidenced hereby constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Maker without execution or limitation.

 

Maker hereby irrevocably consents to the jurisdiction of any state or federal court in the State of North Carolina, the State of Nevada, the State of New Jersey, the Commonwealth of Virginia and/or the State of Delaware.

 

This Note may not be changed orally, but only by an agreement in writing signed by the party against whom enforcement of any waiver, change, modification or discharge is sought.

 

This Note has been delivered to and accepted by the Lender in the State of North Carolina and shall be governed by and interpreted under the laws of the State of North Carolina (but not including the choice of law rules thereof) and is intended to be a document under seal.

 

This Note may be assigned by the Lender or any holder at any time. This Note shall inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns and any other person to whom the Lender may grant an interest in Maker’s obligations to Lender, and shall be binding and enforceable against Maker and its successors and assigns.

 

Time is of the essence with respect to every provision hereof.

 

[Signatures appear on the following pages]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has hereunto set its hand and seal as of the day and year first above written, intending this to be a document under seal.

 

WITNESS:     MAKER:
       
      CASTELLUM, INC.,
      a Nevada corporation
           
/s/ Elise Kolender   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Elise Kolender     Mark Fuller  
        Chief Executive Officer  
           
      SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC.,
      a New Jersey corporation
           
/s/ Elise Kolender   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Elise Kolender     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  
           
      CORVUS CONSULTING, LLC
      dba CORVUS DEFENSE CONSULTING LLC,
      a Delaware limited liability company
           
/s/ Elise Kolender   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Elise Kolender     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  
           
      MAINNERVE FEDERAL SERVICES, INC.,
      a Delaware corporation
           
/s/ Elise Kolender   By: /s/ Mark Fuller  
Print Name: Elise Kolender     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  
           
      MERRISON TECHNOLOGIES LLC,
      a Virginia limited liability company
           
/s/ Elise Kolender   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)
Print Name: Elise Kolender     Mark Fuller  
        Chairman of the Board  

 

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Exhibit 10.7

 

LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT

 

THIS LOAN AND SECURITY AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made this 28 day of March, 2022, by and between CASTELLUM, INC., a Nevada corporation (“Castellmn”), SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC., a New Jersey corporation (“Specialty Systems”), CORVUS CONSULTING, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company d/b/a Corvus Defense Consulting LLC (“Corvus”), MAINNERVE FEDERAL SERVICES, INC., a Delaware corporation (“Mainnerve”), and MERRISON TECHNOLOGIES LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (“Merrison” and, together with Castellum, Specialty Systems, Corvus, and Mainnerve, individually or collectively, as the context may require, the “Borrower”); and LIVE OAK BANKING COMPANY, a North Carolina banking company (“Lender”).

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, the Borrower has requested and the Lender has agreed, subject to the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, to make available to Borrower a revolving line of credit facility, the outstanding principal balance of which shall at no time exceed Nine Hundred Fifty Thousand and 00/100 Dollars ($950,000.00) (the “Credit Facility”); and

 

WHEREAS, as one of the conditions for the aforementioned Credit Facility, Lender has required the Borrower to grant Lender a security interest in all of Borrower's business assets including, but not limited to its “Accounts”, as such term is hereafter defined.

 

NOW THEREFORE for and in consideration of the sum of Ten Dollars ($10.00) in hand paid and such other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Borrower and Lender hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I
GENERAL DEFINITIONS

 

Section 1.1 Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth in this Section 1.1:

 

Account” shall have the meaning attributed to such tenn in the UCC, and shall also include any right to payment of a monetary obligation, whether or not earned by performance, due or to become due, including without limitation any receivable, Contract Right, note, draft, instrument, acceptance, chattel paper, lease, or other writing or open account resulting from the sale, lease, license, assignment or other disposal of Property by Borrower, or from services rendered or to be rendered by Borrower.

 

Account Debtor” shall mean any Person who is, or who may become, obligated to Borrower on, under or on account of any Account, Contract Right, chattel paper or general intangible.

 

Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Aging Report” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Advance” shall mean each advance of all or any portion of funds under the Credit Facility made by Lender to Borrower pursuant to Article II of this Agreement.

 

Affiliate” shall mean any Person, which, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by or is under common control with, the Borrower. As used herein, the term “control” means possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.

 

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Availability Limit” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Bonded Account” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Borrower” means, individually and collectively, CASTELLUM, INC., a Nevada corporation, SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC., a New Jersey corporation, CORVUS CONSULTING, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company d/b/a Corvus Defense Consulting LLC, MAINNERVE FEDERAL SERVICES, INC., a Delaware corporation, and MERRISON TECHNOLOGIES LLC, a Virginia limited liability company.

 

Borrowing Base” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Borrowing Base Report” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Business Day” shall mean any day, excluding Saturday, Sunday and any other day which is a legal holiday under the laws of the State of North Carolina or is a day on which banking institutions located in the State ofNorth Carolina are required by law to close.

 

Change in Control” with respect to any Person shall mean, (1) in the case of Specialty Systems, Corvus, Mainnerve, Merrison and any subsequent Affiliate of Borrower (or any of them) that becomes party to this Agreement and is a direct or indirect subsidiary of Castellum, any change in the ownership of such Person such that the voting securities of such Person are not 100% owned, directly or indirectly, by Castellum, and (2) in the case of Castellum, a Person or group (within the meaning of Rules l 3d-3 and 13d- 5 of the Exchange Act) not currently owning voting securities in Castellurn as of the Closing Date (a) shall have acquired, directly or indirectly, beneficial ownership of 50% or more on a fully diluted basis of the voting or economic interest in the voting securities of Castellum or (b) shall have obtained the power to elect a majority of the board of directors (or, if none, the officers) of Castell um.

 

Closing” shall mean the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

Closing Date” shall mean March 28, 2022.

 

Code” shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Collateral” means all of Borrower's Accounts, chattel paper, money, motor vehicles, motor vehicle replacement parts, motor vehicle trailers, watercraft, accounts receivable, goods, equipment, documents, inventory, instruments, general intangibles, and Intellectual Property; whether any of the foregoing is owned now or acquired later; all accessions, additions, replacements, and substitutions relating to any of the foregoing; all books and records of any kind in relation to any of the foregoing; all proceeds relating to any of the foregoing (including, but not limited to insurance, general intangibles and other accounts proceeds) and the proceeds thereof. In addition to, and not in limitation of, the foregoing, Collateral shall include all “accounts”, “chattel paper”, “commercial tort claims”, “deposit accounts”, “documents”, “equipment”, “inventory”, “fixtures”, “farm products”, “as-extracted collateral”, “general intangibles” (including all “payment intangibles”), “goods”, “instruments”, “investment property”, “supporting obligations”, “software”, “health-care insurance receivables”, “letter of credit rights”, and “money” as such terms are defined under Article 9 of the UCC (hereafter defined), and any proceeds of the foregoing.

 

Collateral Access Agreement” means a landlord waiver, mortgagee waiver, bailee letter or similar acknowledgment of any lessor, warehouseman or processor in possession of any Collateral or on whose property any Collateral is located in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Lender.

 

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Commercial Account” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Compliance Certificate” shall mean a compliance certificate, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B, executed by the Responsible Officer of Borrower, certifying to Lender that, as of the date of each such certificate, Borrower was in full compliance with all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement

 

Contracts” means, collectively, all contracts giving rise to Accounts of Borrower.

 

Contract Right” means any right of the Borrower to payment under a Contract for the sale or lease of goods or the rendering of services, which right is at the time not yet earned by performance.

 

Credit Facility” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.1 of this Agreement.

 

Debt” as applied to a Person as of any date, shall mean, without duplication: (a) obligations arising from the lending of money by any Person to Borrower; (b) obligations, whether or not in any such case arising from the lending by any Person of money to Borrower, (i) represented by notes payable or drafts accepted that evidence extensions of credit, (ii) which constitute obligations evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes or other similar instruments, or (iii) upon which interest charges are customarily paid (other than accounts payable) or that were issued or assumed as full or partial payment for Property; (c) obligations that constitute a capitalized lease obligation; (d) reimbursement obligations with respect to letters of credit or guarantees of letters of credit; and (e) obligations of Borrower under any guaranty of obligations that would constitute obligations arising from the lending of money by any Person to Borrower under clauses (i) through (iii) hereof, if owed directly by Borrower.

 

Default” shall mean a condition or event, the occurrence of which would, with the giving of notice or lapse of time, or both, become an Event of Default, unless cured or waived pursuant to the terms hereof.

 

Deposit Account Control Agreement” means a control agreement satisfactory to Lender executed by an institution maintaining a deposit account for Borrower, to perfect Lender's Lien on such account.

 

Distribution(s)” means any dividend, distribution, or other similar payment, whether in cash, property, securities, by reduction of capital or otherwise (including any combination of the foregoing), by Borrower with respect to any membership interests, units or other ownership interests of Borrower, whether now or hereafter outstanding.

 

Effective Date” means the date on which this Agreement becomes effective in accordance with Section 10.11.

 

Eligible Accounts” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Eligible Commercial Account” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Eligible Federal Prime Account” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Eligible Federal Subcontract Account” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Event of Default” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 9.1 of this Agreement.

 

Fees” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

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Field Exam” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Financial Covenants” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Fiscal Year” shall mean Borrower's Fiscal Year.

 

GAAP” shall refer to the generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America, as established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, in effect from time to time.

 

Government Account” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Governmental Authority” means any federal, state, local, foreign or other governmental administrative body, instrumentality, department or agency or any court, tribunal, administrative hearing body, arbitration panel, commission or other similar dispute resolving panel or body.

 

Government Contract” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Ineligible Accounts” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Intellectual Property” means any patent, copyright, trademark, trade name, service mark, service name, brand mark, brand name, logo, corporate name, Internet domain name or industrial design, any registrations thereof and pending applications therefor (to the extent applicable), any other intellectual property right (including, without limitation, any know-how, trade secret, trade right, formula, conditional or proprietary report or information, customer or membership list, any marketing data, and any computer program, software, database or data right), and license or other contract (including without limitation license(s) to use specific telephone numbers and/or radio channels/frequencies) relating to any of the foregoing, and any goodwill associated with any business owning, holding or using any of the foregoing.

 

Liabilities” means all past, present and future loans and advances and all other extensions of credit, or other financial accommodations of whatever type made, issued or extended by the Lender to or for the account or benefit of the Borrower, all indebtedness and obligations of any kind, including, without limitation, expenses and fees of the Borrower to the Lender whether absolute or contingent, matured or U111Tiatured, direct or indirect, sole, joint, several or joint and several, similar or dissimilar, related or unrelated, due or to become due or hereinbefore contracted or acquired, and all extensions, alterations, modifications, revisions and renewals of any of the foregoing; all costs and fees incurred by the Lender to obtain, administer, preserve and enforce any security interest or lien granted in connection with any of the foregoing, to collect all of the foregoing liabilities and obligations, and to maintain and preserve all Collateral therefor (including without limitation costs incurred for taxes, assessments, insurance premiums, repairs, reasonable attorneys' fees and legal expenses, rent, storage costs and expenses of sale); and interest on the foregoing amounts, at the rates agreed between the Lender and the Borrower or, if no such agreement is made, at the maximum rate provided for in this Loan.

 

Lien” shall mean any interest in Property securing an obligation owed to, or a claim by, a Person other than the owner of the Property, whether such interest is based on common law, statute or contract. The term “Lien” shall also include reservations, exceptions, encroachments, easements, rights-of-way, covenants, conditions, restrictions, leases, pledge, charge, security interest and other title exceptions and encumbrances of any kind affecting the Property. For purposes of this Agreement, Borrower shall be deemed to be the owner of any Property which it has acquired or holds subject to a condition sale agreement or other arrangement pursuant to which title to the Property has been retained by or vested in some other Person for security purposes.

 

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Loan Documents” means this Agreement, Schedule A, the Note, the Deposit Account Control Agreement, and any and all other agreements, instruments, and documents heretofore, now or hereafter executed by Borrower, or any third party and delivered to Lender in respect of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, including, without limitation, any and all other instruments and agreements now or at any time hereafter securing the whole or any part of the Liabilities.

 

Note” shall mean the Revolving Line of Credit Promissory Note dated of even date herewith, made by Borrower payable to the order of Lender, in the stated principal amount of NINE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($950,000.00), in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated by this reference herein.

 

Note Rate” shall mean the Note Rate set forth in the Note.

 

OFAC” means the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, and any successor thereto.

 

Organizational Documents” means (a) the articles or certificate of incorporation and the by-laws or code of regulations of a corporation; (b) the partnership agreement and any statement of partnership of a general partnership; (c) the limited partnership agreement and the certificate of limited partnership of a limited partnership; (d) the articles or certificate of formation and operating agreement of a limited liability company; (e) any other document performing a similar function to the documents specified in clauses (a), (b), (c) and (d) adopted or filed in connection with the creation, formation or organization of a Person; and (f) any and all amendments to any of the foregoing.

 

PATRIOT Act” means the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT Act of2001), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute, and all rules and regulations from time to time promulgated thereunder.

 

Payment Collateral Account” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.12(a) of this Agreement.

 

Permitted Encumbrances” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 7.1 of this Agreement.

 

Permitted Purposes” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.1 of this Agreement.

 

Person” shall mean an individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, association, trust (including, without limitation, a land trust, common law trust or business trust), joint stock company, unincorporated organization or any other entity or organization, including, but not limited to, any government or political subdivision or any agency or instrumentality thereof.

 

Property” shall mean any interest in any kind of property or asset, whether real, personal or mixed, tangible or intangible.

 

Required Information” shall be as defined in Schedule A.

 

Responsible Officer” shall mean Mark Fuller, and such other officers as may have been so designated by the Borrower and reasonably approved by the Lender from time to time.

 

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Restricted Investment” shall mean any investment made in cash or by delivery of Property to any Person, whether by acquisition of stock, Debt or other obligation or security, or by loan, advance or capital contribution, or otherwise, or in any Property except the following: (a) Property to be used in the ordinary course of business; (b) cash and cash equivalents; (c) current assets arising from the sale of goods and services in the ordinary course of business of Borrower and its Affiliates (if any); or (d) investments in direct obligations of the United States of America, or any agency thereof or obligations guaranteed by the United States of America, provided that such obligations mature within one (1) year from the date of acquisition thereof.

 

Revolving Loan Account” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.15.

 

Sanctioned Country” means a country subject to a sanctions program identified on the list maintained by OFAC and available at http://www.treas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/sanctions/index/html, or as otherwise published from time to time.

 

Sanctioned Person” means (i) a Person named on the list of Specially Designated Nationals or Blocked Persons maintained by OFAC available at http://www.treas.gov/offices/eotffc/ofac/sdn/index/html, or as otherwise published from time to time, or (ii) (A) an agency of the government of a Sanctioned Country, (B) an organization controlled by a Sanctioned Country, or (C) a Person resident in a Sanctioned Country, to the extent subject to a sanctions program administered by OFAC.

 

Schedule A” means Schedule A attached to this Loan Agreement, which is incorporated herein by this reference.

 

Solvent” shall mean, with respect to any Person, as of any date of determination, that such Person: (a) owns Property whose fair saleable value is greater than the amount required to pay all of such Person's Debt (including contingent debts), (b) is able to pay all of its Debt as such Debt matures and (c) has capital sufficient to carry on its business and transactions and all business and transactions in which it is about to engage.

 

Subordination Agreement” means a Subordination and Standby Agreement in favor of Lender, in form and substance satisfactory to Lender.

 

Subordinated Debt” shall mean all Debt of Borrower that is subject to a Subordination Agreement in favor of Lender.

 

Term” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2.13.

 

UCC” shall mean the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the State of North Carolina on the date of this Agreement, as the same may be amended and/or otherwise modified, including, without limitation, any revisions to Article 9 and other Articles of the UCC.

 

Section 1.2 Accounting Terms and Determinations. Unless otherwise specified herein, all accounting terms used herein shall be interpreted, all accounting determinations hereunder shall be made, and all financial statements required to be delivered hereunder shall be prepared (except with respect to interim financial statements) in accordance with GAAP as in effect from time to time, applied on a basis consistent (except for changes concurred in by the Borrower's independent public accountants) with the most recent reviewed financial statements of the Borrower delivered to the Lender.

 

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ARTICLE II

THE CREDIT FACILITY

 

Section 2.1 Revolving Credit Facility. Subject to the terms and conditions of, and in reliance upon the representations and warranties made in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, in the absence of a Default or Event of Default, Lender agrees to make available to Borrower a revolving credit facility, the outstanding balance of which shall at no time exceed NINE HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND AND 00/100 DOLLARS ($950,000.00) (“Credit Facility”). Funds advanced under the Credit Facility shall be evidenced by the Note hereinafter identified and shall be used solely for the purpose of (a) paying transaction fees incurred in connection with the Loan Documents, and (b) funding Borrower's general working capital needs (collectively, the “Permitted Purposes”). The amount that Lender is required to Advance under the Credit Facility is subject to the Availability Limit.

 

Section 2.2 Revolving Credit Note. Borrower agrees to execute and deliver to Lender the Note, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, and the Lender is hereby authorized by the Borrower to record on any schedule attached to said Note or on its books and records, the date and amount of each and any Advance under the Credit Facility, the amount of each payment or prepayment of principal thereon, and any other information provided for on such schedule, which schedule or books and records, as the case may be, shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes absent manifest error in computation. Failure of the Lender to record any Advance or payment shall not relieve or release the Borrower of its obligation to repay all of the Liabilities. In addition, and upon request of the Lender, the Borrower shall execute and deliver to the Lender such additional promissory notes as the Lender shall deem necessary to evidence any one or more Advances under the Credit Facility.

 

Section 2.3 Advances. The Note evidences a revolving line of credit loan for eligible Advances to be made by Lender to Borrower pursuant to the terms of this Agreement for the Permitted Purposes. Lender shall make Advances to Borrower periodically during the Term, provided, that, Lender shall have determined that immediately after giving effect to a request for an Advance hereunder the aggregate principal amount of all Advances outstanding together with the principal amount of the requested Advance does not exceed the Availability Limit. Subject to the foregoing and in the absence of a default or an Event of Default, amounts advanced hereunder and subsequently repaid may, during the Term, be re advanced.

 

Section 2.4 Advance Requests. Borrower may from time to time submit a written request to Lender for an Advance under the Credit Facility (each, an “Advance Request”). Each Advance Request shall:

 

(a)       Specify the proposed date and amount of such proposed Advance, and shall include wiring instructions for the account(s) into which the proceeds of such Advance shall be deposited.

 

(b)       Be accompanied by (i) a completed Borrowing Base Report, and (ii) a current Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Aging Report.

 

Section 2.5 Procedure for Advances.

 

(a)       Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, and provided that no Default or Event of Default shall then exist, Lender hereby agrees to make Advance(s) to Borrower under the Credit Facility upon Lender's receipt of an Advance Request, as hereinafter provided in this Section 2.5. Upon Lender's receipt of an Advance Request made, or deemed to have been made, by Borrower, in accordance with Section 2.4 hereof, Lender shall have until the close of business on the Business Day immediately following Lender's receipt of such Advance Request to disburse the proceeds of any such Advance so requested, in accordance with Section 2.6 of this Agreement; provided, that, such Advance Request shall be made, or shall be deemed to have been made, on or before 11:00 a.m. Eastern time on the Business Day immediately preceding the Business Day of the date of the Advance requested thereby; and provided further, that, an ACH may take one (1) additional Business Day to post.

 

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(b)       Notwithstanding, and without in any way limiting, the foregoing provisions of clause (a) of this Section 2.5, as an accommodation to Borrower, Lender may, in its sole discretion, permit Borrower to submit Advance Request(s), and any corresponding instructions, authorizations, agreements or reports to Lender, via electronic transmittal (i.e., by means of electronic communication reasonably acceptable to Lender, in its sole discretion). Lender shall have no liability to Borrower for any loss or damage suffered by Borrower, its employees, agents, members, or designees, as a result of, due to or arising in connection with Lender's election to honor any Advance Request (including, without limitation, Lender's execution of any instructions, authorizations or agreements or reliance upon any reports) communicated to Lender electronically and purporting to have been sent to Lender by Borrower, nor shall Lender have any duty to verify the origin of any such communication or the authority of the Person sending it.

 

Section 2.6 Disbursements of Advance Proceeds. Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes Lender to disburse, for and on behalf of Borrower and for Borrower's account, the proceeds of each Advance requested, or deemed to have been requested, by Borrower in accordance with Section 2.4 hereof, in all cases, in lawful money of the United States of America, in immediately available funds, as follows: (a) with respect to the initial Advance to Borrower hereunder, in accordance with the terms of a written disbursement letter from Borrower or, in the absence thereof, in the manner provided in clause (b) of this Section 2.6; and (b) with respect to each and any subsequent Advance(s) (if any) to Borrower, by wire transfer to such bank account(s) as may be agreed upon by Borrower and Lender from time to time (or elsewhere if requested by Borrower in writing to Lender, subject to Lender's approval). Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.6, and subject to any express provision to the contrary contained in this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, unless payment is otherwise timely made, the coming due of any amount required to be paid with respect to the Liabilities pursuant to this Agreement or any of the other Loan Document (whether as principal, accrued interest, fees, charges or any other amounts owed to Lender) shall be deemed to be a request by Borrower for an Advance hereunder (notwithstanding the absence of an Advance Request by Borrower as described in Section 2.4 hereof), on the due date thereof, and in the aggregate amount required to be paid, of such Liabilities, and Lender may disburse the proceeds of such Advance by way of direct payment of the relevant Liabilities and such Advance shall bear interest at the Default Rate specified in the Note.

 

Section 2.7 Repayment of Revolving Credit Commitment. Principal and interest due and payable under the Credit Facility shall be paid in accordance with the following:

 

(a)       Principal payable on account of the Note shall be payable by Borrower to Lender immediately upon the earliest to occur of the following: (i) an Event of Default in consequence of which Lender elects to accelerate the maturity and payment of Borrower's Liabilities due under the Credit Facility, or (iii) the termination of the Credit Facility in accordance with the provisions set forth in Section 2.13.

 

(b)       Interest accrued on the outstanding principal balance under the Revolving Credit Note shall be due on the earliest to occur of the following: (i) pursuant to and in accordance with the terms of the Note, the fifth (5th) day of each calendar month (for the immediately preceding calendar month) during the Term, computed through the last calendar day of the preceding calendar month, (ii) an Event of Default in consequence of which Lender elects to accelerate the maturity and payment of Borrower's Liabilities due under the Credit Facility, or (iii) the termination of the Credit Facility pursuant to Section 2.13.

 

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Section 2.8 Interest Rate. Absent an Event of Default, interest shall accrue on the principal amount of all Advances under the Credit Facility outstanding at the end of each day at the Note Rate specified in the Note.

 

Section 2.9 Maturity Date. Ifnot sooner paid, Borrower's Liabilities under the Credit Facility shall be due and payable on the earlier of (i) the last day of the Term, or (ii) the occurrence of an Event of Default in consequence of which Lender elects to accelerate the maturity and payment of the Liabilities.

 

Section 2.10 Mandatory Credit Facility Repayments.

 

(a)       If, for any reason, any Advance by Lender to Borrower under the Credit Facility, individually or collectively, exceeds the Availability Limit, Lender may require Borrower to make such principal payment(s) as deemed necessary by Lender, to reduce the outstanding balance under the Note to the limit required by this Agreement.

 

(b)       Unless otherwise agreed to in writing by Lender, if Borrower sells any of its Equipment or real Property to any Person other than Lender, or if any of the Collateral is lost, destroyed or taken by condemnation, Borrower shall make a mandatory prepayment to Lender of Borrower's Liabilities, as and when received by Borrower, of a sum equal to the full amount of the proceeds (including, without limitation, any insurance payments in respect thereof) received by Borrower from such sale, loss, destruction or condemnation.

 

Section 2.11 Fees. Borrower shall pay to Lender the Fees, pursuant to and in accordance with the provisions set forth in Schedule A.

 

Section 2.12 Payment Collateral Account; Credit Balance.

 

(a)       At all times during the Term of this Agreement, Borrower shall open and maintain a depository account with Lender (the “Payment Collateral Account”). Pursuant to and in accordance with Section 6.23(b) of this Agreement, upon Lender's demand at any time in its sole and absolute discretion following the occurrence of a Default or Event of Default, Borrower shall ensure that all proceeds collected under the Accounts, whether in the form of cash, checks or other demand remittances, are paid or otherwise transmitted to Lender for deposit in the Payment Collateral Account. At such intervals as Lender may deem appropriate, Lender shall charge and apply the full amount then on deposit in the Payment Collateral Account established hereunder in reduction or payment of Borrower's Revolving Loan Account, provided, however, that any such application shall be subject to the final payment in cash of all items theretofore credited to the Payment Collateral Account.

 

(b)       If, as the result of collections of Accounts as authorized under this Agreement, and after the application of such collections in accordance with clause (a) of this Section 2.12, a credit balance exists in the Payment Collateral Account, Lender will initiate a transfer to such bank account(s) as may be agreed upon by Borrower and Lender from time to time of such credit balance within 24 hours of its receipt of same, provided, that, no Default or Event of Default exists hereunder.

 

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Section 2.13 Term and Termination of Credit Facility; Renewal.

 

(a)       Subject to Lender's right to cease making Advances to Borrower upon or after the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default, and subject to Lender's right to make demand on Borrower, in accordance with Section 2.13(c), below, to pay Borrower's Liabilities under the Credit Facility, in full, at any time, the term of the Revolving Credit Facility shall commence as of the Effective Date and shall continue thereafter for a period of eighty four (84) months (“Initial Term”).

 

(b)       Without limiting the foregoing provisions set forth in clause (a) of this Section 2.13, provided that this Agreement shall then be in full force and effect, and that there shall exist no Default or Event of Default hereunder, Lender, in its sole discretion, may permit Borrower to renew the term of this Agreement (“Renewal”) for one (1) or more additional periods of a duration to be determined by Lender (each a “Renewal Term”), on such terms and conditions as Lender may require, in its sole and absolute discretion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Lender shall have no obligation to permit a Renewal or to extend any other accommodations to Borrower. For all purposes of this Agreement, “Term” shall refer to the Initial Term and the Renewal Term(s), if any, subject to earlier termination in accordance with the provisions set forth in this Section 2.13.

 

(c)       Lender may terminate the Credit Facility, without notice, at any time, (i) upon or after the occurrence of an Event of Default, or (ii) upon ninety (90) days' written demand to Borrower for payment of all Liabilities to Lender due under the Credit Facility.

 

(d)       Borrower may, at its option, terminate the Credit Facility, but only in its entirety, upon at least thirty (30) days' prior written notice to Lender, which notice shall be irrevocable, unless otherwise agreed to by Lender in writing. Lender shall have no obligation to make any further Advances to Borrower hereunder after the termination date stated in Borrower's notice of termination; provided however, that, notwithstanding any such notice of termination given by Borrower pursuant to this clause (d), this Agreement shall continue in full force and effect with respect to the Credit Facility until Borrower has paid to Lender all of the Liabilities due under the Credit Facility in immediately available funds.

 

(e)       In the event of the termination of the Credit Facility in accordance with the terms of this Section 2.13, all of Borrower's Liabilities to Lender under the Credit Facility shall be immediately due and payable in full on and as of the termination date. All undertakings, agreements, covenants, warranties and representations of Borrower contained in the Loan Documents shall survive any such termination of the Credit Facility; and, subject to Section 4.4.6 of this Agreement, Lender shall retain its Liens in the Collateral securing the same and all of its rights and remedies under the Loan Documents until Borrower has paid all Liabilities to Lender under the Credit Facility, in full, in immediately available funds, together with the applicable termination charge, if any.

 

Section 2.14 Statements of Account. Lender will provide Borrower with a monthly statement of accounts, charges and payments made pursuant to the Credit Facility, and each such statement of accounts rendered by Lender shall be deemed final, binding and conclusive upon Borrower unless Lender is notified by Borrower in writing to the contrary within thirty (30) days of the date each accounting is mailed to Borrower or the date posted electronically on a portal interface available to Borrower. Such notice shall only be deemed an objection to those items specifically objected to therein.

 

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Section 2.15 Revolving Loan Account. Lender shall establish and maintain, in accordance with its usual and customary practice, on its books and records a loan account evidencing all Liabilities to Lender outstanding from time to time under the Credit Facility (“Revolving Loan Account”) to which Lender shall (i) debit all Advances (and other disbursements) made to Borrower under the Credit Facility, plus all interest, fees, charges and expenses accrued thereon, and any and all other amounts due and payable to Lender by Borrower from time to time under the provisions of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents in connection with the Credit Facility, including, without limitation, any enforcement costs, fees (including, without limitation, the Fees), late charges, collection and audit fees, and (ii) credit all payments made by Borrower to Lender on account of any Liabilities under the Credit Facility and all proceeds of the Collateral which are finally paid to Lender in respect of the Credit Facility. Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes Lender to make such entries to Borrower's Revolving Loan Account as heretofore described in this Section 2.15, and to record therein, from time to time, in accordance with Lender's customary accounting practices, such other debits and credits as Lender shall deem proper in connection with any Liabilities under the Credit Facility, in all cases, without the prior consent of Borrower. Any such credit shall be conditional upon final payment to Lender of all items giving rise to such credit and, if any item is not so paid, the credit for such item shall be reversed, whether or not the item has been returned, and the amount thereof, in Lender's discretion, may be charged to the Payment Collateral Account.

 

Section 2.16 Default Interest Rate. Upon and after the occurrence of an Event of Default, including, without limitation, the failure to make any regularly scheduled monthly payment when due, and during the continuation of such Event of Default, the outstanding principal balance of the respective Note shall bear interest at a rate per annum equal to five percentage points (5.00%) above the Note Rate otherwise applicable thereto (“Default Interest Rate”), until such time as the Event of Default with respect to such Note shall have been fully cured, including the payment of any costs, expenses and reasonable attorney's fees incurred by the Lender or the holder of any of the Notes in connection with any such Event of Default.

 

Section 2.17 Prepayment. Borrower may prepay the Liabilities evidenced by the Note, in whole or in part, at any time, and from time to time without premium or penalty.

 

Section 2.18 No Setoff or Deduction. All payments of principal and interest under the Credit Facility and other amounts payable by the Borrower hereunder shall be made by the Borrower without setoff or counterclaim, and free and clear of, and without deduction or withholding for or on account of, any present or future taxes or assessments imposed by any governmental authority, or by any department, agency or other political subdivision or taxing authority.

 

Section 2.19 Late Charge. If Borrower shall fail to make any payment due under the Note or under any of the other Loan Documents, including, without limitation, any installment payments due under the Note, and such amount is not paid in full within fifteen (15) days after the date such payment is due, or if the total outstanding principal balance of the Note, accrued but unpaid interest and any other unpaid amounts due under the Note or under any of the other Loan Documents is not paid in full on the Maturity Date (as defined in the Note), then Lender may collect a late charge equal to four percent (4%) of the payment due but not received by Lender.

 

Section 2.20 General Provisions as to Payments. The Borrower shall make each payment due on the Notes not later than 2:00 P.M. (Eastern Time) on the date when due, in Federal or other funds immediately available in the State of North Carolina, to the Lender at its address referred to in Section 10.1 below. Whenever any payment of principal of, or interest on, under a Note shall be due on a day which is not a Business Day, the date for payment thereof shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day. If the date for any payment of principal is extended by operation of law or otherwise, interest thereon shall be payable for such extended time.

 

Section 2.21 Maximum Interest and Fees; Computation of Interest. In no event shall the aggregate of all amounts deemed interest under the Notes and charged or collected pursuant to the terms of this Agreement exceed the highest rate permissible under any law which a court of competent jurisdiction shall, in a final determination, deem applicable hereto. If any provisions of this Agreement are in contravention of any such law, such provisions shall be deemed amended to conform thereto. Interest shall be computed on the outstanding balance of the Notes on the basis of a year of 360-day year factor applied to the actual number of days funds are outstanding thereunder.

 

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ARTICLE III

CLOSING AND CONDITIONS TO CREDIT FACILITY

 

Section 3.1 Closing. Subject to satisfaction of the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Closing shall take place on the Closing Date at Borrower's offices, or in such other manner as the parties shall mutually agree in writing.

 

Section 3.2 Conditions to All Advances under Credit Facility. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents, and without affecting in any manner the rights of Lender under any provision contained herein, the obligation of Lender to make any Advance or other disbursement under the Credit Facility pursuant to this Agreement, shall be subject to the satisfaction of the following conditions as of the Closing Date, in addition to any other conditions provided in this Agreement:

 

3.2.1       No Default. No Default or Event of Default shall exist.

 

3.2.2       Availability Limit. Lender shall have determined that immediately after giving effect to a request for an Advance under the Credit Facility, the principal amount outstanding under the Credit Facility shall not exceed the Availability Limit.

 

3.2.3       Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties contained in Article V of this Agreement shall be true, correct and complete in all material respects on and as of the Effective Date. Any request for an Advance hereunder shall be deemed a certification by Borrower as to the truth and accuracy in all material respects of the representations and warranties contained in Article V hereof and in each other Loan Document as of the date of such request.

 

3.2.4       No Change in Financial Condition. There shall be no material adverse change in the financial condition of Borrower, which, in the good faithjudgment of Lender, would materially impair the ability of Borrower to pay or perform any of the Liabilities. Borrower shall not be involved in any bankruptcy, reorganization or insolvency proceedings, or in Default under any Debt owed to Lender or any of Lender's affiliates.

 

3.2.5       Legal Matters. All legal matters incident to the Loan Documents and the transactions contemplated hereby and thereby shall be reasonably satisfactory to counsel for Lender.

 

3.2.6       Satisfaction of Other Conditions. All other terms and conditions of the Loan Documents required to be met as of the Closing Date shall have been met to the reasonable satisfaction of Lender.

 

Section 3.3 Conditions to Closing Credit Facility. Closing of the Credit Facility under this Agreement shall be subject to Borrower's satisfaction of the following conditions as of the Closing Date (in addition to any other conditions set forth in this Agreement):

 

3.3.1       Loan Documents. Lender shall have received, in form and substance satisfactory to Lender, a duly executed copy of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, together with such additional documents, instruments and certificates as Lender shall require in connection therewith from time to time, all in form and substance satisfactory to Lender, duly executed under seal, including, without limitation, the following:

 

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(a)       Satisfactory evidence, dated not earlier than thirty (30) days prior to the Effective Date of this Agreement, as to the good standing of Borrower in its state of incorporation or organization, and in any other jurisdiction in which it is or should be authorized to conduct business;

 

(b)       A certificate of an authorized officer of Borrower, dated as of the date of this Agreement, certifying as follows: (i) that attached thereto are true and complete copies of the Organizational Documents of Borrower, together with any amendments/and or restatements thereof, (ii) as to the absence of any dissolution or liquidation proceedings commenced by or against Borrower, (iii) that attached thereto is a true, correct and complete copy of resolutions, duly adopted by the Managers or Board of Directors of Borrower, as applicable, authorizing the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, and that said resolutions have not been amended or rescinded and are in full force and effect as of the date of such certificate, and (iv) as to the incumbency and specimen signatures of each officer of Borrower executing this Agreement, the Note and/or any other document(s) delivered in connection herewith or therewith; and

 

(c)       All documents Lender may reasonably request relating to the existence of Borrower, and Borrower's corporate or limited liability company authority to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement, the Note and the other Loan Documents and the validity of this Agreement, the Note and the other Loan Documents and any other matters related hereto or thereto, all in form and substance satisfactory to the Lender.

 

3.3.2       No Litigation. No action, proceeding, investigation, regulation or legislation shall have been instituted, threatened or proposed before any court, governmental agency or legislative body to enjoin, restrain or prohibit, or to obtain damages in respect of, or which is related to or arises out of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents, or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby.

 

3.3.3       Insurance Policies. Borrower shall have provided Lender with copies of any insurance policies required to be carried by Borrower and any other Person pursuant to the terms of this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents; such insurance policies shall be provided by a company or companies and shall be in form and amount reasonably satisfactory to Lender; Borrower shall also provide Lender, to the extent required by Lender, written evidence, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Lender, that (a) Borrower shall have obtained (i) insurance on Borrower's inventory and equipment naming Lender as “lender-loss payee”, and (ii) commercial general liability insurance for itself, naming the Lender as an additional insured and as “lender-loss payee”, and (b) all fees and premiums due on account of any insurance policies required hereunder have been paid in full.

 

3.3.4       Payment of Fees. Lender shall have received payment of the Fees, to the extent due and payable on the Closing Date.

 

3.3.5       Financial Statements. Lender shall have received from Borrower financial statements for the year ending December 31, 2019, December 31, 2020, and December 21, 2021, satisfactory to Lender in its sole discretion, and setting forth in a manner that is true, accurate and complete, the financial condition of Borrower.

 

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3.3.6       Other Loan Documents. Each of the conditions precedent set forth in the other Loan Documents shall have been and shall continue to be satisfied.

 

3.3.7       Field Exam. Lender shall have completed a Field Exam to its satisfaction.

 

3.3.8       Collateral Access Agreement. Collateral Access Agreement(s), to the extent required by Lender.

 

3.3.9       Deposit Account Control Agreement. Deposit Account Control Agreement(s), to the extent required by Lender.

 

3.3.10       PPP Loan Forgiveness. Evidence satisfactory to show the forgiveness of any PPP Loan in the name of Borrower.

 

3.3.11       Other Matters. All other terms and conditions of the Loan Documents required to be met as of the date of the Closing shall have been met to the reasonable satisfaction of Lender and all legal matters incident to the Loan Documents and the transaction contemplated hereby and thereby shall be reasonably satisfactory to counsel for Lender.

 

ARTICLE IV

SECURITY FOR CREDIT FACILITY

 

Section 4.1 Grant of Security Interest. As security for Borrower's punctual payment and performance of its Liabilities under the Loan Documents, including without limitation, the payment of all sums due under the Note, and whether any of the Liabilities are from time to time reduced or entirely extinguished, Borrower hereby pledges and assigns to Lender and grants to Lender, subject only to the Permitted Encumbrances, a first priority lien on and security interest in all of the Collateral.

 

Section 4.2 Further Assurances. Borrower agrees to execute and deliver to Lender, upon Lender's request and at Lender's option, at any time and from time to time, at Borrower's sole cost and expense, any and all other instruments, documents, security agreements, amendments, supplements, substitutions, modifications and powers of attorney, requested by Lender, in its sole discretion, and to take all actions requested of Borrower from time to time by Lender to create, attach, perfect, protect and enforce this Agreement, and the security interest in all Collateral now or hereafter granted to secure payment of the Credit Facility and Liabilities.

 

Section 4.3 Authorization to File Financing Statements. Borrower hereby authorizes Lender to file one or more UCC financing statements, in such jurisdictions as Lender shall deem appropriate publicizing Lender's security interests arising hereunder and file any assignments, amendments, or continuations thereof, as the Lender deems appropriate.

 

Section 4.4 Covenants. Borrower hereby covenants that:

 

4.4.1       Defend. Borrower will defend, at its cost, Borrower's title to the Collateral and the security interest of the Lender against all claims and demands of any Persons whomsoever at any time claiming the same or any interests under this Article IV adverse to Lender.

 

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4.4.2       No Assignment. Except for the Permitted Encumbrances, and as expressly permitted hereunder, Borrower will not make or permit to be made in the future any assignment, pledge, hypothecation, mortgage, encumbrance or transfer of any of the Collateral, and will keep all of the Collateral free from all levies, attachments, liens, security interests, encumbrances and charges of whatsoever kind, whether arising by judicial process or otherwise, and will pay or cause to be paid promptly when due all taxes, fees, assessments and other charges now or hereafter imposed upon the Collateral, and provide the Lender with written evidence of the payment of same before the imposition of any penalty or late fee.

 

4.4.3       Books and Records. The Borrower shall keep and maintain adequate records and books of account with respect to the Collateral.

 

4.4.4       Additional Remedies.

 

(a)       In addition to any other remedies Lender may have under any of the other Loan Documents, the rights and remedies of a secured party under the UCC and any additional rights and remedies as may be provided to a secured party in any jurisdiction in which the Collateral is located, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default hereunder, Lender shall have the right to take immediate and exclusive possession and control of the Collateral not already in Lender's possession.

 

(b)       After the occurrence of an Event of Default, Lender shall have the right to receive, endorse, assign or deliver in Lender's own name or the name of Borrower any and all checks, drafts and other instruments for the payment of money relating to the Collateral, and Borrower hereby waives notice of presentment, protest and nonpayment of any instruments so endorsed. Lender shall not, under any circumstances or in any event whatsoever, have any liability for any error or omission or delivery of any kind made in the settlement, collection or payment of any of the Collateral or of any instrument received in payment therefor or for any damage resulting therefrom other than arising from Lender's sole gross negligence or willful misconduct. The costs of collection, notification and enforcement, including but not limited to reasonable attorney's fees and out-of-pocket expenses, shall be borne solely by Borrower.

 

(c)       After the occurrence of an Event of Default, the Borrower will, upon receipt by it of any sums for or on account of the Collateral, or of any check, draft, note, trade acceptance or other instrument evidencing an obligation to pay any such sum, hold the same in trust for the Lender in precisely the form received, and will forthwith, without any notice or demand whatsoever (all notices, demands or other actions on the part of the Lender being hereby expressly waived), endorse, transfer and deliver any such sums or instruments, or both, to the Lender, for application to the payment of the Loans in the Lender's sole and absolute discretion.

 

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4.4.5       Attorney-in-Fact. Borrower hereby irrevocably appoints the Lender, as its attorney-in-fact, with full power of substitution, said power being coupled with an interest, to do any act which the Borrower is obligated to do pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, and, after an Event of Default, to exercise such rights and powers as the Borrower might exercise with respect to the Collateral, including, without limitation, (a) to demand, collect by legal proceedings or otherwise, and endorse and receive all interest, payments, proceeds or other sums and/or property now or hereafter payable on or on account of the Collateral; (b) to insure, process and/or protect the Collateral; (c) to transfer the Collateral to its own or to a nominee's name; (d) to make any compromise, adjustment or settlement, and take any action it deems advisable (including commencing and prosecuting any and all suits, actions or proceedings at law or in equity in any court of competent jurisdiction to collect or otherwise realize on all or any of the Collateral or to enforce any rights in respect thereof), with respect to the Collateral; (e) to endorse the name of the Borrower upon any notes, acceptances, checks, drafts, money orders or other evidence of payment that may come into the possession of the Borrower; (f) to endorse the name of Borrower upon such Federal Assignments of Claims and/or instruments of assignment in connection therewith, as Lender deems necessary and appropriate, in its sole discretion, with respect to the Contracts; (g) to demand, collect, receive payment of, receipt for and give discharges and releases of all or any of the Collateral; (h) to enter into and perform such agreements as may be necessary in order to carry out the provisions of this Agreement or to carry out the terms, covenants and conditions of this Agreement which are required to be observed or performed by the Borrower; (i) to execute such other and further grants, pledges and assignments of the Collateral as the Borrower may reasonably require for the purpose of protecting or maintaining the security interest granted hereby; G) to execute any UCC financing statements, continuation statements, amendments thereto, and other documents in the Borrower's name and to perform all other acts which the Lender deems appropriate to create, validate, preserve, protect, perfect and continue the security interest created hereunder and to enable the Lender to exercise and enforce its rights hereunder; and (k) generally to perform all other acts necessary or proper to carry out the intention of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, the power to redirect the delivery of, and to open mail addressed to the Borrower. The Borrower shall be liable to the Lender for all reasonable costs and expenses, including without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees and legal expenses, that the Lender may incur while acting as Borrower's attorney-in-fact hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Lender shall not be obligated to do any act or to exercise any such rights and powers. The foregoing power of attorney is coupled with an interest and shall be irrevocable until all of the Borrower's obligations under this Agreement relating to the Note shall have been fully satisfied.

 

4.4.6       Release. Upon the repayment in full in cash of the Liabilities (other than non asserted contingent indemnification obligations), under this Agreement and all other Loan Documents, the termination and/or expiration of all of the commitments, all Liens, powers of attorney and security interests granted hereunder shall automatically terminate, and upon the Borrower's request and at Borrower's sole cost and expense, Lender shall execute such documents necessary to evidence such release and/or terminate any Loan Document, but only if and provided that there is no commitment or obligation (whether or not conditional) of the Lender to re-advance amounts that would be secured thereby. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, Borrower acknowledges that this Section does not release or terminate obligations of Borrower that expressly provide that they shall survive the termination of this Agreement and the commitments and the payment and performance of all of the other Liabilities. Further notwithstanding the foregoing, Lender may, in its sole and absolute discretion, retain its security interest in some or all of the Collateral, unless and until Lender shall (a) have received a written agreement, executed by Borrower and any Person whose loans or other advances to borrower are used in whole or in part to satisfy the Liabilities, indemnifying Lender from any loss or damage that may arise in connection with the payoff; or (b) have retained such monetary reserves and Liens on the Collateral for such period of time as Lender, in its sole and absolute discretion, may deem necessary to protect Lender from any such loss or damage.

 

ARTICLEV
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

 

Section 5.1 General Representations and Warranties. To induce Lender to enter into this Agreement and to make the Advances and other disbursements hereunder, and in addition to any other representations and warranties contained herein, Borrower represents, warrants and covenants to Lender that the statements contained in this Article V are correct and complete as of the date of this Agreement and will be correct and complete as of the Closing Date (except as expressly set forth herein):

 

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5.1.1       Existence and Power. Borrower is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the state of its incorporation or other organization, and Borrower has all powers and all governmental licenses, authorizations, consents and approvals required to carry on its business as now conducted. Borrower is duly qualified or registered and in good standing in each jurisdiction where qualification or licensing is required by the nature of its business or the character and location of its property, business or customers and in which the failure to so qualify or be licensed may have a material adverse effect on the business, financial position, results of operations or properties of such entity.

 

5.1.2       Authority and Governmental Authorization; Contravention. The execution, delivery and performance by Borrower of this Agreement and each of the other Loan Documents to which it is a party are within Borrower's limited liability company or corporate power, as applicable, have been duly authorized by all necessary limited liability company or corporate action, as applicable, require no action by or in respect of, or filing with, any governmental body, agency or official and do not contravene, or constitute (with or without the giving of notice or lapse of time or both) a default under, any provision of applicable law or of Borrower's Organizational Documents, or of any agreement, judgrnent, injunction, order, decree or other instrument binding upon or affecting the Borrower, or result in the creation or imposition of any Lien on any of Borrower's assets. No consent of any Person is required for Borrower's execution and delivery of the Loan Documents to which it is a party or for the performance of its obligations thereunder. Borrower has, and is in good standing with respect to, all governmental consents, approvals, licenses, authorizations, permits, certificates, and franchises necessary to continue to conduct its business as heretofore or proposed to be conducted by it and to own or lease and operate its Properties as now owned or leased by it.

 

5.1.3       Binding Effect. This Agreement constitutes, and each of the other Loan Documents when executed and delivered by Borrower, pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, will constitute, the legal, valid and binding obligation of Borrower, enforceable against Borrower in accordance with their respective terms, except as (a) the enforceability hereof and thereof may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency or similar laws affecting creditors' rights generally and (b) the availability of equitable remedies may be limited by equitable principles of general applicability.

 

5.1.4       Financial Information.

 

(a)       The financial statements of the Borrower as of December 31, 2019, December 31, 2020, and December 31, 2021, copies of which have been delivered to the Lender, fairly present, in conformity with GAAP (except as disclosed to Lender in writing), the financial position of the Borrower as of such date and the results of Borrower's operations and cash flows as of the dates thereof. Since the date of such financial statements, Borrower has not had any material contingent obligation, contingent liability or liability for taxes, long-term lease or unusual forward or long-term commitment, which is not reflected in any of such :financial statements or notes thereto.

 

(b)       Since December 31, 2020, there has been no material adverse change in the business, financial position, and results of operations of Borrower.

 

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5.1.5       Litigation, Absence of Defaults, Compliance with Laws and Regulations. Except as set forth on Schedule 5.1.5 attached hereto, there is no action, suit, proceeding or investigation pending, or to the knowledge of Borrower, threatened against or affecting, Borrower, or on the business, operations, Properties, or financial condition of Borrower, before any court, governmental body, agency or official, or which in any manner draws into question the validity of the Loan Documents, and there is no basis known to the Borrower for any such action, suit or proceeding. Borrower is not in default with respect to any order, writ, injunction, judgment, decree, or rule of any court, governmental authority or arbitration board or tribunal, or under any material contract or agreement to which either is a party and is in compliance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and court or administrative orders relating to the conduct of its business.

 

5.1.6       Marketable Title. Borrower has good, indefeasible and marketable title to and fee simple ownership of, or valid and subsisting leasehold interests in, all of its real Property, and good title to all of the Collateral and all of its other Property, in each case, free and clear of all Liens except Permitted Encumbrances. Borrower has paid or discharged all lawful claims, which, if unpaid, might become a Lien against any of Borrower's Properties that is not a Permitted Encumbrance.

 

5.1.7       Filings. All actions by or in respect of, and all filing with, any governmental body, agency or official required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents by the Borrower, or necessary for the validity or enforceability thereof or for the protection or perfection of the rights and interests of the Lender thereunder, will, prior to the date of delivery thereof, have been duly taken or made, as the case may be, and will at all times thereafter remain in full force and effect.

 

5.1.8       Fictitious Names. Except as set forth above in the preamble of this Agreement, Borrower is not doing business under any name other than under its full corporate or limited liability company name as stated herein.

 

5.1.9       Taxes and Liens. Borrower has filed on a timely basis all tax returns all required federal, state, local and foreign, as applicable, tax returns and other reports, they are required by law to file and have paid all taxes due pursuant to such returns and other reports (as applicable), including any and all interest, penalties, assessments, fees, levies, and other applicable governmental charges, or have established adequate financial reserves on its books and records for payment thereof. The charges, accruals and reserves on the books of the Borrower in respect of taxes or other governmental charges are, in the opinion of the Borrower, adequate. Borrower has paid all other charges, assessments and taxes whether real, personal or otherwise due and payable, or imposed, levied or assessed against its properties or its assets including those which may become a Lien on any of its property or assets.

 

5.1.10       Environmental Compliance.

 

(a)       Borrower (including for purposes of this Section 5.1.10, any former or current Affiliate of the Borrower) is in material compliance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and orders of all governmental authorities, agencies and officials relating to environmental matters and the release, handling and disposal of hazardous, toxic and polluting substances (collectively, “Environmental Laws”).

 

(b)       Borrower has obtained and is in material compliance with all required governmental permits, certificates, licenses, approvals and other authorizations, and has filed all notifications relating to air emissions, effluent discharges and solid and hazardous waste storage, treatment and disposal required in connection with its ownership or use of real estate or the operation of its business.

 

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(c)       There are no outstanding notices of violation, orders, claims, citations, complaints, penalty assessments, suits or other proceedings, administrative, criminal or civil, at law or in equity, pending against the Borrower or its properties that would have a material adverse effect on the Borrower's business, financial position, results of operations or on any facility or the operation of any facility, and no investigation or review is pending or to the knowledge of the Borrower threatened against the Borrower by any governmental body, agency or official with respect to any alleged violation of any Environmental Law in connection with its ownership or use of any real estate or the conduct of its business.

 

(d)       No waste generated by the Borrower has ever been sent, nor is waste generated by the Borrower being sent, directly or indirectly, to any site listed or formerly proposed for listing on the National Priority List promulgated pursuant to CERCLA or to any site listed on any state list of hazardous substances sites requiring investigation or clean up.

 

5.1.11       Borrower's Chief Executive Office and Business Locations. Borrower's Chief Executive Office and principal place of business, office and the location where the Collateral is to be held shall be located at the address set forth in Section 10.1 of this Agreement. Borrower shall, prior to changing or adding to the aforesaid location, notify the Lender of any such change or additional locations where the Collateral, or any portion thereof, is to be held.

 

5.1.12       Regulation U. The Borrower does not own any “margin stock” as such term is defined in Regulation U. None of the proceeds of the Credit Facility will be used, directly or indirectly, for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin stock or for the purpose of reducing or retiring any indebtedness which was originally incurred to purchase or carry margin stock or for any other purpose which might constitute the Credit Facility a “purpose credit” within the meaning of Regulation U or Regulation X of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

 

5.1.13       ERISA. Each employee benefit plan, as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), maintained by the Borrower or by any Affiliate of the Borrower meets, as of the date hereof, the minimum funding standards of Section 302 of ERISA, all applicable requirements of ERISA and of the Code, and no “Reportable Event” nor “Prohibited Transaction” (each as defined by ERISA) has occurred with respect to any such plan.

 

5.1.14       Commercial Purpose. The Credit Facility will be used solely for purposes of carrying on or acquiring a business or commercial enterprise or investment.

 

5.1.15       Accounts. Lender may rely, in determining which Accounts are Eligible Accounts, on all statements and representations made by Borrower with respect to any Account or Accounts. Unless otherwise indicated in writing to Lender, with respect to each Account other than Ineligible Accounts:

 

(a)       It is genuine and in all respects what it purports to be, and it is not evidenced by a judgment;

 

(b)       It arises out of a completed, bona fide sale and delivery of goods or rendition of services by Borrower in the ordinary course of its business and in accordance with the terms and conditions of all purchase orders, contracts or other documents relating thereto and forming a part of the contract between Borrower and the respective Account Debtor;

 

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(c)       It is for a liquidated amount maturing as stated in the duplicate invoice covering such sale or rendition of services, a copy of which has been furnished or is available to Lender;

 

(d)       Such Account, and Lender's security interest therein, is not, and will not (by voluntary act or omission of Borrower) be in the future, subject to any offset, Lien (other than the Permitted Encumbrances), deduction, recoupment, defense, dispute, counterclaim or any other adverse condition except for disputes in the ordinary course of business or where the amount in controversy is deemed by Lender to be immaterial, and each such Account is absolutely owing to Borrower and is not contingent in any respect or for any reason;

 

(e)       Borrower has made no agreement with any Account Debtor thereunder for any extension, compromise, settlement or modification of any such Account or any deduction therefrom, except discounts or allowances which are granted by Borrower in the ordinary course of its business for prompt payment and which are reflected in the calculation of the net amount of each respective invoice related thereto and are reflected in the statement of Accounts submitted to Lender pursuant to Section 6.1;

 

(f)       There are no facts, events or occurrences which in any way impair the validity or enforceability of any Accounts or tend to reduce the amount payable thereunder from the face amount of the invoice and statements delivered to Lender with respect thereto;

 

(g)       To the best of Borrower's knowledge, the Account Debtor thereunder (i) had the capacity to contract at the time any contract or other document giving rise to the Account was executed and (ii) such Account Debtor is Solvent; and

 

(h)       To the best of Borrower's knowledge, there are no proceedings or actions which are threatened or pending against any Account Debtor thereunder which might result in any material adverse change in such Account Debtor's financial condition or the collectability of such Account.

 

5.1.16       Contracts.

 

(a)       Each Contract constitutes a valid and binding obligation of Borrower and, to the knowledge of Borrower, of the other party or parties thereto, and is fully enforceable in accordance with its respective terms.

 

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(b)       With respect to the Contracts, and with respect to any pending bids by Borrower for any new Contracts, Borrower has complied in all material respects with the requirements of all applicable laws, regulations and procedures with respect thereto, including, without limitation, the Service Contract Act, the Contract Disputes Act, the Procurement Integrity Act, the Federal Procurement and Administrative Services Act, the FAR and related cost principles and the Cost Accounting Standards, Executive Order 11246 and related equal opportunity and affirmative action laws and regulations, applicable national security obligations, and any supplements, amendments or revised editions of any of the foregoing. Borrower is in compliance in all material respects with all terms and conditions, including all clauses, provisions, specifications and other requirements, with respect to each Government Contract and each and any bid by Borrower for any new Government Contract, whether incorporated expressly, by reference or by operation oflaw. All representations and certifications executed, acknowledged or set forth in, pertaining to, or made in connection with the negotiation or award of any such Government Contract and bids were current, accurate and complete in all material respects when made and all such representations and certifications were updated so that they remain current, accurate and complete, if updating was required, and Borrower has complied in all material respects with all such representations and certifications.

 

(c)       Borrower has not received any communications of any nature from any governmental entity or third party which would indicate that there is any material contractual issue or problem associated with any Contract that would likely give rise to the termination thereof. Borrower has not received any show of cause, cure, deficiency, default or similar notice relating to any Contract. Borrower has not waived any of its material rights under, or modified the material terms of, any Contract. No event has occurred which constitutes or, after notice or the passage of time, or both, would constitute, a default by Borrower under any Contract and, to the knowledge of Borrower, no event or circumstance has occurred which, with or without notice or lapse of time (or both), would constitute a default under any Contract on the part of any party thereto. Borrower has not undergone in the past three (3) years, and is not now undergoing, any audit, review, inspection, investigation, survey or examination of records relating to any Contract, other than by the Defense Contract Audit Agency and other routine audits in the ordinary course of business of Borrower and/or its applicable Affiliate.

 

(d)       Borrower has not assigned any Contract, or any right, title or interest therein, thereunder or with respect thereto, to any Person other than Lender.

 

(e)       Borrower possesses the necessary facility clearance for the execution of its obligations under all of the Contracts. All of the employees of Borrower performing services under the Contracts hold the necessary personnel security clearances to perform such services. The security clearance of Borrower is valid, in full force and effect and has not been suspended, revoked, canceled or adversely modified. Borrower is in compliance in all material respects with all national security measures required by the Contracts, and all laws and regulations applicable thereto, including those obligations specified in the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, DOD 5220.22-M, and any supplements, amendments and/or revised editions thereof. Borrower has in place the proper procedures and practices necessary to hold and maintain the facility and personnel security clearances associated with all of its Contracts. There are no proceedings in progress, pending or, to the knowledge of Borrower, threatened, which would likely result in the revocation, cancellation, suspension, or non-renewal of security clearance of Borrower.

 

(f)       Borrower's system(s) of internal controls (including, without limitation, Borrower's cost accounting system, estimating system, purchasing system, proposal system, billing system and material management system) is/are in compliance in all material respects with all requirements of the Contracts.

 

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5.1.17       Debarment. Neither Borrower, nor any of its Affiliates, nor any stockholder, agent, director, officer, member, officer or employee of Borrower or any such Affiliate has been debarred or suspended from bidding on any Government Contract or the participation in the award of contracts with any governmental entity, or is a party to or the subject of any pending or threatened proceeding or investigation relating to debarment or suspension; and neither Borrower, nor any Affiliate of Borrower, nor any stockholder, agent, director, officer, member, officer or employee of Borrower or any such Affiliate is permanently or temporarily enjoined or barred from engaging in, or continuing any conduct or practice relating to, the conduct of Borrower's business or that of any of its Affiliates, or enjoining or requiring any of them to take any action of any kind relating thereto. No fact or facts currently exist which are reasonable likely to cause the suspension or debarment of Borrower or any of its Affiliates from bidding on contracts for or with any governmental entity.

 

5.1.18       Prior Contract Termination for Cause. Borrower and each of its Affiliates has not within the past three (3) years: (a) been terminated for default under any Government Contract, (b) received any subpoena from an inspector general, grand jury, or similar investigative agency, or a civil investigative demand, relating to any Government Contract, or been advised that Borrower and/or its Affiliate is or was the target or subject of any investigation by any governmental entity relating to any Government Contract, (c) made a written disclosure to any governmental entity concerning a potential violation of law by Borrower or any of its Affiliates in connection with any Government Contract under Federal Acquisition Regulations (“FAR”) 52.203-13(b)(3)(i), nor do any facts or circumstances currently exist for which such a disclosure should have been made or should now be made, or (d) made any written disclosure to any governmental entity of any alleged irregularity, misstatement, omission, or overpayment in connection with any Government Contract.

 

5.1.19       Improper Payments. Neither Borrower, nor any stockholder, agent, director, officer, member, officer or employee of Borrower has (a) made any unlawful payment to any foreign or domestic government official or employee or to any foreign or domestic political party or campaign, (b) violated any provision of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended, or any other applicable anti-corruption law, or (c) made any payment or given anything of value to a prime contractor, prime contractor's employee, or the employee of any governmental entity in violation of the Anti-Kickback Act, 41 U.S.C. §§ 8701 et seq.

 

5.1.20       Intellectual Property.

 

(a)       None of the Intellectual Property owned by Borrower has been adjudged invalid or unenforceable nor has any such Intellectual Property been cancelled, in whole or in part, and each such Intellectual Property is presently subsisting;

 

(b)       To Borrower's knowledge, each of the Intellectual Property owned by Borrower and material to Borrower's business is valid and enforceable;

 

(c)       Borrower is the sole and exclusive owner of the entire and unencumbered right, title and interest in and to its Intellectual Property, free and clear of any liens, security interests, mortgages, charges and encumbrances, (including, without limitation, licenses other than non-exclusive licenses which may be granted in the ordinary course of business, consent-to-use agreements, shop rights and covenants by Borrower not to sue third persons) other than a security interest granted in favor of Lender;

 

(d)       Borrower has adopted, used and is currently using all of the trademarks and patents owned by Borrower that are material to Borrower's business;

 

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(e)       Borrower has no knowledge of any suits or actions commenced or threatened within the last three years with reference to or in connection with any of its Intellectual Property;

 

(f)       No trademark opposition or cancellation proceedings have been filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office against any of the trademarks owned by Borrower; and

 

(g)       To Borrower's knowledge, none of the Intellectual Property owned by Borrower infringes upon the rights or property of any other person or entity or is currently being challenged in any way, and there are no pending or threatened claims, litigation, proceedings or other investigations regarding any such Intellectual Property.

 

5.1.21       OFAC; Anti-Terrorism Laws.

 

(a)       Neither Borrower, nor any Affiliate of Borrower, is a Sanctioned Person or does business in a Sanctioned Country or with a Sanctioned Person in violation of the economic sanctions of the United States administered by OFAC.

 

(b)       Neither the making of the Credit Facility hereunder nor the use of the proceeds thereof will violate the PATRIOT Act, the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or any of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) or any enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto. Borrower, and each Affiliate of Borrower, is in compliance in all material respects with the PATRIOT Act.

 

Section 5.2 Continuous Nature of Representations and Warranties. Each representation and warranty contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall be continuous in nature and shall remain accurate, complete and not misleading at all times during the term of this Agreement, except for changes in the nature of Borrower's business or operations that would render the information in any exhibit attached hereto either inaccurate, incomplete or misleading, so long as Lender has consented to such changes or such changes are expressly permitted by this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each Advance request made pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document shall constitute Borrower's reaffirmation, as of the date of each such Advance request, of each representation, warranty or other statement made or furnished to Lender by or on behalf of Borrower in this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents, or any instrument, certificate or financial statement furnished in compliance with or in reference thereto.

 

Section 5.3 Survival of Representations and Warranties. All representations and warranties of Borrower contained in this Agreement or any of the other Loan Documents shall survive the execution, delivery and acceptance thereof by Lender and the parties thereto and the closing of the transactions described therein or related thereto.

 

ARTICLE VI
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

 

During the term of this Agreement, and thereafter for so long as there are any Liabilities to Lender, Borrower covenants that, unless otherwise consented to by Lender in writing, it shall:

 

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Section 6.1 Financial Information. Deliver, or cause to be delivered, to Lender:

 

(a)       the Required Information;

 

(b)       immediately upon any Responsible Officer of Borrower learning of the occurrence of any of the following, written notice thereof, describing the same and the steps being taken by the appropriate party with respect thereto: (i) the occurrence of any Event of Default or event which, with the giving of notice or the passage of time (or both), would constitute an Event of Default or (ii) the institution of, or any adverse determination in, any litigation, arbitration or governmental proceeding which could have a material adverse effect on the Borrower and/or the satisfaction of the Liabilities; and

 

(c)       such other data and information (financial and otherwise) as Lender may, from time to time, reasonably request from Borrower, bearing upon or related to Borrower's financial condition.

 

Section 6.2 Existence/Maintenance of Records. Borrower will maintain and preserve its existence and all of its rights, privileges, licenses, patents, patent rights, copyrights, trademarks, trade names, franchises and other authority to the extent material and necessary for the conduct of its business in the ordinary course as conducted from time to time. Borrower will maintain a standard and modern system of accounting, consistently applied, with computer printouts and computer records pertaining to its affairs which contain such information as may from time to time be requested by Lender. Borrower shall not modify or change its method of accounting; or change certified public accountants without the prior written consent of Lender.

 

Section 6.3 Observance of Agreements. Observe and perform and comply with all the terms, covenants and agreements contained herein and in the Note and the other Loan Documents to which Borrower is a party.

 

Section 6.4 Access. Permit access by the Lender, or Lender's authorized agents or representatives, from time to time, as often as may be reasonably requested, but only during normal business hours, to visit and inspect the Properties of Borrower, inspect, audit and make extracts from Borrower's books and records, and discuss with Borrower's officers, employees and independent accountants, Borrower's business, assets, liabilities, financial condition, business prospects and results of operations. It is expressly agreed that any inspections made by or on behalf of Lender shall be made solely an exclusively for the protection and benefit of Lender, and neither Borrower nor any third party shall be entitled to claim any loss or damage against Lender or its employees, agents or representative, arising out of or in connection with such inspections by Lender.

 

Section 6.5 Conduct and Location of Business; Change of Name; State of Organization. Borrower shall conduct and operate its business in substantially the same manner and under the existing name in which they are presently conducted and operated without material alteration or change in such business and at such locations specified in Section 5.1.11 hereof as the same may be changed from time to time in compliance with Section 5.1.11 of this Agreement. Borrower shall immediately provide Lender with written notice of any change in the Borrower's name or state of organization.

 

Section 6.6 Repair. Borrower shall maintain, preserve and keep the Properties in which it owns or in which it possess rights, including, without limitation, the Collateral, in good repair, working order and condition (ordinary wear and tear excluded) and from time to time make all necessary and proper repairs, renewals, replacements, additions, betterments and improvements thereto, all in a manner which is consistent with the past business practices of the Borrower.

 

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Section 6.7 Taxes and Liabilities. Borrower shall properly accrue and pay when due all of its taxes, assessments and other liabilities, except as contested in good faith and by appropriate proceedings and shall make timely payments or deposit of all of its respective F.I.C.A. payments and withholding taxes required by all applicable laws and, upon Lender's request, shall furnish Lender with proof satisfactory to Lender that such payments or deposits have been made.

 

Section 6.8 Compliance. Borrower shall comply in all material respects with all statutes, laws and governmental rules and regulations applicable to Borrower including, without limitation, all applicable Environmental Laws, zoning regulations, building codes, ERISA and shall include any and all applicable Federal, state, regional, county or local laws, statutes, rules, regulations, ordinances, decrees or orders (including, but not limited to, court or administrative orders) concerning access of handicapped or disabled persons, whether now existing or hereafter enacted or promulgated, including but not limited to, the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as the same may be amended from time to time.

 

Section 6.9 Maintenance of Liens and the Collateral Documents. Borrower shall observe and comply with all the terms, conditions and covenants contained in this Agreement, the Note and the other Loan Documents to which Borrower is a party, promptly, upon the reasonable request of the Lender, and at the Borrower's expense, execute, acknowledge and deliver, or cause the execution, acknowledgment and delivery of, and thereafter register, file or record in an appropriate governmental office, any document or instrument supplemental to or confirmatory of the collateral documents or otherwise necessary or desirable for the creation, preservation and/or perfection of the Liens purported to be created by the collateral documents.

 

Section 6.10 Notification to Lender. Notify the Lender promptly in writing of (a) the occurrence of an Event of Default, (b) any litigation (whether pending, or pending or threatened if relating to the Collateral), investigation (whether by any Governmental Authority or any other Person) or audit or business development which could have a material adverse effect on the business, properties operation or financial condition of the Borrower, or (c) claims against any Properties of the Borrower.

 

Section 6.11 Lender Expenditures. If the Borrower fails at any time to obtain insurance covering any of the Collateral, maintain or preserve the Collateral, discharge taxes or liens at any time placed upon the Collateral, or pay or perfonn any of its obligations hereunder, Lender, after ten (10) days' written notice to Borrower, shall have the right, in Lender's sole discretion and without liability to Borrower or any other Person, to do or provide for any or all of the foregoing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Lender determines that the occurrence of any of the conditions set forth in the preceding sentence requires immediate remedy, then the Lender shall have the right, without notice to the Borrower, to take all such actions as the Lender deems necessary to preserve the Collateral, or any other rights of the Lender provided for hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents. Any such expenditure by the Lender shall bear interest at the Default Interest Rate and shall be secured by all of the Collateral. The Lender shall not be obligated to take any such action contemplated in this Section 6.11 nor shall it be liable to the Borrower for its failure to take or delay in taking any such action.

 

Section 6.12 Payment of Obligations. The Borrower will pay and discharge, as the same shall become due and payable, (a) all of its obligations and liabilities, including all claims or demands of materialmen, mechanics, carriers, warehousemen, landlords and other like Persons which, in any such case, if unpaid, might by law give rise to a Lien upon any of Borrower's Property, and (b) all lawful taxes, assessments and charges or levies made upon Borrower or its Properties, by any governmental body, agency or official except where any of the items in clause (a) or (b) of this Section 6.12 may be diligently contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, and if required under GAAP, appropriate reserves for the accrual of any such items shall have been set aside.

 

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Section 6.13 Insurance. In addition to any other insurance required to be provided pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, Borrower shall, at its sole cost and expense, procure and maintain in full force and effect during the Term of this Agreement, in form and amount, and from an insurance carrier or carriers, satisfactory to Lender: (a) casualty or physical damage insurance (for full replacement value) covering Borrower's Property, including, without limitation, the Collateral, which policy shall name Lender as mortgagee and lender loss payee as to the Collateral, (b) business interruption insurance (c) all such worker's compensation or similar insurance as may be required in accordance with applicable law and/or regulation, (d) comprehensive commercial general liability insurance for Borrower, naming Lender as an additional insured, and (e) such other insurance against such risks, hazards, liabilities, casualties and contingencies as is customarily maintained by companies similarly situated to Borrower. In connection with the foregoing, Borrower shall furnish Lender with copies of all policies and evidence of the renewal thereof at least thirty (30) days prior any expiration date, and no such policy may be cancelled, amended or terminated without Lender's prior written consent. If Borrower fails to obtain the insurance required in this Section 6.13, or as otherwise provided in this Agreement, or to keep the same in force, Lender, if Lender so elects, may obtain such insurance and pay the premium therefor on behalf of Borrower, and such expenses so paid shall be part of the Liabilities hereunder.

 

Section 6.14 Fees and Expenses - Indemnity. The Borrower will pay to the Lender or as the Lender directs all fees, charges, costs and expenses reasonably required to satisfy the conditions of the Loan Documents including, but not limited to, costs incurred by Lender in connection with any on-site review of the Collateral, such costs to include (but not limited to) travel expenses, the cost of specialized equipment to count or value the Collateral, and third-party contractor costs incurred by Lender. The Borrower will hold the Lender harmless and indemnify the Lender from all claims of brokers and “finders” arising by reason of the execution and delivery hereof or the consummation of the transaction contemplated hereby.

 

Section 6.15 Subordination of Liabilities to Affiliates and Others. Borrower shall, at Lender's request, at any time and from time to time, cause each equity holder, officer, director, member and Affiliate of Borrower to subordinate, pursuant to a written agreement acceptable to Lender in its sole discretion, to the Credit Facility any obligations due from Borrower, except as prohibited by law.

 

Section 6.16 Management. Maintain executive and management personnel with substantially the same qualifications and experience as the present executive and management personnel; provide written notice to Lender of any change in executive and management personnel; conduct its business affairs in a reasonable and prudent manner.

 

Section 6.17 Notice to Lender of Contracts subject to Federal Assignment of Claims Act. Promptly notify Lender upon Borrower's entry into any Government Contract which would give rise to an Account which would be subject to the Federal Assignment of Claims Act.

 

Section 6.18 Notice to Lender of Borrower's request for payment under Government Account. Promptly notify Lender upon Borrower's submission of any invoice requesting payment under any Government Contract and, upon Lender's request, provide Lender with a copy of such invoice simultaneously with its submission to the contracting agency. Borrower shall, upon Lender's request, copy Lender on any such invoices submitted by electronic mail, or by other electronic means.

 

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Section 6.19 Deposit Account. To induce the Lender to make and to better secure the Credit Facility, Borrower agrees to establish and maintain with the Lender at all times until all of the Liabilities have been satisfied and discharged, one or more deposit accounts with Lender, including the Payment Collateral Account. All balances of the Borrower maintained with the Lender in any deposit account or otherwise shall be additional security for, and shall be subject to the Lender's lien and security interest for, all Liabilities of the Borrower to the Lender. The Lender is authorized to charge any of Borrower's deposit accounts for all of the Liabilities as they become due from time to time, including without limitation principal, interest, fees (including audit fees or any other fees due hereunder) and other charges and reimbursement of all of the Lender's costs of collection in relation to the Liabilities.

 

Section 6.20 Joinder. To the extent Castellum or any other Borrower acquires a new subsidiary following the Effective Date, upon Lender's request, such subsidiary shall join in as a Borrower hereunder.

 

Section 6.21 Errors and Omissions. In the event that any of the Loan Documents misstate or inaccurately reflect the true and correct terms and provisions of the Credit Facilities, then in such event, upon the request of Lender, in its reasonable discretion, Borrower shall fully cooperate in order to correct any such misstatement or inaccuracy, execute such new documents or initial such corrected original documents as Lender may deem necessary to remedy said inaccuracy or mistake. Borrower agrees to assume all costs including by way of illustration and not limitation, actual expenses, legal fees and marketing losses for failing to reasonably comply with Lender's requests within thirty (30) days.

 

Section 6.22 Deposit Account Control Agreement; Account Proceeds.

 

(a)       During the Term of the Credit Facility, and until payment in full of all Liabilities, Borrower shall maintain a Deposit Account Control Agreement in favor of Lender on all deposit accounts of Borrower not held by Lender, as designated by Lender in its sole discretion.

 

(b)       Upon Lender's demand at any time in its sole and absolute discretion following the occurrence of a Default or Event of Default, Borrower shall direct all Account proceeds to be paid or otherwise directed for deposit to the Payment Collateral Account. In furtherance of the foregoing, but not in limitation thereof, and to the extent required by Lender in its sole and absolute discretion, Borrower shall cause a standing transfer order or similar mechanism to be placed on any deposit account not held by Lender, which standing transfer order or similar mechanism shall cause the automatic and daily transfer of any and all funds held in such deposit account to the Payment Collateral Account.

 

Section 6.23 Federal Assignments of Claims. Upon Lender's request, at any time and from time to time following the occurrence of a Default or Event of Default, Borrower shall execute all such instruments and take all such actions as may be reasonably requested by Lender so that all monies due or to become due under a Government Contract will be effectively assigned to Lender and notice thereof given to the respective Account Debtor(s) thereunder in accordance with the Federal Assignment of Claims Act, or any other comparable federal, state or local legal requirement.

 

Section 6.24 SAM Registration. Upon Lender's request, at any time and from time to time following the occurrence of a Default or Event of Default, Borrower shall modify its account under the U.S. System for Award Management to reflect the Payment Collateral Account as the recipient bank account thereunder, and provide evidence of same to Lender.

 

Section 6.25 PATRIOT Act Compliance. The Borrower will, and will cause each of its Affiliates to, provide such information and take such actions as are reasonably requested by the Lender in order to assist the Lender in maintaining compliance with the PATRIOT Act.

 

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ARTICLE VII
NEGATIVE COVENANTS

 

Borrower covenants and agrees that from the date of this Agreement, and thereafter for so long as there are any Liabilities to Lender, Borrower shall not, without the prior written consent of Lender:

 

Section 7.1 Liens. Create, incur, assume, or suffer to exist any Lien upon or with respect to any of its Property, whether now owned or hereafter acquired, including, without limitation, the Collateral, except (collectively, the “Permitted Encumbrances”):

 

(a)       Liens at any time granted in favor of Lender or its assigns;

 

(b)       Liens arising in the ordinary course of Borrower's business by operation of law or regulation, but only if payment in respect of any such Lien is not at the time required and such Liens do not, in the aggregate, materially detract from the value of the Property of Borrower or materially impair the use thereof in the operation of Borrower's business, as determined by Lender in its sole and absolute discretion; and

 

(c)       Such other Liens as Lender may hereafter approve in writing.

 

Section 7.2 Debt. Create, incur, assume, or suffer to exist any Debt, except:

 

(a)       Liabilities owing to the Lender or its assigns;

 

(b)       Accounts payable to trade creditors and current operating expenses (other than for Money Borrowed) which are not aged more than one hundred twenty (120) days from invoice date or more than thirty (30) days from the due date, in each case incurred in the ordinary course of business and paid within such time period, unless the same are being actively contested in good faith and by appropriate and lawful proceedings; and Borrower shall have set aside such reserves, if any, with respect thereto as are required by GAAP and deemed adequate by Borrower and its independent accountants;

 

(c)       Subordinated Debt; and

 

(d)       Contingent liabilities arising out of endorsements of checks and other negotiable instruments for deposit or collection in the ordinary course of Borrower's business.

 

Section 7.3 Guaranties. Assume, guarantee, endorse, or otherwise be or become directly or contingently liable for any obligations of any Person, except guaranties by endorsement of negotiable instruments for deposit or collection or similar transactions in the ordinary course of business.

 

Section 7.4 Loans to Affiliates and Others. Borrower shall not make any loans or other advances of money (other than for salary, travel advances, advances against commissions and other similar advances in the ordinary course of business) to any Person, including, without limitation, to any directors, officers, shareholders, or Affiliates.

 

Section 7.5 Agreements. Enter into any agreement containing any provisions, which would be violated or breached by the performance of Borrower's obligations under this Loan or in connection herewith.

 

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Section 7.6 Restricted Investment. Make or have any Restricted Investment, except in connection with an acquisition permitted by Section 7.9.

 

Section 7.7 Disposition of Assets. Sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of any of its properties or assets, other than in the ordinary course of business, including any disposition of Property as part of a sale and leaseback transaction, to or in favor of any Person, except dispositions expressly authorized by this Agreement or agreed to in writing by the Lender.

 

Section 7.8 Distributions or Dividends. Following the occurrence of a Default or an Event of Default that persists beyond any applicable notice and cure period and/or which has not been waived or otherwise cured, make or pay, directly or indirectly, any Distributions other than Distributions in an amount not in excess of the applicable Annual Tax Liability. For purposes of this Section 7.8, the term “Annual Tax Liability” shall mean an amount equal to the aggregate, annual tax liabilities of the stockholder(s)/member(s) of the Borrower, arising on account of or in connection with said stockholder(s)'s/member(s)' ownership interests in the Borrower.

 

Section 7.9 Mergers; Consolidations; Acquisitions; Structural Changes; Continuing Operations. Change Borrower's name or the legal form of Borrower's business; nor cease operations, liquidate, dissolve, merge, transfer, acquire or consolidate with any Person; nor acquire all or any substantial part of the Properties of any Person (other than in connection with the Acquisition); nor engage in any business activities substantially different than those in which Borrower is presently engaged; provided, however, that (a) any Borrower may merge with any other Borrower, so long as Castellum is the surviving entity resulting from a merger between Castellum and any other Borrower and (b) Borrower may acquire all or substantially all of the voting securities or Properties of any other Person so long as the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of such Person or Properties, as applicable, is positive for the most recent four quarter period of such Person or Properties ended prior to such acquisition for which financials of such Person or Properties are available (as evidenced in a manner reasonably acceptable to Lender); provided further, however, in the case of (a) or (b) above, Borrower shall not be permitted to engage in any such merger or acquisition unless (i) Borrower shall have given Lender at least thirty (30) days advance written notice of the applicable transaction, (ii) Borrower shall promptly provide Lender with such documentation and/or information as Lender may request in connection with such transaction, and (iii) the transaction shall not involve the assumption by Borrower of any material liabilities or Liens, unless Lender approves the same in its sole and absolute discretion.

 

Section 7.10 Change in Control. Permit or cause a Change in Control with respect to Borrower.

 

ARTICLE VIII
FINANCIAL COVENANTS

 

Section 8.1 Compliance. For so long as there shall remain any Liabilities outstanding, Borrower shall comply with the Financial Covenants.

 

ARTICLE IX
EVENTS OF DEFAULT

 

Section 9.1 Events of Default. The occurrence of one or more of the following events shall constitute an “Event of Default” hereunder:

 

9.1.1       Payments under Note. Borrower fails to pay (i) any installment of principal and/or interest due under the Note when due as provided in the Note, or (ii) Borrower fails to pay at the Maturity Date of the Note all outstanding principal, interest, costs and other fees due on the Note, time being of the essence.

 

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9.1.2       Covenants in Agreement. Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant contained in Article VI through Article VII, or in Schedule A.

 

9.1.3       Other Obligations. Borrower shall fail to observe or perform any covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement (other than those covered by the remainder of this Section 9.1) and such failure is not cured before the expiration of ten (10) days after the effective date of written notice thereof by Lender.

 

9.1.4       Representations and Warranties. Any representation, warranty, certification or statement made or furnished to Lender by or on behalf of Borrower in this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents, or any instrument, certificate, financial statement or other document delivered in compliance with or in reference thereto shall prove to have been false or misleading in any material respect when made or furnished or when reaffirmed pursuant to Section 5.2 hereof.

 

9.1.5       Default under other Debt. Any event or condition shall occur which results in the acceleration of the maturity of any Debt of the Borrower (including Debt of other Persons guaranteed by the Borrower) for all such Debt or enables (or, with the giving of notice or lapse of time or both, would enable) the holder of such Debt or any Person acting on such holder's behalf to accelerate the maturity thereof.

 

9.1.6       Voluntary Bankruptcy or Insolvency. Borrower shall commence a voluntary case or other proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to itself or its debts under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of its or any substantial part of its property, or shall consent to any such relief or to the appointment of or taking possession by any such official in an involuntary case or other proceeding commenced against it, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors or shall fail generally to pay its debts as they become due, or shall take any corporate action to authorize any of the foregoing.

 

9.1.7       Involuntary Bankruptcy or Insolvency. An involuntary case or other proceeding shall be commenced against Borrower seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief with respect to it or its debts under any Bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect or seeking the appointment of a trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar official of it or any substantial part of its property, and such involuntary case or other proceeding shall remain undismissed and unstayed for a period of 60 days; or an order for relief shall be entered against the Borrower under the federal Bankruptcy laws as now or hereafter in effect.

 

9.1.8       Entry of Judgment. One or more judgments or orders for the payment, in the aggregate, of money in excess of Ten Thousand No/100 Dollars ($10,000.00) not covered by insurance, excepting any judgment or order which has been either bonded off or stayed pending appeal, shall be rendered against the Borrower and such judgment or order shall continue unsatisfied for a period of thirty (30) days during which execution shall not be effectively stayed.

 

9.1.9       Material Adverse Change or Impairment. Lender's good faith determination in the exercise of its sole and reasonable discretion (a) that a material adverse change in the financial condition of Borrower has occurred since the date hereof or (b) that the Lender's prospect of payment hereunder has been materially impaired.

 

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9.1.10       Existence. Borrower shall liquidate, dissolve or terminate its existence.

 

9.1.11       Default under Other Loan Documents. An Event of Default (as defined therein) shall occur under, or Borrower shall default in the performance or observance of any term, covenant, condition or agreement contained in, any of the other Loan Documents, and such default shall continue beyond any applicable grace or cure period.

 

9.1.12       Challenge to Agreement. Borrower shall challenge or contest, in any action, suit or proceeding, the validity or enforceability of this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents, the legality or enforceability of the Liabilities (or any portion thereof) or the perfection or priority of any Lien granted to Lender in connection the transactions contemplated hereunder.

 

9.1.13       Admission of Inability to Pay. Borrower shall admit its inability to pay its debts as they mature or shall make any assignment for the benefit of any of its creditors, then, and in every such event, the Lender, at its option, may by notice to the Borrower terminate the Credit Facility and it shall thereupon terminate, and may, at its option, by notice to the Borrower declare the Note to be, and said Note shall thereupon become, immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower; provided that in the case of any of the Events of Default specified in Sections 9.1.6 or 9.1.7 of this Article IX, without any notice to the Borrower or any other act by the Lender, the Credit Facility shall thereupon terminate and the Note (together with accrued interest thereon) shall become immediately due and payable without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby waived by the Borrower.

 

Section 9.2 Acceleration of the Liabilities. Upon the occurrence ofan Event ofDefault, (i) all outstanding Liabilities (including, without limitation, all fees) may, at the option of Lender and without demand, notice or legal process of any kind, be declared, and immediately shall become, due and payable, and (ii) Lender shall be entitled to exercise the rights and remedies available to the Lender under the provisions of this Loan and the other Loan Documents, withhold further advances, and all other rights and remedies available to the Lender under applicable law, including but not limited to the UCC or the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the jurisdictions where the Collateral is located. All such rights and remedies being cumulative and enforceable alternatively, successively or concurrently.

 

ARTICLEX
MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 10.1 Notices. When either party desires to give notice to the other in connection with this Agreement, such notice shall be given in writing and shall be effective (a) on the date of delivery, if given by hand, (b) upon facsimile transmission during regular business hours, (c) one (1) day after being sent, if sent by overnight mail, or (d) three (3) days after being sent by U.S. registered or certified mail, and such notices shall be addressed as follows:

 

If to Borrower, to:                 Castellum, Inc.

3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700

Bethesda, Maryland 20814

 

Specialty Systems, Inc.

1451 Route 37 West

Toms River, New Jersey 08755

 

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Corvus Consulting, LLC dba Corvus Defense Consulting LLC

15416 Kentwell Circle

Centreville, Virginia 20120

Attn: Laurie Buckhout

 

Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc.

1252 Chloe Drive

Gallatin, Tennessee 37066

 

Merrison Technologies LLC

1934 Old Gallows Road, Suite 350

Vienna, Virginia 22182

 

With a copy to:                     Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

1200 Seventeenth Street, NW

Washington, DC 20036

Attn: Nicole !slinger, Esq.

 

and

 

Jay Wright

9812 Falls Road, #114-299

Potomac, MD 20854

Attn: Castellum General Counsel

 

If to Lender, to:                     Live Oak Banking Company

1741 Tiburon Drive

Wilmington, North Carolina 28403

Attn: Loan Operations

 

 

With a copy to:                     Paley Rothman

4800 Hampden Lane, Suite 600

Bethesda, Maryland 20814

Attn: Kevin K. D' Anna, Esq.

 

Nothing herein contained shall be construed as prohibiting the parties respectively from changing the place at which notice is thenceforth to be given, but no such change shall be effective unless and until it shall have been accomplished by written notice given in the manner set forth in this provision.

 

Section 10.2 No Waivers. No failure or delay by the Lender in exercising any right, power or privilege hereunder or under the Note shall operate as a waiver thereof nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege. The rights and remedies herein provided shall be cumulative and not exclusive of any rights or remedies provided by law.

 

Section 10.3 Expenses. The Borrower shall pay (a) all out-of-pocket expenses of the Lender, including the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Lender, in connection with the preparation and administration of this Agreement, any waiver or consent hereunder or any amendment hereof or any Default or alleged Default hereunder and (b) if an Event of Default occurs, all out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Lender, including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel, in connection with such Event of Default and collection and other enforcement proceedings resulting therefrom. Borrower shall indemnify the Lender against any transfer taxes, documentary taxes, assessments or charges made by any Governmental Authority by reason of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Note or the other Loan Documents.

 

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Section 10.4 Right of Set-Off. Without constituting a retention of Collateral in satisfaction of an obligation within the meaning of Section 9620 of the UCC, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default, the Lender is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final) at any time held and other indebtedness at any time owing by the Lender to or for the credit or the account of the Borrower against any and all of the obligations now or hereafter existing under this Agreement, the Note or any other Loan Document, irrespective of whether or not the Lender shall have made any demand hereunder or under the Note and although such obligation may be unmatured. The rights of the Lender under this Section 10.4 are in addition to other rights and remedies (including, without limitation, other rights of set-off) which the Lender may have. Borrower agrees, to the fullest extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any holder of a participation in any Note may exercise rights of set-off or counterclaim or other rights with respect to such participation as fully as if such holder of a participation were a direct creditor of the Borrower in the amount of such participation. The Lender agrees to notify the Borrower promptly after it exercises any such right of set-off.

 

Section 10.5 Amendments and Waivers. Any provision of this Agreement or of the Note or any other Loan Document may be amended or waived if, but only if, such amendment or waiver is in writing and is signed by the Borrower and the Lender.

 

Section 10.6 Successors and Assigns.

 

(a)       The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns, except that the Borrower may not assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights under this Loan without the prior written consent of the Lender.

 

(b)       The Lender may at any time grant to one or more Lenders or other institutions (each a “Participant”) participating interests in the Credit Facility or in the Note. In the event of any such grant by the Lender of a participating interest to a Participant, whether or not upon notice to the Borrower, the Lender shall remain responsible for the performance of its obligations hereunder, and the Lender shall continue to deal solely and directly with the Borrower in connection with the Lender's rights and obligations under this Agreement.

 

(c)       The Lender may at any time assign all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement and the Note to a Federal Reserve lender.

 

(d)       The Lender may furnish any information concerning the Borrower in its possession from time to time to assignees and Participants (including prospective assignees and Participants) and may furnish such information in response to credit inquiries consistent with general banking practice.

 

Section 10.7 WAIVER. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE BORROWER HEREBY VOLUNTARILY AND KNOWINGLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN RESPECT OF ANY LITIGATION ARISING OUT OF, UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREIN. THE BORROWER HEREBY CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE OR AGENT OF THE LENDER (INCLUDING ITS COUNSEL) HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT THE LENDER WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF SUCH LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THIS WAIVER OF RIGHT TO JURY TRIAL. THE BORROWER ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE LENDER HAS BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS LOAN TRANSACTION BY, INTER ALIA, THE PROVISIONS OF THIS JURY WAIVER.

 

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Section 10.8 Submission to Jurisdiction. Any legal action or proceeding with respect to this Agreement, the Note or any document related hereto or thereto may be brought in any state or federal court in the State of North Carolina, the State of Nevada, the State of New Jersey, the State of Delaware, and/or the Commonwealth of Virginia and by execution and delivery of this Agreement the Borrower hereby accepts for itself and in respect of its property, generally and unconditionally, the jurisdiction of the aforesaid courts. The Borrower hereby irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection, including without limitation, any objection to the laying of venue or based on the grounds of forum non conveniens which it now or hereafter may have to the bringing of any action or proceeding in such jurisdiction. The Borrower hereby agrees and consents that, in addition to any methods of service of process provided for under applicable law, all service of process in any such legal action or proceeding in any state court or any United States federal court may be made by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, directed to the Borrower at its address for notice as provided in this Agreement, and service so made shall be complete five days after the same shall have been so mailed. Nothing herein shall affect the right of the Lender to bring proceedings against the Borrower in any other court or jurisdiction, nor the right of the Lender to serve process in any manner permitted by law.

 

Section 10.9 Governing Law. This Agreement, the Note and all other Loan Documents shall be deemed to be contracts made under seal and shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina, except as otherwise provided herein.

 

Section 10.10 Third Parties-Benefit. All conditions of the obligations of the Lender to make advances hereunder are imposed solely and exclusively for the benefit of the Lender and its assigns and no other persons shall have standing to require satisfaction of such conditions in accordance with their terms or be entitle to assume that the Lender will refuse to make advances in the absence of strict compliance with any or all thereof and no other person shall, under any circumstances, be deemed to be beneficiary of such conditions, any or all of which may be freely waived in whole or in part by the Lender at any time in the sole and absolute exercise of its discretion. The terms and provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents are for the benefit of the parties hereto and, except as herein specifically provided, no other person shall have any right or cause of action on account thereof.

 

Section 10.11 Counterparts; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be signed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument. This Agreement shall become effective when the Lender shall have received counterparts hereof signed by both parties.

 

Section 10.12 Entire Agreement. This Agreement, the Note and all other Loan Documents set forth the entire agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and thereof and supersede all previous understandings, written or oral, in respect thereof.

 

Section 10.13 UCC. Terms contained in this Agreement shall have, when the context so indicates, the meanings provided for by the UCC, to the extent the same are used or defined therein.

 

Section 10.14 Indemnification. Borrower hereby agrees to indemnify and hold Lender harmless from and against any liability, loss, damage, suit, action or proceeding ever suffered or incurred by Lender (including reasonable attorneys' fees and legal expenses) as the result of Borrower's failure to observe, perform or discharge Borrower's duties hereunder, or resulting from or arising out of any breach of or inaccuracy in any representation and/or warranty made by Borrower in any Loan Document. In addition, Borrower shall defend and save Lender harmless from and against any and all claims made by any Person with respect to the Collateral.

 

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Section 10.15 Cross Default. Borrower hereby agrees that a Default or an Event of Default under this Agreement is a default or an event of default under all the other Loan Documents, and/or under all other agreements between Borrower, or any Affiliate of Borrower, and Lender, and a default under any of such other Loan Documents or agreements is a Default or an Event of Default under this Agreement.

 

Section 10.16 Joint and Several Liability. If Borrower consists of more than one person or entity, their liability shall be joint and several, and the compromise of any claim with, or the release of, any Borrower shall not constitute a compromise with, or a release of, any other Borrower.

 

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[Signatures on the Following Page]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed by their respective authorized officers as of the day and year first above written, intending this to be a document under seal.

 

WITNESS:     BORROWER:    
             
      CASTELLUM, INC.,    
      a Nevada corpporation    
             
/s/ Elise Kolender   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)  
Print Name: Elise Kolender     Mark Fuller    
        Chief Executive Officer    
             
      SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, INC.,    
    a New Jersey corporation    
             
/s/ Elise Kolender   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)  
Print Name: Elise Kolender     Mark Fuller    
        Chairman of the Board    
             
      CORVUS CONSULTING, LLC    
      dba CORVUS DEFENSE CONSULTING LLC,    
      A Delaware limited liability company    
             
/s/ Elise Kolender   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)  
Print Name: Elise Kolender     Mark Fuller    
        Chairman of the Board    
             
      MAINNERVE FEDERAL SERVICES, INC.,    
      a Delaware corporation    
             
/s/ Elise Kolender   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)  
Print Name: Chtg Elise Kolender     Mark Fuller    
        Chairman of the Board    
             
      MERRISON TECHNOLOGIES LLC,    
      a Virginia limited liability company    
             
/s/ Elise Kolender   By: /s/ Mark Fuller (SEAL)  
Print Name: Elise Kolender     Mark Fuller    
        Chairman of the Board    
             
      LENDER:    
             
WITNESS:     LIVE OAK BANKING COMPANY    
             
/s/ Daniel Aronson    By: /s/ Sandy McGrath  (SEAL)  
Print Name: Daniel Aronson    Name: Sandy McGrath     
      Title: AVP - Closing     

 

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Exhibit 10.8

 

BUSINESS ACQUISITION AGREEMENT

 

 

BY AND BETWEEN

 

 

CASTELLUM, INC.

 

 

AND

 

 

LEXINGTON SOLUTIONS GROUP, LLC

 

 

February 11, 2022

 

   

 

 

  TABLE OF CONTENTS  
     
DESCRIPTION   PAGE
 
ARTICLE I PURCHASE AND SALE OF ASSETS AND ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITIES 1
Section 1.1 Purchase of Acquired Business 1
Section 1.2 Closing 1
Section 1.3 Acquisition Consideration 1
Section 1.4 Payments in connection with Closing 2
Section 1.5 Purchase Price Adjustment 2
ARTICLE II REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER 4
Section 2.1 Organization 4
Section 2.2 Authorization of Transaction 4
Section 2.3 Noncontravention; Consents 4
Section 2.4 Title to Acquired Business 5
Section 2.5 Litigation 5
Section 2.6 BrokersFees 5
Section 2.7 [Government Contracts 5
Section 2.8 Compliance with Law 7
Section 2.9 Assets Used in the Acquired Business 8
Section 2.10 Taxes 8
Section 2.11 No Other Agreements to Sell 8
Section 2.12 Employees and Consultants 8
Section 2.13 Employee Benefit Plans 9
Section 2.14 CARES Act 10
ARTICLE III REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE BUYER 11
Section 3.1 Organization 11
Section 3.2 Authorization of Transaction 11
Section 3.3 Noncontravention; Consents 11
Section 3.4 Litigation 11
ARTICLE IV COVENANTS 11
Section 4.1 General 11
Section 4.2 Post-Closing Consents and Approvals; Nonassignable Contracts 11
Section 4.3 Agreements Regarding Tax Matters 12

 

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Section 4.4 Confidentiality 13
Section 4.5 Employees 14
Section 4.6 Non-Competition; Non-Solicitation 16
Section 4.7 Efforts 16
ARTICLE V REMEDIES 17
Section 5.1 Survival 17
Section 5.2 Indemnification 17
Section 5.3 Limitations on Indemnification 18
Section 5.4 Third-Party Claims 18
Section 5.5 Exclusive Remedy 19
Section 5.6 Payment and Limited Setoff 19
ARTICLE VI CONDITIONS TO CLOSING 19
Section 6.1 Conditions to Obligation of Buyer 19
Section 6.2 Conditions to Obligation of Seller 20
Section 6.3 Frustration of Closing Conditions 20
ARTICLE VII TERMINATION 20
Section 7.1 Grounds for Termination 20
Section 7.2 Effect of Termination 21
ARTICLE VIII MISCELLANEOUS 21
Section 8.1 Notices 21
Section 8.2 Expenses 22
Section 8.3 Amendment; Assignment; Waivers 22
Section 8.4 Entire Agreement; Severability 22
Section 8.5 Specific Performance 23
Section 8.6 Construction 23
Section 8.7 Counterparts 23
Section 8.8 No Third-Party Beneficiaries 24
Section 8.9 Governing Law 24
Section 8.10 Waiver of Jury Trial 24
Section 8.11 Non-Recourse 24
Section 8.12 Public Announcements 25

 

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SCHEDULES AND EXHIBITS:

 

Schedule 1.1 Acquired Business
Schedule 2.7(b)(v) Orders and Other Contracts
Schedule 4.5 Transferred Employees
Exhibit A Definitions
Exhibit B Bill of Sale, Assignment and Assumption Agreement

 

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BUSINESS ACQUISITION AGREEMENT

 

This BUSINESS ACQUISITION AGREEMENT (this Agreement), dated as of February 11, 2022, is made by and between Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation (Buyer) and Lexington Solutions Group, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company (the Seller). Capitalized terms used herein shall have the meaning set forth on Exhibit A.

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, this Agreement contemplates a transaction in which the Buyer shall acquire substantially all of the assets and assume liabilities of the Seller on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and the mutual agreements contained herein, and for other good and valuable consideration, the value, receipt and sufficiency of which are acknowledged, the Parties, intending to be legally bound, hereby agree as follows:

 

ARTICLE I

PURCHASE AND SALE OF ASSETS AND ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITIES

 

Section 1.1      Purchase of Acquired Business. On the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in this Agreement, at the Closing, the Buyer agrees to purchase from the Seller, and the Seller hereby agrees to sell, transfer, assign, convey and deliver to the Buyer, all of the right, title and interest in and to the assets described on Schedule 1.1, free and clear of all Liens, and the Buyer will assume and agree to pay, discharge and perform when due, all of the Assumed Liabilities (such assets and Assumed Liabilities, collectively the Acquired Business). For the purpose of clarity, notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein or in any other Ancillary Document, the Buyer shall not assume, be bound by or be responsible for any Excluded Liabilities. 

  

Section 1.2      Closing. Unless this Agreement will have been terminated, the closing of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (the Closing) shall take place no later than two (2) Business Days following the satisfaction or waiver of all the conditions to Closing set forth in Article VI, or on such other date as may be agreed to by the Parties (theClosing Date’’). The Closing shall take place by conference call and electronic transmission of signatures. The Closing will be deemed effective as of 12:01 a.m. (Eastern time) on the Closing Date.

 

Section 1.3        Acquisition Consideration . Subject to and in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth herein, the aggregate consideration to be transferred to Seller in connection with the Acquired Contracts shall consist of (i) twelve million five hundred thousand (12,500,000) shares of Buyers Common Stock, validly issued and outstanding, fully paid, nonassessable, free and clear of all Encumbrances other than the transfer and other restrictions pursuant to any State or federal securities Laws (the Stock Consideration) with (x) twelve million shares of Buyer’s Common Stock issued as set forth in Section 1.4 (the Initial Stock Consideration) and, (y) subject to Section 1.5, five hundred thousand (500,000) shares of Buyers Common Stock (the “Holdback Stock Consideration) issued within 3 Business Days of the payment of the Second Tranche (as defined below) and (ii) seven hundred fifty thousand dollars ($ 780,000.00) (the Cash Consideration) payable as follows: (x) two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) plus or minus any applicable Closing Adjustment paid on the Closing Date as set forth in Section 1.4 (the Initial Cash Consideration); (y) two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000.00) plus or minus any applicable Post-Closing Adjustment paid on the date that is six (6) months after the Closing Date (Second Tranche) and (z) two hundred eighty thousand dollars ($280,000.00) paid on the date that is ten (10) months after the Closing Date. Together, the Stock Consideration and the Cash Consideration shall be considered the Purchase Price.

 

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Section 1.4         Payments in connection with Closing.

 

Buyer shall:

 

(a)        within three (3) Business Days of the Closing Date, deliver via book-entry to Seller the Initial Stock Consideration; and

 

(b)        on the Closing Date deliver to Seller the Initial Cash Consideration.

 

Section 1.5         Purchase Price Adjustment.

 

(a)        At least three (3) Business Days prior to the Closing, Seller and Buyer shall finalize an estimated statement, which sets forth the Net Working Capital as of the Closing Date (the Estimated Closing Working Capital).

 

(b)        At least two (2) Business Days prior to the Closing, Seller and Buyer shall agree upon a flow of funds memorandum, which sets forth all payments required to be made by or on behalf of all Parties at the Closing, including for each such payment an identification of the payor, the payee, the amount and the wire transfer information.

 

(c)        The Purchase Price shall be: (i) increased dollar-for-dollar by the amount that the Estimated Closing Working Capital is greater than the Target Working Capital and such increase shall paid by Buyer in cash at Closing by a corresponding increase to the Initial Cash Consideration, or (ii) decreased dollar-for-dollar by the amount that the Estimated Closing Working Capital is less than the Target Working Capital and such decrease shall be paid by Seller at Closing by a corresponding decrease to the Cash Consideration. The amount of any such adjustment pursuant to this Section 1.5(c) shall be referred to herein as the Closing Adjustment.

 

(d)        Prior to the payment of the Second Tranche, the Buyer shall prepare and deliver to the Seller a Closing Statement (the Closing Statement) which shall set forth the Net Working Capital as of the Closing Date (Closing Working Capital).

 

(e)        The Second Tranche payment shall be (i) increased dollar-for-dollar by the amount that the Closing Working Capital is greater than the Estimated Closing Working Capital or (ii) decreased dollar-for-dollar by the amount that the Closing Working Capital is less than the Estimated Closing Working Capital. The amount of any such adjustment pursuant to this Section 1.5(e) shall be referred to herein as the Post-Closing Adjustment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the first $50,000 of such Post-Closing Adjustment shall be satisfied from the Holdback Stock Consideration and, to the extent, the Holdback Stock Consideration is not sufficient to satisfy such amount, the Initial Stock Consideration. To the extent the Post-Closing Adjustment is in excess of $50,000, the first $50,000 of such Post-Closing Adjustment shall be satisfied as set forth above and any remainder shall be satisfied in cash and may be set off from amounts otherwise due the Seller from the Second Tranche.

 

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(a)        The Seller shall have a period of thirty (30) days after receipt of the Closing Statement to notify the Buyer of the Sellers election to accept or reject the Buyers calculation of the amount of the Net Working Capital as of the Closing Date in a written notice (the Response Notice). During such thirty (30)-day period, Buyer shall provide the Seller reasonable access to information in its books and records that the Seller reasonably requests that Buyer used to prepare the Closing Statement; provided, that Buyer shall not be required to provide access to information that would jeopardize any attorney-client privilege, attorney work product protection or other similar privilege associated with such information. In the case of a rejection, such Response Notice shall set forth the line item or items on the Closing Statement that it is rejecting, the reasons and basis for such rejection in reasonable detail (including Buyer’s refusal to provide Seller with sufficient access to books and records so as to evaluate the item) and the amount of the requested adjustment. In the event that no Response Notice is received by the Buyer during such thirty (30)-day period, the Closing Statement and any required adjustments resulting therefrom shall be final and binding on the parties hereto. In the event that the Seller shall timely deliver a Response Notice rejecting the Buyers calculation of amount of the Closing Working Capital, the Buyer and the Seller shall promptly (and in any event within fifteen (15) days following the date upon which the Buyer received the Response Notice), attempt in good faith to make a joint determination of the Closing Working Capital and such determination and any required adjustments resulting therefrom shall be final and binding on the Shareholder and Buyer for purposes of this Section 1.5.

 

(b)        In the event that the Seller and the Buyer shall be unable to agree upon a joint determination of the Closing Working Capital within thirty (30) days following the date upon which the Buyer received the Response Notice, then within fifteen (15) days after the expiration of such thirty (30)-day period, the Buyer and the Seller shall appoint by mutual agreement the office of an impartial nationally recognized firm of independent certified public accountants other than any Sellers accountants or Buyers accountants (the Accounting Firm) to resolve such dispute.

 

(c)        The Accounting Firm shall consider only those matters set forth in the Response Notice upon which the Buyer and the Seller have disagreed (the Disputed Items) and shall be required to resolve the Disputed Items in accordance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement. In connection with the resolution of the Disputed Items by the Accounting Firm: (i) each of the Buyer and the Seller shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the Accounting Firm a statement setting forth in reasonable detail the Disputed Items and, to the extent practical, such Party’s proposed resolution of each such Disputed Item; (ii) the Accounting Firm shall be permitted to ask questions of either Party and ask for additional information from either Party relating to the Disputed Items; (iii) neither Party shall participate in ex parte communications with the Accounting Firm; (iv) the Accounting Firm shall only decide the specific Disputed Items and the determination by the Accounting Firm for each Disputed Item shall be equal to one of the values, or within the range between the values, assigned to such Disputed Item by the Buyer and the Seller in the materials delivered to the Accounting Firm (or if the materials delivered to the Accounting Firm reflect that either Party assigned multiple values at various times, such determination by the Accounting Firm shall be equal to one of, or within the range between, the most recent values assigned by the Parties); (v) the Accounting Firm shall make its determination for all remaining Disputed Items as of the Closing based on the materials it receives in accordance with this Agreement and not pursuant to any independent review (provided that the foregoing shall not preclude the Accounting Firm from independent research as to proper application of the terms of this Agreement with respect to the Disputed Items and the amount of the Closing Working Capital) and (vi) the Parties shall use commercially reasonable efforts to cause the Accounting Firm to deliver its final written report to the Parties within thirty (30) days of the submission to the Accounting Firm of the Disputed Items, and shall be final and binding on the Parties for purposes of this Section 1.5. For the avoidance of doubt, the Accounting Firm shall act as an expert and not as an arbitrator and shall review only those items that are in dispute.

 

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(d)        The fees and expenses of the Accounting Firm shall be allocated to be paid by the Buyer, on the one hand, and/or the Shareholder, on the other hand, respectively, based upon the percentage which the portion of the amount contested and not awarded to each Party bears to the total amount contested by such Party, as finally determined by the Accounting Firm.

 

ARTICLE II

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER

 

Seller represents and warrants to the Buyer as follows:

 

Section 2.1       Organization. Seller is a limited liability company duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Seller is duly qualified or licensed to do business as a foreign company and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the ownership or lease of the Acquired Business or the conduct of the Acquired Business requires such qualification or license, except where the failure to be so qualified or be so licensed can be cured without a material cost or expense. Seller has all requisite power and authority to carry on the Acquired Business as currently conducted and to own, lease or use, as the case may be, the Acquired Business.

 

Section 2.2      Authorization of Transaction. Seller has all requisite power and authority to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and each of the Ancillary Documents to which Seller is a party. All acts required to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement by Seller have been taken. This Agreement constitutes, and each Ancillary Document when executed and delivered by Seller will constitute, a valid and legally binding obligation of Seller (assuming that this Agreement and such Ancillary Documents constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the other party or parties thereto), enforceable in accordance with its terms and conditions, except as enforceability may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions.

 

Section 2.3      Noncontravention; Consents. The execution and delivery by Seller of this Agreement and the Ancillary Documents to which Seller is a party, and the consummation by Seller of the Contemplated Transactions, do not: (a) violate any Law to which the Acquired Business is subject; (b) conflict with or result in a breach of any provision of the certificate of organization or the operating agreement of Seller; (c) create a breach, default, termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation of Seller arising under or pursuant to any of the Acquired Business; (d) require any permit, notice to, or consent or approval of any Governmental Entity; or (e) result in the creation or imposition of any Lien, other than a Permitted Lien, upon any of the Acquired Business, except, in the cases of clauses (c)-(e), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be likely to be material to Seller. No transfer of any of the Acquired Business is being made and no obligation is being incurred in connection with the Contemplated Transactions with the intent to hinder, delay or defraud any Person, including present or future creditors of Seller.

 

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Section 2.4        Title to Acquired Business. Seller has good title to all of the Acquired Business, free and clear of all Liens except for the Permitted Liens. At the Closing, the Acquired Business shall be transferred to the Buyer free and clear of all Liens except for the Permitted Liens.

 

Section 2.5         Litigation. There are no Actions pending, or to the Knowledge of the Seller, threatened against Seller or any of its Affiliates involving, relating to, or otherwise reasonably likely to affect the Acquired Business or the Contemplated Transactions. There are no unsatisfied judgments of record or Government Orders relating to or reasonably likely to affect the Acquired Business.

 

Section 2.6       BrokersFees. Neither Seller, nor any of its Affiliates, have any liability to pay any fees or commissions to any broker, finder or similar agent with respect to the Contemplated Transactions.

 

Section 2.7        Government Contracts.

 

(a)        A true and complete copy of the Acquired Contracts, including any statements of work, task or delivery orders thereunder and modifications or amendments thereto and any other agreements related to the Acquired Business, has been delivered to the Buyer, to the extent the disclosure of each does not violate any laws or binding obligations. All material documentation and correspondence related to the Acquired Contracts in Sellerspossession, including any financial records or other records required to be maintained by Seller under the Acquired Contracts or applicable Laws have been delivered to the Buyer, to the extent the disclosure of each does not violate any laws or binding obligations. The Acquired Contracts and any other contracts included in the Acquired Business constitute the legal, valid and binding obligations of the Seller and the counter-party thereto, are in full force and effect, and are enforceable in accordance with their terms except as limited by the Enforceability Exceptions.

 

(b)        With respect to the Acquired Contracts:

 

(i)        Seller has materially complied with all terms and conditions of such Acquired Contracts and all Laws pertaining thereto;

 

(ii)        all representations and certifications made by Seller in connection with such Acquired Contracts were accurate and complete at the time they were made and Seller has materially complied with the representations and certifications;

 

(iii)        Seller has not received any written, or, to the Knowledge of the Seller, oral, notice from the U.S. Government or other Person stating that Seller has breached, or alleging that Seller has breached, or may have breached, or otherwise violated any Law pertaining to the Acquired Business or Acquired Contract, or certification, representation, clause, provision or requirement pertaining to the Acquired Contract;

 

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(iv)        Seller does not have any outstanding bids to perform services under such Acquired Contracts;

 

(v)        except as set forth on Schedule 2.7(b)(v), Seller has not been awarded any statements of work, purchase orders, or task orders and Seller does not have any subcontracts, teaming agreements, joint ventures, contractor team arrangements, work sharing, or similar agreements or commitments of any kind (written or oral) with respect to such Acquired Contracts;

 

(vi)        no termination for convenience, termination for default, cure notice, stop work notice or show cause notice has been issued to Seller pertaining to such Acquired Contracts, and, to the Knowledge of the Seller, there are no acts or omissions that would reasonably be expected to result in a termination for convenience, termination for default, cure notice, stop work notice or show cause notice pertaining to such Acquired Contracts;

 

(vii)        (A) all amounts previously billed by Seller to such Acquired Contracts have been properly billed to such Acquired Contracts; (B) there does not exist and has not existed any material irregularity, misstatement or omission arising under or relating to such Acquired Contracts that has led or could reasonably be expected to lead to any material damage, penalty assessment, withholding, setoff, recoupment of payment or disallowance of cost; (C) no task order under such Acquired Contracts has incurred costs that exceed such task order price or estimated cost; and (D) no task order under such Acquired Contracts has incurred costs that exceed the amount of funding obligated under such task order; and

 

(viii)        No Governmental Entity or any other Person whose consent is required for the Seller to assign the Acquired Contract in connection with this Agreement has notified the Seller of its intent to refuse its consent to such assignment, and to the Knowledge of the Seller, there exist no facts or circumstances indicating that any Governmental Entity or any other Person whose consent is required for the Seller to assign the Acquired Contract intends to refuse to consent to such assignment.

 

(c)        (i) There are no outstanding claims against Seller, either by any Governmental Entity or by any other Person, arising under or relating to any Acquired Contracts; (ii) there has not been any withholding or set-off of any payment by a Governmental Entity or any other Person, nor, to the Knowledge of the Seller, has there been any attempt to withhold or set-off any money due under any Acquired Contracts, and (iii) there have not been any disputes between Seller and any other Person, including any Governmental Entity, arising under or relating to any Acquired Contracts.

 

(d)        Neither Seller, any Principal of Seller, nor, to the Knowledge of the Seller, any employee of Seller who has performed services under any Acquired Contracts is currently being or has been within the past three (3) years, audited or investigated with respect to such Acquired Contracts by any Governmental Entity, and to the Knowledge of the Seller, no such audit or investigation is threatened.

 

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(e)        Neither Seller, any Principal of Seller, nor, to the Knowledge of the Seller, any employee of Seller who has performed services under any Acquired Contracts, is or has been under civil, administrative or criminal investigation or indictment or has information with respect to any alleged fraudulent or criminal activity involving such Acquired Contracts or the Acquired Business; and neither the Seller, any of its Principals, nor any employee of Seller who has performed services under any Acquired Contracts, has made, nor is required to make, any disclosure to a Governmental Entity, an Inspector General or a government contracting officer in connection with the Sellers performance of such Acquired Contracts under FAR Subpart 3.1003 or FAR 52.203-13.

 

(f)        Neither Seller, any Principal of Seller, nor any employee of Seller who has performed services under any Acquired Contracts, is currently or within the past three (3) years has been suspended, debarred, proposed for debarment or otherwise been found nonresponsible or otherwise ineligible for award of a government contract.

 

(g)        Seller has not had access to non-public information or provided systems engineering, technical direction, consultation, technical evaluation, source selection services or services of any type, or prepared specifications or statements of work, nor engaged in any other conduct that would create, in connection with any Governmental Entity procurement, an organizational conflict of interest as defined in the FAR Subpart 9.5, or other applicable Law or regulation.

 

(h)        Seller and its respective officers, employees, agents, consultants, and, for the avoidance of doubt, the Transferred Employees as identified in Section 4.5 herein, have complied in all material respects with the requirements of the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, and possess all facility security clearances and personnel security clearances required to perform the Acquired Contracts as being performed as of the Closing Date. The Seller is not required to possess or have employees with any facility security clearances or personnel security clearances to perform the Acquired Contracts in the ordinary course of business, except as set forth on Schedule 2.7(h).

 

      (i)           Schedule 2.7(i) sets forth all Government Furnished Equipment in the Sellers possession, together with the Acquired Contract under which it was provided and its current location. To the extent required, Seller has certified to the applicable Governmental Entity in a timely manner that all Government Furnished Equipment is in good working order, reasonable wear and tear excepted, and otherwise meets the requirements of the Acquired Contracts and all applicable Laws. There are no outstanding loss, damage or destruction reports that have been or should have been submitted to any Governmental Entity in respect of any Government Furnished Equipment.

 

Section 2.8       Compliance with Law. Seller has operated the Acquired Business in material compliance with all Laws applicable to the Acquired Business. Neither Seller nor any of its Affiliates have received any written notice alleging non-compliance with any Laws applicable to the Acquired Business.

 

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Section 2.9         Assets Used in the Acquired Business. The Acquired Business constitutes all of the assets, licenses (including software), rights and agreements which are primarily used by Seller or otherwise necessary to the operation of the Acquired Business.

 

Section 2.10       Taxes. There are no ongoing or pending Tax audits by any taxing authority against Seller relating to the Acquired Business. There are no Liens for Taxes upon the assets of the Acquired Business other than Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable or that are contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings. Seller has withheld and collected all material Taxes required to have been withheld and collected by it relating to the Transferred Employees and the Acquired Business and, to the extent required, has properly paid or deposited such Taxes as required by applicable Law. Seller has filed all Tax Returns that were required to be filed with respect to the Acquired Business prior to the Closing Date and paid all Taxes, whether or not shown as due on such Tax Returns, due with respect to the Acquired Business.

 

Section 2.11      No Other Agreements to Sell. Other than this Agreement, neither Seller nor any of its Affiliates has any legal obligation to any other Person to sell, encumber or otherwise transfer the Acquired Contracts or the Acquired Business (in whole or in part).

 

Section 2.12       Employees and Consultants. Seller has provided the Buyer with a true, accurate and complete list of the names and titles or job descriptions of each employee of the Seller wholly or primarily dedicated to the Acquired Business, each employee of the Seller who devotes a material portion of his or her time to the Acquired Business and each consultant or independent contractor of the Seller wholly or primarily dedicated to the Acquired Business, and for each such Person the annual base salary or wages payable to each such individual for the current fiscal year. All such Persons classified by the Seller as independent contractors have satisfied the requirements of applicable Law to be so classified and the Seller has fully and accurately reported each such Persons compensation on IRS Form 1099 when required to do so. A list as described in this Section 2.12 is attached hereto as Schedule 2.12 including all Transferred Employees. Each employee of the Acquired Business Acquired Business is employed at-will and may terminate his or her employment or be terminated from such employment at any time for any or no reason with or without prior notice. There currently are no, and within the past three (3) years there have not been any, actions, lawsuits, administrative charges, proceedings or investigations pending or, to the knowledge of the Seller, threatened against the Seller before any federal, foreign, state or local court or agency concerning alleged employment discrimination or any other matters relating to the employment of labor with respect to the Acquired Business. The Seller is not nor has been a party to, and is or has not been bound by, or has been asked to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement or other agreement or Contract with any labor organization with respect to the Acquired Business, nor is any such Contract, as of the date of this Agreement, being negotiated. Within the past three (3) years the Seller has not experienced any work stoppages, labor strikes, lock-outs, picketing or slowdowns due to labor disagreements and, to the knowledge of the Seller, none are threatened as of the date of this Agreement with respect to the Acquired Business or any employee. The Seller has not incurred any liability or obligation that remains unsatisfied under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, as amended (the WARN Act), and any similar state Laws. The Seller has made timely and proper payment of all amounts payable with respect to any employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business, including all wages, commissions, bonuses, severance payments, independent contractor payments, reimbursements, other amounts due pursuant to any employment or services agreement, withholding for income and employment Taxes, or otherwise have made appropriate accruals on their books. No employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business is currently the subject of any complaint or investigation regarding sexual harassment, or other discrimination, or retaliation with respect to such employee’s employment by the Seller. No employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business has given the Seller notice terminating his or her employment or service, or terminating his or her employment or service upon a sale of, or business combination relating to, the Acquired Business.

 

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Section 2.13      Employee Benefit Plans.

 

(a)        The Seller has provided the Buyer with a true, accurate and complete list of each employee benefit plan(as defined by Section 3(3) of ERISA), and any other bonus, incentive or executive compensation, commission, deferred compensation, stock option or other equity-based compensation, stock purchase, key man or other executive insurance, welfare, fringe benefit, post-retirement, scholarship, sick leave, vacation, paid time off, individual employment, consulting, payroll practice, loan, change of control, or retention plan, agreement, policy or arrangement that is (i) currently in effect or that has been approved for the benefit of current or former employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business, or their beneficiaries or dependents, or (ii) with respect to which the Seller has any obligation to contribute on behalf of any employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business or any Liability related to any ERISA Affiliate(defined to include, with respect to the Seller, any trade or business, whether or not incorporated, other than the Seller, that has employees who are, or have been at any date of determination occurring within the preceding six (6) years, treated pursuant to Section 4001(a)(14) of ERISA or Section 414(b) of the Code as employees of a single employer that includes the Seller), (each, under Subsection (i) or (ii), an Employee Benefit Plan). Each Employee Benefit Plan has been operated and administered in all material respects in accordance with its terms and in material compliance with applicable Laws, and each Employee Benefit Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination letter, or is on the form of a prototype or volume submitter plan, as the case may be, subject to an opinion or advisory letter, and nothing has occurred that could reasonably be expected to adversely affect the qualification of the Employee Benefit Plan under Section 401(a) of the Code or the tax-exempt status of any related trust under Section 501(a) of the Code.

 

                                (b)     The Seller and each Employee Benefit Plan and each Employee Benefit Plan sponsoror administrator(within the meaning of Section 3(16) of ERISA) has complied in all material respects with COBRA and all applicable state Laws regarding the continuation of group health plan coverage).

 

(c)        The Seller and the Sellers ERISA Affiliates, have had no obligation to contribute to or provide benefits pursuant to, or any other Liability with respect to, (i) a defined benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(35) of ERISA), (ii) any plan subject to Section 412 of the Code, Section 302 of ERISA or Title IV of ERISA, (iii) a multiple employer welfare arrangement(within the meaning of Section 3(40) of ERISA), (iv) a plan maintained by more than one employer(within the meaning of Section 413(c) of the Code), (v) a multiemployer plan(within the meaning of Section 3(37) or 4001(a)(3) of ERISA), or (vi) any common law theory of joint, dual or multiemployer Liability.

 

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(d)        Neither the execution and delivery of this Agreement nor the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby (either alone or in combination with any other event) will (i) result in any payment becoming due to any employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business, (ii) increase the compensation or benefits payable, including equity benefits, under any Employee Benefit Plan for any employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business, (iii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment, funding or vesting of any such compensation or benefits, including equity benefits, under any Employee Benefit Plan, (iv) require any contributions or payments to fund any obligations under any Employee Benefit Plan except as provided by applicable Law, or (v) entitle any employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business to terminate his employment or service.

 

(e)        There is no agreement, plan, arrangement or other contract (including this Agreement or the arrangements contemplated thereby) covering any employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business that, considered individually or considered collectively within any other such contracts, will, or could reasonably be expected to, give rise directly or indirectly to the payment of any amount that would not be deductible pursuant to Section 280G of the Code. None of the Seller or any of its Affiliates is a party to any contract, nor does it have any obligations (current or contingent), to compensate any employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business for excise taxes pursuant to Section 4999 of the Code as a result of the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

(f)        Each Employee Benefit Plan that is a non-qualified deferred compensation plan(as such term is defined in Section 409A(d)(1) of the Code) (i) has, at all times, been administered in material compliance with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code and applicable guidance issued thereunder, and (ii) is in a from which complies, in all material respects, with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, so that its terms and provisions comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, in all cases so that the additional tax described in Section 409A(a)(1)(B) of the Code will not be assessed against the individuals participating in any such non-qualified deferred compensation plan with respect to benefits due or accruing thereunder. None of the Seller or any of its Affiliates has any indemnity obligations for any Taxes owed with regard to any employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business imposed under Section 409A of the Code.

 

Section 2.14       CARES Act. The Seller in connection with operating the Acquired Business has (i) properly complied with all applicable Laws with respect to the deferral of the amount of the employers share of any applicable employment taxesunder Section 2302 of the CARES Act, (ii) to the extent applicable, properly complied with all applicable Laws and duly accounted for any available Tax credits under Sections 7001 through 7005 of the Families First Act and Section 2301 of the CARES Act and (iii) not sought (nor has any Affiliate that would be aggregated with the Sellers and treated as one employer for purposes of Section 2301 of the CARES Act sought a covered loan under paragraph (36) of Section 7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)), as amended by Section 1102 of the CARES Act.

 

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ARTICLE III

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE BUYER

 

The Buyer represents and warrants to the Seller as follows:

 

Section 3.1       Organization. The Buyer is a corporation duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Nevada. The Buyer has all requisite company power and authority to carry on its business as currently conducted and as proposed to be conducted after the Closing.

 

Section 3.2       Authorization of Transaction. The Buyer has all requisite corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform this Agreement and each of the Ancillary Documents to which it is a party. All corporate acts required to authorize the execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Buyer have been taken. This Agreement constitutes, and each Ancillary Document when executed and delivered by the Buyer will constitute, a valid and legally binding obligation of the Buyer (assuming that this Agreement and such Ancillary Documents will constitute valid and legally binding obligations of the other parties thereto), enforceable in accordance with its terms and conditions, except as enforceability may be limited by the Enforceability Exceptions.

 

Section 3.3      Noncontravention; Consents. The execution and delivery by the Buyer of this Agreement and the Ancillary Documents to which it is a party, and the consummation by the Buyer of the Contemplated Transactions, do not: (i) violate any Law to which the Buyer or its assets are subject; (ii) conflict with or result in a breach of any provision of the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws the Buyer; (iii) create a breach, default, termination, cancellation or acceleration of any obligation of the Buyer arising under or pursuant to any contract to which the Buyer is bound or to which any of its assets are subject; or (iv) result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon the Buyers assets except, in the cases of clauses (iii)-(iv), as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be likely to be material to the Buyer. No notices, permits, consents, approvals, authorizations, qualifications or orders of Governmental Entities or third parties are required for the consummation by the Buyer of the Contemplated Transactions.

 

Section 3.4       Litigation. There is no Action pending or, to the knowledge of the Buyer, threatened against the Buyer which questions or challenges the validity of this Agreement or any action taken or to be taken by the Buyer pursuant to this Agreement or in connection with the Contemplated Transactions or that could reasonably be expected to materially and adversely affect the Buyers ability to consummate the Contemplated Transactions.

 

ARTICLE IV

COVENANTS

 

Section 4.1       General. In the event that at any time after the Closing Date any further action is reasonably necessary to carry out the purposes of this Agreement, each of the Parties will take such further action (including the execution and delivery of such further instruments and documents) as the other Party reasonably may request.

 

Section 4.2        Post-Closing Consents and Approvals; Nonassignable Contracts.

 

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(a)        The Seller shall provide to the Buyer all information and documents necessary, in the sole and unreviewable determination of the Buyer, for the novation of certain Acquired Contracts. To obtain the approval of the novation of certain Acquired Contracts, and in the event that any other consent, approval or authorization of any third party required in connection with the Contemplated Transactions is not obtained by Seller on or prior to the Closing Date, or if any attempted assignment would be ineffective, Seller will use commercially reasonable efforts, and the Buyer will cooperate in all commercially reasonable respects with Seller, to (i) obtain all consents, novations and waivers and to resolve all impracticalities of assignment, novation or transfer necessary to convey the Acquired Business to the Buyer at the earliest practicable date, (ii) provide to the Buyer the benefits of the Acquired Business, (iii) cooperate in any reasonable and lawful arrangement designed to provide such benefits to the Buyer, and (iv) enforce at the request of the Buyer and for the account of the Buyer, any rights of Seller arising from the Acquired Business. Once consent is obtained, the respective contract or other agreement shall be deemed to have been automatically assigned and/or transferred to the Buyer as of the date the consent is effective.

 

(b)        As soon as commercially practicable following the date hereof, but no later than ten (10) Business Days following the Closing Date, Seller, in cooperation with the Buyer, will in accordance with, and to the extent required by, the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual, submit in writing to DCSA such documentation and information as may be required by DCSA in order to obtain DCSAs approval of the facility clearances and personal security clearances required by the Buyer to perform the Acquired Contracts (the Security Clearance Approvals). Seller will reasonably cooperate with the Buyer, including by way of furnishing to the Buyer or the U.S. Government such documents and other information as may be reasonably requested by the Buyer or the U.S. Government or required by Law, in connection with the Security Clearance Approvals. Seller and the Buyer will each use commercially reasonable efforts to provide all reasonable information and take all other commercially reasonable actions necessary to obtain the Security Clearance Approvals.

 

Section 4.3        Agreements Regarding Tax Matters.

 

(a)        Each Party shall reasonably cooperate with the other Party in connection with the filing of any and all Tax Returns, related to, or arising as a result of, the transactions contemplated in this Agreement.

 

(b)        The Seller shall pay all state and local Taxes (other than taxes on net overall income) that are required to be paid in respect of any transfer, sales, use, recording, value-added or similar state and local Taxes (other than taxes on net overall income) that may be imposed by reason of the sale, assignment, transfer and delivery of the Acquired Business (Transfer Taxes). The Seller will timely file all Tax Returns required to be filed by it in connection with the payment of such Transfer Taxes.

 

(c)        No later than ninety (90) days after the Closing Date, the Buyer shall deliver to Seller a statement (the Allocation Statement), allocating the Purchase Price, Assumed Liabilities and other relevant items among the Acquired Business in accordance with Section 1060 of the Code and the regulations thereunder. Within thirty (30) days of delivery of the Allocation Statement, Seller shall notify the Buyer of any proposed changes to the Allocation Statement. The Parties shall attempt in good faith to agree to the Allocation Statement, but if the Parties cannot agree on the Allocation Statement within ten (10) days after notification of a dispute by Seller, then upon the request of any Party, the Parties will resolve the dispute by way of arbitration by an independent accounting firm mutually agreed upon by Buyer and Seller, provided that the fees, expenses, and costs of the independent accounting firm arbitrator shall be borne equally by the Buyer, on the one hand, and Seller, on the other hand. The Parties shall make consistent use of the allocation as finally determined under this Section 4.3(c) for all Tax purposes and in all filings, declarations and reports with the IRS in respect thereof, including the reports required to be filed under Section 1060 of the Code. In connection with any claim or proceeding related to the determination of any Tax, neither Buyer nor Seller shall contend or represent that such allocation is not a correct allocation, unless otherwise required by Law.

 

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(d)        The Parties agree that the Acquired Business shall be acquired for income tax purposes on the Closing Date for all U.S. federal (and applicable state and local) income tax purposes, and neither Party shall take any position contrary to the foregoing on any Tax Return or before any taxing authority unless otherwise required pursuant to a determination (as such term is defined in Section 1313 of the Code).

 

Section 4.4        Confidentiality.

 

(a)        Each Party acknowledges that such Party has had, and may continue to have, access to non-public information relating to the Acquired Business (such information, along with the terms of this Agreement and the other Ancillary Documents, collectively the “Confidential Information); provided that the term Confidential Informationdoes not include information which (i) is or hereafter becomes generally known or available to the public, other than through the improper disclosure by a Party of another Partys Confidential Information, in violation of this Agreement; (ii) is acquired by a Party without restriction as to use or disclosure; (iii) is information independently developed by a third party without assistance by a Party; or (iv) is disclosed by a Party with the prior written consent of the Party whose Confidential Information will be subject to disclosure.

 

(b)        In connection therewith, each Party hereby covenants and agrees that, for a period of two (2) years from and after the Closing Date, each Party shall keep and hold each other Partys Confidential Information in strict confidence and, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, will not use for any purpose, nor directly or indirectly disclose, distribute, publish, disseminate or otherwise make available to any third party, any of such other Partys Confidential Information without obtaining such other Partys prior written consent; provided, however, that if a Party or any of its representatives are requested or required to disclose any of such other Partys Confidential Information by judicial or administrative process or by other requirements of Law, such Party shall, to the extent permitted by Law and practicable, promptly notify such other Party and shall cooperate, at no expense to such Party, with such other Party in its efforts to obtain a protective order or other appropriate remedy in respect of such Confidential Information at issue; provided, further, that without prior notice to the other Party, a Party may disclose, to a regulatory authority or self-regulatory organization, in each case having jurisdiction over such Party, Confidential Information pursuant to routine regulatory oversight that does not target or refer to the other Party or Confidential Information. Notwithstanding the foregoing, each Party may disclose only that portion of such other Partys Confidential Information which such Party is required by judicial or administrative process or by other requirements of Law, to disclose.

 

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Section 4.5        Employees.

 

(a)        Commencing on the Closing Date, the Buyer shall offer employment to each employee of the Acquired Business set forth on Schedule 4.5, with each employee who accepts such offer of employment being referred to as a Transferred Employee. Seller covenants that it will use its commercially reasonable efforts to cause each Transferred Employee to become employed by the Buyer. The Seller shall be responsible for, and shall pay (consistent with current payroll practices), all salary, wages, bonus, commission, deferred compensation, paid time off, health savings accounts balances, expense reimbursements, severance, benefits and other remuneration with respect to any Transferred Employee occurring on or prior to the Closing (the Final Compensation) in accordance with applicable Law. For the avoidance of doubt, the payment of Final Compensation shall not be double counted with the Net Working Capital definition. The Buyer shall not assume responsibility for any Transferred Employee until such employee commences employment with the Buyer (each a Transfer Date) and the Seller shall be responsible for all liabilities and obligations arising from or related to any and all employees of the Acquired Business who do not receive an offer of employment from the Buyer or who decline the Buyers offer of employment.

 

(b)        To the extent Seller is required under its employment policies, employment agreements, and applicable Law, the Seller shall pay to each Transferred Employee an amount sufficient to compensate such Transferred Employee for the accrued and unused vacation days which have accrued to such Transferred Employee prior to the Transferred Employees Transfer Date.

 

(c)        The Seller shall pay pro rata accrued cash incentives to each Transferred Employee on the same basis, including the time of payment, as in effect as of the Closing Date, for the applicable performance measurement period ending on December 31, 2022, pursuant to any cash incentive, variable compensation or bonus program; provided, however, that any requirement that the Transferred Employee be employed by Seller on the date of payment shall be waived.

 

(d)        The Seller shall have the sole obligation to provide, and hereby agrees to provide, any notice and other benefits that may be required under the WARN Act to any employee of the Acquired Business (including any Transferred Employee), to the extent arising on or prior to such Transferred Employee becoes. The Buyer shall have the sole obligation to provide, and hereby agrees to provide, any notice and other benefits that may be required under the WARN Act to any Transferred Employee on or after such Transferred Employees Transfer Date.

 

(e)        The Seller shall retain each Employee Benefit Plan and shall retain all Liabilities in respect of benefits earned and accrued by the employees, consultants, contract workers or other service providers of the Acquired Business under any such Employee Benefit Plan, and neither the Buyer nor any of its Affiliates shall assume any Employee Benefit Plan or any Liabilities with respect thereto. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Seller shall be solely responsible for, and shall bear and discharge any Liabilities for, claims of employees, consultants, contract workers or other service providers of the Acquired Business and their eligible beneficiaries and dependents: (i) under any Employee Benefit Plan that is incurred prior to a Transferred Employees Transfer Date, and (ii) relating to COBRA coverage attributable to "qualifying events" occurring prior to the Transferred Employeesrespective Transfer Dates. For purposes hereof, unless specified otherwise by the applicable Employee Benefit Plan as in effect at such time (A) a medical, dental or vision claim shall be considered incurred on the date when the services are rendered or supplies are provided, and not when the condition arose, when the course of treatment began or when the claim for payment was submitted, (B) life, accidental death and dismemberment and business travel accident insurance benefit claims shall be considered incurred upon the date of the event giving rise to the claim, and (C) disability income benefit claims shall be considered incurred on the date that the initial event that gives rise to the claim occurs. On the day before the applicable Transferred Employees Transfer Date, each Transferred Employee shall cease active participation in and shall cease to accrue benefits under the Employee Benefit Plan. All outstanding accrued compensation earned by a Transferred Employee under the Employee Benefits Plans shall vest (to the extent not already vested), be paid and settled and no longer be outstanding immediately prior to the Transfer Date.

 

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(f)        Nothing contained in this Agreement shall confer upon any employee, consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business or Seller any right to employment with the Buyer or its Affiliates or to any employee benefits or compensation or remuneration, nor shall anything herein interfere with the right of the Buyer or its Affiliates to relocate or terminate the employment of any Transferred Employee at any time on or after the applicable Transfer Date.

 

(g)        If any Transferred Employee is party to an agreement with the Seller that contains restrictive covenants that would otherwise prohibit or restrict such Transferred Employees employment with the Buyer, the Seller hereby waives its rights to enforce such restrictive covenants, effective at the the applicable Transfer Date, solely with respect to any Transferred Employees employment or services with the Buyer or any of its Affiliates.

 

(h)        Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any current or former employee, consultant, contract worker or other service of Seller any rights or remedies of any nature or kind whatsoever under or by reason of this Agreement, including any rights of employment or rights in or to any employee benefit or other compensation or remuneration plan, policy, agreement or arrangement. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 4.5, nothing in this Agreement, whether express or implied, shall be treated as an amendment or other modification of, or limit the ability of the Seller, the Buyer or their respective Affiliates to amend, modify or terminate any Employee Benefit Plan or any other employee benefit or other compensation or remuneration plan, policy, agreement or arrangement of the Seller, the Buyer or their respective Affiliates. Each Transferred Employee will be deemed an employee at will of the Buyer and nothing expressed or implied herein will obligate the Buyer to provide continued employment to any such Transferred Employee for any specified period of time following the Closing Date.

 

(i)            Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon Buyer the right to communicate with Sellers employees prior to the Closing Date without Sellers prior written consent.

 

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Section 4.6         Non-Competition; Non-Solicitation.

 

(a)        For a period of five (5) years commencing on the Closing Date (the “Restricted Period), Seller shall not, and shall not permit any of its Affiliates to, directly or indirectly, (i) engage in or assist others in engaging in the Restricted Business in the United States of America and its territories (the Territory); (ii) have an interest in any Person that engages directly or indirectly in the Restricted Business in the Territory in any capacity, including as a partner, shareholder, member, employee, principal, agent, trustee or consultant; or (iii) cause, induce or encourage any material actual or prospective client, customer, supplier or licensor of the Acquired Business (including any existing or former client or customer of Seller and any Person that becomes a client or customer of the Acquired Business after the Closing), or any other Person who has a material business relationship with the Acquired Business, to terminate or modify any such actual or prospective relationship. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Seller may own, directly or indirectly, solely as an investment, securities of any Person traded on any national securities exchange if Seller is not a controlling Person of, or a member of a group which controls, such Person and does not, directly or indirectly, own 2% or more of any class of securities of such Person.

 

(b)        During the Restricted Period, Seller shall not, and shall not permit any of its Affiliates to, directly or indirectly, hire or solicit any person who is offered employment by the Parties pursuant to Section 4.5(a) or is or was employed in the Acquired Business during the Restricted Period, or encourage any such employee to leave such employment or hire any such employee who has left such employment, except pursuant to a general solicitation which is not directed specifically to any such employees; provided, that nothing in this Section 4.6(b) shall prevent Seller or any of its Affiliates from hiring (i) after two (2) years from the date of termination of employment, if any employee whose employment has been terminated by Buyer or (ii) after two (2) years from the date of termination of employment, any employee whose employment has been terminated by the employee.

 

(c)        Seller acknowledges that the restrictions contained in this Section 4.5(b) are reasonable and necessary to protect the legitimate interests of Buyer and constitute a material inducement to Buyer to enter into this Agreement and consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement. In the event that any covenant contained in this Section 4.5(b) should ever be adjudicated to exceed the time, geographic, product or service or other limitations permitted by applicable Law in any jurisdiction, then any court is expressly empowered to reform such covenant, and such covenant shall be deemed reformed, in such jurisdiction to the maximum time, geographic, product or service or other limitations permitted by applicable Law. The covenants contained in this Section 4.5(b) and each provision hereof are severable and distinct covenants and provisions. The invalidity or unenforceability of any such covenant or provision as written shall not invalidate or render unenforceable the remaining covenants or provisions hereof, and any such invalidity or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such covenant or provision in any other jurisdiction.

 

Section 4.7        Efforts.

 

(a)        Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each Party shall use its best efforts to cooperate fully with the other Parties, to take, or cause to be taken, all actions and to do, or cause to be done, all things reasonably necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws and regulations to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement (including the receipt of all applicable permits, notices to, or consents or approvals of any Governmental Entity or prime contractor) and to comply as promptly as practicable with all requirements of Governmental Entities and prime contractors applicable to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.

 

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(b)        Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, each Party shall use its best efforts to cooperate fully with the other Parties, to take, or cause to be taken, all actions and to do, or cause to be done, all things reasonably necessary, proper or advisable under applicable Laws and regulations to facilitate the transfer of the Acquired Contracts including, without limitation, providing Buyer with all documentation related to such Acquired Contract.

 

ARTICLE V

REMEDIES

 

Section 5.1        Survival. The representations and warranties of the Parties contained in this Agreement will survive until the twelve (12) month anniversary of the Closing, except that (a) the representations and warranties under Section 2.1 (Organization), Section 2.2 (Authorization of Transaction), Section 2.4 (Title to Acquired Business), Section 2.6 (BrokersFees), Section 2.10 (Taxes), Section 3.1 (Organization), and Section 3.2 (Authorization of Transaction) (collectively, the Fundamental Representations) shall survive for the applicable statute of limitations and (b) the Government Contract Matters Representations shall survive until the date that is four (4) years from the date hereof. All covenants and agreements contained herein which by their terms contemplate actions or impose obligations following the Closing (the Post-Closing Covenants) shall survive the Closing and remain in full force and effect in accordance with their terms and if no such term is provided, sixty (60) days after the expiration of the applicable statute of limitations. In the event notice of any claim for indemnification under this Article V shall have been given prior to the expiration of a particular representation, warranty, covenant or agreement and such claim has not been finally resolved by the date of expiration of such representation, warranty, covenant or agreement, such representation, warranty, covenant or agreement that is the subject of such claim shall survive, but only to the extent of, and in the amount of, the claim as made prior to the expiration of such representation, warranty, covenant or agreement, until such claim is finally resolved.

 

Section 5.2         Indemnification. Subject to the terms, conditions and limitations set forth in this Article V, from and after the Closing Date:

 

(a)        Seller shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Buyer and its successors and assigns (collectively, the Buyer Indemnified Parties) from and against any Losses that are imposed on or incurred by the Buyer Indemnified Parties arising out of or relating to: (i) any breach of any representation or warranty made by Seller in this Agreement; (ii) any breach of or failure to perform any covenant or agreement of Seller set forth in this Agreement (other than the Sellers Post-Closing Covenants); (iii) all Liabilities incurred, accrued or arising out of events that occurred prior to the Closing Date in connection with the Sellers ownership, use, conduct or operation of the Acquired Business; and (iv) all Taxes (A) payable in respect of the Acquired Business for all Tax periods (or portions thereof) ending prior to the Closing Date and (B) of Seller;

 

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(b)        Seller shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Buyer Indemnified Parties from and against any Losses that are imposed on or incurred by the Buyer Indemnified Parties arising out of or relating to any breach of or failure to perform any Post-Closing Covenant of the Seller set forth in this Agreement; and

 

(c)        the Buyer shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Seller and its successors and assigns (collectively, the Seller Indemnified Parties) from and against any Losses that are imposed on or incurred by the Seller Indemnified Parties arising out of or relating to: (i) any breach of any representation or warranty made by the Buyer in this Agreement, (ii) any breach of or failure to perform any covenant or agreement of the Buyer set forth in this Agreement, (iii) the Assumed Liabilities (iv) all Taxes payable in respect of the Acquired Business for all Tax periods (or portions thereof) beginning as of the Closing Date and (v) all Losses incurred, accrued or arising out of events that occurred on or after the Closing Date in connection with the Buyers ownership, use, conduct or operation of the Acquired Business.

 

Section 5.3        Limitations on Indemnification.

 

(a)        Neither the Seller nor the Buyer shall be required to make payments in satisfaction of claims for indemnification pursuant to Section 5.2 until the aggregate amount of Losses incurred by the Buyer Indemnified Parties or the Seller Indemnified Parties, as applicable, exceeds one percent (1%) of the Purchase Price (the Threshold Amount), in which case the Buyer Indemnified Parties or Seller Indemnified Parties, as applicable, shall be entitled to indemnification pursuant to Section 5.2 for all such Losses from the first dollar, subject to the other limitations herein.

 

(b)        The aggregate amount of all payments made by (i) Seller in satisfaction of claims for indemnification pursuant to Section 5.2(a) or Section 5.2(b) shall not exceed thirty percent (30%) of the Purchase Price (the Cap); provided, however, the Cap shall not apply with respect to any Losses resulting from breaches of the Sellers Government Contract Matters Representations, which shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of the Purchase Price, provided, however, the Cap shall not apply with respect to any Losses resulting from (A) breaches of the Sellers Fundamental Representations or (B) intentional misrepresentation or fraud, which shall not exceed the Purchase Price.

 

(c)        The aggregate amount of all payments made by the Buyer in satisfaction of claims for indemnification pursuant to Section 5.2(c) shall not exceed the Cap; provided, however, the Cap shall not apply with respect to any Losses resulting from (A) breaches of the Buyers Fundamental Representations (B) intentional misrepresentation or fraud, which shall not exceed the Purchase Price or (C) Losses described in Section 5.2(c)(v).

 

Section 5.4       Third-Party Claims. In order for a Party seeking indemnification pursuant to this Article V (the Indemnified Party) to be entitled to any indemnification provided for under this Article V in respect of a claim made against the Indemnified Party by any Person who is not a party to this Agreement (a Third-Party Claim), such Indemnified Party must notify the Party from whom indemnification is sought pursuant to this Article V (the “Indemnifying Party”) in writing of the Third-Party Claim, which such notice must include a reasonably detailed description of such claim, the amount of such claim (to the extent then known) and the basis for indemnification hereunder and which such notice must be delivered within thirty (30) days following receipt by such Indemnified Party of the notice of the Third-Party Claim; provided, however, that failure to give such notification shall not affect the indemnification provided hereunder except in the event the Indemnifying Party shall have been actually materially prejudiced as a result of such failure. In the event any Indemnified Party should have a claim against any Indemnifying Party under this Article V that does not involve a Third-Party Claim, the Indemnified Party shall deliver notice of such claim to the Indemnifying Party, which notice shall include a reasonably detailed description of such claim, the amount of such claim and the basis for indemnification hereunder.

 

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Section 5.5        Exclusive Remedy. Notwithstanding anything else contained in this Agreement to the contrary, after the Closing, except as provided in Section 8.5 and except in the case of fraud, the indemnification pursuant to the provisions of this Article V shall be the sole and exclusive remedy of the Parties with respect to any and all claims arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, including in respect of any breach of any representation, warranty, covenant or other provision contained in this Agreement or any certificate delivered pursuant hereto.

 

Section 5.6         Payment and Limited Setoff Rights. Subject to Buyers limited setoff rights below, the Seller may, at its option, satisfy claims for Indemnification under this Article V by transferring to Seller shares of Buyers Common Stock with a value equal to the amount of such claim as determined on the date that the claim is finally determined. However, notwithstanding the foregoing, the Buyer may, at its option, offset amounts due on to Buyer for against any amounts otherwise due to Seller including, without limitation, the Cash Consideration, if paid.

 

ARTICLE VI

CONDITIONS TO CLOSING

 

Section 6.1      Conditions to Obligation of Buyer. The obligation of Buyer to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby is subject to the satisfaction of the following further conditions:

 

(a)           (i) Seller shall have performed and complied with all of its obligations hereunder required to be performed by it on or prior to the Closing Date; (ii) the representations and warranties of Seller contained in this Agreement and in any certificate delivered by Seller pursuant hereto shall be true and correct at and as of the Closing (without regard to any qualifications therein as to materiality or material adverse effect), as though made at and as of the Closing Date (or, if made as of a specific date, at and as of such date) and between the date hereof and the Closing Date, (iii) there shall not have occurred a material adverse effect with respect to the Acquired Business; and (iv) Buyer shall have received a certificate signed by an officer of Seller to the foregoing effect; and

 

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(b)        At the Closing, Seller will deliver to the Buyer: (i) the Bill of Sale duly executed by Seller, (ii) the Assignment and Assumption Agreement, duly executed by Seller; (iii) a duly executed IRS Form W-9, dated as of the Closing Date; (iv) all Government Furnished Equipment; (v) an employment agreement between Barton B. Brown II and the Buyer, (vi) certificates signed by the secretary (or another proper officer) of the Seller, dated as of the Closing Date, attaching and certifying (x) the organizational documents of Seller, (y) the resolutions of Sellers board of managers approving this Agreement, the Ancillary Documents to which Seller is a party and the Contemplated Transactions and (z) the incumbency and signatures of the Persons signing this Agreement and any other agreement, document, instrument or certificate contemplated to be entered into by Seller pursuant to the transaction contemplated in this Agreement, and (vi) the third-party consents set forth on Schedule 6.1(b)(vi).1

 

Section 6.2      Conditions to Obligation of Seller. The obligation of Seller to consummate the transactions contemplated hereby is subject to the satisfaction of the following further conditions:

 

(a)        Buyer shall have performed and complied with all of its obligations hereunder required to be performed by it at or prior to the Closing Date and the representations and warranties of Buyer contained in this Agreement and in any certificate delivered by Buyer pursuant hereto shall be true in all material respects at and as of the Closing, as if made at and as of such time (or if made as of a specific date, at and as of such date) and Seller shall have received a certificate signed by an officer of Buyer to the foregoing effect.

 

(b)        Buyer will deliver to Seller: (i) the Bill of Sale, Assignment and Assumption Agreement, duly executed by the Buyer; (ii) a certificate from a duly authorized officer of the Buyer, dated as of the Closing Date, attaching and certifying (x) the organizational documents of the Buyer, (y) the resolutions of the Buyer approving this Agreement, the Ancillary Documents to which the Buyer is a party and the Contemplated Transactions and (z) the incumbency and signatures of the Persons signing this Agreement and any other agreement, document, instrument or certificate contemplated to be entered into by the Buyer pursuant to the transaction contemplated in this Agreement.

 

Section 6.3        Frustration of Closing Conditions. Neither Buyer nor Seller may rely on the failure of any condition set forth in Section 6.1 or Section 6.2, as the case may be, to be satisfied if such failure was caused by such partys failure to comply with its obligations to consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the Transaction Agreements as required by the provisions of this Agreement.

 

ARTICLE VII

TERMINATION

 

Section 7.1        Grounds for Termination. This Agreement may be terminated at any time prior to the Closing Date:

 

 

 

1NTD: to include Booz Allen contracts.

 

 20 

 

 

(a)        by mutual written agreement of Seller and Buyer;

 

(b)        by Buyer if the Acquired Business should experience a material adverse effect; or

 

(c)        if the Contemplated Transactions are not consummated by August 31, 2022.

 

To effect the termination of this Agreement pursuant to this Section 7.1, the terminating party shall give written notice of such termination to the other party.

 

Section 7.2        Effect of Termination. If this Agreement is terminated as permitted by Section 7.1, such termination shall be without liability of any party hereto (or any equityholder, director, officer, employee, agent, consultant or representative of any such party) to any other party to this Agreement; provided, however, that nothing herein shall relieve any party from liability for any willful and material breach hereof. The provisions of Section 4.4 (Confidentiality), this Section 7.2 (Effect of Termination) and Article VIII (Miscellaneous) shall survive any termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 7.1.

 

ARTICLE VIII

MISCELLANEOUS

 

Section 8.1         Notices. All notices and other communications given or made pursuant hereto shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given or made (a) on the date of delivery if delivered personally, or by electronic mail/PDF, upon confirmation of successful transmission, (b) on the first (1st) Business Day following the date of dispatch if delivered by a recognized next-day courier service, or (c) on the fifth (5th) Business Day following the date of mailing if delivered by registered or certified mail return receipt requested, postage prepaid and shall be delivered personally or mailed by registered or certified mail (postage prepaid, return receipt requested), sent by recognized next-day courier service or sent by electronic mail/PDF or facsimile, to the applicable Party at the following addresses (or at such other address for a Party as shall be specified by like notice):

 

 

If to Seller:  
   
  Barton B. Brown II
  Lexington Solutions Group, LLC
  245 Ebenezer Circle
  Lexington, VA 24450
  Email:
  Telephone No.:
   
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) sent contemporaneously to:
   
  Flora Pettit PC
  90 North Main Street
  P.O. Box 1287
  Harrisonburg, VA 22803
  Attn: Matthew Von Schuch
  E-mail: mvs@fplegal.com
  Telephone No.: 540.437.3123
   
If to Buyer:  
   
  Castellum, Inc.
  9812 Falls Road #299-114
  Potomac, MD 20854
  Attn: Jay Wright, General Counsel
  Email: jwright22@msn.com; jwright@castellumus.com
  Telephone No.: 301.524.4759
   
with a copy (which shall not constitute notice) sent contemporaneously to:
   
  Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
  1200 Seventeenth Street NW  
  Washington, D.C. 20036
  Attn: Nicole M. Islinger
  Email: Nicole.islinger@pillsburylaw.com  
  Telephone No.: 202.663.8207

 

 21 

 

 

Section 8.2       Expenses. Except as expressly provided in this Agreement, each of the Parties, and their respective Affiliates, will bear its own costs and expenses (including legal, accounting and investment banking fees and expenses) incurred in connection with this Agreement and the Contemplated Transactions.

 

Section 8.3      Amendment; Assignment; Waivers. Neither this Agreement nor any of the rights, interests or obligations provided by this Agreement may be assigned by a Party (whether by operation of law or otherwise) without the prior written consent of the other Parties, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed; and provided, however, each Party may assign this Agreement without the prior consent of the other Parties to one or more of such Partys Affiliates (in which case the Party shall remain responsible for the performance of all of its obligations hereunder). Subject to the preceding sentence and except as otherwise expressly provided herein, this Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. This Agreement may be amended only by a written instrument executed by the Parties. No waiver of any provision of this Agreement will be valid or binding unless it is in writing and is executed and delivered by or on behalf of the Party against which it is sought to be enforced.

 

Section 8.4        Entire Agreement; Severability. This Agreement and the Ancillary Documents collectively constitute the entire agreement among the Parties with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersede any prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements or representations by or among the Parties, written or oral, with respect to the subject matter hereof. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement will be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under Law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be prohibited by or invalid under Law, such provision will be ineffective only to the extent of such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of this Agreement.

 

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Section 8.5         Specific Performance. The Parties acknowledge and agree that a Party may be damaged irreparably in the event any of the provisions of this Agreement is not performed in accordance with its specific terms or is otherwise breached or violated. Accordingly, the Parties agree that, without posting bond or other undertaking, each Party may be entitled, subject to a determination by a court of competent jurisdiction, to an injunction or injunctions to prevent breaches or violations of the provisions of this Agreement and to enforce specifically this Agreement and the terms and provisions hereof in any judicial or administrative claim, action, suit, audit, assessment, arbitration or inquiry, or any proceeding or investigation, by or before any third party or Governmental Entity instituted in any court having jurisdiction over the Parties and the matter in addition to any other remedy to which it may be entitled, at law or in equity.

 

Section 8.6       Construction. References to applicableLaw or Laws with respect to a particular Person, thing or matter shall include only such Law or Laws as to which the Governmental Entity that enacted or promulgated such Law or Laws has jurisdiction over such Person, thing or matter. Whenever the context requires, the singular number shall include the plural, and vice versa, the masculine gender shall include the feminine and neuter genders, the feminine gender shall include the masculine and neuter genders, and the neuter gender shall include the masculine and feminine genders. The words includeand including, and variations thereof, shall not be deemed to be terms of limitation, but rather shall be deemed to be followed by the words without limitation.Except as otherwise indicated, all references in this Agreement to Sections, Schedulesand Exhibitsare intended to refer to Sections, Schedules and Exhibits to this Agreement. The terms hereof, hereunder, hereinand words of similar import shall refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular provision of this Agreement. Each Party has participated in the drafting of this Agreement, which each Party acknowledges is the result of extensive negotiations between the Parties, and consequently this Agreement shall be interpreted without reference to any rule or precept of Law to the effect that any ambiguity in a document be construed against the drafter. When calculating the period of time before which, within which or following which any act is to be done or step taken pursuant to this Agreement, the date that is the reference date in calculating such period will be excluded (for example, if any action is to be taken within two (2) days of a triggering event, and such event occurs on a Tuesday, then the action must be taken by Thursday). The terms provide,” “provided,and made availableand similar expressions (regardless of whether capitalized or not) shall mean, when used with reference to documents or other materials required to be provided or made available to the Buyer shall mean (unless context clearly indicates otherwise) delivered to Buyer or, with respect to documents to be provided to the Buyer after the Closing Date, by the applicable date such document is required to be provided. The descriptive headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and will not constitute a part of this Agreement. The Exhibits and Disclosure Schedules attached to this Agreement are made a part of this Agreement as if set forth fully herein.

 

Section 8.7       Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed by facsimile transmission or electronic mail (as a Portable Document Format (PDF) file) and in one or more counterparts, all of which shall be considered one and the same agreement and shall become effective when one or more counterparts have been signed by the Seller or the Buyer, on the one hand, and delivered to the Seller or the Buyer, on the other hand, it being understood that all Parties need not sign the same counterpart. Signatures delivered by facsimile transmission or electronic mail (as a PDF file) to another Party hereto shall have the same force and effect as any other delivery of a manually signed counterpart of this Agreement.

 

 23 

 

 

Section 8.8       No Third-Party Beneficiaries. This Agreement will not confer any rights or remedies upon any Person or entity other than the Parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

 

Section 8.9       Governing Law. This Agreement and all claims or causes of action (whether in contract, tort or otherwise) that may be based upon, arise out of or relate to this Agreement or the negotiation, execution, performance, non-performance, interpretation, termination of construction hereof or thereof shall be construed in accordance with, and governed in all respects by, the internal Laws of the State of Maryland (without giving effect to principles of conflicts of laws). Each Party irrevocably agrees that any legal action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement may be brought in any state or federal court located in Montgomery County in the State of Maryland (or in any court in which appeal from such courts may be taken), and each party agrees not to assert, by way of motion, as a defense, or otherwise, in any such action, suit or proceeding, any claim that it is not subject personally to the jurisdiction of such court, that the action, suit or proceeding is brought in an inconvenient forum, that the venue of the action, suit or proceeding is improper or that this Agreement or the subject matter hereof may not be enforced in or by such court, and hereby agrees not to challenge such jurisdiction or venue by reason of any offsets or counterclaims in any such action, suit or proceeding.

 

Section 8.10      Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, AND SHALL CAUSE ITS INDEMNIFIED PARTIES TO IRREVOCABLY WAIVE, ANY AND ALL RIGHTS TO TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY ACTION ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT, THE ANCILLARY DOCUMENTS AND/OR THE CONTEMPLATED TRANSACTIONS.

 

Section 8.11     Non-Recourse. This Agreement may only be enforced against, and any claim or cause of action based upon, arising out of, or related to this Agreement may only be brought against, the entities that are expressly named as Parties hereto and their permitted successors and assigns and then only with respect to the specific obligations set forth herein with respect to such Party. Except to the extent named a Party to this Agreement (and then only to the extent of the specific obligations undertaken by such named Party in this Agreement and not otherwise), or a successor or assign, no past, present or future director, officer, employee, incorporator, stockholder, agent, attorney or Affiliate of any of the foregoing will have any liability (whether in contract, tort, equity or otherwise) for any one or more of the representations, warranties, covenants, agreements or other obligations or liabilities of any one or more of the Seller or the Buyer under this Agreement (whether for indemnification or otherwise).

 

 

 24 

 

 

               Section 8.12        Public Announcements. None of the Parties shall, without the prior consent of the other Parties to this Agreement, issue any press release or otherwise make any public statement with respect to this Agreement or the sale of the Acquired Business, except as may be required by Law; provided that following the Closing Date such restriction shall not prevent the Buyer from (i) notifying potential suppliers, partners or customers of the Acquired Business of the transfer of the Acquired Business from the Seller to the Buyer, (ii) including the Acquired Contracts on the Buyers public list of contracts (including on the Buyers website) and (iii) issuing a press release to comply with the accounting and the Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure obligations or the rules of any stock exchange.

 

(Signature Page Follows)

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Business Acquisition Agreement as of the date first written above.

 
  BUYER:
   
  CASTELLUM, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Mark Fuller 
  Name: Mark Fuller
  Title: Chief Executive Officer
     
  SELLER:
   
  LEXINGTON SOLUTIONS GROUP, LLC
     
  By: /s/ Barton B. Brown II
  Name: Barton B. Brown II
  Title: President

 

[Signature Page to Business Acquisition Agreement]

 

   

 

 

Schedule 1.1

 

Acquired Business

 

1.The Acquired Contracts.

 

2.All tangible assets of the Seller used primarily in connection with the Acquired Contracts other than (a) all ownership and other rights with respect to any employee benefit plan of the Seller and any trusts or other assets attributable thereto; and (b) all employee-related or employee benefit-related plans, agreements, files or records, other than employment files or records related to the Transferred Employees.

 

3.Any rights and interests of the Seller in any government furnished equipment in any way relating to the Acquired Contracts (the Government Furnished Equipment).

 

4.Any and all claims and rights of any kind against third parties exclusively relating to the Acquired Contracts.

 

5.Any and all work product in progress and contract deliverables in progress exclusively related to the Acquired Contracts.

 

6.The original proposal that the Seller submitted in connection with the Acquired Contracts, and all files primarily related thereto.

 

7.All of the Sellers written or electronic information primarily relating to the Acquired

Contracts (including documentation, databases, downloads, and customer files).

 

8.All correspondence with any Governmental Entity primarily regarding the Acquired Contracts.

 

9.All business development opportunities and operations primarily associated with the Acquired Contracts and all records and files primarily related thereto.

 

10.The employment of the Transferred Employees on and following the Transferred Employees respective Transfer Dates and the assignment of any and all independent contractors.

 

11.Any and all proposals (past or pending) created, owned, or submitted by the Seller (collectively, the Proposals).

 

12.All goodwill associated with any of the foregoing.

 

13.All agreements listed on Schedule 2.7(b)(v), if any.

 

14.Company cash and accounts receivable on the books and records of the Company as of the Closing Date.

 

15.Company intellectual property and software (to the extent assignable).

 

   

 

 

Schedule 2.7(b)(v)

 

Orders and Other Contracts

 

 3 

 

 

Schedule 4.5

 

Transferred Employees.

 

See Attachment A.

 

 4 

 

 

Schedule 5.1(g)

 

Third-Party Consents

 

 5 

 

 

Exhibit A

 

Definitions

 

For purposes of the Agreement, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:

 

Acquired Businesshas the meaning set forth in Section 1.1.

 

Acquired Contractsmeans Contract No. N0017819D8009 by and between the Seller and the Naval Surface Warafare Centers Dahlgren Division, and Subcontract Nos. 109146SB2B, S901790BAH, A8158 by and between the Seller and Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Unless otherwise indicated, the term Acquired Contractsincludes any statement of work, task order, purchase order, delivery order or similar issued under such contract.

 

Actionmeans any claim, action, charge, grievance, suit or proceeding by or before any

Governmental Entity or any arbitrator with legal and binding authority over such matter.

 

Affiliatehas the meaning set forth in Rule l2b-2 of the regulations promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

Agreementhas the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Allocation Statementhas the meaning set forth in Section 4.3(c).

 

Ancillary Documentsmeans the Bill of Sale, Assignment and Assumption Agreement, and any other document to be delivered pursuant to this Agreement.

 

Assumed Liabilitiesmeans any and all Liabilities arising after the Closing Date under/from the assets described on Schedule 1.1 and which are also not specifically Excluded Liabilities.

 

Bill of Sale, Assignment and Assumption Agreementmeans that certain Bill of Sale, Assignment and Assumption Agreement, dated as of the date hereof, by and between the Buyer and the Seller, attached hereto as Exhibit B.

 

Business Daymeans a day, other than a Saturday or Sunday or a national holiday, on which commercial banks in Washington, D.C. are open for the general transaction of business.

 

Buyerhas the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Buyer Indemnified Partieshas the meaning set forth in Section 5.2(a).

 

Buyers Common Stockmeans common stock of the Buyer par value $0.0001 per share.

 

Caphas the meaning set forth in Section 5.3(b).

 

Closinghas the meaning set forth in Section 1.2.

 

Closing Datehas the meaning set forth in Section 1.2.

 

 6 

 

 

Codemeans the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (together with all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder), and any successor to such statute, rules or regulations.

 

Confidential Informationhas the meaning set forth in Section 4.4(a).

 

Contemplated Transactionsmeans transactions contemplated by this Agreement and the other Ancillary Documents.

 

DCSAmean the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.

 

Encumbrancemeans all mortgages, deeds of trust, collateral assignments, security interests, Uniform Commercial Code financing statements, conditional or other sales agreements, liens, pledges, hypothecations, claims, interference, options, rights of first refusal, preemptive rights, community property interests, restrictions of any nature, any other encumbrances on or ownership interests in assets owned by the Seller (including any restriction on the voting of any security, any restriction on the transfer of any security or other asset, any restriction on the possession, exercise or transfer) as applicable.

 

Enforceability Exceptionsmeans applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer and similar Laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditorsrights, or by general equity principles.

 

Excluded Liabilitiesmeans any and all Liabilities which meet any of the following criteria: (i) arises or exists before the Closing Date, (ii) all Taxes (A) payable in respect of the Acquired Business for all Tax periods (or portions thereof) ending prior to the Closing Date and (B) of Seller, (iii) constitutes Final Compensation, or (iv) arises upon or prior to Closing associated with the employment, service or retention of any Transferred Employee or other employee or any consultant, contract worker or other service provider of the Acquired Business and the provision of employee benefits, compensation and other remuneration to such Transferred Employee, other employee or consultant, contract worker or other service provider.

 

FARmeans the Federal Acquisition Regulation.

 

Final Compensationhas the meaning set forth in Section 4.5(a).

 

Fundamental Representationshas the meaning set forth in Section 5.1.

 

GAAPmeans generally accepted accounting principles.

 

Government Contract Matters Representationsmeans the representations and warranties made in Section 2.7.

 

Government Furnished Equipmenthas the meaning set forth in Schedule 1.1.

 

Government Ordermeans any judgment, order, award, decree, injunction or writ of any Governmental Entity issued against the Seller or any of the Sellers Affiliates relating to the Acquired Business or the Assumed Liabilities.

 

 7 

 

 

Governmental Entitymeans the United States, any state or other political subdivision thereof and any other foreign or domestic entity exercising executive, legislative, judicial, regulatory or administrative authority or functions of or pertaining to government, including any government authority, agency, department, board, commission, court, tribunal or instrumentality of the United States or any foreign entity, any state of the United States, or any political subdivision of any of the foregoing.

 

Indebtednessof any Person means, without duplication, (a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money, (b) all obligations of such Person evidenced by loan agreements, lines of credit, letters of credit, notes, debentures, bonds or other similar instruments for the payment of which such Person is responsible or liable, (c) all obligations of such Person issued or assumed for deferred purchase price payments, (d) all obligations of such Person under leases required to be capitalized in accordance with GAAP, as consistently applied by such Person, (e) all obligations created or arising under any conditional sale or other title retention agreement with respect to property acquired by such Person (even though the rights and remedies of the seller or lender under such agreement in the event of default are limited to repossession or sale of such property), (f) all obligations of such Person or another Person secured by an Lien on any asset of such first Person, whether or not such obligation is assumed by such first Person, (g) any prepayment fees or other fees, costs or expenses associated with payment of any indebtedness and (h) any guaranty of any of the foregoing of any other Person.

 

Indemnified Partyhas the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.

 

Indemnifying Partyhas the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.

 

IRSmeans the Internal Revenue Service.

 

Knowledge of the Sellermeans that Barton B. Brown, II has actual knowledge of the fact or other matter at issue; or would have actual knowledge of the fact or other matter at issue if he would have made reasonable inquiry.

 

Lawmeans any applicable federal, state, provincial, local or foreign law, statute, rule, regulation, ordinance, permit, order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree of any Governmental Entity.

 

Liabilitiesmeans any claims, Indebtedness, expenses, assessments, penalties, damages, losses, suits, options, obligations, payables or other liabilities, whether or not absolute, accrued, matured, due, contingent, liquidated, asserted, known, suspected, fixed or otherwise, and whether known or unknown, including all costs and expenses related thereto.

 

Lienmeans any lien, pledge, security interest, charge, claim, restriction, or other encumbrance or claim of any kind.

 

Lossesmeans any losses, damages, Liabilities, awards, assessments, judgments, Taxes, penalties, fines, costs and expenses (including reasonable and documented attorneysfees and disbursements); provided that Losses shall not include punitive, special or exemplary damages unless such are paid in connection with a Third-Party Claim.

 

 8 

 

 

Net Working Capitalmeans cash plus current accounts receivable (less than 90 days past due) minus current liabilities.

 

                “Partiesmeans the Seller and the Buyer together, and Partymeans the Seller or the Buyer individually, as the case may be.

 

Permitted Lienmeans any (a) mechanics, materialmensor similar Liens with respect to amounts not yet due or delinquent, and (b) Liens for Taxes not yet due and payable.

 

Personmeans an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, joint stock company, trust, joint venture, unincorporated organization, Governmental Entity or other legal individual or entity.

 

Principalhas the meaning ascribed to such term at FAR 2.101.

 

Purchase Pricemeans the sum of all Stock Consideration and Cash Consideration actually paid or disbursed to Seller (if any) pursuant to this Agreement.

 

Restricted Businessmeans any bidding or participation in a contract (whether as a prime contractor, sub-contractor, owner, or consultant) either directly or with a competitor against the Acquired Contracts or other contracts covered by this Agreement including their successors, modifications, and/or re-competes during the Restricted Period.

 

Restricted Periodhas the meaning set forth in Section 4.6(a).

 

Security Clearance Approvalshas the meaning set forth in Section 4.2(b).

 

Seller Indemnified Partieshas the meaning set forth in Section 5.2(c).

 

Sellerhas the meaning set forth in the Preamble.

 

Target Working Capitalmeans Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ($400,000.00)

 

Taxor Taxesmeans a tax or taxes of any kind or nature, or however denominated, including liability for federal, state, provincial, local or foreign income, franchise, gross receipts, sales, use, transfer, registration, business and occupation, value added, excise, severance, stamp, premium, windfall profit, customs, duties, real property, personal property, capital stock, social security, unemployment, disability, payroll, license, employee or other withholding, or other tax, of any kind whatsoever, including any interest, penalties or additions to tax or additional amounts in respect of the foregoing, whether disputed or not.

 

Tax Returnmeans with respect to any Tax, any return, report, statement, declaration, claim for refund, information return or document filed or required to be filed with any Governmental Entity (including any schedule or attachment hereto and including any amendment thereof).

 

Territoryhas the meaning set forth in Section 4.6(a).

 

 9 

 

 

Third-Party Claimhas the meaning set forth in Section 5.4.

 

Transfer Taxeshas the meaning set forth in Section 4.3(b).

 

Transferred Employeeshas the meaning set forth in Section 4.5(a).

 

U.S. Governmentmeans the government of the United States of America.

 

 10 

 

 

Exhibit B

 

Bill of Sale, Assignment and Assumption Agreement

 

   

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.9

 

CASTELLUM, Inc.

 

CASTELLUM, Inc. 2021 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

 

1.           Purpose

 

The Castellum, Inc. 2021 Stock Incentive Plan is intended to promote the best interests of Castellum, Inc. (the “Corporation”) and its stockholders by (i) assisting the Corporation and its Affiliates in the recruitment and retention of persons with ability and initiative, (ii) providing an incentive to such persons to contribute to the growth and success of the Corporation’s businesses by affording such persons equity participation in the Corporation and (iii) associating the interests of such persons with those of the Corporation and its affiliates and stockholders.

 

2.           Definitions

 

As used in this Plan the following definitions shall apply:

 

A.       “Affiliate” means (i) any Subsidiary, (ii) any Parent, (iii) any entity (including, without limitation, a corporation, partnership or limited liability company) which is directly or indirectly controlled fifty percent (50%) or more (whether by ownership of stock, assets or an equivalent ownership interest or voting interest) by the Corporation or one of its Affiliates, (iv) any entity (including, without limitation, a corporation, partnership or limited liability company) which directly or indirectly controls fifty percent (50%) or more (whether by ownership of stock, assets or equivalent ownership interest or voting interest) of the Corporation or one of its Affiliates, and (v) any other entity in which the Corporation or any of its Affiliates has a material equity interest and which is designated as an “Affiliate” by resolution of the Committee. However, for purposes of granting Options or Stock Appreciation Rights, an entity shall not be treated as an Affiliate unless the Corporation holds a “controlling interest” in such entity, where the term “controlling interest” has the meaning provided in Treasury Regulation section 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i), provided that the language “at least 50 percent” is used instead of “at least 80 percent” in Treasury Regulation Section 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i), and, provided further, that where the granting to such Participant of Options or Stock Appreciation Rights with respect to the Common Stock is based upon a legitimate business criteria, the language “at least 20 percent” is used instead of “at least 80 percent” each place it appears in Treasury Regulation Section 1.414(c)-2(b)(2)(i).

 

B.       “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

 

C.       “Cause” means (i) in the case where the Participant does not have an employment agreement, consulting agreement or similar agreement in effect with the Corporation or its Affiliate at the time of grant of the Option or Stock Award or where there is such an agreement but it does not define “cause” (or words of like import), conduct related to the Participant’s service to the Corporation or an Affiliate for which either criminal or civil penalties against the Participant may be sought, misconduct, insubordination, material violation of the Corporation’s or its Affiliate’s policies, disclosing or misusing any confidential information or material concerning the Corporation or an Affiliate or material breach of any employment agreement, consulting agreement or similar agreement, or (ii) in the case where the Participant has an employment agreement, consulting agreement or similar agreement in effect with the Corporation or its Affiliate at the time of grant of the Option or Stock Award that defines a termination for “cause” (or words of like import), “cause” as defined in such agreement; provided, however, that with regard to any agreement that defines “cause” on occurrence of or in connection with change of control, such definition of “cause” shall not apply until a change of control actually occurs and then only with regard to a termination thereafter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of an award which is intended to comply with Section 25102(o) of the California Corporations Code, such event must also constitute “cause” under applicable law.

 

D.       “Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and any amendments thereto.

 

  

 

 

E.        “Committee” means the Board or any Committee of the Board to which the Board has delegated any responsibility for the implementation, interpretation or administration of the Plan.

 

F.       “Common Stock” means the common stock, $0.0001 par value, of the Corporation.

 

G.       “Consultant” means (i) any person performing consulting or advisory services for the Corporation or any Affiliate, or (ii) a director of an Affiliate.

 

H.       “Continuous Service” means that the Participant’s service with the Corporation or an Affiliate, whether as an employee, Director or Consultant, is not interrupted or terminated. A Participant’s Continuous Service shall not be deemed to have terminated merely because of a change in the capacity in which the Participant renders service to the Corporation or an Affiliate as an employee, Director or Consultant or a change in the entity for which the Participant renders such service, provided that there is no interruption or termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service. The Participant’s Continuous Service shall be deemed to have terminated either upon an actual termination or upon the entity for which the Participant is performing services ceasing to be an Affiliate of the Corporation. The Committee shall determine whether Continuous Service shall be considered interrupted in the case of any leave of absence approved by the Corporation, including sick leave, military leave or any other personal leave. Except to the extent determined otherwise by the Committee or pursuant to the terms of the Participant’s leave of absence, vesting shall be tolled during the period of an unpaid leave of absence (except to the extent such vesting is required by law to be credited upon the Participant’s return to Continuous Service, in which case vesting credit shall be received upon such return). Whether a termination of Continuous Service shall have occurred for purposes of the Plan shall be determined by the Committee, which determination shall be final, binding and conclusive. In the event that any award under the Plan is treated as nonqualified deferred compensation subject to the provisions of Section 409A of the Code, a payment event by reason of a termination of Continuous Service shall, if necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code, occur with respect to such award only if such termination of Continuous Service also qualifies as a separation from service within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code.

 

I.       “Corporation” means Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation.

 

J.       “Corporation Law” means the general corporation law of the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Corporation.

 

K.       “Director” means a member of the Board.

 

L.       “Disability” shall, except as otherwise provided in an award agreement, have the meaning provided for in Section 22(e)(3) of the Code or any successor statute thereto. In the event that any award under the Plan is treated as nonqualified deferred compensation subject to the provisions of Section 409A of the Code, a payment event by reason of a Disability shall, if necessary to comply with Section 409A of the Code, occur with respect to such award only if such Disability also qualifies the Participant as disabled within the meaning of Section 409A(a)(2)(C) of the Code.

 

M.       “Eligible Person” means an employee of the Corporation or an Affiliate (including an entity that becomes an Affiliate after the adoption of this Plan), a Director or a Consultant to the Corporation or an Affiliate (including an entity that becomes an Affiliate after the adoption of this Plan) .

 

N.       “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

O.       “Fair Market Value” means, on any given date, the current fair market value of the shares of Common Stock determined as follows:

 

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(i)       If the Common Stock is traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market or is listed on a national securities exchange , the closing price for the day of determination as quoted on such market or exchange which is the primary market or exchange for trading of the Common Stock or if no trading occurs on such date, the last day on which trading occurred, or such other appropriate date as determined by the Committee in its discretion, as reported in The Wall Street Journal or such other source as the Committee deems reliable;

 

(ii)       If the Common Stock is regularly quoted by a recognized securities dealer but selling prices are not reported, its Fair Market Value shall be the mean between the high and the low asked prices for the Common Stock for the day of determination; or

 

(iii)       In the absence of an established market for the Common Stock, Fair Market Value shall be determined by the Committee in good faith; provided that Fair Market Value shall be determined in accordance with Section 422 of the Code or Section 409A of the Code, as appropriate, and the regulations and guidance thereunder.

 

P.       “Immediate Family Member” shall mean a person’s child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships.

 

Q.       “Incentive Stock Option” means an Option (or portion thereof) intended to qualify for special tax treatment under Section 422 of the Code.

 

R.       “Listing Date” means the date on which the Corporation has a class of equity securities registered under Section 12 of the Securities Act.

 

S.       “Nonqualified Stock Option” means an Option (or portion thereof) which is not intended or does not for any reason qualify as an Incentive Stock Option.

 

T.       “Option” means any option to purchase shares of Common Stock granted under this Plan.

 

U.       “Other Stock Award” means an award that is based in whole or in part by reference to Common Stock under Section 7.E.

 

V.       “Parent” means any corporation (other than the Corporation) in an unbroken chain of corporations ending with the Corporation if each of the corporations (other than the Corporation) owns stock possessing at least fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.

 

W.       “Participant” means an Eligible Person who is selected by the Committee to receive an Option or a Stock Award and is party to a Stock Option Agreement or Stock Award Agreement required by the terms of such Option or Stock Award.

 

X.       “Plan” means this Castellum, Inc. 2021 Stock Incentive Plan.

 

Y.       “Restricted Stock Award” means an award of Common Stock under Section 7.B.

 

Z.       “Restricted Stock Unit” means an award of an unfunded and unsecured right to receive shares of Common Stock (or cash or a combination of shares and cash, as determined in the sole discretion of the Committee) upon settlement of the award under Section 7.D.

 

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AA.       “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933 as amended.

 

BB.       “Stock Appreciation Right” means an award of a right of the Participant under Section 7.C. to receive a payment based on the increase in the Fair Market Value of the shares of Common Stock covered by the award.

 

CC.       “Stock Award” means a Stock Bonus Award, Restricted Stock Award, Stock Appreciation Right, Restricted Stock Unit Award or Other Stock Award.

 

DD.       “Stock Award Agreement” means an agreement (written or electronic) between the Corporation and a Participant setting forth the specific terms and conditions of a Stock Award granted to the Participant under Section 7. Each Stock Award Agreement shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and shall include such terms and conditions as the Committee shall authorize.

 

EE.       “Stock Bonus Award” means an award of Common Stock under Section 7.A.

 

FF.       “Stock Option Agreement” means an agreement (written or electronic) between the Corporation and a Participant setting forth the specific terms and conditions of an Option granted to the Participant. Each Stock Option Agreement shall be subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and shall include such terms and conditions as the Committee shall authorize.

 

GG.       “Subsidiary” means any corporation (other than the Corporation) in an unbroken chain of corporations beginning with the Corporation if each of the corporations (other than the last corporation in the unbroken chain) owns stock possessing at least fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock in one of the other corporations in such chain.

 

HH.       “Ten Percent Owner” means any Eligible Person owning at the time an Option is granted more than ten percent (10%) of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Corporation or of a Parent or Subsidiary. An individual shall, in accordance with Section 424(d) of the Code, be considered to own any voting stock owned (directly or indirectly) by or for his brothers, sisters, spouse, ancestors and lineal descendants and any voting stock owned (directly or indirectly) by or for a corporation, partnership, estate, or trust shall be considered as being owned proportionately by or for its stockholders, partners or beneficiaries.

 

 

3.Administration

 

A.          Delegation of Administration. The Board shall be the sole Committee of the Plan unless the Board delegates all or any portion of its authority to administer the Plan to another Committee. To the extent not prohibited by the charter or bylaws of the Corporation, the Board may delegate all or a portion of its authority to administer the Plan to a committee of the Board appointed by the Board and constituted in compliance with the Corporation Law. If permitted by the Corporation Law, and not prohibited by the charter or bylaws of the Corporation, the Board may also delegate all or a portion of its authority to administer the Plan to an officer or officers of the Corporation designated by the Board.

 

B.          Powers of the Committee. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, and, in the case of a Committee appointed by the Board, the specific duties delegated to such Committee, the Committee shall have the authority to implement, interpret and administer the Plan. Such authority shall include, without limitation, the authority:

 

(i)      To construe and interpret all provisions of this Plan and all Stock Option Agreements and Stock Award Agreements under this Plan.

 

 

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(ii)       To determine the Fair Market Value of Common Stock.

 

(iii)       To select the Eligible Persons to whom Options or Stock Awards, are granted from time to time hereunder.

 

(iv)       To determine the number of shares of Common Stock covered by an Option or Stock Award; determine whether an Option shall be an Incentive Stock Option or Nonqualified Stock Option; and determine such other terms and conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan, of each such Option or Stock Award. Such terms and conditions include, but are not limited to, the exercise price of an Option, purchase price of Common Stock subject to a Stock Award, the time or times when Options or Stock Awards may be exercised or Common Stock issued thereunder, the right of the Corporation to repurchase Common Stock issued pursuant to the exercise of an Option or a Stock Award and other restrictions or limitations (in addition to those contained in the Plan) on the forfeitability or transferability of Options, Stock Awards or Common Stock issued upon exercise of an Option or pursuant to a Stock Award. Such terms may include conditions as shall be determined by the Committee and need not be uniform with respect to Participants.

 

(v)       To accelerate the time at which any Option or Stock Award may be exercised, or the time at which a Stock Award or Common Stock issued under the Plan may become transferable or nonforfeitable.

 

(vi)       To amend, cancel, extend, renew, accept the surrender of, modify or accelerate the vesting of or lapse of restrictions on all or any portion of an outstanding Option or Stock Award and to reduce the exercise price of any Option. Except as specifically permitted by the Plan, the Stock Option Agreement or Stock Award Agreement or as required to comply with applicable law, regulation or rule, no amendment, cancellation or modification shall, without a Participant’s consent, adversely affect any rights of the Participant; provided, however, that an amendment or modification that may cause an Incentive Stock Option to become a Nonqualified Stock Option, and any amendment or modification that is required to comply with the rules applicable to Incentive Stock Options, shall not be treated as adversely affecting the rights of the Participant.

 

(vii)       To prescribe the form of Stock Option Agreements and Stock Award Agreements; to adopt policies and procedures for the exercise of Options or Stock Awards, including the satisfaction of withholding obligations; to adopt, amend, and rescind policies and procedures pertaining to the administration of the Plan; and to make all other determinations necessary or advisable for the administration of this Plan.

 

The express grant in the Plan of any specific power to the Committee shall not be construed as limiting any power or authority of the Committee; provided that a Committee of the Board may not exercise any right or power reserved to the Board. Any decision made, or action taken, by the Committee or in connection with the administration of this Plan shall be final, conclusive and binding on all persons having an interest in the Plan.

 

C.       Administration When Common Stock is Publicly Traded. On and following the Listing Date the Committee authorized by the Board to administer the Plan shall, if so determined by the Board, consist of solely two (2) or more Non-Employee Directors (within the meaning of Rule 16b-3 under the Exchange Act); provided that the Board may delegate administrative authority with respect to Eligible Persons who are not subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act to a committee of other than Non-Employee Directors.

 

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4.Eligibility

 

A.          Eligibility for Awards. Nonqualified Stock Options and Stock Awards may be granted to any Eligible Person selected by the Committee. Incentive Stock Options may be granted only to employees of the Corporation or a Parent or Subsidiary.

 

B.          Eligibility of Consultants. A Consultant shall be an Eligible Person only if the offer or sale of the Corporation’s securities would be exempt from registration under Rule 701 under the Securities Act prior to the date the Corporation is required to file reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, or eligible for registration on Form S-8 Registration Statement, on and following the date the Corporation is required to file reports under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, because, in either case, of the identity and nature of the service provided by such person, unless the Corporation determines that an offer or sale of the Corporation’s securities to such person will satisfy another exemption from the registration under the Securities Act and complies with the securities laws of all other jurisdictions applicable to such offer or sale.

 

C.          Substitution Awards. The Committee may make Stock Awards and may grant Options under the Plan by assumption, substitution or replacement of performance shares, phantom shares, stock awards, stock options, stock appreciation rights or similar awards granted by another entity (including an Affiliate), if such assumption, substitution or replacement is in connection with an asset acquisition, stock acquisition, merger, consolidation or similar transaction involving the Corporation (and/or its Affiliate) and such other entity (and/or its affiliate). Notwithstanding any provision of the Plan (other than the maximum number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan), the terms of such assumed, substituted or replaced Stock Awards or Options shall be as the Committee, in its discretion, determines is appropriate.

 

 

5.Common Stock Subject to Plan

 

A.          Share Reserve. Subject to adjustment as provided in Section 8, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be (i) issued under this Plan pursuant to the exercise of Options, (ii) issued pursuant to Stock Bonus Awards, Restricted Stock Awards and Other Stock Awards, and (iii) covered by Stock Appreciation Rights and Restricted Stock Unit Awards is fifty million (50,000,000) shares. Notwithstanding the foregoing, subject to adjustment as provided in Section 8, no more than fifty million (50,000,000) shares of Common Stock may be issued pursuant to the exercise of Incentive Stock Options and Section 5.B shall apply to such limit to the extent permitted by Section 422 of the Code and regulations thereunder.

 

B.          Reversion of Shares. If an Option or Stock Award is terminated, expires or becomes unexercisable, in whole or in part, for any reason, the unissued or unpurchased shares of Common Stock (or shares subject to an unexercised Stock Appreciation Right or unsettled Restricted Stock Unit Award) which were subject thereto shall become available for future grant under the Plan. Shares of Common Stock that have been actually issued under the Plan shall not be returned to the share reserve for future grants under the Plan; except that shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to a Stock Award which are forfeited back to the Corporation rather than vesting, shall be returned to the share reserve for future grant under the Plan.

 

C.          Source of Shares. Common Stock issued under the Plan may be shares of authorized and unissued Common Stock or shares of previously issued Common Stock that have been reacquired by the Corporation.

 

6.Options

 

A.          Award. In accordance with the provisions of Section 4, the Committee will designate each Eligible Person to whom an Option is to be granted and will specify the number of shares of Common Stock covered by such Option. The Stock Option Agreement shall specify whether the Option is an Incentive Stock Option or Nonqualified Stock Option, the vesting schedule (if any) applicable to such Option and any other terms of such Option. No Option that is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall be invalid for failure to qualify as an Incentive Stock Option. Shares of Common Stock issued pursuant to an Option may, but need not, be subject to a vesting schedule and may, but need not, be subject to a share repurchase option in favor of the Corporation as determined by the Committee.

 

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B.           Exercise Price. The exercise price per share for Common Stock subject to an Option shall be determined by the Committee, but shall comply with the following:

 

(i)       The exercise price per share for Common Stock subject to a Nonqualified or Incentive Stock Option shall be determined by the Committee, provided that the exercise price per share for Common Stock shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant.

 

(ii)        The exercise price per share for Common Stock subject to an Incentive Stock Option granted to a Participant who is or is deemed to be a Ten Percent Owner on the date such option is granted, shall not be less than one hundred ten percent (110%) of the Fair Market Value on the date of grant.

 

C.       Maximum Option Period. The maximum period during which an Option may be exercised shall be determined by the Committee on the date of grant, except that no Option that is intended to be an Incentive Stock Option shall be exercisable after the expiration of ten (10) years from the date such Option was granted. In the case of an Incentive Stock Option that is granted to a Participant who is or is deemed to be a Ten Percent Owner on the date of grant, such Option shall not be exercisable after the expiration of five (5) years from the date of grant. The terms of any Option that is an Incentive Stock Option may provide that it is exercisable for a period less than such maximum period.

 

D.       Maximum Value of Options which are Incentive Stock Options. To the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value of the Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options granted to any person are exercisable for the first time during any calendar year (under all stock option plans of the Corporation and its Parent (if any) or any of its Subsidiaries) exceeds $100,000 (or such other amount provided in Section 422 of the Code), the Options are not Incentive Stock Options. For purposes of this section, the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock will be determined as of the time the Incentive Stock Option with respect to the Common Stock is granted. This section will be applied by taking Incentive Stock Options into account in the order in which they are granted.

 

E.       Nontransferability. Options granted under this Plan which are intended to be Incentive Stock Options shall be nontransferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and during the lifetime of the Participant shall be exercisable by only the Participant to whom the Incentive Stock Option is granted. If the Stock Option Agreement so provides or the Committee so approves, a Nonqualified Stock Option may be transferred by a Participant to the Participant’s children, stepchildren, grandchildren, spouse, one or more trusts for the benefit of such family members or a partnership in which such family members are the only partners; provided, however, that Participant may not receive any consideration for the transfer and such transfers are limited to the extent permitted by Rule 701 of the Securities Act and, if the Option is intended to satisfy the exemption under Section 25102(o) of the California Corporations Code, Rule 260.140.41(c) of Title 10 of the California Code of Regulations. The holder of a Nonqualified Stock Option transferred pursuant to this section shall be bound by the same terms and conditions that governed the Option during the period that it was held by the Participant. Except to the extent transferability of a Nonqualified Stock Option is provided for in the Stock Option Agreement or is approved by the Committee, during the lifetime of the Participant to whom the Nonqualified Stock Option is granted, such Option may be exercised only by the Participant. No right or interest of a Participant in any Option shall be liable for, or subject to, any lien, obligation, or liability of such Participant.

 

F.       Vesting and Termination of Continuous Service. A Stock Option Agreement may provide for rules for vesting and termination of the Option on a termination of Continuous Service. Except as provided in a Stock Option Agreement (including an amendment of a Stock Option Agreement), the following rules shall apply:

 

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(i)       Subject to the rules of this paragraph, Options will vest as provided in the Stock Option Agreement. An Option will be exercisable only to the extent that it is vested on the date of exercise. Except to the extent the Committee explicitly determines otherwise with respect to an Option prior to the expiration or termination of the Option, vesting of an Option will cease on the date of the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service and the Option will be exercisable only to the extent the Option is vested on the date of termination of Continuous Service.

 

(ii)       If the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service is for reason of death or Disability, the right to exercise the Option (to the extent vested) will expire on the earlier of (i) the close of business at Corporation headquarters on the date that is one (1) year after the date of the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, or (ii) the expiration date under the terms of the Agreement. Until the expiration date, the Participant’s heirs, legatees or legal representative may exercise the Option, except to the extent the Option was previously transferred pursuant to Section 6.E.

 

(iii)       If the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service is an involuntary termination without Cause or a voluntary termination (other than a voluntary termination described in Section 6.F.(iv)), the Option will expire on the earlier of (i) the close of business at Corporation headquarters on the date that is three (3) months after the date of the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, or (ii) the expiration date under the terms of the Agreement. The Option, to the extent that it is vested, may be exercised prior to expiration. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, following termination of Continuous Service, a Participant shall not be entitled to exercise any unvested portion of an Option and shall have no right to receive any compensation with respect to such unvested portion. If the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service is an involuntary termination without Cause or a voluntary termination (other than a voluntary termination described in Section 6.F.(iv)) and the Participant dies after his or her termination of Continuous Service but before the right to exercise the Option has expired, the right to exercise the Option (to the extent vested) shall expire on the earlier of (i) the close of business at Corporation headquarters on the date that is one (1) year after the date of the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service or (ii) the date the Option expires under the terms of the Stock Option Agreement, and, until expiration, the Participant’s heirs, legatees or legal representative may exercise the Option, except to the extent the Option was previously transferred pursuant to Section 6.E.

 

(iv)       If the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service is for Cause or is a voluntary termination at any time after an event which would be grounds for termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service for Cause, the right to exercise the Option shall expire as of the date of the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service.

 

G.       Non-Exempt Employees. No Option, whether or not vested, granted to a Participant who is a non-exempt employee for purposes of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as amended (the “FLSA”), shall be first exercisable for any shares of Common Stock until at least six (6) months following the date of grant of the Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, consistent with the provisions of the Worker Economic Opportunity Act, (i) upon the Participant’s death or Disability, (ii) upon a corporate transaction involving a change in corporate ownership which is described in Section 8.C. in which such Option is not assumed, continued, or substituted, or (iii) upon the Participant’s retirement (as such term may be defined in the Participant’s Option Agreement or in another applicable agreement or in accordance with the Corporation’s then current employment policies and guidelines), any such vested Options may be exercised earlier than six (6) months following the date of grant. The foregoing provision is intended to operate so that any income derived by a Participant who is a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise or vesting of an Option will be excluded from his or her regular rate of pay for purposes of the FLSA.

 

H.       Early Exercise. An Option may, but need not, include a provision whereby the Participant may elect at any time before the Participant’s Continuous Service terminates to exercise the Option as to any part or all of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option prior to the full vesting of the Option. Any unvested shares of Common Stock so purchased may be subject to a repurchase option in favor of the Corporation (or its assignee) or to any other restriction the Board determines to be appropriate. The Corporation shall not be required to exercise its repurchase right until at least six (6) months (or such longer or shorter period of time required to avoid classification of the Option as a liability for financial accounting purposes) have elapsed following exercise of the Option unless specifically provided otherwise in the Option Agreement.

 

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I.       Exercise. An Option shall be exercised by completion, execution and delivery of notice (written or electronic) to the Corporation of the Option which states (i) the Option holder’s intent to exercise the Option, (ii) the number of shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Option is being exercised, (iii) such other representations and agreements as may be required by the Corporation and (iv) the method for satisfying any applicable tax withholding as provided in Section 9. Such notice of exercise shall be provided on such form or by such method as the Committee may designate, and payment of the exercise price shall be made in accordance with Section 6.J. Subject to the provisions of this Plan and the applicable Stock Option Agreement, an Option may be exercised to the extent vested in whole at any time or in part from time to time at such times and in compliance with such requirements as the Committee shall determine. A partial exercise of an Option shall not affect the right to exercise the Option from time to time in accordance with this Plan and the applicable Stock Option Agreement with respect to the remaining shares subject to the Option. An Option may not be exercised with respect to fractional shares of Common Stock.

 

J.       Payment. Unless otherwise provided by the Stock Option Agreement, payment of the exercise price for an Option shall be made in cash or a cash equivalent acceptable to the Committee. Payment of all or part of the exercise price of an Option may also be made, (i) with the consent of the Committee, by surrendering shares of Common Stock to the Corporation, (ii) with the consent of the Committee, by a full-recourse promissory note, (iii) if the Common Stock is traded on an established securities market, the payment of the exercise price by a broker-dealer or by the Option holder with cash advanced by the broker-dealer if the exercise notice is accompanied by the Option holder’s written irrevocable instructions to deliver the Common Stock acquired upon exercise of the Option to the broker-dealer, or (iv) any other method acceptable to the Committee and provided for in the Stock Option Agreement. If Common Stock is used to pay all or part of the exercise price, the sum of the cash or cash equivalent and the Fair Market Value (determined as of the date of exercise) of the shares surrendered must not be less than the exercise price of the shares for which the Option is being exercised. If all or part of the exercise price is to be paid with a full-recourse promissory note, the par value of the Common Stock, if newly issued, shall be paid in cash or cash equivalents. The shares received upon exercise of the Option shall be pledged as security for payment of the principal amount of the promissory note and interest thereon and the interest rate payable under the terms of the promissory note shall not be less than the minimum rate (if any) required to avoid the imputation of additional interest under the Code. Subject to the foregoing, the Committee (at its sole discretion) shall specify the term, interest rate, amortization requirements (if any) and other provisions of such note.

 

K.       Buyout Provisions. The Committee may at any time offer to buy out an Option previously granted for a payment in cash, shares of Common Stock or other property. Such buyout offer shall be on such terms and conditions as the Committee shall determine.

 

L.       Stockholder Rights. No Participant shall have any rights as a stockholder with respect to shares subject to an Option until the date of exercise of such Option and the certificate for shares of Common Stock to be received on exercise of such Option has been issued by the Corporation.

 

M.       Disposition and Stock Certificate Legends for Incentive Stock Option Shares. A Participant shall notify the Corporation of any sale or other disposition of Common Stock acquired pursuant to an Incentive Stock Option if such sale or disposition occurs (i) within two (2) years of the grant of an Option or (ii) within one (1) year of the issuance of the Common Stock to the Participant. Such notice shall be in writing and directed to the Secretary of the Corporation. The Corporation may require that certificates evidencing shares of Common Stock purchased upon the exercise of an Incentive Stock Option issued under the Plan be endorsed with a legend in substantially the following form:

 

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THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE WERE ISSUED UPON EXERCISE OF AN INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION, AND THE CORPORATION MUST BE NOTIFIED IF THE SHARES SHALL BE TRANSFERRED BEFORE THE LATER OF THE TWO (2) YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE OF GRANT OF THE OPTION OR THE ONE (1) YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE ON WHICH THE OPTION WAS EXERCISED. THE REGISTERED HOLDER MAY RECOGNIZE ORDINARY INCOME IF THE SHARES ARE TRANSFERRED BEFORE SUCH DATE.

 

7.Stock Awards

 

A.          Stock Bonus Awards. Each Stock Award Agreement for a Stock Bonus Award shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The terms and conditions of Stock Award Agreements for Stock Bonus Awards may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Stock Bonus Awards need not be identical, but each Stock Bonus Award shall include (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

(i)       Consideration. A Stock Bonus Award may be granted in consideration for past services actually rendered to the Corporation or an Affiliate for its benefit.

 

(ii)       Vesting. Shares of Common Stock granted under the Stock Bonus Award may, but need not, be subject to a vesting schedule and may, but need not, be subject to a share repurchase option in favor of the Corporation as determined by the Committee.

 

(iii)       Participant’s Termination of Service. In the event of a Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, the Corporation may reacquire any or all of the shares of Common Stock held by the Participant which have not vested as of the date of termination under the terms of the Stock Bonus Award.

 

(iv)       Transferability. Rights to acquire shares of Common Stock under the Stock Bonus Award shall be transferable by the Participant only upon such terms and conditions as are set forth in the Stock Award Agreement, as the Committee shall determine in its discretion, so long as Common Stock granted under the Stock Bonus Award remains subject to the terms of the Stock Award Agreement.

 

B.          Restricted Stock Awards. Each Stock Award Agreement for a Restricted Stock Award shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The terms and conditions of the Stock Award Agreements for Restricted Stock Awards may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Restricted Stock Awards need not be identical, but each Restricted Stock Award shall include (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by references in the agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions.

 

(i)       Purchase Price. The purchase price, if any, of a Restricted Stock Award shall be determined by the Committee.

 

(ii)       Consideration. The purchase price of Common Stock acquired pursuant to the Restricted Stock Award shall be paid either: (i) in cash at the time of purchase; (ii) at the discretion of the Committee, according to a deferred payment or other similar arrangement with the Participant; or (iii) in any other form of legal consideration that may be acceptable to the Committee in its discretion; provided, however, that payment of the Common Stock’s “par value” shall not be made by deferred payment.

 

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(iii)       Vesting. Shares of Common Stock acquired under a Restricted Stock Award may, but need not, be subject to a share repurchase option in favor of the Corporation in accordance with a vesting schedule to be determined by the Committee.

 

(iv)       Participant’s Termination of Service. In the event of a Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, the Corporation may repurchase or otherwise reacquire any or all of the shares of Common Stock held by the Participant which have not vested as of the date of termination under the terms of the Stock Award Agreement for such Restricted Stock Award.

 

(v)       Transferability. Rights to acquire shares of Common Stock under a Restricted Stock Award shall be transferable by the Participant only upon such terms and conditions as are set forth in the Stock Award Agreement for such Restricted Stock Award, as the Committee shall determine in its discretion, so long as Common Stock granted under the Restricted Stock Award remains subject to the terms of the Stock Award Agreement.

 

C.       Stock Appreciation Rights. Each Stock Award Agreement for Stock Appreciation Rights shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The terms and conditions of Stock Appreciation Rights may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Stock Appreciation Rights need not be identical, but each Stock Appreciation Right shall include (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

 

(i)       Benefit Provided. Each Stock Appreciation Right shall provide the Participant with the right to receive payment in cash or shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value, as designated in the Stock Award Agreement for such Stock Appreciation Rights, of an amount equal to the difference between the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock as of the date of grant of the Stock Appreciation Right and the Fair Market Value of the Common Stock on the date of exercise of such Stock Appreciation Right.

 

(ii)       Tandem Awards. Stock Appreciation Rights may be granted either alone or in tandem with other awards, including Options, under the Plan.

 

(iii)       Vesting. The Stock Award Agreement for a Stock Appreciation Right shall provide the vesting schedule applicable to such award and may, but need not, provide that shares of Common Stock acquired upon exercising a Stock Appreciation Right are subject to a repurchase option in favor of the Corporation.

 

(iv)       Participant’s Termination of Service. In the event of a Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, the Corporation may repurchase or otherwise reacquire any or all of the shares of Common Stock held by the Participant which have not vested as of the date of termination under the terms of the Stock Appreciation Right.

 

(v)       Transferability. Rights to acquire cash or shares of Common Stock under a Stock Appreciation Rights shall be nontransferable except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution and during the lifetime of the Participant shall be exercisable by only the Participant to whom the Stock Appreciation Rights are granted.

 

Castellum, Inc.

2021 Stock Incentive Plan

 

 11 

 

 

(vi)       Non-Exempt Employees. No Stock Appreciation Right, whether or not vested, granted to a Participant who is a non-exempt employee for purposes of the FLSA, shall be first exercisable until at least six (6) months following the date of grant of the Stock Appreciation Right. Notwithstanding the foregoing, consistent with the provisions of the Worker Economic Opportunity Act, (i) upon the Participant’s death or Disability, (ii) upon a corporate transaction involving a change in corporate ownership which is described in Section 8.C. in which such Stock Appreciation Right is not assumed, continued, or substituted, or (iii) upon the Participant’s retirement (as such term may be defined in the Participant’s Stock Award Agreement or in another applicable agreement or in accordance with the Corporation’s then current employment policies and guidelines), any such vested Stock Appreciation Right may be exercised earlier than six (6) months following the date of grant. The foregoing provision is intended to operate so that any income derived by a Participant who is a non-exempt employee in connection with the exercise or vesting of a Stock Appreciation Right will be excluded from his or her regular rate of pay for purposes of the FLSA.

 

D.       Restricted Stock Unit Awards. Each Stock Award Agreement for a Restricted Stock Unit Award shall be in such form and shall contain such terms and conditions as the Committee shall deem appropriate. The terms and conditions of Stock Award Agreements for Restricted Stock Unit Awards may change from time to time, and the terms and conditions of separate Restricted Stock Unit Awards need not be identical, but each Restricted Stock Unit Award shall include (through incorporation of the provisions hereof by reference in the agreement or otherwise) the substance of each of the following provisions:

(i)       Number of Shares; Consideration. Each Stock Award Agreement for a Restricted Stock Unit Award shall specify the number of shares of Common Stock that are subject to the Restricted Stock Unit Award and shall provide for the adjustment of such number in accordance with Section 8. A Restricted Stock Unit Award may be granted in consideration for services actually rendered or to be rendered to the Corporation or an Affiliate for its benefit.

 

(ii)       Vesting. Each Award of Restricted Stock Units may, but need not, be subject to a vesting schedule and may, but need not, be subject to a share repurchase option in favor of the Corporation as determined by the Committee.

 

(iii)       Settlement of Restricted Stock Units. Settlement of Restricted Stock Units shall be as provided in the Stock Award Agreement for such Restricted Stock Units. Settlement of the Restricted Stock Units may be made in the form of cash or whole shares of Common Stock or a combination thereof, as determined by the Committee in its sole discretion.

 

(iv)       Participant’s Termination of Service. Except as otherwise provided in the Stock Award Agreement, in the event of a Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, any Restricted Stock Units held by such Participant which have not vested as of the date of termination under the terms of the Stock Award Agreement shall be forfeited.

 

(v)       Transferability. Unless otherwise provided in the Stock Award Agreement, Restricted Stock Units may not be transferred other than by beneficiary designation, will or the laws of descent and distribution.

 

(vi)       Stockholder Rights. No Participant shall have any rights as a stockholder with respect to shares covered by a Restricted Stock Unit Award until such Participant receives such shares upon settlement of the Restricted Stock Unit Award. A Participant shall have no rights under a Restricted Stock Unit Award other than those of a general creditor of the Corporation.

 

 

E.       Other Stock Awards. The Committee may grant other forms of Stock Award under the Plan that are based in whole or in part on Common Stock or the value thereof. Subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Committee shall have authority in its sole discretion to determine the terms and conditions of such Other Stock Awards, including the number of shares (or the cash equivalent thereof) to be granted pursuant to such Other Stock Awards.

 

Castellum, Inc.

2021 Stock Incentive Plan

 

 12 

 

 

8.          Changes in Capital Structure

 

A.       No Limitations of Rights. The existence of outstanding Options or Stock Awards shall not affect in any way the right or power of the Corporation or its stockholders to make or authorize any or all adjustments, recapitalizations, reorganizations or other changes in the Corporation’s capital structure or its business, or any merger or consolidation of the Corporation, or any issuance of bonds, debentures, preferred or prior preference stock ahead of or affecting the Common Stock or the rights thereof, or the dissolution or liquidation of the Corporation, or any sale or transfer of all or any part of its assets or business, or any other corporate act or proceeding, whether of a similar character or otherwise.

 

B.       Changes in Capitalization. If the Corporation shall effect a subdivision, consolidation or reclassification of shares or other capital readjustment, a stock split, a reverse stock split, the payment of a dividend in stock of the Corporation, a spin-off, the payment of an extraordinary dividend or distribution in a form other than stock of the Corporation in an amount that has a material effect on the fair market value of the Common Stock, or other increase or reduction of the number of shares of the Common Stock outstanding, without receiving consideration therefore in money, services or property, then (i) the number, class, and per share price of shares of Common Stock subject to outstanding Options and Stock Awards hereunder and (ii) the number and class of shares then reserved for issuance under the Plan and the maximum number of shares for which awards may be granted to a Participant during a specified time period shall be appropriately and proportionately adjusted. The conversion of convertible securities of the Corporation shall not be treated as effected “without receiving consideration.” The Committee shall make such adjustments, and its determinations shall be final, binding and conclusive. Any such adjustment of an Option or Stock Award which is not subject to Section 409A of the Code shall be made in a manner which does not result in the Option or Stock Award being subject to Section 409A.

 

C.       Merger, Consolidation, Asset Sale or Other Corporate Transaction. In the event that the Corporation is a party to a merger or other consolidation, in the event of a transaction providing for the sale of all or substantially all of the Corporation’s stock or assets, or in the event of such other corporate transaction, such as a separation or reorganization, outstanding Options and Stock Awards shall be subject to such treatment as the Board shall determine. Such treatment may include one or more of the following: (i) the continuation of the outstanding Options and Stock Awards by the Corporation, if the Corporation is a surviving entity; (ii) the assumption of outstanding Options and Stock Awards by the surviving or successor entity or its parent; (iii) the substitution by the surviving or successor entity or its parent of options or other awards with substantially the same terms for such outstanding Options and Stock Awards; (iv) exercisability of such outstanding Options and Stock Awards to the extent vested and exercisable under the terms of the Stock Option Agreement or Stock Award Agreement followed by the cancellation of such Options or Stock Award (whether or not then exercisable); or (v) settlement of the intrinsic value of the outstanding Options and Stock Awards to the extent vested and exercisable under the terms of the Stock Option Agreement or Stock Award Agreement, with payment made in cash, cash equivalents or other property as determined by the Committee (including cash, cash equivalents or other property subject to deferred vesting and delivery consistent with the vesting restrictions applicable to such Options and Stock Awards), and the cancellation of such Options and Stock Awards (whether or not then exercisable). The value of any property provided in the settlement shall be determined by the Board, and to extent permitted under Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-3(i)(5)(iv) or otherwise without resulting in taxation under Section 409A of the Code, the Board may provide for the payment of the value of a cancelled Option or Stock Award to be made on a delayed basis in recognition of escrows, earn-outs, or other contingencies or holdbacks applicable to holders of Common Stock in connection with the transaction. In each case, the surviving, acquiring or successor entity or its parent may choose to assume or continue only a portion of an Option or Stock Award or substitute a similar award for only a portion of an Option or Stock Award, or may assume, continue or substitute some Options or Stock Awards and not others, and in all cases unvested Options or Stock Awards may be terminated without payment. The continuation, assumption or substitution of an Option which permits the exercise of the Option prior to the vesting of the shares of Common Stock subject to such Option (i.e., an “early exercise option”) may be made in a manner which permits exercise of such Option only to the extent it is vested. The actions under this paragraph shall be effected in a manner which does not result in an Option or Stock Award which is not subject to Section 409A of the Code being subject to taxation under Section 409A of the Code. During the pendency of a transaction subject to this Section 8.C., the Board shall have the discretion to suspend the rights of Participants to exercise outstanding Awards during a limited period of time preceding the closing of the transaction if appropriate to facilitate closing of the transaction.

 

Castellum, Inc.

2021 Stock Incentive Plan

 

 13 

 

 

D.       Limitation on Adjustment. Except as previously expressly provided, neither the issuance by the Corporation of shares of stock of any class, or securities convertible into shares of stock of any class, for cash or property, or for labor or services either upon direct sale or upon the exercise of rights or warrants to subscribe therefor, or upon conversion of shares or obligations of the Corporation convertible into such shares or other securities, nor the increase or decrease of the number of authorized shares of stock, nor the addition or deletion of classes of stock, shall affect, and no adjustment by reason thereof shall be made with respect to, the number, class or price of shares of Common Stock then subject to outstanding Options or Stock Awards.

 

9.          Withholding of Taxes

 

The Corporation or an Affiliate shall have the right, before any certificate for any Common Stock is delivered, to deduct or withhold from any payment owed to a Participant any amount that is necessary in order to satisfy any withholding requirement that the Corporation or Affiliate in good faith believes is imposed upon it in connection with Federal, state, or local taxes, including transfer taxes, as a result of the issuance of, or lapse of restrictions on, such Common Stock, or otherwise require such Participant to make provision for payment of any such withholding amount. Subject to such conditions as may be established by the Committee, the Committee may permit a Participant to (i) have Common Stock otherwise issuable under an Option or Stock Award withheld to the extent necessary to comply with minimum statutory withholding rate requirements for supplemental income, (ii) tender back to the Corporation shares of Common Stock received pursuant to an Option or Stock Award in an amount not in excess of the maximum statutory tax rates in the Participant’s jurisdiction, (iii) deliver to the Corporation previously acquired Common Stock, (iv) have funds withheld from payments of wages, salary or other cash compensation due the Participant, or (v) pay the Corporation or its Affiliate in cash, in order to satisfy part or all of the obligations for any taxes required to be withheld or otherwise deducted and paid by the Corporation or its Affiliate with respect to the Option or Stock Award.

 

10.         Transfer Restrictions And Repurchase rights

 

A.       Transfer Restrictions. No person who shall have acquired shares of Common Stock or shall have any right to acquire shares of Common Stock under the Plan shall sell, assign, pledge or otherwise transfer (each, a “Transfer”) any such shares of Common Stock or any right or interest therein (including, without limitation, any Option) (such shares or right or interest therein, collectively, the “Securities”), whether voluntarily, involuntarily, by operation of law, by gift or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the Corporation, evidenced by a writing approved by the Board (the “Transfer Restriction”). The Transfer Restriction shall not apply to any of the following exempt Transfers:

 

(i)       A person’s Transfer of any or all Securities held either during such person’s lifetime or on death by will or intestacy (1) to such person’s Immediate Family, (2) to any custodian or trustee for the account or the benefit of such person or such person’s Immediate Family, or (3) to any limited partnership or limited liability company with respect to which the ownership interests are wholly owned by the person, members of such person’s Immediate Family or any trust for the account or benefit of such person or such person’s Immediate Family;

 

(ii)       A person’s bona fide pledge or mortgage of any Securities with a commercial lending institution that creates a mere security interest, provided that any subsequent Transfer of such Securities by such institution shall be subject to this Section;

 

(iii)       A person’s Transfer of any or all of such person’s Securities to the Corporation (or the Corporation’s assignee); or

 

Castellum, Inc.

2021 Stock Incentive Plan

 

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(iv)       A person’s Transfer of any or all of such person’s Securities in connection with a transaction subject to Section 8.C. or compliance with such person’s obligations under an agreement with the Corporation compelling the person to sell such Securities (e.g., a drag-along); provided that with respect to Transfers pursuant to subsections (i) and (ii) above, the Transferee shall receive and hold such Securities subject to the provisions of this Section 10.A and there shall be no further Transfer of such Securities except in accordance with this Section 10.A. The provisions of this Section 10.A may be waived with respect to any Transfer by the Board. The provisions of this Section 10.A shall terminate immediately prior to the date of the closing of a firm commitment underwritten public offering of the Corporation’s Common Stock pursuant to a registration statement filed with, and declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Act. Any Transfer or purported Transfer of Securities of the Corporation shall be null and void unless the terms, conditions and provisions of this Section 10.A are strictly observed and followed. The restrictions contained in this Section 10.A shall be in addition to any restrictions on transfer that may otherwise be applicable, including without limitation those contained in the Corporation’s bylaws, the Stock Option Agreement, Stock Award Agreement, or pursuant to applicable securities laws.

 

B.       Corporation’s Right to Repurchase Shares. Shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan shall also be subject to such forfeiture conditions, rights of repurchase, rights of first refusal and other transfer restrictions as the Committee may determine. Such restrictions shall be set forth in the applicable Stock Option Agreement or Stock Award Agreement and, unless otherwise provided in the Stock Option Agreement or Stock Award Agreement, shall apply to any dividends paid with respect to such shares. Such restrictions shall apply in addition to any restrictions otherwise applicable to holders of shares of Common Stock generally.

 

11.         Compliance with Law and Approval of Regulatory Bodies

 

A.       General Requirements. No Option or Stock Award shall be exercisable, no Common Stock shall be issued, no certificates for shares of Common Stock shall be delivered, and no payment shall be made under this Plan except in compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations (including, without limitation, withholding tax requirements), any listing agreement to which the Corporation is a party, and the rules of all domestic stock exchanges or quotation systems on which the Corporation’s shares may be listed. The Corporation shall have the right to rely on an opinion of its counsel as to such compliance. Any share certificate issued to evidence Common Stock when a Stock Award is granted or for which an Option or Stock Award is exercised may bear such legends and statements as the Committee may deem advisable to assure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations. No Option or Stock Award shall be exercisable, no Stock Award shall be granted, no Common Stock shall be issued, no certificate for shares shall be delivered, and no payment shall be made under this Plan until the Corporation has obtained such consent or approval as the Committee may deem advisable from regulatory bodies having jurisdiction over such matters.

 

B.       Voting and Dividend Rights. Except as provided in the award agreement, the holders of shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan shall have the same voting, dividend and other rights as the Corporation’s other stockholders. A Stock Bonus Agreement or Restricted Stock Agreement, however, may require that the holders of shares of Common Stock invest any cash dividends received in additional shares of Common Stock. Such additional shares shall be subject to the same conditions and restrictions as the award with respect to which the dividends were paid.

 

C.       Participant Representations. The Committee may require that a Participant, as a condition to receipt or exercise of a particular award, execute and deliver to the Corporation a written statement, in form satisfactory to the Committee, in which the Participant represents and warrants that the shares are being acquired for such person’s own account, for investment only and not with a view to the resale or distribution thereof. The Participant shall, at the request of the Committee, be required to represent and warrant in writing that any subsequent resale or distribution of shares of Common Stock by the Participant shall be made only pursuant to either (i) a registration statement on an appropriate form under the Securities Act of 1933, which registration statement has become effective and is current with regard to the shares being sold, or (ii) a specific exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, but in claiming such exemption the Participant shall, prior to any offer of sale or sale of such shares, obtain a prior favorable written opinion of counsel, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the Corporation, as to the application of such exemption thereto.

 

Castellum, Inc.

2021 Stock Incentive Plan

 

 15 

 

 

D.       Foreign Participants. In order to facilitate the making of any award or combination of awards under the Plan, the Committee may provide for such special terms for awards to Participants who are foreign nationals, or who are employed by the Corporation or any Affiliate outside of the United States, as the Committee may consider necessary or appropriate to accommodate differences in local law, tax policy or custom. Moreover, the Committee may approve such supplements to, or amendments, restatements or alternative versions of, the Plan, including "sub-plans" to the Plan, as it may consider necessary or appropriate for such purposes without thereby affecting the terms of the Plan as in effect for any other purpose, provided that no such supplements, amendments, restatements, alternative versions or sub-plans shall include any provisions that are inconsistent with the Plan, unless the Plan may be amended to eliminate such inconsistency without further approval by the stockholders of the Corporation.

 

12.General Provisions

 

A.       Effect on Employment and Service. Neither the adoption of this Plan, its operation, nor any documents describing or referring to this Plan (or any part thereof) shall (i) confer upon any individual any right to continue in the employ or service of the Corporation or an Affiliate, (ii) in any way affect any right and power of the Corporation or an Affiliate to change an individual’s duties or terminate the employment or service of any individual at any time with or without assigning a reason therefor or (iii) except to the extent the Committee grants an Option or Stock Award to such individual, confer on any individual the right to participate in the benefits of the Plan.

 

B.       Use of Proceeds. The proceeds received by the Corporation from the sale of Common Stock pursuant to this Plan shall be used for general corporate purposes.

 

C.       Unfunded Plan. The Plan, insofar as it provides for grants, shall be unfunded, and the Corporation shall not be required to segregate any assets that may at any time be represented by grants under this Plan. Any liability of the Corporation to any person with respect to any grant under this Plan shall be based solely upon any contractual obligations that may be created pursuant to this Plan. No such obligation of the Corporation shall be deemed to be secured by any pledge of, or other encumbrance on, any property of the Corporation.

 

D.       409A Compliance. It is the intent of the Corporation that all awards under the Plan that constitute “nonqualified deferred compensation” within the meaning of Code Section 409A will satisfy the requirements of that section, and that all awards under the Plan that can qualify for an exemption from the definition of “nonqualified deferred compensation” under that section, including but not limited to Options, Stock Appreciation Rights and Restricted Stock Awards, will do so unless the Committee has determined otherwise. Accordingly, the terms of the Plan and Award Agreements shall be interpreted in a manner consistent with Code Section 409A and regulations thereunder.

 

E.       Rules of Construction. Headings are given to the Sections of this Plan solely as a convenience to facilitate reference, and shall not be used in interpreting, construing or enforcing any provision hereof. The reference to any statute, regulation, or other provision of law shall be construed to refer to any amendment to or successor of such provision of law.

 

F.       Electronic Delivery and Execution. Any reference herein to a “written” agreement or document shall include any agreement or document delivered electronically or posted on the Corporation’s intranet (or other shared electronic medium controlled by the Corporation to which the Participant has access). Documents may also be accepted by e-signature or other means of electronic indications of acceptance as specified by the Committee.

 

G.       Choice of Law. The Plan and, except to the extent that a Stock Option Agreement or Stock Award Agreement otherwise provides, all Stock Option Agreements and Stock Award Agreements entered into under the Plan shall be governed by and interpreted under the laws of the state of incorporation of Corporation excluding (to the greatest extent permissible by law) any rule of law that would cause the application of the laws of any jurisdiction other than the laws of the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Corporation.

 

Castellum, Inc.

2021 Stock Incentive Plan

 

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13.Amendment and Termination

 

The Board may amend or terminate this Plan from time to time; provided, however, that stockholder approval shall be required for any amendment that (i) increases the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock that may be issued under the Plan or (ii) changes the class of employees eligible to receive Incentive Stock Options, except as specifically permitted by the Plan, Stock Option Agreement or Stock Award Agreement or as required to comply with any applicable law, regulation or rule, no amendment shall, without a Participant’s consent, adversely affect any rights of such Participant under any Option or Stock Award outstanding at the time such amendment is made; provided, however, that an amendment that may cause an Incentive Stock Option to become a Nonqualified Stock Option, and any amendment that is required to comply with the rules applicable to Incentive Stock Options, shall not be treated as adversely affecting the rights of the Participant. Stockholder approval shall also be required for any amendment if such approval is required by the terms of any applicable law, regulation, or rule, including, without limitation, any stock market or securities on which the Common Stock is publicly traded. Each such amendment shall be subject to the approval of the stockholders of the Corporation within twelve (12) months of the date such amendment is adopted by the Board.

 

14.Effective Date of Plan and Duration of Plan

 

A.       The Plan shall become effective as of October __, 2021 upon adoption by the Board, subject to approval within twelve (12) months by the stockholders holding of a majority of the voting power of shares of the Corporation entitled to vote thereon. Unless and until the plan has been approved by the stockholders of the Corporation, no Option or Stock Award may be exercised, and no shares of Common Stock may be issued under the Plan. In the event that the stockholders of the Corporation shall not approve the Plan within such twelve (12) month period, the Plan and any previously granted Option or Stock Award shall terminate.

 

B.       Unless previously terminated, the Plan will terminate ten (10) years after the earlier of (i) the date the Plan is adopted by the Board, or (ii) the date the Plan is approved by the stockholders, except that Options and Stock Awards that are granted under the Plan prior to its termination will continue to be administered under the terms of the Plan until the Options and Stock Awards terminate or are exercised.

 

* * * *

 

Castellum, Inc.

2021 Stock Incentive Plan

 

 17 

 

 

Certification

 

The undersigned, Jay Wright, Secretary of Castellum, Inc. (the “Corporation”) hereby certifies that the attached copy of the Castellum, Inc. 2021 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) is a true and correct copy of the Plan as adopted by the Board of Directors of the Corporation on October __, 2021.

 

  /s/ Jay Wright
  Jay Wright, Secretary of the Corporation

 

  

 

Exhibit 10.10

 

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED HEREBY HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED OR QUALIFIED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR FOREIGN JURISDICTION, AND MAY BE OFFERED AND SOLD ONLY IF REGISTERED AND QUALIFIED PURSUANT TO THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF U.S. FEDERAL AND STATE AND APPLICABLE FOREIGN SECURITIES LAWS OR IF THE CORPORATION IS PROVIDED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE CORPORATION THAT REGISTRATION AND QUALIFICATION UNDER U.S. FEDERAL AND STATE AND APPLICABLE FOREIGN SECURITIES LAWS IS NOT REQUIRED.

 

CASTELLUM, INC.
2021 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
NOTICE OF STOCK OPTION GRANT

 

Castellum, Inc. (the “Corporation”) hereby grants you the following Option to purchase shares of its common stock (“Shares”). The terms and conditions of this Option are set forth in the Stock Option Agreement and the Castellum, Inc. 2021 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”), both of which are attached to and made a part of this document.

 

Date of Grant: [Date of Grant]
   
Name of Optionee: [Name of Optionee]
   
Number of Option Shares: [Number of Shares]

 

Exercise Price per Share: $[Exercise Price]  (The Exercise Price per Share of an Option shall not be less than one hundred percent (100%) of the Fair Market Value of a Share on the date of grant.  If the Optionee is deemed to be a Ten-Percent Stockholder, the Exercise Price per Share of an ISO must be at least one hundred ten percent (110%) of Fair Market Value.)

 

Vesting Start Date: [Vesting Start Date]
   
Type of Option: [Type of Grant: NSO/ISO]
   
Vesting Schedule:

Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in Section 2 of the Stock Option Agreement, [the Option vests over four years. The Option vests with respect to the first 25% of the total option Shares when the Optionee completes 12 months of Continuous Service after the Vesting Start Date, and with respect to an additional 1/48th of the total option Shares when the Optionee completes each full month of Continuous Service thereafter.] Fractional vested Shares will be rounded down to the nearest whole number of Shares at all times.

 

In the event that there is a Change in Control (as defined below) during Optionee’s period of Continuous Service, then, to the extent that, at the time of the Change in Control, the Option is unvested and is continued or assumed by the Corporation or the Corporation’s successor, the Option shall, subject to Optionee’s Continuous Service, continue to vest in accordance with the Vesting Schedule above, provided, however, that if, within one (1) year following the date of the Change in Control, Optionee is terminated by the Corporation or the Corporation’s successor without Cause (as defined in the Plan) and not for death or Disability (as defined in the Plan) or Optionee resigns with Good Reason (as defined below) (such termination, an “Involuntary Termination”), the Option shall accelerate and vest with respect to 100% of the Shares covered by the Option.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Notice of Stock Option Grant

 

 -1- 

 

 

 

In the event that there is a Change in Control during Optionee’s period of Continuous Service, then, to the extent that, at the time of the Change in Control, the Option is unvested and is not continued or assumed by the Corporation or the Corporation’s successor, any payment in cash or property that would have been received by Optionee by reason of the Change in Control with respect to the Option had the Option been fully vested shall be unvested and shall vest on such date(s) as the Option would have otherwise become vested pursuant to the Vesting Schedule above (such payment right, the “Change in Control Payment Right”) and such vested Change in Control Payment Right shall be paid as provided in this paragraph. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Optionee incurs an Involuntary Termination within one (1) year following the date of the Change in Control, the Change in Control Payment Right shall accelerate and vest with respect to one hundred percent (100%) of the unvested portion of the Change in Control Payment Right and such vested Change in Control Payment Right shall be paid as provided in this paragraph. Any portion of the Change in Control Payment Right which does not vest shall be forfeited by Optionee. The payment(s) shall be made at such times as determined by the Corporation in its discretion, provided that in no event shall the payment(s) be made later than two and one-half (2 1/2) months following the end of Optionee’s taxable year(s) during which vesting occurs, or, if later, the time of payment for shares of the Corporation’s common stock set forth in the definitive agreement providing for the Change in Control.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Optionee’s Continuous Service terminates for any reason other than an Involuntary Termination within one (1) year following a Change in Control, the termination provisions of the Stock Option Agreement shall apply.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Optionee’s Continuous Service terminates for any reason other than an Involuntary Termination within one (1) year following a Change in Control, the unvested portion of the Change in Control Payment Right shall be forfeited.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Notice of Stock Option Grant

 

 -2- 

 

 

 

[IF SINGLE TRIGGER OR DOUBLE TRIGGER CHANGE IN CONTROL VESTING IS INCLUDED, INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING DEFINITION OF “CHANGE IN CONTROL”]

 

[For purposes of this Agreement, “Change in Control” means: (i) an individual, person, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, corporation, joint venture, trust, business trust, cooperative, association, foreign trust, foreign business organization or other entity, together with any affiliate of the foregoing (other than (x) the Corporation, (y) any trustee or other fiduciary holding securities under an employee benefit plan of the Corporation, or (z) a stockholder of the Corporation as of the date of this Agreement, an immediate family member of such stockholder or a trust or other entity owned solely by or for the benefit of any such persons ) (a “Person”) acquires (other than solely by reason of a repurchase of voting securities by the Corporation) more than 50% of the combined voting power of the Corporation's then total outstanding voting securities; (ii) there is consummated a merger or consolidation of the Corporation with any other corporation or other entity, other than (A) a merger or consolidation which results in the voting securities of the Corporation outstanding immediately prior to such merger or consolidation continuing to represent (either by remaining outstanding or by being converted into voting securities of the surviving entity or any parent thereof) at least 50% of the combined voting power of the securities of the Corporation or such surviving entity or any direct or indirect parent thereof outstanding immediately after such merger or consolidation or (B) a merger or consolidation effected to implement a recapitalization of the Corporation (or similar transaction) in which no Person is or becomes the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of securities of the Corporation (meaning that such Person is entitled to the benefits of ownership although such Person does not have possession of or title to such securities) (not including in the securities beneficially owned by such Person any securities acquired directly from the Corporation or its affiliates) representing 50% or more of the combined voting power of the Corporation's then outstanding securities; (iii) the Corporation sells all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, or sells or exclusively licenses all or substantially all of the intellectual property of the Corporation; or (iv) the stockholders of the Corporation approve a plan of complete liquidation or dissolution; provided, however, that in no event shall an initial public offering of the capital stock of the Corporation constitute a Change in Control for purposes of this Agreement.]

 

 

[IF DOUBLE TRIGGER CHANGE IN CONTROL VESTING IS INCLUDED, INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING DEFINITION OF “GOOD REASON”]

 

[For purposes of this Agreement, “Good Reason” means, without Optionee’s consent, (i) the relocation of Optionee’s principal place of employment or service by more than fifty (50) miles that is not cured within thirty (30) days after written notice is provided by Optionee to the Corporation, or (ii) a material reduction in Optionee’s base salary (other than a reduction pertaining to all similarly situated employees or service providers of the Corporation).]

 

Castellum, Inc.
Notice of Stock Option Grant

 

 -3- 

 

 

By signing this document, which may be accomplished by e-signature or other electronic indication of acceptance, you acknowledge receipt of a copy of the Plan, and agree that (a) you have carefully read, fully understand and agree to all of the terms and conditions described in the attached Stock Option Agreement, the Plan document and “Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement” (the “Exercise Notice”); (b) you hereby make the purchaser’s investment representations contained in the Exercise Notice with respect to the grant of this Option; (c) you understand and agree that this Notice of Stock Option Grant, the Stock Option Agreement, including its attachments, constitutes the entire understanding between you and the Corporation regarding this Option, and that any prior agreements, commitments or negotiations concerning this Option are replaced and superseded; and (d) you have been given an opportunity to consult your own legal and tax counsel with respect to all matters relating to this Option prior to signing this Notice of Stock Option Grant and that you have either consulted such counsel or voluntarily declined to consult such counsel.

 

IF YOU DO NOT RETURN TO THE CORPORATION A SIGNED COPY OF THIS NOTICE OF STOCK OPTION GRANT BY [_______ __, 20__], (THE “RETURN DATE”), THIS NOTICE OF STOCK OPTION GRANT AND THE ATTACHED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT WILL AUTOMATICALLY EXPIRE AS OF THE DATE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE RETURN DATE.

 

[Name of Optionee]   Castellum, INC.
     
    By:  
    Its:  

 

Castellum, Inc.
Notice of Stock Option Grant

 

 -4- 

 

 

 

Castellum, INC.

 

2021 Stock Incentive PLAN

 

STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

 

SECTION 1.    KIND OF OPTION.

 

This Option is intended to be either an incentive stock option intended to meet the requirements of section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code (an “ISO”) or a non-statutory option (an “NSO”), which is not intended to meet the requirements of an ISO, as indicated in the Notice of Stock Option Grant. Even if this Option is designated as an ISO, it shall be deemed to be an NSO to the extent required by the $100,000 annual limitation under Section 422(d) of the Code.

 

SECTION 2.   VESTING.

 

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan and this Stock Option Agreement (the “Agreement”), your Option will be exercisable with respect to the Shares that have become vested in accordance with the schedule set forth in the Notice of Stock Option Grant. If your Option is granted in consideration of your service to the Corporation or an Affiliate, after your Continuous Service terminates for any reason, except as provided in the Plan, vesting of your Shares subject to such Option immediately stops and such Option expires as to the number of Shares that are not vested as of the date your Continuous Service terminates.

 

SECTION 3.   TERM.

 

Your Option will expire in any event at the close of business at Corporation headquarters on the date that is ten (10) years after the Date of Grant; provided, however, that if your Option is an ISO it will expire five (5) years after the Date of Grant if you are or are deemed to be a Ten-Percent Owner (the “Expiration Date”). Also, your Option will expire earlier if your Continuous Service terminates, as described below.

 

SECTION 4.    REGULAR TERMINATION.

 

(a)If your Continuous Service terminates for any reason except death, Disability or Cause or when grounds for your termination for Cause exists, your Option will expire at the close of business at Corporation headquarters on the date three (3) months after your termination of Continuous Service. During that three (3) month period, you may exercise the vested portion of your Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Option may not be exercised after the Expiration Date determined under Section 3 above.

 

(b)If your Continuous Service is terminated for Cause (as defined in the Plan) or you voluntarily terminate when grounds for your termination for Cause exists, your Option will expire immediately upon your termination of Continuous Service.

 

(c)If your Option is an ISO and you exercise it more than three (3) months after termination of your Continuous Service as an employee for any reason other than death or a “disability” within the meaning of Section 22(e)(3) of the Code (meaning you are unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment expected to result in death or to last for a continuous period of at least twelve (12) months), your Option will cease to be eligible for ISO tax treatment.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Stock Option Agreement

 

  - 1 - 

 

 

(d)Your Option will cease to be eligible for ISO tax treatment if you exercise it more than three months after the ninetieth (90th) day of a bona fide leave of absence approved by the Corporation, unless you return to employment immediately upon termination of such leave or your right to reemployment after your leave was guaranteed by statute or contract.

 

SECTION 5. DEATH.

 

If you die while in Continuous Service with the Corporation, the vested portion of your Option will expire at the close of business at Corporation headquarters on the date twelve (12) months after the date of your death. During that twelve (12) month period, your estate, legatees or heirs may exercise that portion of your Option that was vested on the date of your death. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Option may not be exercised after the Expiration Date determined under Section 3 above.

 

SECTION 6. DISABILITY.

 

(a)If your Continuous Service terminates because of a Disability (as defined in the Plan), the vested portion of your Option will expire at the close of business at Corporation headquarters on the date twelve (12) months after your termination date. During that twelve (12) month period, you may exercise that portion of your Option that was vested on the date of your Disability. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Option may not be exercised after the Expiration Date determined under Section 3 above.

 

(b)If your Option is an ISO and your Disability is not expected to result in death or to last for a continuous period of at least twelve (12) months, your Option will be eligible for ISO tax treatment only if it is exercised within three (3) months following the termination of your Continuous Service as an employee.

 

SECTION 7. EXERCISING YOUR OPTION.

 

To exercise your Option, you must execute the Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement (the “Exercise Notice”), attached as Exhibit A. You must submit this form, together with full payment, to the Corporation. Your exercise will be effective when it is received by the Corporation. If someone else wants to exercise your Option after your death, that person must prove to the Corporation’s satisfaction that he or she is entitled to do so.

 

SECTION 8. PAYMENT FORMS.

 

When you exercise your Option, you must include payment of the Exercise Price for the Shares you are purchasing in cash or cash equivalents. Alternatively, you may, with the consent of the Committee, pay all or part of the Exercise Price by surrendering, or attesting to ownership of, Shares already owned by you, unless such action would cause the Corporation to recognize any (or additional) compensation expense with respect to the Option for financial reporting purposes. Such Shares shall be surrendered to the Corporation in good form for transfer and shall be valued at their Fair Market Value on the date of Option exercise. To the extent that a public market for the Shares exists and to the extent permitted by applicable law, in each case as determined by the Corporation, you also may exercise your Option by delivery (on a form prescribed by the Corporation) of an irrevocable direction to a securities broker to sell Shares and to deliver all or part of the sale proceeds to the Corporation in payment of the aggregate Exercise Price and, if requested, applicable withholding taxes. The Corporation will provide the forms necessary to make such a cashless exercise.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Stock Option Agreement

 

  - 2 - 

 


 

SECTION 9. TAX WITHHOLDING AND REPORTING.

 

(a)You will not be allowed to exercise this Option unless you pay, or make acceptable arrangements to pay, any taxes required to be withheld as a result of the Option exercise or the sale of Shares acquired upon exercise of this Option. You hereby authorize withholding from payroll or any other payment due you from the Corporation or your employer to satisfy any such withholding tax obligation.

 

(b)If you sell or otherwise dispose of any of the Shares acquired pursuant to an ISO on or before the later of (i) two years after the grant date, or (ii) one year after the exercise date, you shall immediately notify the Corporation in writing of such disposition.

 

(c)By accepting this Agreement, you explicitly and unambiguously consent and agree (i) to assume any liability for fringe benefit tax that may be payable by the Corporation and/or your employer in connection with the Option granted under this Agreement to the extent permitted under applicable law; (ii) that the Corporation and/or your employer may collect the fringe benefit tax from you by any reasonable method established by the Corporation and/or your employer; and (iii) you will execute any other consents or elections required to accomplish the above, promptly upon request of the Corporation and/or your employer.

 

SECTION 10. TRANSFER RESTRICTION, RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL, CORPORATION PURCHASE RIGHTS AND DRAG ALONG RIGHTS.

 

You will be subject to the “Transfer Restriction” set forth in Section 10 of the Plan (as amended from time to time). In addition, in the event that you propose to sell, pledge or otherwise transfer to a third party any Shares acquired under this Agreement, or any interest in such Shares, such sale, pledge or other transfer as permitted, the Corporation shall have a “Right of First Refusal” with respect to such Shares or interest therein in accordance with the provisions of the Exercise Notice. In accordance with the Exercise Notice, the Shares you receive on exercise will also be subject to the terms of the “Corporation Purchase Rights” in the event of your termination of Continuous Service and Drag Along Rights upon a sale of the Corporation.

 

SECTION 11. RESALE RESTRICTIONS/MARKET STAND-OFF.

 

In connection with any underwritten public offering by the Corporation of its equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including the Corporation’s initial public offering, you may be prohibited from engaging in any transaction with respect to any of the Corporation’s common stock without the prior written consent of the Corporation or its underwriters in accordance with the provisions of the Exercise Notice.

  

SECTION 12. TRANSFER OF OPTION.

 

Prior to your death, only you may exercise this Option. This Option and the rights and privileges conferred hereby cannot be sold, pledged or otherwise transferred (whether by operation of law or otherwise) and shall not be subject to sale under execution, attachment, levy or similar process. For instance, you may not sell this Option or use it as security for a loan. If you attempt to do any of these things, this Option will immediately become invalid. You may, however, dispose of this Option in your will. Regardless of any marital property settlement agreement, the Corporation is not obligated to honor an Exercise Notice from your spouse or former spouse, nor is the Corporation obligated to recognize such individual’s interest in your Option in any other way. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, to the extent permitted by the Board in its sole discretion, an NSO may be transferred by you to one or more Immediate Family Members or to a trust established for your benefit and/or one or more of your Immediate Family Members to the extent permitted by the Plan.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Stock Option Agreement

 

  - 3 - 

 

 

SECTION 13. RETENTION RIGHTS.

 

This Agreement does not give you the right to be retained by the Corporation in any capacity. The Corporation reserves the right to terminate your Service at any time and for any reason without thereby incurring any liability to you.

 

SECTION 14. STOCKHOLDER RIGHTS.

 

Neither you nor your estate or heirs have any rights as a stockholder of the Corporation until a certificate for the Shares acquired upon exercise of this Option has been issued. No adjustments are made for dividends or other rights if the applicable record date occurs before your stock certificate is issued, except as described in the Plan.

 

SECTION 15. ADJUSTMENTS.

 

In the event of a stock split, a stock dividend or a similar change in the Corporation’s Stock, the number and class of Shares covered by this Option and the Exercise Price per share may be adjusted pursuant to the Plan. Your Option shall be treated in the manner determined by the Board in the event the Corporation is subject to an asset or stock sale, merger, liquidation, reorganization or other corporate transaction as set forth in the Plan.

 

SECTION 16. LEGENDS.

 

All certificates representing the Shares issued upon exercise of this Option shall, where applicable, have endorsed thereon the following legends:

 

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED OR QUALIFIED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR FOREIGN JURISDICTION, AND MAY BE OFFERED AND SOLD ONLY IF REGISTERED AND QUALIFIED PURSUANT TO THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND APPLICABLE FOREIGN SECURITIES LAWS OR IF THE CORPORATION IS PROVIDED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE CORPORATION THAT REGISTRATION AND QUALIFICATION UNDER U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND APPLICABLE FOREIGN SECURITIES LAWS IS NOT REQUIRED.

 

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, ENCUMBERED OR IN ANY MANNER DISPOSED OF, EXCEPT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE CORPORATIONS’ STOCK PLAN AND A WRITTEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CORPORATION AND THE INITIAL HOLDER HEREOF. SUCH PLAN AND AGREEMENT PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS, INCLUDING LIMITATION ON TRANSFERS, RIGHTS OF FIRST REFUSAL UPON AN ATTEMPTED TRANSFER OF THE SECURITIES AND A REPURCHASE RIGHT ON TERMINATION OF SERVICE. THE CORPORATION WILL NOT REGISTER OR OTHERWISE RECOGNIZE OR GIVE EFFECT TO ANY PURPORTED TRANSFER OF SECURITIES THAT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH SUCH TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS. THE SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION WILL UPON WRITTEN REQUEST FURNISH A COPY OF SUCH PLAN AND AGREEMENT TO THE HOLDER HEREOF WITHOUT CHARGE.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Stock Option Agreement

 

  - 4 - 

 

 

If the Option is an ISO, then the following legend should be included:

 

THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE WERE ISSUED UPON EXERCISE OF AN INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION, AND THE CORPORATION MUST BE NOTIFIED IF THE SHARES SHALL BE TRANSFERRED BEFORE THE LATER OF THE TWO (2) YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE OF GRANT OF THE OPTION OR THE ONE (1) YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE ON WHICH THE OPTION WAS EXERCISED. THE REGISTERED HOLDER MAY RECOGNIZE ORDINARY INCOME IF THE SHARES ARE TRANSFERRED BEFORE SUCH DATE.

 

SECTION 17. TAX DISCLAIMER.

 

You agree that you are responsible for consulting your own tax advisor as to the tax consequences associated with your Option. The tax rules governing options are complex, change frequently and depend on the individual taxpayer’s situation. For your information, a memorandum that briefly summarizes current U.S. federal income tax law relating to certain aspects of stock options is attached hereto as Exhibit B. Please note that this memorandum does not purport to be complete. Although the Corporation will make available to you general tax information about stock options, you agree that the Corporation shall not be held liable or responsible for making such information available to you and any tax or financial consequences that you may incur in connection with your Option.

 

In addition, as noted in Exhibit B, options granted at a discount from fair market value may be considered “deferred compensation” subject to adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. The Board has made a good faith determination that the exercise price per share of the Option is not less than the fair market value of the Shares underlying your Option on the Date of Grant. It is possible, however, that the Internal Revenue Service could later challenge that determination and assert that the fair market value of the Shares underlying your Option was greater on the Date of Grant than the exercise price determined by the Board, which could result in immediate income tax upon the vesting of your Option (whether or not exercised) and a 20% tax penalty, as well as the loss of incentive stock option status (if applicable). The Corporation gives no assurance that such adverse tax consequences will not occur and specifically assumes no responsibility therefor. By accepting this Option, you acknowledge that any tax liability or other adverse tax consequences to you resulting from the grant of the Option will be the responsibility of, and will be borne entirely by, you.  YOU ARE THEREFORE ENCOURAGED TO CONSULT YOUR OWN TAX ADVISOR BEFORE ACCEPTING THE GRANT OF THIS OPTION.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Stock Option Agreement

 

  - 5 - 

 

 

SECTION 18. THE PLAN AND OTHER AGREEMENTS.

 

The text of the Plan is incorporated in this Agreement by reference. Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in the Plan. The Notice of Stock Option Grant, this Agreement, including its attachments, and the Plan constitute the entire understanding between you and the Corporation regarding this Option. Any prior agreements, commitments or negotiations concerning this Option are superseded.

 

SECTION 19. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.

 

(a)You understand and acknowledge that (i) the Plan is entirely discretionary, (ii) the Corporation and your employer have reserved the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Plan at any time, (iii) the grant of an option does not in any way create any contractual or other right to receive additional grants of options (or benefits in lieu of options) at any time or in any amount and (iv) all determinations with respect to any additional grants, including (without limitation) the times when options will be granted, the number of Shares offered, the Exercise Price and the vesting schedule, will be at the sole discretion of the Corporation.

 

(b)The value of this Option shall be an extraordinary item of compensation outside the scope of your employment contract, if any, and shall not be considered a part of your normal or expected compensation for purposes of calculating severance, resignation, redundancy or end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement benefits or similar payments.

 

(c)You understand and acknowledge that participation in the Plan ceases upon termination of your Continuous Service for any reason, except as may explicitly be provided otherwise in the Plan or this Agreement.

 

(d)You hereby authorize and direct your employer to disclose to the Corporation or any Affiliate any information regarding your employment, the nature and amount of the your compensation and the fact and conditions of your participation in the Plan, as your employer deems necessary or appropriate to facilitate the administration of the Plan.

 

(e)You consent to the collection, use and transfer of personal data as described in this Subsection. You understand and acknowledge that the Corporation, your employer and the Corporation’s other Affiliates hold certain personal information regarding you for the purpose of managing and administering the Plan, including (without limitation) your name, home address, telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number, salary, nationality, job title, any Shares or directorships held in the Corporation and details of all options or any other entitlements to Shares awarded, canceled, exercised, vested, unvested or outstanding in the your favor (the “Data”). You further understand and acknowledge that the Corporation and/or its Affiliates will transfer Data among themselves as necessary for the purpose of implementation, administration and management of your participation in the Plan and that the Corporation and/or any Affiliate may each further transfer Data to any third party assisting the Corporation in the implementation, administration and management of the Plan. You understand and acknowledge that the recipients of Data may be located in the United States or elsewhere. You authorize such recipients to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer Data, in electronic or other form, for the purpose of administering your participation in the Plan, including a transfer to any broker or other third party with whom you elect to deposit Shares acquired under the Plan of such Data as may be required for the administration of the Plan and/or the subsequent holding of Shares on your behalf. You may, at any time, view the Data, require any necessary modifications of Data or withdraw the consents set forth in this Subsection by contacting the Human Resources Department of the Corporation in writing.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Stock Option Agreement

 

  - 6 - 

 

 

SECTION 20. APPLICABLE LAW; VENUE.

 

This Agreement will be interpreted and enforced under the laws of the State of Nevada (without regard to their choice of law provisions). The parties agree that any action brought by either party to interpret or enforce any provision of this Agreement shall be brought in, and each party agrees to, and does hereby, submit to the jurisdiction and venue of, the appropriate state court or federal district court for the area in which the Corporation’s headquarters is located.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Stock Option Agreement

 

  - 7 - 

 

 

EXHIBIT A

 

Castellum, INC. 2021 Stock Incentive PLAN
NOTICE OF EXERCISE AND COMMON STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT

 

THIS AGREEMENT is dated as of ___________, ____, between Castellum, Inc. (the “Corporation”), and [Name of Optionee] (“Purchaser”).

 

W I T N E S S E T H:

 

WHEREAS, the Corporation granted Purchaser a stock option on ___________, (the “Date of Grant”) pursuant to a stock option agreement (the “Option Agreement”) under which Purchaser has the right to purchase up to [Number of Shares] shares of the Corporation’s common stock (the “Option Shares”); and

 

WHEREAS, the Option is exercisable with respect to certain of the Option Shares as of the date hereof; and

 

WHEREAS, pursuant to the Option Agreement, Purchaser desires to purchase shares of the Corporation as herein described, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, the Option Agreement and the Castellum, Inc. 2021 Stock Incentive Plan (the “Plan”). Certain capitalized terms used in this Agreement are defined in the Plan.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, it is agreed between the parties as follows:

 

SECTION 1. PURCHASE OF SHARES.

 

(a)       Pursuant to the terms of the Option Agreement, Purchaser hereby agrees to purchase from the Corporation and the Corporation agrees to sell and issue to Purchaser _________ shares of the Corporation’s common stock (the “Common Stock”) for the Exercise Price per share specified in the Notice of Stock Option Grant payable by personal check, cashier’s check, money order or otherwise as permitted by the Option Agreement. Payment shall be delivered at the Closing, as such term is defined below.

 

(b)       The closing (the “Closing”) under this Agreement shall occur at the offices of the Corporation as of the date hereof, or such other time and place as may be designated by the Corporation (the “Closing Date”).

 

(c)       Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Closing under this Agreement shall be conditioned on Purchaser’s execution of such agreements as may be required of the stockholders of the Corporation generally in connection with any preferred stock financing round that occurs subsequent to the Date of Grant, including, but not limited to, any voting agreement, investor rights agreement, right of first refusal and co-sale agreement, or other similar stockholder agreement (“Subsequent Investor Agreements”). In the event that Purchaser is required to execute the Subsequent Investor Agreements, then the Closing shall not occur unless and until Purchaser has executed the Subsequent Investor Agreements. In the event of any conflict between the applicable Subsequent Investor Agreements and the Notice of Stock Option Grant, the Option Agreement, the Plan or this Agreement, including with respect to any rights of first refusal, drag-along rights or market stand-off provisions, the terms of the applicable Subsequent Investor Agreements shall control.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit A to Stock Option Agreement

Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement

 

  A-1  

 

 

SECTION 2. ADJUSTMENT OF SHARES.

 

Subject to the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation of the Corporation, if (a) there is any stock dividend or liquidating dividend of cash and/or property, stock split or other change in the character or amount of any of the outstanding securities of the Corporation, or (b) there is any consolidation, merger or sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, then, in such event, any and all new, substituted or additional securities or other cash or property to which Purchaser is entitled by reason of Purchaser’s ownership of the shares shall be immediately subject to the terms of the Transfer Restriction provided for in the Plan, and this Agreement, including but not limited to the Right of First Refusal, Transfer Restriction and Purchase Rights as provided below, with the same force and effect as the shares subject to such provisions. Appropriate adjustments shall be made to the number and/or class of shares subject to terms of this Agreement to reflect the exchange or distribution of such securities. In the event of a merger or consolidation of the Corporation with or into another entity or any other corporate reorganization, the Corporation’s rights may be exercised by the Corporation’s successor.

 

SECTION 3. TRANSFER RESTRICTION AND THE CORPORATION’S RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL.

 

Purchaser acknowledges that the shares of Common Stock received under this Agreement are subject to the transfer restrictions set forth in Section 10 of the Plan (as may be amended from time to time) (the “Transfer Restriction”). In addition, before any shares of Common Stock registered in the name of Purchaser may be sold or transferred, such shares shall first be offered to the Corporation pursuant to the right of first refusal contained in the Corporation’s bylaws as amended from time to time, and in the absence of any such provision in the bylaws, then as follows (the “Right of First Refusal”):

 

(a)       Purchaser shall promptly deliver a notice (“Notice”) to the Corporation stating (i) Purchaser’s bona fide intention to sell or transfer such shares and the identity of the proposed purchaser or transferee, (ii) the number of such shares to be sold or transferred, and the basic terms and conditions of such sale or transfer, (iii) the price for which Purchaser proposes to sell or transfer such shares, (iv) the name of the proposed purchaser or transferee, and (v) proof satisfactory to the Corporation that the proposed sale or transfer will not violate any applicable U.S. federal, state or foreign securities laws. The Notice shall be signed by both Purchaser and the proposed purchaser or transferee and must constitute a binding commitment subject to the Corporation’s Right of First Refusal as set forth herein.

 

(b)       Within thirty (30) days after receipt of the Notice, the Corporation may elect to purchase all or any portion of the shares to which the Notice refers, at the price per share specified in the Notice. If the Corporation elects not to purchase all or any portion of the shares, the Corporation may assign its right to purchase all or any portion of the shares. The assignees may elect within thirty (30) days after receipt by the Corporation of the Notice to purchase all or any portion of the shares to which the Notice refers, at the price per share specified in the Notice. If the price specified in the Notice consists of no legal consideration (as, for example, in the case of a transfer by gift), the purchase price will be the fair market value of the shares as determined in good faith by the Corporation. An election to purchase shall be made by written notice to Purchaser. Payment for shares purchased pursuant to this Section 3 shall be made within thirty (30) days after receipt of the Notice by the Corporation and, at the option of the Corporation, may be made by cancellation of all or a portion of outstanding indebtedness, if any, or in cash or both.

 

(c)       If all or any portion of the shares to which the Notice refers are not elected to be purchased, as provided in subparagraph 3(b), Purchaser may sell those shares to any person named in the Notice at the price specified in the Notice, provided that such sale or transfer is consummated within sixty (60) days of the date of said Notice to the Corporation, and provided, further, that any such sale is made in compliance with applicable U.S. federal, state and foreign securities laws and not in violation of any other contractual restrictions to which Purchaser is bound. The third-party purchaser shall be bound by, and shall acquire the shares subject to, the provisions of this Agreement, including the Corporation’s Right of First Refusal.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit A to Stock Option Agreement

Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement

 

  A-2  

 

 

(d)       Any proposed transfer on terms and conditions different from those set forth in the Notice, as well as any subsequent proposed transfer shall again be subject to the Corporation’s Right of First Refusal and shall require compliance with the procedures described in this Section 3.

 

(e)       Purchaser agrees to cooperate affirmatively with the Corporation, to the extent reasonably requested by the Corporation, to enforce rights and obligations pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(f)       Notwithstanding the above, neither the Corporation nor any assignee of the Corporation under this Section 3 shall have any right under this Section 3 at any time subsequent to the closing of a public offering of the common stock of the Corporation pursuant to a registration statement declared effective under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”).

 

(g)       This Section 3 shall not apply to (i) a transfer by will or intestate succession, or (ii) a transfer to one or more of Purchaser’s Immediate Family Members (defined below) or to a trust established by Purchaser for the benefit of Purchaser and/or one or more of Purchaser’s Immediate Family Members, provided that the transferee agrees in writing on a form prescribed by the Corporation to be bound by all of the provisions of this Agreement to the same extent as they apply to Purchaser. The transferee shall execute a copy of the attached Annex I and file the same with the Secretary of the Corporation. For purposes of this Agreement, Immediate Family Member means any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, and shall include adoptive relationships.

 

(h)       In the event of any transfer by operation of law or other involuntary transfer (including death, whether by will or intestate succession, or divorce, but excluding a transfer to an Immediate Family Member as set forth in Section 3(g) above) of all or a portion of the shares of Common Stock held by the record holder thereof, the Corporation’s Right of First Refusal shall consist of an option to purchase all of the shares transferred at the fair market value of the shares on the date of transfer (as determined by the Board). Upon such a transfer, the person acquiring the shares shall promptly notify the Secretary of the Corporation of such transfer. The right to purchase such shares shall be provided to the Corporation for a period of thirty (30) days following receipt by the Corporation of written notice by the person acquiring the shares.

 

(i)       Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, Purchaser hereby agrees to be bound by any and all restrictions on the transfer of shares of Common Stock as set forth in the Corporation’s bylaws (as may be amended from time to time) and that such transfer restrictions shall supersede all other agreements, whether written or oral, in place by and between the Corporation and Purchaser regarding the transfer of the shares of Common Stock.

 

SECTION 4. CORPORATION PURCHASE RIGHT

 

(a)       At any time within the one (1)-year period following the Purchaser’s termination of Continuous Service with the Corporation for any reason or, if later, the date of purchase of Common Stock upon exercise of the Option Agreement, the Corporation shall have the option (exercisable by written notice to the Purchaser or the transferee of Purchaser) to purchase, and the Purchaser (or the transferee of Purchaser) shall sell, all of the shares of Common Stock then owned by the Purchaser (or the transferee of Purchaser) acquired under the Plan in accordance with the procedures set forth in Section 4(b) below.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit A to Stock Option Agreement

Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement

 

  A-3  

 

 

(b)       The purchase price therefor shall be paid in cash and shall be equal to the then fair market value thereof as determined by the Board of Directors. Such fair market value shall be determined as of the day the Corporation elects to exercise its Purchase Right under this Section and the Board of Directors’ good faith determination shall be binding on all parties. Such purchase price shall be paid within thirty (30) days after such fair market value is established, provided, however, should the Corporation have insufficient funds to pay such purchase price in a lump sum or if the Board otherwise elects in its discretion, then, at the option of the Corporation, such purchase price shall be paid in five (5) consecutive equal annual payments, the first being made within thirty (30) days after such fair market value is established, and the four (4) remaining payments being made on the first, second, third and fourth anniversary of the first payment, with interest at the applicable federal rate under Section 1274(d) of the Internal Revenue Code using the mid-term rate for the month of the purchase.

 

(c)       Notwithstanding the above, the Corporation shall not have any right under this Section 4 at any time subsequent to the closing of a public offering of the common stock of the Corporation pursuant to a registration statement declared effective under the Securities Act.

 

SECTION 5. PURCHASER’S RIGHTS AFTER EXERCISE OF RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL OR PURCHASE.

 

If the Corporation makes available, at the time and place and in the amount and form provided in this Agreement, the consideration for the Common Stock to be repurchased in accordance with the provisions of Sections 3 or 4 of this Agreement, then from and after such time the person from whom such shares are to be repurchased shall no longer have any rights as a holder of such shares (other than the right to receive payment of such consideration in accordance with this Agreement). Such shares shall be deemed to have been repurchased in accordance with the applicable provisions hereof, whether or not the certificate(s) therefor have been delivered as required by this Agreement.

 

SECTION 6. LEGEND OF SHARES.

 

All certificates representing the Common Stock purchased under this Agreement shall, where applicable, have endorsed thereon the following legends and any other legends required by applicable securities laws:

 

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED OR QUALIFIED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR THE SECURITIES LAWS OF ANY STATE OR FOREIGN JURISDICTION, AND MAY BE OFFERED AND SOLD ONLY IF REGISTERED AND QUALIFIED PURSUANT TO THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS OF U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND APPLICABLE FOREIGN SECURITIES LAWS OR IF THE CORPORATION IS PROVIDED AN OPINION OF COUNSEL SATISFACTORY TO THE CORPORATION THAT REGISTRATION AND QUALIFICATION UNDER U.S. FEDERAL, STATE AND APPLICABLE FOREIGN SECURITIES LAWS IS NOT REQUIRED.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit A to Stock Option Agreement

Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement

 

  A-4  

 

 

THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE MAY NOT BE SOLD, TRANSFERRED, ENCUMBERED OR IN ANY MANNER DISPOSED OF, EXCEPT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE CORPORATIONS’ STOCK PLAN AND A WRITTEN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CORPORATION AND THE INITIAL HOLDER HEREOF. SUCH PLAN AND AGREEMENT PROVIDE FOR CERTAIN TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS, INCLUDING LIMITATION ON TRANSFERS, RIGHTS OF FIRST REFUSAL UPON AN ATTEMPTED TRANSFER OF THE SECURITIES AND A REPURCHASE RIGHT ON TERMINATION OF SERVICE. THE CORPORATION WILL NOT REGISTER OR OTHERWISE RECOGNIZE OR GIVE EFFECT TO ANY PURPORTED TRANSFER OF SECURITIES THAT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH SUCH TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS. THE SECRETARY OF THE CORPORATION WILL UPON WRITTEN REQUEST FURNISH A COPY OF SUCH PLAN AND AGREEMENT TO THE HOLDER HEREOF WITHOUT CHARGE.

 

If the Option is an ISO, then the following legend should be included:

 

THE SHARES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE WERE ISSUED UPON EXERCISE OF AN INCENTIVE STOCK OPTION, AND THE CORPORATION MUST BE NOTIFIED IF THE SHARES SHALL BE TRANSFERRED BEFORE THE LATER OF THE TWO (2) YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE OF GRANT OF THE OPTION OR THE ONE (1) YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE DATE ON WHICH THE OPTION WAS EXERCISED. THE REGISTERED HOLDER MAY RECOGNIZE ORDINARY INCOME IF THE SHARES ARE TRANSFERRED BEFORE SUCH DATE.

 

SECTION 7. PURCHASER’S INVESTMENT REPRESENTATIONS.

 

(a)        This Agreement is made with Purchaser in reliance upon Purchaser’s representation to the Corporation, which by Purchaser’s acceptance hereof Purchaser confirms, that the Common Stock which Purchaser will receive will be acquired with Purchaser’s own funds for investment for an indefinite period for Purchaser’s own account, not as a nominee or agent, and not with a view to the sale or distribution of any part thereof, and that Purchaser has no present intention of selling, granting participation in, or otherwise distributing the same, but subject, nevertheless, to any requirement of law that the disposition of Purchaser’s property shall at all times be within Purchaser’s control. By executing this Agreement, Purchaser further represents that Purchaser does not have any contract, understanding or agreement with any person to sell, transfer, or grant participation to such person or to any third person, with respect to any of the Common Stock.

 

(b)       Purchaser understands that the Common Stock will not be registered or qualified under applicable U.S. federal, state or foreign securities laws on the ground that the sale provided for in this Agreement is exempt from registration or qualification under applicable U.S. federal, state or foreign securities laws and that the Corporation’s reliance on such exemption is predicated on Purchaser’s representations set forth herein.

 

(d)       Purchaser agrees that in no event shall Purchaser make a disposition of any of the Common Stock (including a disposition under Section 3 of this Agreement), unless and until (i) Purchaser shall have notified the Corporation of the proposed disposition and shall have furnished the Corporation with a statement of the circumstances surrounding the proposed disposition and (ii) Purchaser shall have furnished the Corporation with an opinion of counsel satisfactory to the Corporation to the effect that (A) such disposition will not require registration or qualification of such Common Stock under applicable U.S. federal, state or foreign securities laws or (B) appropriate action necessary for compliance with the applicable U.S. federal, state or foreign securities laws has been taken or (iii) the Corporation shall have waived, expressly and in writing, its rights under clauses (i) and (ii) of this Section.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit A to Stock Option Agreement

Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement

 

  A-5  

 

 

(e)       With respect to a transaction occurring prior to such date as the Plan and Common Stock thereunder are covered by a valid Form S-8 or similar U.S. federal registration statement, this Subsection shall apply unless the transaction is covered by the exemption from registration or qualification under applicable state law. In connection with the investment representations made herein, Purchaser represents that Purchaser is able to fend for himself or herself in the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters as to be capable of evaluating the merits and risks of Purchaser’s investment, has the ability to bear the economic risks of Purchaser’s investment and has been furnished with and has had access to such information as would be made available in the form of a registration statement together with such additional information as is necessary to verify the accuracy of the information supplied and to have all questions answered by the Corporation.

 

(f)       Purchaser understands that if the Corporation does not register with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to section 12 of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or if a registration statement covering the Common Stock (or a filing pursuant to the exemption from registration under Regulation A of the Securities Act) under the Securities Act is not in effect when Purchaser desires to sell the Common Stock, Purchaser may be required to hold the Common Stock for an indeterminate period. Purchaser also acknowledges that Purchaser understands that any sale of the Common Stock which might be made by Purchaser in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be made only in limited amounts in accordance with the terms and conditions of that Rule.

 

SECTION 8. NO DUTY TO TRANSFER IN VIOLATION OF THIS AGREEMENT.

 

The Corporation shall not be required (a) to transfer on its books any shares of Common Stock of the Corporation which shall have been sold or transferred in violation of any of the provisions set forth in this Agreement or (b) to treat as owner of such shares or to accord the right to vote as such owner or to pay dividends to any transferee to whom such shares shall have been so transferred. Any sale or transfer of the shares of Common Stock shall be void unless the provisions of this Agreement are satisfied.

 

SECTION 9. RIGHTS OF PURCHASER.

 

(a)       Except as otherwise provided herein, Purchaser shall, during the term of this Agreement, exercise all rights and privileges of a stockholder of the Corporation with respect to the Common Stock.

 

(b)       Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as a right by Purchaser to be retained by the Corporation, or an Affiliate of the Corporation in any capacity. The Corporation reserves the right to terminate Purchaser’s Service at any time and for any reason without thereby incurring any liability to Purchaser.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit A to Stock Option Agreement

Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement

 

  A-6  

 

 

SECTION 10. RESALE RESTRICTIONS/MARKET STAND-OFF.

 

Purchaser hereby agrees that in connection with any underwritten public offering by the Corporation of its equity securities pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act, including the Corporation’s initial public offering, Purchaser shall not, directly or indirectly, engage in any transaction prohibited by the underwriter, or sell, make any short sale of, contract to sell, transfer the economic risk of ownership in, loan, hypothecate, pledge, grant any option for the purchase of, or otherwise dispose or transfer for value or agree to engage in any of the foregoing transactions with respect to any Common Stock without the prior written consent of the Corporation or its underwriters, for such period of time after the effective date of such registration statement as may be requested by the Corporation or such underwriters. Such period of time shall not exceed one hundred eighty (180) days and may be required by the underwriter as a market condition of the offering; provided, however, that if either (a) during the last seventeen (17) days of such one hundred eighty (180) day period, the Corporation issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Corporation occurs or (b) prior to the expiration of such one hundred eighty (180) day period, the Corporation announces that it will release earnings results during the sixteen (16) day period beginning on the last day of the one hundred eighty (180) day period, then the restrictions imposed during such one hundred eighty (180) day period shall continue to apply until the expiration of the eighteen (18) day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the occurrence of the material news or material event; provided, further, that in the event the Corporation or the underwriter requests that the one hundred eighty (180) day period be extended or modified pursuant to then-applicable law, rules, regulations or trading policies, the restrictions imposed during the one hundred eighty (180) day period shall continue to apply to the extent requested by the Corporation or the underwriter to comply with such law, rules, regulations or trading policies. Purchaser hereby agrees to execute and deliver such other agreements as may be reasonably requested by the Corporation or the underwriter which are consistent with the foregoing or which are necessary to give further effect thereto. To enforce the provisions of this Section, the Corporation may impose stop-transfer instructions with respect to the Common Stock until the end of the applicable stand-off period.

 

SECTION 11. RIGHT TO COMPEL SALE (DRAG-ALONG RIGHTS)

 

Notwithstanding any provision of this Agreement to the contrary, if at any time the Board of Directors approves a sale of the Corporation, Purchaser agrees that he or she will consent to and raise no objections against the sale of the Corporation, and if the sale of the Corporation is structured as (i) a merger or consolidation of the Corporation, or a sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation, Purchaser will waive any dissenters' rights, appraisal rights or similar rights in connection with such merger, consolidation or asset sale, or (ii) a sale of all or substantially all of the Common Stock of the Corporation, Purchaser agrees to sell all of his or her shares of Common Stock acquired under the Plan in the sale of the Corporation, on the terms and conditions approved by the Board of Directors. Purchaser hereby agrees to take all necessary and desirable actions approved by the Board of Directors in connection with the consummation of the sale of the Corporation, including voting for, giving written consent to the sale of the Corporation and executing such agreements and such instruments and completing other actions reasonably necessary to (x) provide customary representations, warranties, indemnities, and escrow arrangements relating to such sale of the Corporation and (y) effectuate the allocation and distribution of the aggregate consideration upon the sale of the Corporation.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit A to Stock Option Agreement

Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement

 

  A-7  

 

 

SECTION 12. OTHER NECESSARY ACTIONS.

 

The parties agree to execute such further instruments and to take such further action as may reasonably be necessary to carry out the intent of this Agreement.

 

SECTION 13. NOTICE.

 

Any notice required or permitted under this Agreement shall be given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon the earliest of personal delivery, receipt or the third full day following deposit in the United States Post Office with postage and fees prepaid, addressed to the other party hereto at the address last known or at such other address as such party may designate by ten (10) days’ advance written notice to the other party hereto.

 

SECTION 14. SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS.

 

This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Corporation and, subject to the restrictions on transfer herein set forth, be binding upon Purchaser and Purchaser’s heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns. The failure of the Corporation in any instance to exercise the Right of First Refusal, Purchase Right, Transfer Restriction or other right described herein shall not constitute a waiver of any of such rights as may subsequently arise under the provisions of this Agreement. No waiver of any breach or condition of this Agreement shall be deemed to be a waiver of any other or subsequent breach or condition, whether of a like or different nature.

 

SECTION 15. APPLICABLE LAW.

 

This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of Nevada, as such laws are applied to contracts entered into and performed in such state.

 

SECTION 16. NO ORAL MODIFICATION.

 

No modification of this Agreement shall be valid unless made in writing and signed by the parties hereto.

 

SECTION 17. ENTIRE AGREEMENT.

 

This Agreement, the Option Agreement and the Plan constitute the entire complete and final agreement between the parties hereto with regard to the subject matter hereof.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the day and year first above written.

 

Castellum, INC.   [Name of Optionee] (PURCHASER)
       
By      
Its     Signature

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit A to Stock Option Agreement

Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement

 

  A-8  

 

 

ANNEX I

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AND AGREEMENT TO BE BOUND
BY THE NOTICE OF EXERCISE AND COMMON STOCK PURCHASE AGREEMENT OF
Castellum, inc.

 

The undersigned, as transferee of shares of Castellum, Inc. hereby acknowledges that he or she has read and reviewed the terms of the Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement of Castellum, Inc. and hereby agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions thereof, as if the undersigned had executed said Agreement as an original party thereto.

 

Dated: ____________________, ____.

 

   
   (Signature of Transferee)
   
   
   (Printed Name of Transferee)

 

Castellum, Inc.
Annex I to

Notice of Exercise and Common Stock Purchase Agreement

 

  - 1 - 

 

 

EXHIBIT B

 

U.S. FEDERAL TAX INFORMATION

 

(Current as of October 2021)

 

The following memorandum briefly summarizes current U.S. federal income tax law. The discussion is intended to be used solely for general information purposes and does not make specific representations to any participant. A taxpayer’s particular situation may be such that some variation of the basic rules is applicable to him or her. In addition, the U.S. federal income tax laws and regulations are revised frequently and may change again in the future. The Corporation undertakes no obligation to update this memorandum. Each participant is urged to consult a tax advisor, both with respect to U.S. federal income tax consequences as well as any foreign, state or local tax consequences, before exercising any option or before disposing of any shares of stock acquired under the Plan.

 

Initial Grant of Options

 

The grant of an option, whether a nonqualified or nonstatutory stock option (“NSO”) or an incentive stock option (“ISO”), is not a taxable event for the optionee, and the Corporation obtains no deduction for the grant of the option. Note, however, that under Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, options granted at a discount from fair market value may be considered “deferred compensation” subject to adverse tax consequences, including immediate income tax upon the vesting of the option (whether or not exercised) and a 20% tax penalty.

 

Nonqualified or Nonstatutory Stock Options

 

The exercise of an NSO is a taxable event to the optionee on the date of exercise. The amount by which the fair market value of the shares on the date of taxation exceeds the exercise price (the “spread”) will be taxed to the optionee as ordinary income. If the option was granted to an employee, the spread will also be considered “wages” for purposes of FICA taxes. The Corporation will be entitled to a deduction in the same amount as the ordinary income recognized by the optionee from the exercise of the option that is reported to the IRS by the optionee or the Corporation. In general, the optionee’s tax basis in the shares acquired by exercising an NSO is equal to the fair market value of such shares on the date of taxation. The optionee’s holding period for capital gains treatment will begin on the date of taxation. Upon a subsequent sale of any such shares in a taxable transaction, the optionee will realize capital gain or loss (long-term or short-term, depending on whether the required holding period was met before the sale) in an amount equal to the difference between his or her basis in the shares and the sale price.

 

The capital gains tax rules are complex. If shares are held for more than one year, the rules for long-term capital gains will apply. The maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains depends on the taxpayer’s taxable income for the year. A fifteen percent (15%) tax rate on long-term capital gains applies to taxpayers with taxable income above certain thresholds, which are indexed for inflation (generally for 2021, $40,400 for single filers, $40,400 for married filing separately, or $80,800 for joint filers). The tax rate on long-term capital gains is zero percent (0%) for taxable income below these threshold amounts, and the tax rate on long-term capital gains increases to twenty percent (20%) to the extent that a taxpayer’s income exceeds certain thresholds, which are indexed for inflation (generally, for 2021, $445,850 for single filers, $250,800 for married filing separately, or $501,600 for joint filers). High income taxpayers are also subject to an additional tax of 3.8% on some or all of their net investment income, including capital gain income, if their “modified adjusted gross income” (both earned and investment) exceeds certain thresholds (generally, $200,000 for single filers, $125,000 for married filing separately, or $250,000 for joint filers). Because the rules are complex and can vary in individual circumstances, each participant should consider consulting his or her own tax advisor.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit B to Stock Option Agreement

U.S. Federal Tax Information

 

 

 

If an optionee exercises an NSO and pays the exercise price with previously acquired shares of stock, special rules apply. The transaction is treated as a tax-free exchange of the old shares for the same number of new shares, except as described below with respect to shares acquired pursuant to ISOs. The optionee’s basis in the new shares is the same as his or her basis in the old shares, and the capital gains holding period runs without interruption from the date when the old shares were acquired. The value of any new shares received by the optionee in excess of the number of old shares surrendered minus any cash the optionee pays for the new shares will be taxed as ordinary income. The optionee’s basis in the additional shares is equal to the fair market value of such shares on the date the shares were transferred, and the capital gain holding period commences on the same date. The effect of these rules is to defer recognition of any gain in the old shares when those shares are used to buy new shares. Stated differently, these rules allow an optionee to finance the exercise of an NSO by using shares of stock that he or she already owns, without paying current tax on any unrealized appreciation in those old shares.

 

Incentive Stock Options

 

The holder of an ISO will not for U.S. federal income tax purposes recognize taxable income upon the exercise of the ISO, and the Corporation will not be entitled to a tax deduction by reason of such exercise, provided that the holder is employed by the Corporation on the exercise date (or the holder’s employment terminated within the three (3) months preceding the exercise date). Exceptions to this exercise timing requirement may apply in the event the optionee dies or becomes disabled. The exercise of an option entitled to favorable ISO tax treatment at the time of exercise may, however, result in liability for the alternative minimum tax, discussed below. An option intended to be an ISO which is not exercised in compliance with the ISO timing requirements is treated as an NSO for tax purposes. A subsequent sale of the shares received upon the exercise of an ISO entitled to favorable ISO tax treatment at the time of exercise will result in the realization of long-term capital gain or loss in the amount of the difference between the amount realized on the sale and the exercise price for such shares, provided that the sale occurs more than one (1) year after the exercise of the ISO and more than two (2) years after the grant of the ISO. In general, if a sale or disposition of the shares occurs prior to satisfaction of the foregoing holding periods (referred to as a “disqualifying disposition”), the optionee will recognize ordinary income at the time of the sale or disposition in an amount equal to the excess of the fair market value of the shares on the option exercise date of those shares over the exercise price paid for those shares. If the disqualifying disposition is effected by means of an arm’s length sale or exchange with an unrelated party, the ordinary income will be limited to the amount by which the amount realized upon the disposition of the shares or their fair market value on the exercise date, whichever is less, exceeds the exercise price paid for the shares. The amount of an optionee’s disqualifying disposition income will be reported by the Corporation to the Internal Revenue Service. Any additional gain recognized upon the disqualifying disposition will be capital gain, which will be long-term if the shares have been held for more than one (1) year following the exercise date of the option.

 

Favorable ISO tax treatment is accorded to an optionee at the time of exercise only to the extent that the value of the shares (determined at the time of grant) covered by an ISO first exercisable in any single calendar year does not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). If ISOs for shares whose aggregate value exceeds one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) become exercisable in the same calendar year, the excess will be treated as NSOs.

 

A special rule applies if an optionee pays all or part of the exercise price of an ISO by surrendering shares of stock that he or she previously acquired by exercising any other ISO. If the optionee has not held the old shares for the full duration of the applicable holding periods, then the surrender of such shares to fund the exercise of the new ISO will be treated as a disqualifying disposition of the old shares. As described above, the result of a disqualifying disposition is the loss of favorable tax treatment with respect to the acquisition of the old shares pursuant to the previously exercised ISO.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit B to Stock Option Agreement

U.S. Federal Tax Information

 

 

 

Where the applicable holding period requirements have been met, the use of previously acquired shares of stock to pay all or a portion of the exercise price of an ISO may offer significant tax advantages. In particular, a deferral of the recognition of any appreciation in the surrendered shares is available in the same manner as discussed above with respect to NSOs.

 

Alternative Minimum Tax

 

Alternative minimum tax is paid when such tax exceeds a taxpayer’s regular U.S. federal income tax. Alternative minimum tax is calculated based on alternative minimum taxable income, which is taxable income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, modified by certain adjustments and increased by tax preference items.

 

The “spread” under an ISO—that is, the difference between (a) the fair market value of the shares of stock at exercise and (b) the exercise price—is classified as alternative minimum taxable income for the year of exercise. Alternative minimum taxable income may be subject to the alternative minimum tax. However, if the shares of stock purchased upon the exercise of an ISO are sold in the same taxable year in which alternative minimum taxable income is recognized, then the amount includible in the taxpayer’s alternative minimum taxable income will not exceed the amount realized upon such sale less the option exercise price paid for those shares, provided that such disposition is a sale or exchange with respect to which a loss (if sustained) would be recognized to such individual.

 

In general, when a taxpayer sells stock acquired through the exercise of an ISO, only the difference between the fair market value of the shares on the date of exercise and the date of sale is used in computing any alternative minimum tax for the year of the sale. The portion of a taxpayer’s alternative minimum tax attributable to certain items of tax preference (including the alternative minimum taxable income from an ISO) can be credited against the taxpayer’s regular liability in later years subject to certain limitations.

 

Withholding Taxes

 

Exercise of an NSO produces taxable income which, in the case of an option granted to an employee, is subject to income and FICA tax withholding. The Corporation will not deliver shares to the optionee unless the optionee has agreed to satisfactory arrangements for meeting all applicable U.S. federal, state and local withholding tax requirements.

 

U.S. federal tax law does not require unrecognized gain on exercise of an ISO to be treated as “wages” for the purposes of FICA taxes.

 

THIS TAX SUMMARY IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON BY ANY PERSON IN DECIDING WHETHER OR WHEN TO EXERCISE AN OPTION. EACH PERSON SHOULD CONSULT HIS OR HER OWN TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THESE MATTERS.

 

Castellum, Inc.
Exhibit B to Stock Option Agreement

U.S. Federal Tax Information

 

 

Exhibit 10.11

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of April 1, 2020 (the “Effective Date”), is by and between Castellum, Inc. (the “Company”), and Mark Fuller (“Employee”).

 

RECITALS

 

A.          The Company and Employee desire to enter into this Agreement relating to Employee’s employment by the Company.

 

B.           In addition to the capitalized terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, capitalized terms used herein shall have the definitions ascribed thereto in Section 14.

 

AGREEMENTS

 

In consideration of the mutual covenants of the parties hereto as hereinafter set forth and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

1.           Employment. The Company shall employ Employee, and Employee hereby agrees to be employed by the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, for the period beginning on April 1, 2020 and ending on March 31, 2024 (the “Initial Employment Period”), subject to earlier termination as provided herein. As used herein, the “Employment Period” means the Initial Employment Period and all Renewal Periods (if any). That certain consulting agreement by and between the Company and the Employee’s affiliated firm, Trophy Point Ventures, is terminated as of 11:59 p.m. March 31, 2020.

 

2.           Position and Duties.

 

(a)       Position. Initially, Employee shall serve as the Chief Executive Office of the Company, reporting to the Board of Directors of the Company. Upon termination of employment hereunder for any or no reason, Employee will resign from each such position or office and will sign such documentation as reasonably necessary to effectuate such resignation.

 

(b)       Duties. During the Employment Period, Employee shall devote Employee’s good faith efforts to the business and affairs of the Company. During the Employment Period, Employee will (i) perform Employee’s duties faithfully and to the best of Employee’s abilities and (ii) comply with all of the policies of the Company, including, without limitation, such policies with respect to legal compliance, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, code of conduct and business ethics as are from time to time in effect (as the same may be amended or modified from time to time by the Board in its discretion).

 

3.           Termination. The Employment Period (a) shall automatically terminate upon (i) Employee’s death or (ii) the Board’s reasonable determination of Employee’s Disability, (b) may be terminated by the Company at any time for any reason or no reason (whether for Cause or without Cause) by giving Employee written notice of such termination and (c) may be terminated by Employee at any time by giving the Company written notice of such termination at least fifty (50) days in advance of the Termination Date, unless such notice is waived in writing by the Company (in which case such termination shall be effective as of the date set forth in such waiver or such other date designated by the Company). The date that the Employment Period expires or is terminated for any reason (including by virtue of delivery of an Expiration Notice) is referred to herein as the “Termination Date”.

 

 

 

 

4.           Base Salary and Benefits.

 

(a)       Base Salary; Bonus. During the Employment Period, Employee’s initial base salary shall be $240,000 per year (the “Base Salary”). The Base Salary may be increased but not decreased in the sole discretion of the Board. The Base Salary shall be increased as follows:

 

Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000) or greater;

 

Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000) per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000) or greater; and

 

Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000) per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of Seventy-Five Million ($75,000,000) or greater.

 

The Base Salary shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Company’s general payroll practices. Employee shall be eligible for a bonus as follows:

 

The Company shall pay to the Employee a cash bonus equal to the lesser of (i) one percent (1% of the trailing twelve (12) month revenues of each company acquired by the Company during the Term of this Agreement or (ii) four percent (4%) of the trailing twelve (12) month EBITDA of each business acquired by the Company during the Term of this Agreement, provided that, for a bonus to be due, such acquisition must be accretive to the Company on both a revenue per share and an EBITDA per share basis. Additionally, the Company shall issue 1 warrant to the Employee for each $1 of revenue acquired in any such acquisition (e.g. $10mm in revenue = 10 million warrants) with a 7-year term and a strike price equal to the price used in such acquisition or (if no stock is used) the trailing 30 day moving average closing price of the Company’s stock.

 

An additional bonus of $50,000 in cash and 10 million warrants with a 10 cent strike price shall be paid to the Employee upon the Company commencing trading on the Nasdaq (either tier) or the NYSE (either tier).

 

An additional bonus of $125,000 in cash and 25 million warrants with a 12 cent strike price shall be paid to the Employee upon the Company joining the Russell 3000 and/or Russell 2000 stock index (ices).

 

Payment of any bonus shall be conditioned on the Board determining that there are suitable funds on hand to not risk the financial condition of the Company. Any bonus not paid immediately shall be accrued and paid when able by the Company in the reasonable judgment of the Board of Directors.

 

2 

 

 

(b)       Expenses. During the Employment Period, the Company will reimburse Employee for all reasonable travel and other expenses incurred by Employee in connection with the performance of Employee’s duties and obligations under this Agreement. Employee shall comply with such limitations and reporting requirements with respect to expenses as may be established by the Company from time to time for its senior executives generally. With respect to any such reimbursements, such reimbursements shall (i) be paid in accordance with the Company’s normal reimbursement procedures as in effect from time to time, but in no event later than the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense giving rise to such reimbursement was incurred, (ii) for any taxable year, not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement in a different taxable year and (iii) not be subject to liquidation or exchange for other benefits. The Company shall pay to have Employee attend HBS’s program on governance for up to three (3) weeks and shall pay for membership in Potomac Officers Club and NACD.

 

(c)       Other Benefits. During the Employment Period, Employee will be entitled to participate in all employee benefit plans or programs and receive all benefits and perquisites for which salaried employees of the Company generally are eligible under any plan or program now existing or later established by the Company on a substantially similar basis as other senior executives of the Company and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in such plans and programs as in effect from time to time including but not limited to the 401(k) plan with matching, healthcare, and other benefits. Nothing in this Agreement will preclude the Company from amending or terminating any of the plans or programs applicable to salaried employees or senior executives as long as such amendment or termination is applicable to all salaried employees or all senior executives, as the case may be. With respect to healthcare, the Company shall either provide for healthcare coverage for the Employee and Employee’s family (spouse and eligible children age 26 and younger) or provide a stipend of $4,000 per month at the Employee’s option.

 

(d)       Taxes. All compensation payable to Employee hereunder shall be subject to all applicable withholding taxes, normal payroll withholding and any other amounts, if required by law to be withheld.

 

5.           Severance.

 

(a)       Termination without Cause or for Good Reason. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Section 5, if the Employment Period is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Employee for Good Reason at any time, Employee shall be entitled to receive, during the Severance Period, Employee’s Base Salary payable in the same manner and in the same installments as previously paid (the “Severance Payments”), and, except as set forth in this Section 5(a) or in Section 5(c), the Company’s obligation to make any other payments or provide any other benefits under this Agreement shall cease as of the Termination Date. When used herein, the “Severance Period” means the earlier of (x) the period ending on the twelve (12)-month anniversary of the Termination Date and (y) the date on which the Employment Period would have expired had the Employment Period not been terminated earlier by the Company without Cause. Employee shall forfeit the compensation and other benefits otherwise payable to Employee pursuant to this Section 5(a) unless, prior to the date on which the first payment would otherwise be payable pursuant to this Section 5(a) (and in any event within sixty (60) days after receipt of such Separation Document (as hereinafter defined)), Employee executes and delivers to the Company (and does not revoke or breach), a complete mutual release in favor of each member of the Company Group and their affiliates, and their respective equityholders, officers, managers, directors, employees, lenders, principals and attorneys, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company (the “Separation Document”); provided, however, that if the sixty (60)-day period (together with any applicable consideration and revocation periods) begins in one (1) calendar year and ends in a second calendar year, then regardless of the date on which the Separation Document is actually executed, the Severance Payments (if owed) will be paid in such second calendar year no later than ten (10) days after the last day of such sixty (60)-day period (or, if later, upon the expiration of the applicable consideration and revocation periods), subject to the Company’s ability to accelerate such payments to the extent it would not result in a violation of Code Section 409A. If Employee breaches or revokes the Separation Document provided pursuant to the previous sentence, then Employee shall promptly repay to the Company all amounts paid to Employee pursuant to this Section 5(a) prior to such revocation.

 

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(b)       Other Termination. If the Employment Period is terminated (i) as a result of the death of Employee pursuant to Section 3(a)(i), (ii) by the Company after a determination of a Disability pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii), or (iii) by the Company for Cause or by Employee (other than for Good Reason), except as set forth in Section 5(c), the Company’s obligation to make any other payments or provide any other benefits to Employee under this Agreement shall cease as of the Termination Date.

 

(c)       Other Benefits. Except (i) as required by law, (ii) as specifically provided in this Section 5, (iii) for the payment of earned but unpaid Base Salary, (iv) for the reimbursement of unreimbursed business expenses pursuant to Section 4(c), and (v) for the payment of earned but unpaid Performance Bonus for any fiscal year ended prior to the Termination Date, the Company’s obligation to make any payments or provide any other benefits hereunder shall terminate automatically as of the Termination Date. All of Employee’s rights to fringe benefits and bonuses hereunder (if any) which would accrue or become payable after the termination of the Employment Period shall cease upon such termination.

 

(d)       Termination of Severance. Without limiting the foregoing remedies, if Employee commits a breach of any of the provisions of Sections 6 through 10, the Company shall no longer be obligated to make any payments pursuant to this Section 5, and Employee shall promptly repay any of such payments made pursuant to this Section 5.

 

(e)       Mitigation. The Company shall have the right to mitigate and set off against the Severance Payments all amounts Employee earns or receives as a result of any services Employee renders (in any capacity) for any Person (including self-employment but not including any earnings from investments of Employee) at any time during the Severance Period. Any such amounts earned or received by Employee therefrom shall be fairly apportioned over all of the periods during which Employee is performing such services. Employee promptly shall furnish the Company with verification from the person or entity for which Employee is performing services or granting rights of the amounts to be earned by or paid to Employee therefor. Employee covenants and agrees that amounts Employee earns during the Severance Period (i) shall be reached as a result of arm’s length negotiations between such person or entity and Employee, as applicable, and (ii) shall not be intentionally paid or provided to Employee in intervals that would penalize or prejudice the Company hereunder.

 

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(f)        Offset. At the time any amount would otherwise become due to Employee pursuant to this Section 5, the Company may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, offset any amounts Employee owes to any member of the Company Group pursuant to any written agreement, note or other instrument relating to indebtedness for borrowed money to which Employee is a party or pursuant to any other liability or obligation by which Employee is bound against any amounts the Company owes Employee hereunder. Any amounts owed to Employee hereunder that constitute “non-qualified deferred compensation” (within the meaning of Code Section 409A(d)(1)) shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be subject to the offset in this Section 5(f) only if such offset is not taken until the payment from which such offset is to be taken would otherwise be due to Employee pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(g)       Reversal of Determination. If matters constituting Cause become known to the Company within fifty (50) days after the Termination Date, then the Company may, by delivery of written notice to Employee, treat such termination as being with Cause, and Employee shall promptly, but in any event within five (5) business days following delivery of such notice, return all amounts received by Employee pursuant to this Agreement that Employee would not have been entitled to receive had the Employment Period been terminated by the Company for Cause as of the Termination Date.

 

6.           Confidential Information. Employee acknowledges that the information, observations and data obtained by Employee while associated with any member of the Company Group (including, without limitation, trade secrets, know-how, research plans, business, accounting, distribution and sales methods and systems, sales and profit figures and margins and other technical or business information, business, marketing and sales plans and strategies, cost and pricing structures, and information concerning acquisition opportunities and targets in or reasonably related to any member of the Company Group’s business or industry) including, in each case, such information, observations and data obtained prior to the date of this Agreement concerning the business or affairs of any member of the Company Group and its affiliates (collectively, “Confidential Information”) are the property of such entity and agrees that such entity has a protectable interest in such Confidential Information. Therefore, Employee agrees that Employee shall not (during the Employment Period or at any time thereafter) disclose to any unauthorized person or use any such Confidential Information without the prior written consent of the Board unless and to the extent that the aforementioned matters: (a) become or are generally known to and available for use by the industry other than as a result of Employee’s acts or omissions in breach of this Agreement, (b) are required to be disclosed by judicial process or law (provided that Employee shall give prompt advance written notice of such requirement to the Company to enable the Company to seek an appropriate protective order or confidential treatment) or (c) are in furtherance of Employee’s duties under Section 2(b). Employee shall deliver to the Company at the termination of the Employment Period, or at any other time the Company may request, all memoranda, notes, plans, records, reports, computer tapes, printouts and software and other documents and data (and copies thereof) which constitute Confidential Information or Work Product which Employee may then possess or have under Employee’s control. Employee understands and acknowledges that nothing in this Agreement prohibits or limits Employee or Employee’s counsel from initiating communications directly with, responding to any inquiry from, volunteering information to, or providing testimony before, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, any other self-regulatory organization or any other governmental, law enforcement, or regulatory authority, regarding this Agreement and its underlying facts and circumstances, or any reporting of, investigation into, or proceeding regarding suspected violations of law, and that Employee is not required to advise or seek permission from the Company before engaging in any such activity. Employee recognizes that, in connection with any such activity, Employee must inform such authority that the information Employee is providing is confidential. The Company does not waive any applicable privileges or the right to continue to protect its privileged attorney-client information, attorney work product, and other privileged information.

 

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7.           Inventions and Patents. Employee hereby assigns to the Company all right, title and interest to all patents and patent applications, all inventions, innovations, improvements, developments, methods, designs, recipes, formulas, analyses, drawings, reports and all similar or related information (in each case whether or not patentable), all copyrights and copyrightable works, all trade secrets, confidential information and know-how, and all other intellectual property rights that both (a) are or were conceived, reduced to practice, developed or made by Employee while engaged by, employed by, or associated with, any member of the Company Group and (b) either that (i) relate to the actual or anticipated business, research and development or existing or future products or services of any member of the Company Group, or (ii) are or were conceived, reduced to practice, developed or made using any of the equipment, supplies, facilities, assets or resources of any member of the Company Group (including, without limitation, any intellectual property rights) (“Work Product”), to the extent allowable under applicable law. Employee shall promptly disclose such Work Product to the Board and perform, at the Company’s expense, all actions reasonably requested by the Board (whether during or after the Employment Period) to establish and confirm the Company’s ownership thereof (including, without limitation, assignments, consents, powers of attorney, applications and other instruments).

 

8.           Non-Competition. In further consideration of the compensation to be paid to Employee hereunder, Employee acknowledges that in the course of Employee’s employment with the Company, Employee is and will become familiar with trade secrets and other Confidential Information concerning the Company Group and that Employee’s services will be of special, unique and extraordinary value to the Company Group. Therefore, Employee hereby covenants and agrees that, during the Employment Period and for six (6) months after the Termination Date (the “Restricted Period”), Employee shall not, without prior express written approval by the Board, directly or indirectly through any other Person or Persons (whether for compensation or otherwise):

 

(a)       own or hold any debt or equity interest in, manage, operate, control, consult with, render services for, or engage, join or participate in the ownership, management, operation or control of, or furnish any capital or loans to, any Person engaged in or actively pursuing the Business (a “Competing Business”), either as an owner, officer, general or limited partner, principal, proprietor, joint venturer, shareholder, director, member, manager, investor, lender, agent, employee, consultant, trustee, affiliate or otherwise; or

 

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(b)       provide to any Competing Business (whether as owner, officer, general or limited partner, principal, proprietor, joint venturer, shareholder, director, member, manager, investor, agent, employee, consultant, trustee, affiliate or otherwise) any executive, managerial, strategic or business development services similar to those services that Employee provided to any member of the Company Group during Employee’s employment with the Company.

 

Employee acknowledges and agrees that the provisions in this Section 8 shall operate throughout the United States, Canada, and any NATO country. Nothing herein shall prohibit Employee from being a passive owner of not more than one percent (1%) of the outstanding securities of any publicly traded company engaged in a Competing Business, so long as Employee has no active participation in such Competing Business. In addition, Employee agrees and acknowledges that the potential harm to any member of the Company Group of its non-enforcement outweighs any harm to Employee of its enforcement by injunction or otherwise. Employee acknowledges that Employee has carefully read this Agreement and has given careful consideration to the restraints imposed upon Employee by this Agreement, and is in full accord as to their necessity. Employee expressly acknowledges and agrees that each and every restraint imposed by this Agreement is reasonable with respect to the subject matter, time period and geographical area and that this Section 8 is ancillary to the sale of the Company from Employee to BioNovelus, Inc.

 

9.           Non-Interference. Employee agrees that, during the Restricted Period and for one (1)-year thereafter, Employee will not, directly or indirectly:

 

(a)       solicit (or participate as an employee, agent, consultant, owner, lender, securityholder, director, manager, partner, member or in any other individual or representative capacity in any business which solicits) business from any Person that is or was a customer, client, distributor, supplier or vendor of any member of the Company Group during the two (2)- year period preceding the date of such solicitation, or from any successor in interest to any such Person, in each case, for the purpose of securing business or contracts related to the Business or any portion thereof; or

 

(b)       employ, engage or recruit, solicit, contact or approach for employment or engagement (or participate as an employee, agent, consultant, owner, lender, securityholder, director, manager, partner, member or in any other individual or representative capacity in any business that employs, engages or recruits, solicits, contacts or approaches for employment or engagement) any Person that served as an employee, independent contractor or consultant of any member of the Company Group within the two (2) years immediately preceding such action, or otherwise seek or attempt to influence or alter any such Person’s relationship with any member of the Company Group.

 

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10.         Non-disparagement. During the Employment Period or at any time thereafter, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly: (i) make any oral or written statement (including via the internet or social media) that disparages or places any member of the Company Group (including any of its past or present officers, employees, products or services) in a false or negative light or otherwise induce or attempt to induce any Person to cease doing business with any member of the Company Group, reduce its business or not increase its business with any member of the Company Group, not grant new business to any member of the Company Group, or in any way interfere with the relationship between such Person and any member of the Company Group, or (ii) encourage or assist any Person who may or who has filed a lawsuit, charge, claim or complaint against any member of the Company Group; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent Employee from responding to a lawful subpoena or complying with any other legal obligation, in each case, to the extent required by law. If Employee receives any subpoena or becomes subject to any legal obligation that implicates this Section 10, Employee will provide prompt written notice of that fact to the relevant members of the Company Group (as set forth in Section 15) and enclose a copy of the subpoena and any other documents describing the legal obligation. Section 10(i) shall not apply to communications between Employee and his immediate family so long as Employee’s immediate family keeps such communications strictly confidential.

 

11.         Enforcement. If, at the time of enforcement of any of Sections 6 through 10, a court or an arbitrator holds that the duration, scope or area restrictions stated therein are unreasonable under the circumstances then-existing, the parties hereto agree that the maximum duration, scope or area reasonable under such circumstances shall be substituted for the stated duration, scope or area and that the court or arbitrator shall be allowed to revise the restrictions contained herein to cover the maximum period, scope and area permitted by law. Because Employee’s services are unique and because Employee has access to Confidential Information and Work Product, the parties hereto agree that money damages would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of this Agreement. Therefore, in the event of a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement, the Company or its successors or assigns may, in addition to other rights and remedies existing in their favor, apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for and obtain specific performance and/or injunctive or other relief in order to enforce or prevent any violations of the provisions hereof (without (i) the posting of any bond or other security, (ii) the necessity of showing actual damages and (iii) the necessity of showing that monetary damages are an inadequate remedy). Employee agrees that the restrictions contained in Sections 6 through 10 are reasonable.

 

12.         Employee’s Representations. Employee hereby represents and warrants to the Company that (i) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Employee and the execution of the Company’s business plan by Employee do not and shall not conflict with, breach, violate or cause a default under any contract, agreement, instrument, order, judgment or decree to which Employee is a party or by which Employee is bound, (ii) Employee is not a party to or bound by any employment agreement, noncompete agreement, nonsolicitation agreement or confidentiality agreement with any other person or entity, (iii) Employee shall not use any confidential information or trade secrets of any third party in connection with the performance of Employee’s duties hereunder and (iv) this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of Employee, enforceable against Employee in accordance with its terms. Employee hereby acknowledges and represents that Employee has consulted with independent legal counsel regarding Employee’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and that Employee fully understands the terms and conditions contained herein.

 

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13.         Survival. Sections 5 through 12 shall survive and continue in full force in accordance with their terms notwithstanding any termination of the Employment Period.

 

14.         Definitions.

 

Board” means the Board of Directors of Castellum, Inc.

 

Business” means (i) the business of providing IT, cybersecurity, and related products and services to the U.S. commercial market and the United States government and governments of NATO countries as a “government contractor,” (ii) any other material business conducted by the Company at any time during the Employment Period or (iii) any business that the Company has entered into a letter of intent or agreement at any time during the Employment Period to commence or acquire.

 

Cause” shall include the following:

 

(a)       The commission by Employee of a felony (or procedural equivalent) or any other crime involving moral turpitude or any act or omission that would constitute a breach of a fiduciary duty of an officer of a Nevada corporation, in each case, as determined in good faith by the Board;

 

(b)       The commission of an act of intentional dishonesty, fraud, embezzlement, gross negligence, willful misconduct or theft with respect to any member of the Company or any of their respective customers or other business relationships;

 

(c)       Any material breach, non-performance or non-observance by Employee of any of the terms of this Agreement (other than a breach, non-performance or non-observance described in clause (d) of this definition), the governing documents of the Company or any other agreement between Employee, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, in Employee’s capacity as an equityholder, independent contractor, employee or officer thereof, which failure or breach (if curable) continues for a period of at least ten (10) days following a written demand for such performance by the Board specifying in reasonable detail the action that the Board alleges to be a failure to perform or breach by Employee;

 

(d)       Any breach of any of the provisions of Sections 6 through 10;

 

(e)       The commission by Employee of (i) alcohol abuse that interferes with Employee’s performance of Employee’s duties hereunder or illegal drug use by Employee, (ii) any act or omission that constitutes a violation of any law, regulation or ordinance applicable to the Company or the Business or would, if proven, cause the loss of Employee’s security clearance with the United States government, or (iii) any breach of any fiduciary duties owed to any member of the Company;

 

(f)       Employee’s (i) knowingly taking any action of material importance on behalf of the Company or any of its affiliates without appropriate authority to take such action or (ii) material misrepresentation to or willfully withholding from the Board of information that is material to any member of the Company, its businesses or operations;

 

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(g)       The violation by Employee of any of the material written policies or procedures of any member of the Company applicable to Employee, or any other act or omission constituting gross negligence or willful or criminal misconduct with respect to Employee’s duties or obligations to any member of the Company which violation is adverse to such member and which violation or conduct (if curable) continues for a period of at least ten (10) days following written notice thereof to Employee from the Board specifying in reasonable detail the violations, actions or omissions that the Board alleges to have occurred;

 

(h)       Employee’s insubordination or refusal to perform specific lawful directives from the Board that are reasonably consistent with the scope and nature of Employee’s responsibilities; or

 

(i)       The existence of any legal or contractual limitation on Employee’s ability to engage in the Business that reasonably could be expected to have a material adverse effect on Employee’s ability to attract or retain customers or perform services hereunder.

 

CEO” means the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Company” means Castellum, Inc. and any Subsidiaries or affiliates.

 

Disability” means Employee’s inability to fulfill Employee’s duties under this Agreement for sixty (60) consecutive days or ninety (90) days in any one hundred eighty (180)- day period due to a mental or physical illness, as reasonably determined by the Board.

 

Good Reason” means:

 

(a)       the relocation of Employee’s principal office more than fifty (50) miles from Washington, DC, unless such new office is within 50 miles from Employee’s then- permanent residence; or

 

(b)       a material breach of this Agreement by the Company.

 

Employee may terminate his employment for Good Reason only by giving the Board prior written notice of termination for Good Reason within 30 days after Employee first becomes aware of the event or condition first giving rise to such Good Reason, and such notice shall become effective thirty (30) days after the date of the notice, unless the Company cures the circumstances that constitute Good Reason within thirty (30) days following the date of the notice, in which case the notice will be of no further effect.

 

Person” means any individual, sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, unincorporated association, corporation, entity or government (whether federal, state, county, city or otherwise, including, without limitation, any instrumentality, division, agency or department thereof).

 

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Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or business entity of which (i) if a corporation, a majority of the total voting power of shares of stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof, or (ii) if a limited liability company, partnership, association, or other business entity (other than a corporation), a majority of partnership or other similar ownership interest thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof. For purposes hereof, a Person or Persons shall be deemed to have a majority ownership interest in a limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity (other than a corporation) if such Person or Persons shall be allocated a majority of limited liability company, partnership, association, or other business entity gains or losses or shall be or control any manager, managing director or general partner of such limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes hereof, any Person which is consolidated with the Company in its financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, shall be deemed to be a Subsidiary of the Company and any indirect subsidiary of a Person shall be deemed to be a Subsidiary of such Person. For purposes hereof, references to a “Subsidiary” of any Person shall be given effect only at such times that such Person has one or more Subsidiaries.

 

15.         Notices. Any notice provided for in this Agreement must be in writing and must be either (a) personally delivered, (b) delivered by a recognized overnight courier service (charges prepaid) or (c) by email, with receipt acknowledged, to the recipient at the address below indicated:

 

If to the Company:

 

Castellum, Inc.

Attention: Board of Directors

9812 Falls Road, #114-299

Potomac, MD 20854

 

If to Employee:

 

Mark Fuller

See signature page hereto

 

or such other address or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party shall have specified by prior written notice to the sending party. Date of service of such notice shall be (x) the date such notice is personally delivered, (y) one (1) business day after date of delivery to the overnight courier if sent by overnight courier or (z) the date such notice is delivered by email, receipt confirmed by recipient.

 

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16.         General Provisions.

 

(a)       Severability. Except as provided in Section 11, whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable in any respect under any present or future law, and if the rights or obligations of any party hereto under this Agreement will not be materially and adversely affected thereby, (i) such provision will be fully severable, (ii) this Agreement will be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a part hereof, (iii) the remaining provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect and will not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance herefrom and (iv) in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision, there will be added automatically as a part of this Agreement a legal, valid and enforceable provision as similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible.

 

(b)       Complete Agreement. This Agreement and those documents expressly referred to herein embody the complete agreement and understanding among the parties hereto and supersede and preempt any prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the parties, written or oral, which may have been related to the subject matter hereof in any way.

 

(c)       Counterparts; Electronic Transmission. This Agreement may be executed in separate counterparts, each of which is deemed to be an original and all of which taken together constitute one and the same agreement. Delivery of executed signature pages hereof by electronic transmission (including a facsimile or .pdf file) shall constitute effective and binding execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

(d)       Amendment and Waiver. The provisions of this Agreement may be amended and waived only with the prior written consent of each of the Company and Employee.

 

(e)       Business Days. If any time period for giving notice or taking action hereunder expires on a day which is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday in the state in which the Company’s chief executive office is located, the time period shall be automatically extended to the business day immediately following such Saturday, Sunday or holiday.

 

(f)       No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.

 

(g)       Assignment. Except as otherwise provided herein, this Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Employee, the Company and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that the rights and obligations of Employee under this Agreement shall not be assignable other than to (a) any affiliate of the Company Group or (b) any purchaser of all or substantially all of the assets of any member of the Company Group.

 

(h)       Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the internal laws, but not the law of conflicts, of the State of Maryland.

 

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(i)       Arbitration. Except as expressly provided otherwise in this Agreement, in the event of any controversy between the parties hereto arising out of, or relating to, this Agreement, including, without limitation, any controversy concerning the negotiation, validity or enforceability of this Agreement and any dispute as to whether a particular controversy is subject to arbitration, which cannot be settled amicably by the parties hereto, such controversy or dispute shall be finally, exclusively and conclusively settled by mandatory arbitration conducted expeditiously in accordance with the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules, by a panel of three (3) arbitrators; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, each of the parties hereto shall be entitled to seek a temporary restraining order and any other emergency injunctive relief, from a court of competent jurisdiction, restraining the other party from committing or continuing any violation of the provisions hereof until such time as the controversy is adjudicated in arbitration; provided further, that monetary damages for any breach of this Agreement shall be determined pursuant to this subsection. If the parties hereto are unable to agree on the selection of an arbitration panel, then the arbitration panel shall be appointed by JAMS according to its rules on arbitrator selection, which appointment shall be made within ten (10) days of JAMS’ receipt of notice from a party that the parties are unable to agree on an arbitration panel. Any party hereto may institute such arbitration proceeding by filing the required documents with the arbitration service and giving written notice to the other party hereto. A hearing shall be held by the arbitrator at JAMS’ facilities located in Washington, DC within thirty (30) days of the arbitration panel’s appointment. The decision of the arbitrators shall be final and binding upon all parties and shall be rendered pursuant to a written decision which contains a detailed recital of the arbitrators’ reasoning. Judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. Sec. 1, et seq.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Employment Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  CASTELLUM, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Jay O. Wright
   
  EMPLOYEE:
   
  /s/ Mark Fuller
  Mark Fuller
  Address: 9722 Meyer Point Drive, Potomac, MD 20854

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.12

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of April 1, 2020 (the “Effective Date”), is by and between Castellum, Inc. (the “Company”), and Jay Wright (“Employee”).

 

RECITALS

 

A.          The Company and Employee desire to enter into this Agreement relating to Employee’s employment by the Company.

 

B.           In addition to the capitalized terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, capitalized terms used herein shall have the definitions ascribed thereto in Section 14.

 

AGREEMENTS

 

In consideration of the mutual covenants of the parties hereto as hereinafter set forth and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

1.           Employment. The Company shall employ Employee, and Employee hereby agrees to be employed by the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, for the period beginning on April 1, 2020 and ending on March 31, 2024 (the “Initial Employment Period”), subject to earlier termination as provided herein. As used herein, the “Employment Period” means the Initial Employment Period and all Renewal Periods (if any). That certain consulting agreement by and between the Company and the Employee’s affiliated firm, Bayberry Capital, Inc., is terminated as of 11:59 p.m. March 31, 2020.

 

2.Position and Duties.

 

(a)       Position. Initially, Employee shall serve as the General Counsel and Treasurer of the Company, reporting to the Board of Directors of the Company. Upon termination of employment hereunder for any or no reason, Employee will resign from each such position or office and will sign such documentation as reasonably necessary to effectuate such resignation.

 

(b)       Duties. During the Employment Period, Employee shall devote Employee’s good faith efforts to the business and affairs of the Company. During the Employment Period, Employee will (i) perform Employee’s duties faithfully and to the best of Employee’s abilities and (ii) comply with all of the policies of the Company, including, without limitation, such policies with respect to legal compliance, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, code of conduct and business ethics as are from time to time in effect (as the same may be amended or modified from time to time by the Board in its discretion).

 

3.            Termination. The Employment Period (a) shall automatically terminate upon (i) Employee’s death or (ii) the Board’s reasonable determination of Employee’s Disability, (b) may be terminated by the Company at any time for any reason or no reason (whether for Cause or without Cause) by giving Employee written notice of such termination and (c) may be terminated by Employee at any time by giving the Company written notice of such termination at least fifty (50) days in advance of the Termination Date, unless such notice is waived in writing by the Company (in which case such termination shall be effective as of the date set forth in such waiver or such other date designated by the Company). The date that the Employment Period expires or is terminated for any reason (including by virtue of delivery of an Expiration Notice) is referred to herein as the “Termination Date”.

 

 

 

 

4.           Base Salary and Benefits.

 

(a)       Base Salary; Bonus. During the Employment Period, Employee’s initial base salary shall be $240,000 per year (the “Base Salary”). The Base Salary may be increased but not decreased in the sole discretion of the Board. The Base Salary shall be increased as follows:

 

Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000) or greater;

 

Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000) per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000) or greater; and

 

Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000) per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of Seventy-Five Million ($75,000,000) or greater.

 

The Base Salary shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Company’s general payroll practices. Employee shall be eligible for a bonus as follows:

 

The Company shall pay to the Employee a cash bonus equal to the lesser of (i) one percent (1% of the trailing twelve (12) month revenues of each company acquired by the Company during the Term of this Agreement or (ii) four percent (4%) of the trailing twelve (12) month EBITDA of each business acquired by the Company during the Term of this Agreement, provided that, for a bonus to be due, such acquisition must be accretive to the Company on both a revenue per share and an EBITDA per share basis. Additionally, the Company shall issue 1 warrant to the Employee for each $1 of revenue acquired in any such acquisition (e.g. $10mm in revenue = 10 million warrants) with a 7-year term and a strike price equal to the price used in such acquisition or (if no stock is used) the trailing 30 day moving average closing price of the Company’s stock.

 

An additional bonus of $50,000 in cash and 10 million warrants with a 10 cent strike price shall be paid to the Employee upon the Company commencing trading on the Nasdaq (either tier) or the NYSE (either tier).

 

An additional bonus of $125,000 in cash and 25 million warrants with a 12 cent strike price shall be paid to the Employee upon the Company joining the Russell 3000 and/or Russell 2000 stock index (ices).

 

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Payment of any bonus shall be conditioned on the Board determining that there are suitable funds on hand to not risk the financial condition of the Company. Any bonus not paid immediately shall be accrued and paid when able by the Company in the reasonable judgment of the Board of Directors.

 

(b)       Expenses. During the Employment Period, the Company will reimburse Employee for all reasonable travel and other expenses incurred by Employee in connection with the performance of Employee’s duties and obligations under this Agreement. Employee shall comply with such limitations and reporting requirements with respect to expenses as may be established by the Company from time to time for its senior executives generally. With respect to any such reimbursements, such reimbursements shall (i) be paid in accordance with the Company’s normal reimbursement procedures as in effect from time to time, but in no event later than the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense giving rise to such reimbursement was incurred, (ii) for any taxable year, not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement in a different taxable year and (iii) not be subject to liquidation or exchange for other benefits. The Company shall pay to have Employee attend HBS’s program on governance for up to three (3) weeks and shall pay for membership in Potomac Officers Club and NACD.

 

(c)       Other Benefits. During the Employment Period, Employee will be entitled to participate in all employee benefit plans or programs and receive all benefits and perquisites for which salaried employees of the Company generally are eligible under any plan or program now existing or later established by the Company on a substantially similar basis as other senior executives of the Company and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in such plans and programs as in effect from time to time including but not limited to the 401(k) plan with matching, healthcare, and other benefits. Nothing in this Agreement will preclude the Company from amending or terminating any of the plans or programs applicable to salaried employees or senior executives as long as such amendment or termination is applicable to all salaried employees or all senior executives, as the case may be. With respect to healthcare, the Company shall either provide for healthcare coverage for the Employee and Employee’s family (spouse and eligible children age 26 and younger) or provide a stipend of $4,000 per month at the Employee’s option.

 

(d)       Taxes. All compensation payable to Employee hereunder shall be subject to all applicable withholding taxes, normal payroll withholding and any other amounts, if required by law to be withheld.

 

5.           Severance.

 

(a) Termination without Cause or for Good Reason. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Section 5, if the Employment Period is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Employee for Good Reason at any time, Employee shall be entitled to receive, during the Severance Period, Employee’s Base Salary payable in the same manner and in the same installments as previously paid (the “Severance Payments”), and, except as set forth in this Section 5(a) or in Section 5(c), the Company’s obligation to make any other payments or provide any other benefits under this Agreement shall cease as of the Termination Date. When used herein, the “Severance Period” means the earlier of (x) the period ending on the twelve (12)-month anniversary of the Termination Date and (y) the date on which the Employment Period would have expired had the Employment Period not been terminated earlier by the Company without Cause. Employee shall forfeit the compensation and other benefits otherwise payable to Employee pursuant to this Section 5(a) unless, prior to the date on which the first payment would otherwise be payable pursuant to this Section 5(a) (and in any event within sixty (60) days after receipt of such Separation Document (as hereinafter defined)), Employee executes and delivers to the Company (and does not revoke or breach), a complete mutual release in favor of each member of the Company Group and their affiliates, and their respective equityholders, officers, managers, directors, employees, lenders, principals and attorneys, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company (the “Separation Document”); provided, however, that if the sixty (60)-day period (together with any applicable consideration and revocation periods) begins in one (1) calendar year and ends in a second calendar year, then regardless of the date on which the Separation Document is actually executed, the Severance Payments (if owed) will be paid in such second calendar year no later than ten (10) days after the last day of such sixty (60)-day period (or, if later, upon the expiration of the applicable consideration and revocation periods), subject to the Company’s ability to accelerate such payments to the extent it would not result in a violation of Code Section 409A. If Employee breaches or revokes the Separation Document provided pursuant to the previous sentence, then Employee shall promptly repay to the Company all amounts paid to Employee pursuant to this Section 5(a) prior to such revocation.

 

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(b)       Other Termination. If the Employment Period is terminated (i) as a result of the death of Employee pursuant to Section 3(a)(i), (ii) by the Company after a determination of a Disability pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii), or (iii) by the Company for Cause or by Employee (other than for Good Reason), except as set forth in Section 5(c), the Company’s obligation to make any other payments or provide any other benefits to Employee under this Agreement shall cease as of the Termination Date.

 

(c)       Other Benefits. Except (i) as required by law, (ii) as specifically provided in this Section 5, (iii) for the payment of earned but unpaid Base Salary, (iv) for the reimbursement of unreimbursed business expenses pursuant to Section 4(c), and (v) for the payment of earned but unpaid Performance Bonus for any fiscal year ended prior to the Termination Date, the Company’s obligation to make any payments or provide any other benefits hereunder shall terminate automatically as of the Termination Date. All of Employee’s rights to fringe benefits and bonuses hereunder (if any) which would accrue or become payable after the termination of the Employment Period shall cease upon such termination.

 

(d)       Termination of Severance. Without limiting the foregoing remedies, if Employee commits a breach of any of the provisions of Sections 6 through 10, the Company shall no longer be obligated to make any payments pursuant to this Section 5, and Employee shall promptly repay any of such payments made pursuant to this Section 5.

 

(e)       Mitigation. The Company shall have the right to mitigate and set off against the Severance Payments all amounts Employee earns or receives as a result of any services Employee renders (in any capacity) for any Person (including self-employment but not including any earnings from investments of Employee) at any time during the Severance Period. Any such amounts earned or received by Employee therefrom shall be fairly apportioned over all of the periods during which Employee is performing such services. Employee promptly shall furnish the Company with verification from the person or entity for which Employee is performing services or granting rights of the amounts to be earned by or paid to Employee therefor. Employee covenants and agrees that amounts Employee earns during the Severance Period (i) shall be reached as a result of arm’s length negotiations between such person or entity and Employee, as applicable, and (ii) shall not be intentionally paid or provided to Employee in intervals that would penalize or prejudice the Company hereunder.

 

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(f)       Offset. At the time any amount would otherwise become due to Employee pursuant to this Section 5, the Company may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, offset any amounts Employee owes to any member of the Company Group pursuant to any written agreement, note or other instrument relating to indebtedness for borrowed money to which Employee is a party or pursuant to any other liability or obligation by which Employee is bound against any amounts the Company owes Employee hereunder. Any amounts owed to Employee hereunder that constitute “non-qualified deferred compensation” (within the meaning of Code Section 409A(d)(1)) shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be subject to the offset in this Section 5(f) only if such offset is not taken until the payment from which such offset is to be taken would otherwise be due to Employee pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(g)       Reversal of Determination. If matters constituting Cause become known to the Company within fifty (50) days after the Termination Date, then the Company may, by delivery of written notice to Employee, treat such termination as being with Cause, and Employee shall promptly, but in any event within five (5) business days following delivery of such notice, return all amounts received by Employee pursuant to this Agreement that Employee would not have been entitled to receive had the Employment Period been terminated by the Company for Cause as of the Termination Date.

 

6.           Confidential Information. Employee acknowledges that the information, observations and data obtained by Employee while associated with any member of the Company Group (including, without limitation, trade secrets, know-how, research plans, business, accounting, distribution and sales methods and systems, sales and profit figures and margins and other technical or business information, business, marketing and sales plans and strategies, cost and pricing structures, and information concerning acquisition opportunities and targets in or reasonably related to any member of the Company Group’s business or industry) including, in each case, such information, observations and data obtained prior to the date of this Agreement concerning the business or affairs of any member of the Company Group and its affiliates (collectively, “Confidential Information”) are the property of such entity and agrees that such entity has a protectable interest in such Confidential Information. Therefore, Employee agrees that Employee shall not (during the Employment Period or at any time thereafter) disclose to any unauthorized person or use any such Confidential Information without the prior written consent of the Board unless and to the extent that the aforementioned matters: (a) become or are generally known to and available for use by the industry other than as a result of Employee’s acts or omissions in breach of this Agreement, (b) are required to be disclosed by judicial process or law (provided that Employee shall give prompt advance written notice of such requirement to the Company to enable the Company to seek an appropriate protective order or confidential treatment) or (c) are in furtherance of Employee’s duties under Section 2(b). Employee shall deliver to the Company at the termination of the Employment Period, or at any other time the Company may request, all memoranda, notes, plans, records, reports, computer tapes, printouts and software and other documents and data (and copies thereof) which constitute Confidential Information or Work Product which Employee may then possess or have under Employee’s control. Employee understands and acknowledges that nothing in this Agreement prohibits or limits Employee or Employee’s counsel from initiating communications directly with, responding to any inquiry from, volunteering information to, or providing testimony before, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, any other self-regulatory organization or any other governmental, law enforcement, or regulatory authority, regarding this Agreement and its underlying facts and circumstances, or any reporting of, investigation into, or proceeding regarding suspected violations of law, and that Employee is not required to advise or seek permission from the Company before engaging in any such activity. Employee recognizes that, in connection with any such activity, Employee must inform such authority that the information Employee is providing is confidential. The Company does not waive any applicable privileges or the right to continue to protect its privileged attorney-client information, attorney work product, and other privileged information.

 

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7.            Inventions and Patents. Employee hereby assigns to the Company all right, title and interest to all patents and patent applications, all inventions, innovations, improvements, developments, methods, designs, recipes, formulas, analyses, drawings, reports and all similar or related information (in each case whether or not patentable), all copyrights and copyrightable works, all trade secrets, confidential information and know-how, and all other intellectual property rights that both (a) are or were conceived, reduced to practice, developed or made by Employee while engaged by, employed by, or associated with, any member of the Company Group and (b) either that (i) relate to the actual or anticipated business, research and development or existing or future products or services of any member of the Company Group, or (ii) are or were conceived, reduced to practice, developed or made using any of the equipment, supplies, facilities, assets or resources of any member of the Company Group (including, without limitation, any intellectual property rights) (“Work Product”), to the extent allowable under applicable law. Employee shall promptly disclose such Work Product to the Board and perform, at the Company’s expense, all actions reasonably requested by the Board (whether during or after the Employment Period) to establish and confirm the Company’s ownership thereof (including, without limitation, assignments, consents, powers of attorney, applications and other instruments).

 

8.           Non-Competition. In further consideration of the compensation to be paid to Employee hereunder, Employee acknowledges that in the course of Employee’s employment with the Company, Employee is and will become familiar with trade secrets and other Confidential Information concerning the Company Group and that Employee’s services will be of special, unique and extraordinary value to the Company Group. Therefore, Employee hereby covenants and agrees that, during the Employment Period and for six (6) months after the Termination Date (the “Restricted Period”), Employee shall not, without prior express written approval by the Board, directly or indirectly through any other Person or Persons (whether for compensation or otherwise):

 

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(a)       own or hold any debt or equity interest in, manage, operate, control, consult with, render services for, or engage, join or participate in the ownership, management, operation or control of, or furnish any capital or loans to, any Person engaged in or actively pursuing the Business (a “Competing Business”), either as an owner, officer, general or limited partner, principal, proprietor, joint venturer, shareholder, director, member, manager, investor, lender, agent, employee, consultant, trustee, affiliate or otherwise; or

 

(b)       provide to any Competing Business (whether as owner, officer, general or limited partner, principal, proprietor, joint venturer, shareholder, director, member, manager, investor, agent, employee, consultant, trustee, affiliate or otherwise) any executive, managerial, strategic or business development services similar to those services that Employee provided to any member of the Company Group during Employee’s employment with the Company.

 

Employee acknowledges and agrees that the provisions in this Section 8 shall operate throughout the United States, Canada, and any NATO country. Nothing herein shall prohibit Employee from being a passive owner of not more than one percent (1%) of the outstanding securities of any publicly traded company engaged in a Competing Business, so long as Employee has no active participation in such Competing Business. In addition, Employee agrees and acknowledges that the potential harm to any member of the Company Group of its non-enforcement outweighs any harm to Employee of its enforcement by injunction or otherwise. Employee acknowledges that Employee has carefully read this Agreement and has given careful consideration to the restraints imposed upon Employee by this Agreement, and is in full accord as to their necessity. Employee expressly acknowledges and agrees that each and every restraint imposed by this Agreement is reasonable with respect to the subject matter, time period and geographical area and that this Section 8 is ancillary to the sale of the Company from Employee to BioNovelus, Inc.

 

9.           Non-Interference. Employee agrees that, during the Restricted Period and for one (1)-year thereafter, Employee will not, directly or indirectly:

 

(a)       solicit (or participate as an employee, agent, consultant, owner, lender, securityholder, director, manager, partner, member or in any other individual or representative capacity in any business which solicits) business from any Person that is or was a customer, client, distributor, supplier or vendor of any member of the Company Group during the two (2)- year period preceding the date of such solicitation, or from any successor in interest to any such Person, in each case, for the purpose of securing business or contracts related to the Business or any portion thereof; or

 

(b)       employ, engage or recruit, solicit, contact or approach for employment or engagement (or participate as an employee, agent, consultant, owner, lender, securityholder, director, manager, partner, member or in any other individual or representative capacity in any business that employs, engages or recruits, solicits, contacts or approaches for employment or engagement) any Person that served as an employee, independent contractor or consultant of any member of the Company Group within the two (2) years immediately preceding such action, or otherwise seek or attempt to influence or alter any such Person’s relationship with any member of the Company Group.

 

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10.         Non-disparagement. During the Employment Period or at any time thereafter, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly: (i) make any oral or written statement (including via the internet or social media) that disparages or places any member of the Company Group (including any of its past or present officers, employees, products or services) in a false or negative light or otherwise induce or attempt to induce any Person to cease doing business with any member of the Company Group, reduce its business or not increase its business with any member of the Company Group, not grant new business to any member of the Company Group, or in any way interfere with the relationship between such Person and any member of the Company Group, or (ii) encourage or assist any Person who may or who has filed a lawsuit, charge, claim or complaint against any member of the Company Group; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent Employee from responding to a lawful subpoena or complying with any other legal obligation, in each case, to the extent required by law. If Employee receives any subpoena or becomes subject to any legal obligation that implicates this Section 10, Employee will provide prompt written notice of that fact to the relevant members of the Company Group (as set forth in Section 15) and enclose a copy of the subpoena and any other documents describing the legal obligation. Section 10(i) shall not apply to communications between Employee and his immediate family so long as Employee’s immediate family keeps such communications strictly confidential.

 

11.         Enforcement. If, at the time of enforcement of any of Sections 6 through 10, a court or an arbitrator holds that the duration, scope or area restrictions stated therein are unreasonable under the circumstances then-existing, the parties hereto agree that the maximum duration, scope or area reasonable under such circumstances shall be substituted for the stated duration, scope or area and that the court or arbitrator shall be allowed to revise the restrictions contained herein to cover the maximum period, scope and area permitted by law. Because Employee’s services are unique and because Employee has access to Confidential Information and Work Product, the parties hereto agree that money damages would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of this Agreement. Therefore, in the event of a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement, the Company or its successors or assigns may, in addition to other rights and remedies existing in their favor, apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for and obtain specific performance and/or injunctive or other relief in order to enforce or prevent any violations of the provisions hereof (without (i) the posting of any bond or other security, (ii) the necessity of showing actual damages and (iii) the necessity of showing that monetary damages are an inadequate remedy). Employee agrees that the restrictions contained in Sections 6 through 10 are reasonable.

 

12.         Employee’s Representations. Employee hereby represents and warrants to the Company that (i) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Employee and the execution of the Company’s business plan by Employee do not and shall not conflict with, breach, violate or cause a default under any contract, agreement, instrument, order, judgment or decree to which Employee is a party or by which Employee is bound, (ii) Employee is not a party to or bound by any employment agreement, noncompete agreement, nonsolicitation agreement or confidentiality agreement with any other person or entity, (iii) Employee shall not use any confidential information or trade secrets of any third party in connection with the performance of Employee’s duties hereunder and (iv) this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of Employee, enforceable against Employee in accordance with its terms. Employee hereby acknowledges and represents that Employee has consulted with independent legal counsel regarding Employee’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and that Employee fully understands the terms and conditions contained herein.

 

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13.         Survival. Sections 5 through 12 shall survive and continue in full force in accordance with their terms notwithstanding any termination of the Employment Period.

 

14.         Definitions.

 

Board” means the Board of Directors of Castellum, Inc.

 

Business” means (i) the business of providing IT, cybersecurity, and related products and services to the U.S. commercial market and the United States government and governments of NATO countries as a “government contractor,” (ii) any other material business conducted by the Company at any time during the Employment Period or (iii) any business that the Company has entered into a letter of intent or agreement at any time during the Employment Period to commence or acquire.

 

Cause” shall include the following:

 

(a)       The commission by Employee of a felony (or procedural equivalent) or any other crime involving moral turpitude or any act or omission that would constitute a breach of a fiduciary duty of an officer of a Nevada corporation, in each case, as determined in good faith by the Board;

 

(b)       The commission of an act of intentional dishonesty, fraud, embezzlement, gross negligence, willful misconduct or theft with respect to any member of the Company or any of their respective customers or other business relationships;

 

(c)       Any material breach, non-performance or non-observance by Employee of any of the terms of this Agreement (other than a breach, non-performance or non-observance described in clause (d) of this definition), the governing documents of the Company or any other agreement between Employee, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, in Employee’s capacity as an equityholder, independent contractor, employee or officer thereof, which failure or breach (if curable) continues for a period of at least ten (10) days following a written demand for such performance by the Board specifying in reasonable detail the action that the Board alleges to be a failure to perform or breach by Employee;

 

(d)       Any breach of any of the provisions of Sections 6 through 10;

 

(e)       The commission by Employee of (i) alcohol abuse that interferes with Employee’s performance of Employee’s duties hereunder or illegal drug use by Employee, (ii) any act or omission that constitutes a violation of any law, regulation or ordinance applicable to the Company or the Business or would, if proven, cause the loss of Employee’s security clearance with the United States government, or (iii) any breach of any fiduciary duties owed to any member of the Company;

 

(f)       Employee’s (i) knowingly taking any action of material importance on behalf of the Company or any of its affiliates without appropriate authority to take such action or (ii) material misrepresentation to or willfully withholding from the Board of information that is material to any member of the Company, its businesses or operations;

 

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(g)     The violation by Employee of any of the material written policies or procedures of any member of the Company applicable to Employee, or any other act or omission constituting gross negligence or willful or criminal misconduct with respect to Employee’s duties or obligations to any member of the Company which violation is adverse to such member and which violation or conduct (if curable) continues for a period of at least ten (10) days following written notice thereof to Employee from the Board specifying in reasonable detail the violations, actions or omissions that the Board alleges to have occurred;

 

(h)     Employee’s insubordination or refusal to perform specific lawful directives from the Board that are reasonably consistent with the scope and nature of Employee’s responsibilities; or

 

(i)      The existence of any legal or contractual limitation on Employee’s ability to engage in the Business that reasonably could be expected to have a material adverse effect on Employee’s ability to attract or retain customers or perform services hereunder.

 

CEO” means the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Company” means Castellum, Inc. and any Subsidiaries or affiliates.

 

Disability” means Employee’s inability to fulfill Employee’s duties under this Agreement for sixty (60) consecutive days or ninety (90) days in any one hundred eighty (180)- day period due to a mental or physical illness, as reasonably determined by the Board.

 

Good Reason” means:

 

(a)       the relocation of Employee’s principal office more than fifty (50) miles from Washington, DC, unless such new office is within 50 miles from Employee’s then- permanent residence; or

 

(b)       a material breach of this Agreement by the Company.

 

Employee may terminate his employment for Good Reason only by giving the Board prior written notice of termination for Good Reason within 30 days after Employee first becomes aware of the event or condition first giving rise to such Good Reason, and such notice shall become effective thirty (30) days after the date of the notice, unless the Company cures the circumstances that constitute Good Reason within thirty (30) days following the date of the notice, in which case the notice will be of no further effect.

 

Person” means any individual, sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, unincorporated association, corporation, entity or government (whether federal, state, county, city or otherwise, including, without limitation, any instrumentality, division, agency or department thereof).

 

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Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or business entity of which (i) if a corporation, a majority of the total voting power of shares of stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof, or (ii) if a limited liability company, partnership, association, or other business entity (other than a corporation), a majority of partnership or other similar ownership interest thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof. For purposes hereof, a Person or Persons shall be deemed to have a majority ownership interest in a limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity (other than a corporation) if such Person or Persons shall be allocated a majority of limited liability company, partnership, association, or other business entity gains or losses or shall be or control any manager, managing director or general partner of such limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes hereof, any Person which is consolidated with the Company in its financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, shall be deemed to be a Subsidiary of the Company and any indirect subsidiary of a Person shall be deemed to be a Subsidiary of such Person. For purposes hereof, references to a “Subsidiary” of any Person shall be given effect only at such times that such Person has one or more Subsidiaries.

 

15.         Notices. Any notice provided for in this Agreement must be in writing and must be either (a) personally delivered, (b) delivered by a recognized overnight courier service (charges prepaid) or (c) by email, with receipt acknowledged, to the recipient at the address below indicated:

 

If to the Company:

 

Castellum, Inc.

Attention: Board of Directors

9812 Falls Road, #114-299

Potomac, MD 20854

 

If to Employee:

 

Jay Wright

See signature page hereto

 

or such other address or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party shall have specified by prior written notice to the sending party. Date of service of such notice shall be (x) the date such notice is personally delivered, (y) one (1) business day after date of delivery to the overnight courier if sent by overnight courier or (z) the date such notice is delivered by email, receipt confirmed by recipient.

 

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16.         General Provisions.

 

(a)       Severability. Except as provided in Section 11, whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable in any respect under any present or future law, and if the rights or obligations of any party hereto under this Agreement will not be materially and adversely affected thereby, (i) such provision will be fully severable, (ii) this Agreement will be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a part hereof, (iii) the remaining provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect and will not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance herefrom and (iv) in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision, there will be added automatically as a part of this Agreement a legal, valid and enforceable provision as similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible.

 

(b)      Complete Agreement. This Agreement and those documents expressly referred to herein embody the complete agreement and understanding among the parties hereto and supersede and preempt any prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the parties, written or oral, which may have been related to the subject matter hereof in any way.

 

(c)      Counterparts; Electronic Transmission. This Agreement may be executed in separate counterparts, each of which is deemed to be an original and all of which taken together constitute one and the same agreement. Delivery of executed signature pages hereof by electronic transmission (including a facsimile or .pdf file) shall constitute effective and binding execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

(d)       Amendment and Waiver. The provisions of this Agreement may be amended and waived only with the prior written consent of each of the Company and Employee.

 

(e)       Business Days. If any time period for giving notice or taking action hereunder expires on a day which is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday in the state in which the Company’s chief executive office is located, the time period shall be automatically extended to the business day immediately following such Saturday, Sunday or holiday.

 

(f)       No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.

 

(g)       Assignment. Except as otherwise provided herein, this Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Employee, the Company and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that the rights and obligations of Employee under this Agreement shall not be assignable other than to (a) any affiliate of the Company Group or (b) any purchaser of all or substantially all of the assets of any member of the Company Group.

 

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(h)       Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the internal laws, but not the law of conflicts, of the State of Maryland.

 

(i)       Arbitration. Except as expressly provided otherwise in this Agreement, in the event of any controversy between the parties hereto arising out of, or relating to, this Agreement, including, without limitation, any controversy concerning the negotiation, validity or enforceability of this Agreement and any dispute as to whether a particular controversy is subject to arbitration, which cannot be settled amicably by the parties hereto, such controversy or dispute shall be finally, exclusively and conclusively settled by mandatory arbitration conducted expeditiously in accordance with the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules, by a panel of three (3) arbitrators; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, each of the parties hereto shall be entitled to seek a temporary restraining order and any other emergency injunctive relief, from a court of competent jurisdiction, restraining the other party from committing or continuing any violation of the provisions hereof until such time as the controversy is adjudicated in arbitration; provided further, that monetary damages for any breach of this Agreement shall be determined pursuant to this subsection. If the parties hereto are unable to agree on the selection of an arbitration panel, then the arbitration panel shall be appointed by JAMS according to its rules on arbitrator selection, which appointment shall be made within ten (10) days of JAMS’ receipt of notice from a party that the parties are unable to agree on an arbitration panel. Any party hereto may institute such arbitration proceeding by filing the required documents with the arbitration service and giving written notice to the other party hereto. A hearing shall be held by the arbitrator at JAMS’ facilities located in Washington, DC within thirty (30) days of the arbitration panel’s appointment. The decision of the arbitrators shall be final and binding upon all parties and shall be rendered pursuant to a written decision which contains a detailed recital of the arbitrators’ reasoning. Judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. Sec. 1, et seq.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Employment Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  CASTELLUM, InC.
     
  By: /s/ Mark Fuller
     
  EMPLOYEE:
   
  /s/ Jay Wright
  Jay Wright
  Address: 9812 Falls Road #114-299, Potomac, MD
20854

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.13

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of July 1, 2021 (the “Effective Date”), is by and between Castellum, Inc. (the “Company”), and Glen Ives (“Employee”).

 

RECITALS

 

A.          The Company and Employee desire to enter into this Agreement relating to Employee’s employment by the Company.

 

B.           In addition to the capitalized terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, capitalized terms used herein shall have the definitions ascribed thereto in Section 14.

 

AGREEMENTS

 

In consideration of the mutual covenants of the parties hereto as hereinafter set forth and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

1.           Employment. The Company shall employ Employee, and Employee hereby agrees to be employed by the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, for the period beginning on July 1, 2021 and ending on June 30, 2025 (the “Initial Employment Period”), subject to earlier termination as provided herein. As used herein, the “Employment Period” means the Initial Employment Period and all Renewal Periods (if any). That certain consulting agreement by and between the Company and the Employee is terminated as of 11:59 p.m. June 30, 2021.

 

2.Position and Duties.

 

(a)       Position. Initially, Employee shall serve as the Chief Growth Officer of the Company and the Chief Executive Officer of the Company’s Navy division, reporting to the CEO of the Company. Upon termination of employment hereunder for any or no reason, Employee will resign from each such position or office and will sign such documentation as reasonably necessary to effectuate such resignation.

 

(b)       Duties. During the Employment Period, Employee shall devote substantially all of Employee’s business time and Employee’s good faith efforts to the business and affairs of the Company. During the Employment Period, Employee will (i) perform Employee’s duties faithfully, to the best of Employee’s abilities, and consistent with a fiduciary duty of care and loyalty as generally understood, and (ii) comply with all of the policies of the Company, including, without limitation, such policies with respect to legal compliance, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, code of conduct and business ethics as are from time to time in effect (as the same may be amended or modified from time to time by the Board in its discretion).

 

3.           Termination. The Employment Period (a) shall automatically terminate upon (i) Employee’s death or (ii) the Board’s reasonable determination of Employee’s Disability, (b) may be terminated by the Company at any time for any reason or no reason (whether for Cause or without Cause) by giving Employee written notice of such termination and (c) may be terminated by Employee at any time by giving the Company written notice of such termination at least fifty (50) days in advance of the Termination Date, unless such notice is waived in writing by the Company (in which case such termination shall be effective as of the date set forth in such waiver or such other date designated by the Company). The date that the Employment Period expires or is terminated for any reason (including by virtue of delivery of an Expiration Notice) is referred to herein as the “Termination Date”.

 

 

 

  

4.           Base Salary and Benefits.

 

(a)       Base Salary; Bonus. During the Employment Period, Employee’s initial base salary shall be $250,000 per year (the “Base Salary”). The Base Salary may be increased but not decreased in the sole discretion of the Board. The Base Salary shall be increased as follows:

 

Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) per month upon the Navy division achieving an annualized revenue run rate of Twenty-Five Million Dollars ($25,000,000) or greater and EBITDA margin of no less than 8%;

 

Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000) per month upon the Navy division reaching an annualized revenue run rate of Sixty Million Dollars ($60,000,000) or greater and EBITDA margin of no less than 8.5%; and

 

Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000) per month upon the Navy division reaching an annualized revenue run rate of One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000) or greater and EBITDA margin of no less than 9.0%.

 

The Base Salary shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Company’s general payroll practices. Employee shall be eligible for a bonus at the discretion of the Board of the Company with a target bonus as follows: Year 1: 25%, Year 2: 35%, Year 3: 50%, Year 4: 100%. The Board shall consider the growth and success of the Navy division and the overall performance of the Employee as the two key factors in evaluating the appropriate amount for the Employee’s bonus. The Board may make an additional bonus (outside of target) in its sole discretion.

 

(b)       Expenses. During the Employment Period, the Company will reimburse Employee for all reasonable travel and other expenses incurred by Employee in connection with the performance of Employee’s duties and obligations under this Agreement. Employee shall comply with such limitations and reporting requirements with respect to expenses as may be established by the Company from time to time for its senior executives generally. With respect to any such reimbursements, such reimbursements shall (i) be paid in accordance with the Company’s normal reimbursement procedures as in effect from time to time, but in no event later than the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense giving rise to such reimbursement was incurred, (ii) for any taxable year, not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement in a different taxable year and (iii) not be subject to liquidation or exchange for other benefits.

 

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(c)       Other Benefits. During the Employment Period, Employee will be entitled to participate in all employee benefit plans or programs and receive all benefits and perquisites for which salaried employees of the Company generally are eligible under any plan or program now existing or later established by the Company on a substantially similar basis as other senior executives of the Company and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in such plans and programs as in effect from time to time including but not limited to the 401(k) plan with matching, healthcare, and other benefits. Nothing in this Agreement will preclude the Company from amending or terminating any of the plans or programs applicable to salaried employees or senior executives as long as such amendment or termination is applicable to all salaried employees or all senior executives, as the case may be. With respect to healthcare, the Company shall either provide for healthcare coverage for the Employee and Employee’s spouse or provide a stipend of $2,000 per month at the Employee’s option.

 

(d)       Taxes. All compensation payable to Employee hereunder shall be subject to all applicable withholding taxes, normal payroll withholding and any other amounts, if required by law to be withheld.

 

(e)       Equity. Employee is hereby granted 30 million stock options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $0.08 (8 cents) per share. Such price is subject to equitable adjustment in the event of a forward or reverse stock split, stock dividend or other similar mechanism. The options shall vest as follows: (i) 15 million shall vest ratably over the 48 months of the Employment Period; and (ii) 15 million shall vest based on performance. For the performance based options, 5 million shall vest upon the closing of the SSI acquisition or, if that transaction does not close, upon the closing of an acquisition of at least $12 million revenue in the Navy division. An additional 5 million shall vest upon the Navy division achieving $25 million in revenue and $2.5 million in EBITDA in any 12 month period. The final 5 million shall vest upon the overall company achieving $100 million in revenue run rate based on quarterly performance (i.e. $25 million in revenue in a calendar quarter). All unvested time based options shall vest upon the sale of control of the company. Unvested performance based options shall not vest upon the sale of control of the company unless the sale results in a price to shareholders of at least $.40 per share (as adjusted for splits and stock dividends) in which case they too shall vest.

 

5.            Severance.

 

(a) Termination without Cause or for Good Reason. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Section 5, if the Employment Period is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Employee for Good Reason at any time, Employee shall be entitled to receive, during the Severance Period, Employee’s Base Salary payable in the same manner and in the same installments as previously paid (the “Severance Payments”), and, except as set forth in this Section 5(a) or in Section 5(c), the Company’s obligation to make any other payments or provide any other benefits under this Agreement shall cease as of the Termination Date. When used herein, the “Severance Period” means the earlier of (x) the period ending on the twelve (12)-month anniversary of the Termination Date and (y) the date on which the Employment Period would have expired had the Employment Period not been terminated earlier by the Company without Cause. Employee shall forfeit the compensation and other benefits otherwise payable to Employee pursuant to this Section 5(a) unless, prior to the date on which the first payment would otherwise be payable pursuant to this Section 5(a) (and in any event within sixty (60) days after receipt of such Separation Document (as hereinafter defined)), Employee executes and delivers to the Company (and does not revoke or breach), a complete mutual release in favor of each member of the Company Group and their affiliates, and their respective equityholders, officers, managers, directors, employees, lenders, principals and attorneys, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company (the “Separation Document”); provided, however, that if the sixty (60)-day period (together with any applicable consideration and revocation periods) begins in one (1) calendar year and ends in a second calendar year, then regardless of the date on which the Separation Document is actually executed, the Severance Payments (if owed) will be paid in such second calendar year no later than ten (10) days after the last day of such sixty (60)-day period (or, if later, upon the expiration of the applicable consideration and revocation periods), subject to the Company’s ability to accelerate such payments to the extent it would not result in a violation of Code Section 409A. If Employee breaches or revokes the Separation Document provided pursuant to the previous sentence, then Employee shall promptly repay to the Company all amounts paid to Employee pursuant to this Section 5(a) prior to such revocation.

 

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(b)       Other Termination. If the Employment Period is terminated (i) as a result of the death of Employee pursuant to Section 3(a)(i), (ii) by the Company after a determination of a Disability pursuant to Section 3(a)(ii), or (iii) by the Company for Cause or by Employee (other than for Good Reason), except as set forth in Section 5(c), the Company’s obligation to make any other payments or provide any other benefits to Employee under this Agreement shall cease as of the Termination Date.

 

(c)       Other Benefits. Except (i) as required by law, (ii) as specifically provided in this Section 5, (iii) for the payment of earned but unpaid Base Salary, (iv) for the reimbursement of unreimbursed business expenses pursuant to Section 4(c), and (v) for the payment of earned but unpaid Performance Bonus for any fiscal year ended prior to the Termination Date, the Company’s obligation to make any payments or provide any other benefits hereunder shall terminate automatically as of the Termination Date. All of Employee’s rights to fringe benefits and bonuses hereunder (if any) which would accrue or become payable after the termination of the Employment Period shall cease upon such termination.

 

(d)       Termination of Severance. Without limiting the foregoing remedies, if Employee commits a breach of any of the provisions of Sections 6 through 10, the Company shall no longer be obligated to make any payments pursuant to this Section 5, and Employee shall promptly repay any of such payments made pursuant to this Section 5.

 

(e)       Mitigation. The Company shall have the right to mitigate and set off against the Severance Payments all amounts Employee earns or receives as a result of any services Employee renders (in any capacity) for any Person (including self-employment but not including any earnings from investments of Employee) at any time during the Severance Period. Any such amounts earned or received by Employee therefrom shall be fairly apportioned over all of the periods during which Employee is performing such services. Employee promptly shall furnish the Company with verification from the person or entity for which Employee is performing services or granting rights of the amounts to be earned by or paid to Employee therefor. Employee covenants and agrees that amounts Employee earns during the Severance Period (i) shall be reached as a result of arm’s length negotiations between such person or entity and Employee, as applicable, and (ii) shall not be intentionally paid or provided to Employee in intervals that would penalize or prejudice the Company hereunder.

 

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(f)       Offset. At the time any amount would otherwise become due to Employee pursuant to this Section 5, the Company may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, offset any amounts Employee owes to any member of the Company Group pursuant to any written agreement, note or other instrument relating to indebtedness for borrowed money to which Employee is a party or pursuant to any other liability or obligation by which Employee is bound against any amounts the Company owes Employee hereunder. Any amounts owed to Employee hereunder that constitute “non-qualified deferred compensation” (within the meaning of Code Section 409A(d)(l)) shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be subject to the offset in this Section 5(f) only if such offset is not taken until the payment from which such offset is to be taken would otherwise be due to Employee pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(g)       Reversal of Determination. If matters constituting Cause become known to the Company within fifty (50) days after the Termination Date, then the Company may, by delivery of written notice to Employee, treat such termination as being with Cause, and Employee shall promptly, but in any event within five (5) business days following delivery of such notice, return all amounts received by Employee pursuant to this Agreement that Employee would not have been entitled to receive had the Employment Period been terminated by the Company for Cause as of the Termination Date.

 

6.           Confidential Information. Employee acknowledges that the information, observations and data obtained by Employee while associated with any member of the Company Group (including, without limitation, trade secrets, know-how, research plans, business, accounting, distribution and sales methods and systems, sales and profit figures and margins and other technical or business information, business, marketing and sales plans and strategies, cost and pricing structures, and information concerning acquisition opportunities and targets in or reasonably related to any member of the Company Group’s business or industry) including, in each case, such information, observations and data obtained prior to the date of this Agreement concerning the business or affairs of any member of the Company Group and its affiliates (collectively, “Confidential Information”) are the property of such entity and agrees that such entity has a protectable interest in such Confidential Information. Therefore, Employee agrees that Employee shall not (during the Employment Period or at any time thereafter) disclose to any unauthorized person or use any such Confidential Information without the prior written consent of the Board unless and to the extent that the aforementioned matters: (a) become or are generally known to and available for use by the industry other than as a result of Employee’s acts or omissions in breach of this Agreement, (b) are required to be disclosed by judicial process or law (provided that Employee shall give prompt advance written notice of such requirement to the Company to enable the Company to seek an appropriate protective order or confidential treatment) or (c) are in furtherance of Employee’s duties under Section 2(b). Employee shall deliver to the Company at the termination of the Employment Period, or at any other time the Company may request, all memoranda, notes, plans, records, reports, computer tapes, printouts and software and other documents and data (and copies thereof) which constitute Confidential Information or Work Product which Employee may then possess or have under Employee’s control. Employee understands and acknowledges that nothing in this Agreement prohibits or limits Employee or Employee’s counsel from initiating communications directly with, responding to any inquiry from, volunteering information to, or providing testimony before, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, any other self-regulatory organization or any other governmental, law enforcement, or regulatory authority, regarding this Agreement and its underlying facts and circumstances, or any reporting of, investigation into, or proceeding regarding suspected violations of law, and that Employee is not required to advise or seek permission from the Company before engaging in any such activity. Employee recognizes that, in connection with any such activity, Employee must inform such authority that the information Employee is providing is confidential. The Company does not waive any applicable privileges or the right to continue to protect its privileged attorney-client information, attorney work product, and other privileged information.

 

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7.            Inventions and Patents. Employee hereby assigns to the Company all right, title and interest to all patents and patent applications, all inventions, innovations, improvements, developments, methods, designs, recipes, formulas, analyses, drawings, reports and all similar or related information (in each case whether or not patentable), all copyrights and copyrightable works, all trade secrets, confidential information and know-how, and all other intellectual property rights that both (a) are or were conceived, reduced to practice, developed or made by Employee while engaged by, employed by, or associated with, any member of the Company Group and (b) either that (i) relate to the actual or anticipated business, research and development or existing or future products or services of any member of the Company Group, or (ii) are or were conceived, reduced to practice, developed or made using any of the equipment, supplies, facilities, assets or resources of any member of the Company Group (including, without limitation, any intellectual property rights) (“Work Product”), to the extent allowable under applicable law. Employee shall promptly disclose such Work Product to the Board and perform, at the Company’s expense, all actions reasonably requested by the Board (whether during or after the Employment Period) to establish and confirm the Company’s ownership thereof (including, without limitation, assignments, consents, powers of attorney, applications and other instruments).

 

8.           Non-Competition. In further consideration of the compensation to be paid to Employee hereunder, Employee acknowledges that in the course of Employee’s employment with the Company, Employee is and will become familiar with trade secrets and other Confidential Information concerning the Company Group and that Employee’s services will be of special, unique and extraordinary value to the Company Group. Therefore, Employee hereby covenants and agrees that, during the Employment Period and for six (6) months after the Termination Date (the “Restricted Period”), Employee shall not, without prior express written approval by the Board, directly or indirectly through any other Person or Persons (whether for compensation or otherwise):

 

(a)       [Except for Employee’s ownership in Sabre Systems which he may continue to own but may not increase his ownership], own or hold any debt or equity interest in, manage, operate, control, consult with, render services for, or engage, join or participate in the ownership, management, operation or control of, or furnish any capital or loans to, any Person engaged in or actively pursuing the Business (a “Competing Business”), either as an owner, officer, general or limited partner, principal, proprietor, joint venturer, shareholder, director, member, manager, investor, lender, agent, employee, consultant, trustee, affiliate or otherwise; or

 

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(b)       [except for incidental, once per quarter advice to Sabre Systems which he may continue to provide], provide to any Competing Business (whether as owner, officer, general or limited partner, principal, proprietor, joint venturer, shareholder, director, member, manager, investor, agent, employee, consultant, trustee, affiliate or otherwise) any executive, managerial, strategic or business development services similar to those services that Employee provided to any member of the Company Group during Employee’s employment with the Company.

 

Employee acknowledges and agrees that the provisions in this Section 8 shall operate throughout the United States, Canada, and any NATO country. Nothing herein shall prohibit Employee from being a passive owner of not more than one percent (1%) of the outstanding securities of any publicly traded company engaged in a Competing Business, so long as Employee has no active participation in such Competing Business. In addition, Employee agrees and acknowledges that the potential harm to any member of the Company Group of its non-enforcement outweighs any harm to Employee of its enforcement by injunction or otherwise. Employee acknowledges that Employee has carefully read this Agreement and has given careful consideration to the restraints imposed upon Employee by this Agreement, and is in full accord as to their necessity.

 

9.           Non-Interference. Employee agrees that, during the Restricted Period and for one (l)-year thereafter, Employee will not, directly or indirectly:

 

(a)       solicit (or participate as an employee, agent, consultant, owner, lender, securityholder, director, manager, partner, member or in any other individual or representative capacity in any business which solicits) business from any Person that is or was a customer, client, distributor, supplier or vendor of any member of the Company Group during the two (2)- year period preceding the date of such solicitation, or from any successor in interest to any such Person, in each case, for the purpose of securing business or contracts related to the Business or any portion thereof; or

 

(b)       employ, engage or recruit, solicit, contact or approach for employment or engagement (or participate as an employee, agent, consultant, owner, lender, securityholder, director, manager, partner, member or in any other individual or representative capacity in any business that employs, engages or recruits, solicits, contacts or approaches for employment or engagement) any Person that served as an employee, independent contractor or consultant of any member of the Company Group within the two (2) years immediately preceding such action, or otherwise seek or attempt to influence or alter any such Person’s relationship with any member of the Company Group.

 

10.          Non-disparagement. During the Employment Period or at any time thereafter, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly: (i) make any oral or written statement (including via the internet or social media) that disparages or places any member of the Company Group (including any of its past or present officers, employees, products or services) in a false or negative light or otherwise induce or attempt to induce any Person to cease doing business with any member of the Company Group, reduce its business or not increase its business with any member of the Company Group, not grant new business to any member of the Company Group, or in any way interfere with the relationship between such Person and any member of the Company Group, or (ii) encourage or assist any Person who may or who has filed a lawsuit, charge, claim or complaint against any member of the Company Group; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent Employee from responding to a lawful subpoena or complying with any other legal obligation, in each case, to the extent required by law. If Employee receives any subpoena or becomes subject to any legal obligation that implicates this Section 10, Employee will provide prompt written notice of that fact to the relevant members of the Company Group (as set forth in Section 15) and enclose a copy of the subpoena and any other documents describing the legal obligation. Section 10(i) shall not apply to communications between Employee and his immediate family so long as Employee’s immediate family keeps such communications strictly confidential.

 

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11.         Enforcement. If, at the time of enforcement of any of Sections 6 through 10, a court or an arbitrator holds that the duration, scope or area restrictions stated therein are unreasonable under the circumstances then-existing, the parties hereto agree that the maximum duration, scope or area reasonable under such circumstances shall be substituted for the stated duration, scope or area and that the court or arbitrator shall be allowed to revise the restrictions contained herein to cover the maximum period, scope and area permitted by law. Because Employee’s services are unique and because Employee has access to Confidential Information and Work Product, the parties hereto agree that money damages would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of this Agreement. Therefore, in the event of a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement, the Company or its successors or assigns may, in addition to other rights and remedies existing in their favor, apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for and obtain specific performance and/or injunctive or other relief in order to enforce or prevent any violations of the provisions hereof (without (i) the posting of any bond or other security, (ii) the necessity of showing actual damages and (iii) the necessity of showing that monetary damages are an inadequate remedy). Employee agrees that the restrictions contained in Sections 6 through 10 are reasonable.

 

12.         Employee’s Representations. Employee hereby represents and warrants to the Company that (i) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Employee and the execution of the Company’s business plan by Employee do not and shall not conflict with, breach, violate or cause a default under any contract, agreement, instrument, order, judgment or decree to which Employee is a party or by which Employee is bound, (ii) Employee is not a party to or bound by any employment agreement, noncompete agreement, nonsolicitation agreement or confidentiality agreement with any other person or entity, (iii) Employee shall not use any confidential information or trade secrets of any third party in connection with the performance of Employee’s duties hereunder and (iv) this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of Employee, enforceable against Employee in accordance with its terms. Employee hereby acknowledges and represents that Employee has consulted with independent legal counsel regarding Employee’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and that Employee fully understands the terms and conditions contained herein.

 

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13.         Survival. Sections 5 through 12 shall survive and continue in full force in accordance with their terms notwithstanding any termination of the Employment Period.

 

14.         Definitions.

 

‘"Board” means the Board of Directors of Castellum, Inc.

 

Business” means (i) the business of providing IT, electronic warfare, software, cybersecurity, and related products and services to the U.S. commercial market and the United States government and governments of NATO countries as a “government contractor,” (ii) any other material business conducted by the Company at any time during the Employment Period or (iii) any business that the Company has entered into a letter of intent or agreement at any time during the Employment Period to commence or acquire.

 

Cause” shall include the following:

 

(a)       The commission by Employee of a felony (or procedural equivalent) or any other crime involving moral turpitude or any act or omission that would constitute a breach of a fiduciary duty of an officer of a Nevada corporation, in each case, as determined in good faith by the Board;

 

(b)       The commission of an act of intentional dishonesty, fraud, embezzlement, gross negligence, willful misconduct or theft with respect to any member of the Company or any of their respective customers or other business relationships;

 

(c)       Any material breach, non-performance or non-observance by Employee of any of the terms of this Agreement (other than a breach, non-performance or non-observance described in clause (d) of this definition), the governing documents of the Company or any other agreement between Employee, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, in Employee’s capacity as an equityholder, independent contractor, employee or officer thereof, which failure or breach (if curable) continues for a period of at least ten (10) days following a written demand for such performance by the Board specifying in reasonable detail the action that the Board alleges to be a failure to perform or breach by Employee;

 

(d)       Any breach of any of the provisions of Sections 6 through 10;

 

(e)       The commission by Employee of (i) alcohol abuse that interferes with Employee’s performance of Employee’s duties hereunder or illegal drug use by Employee, (ii) any act or omission that constitutes a violation of any law, regulation or ordinance applicable to the Company or the Business or would, if proven, cause the loss of Employee’s security clearance with the United States government, or (iii) any breach of any fiduciary duties owed to any member of the Company;

 

(f)       Employee’s (i) knowingly taking any action of material importance on behalf of the Company or any of its affiliates without appropriate authority to take such action or (ii) material misrepresentation to or willfully withholding from the Board of information that is material to any member of the Company, its businesses or operations;

 

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(g)       The violation by Employee of any of the material written policies or procedures of any member of the Company applicable to Employee, or any other act or omission constituting gross negligence or willful or criminal misconduct with respect to Employee’s duties or obligations to any member of the Company which violation is adverse to such member and which violation or conduct (if curable) continues for a period of at least ten (10) days following written notice thereof to Employee from the Board specifying in reasonable detail the violations, actions or omissions that the Board alleges to have occurred;

 

(h)       Employee’s insubordination or refusal to perform specific lawful directives from the Board that are reasonably consistent with the scope and nature of Employee’s responsibilities;

 

(i)       The existence of any legal or contractual limitation on Employee’s ability to engage in the Business that reasonably could be expected to have a material adverse effect on Employee’s ability to attract or retain customers or perform services hereunder;

 

(j)       If the SSI acquisition has not closed by June 30, 2022 and a suitable, alternative, material ($12mm+ revenue) Navy division acquisition has not been made.

 

CEO” means the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Company” means Castellum, Inc. and any Subsidiaries or affiliates.

 

Disability” means Employee’s inability to fulfill Employee’s duties under this Agreement for sixty (60) consecutive days or ninety (90) days in any one hundred eighty (180)- day period due to a mental or physical illness, as reasonably determined by the Board.

 

Good Reason” means:

 

(a)       the relocation of Employee’s principal office more than fifty (50) miles from California, Maryland, unless such new office is within 50 miles from Employee’s then- permanent residence; or

 

(b)       a material breach of this Agreement by the Company.

 

Employee may terminate his employment for Good Reason only by giving the Board prior written notice of termination for Good Reason within 30 days after Employee first becomes aware of the event or condition first giving rise to such Good Reason, and such notice shall become effective thirty (30) days after the date of the notice, unless the Company cures the circumstances that constitute Good Reason within thirty (30) days following the date of the notice, in which case the notice will be of no further effect.

 

Person” means any individual, sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, unincorporated association, corporation, entity or government (whether federal, state, county, city or otherwise, including, without limitation, any instrumentality, division, agency or department thereof).

 

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Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or business entity of which (i) if a corporation, a majority of the total voting power of shares of stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof, or (ii) if a limited liability company, partnership, association, or other business entity (other than a corporation), a majority of partnership or other similar ownership interest thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof. For purposes hereof, a Person or Persons shall be deemed to have a majority ownership interest in a limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity (other than a corporation) if such Person or Persons shall be allocated a majority of limited liability company, partnership, association, or other business entity gains or losses or shall be or control any manager, managing director or general partner of such limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes hereof, any Person which is consolidated with the Company in its financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, shall be deemed to be a Subsidiary of the Company and any indirect subsidiary of a Person shall be deemed to be a Subsidiary of such Person. For purposes hereof, references to a “Subsidiary” of any Person shall be given effect only at such times that such Person has one or more Subsidiaries.

 

15.         Notices. Any notice provided for in this Agreement must be in writing and must be either (a) personally delivered, (b) delivered by a recognized overnight courier service (charges prepaid) or (c) by email, with receipt acknowledged, to the recipient at the address below indicated:

 

If to the Company:

 

Castellum, Inc.

Attention: Board of Directors

9812 Falls Road, #114-299

Potomac, MD 20854

 

If to Employee:

 

Glen Ives

See signature page hereto

 

or such other address or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party shall have specified by prior written notice to the sending party. Date of service of such notice shall be (x) the date such notice is personally delivered, (y) one (1) business day after date of delivery to the overnight courier if sent by overnight courier or (z) the date such notice is delivered by email, receipt confirmed by recipient.

 

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16.         General Provisions.

 

(a)       Severability. Except as provided in Section 11, whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable in any respect under any present or future law, and if the rights or obligations of any party hereto under this Agreement will not be materially and adversely affected thereby, (i) such provision will be fully severable, (ii) this Agreement will be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a part hereof, (iii) the remaining provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect and will not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance herefrom and (iv) in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision, there will be added automatically as a part of this Agreement a legal, valid and enforceable provision as similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible.

 

(b)       Complete Agreement. This Agreement and those documents expressly referred to herein embody the complete agreement and understanding among the parties hereto and supersede and preempt any prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the parties, written or oral, which may have been related to the subject matter hereof in any way.

 

(c)       Counterparts; Electronic Transmission. This Agreement may be executed in separate counterparts, each of which is deemed to be an original and all of which taken together constitute one and the same agreement. Delivery of executed signature pages hereof by electronic transmission (including a facsimile or .pdf file) shall constitute effective and binding execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

(d)       Amendment and Waiver. The provisions of this Agreement may be amended and waived only with the prior written consent of each of the Company and Employee.

 

(e)       Business Days. If any time period for giving notice or taking action hereunder expires on a day which is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday in the state in which the Company’s chief executive office is located, the time period shall be automatically extended to the business day immediately following such Saturday, Sunday or holiday.

 

(f)       No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.

 

(g)       Assignment. Except as otherwise provided herein, this Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Employee, the Company and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that the rights and obligations of Employee under this Agreement shall not be assignable other than to (a) any affiliate of the Company Group or (b) any purchaser of all or substantially all of the assets of any member of the Company Group.

 

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(h)       Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the internal laws, but not the law of conflicts, of the State of Maryland.

 

(i)       Arbitration. Except as expressly provided otherwise in this Agreement, in the event of any controversy between the parties hereto arising out of, or relating to, this Agreement, including, without limitation, any controversy concerning the negotiation, validity or enforceability of this Agreement and any dispute as to whether a particular controversy is subject to arbitration, which cannot be settled amicably by the parties hereto, such controversy or dispute shall be finally, exclusively and conclusively settled by mandatory arbitration conducted expeditiously in accordance with the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules, by a panel of three (3) arbitrators; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, each of the parties hereto shall be entitled to seek a temporary restraining order and any other emergency injunctive relief, from a court of competent jurisdiction, restraining the other party from committing or continuing any violation of the provisions hereof until such time as the controversy is adjudicated in arbitration; provided further, that monetary damages for any breach of this Agreement shall be determined pursuant to this subsection. If the parties hereto are unable to agree on the selection of an arbitration panel, then the arbitration panel shall be appointed by JAMS according to its rules on arbitrator selection, which appointment shall be made within ten (10) days of JAMS’ receipt of notice from a party that the parties are unable to agree on an arbitration panel. Any party hereto may institute such arbitration proceeding by filing the required documents with the arbitration service and giving written notice to the other party hereto. A hearing shall be held by the arbitrator at JAMS’ facilities located in Washington, DC within thirty (30) days of the arbitration panel’s appointment. The decision of the arbitrators shall be final and binding upon all parties and shall be rendered pursuant to a written decision which contains a detailed recital of the arbitrators’ reasoning. Judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. Sec. 1, et seq.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Employment Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  CASTELLUM, INC.
     
  By: /s/ Mark Fuller

 

  EMPLOYEE:
     
  /s/ Glen Ives
  Glen Ives 23785 Kingston Creek Rd
  Address: California, MD. 20619
  Email: gives@castellumus.com
    gives13@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.14

 

 

 

EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT

 

THIS EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of April 25, 2022 (the “Effective Date”), is by and between Castellum, Inc. (the “Company”), and David T. Bell (“Employee”).

 

RECITALS

 

A.           The Company and Employee desire to enter into this Agreement relating to Employee’s employment by the Company.

 

B.           In addition to the capitalized terms defined elsewhere in this Agreement, capitalized terms used herein shall have the definitions ascribed thereto in Section 14.

 

AGREEMENTS

 

In consideration of the mutual covenants of the parties hereto as hereinafter set forth and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which hereby are acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as follows:

 

1.            Employment. The Company shall employ Employee, and Employee hereby agrees to be employed by the Company, upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, for the period beginning on April 25, 2022 and ending on April 30, 2025 (the “Initial Employment Period”), subject to earlier termination as provided herein. As used herein, the “Employment Period” means the Initial Employment Period and all Renewal Periods (if any). The Employment Period shall then be automatically renewed for subsequent one-year periods unless either party provides ninety (90) days advance notice of its intent not to renew, in which case the Employment Period shall end at the conclusion of the then completed time period (i.e., the then upcoming April 30).

 

2.            Position and Duties.

 

(a)       Position. Initially, Employee shall serve as the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, reporting to the CEO of the Company. Upon termination of employment hereunder for any or no reason, Employee will resign from each such position or office and will sign such documentation as reasonably necessary to effectuate such resignation.

 

(b)       Duties. During the Employment Period, Employee shall devote substantially all of Employee’s business time and Employee’s good faith efforts to the business and affairs of the Company. During the Employment Period, Employee will (i) perform Employee’s duties faithfully, to the best of Employee’s abilities, and consistent with a fiduciary duty of care and loyalty as generally understood, and (ii) comply with all of the policies of the Company, including, without limitation, such policies with respect to legal compliance, conflicts of interest, confidentiality, code of conduct and business ethics as are from time to time in effect (as the same may be amended or modified from time to time by the Board in its discretion). Employee shall have general responsibility for the financial reporting of the Company, the oversight of the finance and accounting personnel of the Company, interactions with the audit committee of the Board, interactions with the Company’s auditors, and annual financial budgeting. Employee shall work with the CEO and other senior executives interacting with the Company’s banks, investment banks, stockholders, transfer agent, law firm(s), and other key financial stakeholders and constituencies. It is anticipated that Employee will become a Sarbanes-Oxley signatory to the Company’s financial statements as the principal financial officer starting with the third calendar quarter of 2022 (i.e., for the filing due November 14, 2022).

 

3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 info@castellumus.com 301.961.4895

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.           Termination. The Employment Period (a) shall automatically terminate upon (i) Employee’s death or (ii) the Board’s reasonable determination of Employee’s Disability, (b) may be terminated by the Company at any time for any reason or no reason (whether for Cause or without Cause) by giving Employee written notice of such termination and (c) may be terminated by Employee at any time by giving the Company written notice of such termination at least sixty (60) days in advance of the Termination Date, unless such notice is waived in writing by the Company (in which case such termination shall be effective as of the date set forth in such waiver or such other date designated by the Company). The date that the Employment Period expires or is terminated for any reason (including by virtue of delivery of an Expiration Notice) is referred to herein as the “Termination Date”.

 

4.           Base Salary and Benefits.

 

(a)       Base Salary; Bonus. During the Employment Period, Employee’s initial base salary shall be $275,000 per year (the “Base Salary”). The Base Salary may be increased but not decreased in the sole discretion of the Board. Separate from the Board determination, the Base Salary shall automatically be increased to higher levels as follows:

 

Twenty-Five Thousand Dollars ($25,000) per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000) or greater;

 

Thirty-Five Thousand Dollars ($35,000) per month upon the Company achieving an annualized revenue run rate of Seventy-Five Million Dollars ($75,000,000) or greater;

 

Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000) per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of One Hundred Fifty Million Dollars ($150,000,000) or greater and Adjusted EBITDA margin of no less than 7%; and

 

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Forty-Five Thousand Dollars ($45,000) per month upon the Company reaching an annualized revenue run rate of Three Hundred Million Dollars ($300,000,000) or greater and Adjusted EBITDA margin of no less than 8%.

 

The Base Salary shall be payable in regular installments in accordance with the Company’s general payroll practices. Employee shall be eligible for a “Performance Bonus” at the discretion of the Board of the Company with target bonuses that are the following percentages of Base Salary based on criteria set forth on Schedule 4(a) hereto:

 

50% of Base Salary of less than Thirty-Five Thousand Dollars ($35,000) per month;

 

60% of Base Salary of Thirty-Five Thousand Dollars ($35,000) to less than Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000) per month;

 

100% of Base Salary of Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000) or more per month.

 

An additional bonus of $50,000 and 10 million warrants with a $0.10 strike price shall be paid to Employee upon the Company commencing trading on either tier of the Nasdaq or the NYSE, and an additional bonus of $100,000 and 15 million warrants with a $0.12 strike price shall be paid to Employee upon the Company joining the Russell 3000 and/or Russell 2000 stock index(ices).

 

The Board may pay an additional bonus (separate from any target) in its sole discretion.

 

(b)       Expenses. During the Employment Period, the Company will reimburse Employee for all reasonable travel and other expenses incurred by Employee in connection with the performance of Employee’s duties and obligations under this Agreement. Employee shall comply with such limitations and reporting requirements with respect to expenses as may be established by the Company from time to time for its senior executives generally. With respect to any such reimbursements, such reimbursements shall (i) be paid in accordance with the Company’s normal reimbursement procedures as in effect from time to time, but in no event later than the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense giving rise to such reimbursement was incurred, (ii) for any taxable year, not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement in a different taxable year and (iii) not be subject to liquidation or exchange for other benefits.

 

(c)       Other Benefits. During the Employment Period, Employee will be entitled to participate in all employee benefit plans or programs and receive all benefits and perquisites for which salaried employees of the Company generally are eligible under any plan or program now existing or later established by the Company on a substantially similar basis as other senior executives of the Company and subject to the terms and conditions set forth in such plans and programs as in effect from time to time including but not limited to the 401(k) plan with matching of 4%, healthcare, and other benefits. Employee shall be entitled to 3 weeks of paid vacation in 2022 and 4 weeks of vacation in subsequent years plus official government holidays. Vacation will not be rolled over between calendar years. Nothing in this Agreement will preclude the Company from amending or terminating any of the plans or programs applicable to salaried employees or senior executives as long as such amendment or termination is applicable to all salaried employees or all senior executives, as the case may be.

 

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(d)       Taxes. All compensation payable to Employee hereunder shall be subject to all applicable withholding taxes, normal payroll withholding and any other amounts, if required by law to be withheld.

 

(e)       Equity. Employee is hereby granted 36 million stock options to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock at a price of $0.19 (19 cents) per share. Such price is subject to equitable adjustment in the event of a forward or reverse stock split, stock dividend or other similar mechanism. The 36 million stock options shall vest ratably over the first 36 months of the Employment Period. Unvested options shall not vest on the sale of control of the Company unless 1) Employee is not given a long-term (at least 12 months) equivalent position in the resulting Company or 2) the sale results in a price to shareholders of at least $.40 per share (as adjusted for splits and stock dividends), in which either case any unvested options vest.

 

5.           Severance.

 

(a) Termination without Cause or for Good Reason. Subject to the terms and conditions of this Section 5, if the Employment Period is terminated by the Company without Cause or by Employee for Good Reason at any time, Employee shall be entitled to receive, during the Severance Period, Employee’s Base Salary payable in the same manner and in the same installments as previously paid (the “Severance Payments”), and, except as set forth in this Section 5(a) or in Section 5(c), the Company’s obligation to make any other payments or provide any other benefits under this Agreement shall cease as of the Termination Date. When used herein, the “Severance Period” means the period ending on the twelve (12)-month anniversary of the Termination Date. Employee shall forfeit the compensation and other benefits otherwise payable to Employee pursuant to this Section 5(a) unless, prior to the date on which the first payment would otherwise be payable pursuant to this Section 5(a) (and in any event within sixty (60) days after receipt of such Separation Document (as hereinafter defined)), Employee executes and delivers to the Company (and does not revoke or breach), a complete mutual release in favor of each member of the Company Group and their affiliates, and their respective equity holders, officers, managers, directors, employees, lenders, principals and attorneys, in a form reasonably acceptable to the Company (the “Separation Document”); provided, however, that if the sixty (60)-day period (together with any applicable consideration and revocation periods) begins in one (1) calendar year and ends in a second calendar year, then regardless of the date on which the Separation Document is actually executed, the Severance Payments (if owed) will be paid in such second calendar year no later than ten (10) days after the last day of such sixty (60)-day period (or, if later, upon the expiration of the applicable consideration and revocation periods), subject to the Company’s ability to accelerate such payments to the extent it would not result in a violation of Code Section 409A. If Employee breaches or revokes the Separation Document provided pursuant to the previous sentence, then Employee shall promptly repay to the Company all amounts paid to Employee pursuant to this Section 5(a) prior to such revocation.

 

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(b)       Other Termination. If the Employment Period is terminated (i) as a result of the death of Employee as contemplated under Section 3(a)(i), (ii) by the Company after a determination of a Disability as contemplated under Section 3(a)(ii), or (iii) by the Company for Cause or by Employee (other than for Good Reason, the Company’s obligation to make any other payments or provide any other benefits to Employee under this Agreement shall cease as of the Termination Date), except as set forth in Section 5(c).

 

(c)       Other Benefits. Except (i) as required by law, (ii) as specifically provided in this Section 5, (iii) for the payment of earned but unpaid Base Salary, (iv) for the reimbursement of unreimbursed business expenses pursuant to Section 4(c), and (v) for the payment of earned but unpaid Performance Bonus for any fiscal year ended prior to the Termination Date, the Company’s obligation to make any payments or provide any other benefits hereunder shall terminate automatically as of the Termination Date. All of Employee’s rights to fringe benefits and bonuses hereunder (if any) which would accrue or become payable after the termination of the Employment Period shall cease upon such termination.

 

(d)       Termination of Severance. Without limiting the foregoing remedies, if Employee commits a breach of any of the provisions of Sections 6 through 10, the Company shall no longer be obligated to make any payments pursuant to this Section 5, and Employee shall promptly repay any of such payments made pursuant to this Section 5.

 

(e)       Offset. At the time any amount would otherwise become due to Employee pursuant to this Section 5, the Company may, to the extent permitted by applicable law, offset any amounts Employee owes to any member of the Company Group pursuant to any written agreement, note or other instrument relating to indebtedness for borrowed money to which Employee is a party or pursuant to any other liability or obligation by which Employee is bound against any amounts the Company owes Employee hereunder. Any amounts owed to Employee hereunder that constitute “non-qualified deferred compensation” (within the meaning of Code Section 409A(d)(1)) shall, to the extent permitted by applicable law, be subject to the offset in this Section 5(f) only if such offset is not taken until the payment from which such offset is to be taken would otherwise be due to Employee pursuant to this Agreement.

 

(f)       Reversal of Determination. If matters constituting Cause become known to the Company within fifty (50) days after the Termination Date, then the Company after a determination of losses, acting reasonably and in good faith, may, by delivery of written notice to Employee, treat such termination as being with Cause, and Employee shall promptly, but in any event within thirty (30) business days following delivery of such notice, return all amounts received by Employee pursuant to this Agreement that Employee would not have been entitled to receive had the Employment Period been terminated by the Company for Cause as of the Termination Date.

 

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6.           Confidential Information. Employee acknowledges that the information, observations and data obtained by Employee while associated with any member of the Company Group (including, without limitation, trade secrets, know-how, research plans, business, accounting, distribution and sales methods and systems, sales and profit figures and margins and other technical or business information, business, marketing and sales plans and strategies, cost and pricing structures, and information concerning acquisition opportunities and targets in or reasonably related to any member of the Company Group’s business or industry) including, in each case, such information, observations and data obtained prior to the date of this Agreement concerning the business or affairs of any member of the Company Group and its affiliates (collectively, “Confidential Information”) are the property of such entity and agrees that such entity has a protectable interest in such Confidential Information. Therefore, Employee agrees that Employee shall not (during the Employment Period or at any time thereafter) disclose to any unauthorized person or use any such Confidential Information without the prior written consent of the Board unless and to the extent that the aforementioned matters: (a) become or are generally known to and available for use by the industry other than as a result of Employee’s acts or omissions in breach of this Agreement, (b) are required to be disclosed by judicial process or law (provided that Employee shall give prompt advance written notice of such requirement to the Company to enable the Company to seek an appropriate protective order or confidential treatment) or (c) are in furtherance of Employee’s duties under Section 2(b). Employee shall deliver to the Company at the termination of the Employment Period, or at any other time the Company may request, all memoranda, notes, plans, records, reports, computer tapes, printouts and software and other documents and data (and copies thereof) which constitute Confidential Information or Work Product which Employee may then possess or have under Employee’s control. Employee understands and acknowledges that nothing in this Agreement prohibits or limits Employee or Employee’s counsel from initiating communications directly with, responding to any inquiry from, volunteering information to, or providing testimony before, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Justice, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, any other self-regulatory organization or any other governmental, law enforcement, or regulatory authority, regarding this Agreement and its underlying facts and circumstances, or any reporting of, investigation into, or proceeding regarding suspected violations of law, and that Employee is not required to advise or seek permission from the Company before engaging in any such activity. Employee recognizes that, in connection with any such activity, Employee must inform such authority that the information Employee is providing is confidential. The Company does not waive any applicable privileges or the right to continue to protect its privileged attorney-client information, attorney work product, and other privileged information.

 

7.           Inventions and Patents. Employee hereby assigns to the Company all right, title and interest to all patents and patent applications, all inventions, innovations, improvements, developments, methods, designs, recipes, formulas, analyses, drawings, reports and all similar or related information (in each case whether or not patentable), all copyrights and copyrightable works, all trade secrets, confidential information, and all other intellectual property rights that both (a) are or were conceived, reduced to practice, developed or made by Employee while engaged by, employed by, or associated with, any member of the Company Group and (b) either that (i) relate to the actual or anticipated business, research and development or existing or future products or services of any member of the Company Group, or (ii) are or were conceived, reduced to practice, developed or made using any of the equipment, supplies, facilities, assets or resources of any member of the Company Group (including, without limitation, any intellectual property rights) (“Work Product”), to the extent allowable under applicable law. Employee shall promptly disclose such Work Product to the Board and perform, at the Company’s expense, all actions reasonably requested by the Board (whether during or after the Employment Period) to establish and confirm the Company’s ownership thereof (including, without limitation, assignments, consents, powers of attorney, applications and other instruments).

 

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8.           Non-Competition. In further consideration of the compensation to be paid to Employee hereunder, Employee acknowledges that in the course of Employee’s employment with the Company, Employee is and will become familiar with trade secrets and other Confidential Information concerning the Company Group and that Employee’s services will be of special, unique and extraordinary value to the Company Group. Therefore, Employee hereby covenants and agrees that, during the Employment Period and for any period thereafter for which the Employee is receiving severance (the “Restricted Period”), Employee shall not, without prior express written approval by the Board, directly or indirectly through any other Person or Persons (whether for compensation or otherwise):

 

(a)       own or hold any debt or equity interest in, manage, operate, control, consult with, render services for, or engage, join or participate in the ownership, management, operation or control of, or furnish any capital or loans to, any Person engaged in or actively pursuing the Business (a “Competing Business”), either as an owner, officer, general or limited partner, principal, proprietor, joint venturer, shareholder, director, member, manager, investor, lender, agent, employee, consultant, trustee, affiliate or otherwise; or

 

(b)       provide to any Competing Business (whether as owner, officer, general or limited partner, principal, proprietor, joint venturer, shareholder, director, member, manager, investor, agent, employee, consultant, trustee, affiliate or otherwise) any executive, managerial, strategic or business development services similar to those services that Employee provided to any member of the Company Group during Employee’s employment with the Company.

 

Employee acknowledges and agrees that the provisions in this Section 8 shall operate throughout the United States, Canada, and any NATO country. Nothing herein shall prohibit Employee from being a passive owner of not more than one percent (1%) of the outstanding securities of any publicly traded company engaged in a Competing Business, so long as Employee has no active participation in such Competing Business. In addition, Employee agrees and acknowledges that the potential harm to any member of the Company Group of its non-enforcement outweighs any harm to Employee of its enforcement by injunction or otherwise. Employee acknowledges that Employee has carefully read this Agreement and has given careful consideration to the restraints imposed upon Employee by this Agreement, and is in full accord as to their necessity.

 

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9.           Non-Interference. Employee agrees that, during the Restricted Period and for one (1)-year thereafter, Employee will not, directly or indirectly:

 

(a)       solicit (or participate as an employee, agent, consultant, owner, lender, securityholder, director, manager, partner, member or in any other individual or representative capacity in any business which solicits) business from any Person that is or was a customer, client, distributor, supplier or vendor of any member of the Company Group during the two (2)- year period preceding the date of such solicitation, or from any successor in interest to any such Person, in each case, for the purpose of securing business or contracts related to the Business or any portion thereof; or

 

(b)       employ, engage or recruit, solicit, contact or approach for employment or engagement (or participate as an employee, agent, consultant, owner, lender, securityholder, director, manager, partner, member or in any other individual or representative capacity in any business that employs, engages or recruits, solicits, contacts or approaches for employment or engagement) any Person that served as an employee, independent contractor or consultant of any member of the Company Group within the two (2) years immediately preceding such action, or otherwise seek or attempt to influence or alter any such Person’s relationship with any member of the Company Group.

 

10.         Non-disparagement. During the Employment Period or at any time thereafter, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly: (i) make any oral or written statement (including via the internet or social media) that disparages or places any member of the Company Group (including any of its past or present officers, employees, products or services) in a false or negative light or otherwise induce or attempt to induce any Person to cease doing business with any member of the Company Group, reduce its business or not increase its business with any member of the Company Group, not grant new business to any member of the Company Group, or in any way interfere with the relationship between such Person and any member of the Company Group, or (ii) encourage or assist any Person who may or who has filed a lawsuit, charge, claim or complaint against any member of the Company Group; provided, however, that nothing herein shall prevent Employee from responding to a lawful subpoena or complying with any other legal obligation, in each case, to the extent required by law. If Employee receives any subpoena or becomes subject to any legal obligation that implicates this Section 10, Employee will provide prompt written notice of that fact to the relevant members of the Company Group (as set forth in Section 15) and enclose a copy of the subpoena and any other documents describing the legal obligation. Section 10(i) shall not apply to communications between Employee and his immediate family so long as Employee’s immediate family, attorneys, and paid advisors keeps such communications strictly confidential.

 

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11.         Enforcement. If, at the time of enforcement of any of Sections 6 through 10, a court or an arbitrator holds that the duration, scope or area restrictions stated therein are unreasonable under the circumstances then-existing, the parties hereto agree that the maximum duration, scope or area reasonable under such circumstances shall be substituted for the stated duration, scope or area and that the court or arbitrator shall be allowed to revise the restrictions contained herein to cover the maximum period, scope and area permitted by law. Because Employee’s services are unique and because Employee has access to Confidential Information and Work Product, the parties hereto agree that money damages would not be an adequate remedy for any breach of this Agreement. Therefore, in the event of a breach or threatened breach of this Agreement, the Company or its successors or assigns may, in addition to other rights and remedies existing in their favor, apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for and obtain specific performance and/or injunctive or other relief in order to enforce or prevent any violations of the provisions hereof (without (i) the posting of any bond or other security, (ii) the necessity of showing actual damages and (iii) the necessity of showing that monetary damages are an inadequate remedy). Employee agrees that the restrictions contained in Sections 6 through 10 are reasonable.

 

12.         Employee’s Representations. Employee hereby represents and warrants to the Company that (i) the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement by Employee and the execution of the Company’s business plan by Employee do not and shall not conflict with, breach, violate or cause a default under any contract, agreement, instrument, order, judgment or decree to which Employee is a party or by which Employee is bound, (ii) Employee is not a party to or bound by any employment agreement, noncompete agreement, nonsolicitation agreement or confidentiality agreement with any other person or entity, (iii) Employee shall not use any confidential information or trade secrets of any third party in connection with the performance of Employee’s duties hereunder and (iv) this Agreement constitutes the valid and binding obligation of Employee, enforceable against Employee in accordance with its terms. Employee hereby acknowledges and represents that Employee has consulted with independent legal counsel regarding Employee’s rights and obligations under this Agreement and that Employee fully understands the terms and conditions contained herein.

 

13.         Survival. Sections 5 through 12 shall survive and continue in full force in accordance with their terms notwithstanding any termination of the Employment Period.

 

14.         Definitions.

 

“Adjusted EBITDA” means Earnings (net income) Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (calculated as Net Income + Interest + Taxes + Depreciation + Amortization) adjusted for (removing) various one-time, irregular, and non-recurring items including, but not limited to the following:

 

·Business and asset acquisition cost not capitalized
·Unrealized gains or losses

 

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·Non-cash expenses (other than depreciation, amortization already considered in EBITDA)
·Litigation expenses
·Gains or losses on foreign exchange
·Goodwill impairments
·Non-operating income
·Share-based compensation

 

“Adjusted EBITDA margin” means Adjusted EBITDA as a percentage of revenue.

 

Board” means the Board of Directors of Castellum, Inc.

 

Business” means (i) the business of providing IT, electronic warfare, software, cybersecurity, and related products and services to the U.S. commercial market and the United States government and governments of NATO countries as a “government contractor,” (ii) any other material business conducted by the Company at any time during the Employment Period or (iii) any business that the Company has entered into a letter of intent or agreement at any time during the Employment Period to commence or acquire.

 

Cause” shall include the following:

 

(a)       The commission by Employee of a felony (or procedural equivalent) or any other crime involving moral turpitude or any act or omission that would constitute a breach of a fiduciary duty of an officer of a Nevada corporation, in each case, as determined in good faith by the Board;

 

(b)       The commission of an act of intentional dishonesty, fraud, embezzlement, gross negligence, willful misconduct or theft with respect to any member of the Company or any of their respective customers or other business relationships;

 

(c)       Any material breach, non-performance or non-observance by Employee of any of the terms of this Agreement (other than a breach, non-performance or non-observance described in clause (d) of this definition), the governing documents of the Company or any other agreement between Employee, on the one hand, and the Company, on the other hand, in Employee’s capacity as an equity holder, independent contractor, employee or officer thereof, which failure or breach (if curable) continues for a period of at least ten (10) days following a written demand for such performance by the Board specifying in reasonable detail the action that the Board alleges to be a failure to perform or breach by Employee;

 

(d)       Any breach of any of the provisions of Sections 6 through 10;

 

(e)       The commission by Employee of (i) alcohol abuse that interferes with Employee’s performance of Employee’s duties hereunder or illegal drug use by Employee, (ii) any act or omission that constitutes a violation of any law, regulation or ordinance applicable to the Company or the Business or would, if proven, cause the loss of Employee’s security clearance with the United States government, or (iii) any breach of any fiduciary duties owed to any member of the Company;

 

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(f)       Employee’s (i) knowingly taking any action of material importance on behalf of the Company or any of its affiliates without appropriate authority to take such action or (ii) material misrepresentation to or willfully withholding from the Board of information that is material to any member of the Company, its businesses or operations;

 

(g)       The violation by Employee of any of the material written policies or procedures the Company applicable to Employee, or any other act or omission constituting gross negligence or willful or criminal misconduct with respect to Employee’s duties or obligations to the Company which violation is adverse to the Company and which violation or conduct (if curable) continues for a period of at least ten (10) days following written notice thereof to Employee from the Board specifying in reasonable detail the violations, actions or omissions that the Board alleges to have occurred;

 

(h)       Employee’s insubordination or refusal to perform specific lawful directives from the Board that are reasonably consistent with the scope and nature of Employee’s responsibilities;

 

(i)       The existence of any legal or contractual limitation on Employee’s ability to engage in the Business that reasonably could be expected to have a material adverse effect on Employee’s ability to attract or retain customers or perform services hereunder;

 

CEO” means the Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

 

Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

 

Company” means Castellum, Inc. and any Subsidiaries or affiliates.

 

Company Group” means the Company.

 

Disability” means Employee’s inability to fulfill Employee’s duties under this Agreement for sixty (60) consecutive days or ninety (90) days in any one hundred eighty (180)- day period due to a mental or physical illness, as reasonably determined by the Board.

 

Good Reason” means:

 

(a)       the relocation of Employee’s principal office more than fifty (50) miles from California, Maryland, unless such new office is within 50 miles from Employee’s then- permanent residence; or

 

(b)       a material breach of this Agreement by the Company.

 

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(c)       negative change in Employee title, role, duties, reporting structure, and/or compensation.

 

Employee may terminate his employment for Good Reason only by giving the Board prior written notice of termination for Good Reason within 30 days after Employee first becomes aware of the event or condition first giving rise to such Good Reason, and such notice shall become effective thirty (30) days after the date of the notice, unless the Company cures the circumstances that constitute Good Reason within thirty (30) days following the date of the notice, in which case the notice will be of no further effect.

 

Person” means any individual, sole proprietorship, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, unincorporated association, corporation, entity or government (whether federal, state, county, city or otherwise, including, without limitation, any instrumentality, division, agency or department thereof).

 

Subsidiary” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, limited liability company, partnership, association or business entity of which (i) if a corporation, a majority of the total voting power of shares of stock entitled (without regard to the occurrence of any contingency) to vote in the election of directors, managers, or trustees thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more of the other Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof, or (ii) if a limited liability company, partnership, association, or other business entity (other than a corporation), a majority of partnership or other similar ownership interest thereof is at the time owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by that Person or one or more Subsidiaries of that Person or a combination thereof. For purposes hereof, a Person or Persons shall be deemed to have a majority ownership interest in a limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity (other than a corporation) if such Person or Persons shall be allocated a majority of limited liability company, partnership, association, or other business entity gains or losses or shall be or control any manager, managing director or general partner of such limited liability company, partnership, association or other business entity. Notwithstanding the foregoing, for purposes hereof, any Person which is consolidated with the Company in its financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, shall be deemed to be a Subsidiary of the Company and any indirect subsidiary of a Person shall be deemed to be a Subsidiary of such Person. For purposes hereof, references to a “Subsidiary” of any Person shall be given effect only at such times that such Person has one or more Subsidiaries.

 

15.         Notices. Any notice provided for in this Agreement must be in writing and must be either (a) personally delivered, (b) delivered by a recognized overnight courier service (charges prepaid) or (c) by email, with receipt acknowledged, to the recipient at the address below indicated:

 

12 

 

 

 

 

If to the Company:

 

Castellum, Inc.

Attention: Board of Directors

9812 Falls Road, #114-299

Potomac, MD 20854

Email: jwright@castellumus.com

 

If to Employee:

 

David T. Bell

See signature page hereto

 

or such other address or to the attention of such other person as the recipient party shall have specified by prior written notice to the sending party. Date of service of such notice shall be (x) the date such notice is personally delivered, (y) one (1) business day after date of delivery to the overnight courier if sent by overnight courier or (z) the date such notice is delivered by email, receipt confirmed by recipient.

 

16.         General Provisions.

 

(a)       Severability. Except as provided in Section 11, whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable in any respect under any present or future law, and if the rights or obligations of any party hereto under this Agreement will not be materially and adversely affected thereby, (i) such provision will be fully severable, (ii) this Agreement will be construed and enforced as if such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision had never comprised a part hereof, (iii) the remaining provisions of this Agreement will remain in full force and effect and will not be affected by the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision or by its severance herefrom and (iv) in lieu of such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision, there will be added automatically as a part of this Agreement a legal, valid and enforceable provision as similar in terms to such illegal, invalid or unenforceable provision as may be possible.

 

(b)       Complete Agreement. This Agreement and those documents expressly referred to herein embody the complete agreement and understanding among the parties hereto and supersede and preempt any prior understandings, agreements or representations by or among the parties, written or oral, which may have been related to the subject matter hereof in any way.

 

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(c)       Counterparts; Electronic Transmission. This Agreement may be executed in separate counterparts, each of which is deemed to be an original and all of which taken together constitute one and the same agreement. Delivery of executed signature pages hereof by electronic transmission (including a facsimile or .pdf file) shall constitute effective and binding execution and delivery of this Agreement.

 

(d)       Amendment and Waiver. The provisions of this Agreement may be amended and waived only with the prior written consent of each of the Company and Employee.

 

(e)       Business Days. If any time period for giving notice or taking action hereunder expires on a day which is a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday in the state in which the Company’s chief executive office is located, the time period shall be automatically extended to the business day immediately following such Saturday, Sunday or holiday.

 

(f)       No Strict Construction. The language used in this Agreement shall be deemed to be the language chosen by the parties hereto to express their mutual intent, and no rule of strict construction shall be applied against any party.

 

(g)       Assignment. Except as otherwise provided herein, this Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by Employee, the Company and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that the rights and obligations of Employee under this Agreement shall not be assignable other than to (a) any affiliate of the Company Group or (b) any purchaser of all or substantially all of the assets of any member of the Company Group.

 

(h)       Governing Law. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the internal laws, but not the law of conflicts, of the State of Maryland.

 

(i)       Arbitration. Except as expressly provided otherwise in this Agreement, in the event of any controversy between the parties hereto arising out of, or relating to, this Agreement, including, without limitation, any controversy concerning the negotiation, validity or enforceability of this Agreement and any dispute as to whether a particular controversy is subject to arbitration, which cannot be settled amicably by the parties hereto, such controversy or dispute shall be finally, exclusively and conclusively settled by mandatory arbitration conducted expeditiously in accordance with the JAMS Comprehensive Arbitration Rules, by a panel of three (3) arbitrators; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, each of the parties hereto shall be entitled to seek a temporary restraining order and any other emergency injunctive relief, from a court of competent jurisdiction, restraining the other party from committing or continuing any violation of the provisions hereof until such time as the controversy is adjudicated in arbitration; provided further, that monetary damages for any breach of this Agreement shall be determined pursuant to this subsection. If the parties hereto are unable to agree on the selection of an arbitration panel, then the arbitration panel shall be appointed by JAMS according to its rules on arbitrator selection, which appointment shall be made within ten (10) days of JAMS’ receipt of notice from a party that the parties are unable to agree on an arbitration panel. Any party hereto may institute such arbitration proceeding by filing the required documents with the arbitration service and giving written notice to the other party hereto. A hearing shall be held by the arbitrator at JAMS’ facilities located in Washington, DC within thirty (30) days of the arbitration panel’s appointment. The decision of the arbitrators shall be final and binding upon all parties and shall be rendered pursuant to a written decision which contains a detailed recital of the arbitrators’ reasoning. Judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. Sec. 1, et seq.

 

[Signature Page Follows]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Employment Agreement as of the date first written above.

 

  COMPANY:
   
  CASTELLUM INC.
   
  By: /s/ Mark C. Fuller
             Mark C. Fuller
    President & CEO
     
  EMPLOYEE:
     
 
  Address: David Bell 1016 Glyndon St. SE, Vienna, VA 22180
  Email: 4davidtbe11@gmail.com

 

3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 info@castellumus.com 301.961.4895

 

 

 

 

 

Schedule 4(a) - Performance Bonus Criteria

The annual Performance Bonus will be calculated each year on the anniversary of the Employment Agreement and cash payments made based on the audited results of Castellum. The following constitute the mutually agreed to objectives:

 

1.Ensure on time filing of all periodic filings (Form 10Q and Form 10K) and event driven filings (Forms 13(d), Section 16 filings (forms 3 and 4) and Form 8K).

 

2.Ensure on-time filings and payment of all federal, state and local tax obligations.

 

3.Prepare an annual consolidated draft budget based on subsidiary budgets by 31 October each year.

 

3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700 Bethesda, Maryland 20814 info@castellumus.com 301.961.4895

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.15

 

LEASE AGREEMENT

 

This Agreement is made on January 11,2018.

 

BETWEEN LTD Realty Investment, IV, LP,

 

Located at P.O. Box 547, Manahawkin, NJ 08050 in the County of Ocean and State of New Jersey, herein designated as the "LANDLORD"

 

AND, SPECIALTY SYSTEMS, Inc.

 

Located at 1451 Route 37 West, Toms River, NJ, in the County of Ocean and State of New Jersey, herein designated as the “TENANT";

 

1.          Premises. The landlord does hereby lease to the Tenant and the Tenant does hereby rent from the Landlord, the following described premises:

 

1451 Route 37 West, Toms River, New Jersey, 8,015 sq. ft as per attached architectural blueprint.

 

2.          Term. The term of this lease is for (5) Year commencing on February 1, 2018 and ending on January 31, 2023. Tenants shall cease to owe any rents on its current lease at 1451 Route 37 West in Toms River, NJ on January 31, 2018

 

3.           Use: Office/Computer facility. The Premises are to be used and occupied for no other purpose than an engineering /computing consulting office and computer integration facility.

 

4          Total Rents. Tenant agrees to pay to the Landlord as and for rent for the demised premises, the sum of $100,187.50 per annum during the term of the term of the lease, payable in equal monthly installments of $8,348.96 due on the first day of each and every month in advance. This is base rent only.

 

5          Base Rent. The base annual rent for Year 1 through 5, to be paid as follows:

 

$8,348.96 per month, due on the 1st day of each month. The Tenant must pay a late charge of $150.00 as additional rent for each payment that is more than 10 day late. This late charge is due with the monthly rent payment. The Tenant must also pay a fee of $50.00 as additional rent for any dishonored check.

 

6.          Property Taxes. The Tenant's share for 2017 Property taxes on this unit is 17.2% of the building and will be recomputed annually.

 

7.          Common Area Charges. $200.00 per month

 

 

 

 

8.           Total monthly charge Total monthly charge for 2017 is $10,020.97.

 

9.          Liability Insurance. The Tenant, at Tenant's own cost and expense, will obtain or provide and keep in full force for the benefit of the Landlord, during the term hereof, general public liability insurance, insuring the Landlord against any and all liability or claims of liability arising out of, occasioned by or resulting from any accident or otherwise in or about the Premises of injuries to any persons for limits of not less than $1,000,000.00 for property damage, $500,000 for injuries to one person and $2,000,000.00 for injuries to more than one person, in any one accident or occurrence. The insurance policies will be with companies authorized to do business in this State and will be delivered to the Landlord, together with proof of payment, not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the commencement of the term hereof or of the date when the Tenant enters in possession, whichever occurs sooner. At least fifteen (15) days prior to the expiration or termination date of any policy, the Tenant will deliver a renewal or replacement policy with proof of the payment of the premium therefore.

 

10.         Plate Glass insurance. Tenant at its own cost and expense, will obtain or provide, and keep in full force the benefit of the Landlord, during the term hereof, plate glass insurance, insuring against any and all damage caused by the Tenant to the plate glass windows contained within the unit premises. The insurance policies will be with companies authorized to do business in this State and will be delivered to the Landlord, together with proof of payment, not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the commencement of the term hereof or of the date when the Tenant enters in possession, whichever occurs sooner. At least fifteen (15) days prior to the expiration or termination date of any policy, the Tenant will deliver a renewal or replacement policy with proof of the payment of the premium therefore.

 

11.         Security. The Tenant has/will deposit with the Landlord the sum of $6,750.00 as security for the payment of the rent hereunder and the full and faithful performance by the Tenant of the covenants and conditions on the part of the Tenant to be performed. Said sum will be returned to the Tenant, without interest, after the expiration of the term hereof, provided that the Tenant has fully and faithfully performed all such covenants and conditions and is not in arrears in rent. During the term hereof, the Landlord may, if the Landlord so elects, have recourse to such security, to make good any default by the Tenant and the Tenant will on demand, promptly restore said security to its original amount. Liability to repay said security to the Tenant will run with the reversion and title to the Premises whether any change in ownership thereof is by voluntary alienation or as the result of judicial sale, foreclosure or other proceedings or the exercise of a right of taking or entry by any mortgagee. The Landlord will assign or transfer said security, for the benefit of the Tenant, to any subsequent owner or holder of the reversion or title to the Premises, in which case the assignee will become liable for the repayment thereof as herein provided and the assignor will be released from all liability to return such security. This provision shall be applicable to every change in title and does not permit the Landlord to retain the security after termination of the Landlord’s ownership. The Tenant will not mortgage, encumber or assign said security without the written consent of the Landlord.

 

 

 

 

12.         Repairs and Care. The Tenant has examined the premises and has entered into this lease without any representation on the part of the Landlord as to the condition thereof. The Tenant shall take good care of the premises and will at the Tenant’s own cost and expense, make all repairs including painting and decorating and will maintain the Premises in good condition and state of repair and at the end or other expiration of the term hereof, will deliver up the rented Premises in good order and condition, except for reasonable wear and tear and damage by the elements not resulting from the neglect or fault of the Tenant, excepted. The Tenant shall neither encumber nor obstruct the sidewalks, driveways, yards, entrances, hallways and stairs, but will keep and maintain the same in a clean condition, free from debris, trash, refuse, snow and ice. Landlord shall be responsible and pay for all capital costs and repairs including, exterior walls, roof and HVAC systems (except in the case of tenant’s lack of maintenance on HVAC systems). Landlord shall be responsible to ensure compliance, at Landlord's cost with ADA or other State or Federal agencies.

 

13.         HVAC Inspections. Landlord agrees that the HVAC system will be a fully operational system compliant with all State and local requirements. It is the responsibility of the Tenant to maintain and have serviced on a regular basis the heating and air conditioning system. All tenants are to obtain annual service agreements from a heating and air conditioning contractor for the HVAC units, a copy of which must be sent to the Landlord. Any repairs and/or replacement of the HVAC if due to lack of maintenance will be charged to the tenant.

 

14.         Compliance with Law etc. The Tenant will promptly comply with all laws, ordinances, rules, regulations requirements and directives of all Governmental or Public Authorities and of all their subdivisions, applicable to and affecting the premises or the use and occupancy of the Premises. Tenant will promptly comply with all orders, regulations, requirements and directives of the Board of Fire Underwriters or similar authority and of any insurance companies which have issued or are about to issue policies of insurance covering the said Premises and its contents, for the prevention of fire or other casualty, damage or injury, at the Tenant’s own cost and expense.

 

15.         Assignment The Tenant will not assign, mortgage or hypothecate this lease, nor sublet or sublease the Premises or any part thereof without the Landlord's written consent.

 

 

 

 

16.         Fire and Other Casualty. If there is a fire or other casualty, the Tenant will give immediate notice to the Landlord. If the Premises are partially damaged by fire, the elements or other casualty, the Landlord will repair the same as speedily as practicable, but the Tenant's obligation to pay the rent hereunder will not cease. If, in the opinion of the Township Fire Department the premises are rendered untenantable, then the rent, property taxes and CAM will cease. However, if the premises are destroyed or damaged such that repairs cannot be completed in 120 days, then the rent, property taxes and CAM will cease until such time as the primises are made tenantable by the landlord.. However, if the Premises are totally destroyed or so extensively and substantially damaged (50% or more and cannot be fully repaired within 120 days) then the rent will be paid up to the time of such destruction and the lease will come to an end. In no event however, will the provisions of the preceding three sentences become effective or be applicable, if the fire or other casualty and damage are the result of carelessness, negligence or improper conduct of the Tenant or the Tenant’s agents, employees, guests, licensees, invitees, subtenants assignees or successors. In such case, the Tenant’s liability for the payment of the rent and the performance of all the covenant, conditions and terms hereof on the Tenant's part to be performed will continue and the Tenant will be liable to the Landlord for the damage and loss suffered by the Landlord. If the Tenant was insured against any of the risks herein covered, then the proceeds of such insurance will be paid over the Landlord to the extent of the Landlord’s costs and expenses to make the repairs hereunder and such insurance carriers will have no recourse against the Landlord for reimbursement.

 

17.         Alterations and/or Improvements. No alterations, additions or improvements will be made and no climate regulating, air conditioning, cooling, heating or sprinkler systems, television or radio antennas, heavy equipment, apparatus and fixtures, may be installed in or attached to the Premises, without the written consent of the Landlord. Unless otherwise provided herein, all such alterations, additions or improvements and systems when made, installed in or attached to the said Premises, will belong to and becomes the property of the Landlord and shall be surrendered with the Premises and as part thereof upon the expiration or sooner termination of this lease without hindrance, molestation or injury.

 

18.         Inspection and Repair. The Tenant agrees that the Landlord and the Landlord’s agents, employees or other representatives, will have the right to enter into and upon the Premises or any part thereof, at all reasonable hours, for the purpose of examining the same or making such repairs or alterations therein as may be necessary for the safety and preservation thereof. The preceding sentence will not be deemed to be a covenant by the Landlord nor be construed to create an obligation on the part of the Landlord to make such inspection or repairs.

 

19.         Right to Exhibit The Tenant agrees to permit the Landlord and the Landlord’s agents, employees or other representatives to show the premises to persons wishing to rent or purchase the same and Tenant agrees that during the 6 months preceding the expiration of the term hereof, the Landlord or the Landlord’s agents employees or other representatives shall have the right to place notices on the front of said premises or any part thereof, offering the Premises for rent or for sale; and the Tenant hereby agrees to permit the same to remain thereon without hindrance or molestation. The Tenant will also permit the Landlord and the Landlord's agents, employees or other representatives to show the premises to prospective mortgagees of the premises and the land and improvements of which the premises are a part upon reasonable notice during business hours.

 

 

 

 

20.         Glass or other Damage and Repairs.          In case of the destruction of or any damage to the glass in the Premises, or the destruction of or damage of any kind whatsoever to the Premises, caused by the carelessness, negligence or improper conduct on the part of the Tenant or the Tenant’s agents, employees, guests, licenses, invitees, subtenants, assignees or successors, the Tenant will repair the said damage or replace or restore any destroyed parts of the premises, as speedily as possible, at the Tenant's own cost and expense.

 

21.         Signs.          The Tenant may not place nor allow to be placed any signs of any kind whatsoever, upon, in or about the Premises except as may be consented to by the Landlord in writing. The Landlord or the Landlord's agents, employees or representatives may remove any such signs in order to paint or make any repairs, alterations or improvements in or upon the Premises or any part thereof but such signs will be replaced at the Landlord’s expense when the said repairs, alterations or improvements are completed. Any signs permitted by the Landlord shall at all times conform to all municipal ordinances or other laws and regulations applicable thereto.

 

22.         Non-Liability of Landlord.         The Landlord will not be liable for any damage or injury which may be sustained by the Tenant or any other person, as a consequence of the failure, breakage, leakage or obstruction of the water, plumbing, steam, sewer, waste or soil pipes, roofs, drains leaders gutters, valleys, downspouts or the like or of the electrical, gas, power, conveyor, refrigeration, sprinkler, air conditioning or heating systems, or by reason of the elements; or resulting from the carelessness, negligence or improper conduct on the part of any other Tenant or any other Tenant's agents, employees, guests, licenses, invitees, subtenants, assignees or successors; or attributable to any interference with, interruption of or failure. The landlord will be liable, however, for tenant losses due to landlords own negligence.

 

 

 

 

23.         Mortgage Priority.          This lease shall not be a lien against the Premises with respect to any mortgages that may hereafter be placed upon said premises. Such mortgage or mortgages will have preference and be superior and prior in lien to this lease, irrespective of the date of recording. The Tenant will execute any instruments without cost, which may be deemed necessary to further effect the subordination of this lease to any such mortgages. A refusal by the Tenant to execute such instruments within fifteen (15) days of receipt is a default under this Lease.

 

24.         Increase of Insurance Rates.          If for any reason it is impossible to obtain fire and other hazard insurance on the buildings and improvements on the Premises, in an amount and in the form and from insurance companies acceptable to the Landlord, the Landlord may, if it so elects at any time thereafter, terminate this lease upon giving the Tenant fifteen (15) days notice in writing of the Landlord's intention to do so. Upon the giving of such notice, this lease will terminate as of the date specified in the notice. If as a result of the use to which the Premises are put by the Tenant or character of or the manner in which the Tenant’s business is carried on the insurance rates for fire and other hazards increase, the Tenant will, upon demand, pay to the Landlord, as additional rent, the amounts by which the premiums for such insurance are increased. If, as a result of the use to which the premises are put by another tenant, insurance premiums increase, the tenant will not be obligated to share payment of the increase with the landlord as part of the CAM.

 

25.         Utilities.          The Tenant will pay when due all the rents or charges for water, electric, gas and/or other utilities used by the Tenant, which are or may be assessed or imposed upon the Premises or charged to the Landlord rather then the Tenant, by the suppliers thereof during the term hereof. Tenant further agrees that where possible it will simultaneously with the execution of this lease place the electricity, gas and other utilities in it’s name and pay the bills for same directly to the utility company.

 

26.         Condemnation Eminent Domain.          If any portion of the Premises leased herein, or if which the Premises are a part is taken under eminent domain or condemnation proceedings, or actions, the Landlord grants an option to purchase and/or sells and conveys the Premises or any portion thereof, to the governmental or other public authority, agency, body or public utility, seeking to take said land and Premises or any portion thereof, then this lease, at the option of the Landlord, will terminate, and the term hereof will end as of such date as the Landlord fixes by notice in writing. The Tenant will have no claim or right to claim or be entitled to any portion of any amount which may be awarded as damages or paid as the result of such condemnation proceedings or paid as the purchase price for such option, sale or conveyance in lieu of formal condemnation proceedings and all rights of the Tenant to damages, if any, are hereby assigned to the Landlord. The Tenant will execute and deliver any proceedings or to effectuate a proper transfer of title to such governmental or other public authority, agency, body or public utility seeking to take or acquire the Premises or any portion thereof. The Tenant will vacate the Premises and remove all of it’s personal property therefrom and deliver up peaceable possession thereof to the Landlord or to such other party designated by the Landlord. Failure by the Tenant to comply with any provisions in this clause will require the Tenant to pay to landlord such costs, expenses, damages and losses as the Landlord may incur by reason of the Tenant’s breach hereof.

 

 

 

 

27.          Events of Default; Remedies upon Tenant’s Default. The following are “Events of Default" under this Lease: (a) a default by the Tenant in the payment of rent, or any additional rent when due; (b) a default by the Tenant in the performance of any of the other covenants or conditions of this Lease, which the Tenant does not cure within 14 days after the Landlord gives the Tenant written notice of such default; (c) the death of the Tenant (if the Tenant is an individual); (d) the liquidation or dissolution of the Tenant (if the Tenant is an entity); (e) the filing by the Tenant of a bankruptcy, insolvency or receivership proceeding; (f) the filing of a bankruptcy, insolvency or receivership proceeding against the Tenant which is not dismissed within 60 days after the filing thereof; (g) the appointment of, or the consent by the Tenant to the appointment of a custodian, receiver, trustee, or liquidator of all or a substantial part of the Tenant’s assets; (h) the making by the Tenant of an assignment for the benefit of creditors or an agreement of composition; (i) if the Premises are vacant for over sixty (60) days; (j) the eviction of the Tenant; or (k) if this Lease, the Premises or the Tenant's interest in the Premises passes to another by virtue of operation of law as a result of a writ of execution, levy or judicial or foreclosure sale. If an Event of Default occurs, any and all expenses of the landlord including but not limited to legal fees shall be the responsibility of the tenant and shall be deemed to be additional rent. The Landlord, in addition to any other remedies contained in this Lease or as may be permitted by law, may either by force or otherwise, without being liable for prosecution or for damages, re-enter, possess and enjoy the Premises. The Landlord may then re-let the Premises and receive the rents therefore and apply the same to the payment of expenses in re-letting, including but not limited to reasonable attorney fees and any other costs as the Landlord may have incurred in re-entering and repossessing the Premises and in making such repairs and alterations as may be necessary; and second to the payment of the rents due hereunder. The Tenant will remain liable for such rents as may be in arrears and also the rents as may accrue subsequent to the re-entry by the Landlord, to the extent of the difference between the rents reserved hereunder and the rents, if any, received by the Landlord during the remainder of the unexpired term hereof, after deducting the aforementioned expenses, fees and costs; the same to be paid as such deficiencies arise and are ascertained each month.

 

 

 

 

28.         Termination on Default. The landlord may, at any time after an event of default occurs, terminate this Lease upon giving the Tenant five (5) days notice in writing of the Landlord’s intention to do so. Upon giving such notice, this Lease and the term h hereof will end on the date fixed in such notice as if such date was the date originally fixed in this lease for the expiration hereof; and the Landlord will have the right to remove all persons, goods, fixtures and chattels from the Premises, by force or otherwise, without liability for damage.

 

29.         Termination for Business Downturn. If at any point after the second full year of the lease, it becomes the case where tenants Joint Base McGuire-Dix- Lakehurst re-compete contract is not awarded to tenant or the work is required to be performed at another Defense Department facility or the tenant contract is cancelled at Joint Base Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst, Tenant shall only be responsible to pay a sum equal to six (6) month's rent, taxes and CAM from date of notice and no other costs, rents, fees or penalties shall be imposed by the Landlord.

 

30.         Removal of Tenant’s Property. Any equipment, fixtures, goods or other property of the Tenant that are not removed by the Tenant upon the termination of this lease, or upon any quitting, vacating or abandonment of the premises by the Tenant, or upon the Tenant's eviction, will be considered as abandoned and the Landlord will have the right, without any notice to the Tenant, to sell or otherwise dispose of the same, at the expense of the Tenant, and will not be accountable to the Tenant for any part of the proceeds of such sale, if any.

 

31.         Reimbursement of Landlord. If the Tenant fails or refuses to comply with any conditions of this lease, the Landlord may carry out and perform such conditions at the cost and expense of the Tenant, which cost and expense will be payable on demand as additional rent to the Landlord. This remedy will be in addition to such other remedies as the Landlord may have by reason of the breach by the Tenant of any of the terms and conditions of this lease.

 

32.         Non-Performance by Landlord. This lease and the obligation of the Tenant to pay the rent hereunder and to comply with the covenants and conditions hereof, shall not be affected, curtailed, impaired or excused because of the Landlord’s inability to supply any service or material called for herein, by reason of any rule, order, regulation or preemption by any governmental entity, authority, department agency or subdivision or for any delay which may arise by reason of negotiations for the adjustment of any fire or other casualty loss or because of strikes or other labor trouble or for any cause beyond the control of the Landlord.

 

33.         Validity of Lease. The terms, conditions, covenants and provisions of this lease will be deemed to be severable. If any clause or provision herein contained is adjudged to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction or by operation of any applicable law, it shall not affect the validity of any other clause or provision herein, but such other clauses or provisions will remain in full force and effect.

 

 

 

 

34.         Non-Waiver by Landlord. The various rights, remedies, options and elections of the Landlord, under this lease, are cumulative. The failure of the Landlord to enforce strict performance by the Tenant of the conditions and covenants of this lease or to exercise any election or option or to resort or have recourse to any remedy herein conferred or the acceptance by the Landlord of any installment of rent after any breach by the Tenant, in any one or more instances, will not be construed or deemed to be a waiver or a relinquishment for the future by the Landlord of any such conditions and covenants, options elections or remedies, but the same shall continue in full force and effect.

 

35.         Notices. All notices required under the terms of this lease will be given and will be complete by mailing such notices by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, or by hand delivery, fax or overnight delivery service to the address of the parties as shown at the beginning of this lease, or to such other address as may be designated in writing, which notice of change of address shall be given in the same manner.

 

36.         Title and Quiet Enjoyment. The Landlord covenants and represents that the Landlord is the owner of the Premises herein leased and has the right and authority to enter into, execute and deliver this lease; and does further covenant that the Tenant on paying the rent and performing the conditions and covenants herein contained, will and may peaceably and quietly have, hold and enjoy the leased Premises for the term aforementioned.

 

37.         Entire Contract. This lease contains the entire contract between the parties. No representative, agent or employee of the Landlord has been authorized to make any representations or promises with reference to the leasing of the Premises or to vary, alter or modify the terms hereof. No additions, changes or modifications, renewals or extensions hereof, shall be binding unless reduced to writing and signed by the Landlord and the Tenant

 

38.         Conformity with Laws and Regulations. The Landlord may pursue the relief or remedy sought in any invalid clause, by conforming the clause to the provisions of the statutes or the regulations of any governmental agency as if the particular provisions of the applicable statutes or regulations were set forth herein at length.

 

39.         Number and Gender. In all references herein to any parties, persons, entities or corporations the use of any particular gender or the plural or singular number is intended to include the appropriate gender or number as the text of the within instruments may require. All the terms, covenants and conditions herein contained shall be for and shall inure to the benefit of and shall bind the respective parties hereto and their heirs, executors, administrators, personal or legal representatives, successors and assigns.

 

 

 

 

40.         Real Estate Taxes. Tenant shall be responsible for payment of his proportionate share of real estate taxes assessed by the Township of Toms River on the land and building on which the leasehold is located. Said taxes shall be billed to Tenant monthly and paid as additional rent on the 1st of each and ever month. The charges to Tenant will be 17.2% of total as referenced in paragraph 6.

 

41.         Payment by Automatic Transfer. Only in the event of failure of the tenant to pay rent for 30 days or more and upon not less than thirty (30) days prior notice to Tenant, require Tenant to execute and deliver any documents, instruments, authorizations, or certificates required by Landlord to give effect to an automated debiting system, whereby any or all payments by tenant (as designated from time to time by Landlord) of whatsoever nature required or contemplated by this Lease shall be debited monthly or from time to time, as determined by Landlord from Tenant's account in a bank or financial institution designated by Tenant and credited to Landlord’s bank accounts that Landlord shall designate from time to time. Tenant shall promptly pay all service fees and other charges connected therewith, including, without limitation, any charges resulting from insufficient funds tin Tenant’s bank account or any charges imposed on the Landlord. In the event Tenant elects to designate a different bank or financial institution from which any Rent, additional Rent, or other charges under the Lease are automatically debited, notification of such charge and the required documents, instruments, authorizations, or certificates specified above must be received by the Landlord no later than thirty (30) days prior to the date such change is to.

 

42.         Tenant shall maintain in good condition and repair the interior of the premises and signage at tenants own cost and expense. Tenant shall take good care of premises and fixture therein and at its sole cost and expense make any repairs thereto and when needed to preserve in good workin order and condition. Landlord shall maintain the exterior of the building and all common areas including sidewalks, lighting, parking areas and snow removel. Tenant is only responsible for repairs necessitated by damage caused by the tenant and for the removal of snow on the sidewalk that provides an access point from the parking lot to the front door of the leased space during working hours.

 

43.         All tenants MUST notify the Landlord of Lease renewal or of vacating of the premises SIXTY (60) days prior to the end of the Lease, except as set forth in clause 29.

 

44.         IF THE TENANT IS SUCCESSFUL IN ANY ACTION OR SUMMARY PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF THIS LEASE, THE TENNANT SHALL RECOVER ATTORNEY’S FEES [AND] OR EXPENSES OR BOTH FROM THE LANDLORD TO THE SAME EXTENT THE LANDLORD IS ENTITLED TO RECOVER ATTORNEY’S FEES OR EXPENSES, OR BOTH AS PROVIDED IN THIS LEASE.

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have hereunto set their hands and seals, or caused these presents to be signed by their proper corporate officers and their proper corporate seal to be hereto affixed, the day and year first above written.

 

Witnessed or Attested by:   LTD Realty Investment, IV, LP
     
  /s/ David C. Wintrode
    By: Landlord,  
      David C. Wintrode
       
  /s/ Emil A. Kaunitz
    By:

Tenant,  

Emil A. Kaunitz, President

Specialty Systems, Inc.

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.16

 

BOARD AGREEMENT

 

This Board Agreement (the “Agreement”) is made effective as of ______ ___, 2022 by and between Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation, with its principal place of business at 3 Bethesda Metro Center, Suite 700, Bethesda, ME 20814 (the “Company”), and ___________, an individual resident of the District of Columbia (the “Director”).

 

WHEREAS, the Company appointed the Director effective as of the date hereof (the “Effective Date”) and desires to enter into an agreement with the Director with respect to such appointment; and

 

WHEREAS, the Director is willing to accept such appointment and to serve the Company on the terms set forth herein and in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

1.        Position. Subject to the terms and provisions of this Agreement, the Company shall cause the Director to be appointed, and the Director hereby agrees to serve the Company in such position upon the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, providedhowever, that the Director’s continued service on the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”) after the initial one-year term on the Board shall be subject to any necessary approval by the Company’s shareholders.

 

2.       Duties.  

 

(a)       The Director agrees, subject to the Director's continued status as a director, to serve on the Board and to provide those services required of a director under the Company’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and Amended and Restated Bylaws, as both may be amended from time to time (“Articles” and “Bylaws”) and under the Nevada Revised Statutes, the federal securities laws and other state and federal laws and regulations, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and any stock exchange or quotation system on which the Company’s securities may be traded from time to time.  Director will also serve on one or more committees of the Board as he or she and the Board shall mutually agree.

 

(b)       The Director will use his best efforts to promote the interests of the Company. The Company recognizes that the Director (i) is or may become a full-time executive employee of another entity and that his responsibilities to such entity must have priority, and (ii) sits or may sit on the board of directors of other entities, subject to any limitations set forth by the by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the limitations set forth by the Company’s Audit Committee Charter and limitations provided by any exchange or quotation service on which the Company’s common stock is listed or traded.  Notwithstanding the same, the Director will provide the Company with prior written notice of any future commitments to such entities and use reasonable business efforts to coordinate his or her respective commitments so as to fulfill his or her obligations to the Company and, in any event, will fulfill his or her legal obligations as a Director. Other than as set forth above, the Director will not, without the prior notification to the Board, engage in any other business activity which could materially interfere with the performance of his or her duties, services and responsibilities hereunder or which is in violation of the reasonable policies established from time to time by the Company, provided that the foregoing shall in no way limit his or her activities on behalf of (i) any current employer and its affiliates or (ii) the board of directors of any entities on which he or she currently sits.  At such time as the Board receives such notification, the Board may require the resignation of the Director if it determines that such business activity does in fact materially interfere with the performance of the Director’s duties, services and responsibilities hereunder.

 

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3.Compensation.

 

(a) Cash Fee. Subject to Section 4 and during the term of this Agreement, the Company shall pay the Director, if the Company does not otherwise compensate the Director as an officer or employee, an annual retainer fee of $60,000, in consideration for the Director providing the services described in Section 1 which shall compensate him or her for all time spent preparing for, travelling to (if applicable) and attending Board or committee meetings; provided, however, that if any Board or committee meetings or duties require out-of-town travel time, such additional travel time may be billed at the rate set forth in subparagraph (b) of this Section 3 below. The cash fee shall be paid in four quarterly installments. This cash fee may be revised by action of the Board from time to time.  Such revision shall be effective as of the date specified in the resolution of the Board of Directors for payments not yet earned and need not be documented by an amendment to this Agreement to be effective.  In addition, if the non-employee Director serves as the independent chairperson of the Board or a chairperson of any standing committee of the Board, he or she may be entitled to additional cash compensation as decided by the Board (or the compensation committee thereof) in its sole discretion and as set forth on Exhibit “A”.

 

(b) Additional Payments. To the extent services described in subparagraph (a) above require out-of-town trips, such additional travel time may be charged at the rate of $1,200 per day or pro-rated portion thereof.  This rate may be revised by action of the Board from time to time for payments not yet earned.  Such revision shall be effective as of the date specified in the resolution of the Board of Directors and need not be documented by an amendment to this Agreement to be effective.

 

(c) Common Stock. The Director shall receive shares of the Company’s common stock at a value equal to $60,000, pursuant and subject to the Company’s 2022 Equity Incentive Plan. Such shares shall vest ratably over the twelve (12) months following the date of grant.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Director ceases to be a member of Board at any time during the vesting period for any reason (such as resignation, withdrawal, death, disability or any other reason), then any unvested shares shall be forfeited.  Furthermore, the Director agrees that the shares shall be subject to any “lock up” agreement required to be signed by the Company’s officers in connection with any financing.

 

(d) Independent Contractor.  The Director’s status during the Term of this Agreement shall be that of an independent contractor and not, for any purpose, that of an employee or agent with authority to bind the Company in any respect. All payments and other consideration made or provided to the Director under this Section 3 shall be made or provided without withholding or deduction of any kind, and the Director shall assume sole responsibility for discharging all tax or other obligations associated therewith.

 

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(e) Expense Reimbursements.  During the Term, the Company shall reimburse the Director for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Director in attending any in-person meetings, provided that the Director complies with the generally applicable policies, practices and procedures of the Company for submission of expense reports, receipts or similar documentation of such expenses. Any reimbursements for allocated expenses (as compared to out-of-pocket expenses of the Director in excess of $500.00 must be approved in advance by the Company.

 

4.       Term.  The Term as used in this Agreement, shall mean the period commencing on the Effective Date and terminating on the earlier of the date of the next annual shareholders meeting and the earliest of the following to occur: (a) the death of the Director; (b) the termination of the Director from his or her membership on the Board by the mutual agreement of the Company and the Director; (c) the removal of the Director from the Board by the majority shareholders of the Company; and (d) the resignation by the Director from the Board.

 

In the event the Director accepts a standing nomination to stand for election or re-election as a director of the Company or an appointment as Director to fill a vacancy or new directorship that if, in an uncontested election of directors, he or she received a majority against vote, the Director shall promptly tender a written offer of resignation to the Chairman of the Board following certification of the shareholder vote from the meeting at which the election occurred.

 

5.       Director’s Representation and Acknowledgment.  The Director represents and warrants that no other party has exclusive rights to his or her services in the specific areas in which the Company is conducting business and that the Director is in no way compromising any rights or trust between any other party and the Director or creating a conflict of interest as a result of his or her participation on the Board.  The Director also represents, warrants and covenants that so long as the Director serves on the Board, the Director will not enter into another agreement that will create a conflict of interest with this Agreement or the Company.  The Director further represents, warrants and covenants that he or she will comply with the Company’s Articles, Bylaws, policies and guidelines, all applicable laws and regulations, including Sections 10 and 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and listing rules of any stock exchange on which the Company’s securities may be traded; that if he or she is designated by the Board as an independent director, he or she shall promptly notify the Board of any circumstances that may potentially impair his or her independence as a director of the Company; and that he or she shall promptly notify the Board of any arrangements or agreements relating to compensation provided by a third party to him or her in connection with his or her status as a director or director nominee of the Company or the services requested under this Agreement.

 

Throughout the term of this Agreement, the Director agrees he or she will not, without obtaining the Company’s prior written consent, directly or indirectly engage or prepare to engage in any activity in competition with the Company’s business or services, including without limitation, services in the development stage, accept employment or provide services to (including but not limited to service as a member of a board of directors), or establish a business in competition with the Company; provided, however, that the Director may serve or continue to serve as an officer or director of one or more entities that are affiliated with the Company, including without limitation, entities in which the Company does not have a majority holding.  

 

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6.       Director Covenants.

 

(a)        Unauthorized Disclosure.  The Director agrees and understands that in the Director’s position with the Company, the Director has been and will be exposed to and receive information relating to the confidential affairs of the Company, including, but not limited to, technical information, business and marketing plans, strategies, customer information, other information concerning the Company’s services, development, financing, acquisition plans, business policies and practices, and other forms of information considered by the Company to be confidential and in the nature of trade secrets. The Director agrees that during the Term and thereafter, the Director will keep such information confidential and will not disclose such information, either directly or indirectly, to any third person or entity without the prior written consent of the Company; providedhowever, that (i) the Director shall have no such obligation to the extent such information is or becomes publicly known or generally known in the Company’s industry other than as a result of the Director’s breach of his obligations hereunder, and (ii) the Director may, after giving prior notice to the Company to the extent practicable under the circumstances, disclose such information to the extent required by applicable laws or governmental regulations or judicial or regulatory process. This confidentiality covenant has no temporal, geographical or territorial restriction. Upon termination of the Term, the Director will promptly return to the Company and/or destroy at the Company’s direction all property, keys, notes, memoranda, writings, lists, files, reports, customer lists, correspondence, tapes, disks, cards, surveys, maps, logs, machines, technical data, other product or document, and any summary or compilation of the foregoing, in whatever form, including, without limitation, in electronic form, which has been produced by, received by or otherwise submitted to the Director in the course or otherwise as a result of the Director’s position with the Company during or prior to the Term, provided that the Company shall retain such materials and make them available to the Director if requested by him in connection with any litigation against the Director under circumstances in which (i) the Director demonstrates to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company that the materials are necessary to his defense in the litigation, and (ii) the confidentiality of the materials is preserved to the reasonable satisfaction of the Company.

 

(b)       Non-Solicitation.  During the Term and for a period of three (3) years thereafter, the Director shall not interfere with the Company’s relationship with, or endeavor to entice away from the Company, any person who, on the date of the termination of the Term and/or at any time during the one-year period prior to the termination of the Term, was an employee or customer of the Company or otherwise had a material business relationship with the Company.

 

(c)       Non-Compete. The Director agrees that during the Term and for a period of three (3) years thereafter, he or she shall not in any manner, directly or indirectly, through any person, firm or corporation, alone or as a member of a partnership or as an officer, director, stockholder, investor or employee of or consultant to any other corporation or enterprise; engage in the business of developing, marketing, selling or supporting services or technology to or for businesses in which the Company engages in or in which the Company has an actual intention, as evidenced by the Company's written business plans, to engage in, within any geographic area in which the Company is then conducting such business.  Nothing in this Section 6 shall prohibit the Director from being (i) a stockholder in a mutual fund or a diversified investment company or (ii) a passive owner of not more than three percent of the outstanding stock of any class of securities of a corporation, which are publicly traded, so long as the Director has no active participation in the business of such corporation.

 

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(d)       Insider Trading Guidelines.  Director agrees to execute the Company’s Insider Trading Guidelines in the form attached hereto.

 

(e)       Remedies.  The Director agrees that any breach of the terms of this Section 6 would result in irreparable injury and damage to the Company for which the Company would have no adequate remedy at law; the Director therefore also agrees that in the event of said breach or any threat of breach, the Company shall be entitled to an immediate injunction and restraining order to prevent such breach and/or threatened breach and/or continued breach by the Director and/or any and all entities acting for and/or with the Director, without having to prove damages or paying a bond, in addition to any other remedies to which the Company may be entitled at law or in equity. The terms of this paragraph shall not prevent the Company from pursuing any other available remedies for any breach or threatened breach hereof, including, but not limited to, the recovery of damages from the Director. The Director acknowledges that the Company would not have entered into this Agreement had the Director not agreed to the provisions of this Section 6.

 

(f)       The provisions of this Section 6 shall survive any termination of the Term, and the existence of any claim or cause of action by the Director against the Company, whether predicated on this Agreement or otherwise, shall not constitute a defense to the enforcement by the Company of the covenants and agreements of this Section 6.

 

7.       Indemnification.  The Company agrees to indemnify the Director for his activities as a member of the Board to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law and shall use its best efforts to procure and maintain Directors and Officers Insurance benefitting the Board.

 

8.       Non-Waiver of Rights.  The failure to enforce at any time the provisions of this Agreement or to require at any time performance by the other party hereto of any of the provisions hereof shall in no way be construed to be a waiver of such provisions or to affect either the validity of this Agreement or any part hereof, or the right of either party hereto to enforce each and every provision in accordance with its terms. No waiver by either party hereto of any breach by the other party hereto of any provision of this Agreement to be performed by such other party shall be deemed a waiver of similar or dissimilar provisions at that time or at any prior or subsequent time.

 

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9.       Notices.  Every notice relating to this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be given by personal delivery or by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested; to:

 

If to the Company:

 

Castellum, Inc.

Attention: General Counsel

9812 Falls Road #114-299

Potomac, MD 20854

If to the Director:

 

Either of the parties hereto may change their address for purposes of notice hereunder by giving notice in writing to such other party pursuant to this Section 9.

 

10.       Binding Effect/Assignment.  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective heirs, executors, personal representatives, estates, successors (including, without limitation, by way of merger) and assigns. Notwithstanding the provisions of the immediately preceding sentence, neither the Director nor the Company shall assign all or any portion of this Agreement without the prior written consent of the other party.

 

11.       Entire Agreement.  This Agreement supersedes all prior or contemporaneous written or oral understandings or agreements, and, except as otherwise set forth herein, may not be added to, modified, or waived, in whole or in part, except by a writing signed by the party against whom such addition, modification or waiver is sought to be asserted.

 

12.       Severability.  If any provision of this Agreement, or any application thereof to any circumstances, is invalid, in whole or in part, such provision or application shall to that extent be severable and shall not affect other provisions or applications of this Agreement.

 

13.       Governing Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Nevada, without reference to the principles of conflict of laws.

 

14.       Legal Fees.  The parties hereto agree that the non-prevailing party in any dispute, claim, action or proceeding between the parties hereto arising out of or relating to the terms and conditions of this Agreement or any provision thereof (a “Dispute”), shall reimburse the prevailing party for reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses incurred by the prevailing party in connection with such Dispute; providedhowever, that the Director shall only be required to reimburse the Company for its fees and expenses incurred in connection with a Dispute if the Director’s position in such Dispute was found by the court, arbitrator or other person or entity presiding over such Dispute to be frivolous or advanced not in good faith.

 

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15.       Modifications.  Neither this Agreement nor any provision hereof may be modified, altered, amended or waived except by an instrument in writing duly signed by both parties.

 

16.       Tense and Headings.  Whenever any words used herein are in the singular form, they shall be construed as though they were also used in the plural form in all cases where they would so apply. The headings contained herein are solely for the purposes of reference, are not part of this Agreement and shall not in any way affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement.

 

17.       Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same instrument.

 

18.        Electronic Signature.  Each party agrees that this Agreement and any other documents to be delivered in connection herewith may be electronically signed, and that any electronic signatures appearing on this Agreement, or such other documents are the same as handwritten signatures for the purposes of validity, enforceability, and admissibility.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company has caused this Director Agreement to be executed by authority of its Board of Directors, and the Director has hereunto set his hand, on the day and year first above written.

 

  CASTELLUM, INC.
   
   
  Mark C. Fuller
  Chief Executive Officer
   
  DIRECTOR
   
   

 

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Exhibit “A”

 

Additional Compensation

 

In the event the Director serves as the Independent Chair of the Board of Directors, he or she shall receive annual cash compensation of $15,000, which amount shall be paid quarterly.

 

In the event the Director is designated to participate on a committee of the Board of Directors as a chairperson, he or she shall be entitled to annual compensation, which amount shall be paid quarterly, in accordance with the following:

 
Audit Committee   $ 15,000  
         
Compensation, Culture, and People Committee   $ 10,000  
         
Nominating and Governance Committee   $ 10,000  

 

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Exhibit 10.17

 

“Portions of this exhibit have been redacted in compliance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(10)(iv) because it is both (i) not material and (ii) and the type of information that is confidential.”

 

Item 1 - LABOR HOUR SUBCONTRACT AGREEMENT (REV 01/01/2020)

IN CONSIDERATION of the promises, mutual covenants, and agreements contained herein, the parties agree as follows:

 

This Labor Hour (LH) Subcontract Agreement constitutes the entire agreement and understanding between the parties with respect to ALL documents incorporated herein and supersedes all prior representations and agreements. It shall not be varied except by an instrument in writing of subsequent date duly executed by authorized representatives of the parties.

 

Item 2 - DEFINITIONS

As used throughout this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

a.The term "Seller" shall mean the party executing this Agreement with Buyer;
b.The term "Buyer" shall mean CACI, Inc - Federal
c.The term "Government" shall mean the United States of America;
d.The term "Lower-tier Subcontractor" shall mean any person or company contracting with the Seller to perform a portion of the work called for by this Agreement;
e.The terms "Agreement" and “Subcontract” are synonymous;
f.The term "Prime Contract" shall mean the contract with the Government designated on the front page of this Agreement;
g.The term "Contracting Officer” (CO) shall mean the person executing the Prime Contract on behalf of the Government and any other officer or civilian employee of the Government who is a properly designated Contracting Officer for the Prime Contract;
h.The term "FAR" shall mean the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the term "DFARS" shall mean the Department of Defense FAR Supplement, and "FAR AGENCY SUPPLEMENT" shall mean supplements of other Federal agencies;
i.The term “Government Property” shall mean all property owned or leased by the Government. Government Property includes both “Government Furnished Property (GFP) and Contractor Acquired Property (CAP) OR Government Furnished Information (GFI);
j.The terms “Performance Work Statement” (PWS) and “Statement of Work” (SOW) are synonymous.

 

Item 3 - STATEMENT OF WORK

Seller shall, except as otherwise provided, furnish the personnel, equipment, property, and travel necessary to perform the work as set forth in the applicable referenced Statement of Work. For all work performed, Seller shall report to, and where required, seek approval from Buyer’s Technical Representative identified in the Article entitled REPRESENTATIVES AND COMMUNICATIONS.

 

Item 4 - PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

Base Year: DOA - 4/6/2021

Option Year 1(if exercised): 4/7/2021 – 4/6/2022

Option Year 2(if exercised): 4/7/2022 – 4/6/2023

Option Year 3(if exercised): 4/7/2023 – 4/6/2024

Option Year 4(if exercised): 4/7/2024 – 4/6/2025

 

Item 5 - EXERCISE OF OPTIONS

Buyer may unilaterally exercise the option(s) specified above by providing written notice to the Seller in the form of a modification to the Agreement prior to expiration. Should Buyer exercise an option(s) hereunder, all contractual terms and conditions in force shall apply during the option period(s).

 

Item 6 - PRICES AND SCHEDULE FOR SERVICES

The ceiling value, as stated below, represents the total value for the duration of this Agreement.

 

   

 

 

Period of Performance  Labor   Travel   Ceiling Value 
Base Year  $622,080.00            $622,080.00 
Option Year 1  $634,521.60        $634,521.60 
Option Year 2  $647,212.03        $647,212.03 
Option Year 3  $660,156.77        $660,156.77 
Option Year 4  $673,359.40        $673,359.40 
Total Not-To-Exceed Ceiling Value    $3,237,329.30 

 

The fully burdened labor rates shall include ALL direct, indirect, general and administrative costs, profit and any other costs as defined in accordance with FAR Part 15. Unless otherwise provided herein, the price of the services includes all applicable Federal, State, and Local taxes, customs duties, import fees of any kind, and shipping/delivery charges.

 

Seller/Off Site Work: the Seller shall furnish all typical supplies and services routinely required in the industry for the same or similar work. These supplies and services include but are not limited to, telephones, faxes, personal computers, business computer software, office furniture, supplies, and services, and normal copying and reproductions costs.

Government/Buyer/On Site Work: the Government/Buyer may furnish personal computers, faxes, telephone, business computer software, office space and associated furniture, equipment and office supplies, unless otherwise specified.

 

Seller shall be paid the fixed labor hour rates specified below for the item(s) and/or services listed in accordance with the SOW. The amounts shall be computed by multiplying the hourly rates prescribed herein by the number of direct labor hours performed. The rates shall include wages, indirect costs, general and administrative expenses, and profit.

 

Labor Category   Labor Rates Base Year   Labor Rates Option 1   Labor Rates Option 2   Labor Rates Option 3   Labor Rates Option 4
Computer Scientist, Senior                                                                                     

 

Item 7 - TOTAL FUNDING

This Agreement is incrementally funded in the amount as specified below. Reimbursement of costs will not be provided for any labor category or rate not specified in the Article entitled PRICES AND SCHEDULE FOR SUPPLIES/SERVICES. Additionally, any work performed in excess of the funded amount shall be at the Seller’s risk.

 

a)This Agreement authorizes funding in the not-to-exceed amount as stated below. The total maximum liability of the Buyer under this Agreement for all allowable charges incurred and billable by the Seller shall not exceed the authorized funding.

 

b)Seller is to promptly notify Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative identified in the Article entitled REPRESENTATIVES AND COMMUNICATION, when 75% of the funded value herein has been expended, or is expected to be expended within the next thirty (30) days.

 

c)The following clauses shall apply and are incorporated by reference:

 

  52.232-20 Limitation of Cost (applicable if fully funded)
  52.232-22 Limitation of Funds (applicable if incrementally funded)

 

Labor Category  Hours   Rate   Total 
Computer Scientist, Senior                                      $160,704.00 
Total Not-To-Exceed Authorized Funding  $160,704.00 

 

Item 8 - PAYMENT TERMS

Payment terms are net forty-five (45) days after Buyer's receipt of a proper invoice. Payment will be made to the Seller for effort expended and other allowable costs incurred for the previous monthly period. Payment shall not constitute final acceptance. Seller shall retain records in accordance with FAR 52.232-7.

 

   

 

 

Unless specifically authorized in writing by Buyer, Seller is not authorized to perform and Buyer is not obligated to reimburse Seller for work performed on an overtime, extended work week, shift premium, or uncompensated time basis.

 

The Seller agrees to indemnify and hold the Buyer harmless for any claims by the Government for fines, penalties, or request for refunds because of billing irregularities of the Seller or rate disputes with the Seller. Buyer may impose on Seller any disallowances, fines and/or penalties that are imposed on Buyer by the Government that relate to any adverse findings by the Government (indirectly or through a prime contractor or higher-tier subcontractor), or by Buyer through its own due diligence, including but not limited to any disallowances, misrepresentations and/or false certifications by Seller.

 

Buyer may require revised invoices due to shortages, late delivery, rejections, or other failure to comply with the requirements of this Agreement before payment. Any cash discounts will be taken from date of acceptance of delivered items, or date of acceptable invoice, whichever is later.

 

Item 9 - SUBMISSION OF INVOICES

 

See: SCHEDULE A: SUBMISSION OF INVOICES

 

Item 10 - TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Seller personnel may be required to travel in order to provide the services and support required under this Agreement. All Seller travel shall be pre-approved by the Buyer’s Technical Representative.

 

Travel reimbursement(s) shall be limited to rates or amounts considered reasonable, allowable and subject to the documentation requirements as defined in FAR 31.205-46. Reimbursement shall not exceed the rates and expenses allowed by Government travel regulations. In general, airfare shall be limited to the lowest standard or coach airfare available. Authorized reimbursable travel costs shall be billed at actual cost exclusive of all indirect costs with supporting documentation and receipts. Seller shall not be reimbursed for local travel, unless otherwise pre-approved by Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative.

 

Item 11 - MATERIAL COSTS

 

No material purchases are authorized under this Labor Hour Agreement. Material costs will not be reimbursed by Buyer.

 

Item 12 - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

Inspection and acceptance of all work performance, reports and other deliverables under this Agreement shall be performed at the place of performance. The Buyer reserves the right to conduct any inspection and tests it deems reasonably necessary to ensure that the services provided conform in all respects to the specifications of this Agreement. Services provided by the Seller shall be deemed accepted upon final acceptance from the Government. Services, which upon inspection are found not to be in conformance with contractual specifications, shall be promptly rejected and notice of such rejection, together with appropriate instructions will be provided to the Seller by the Buyer.

 

Inspection will generally be completed within thirty (30) calendar days after the date services have been provided. In the event services are not of a continuing nature, such that this Agreement prescribes payment based upon fixed units delivered (e.g., characters keyed), completion will be deemed to have occurred upon delivery.

 

Inspection shall be handled in accordance with the following FAR clause unless otherwise specified in the Statement of Work:

  52.246-6 Inspection Time and Material and Labor Hour

 

Payment for services performed under this Agreement is contingent upon acceptance by Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative and/or the Government which is thereby consistent with the inspection and acceptance criteria specified herein.

 

   

 

 

Item 13 - DELIVERY SCHEDULE

Time is of the essence in making deliveries under this Agreement. On time performance is a material condition of this Agreement and failure to perform according to the delivery schedule in this Agreement, if unexcused, shall be considered a material breach. Acceptance of late deliveries shall not constitute waiver of this provision. Buyer also reserves the right to refuse or return at Seller’s risk and expense shipments made in excess of this Agreement or in advance of required schedules, or to defer payment on advance deliveries until scheduled delivery dates.

 

Buyer may at any time by written notice to the Seller stop all or any part of the work called for by this Agreement. Upon receipt of such notice, the Seller shall take all reasonable steps to eliminate the incidence of cost during the period of work stoppage.

 

Seller shall notify Buyer in writing immediately of any actual or potential delay to the performance of this Agreement, within twenty-four (24) hours of discovery, giving pertinent details. Such notice shall include a proposed revised schedule but such notice and proposal or Buyer’s receipt or acceptance thereof shall not constitute a waiver to Buyer’s rights and remedies hereunder.

 

Item 14 - AUDIT/ACCESS TO RECORDS

The Buyer, prior to final payment to the Seller, may request that either Buyer, Government or a mutually agreed upon third party perform an audit of the invoices for labor, travel and material/ODCs. Payments for which amounts are found by the Buyer to be improper in accordance with the payment terms of the Agreement shall be subject to a reduction in costs. Audit will include, but is not limited to, individual daily job time cards, invoices for material, requisitions, travel expenses, and other documentation to substantiate the amounts previously invoiced. Records shall remain active for a period of three (3) years after Agreement completion and closeout. Willful failure or refusal to furnish the required reports, or falsification thereof, shall constitute sufficient cause for terminating the Agreement for default under the Article entitled TERMINATION FOR DEFAULT. Seller shall provide to Buyer a copy of any audit report that is prepared at the direction of the Government by either a Government audit agency or a third party. This requirement for provision of any audit report survives the termination of this Agreement.

 

Item 15 - REPRESENTATIVES AND COMMUNICATIONS

The following Representatives of Buyer and Seller are hereby designated for this Agreement:

 

Seller Representatives:  
   
Technical Representative Contracts Representative
Name:                  Name:                
Phone Number:_______________ Phone Number:_______________
Email Address:_______________________ Email Address:_______________________
   
Buyer Representatives:  
   
Technical Representative Subcontracts Representative
Name:_______________ Name:_______________
Phone Number:_______________ Phone Number:_______________
Email Address:________ _______ Email Address:__________________

 

Buyer's Technical Representative is responsible for day-to-day clarifications and guidance as may be required within the scope of the technical work requirements. All contractual communications, however, shall be transmitted through Buyer's designated Subcontracts Representative and the Seller's designated Contracts Representative.

 

Contact with Buyer regarding prices, terms, quantities, deliveries and financial adjustments shall be made only between Buyer's Subcontracts Representative and the Seller's Contracts Representative. Actions taken by the Seller, which by their nature affect a change to this Agreement, shall only be binding upon Buyer when such action is specifically authorized in writing by Buyer's Subcontract Representative. All written communications between Seller and Buyer shall be addressed and directed to Buyer's Subcontracts Representative/ Seller's Contracts Representative.

 

   

 

 

All commitments hereunder (subsequent to execution of this Agreement), shall be made through the respective parties' Contracts/Subcontracts Representative. No verbal or written request, notices, authorization, direction or order received by the Seller shall be binding upon Buyer, or serve as the basis for a change in the subcontract cost, fee, price, schedule or any other provision of this Agreement, unless issued (or confirmed) in writing by the Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative.

 

The Seller shall immediately notify Buyer's Subcontracts Representative whenever a verbal or written change notification has been received from an employee of Buyer (other than the Subcontracts Representative), which would affect any of the terms, conditions, cost, schedules, etc. of this Agreement. Seller is to perform no work or make any changes in response to any such notification or make any claim on Buyer, unless Buyer's Subcontracts Representative directs the Seller, in writing, to implement such change notification.

 

Buyer shall be responsible for all liaisons and communications with Buyer's customer as well as Buyer's other subcontractors for the term of this Agreement, unless it relates to subcontractor payment or utilization as required by FAR 52.219-9. Seller agrees to notify Buyer of any contact with Buyer’s customers pursuant to FAR 52.219-9. In addition, it is understood that, in order to properly perform and/or execute this Agreement, the Seller may require frequent interface with Buyer’s customer. However, no privity of contract exists between the Seller and Buyer’s customer. Seller shall not take any direction from Buyer’s customer which changes the scope of work or the terms and conditions herein, nor discuss any terms and conditions of this Agreement with Buyer’s customer unless Buyer is present and authorizes such discussions. Seller shall immediately notify Buyer’s Representatives if at any time Seller believes Buyer’s customer is effecting a change to this Agreement.

 

Breach of this article is cause for termination in accordance with the Termination for Convenience or Default articles contained within this Agreement.

 

Item 16 - PROGRESS REPORTS

If not defined in the attached Statement of Work, the Seller shall submit a monthly progress report by the fifth (5th) calendar day following the report period to include the following, as applicable: (1) A summary of the work performed during the reporting period; (2) a summary of progress achieved in the completion of work in relation to the planned schedule; (3) a brief discussion of any potential problems, their anticipated impact on task performance, and recommended problem solutions, including planned or corrective action to be taken; (4) a statement of the work planned to be performed during the next reporting period; and (5) advise the actual amounts (labor hours and costs) expended as of the beginning of the reporting period, the estimated amounts expended during the period, and the total subcontract to date expenditures. Seller shall indicate changes between previous reports, estimated amounts and actual costs incurred.

 

Item 17 - INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

The Seller shall secure, pay the premiums for and keep in force until the expiration of this Agreement, or any Task Order, including any renewal thereof, adequate insurance to specifically include liability assumed by the Seller under this Agreement.

 

The following types of insurance are required and shall be maintained by the Seller in the minimum amounts shown below for the full duration of this Agreement and any extensions thereof:

 

a)Worker’s Compensation and Employers Liability with the following minimum limits and endorsements:

Worker’s Compensation – Statutory Limits

 

Employer’s Liability

$500,000 Each Accident

$500,000 Disease – Each Employee

$500,000 Disease – Policy Limit

 

Policy shall include a Waiver of Subrogation in favor of Buyer.

Policy shall include Longshore and Harbor Workers Act endorsement, as required by law.

 

Policy shall include Jones Act endorsement for any maritime employments subject to the Act and required by law.

 

   

 

 

b)Commercial General Liability with the following minimum limits and endorsements:

 

$1,000,000   Limit Per Occurrence
$1,000,000   Personal and Advertising Injury
$1,000,000   Products/Completed Operations
$2,000,000   General Aggregate Limit
$300,000   Fire Legal Liability
$10,000   Medical Payments

 

Policy shall name Buyer as Additional Insured.

Policy shall include a Waiver of Subrogation in the favor of Buyer.

Coverage afforded under Policy shall be Primary and Non-contributory.

 

c)Automobile with the following minimum limits and endorsements:

Liability $1,000,000 Combined Single Limit for all owned, non-owned and hired vehicles.

Physical Damage for all hired vehicles.

Policy shall name Buyer as Additional Insured.

Policy shall include a Waiver of Subrogation in favor of Buyer.

Coverage afforded under Policy shall be Primary and Non-contributory.

 

d)Umbrella policy acting as excess over the General Liability, Automobile and Workers Compensation policies with the following limits and endorsements:

 

$1,000,000   Per Occurrence
$1,000,000   General Aggregate

 

Policy shall name Buyer as Additional Insured.

Policy shall include a Waiver of Subrogation in favor of Buyer.

Coverage afforded under Policy shall be Primary and Non-contributory.

 

e)For Task Orders involving work overseas in the support of an US Government Contract, Defense Base Act coverage shall apply subject to the Statutory limits and include Employers Liability at the following limits:

 

Employer’s Liability
$500,000   Each Accident
$500,000   Disease – Each Employee
$500,000   Disease – Policy Limit

 

f)For all other Task Orders involving work overseas, Foreign Voluntary Workers Compensation coverage shall apply subject to the Statutory limits and include Employers Liability at the following limits:

 

Employer’s Liability
$500,000   Each Accident
$500,000   Disease – Each Employee
$500,000   Disease – Policy Limit

 

g)For Task Orders involving Professional Services, Seller shall provide evidence of Professional Liability with a limit of at least $1,000,000. Buyer reserves the right to require higher limits depending upon the nature of work being done under this Agreement.

 

h)For Task Orders involving any hazardous work, including but not limited to, Aviation (operation, use or maintenance of any aircraft), Maritime (operation, use or maintenance of any watercraft), Hazardous Materials (storage, handling, testing for, remediation or any other use), Medical Services shall be subject to review of Buyer’s Risk Management department.

 

All coverages shall be written with an insurance company with an AM Best Rating/Financial Size Category of at least A/IX. Evidence of coverage shall be provided on a Certificate of Insurance before the start of the contract and upon each renewal for the duration of the contract. If applicable, the Certificate shall list the leased premises address for ease of reference.

 

All coverages shall provide Thirty Days Notice of Cancellation and Notice of Material Change be provided to the Buyer.

 

   

 

 

Buyer reserves the right to require a full and complete copy of any insurance policy for review prior to commencement of work under this Agreement or Task Order.

 

Item 18 - WARRANTY

All services to be provided by Seller will be in accordance with high professional standards and Seller will exert its best efforts to perform the services specified herein in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

 

In addition to any warranties set forth elsewhere in this Agreement or customarily provided by Seller with its goods and services, Seller represents and warrants: (1) that all goods and services delivered pursuant hereto will be new, unless otherwise specified, and free from defects in material and workmanship; (2) that all goods and services will conform to applicable specifications, drawings, and standards of quality and performance, and that all items will be free from defects in design and suitable for their intended purpose; (3) that the goods covered by this order are fit and safe for consumer use, if so intended. All representations and warranties of Seller together with its service warranties and guarantees, if any, shall run to Buyer and Buyer's customers. The foregoing warranties shall survive any delivery, inspection, acceptance, or payment by Buyer. Any additional and specific warranty requirements shall be covered by the Statement of Work.

 

ANY INFORMATION, MATERIALS, OR SERVICES FURNISHED BY BUYER PURSUANT TO THIS AGREEMENT ARE ON AN “AS IS” BASIS. OTHER THAN WARRANTIES EXPRESSLY PROVIDED IN ITS STANDARD EQUIPMENT AND/OR LICENSED PROGRAM AGREEMENTS WHICH MAY BE ENTERED INTO AS A RESULT OF THIS AGREEMENT, BUYER MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AS TO THE DOCUMENTATION, FUNCTION, OR PERFORMANCE OF SUCH INFORMATION, MATERIALS, OR SERVICES.

 

Item 19 - INDEMNIFICATION

a)Seller shall indemnify, defend and hold Buyer and its customers harmless from and against any and all damages, losses, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to any claims, causes of action, lawsuits or other proceedings, regardless of legal theory, that result, in whole or in part, from Seller’s (including its subcontractors, employees, agents, suppliers or representatives): (1) intentional misconduct, negligence, or fraud, or (2) breach of any representation, warranty or covenant made herein.

 

b)Buyer shall promptly notify Seller of any claim against Buyer that is covered by this indemnification provision and shall authorize Seller to settle or defend any such claim or suit and to represent both parties in, or to take charge of, any litigation in connection therewith.

 

c)In lieu of any warranty by Buyer or Seller against infringement, statutory or otherwise, it is agreed that Seller shall indemnify, defend at its own expense, and save harmless the Buyer, its officers, employees, agents, representatives, or any of its customers from and against any and all claims that any item furnished under this Agreement or the normal use or sale thereof infringes any U.S. Letters patent, copyright, trade secrets or trademarks, and shall pay all costs and damages related to any such claim or suit, provided that Seller is notified promptly in writing of the suit and given authority, information, and assistance at Seller's expense for the defense of same. If the use or sale of said item is enjoined as a result of such suit, Seller, at no expense to Buyer, at Buyer’s sole option, shall obtain for Buyer and its customers the right to use and sell said item or shall substitute an equivalent item acceptable to Buyer and extend this indemnity thereto.

 

The following indemnification terms and conditions shall apply whenever Seller is required to travel to a Hazard/Danger Zone as identified by the U.S. Department of State website at http://www.state.gov. Acceptance of the following terms and conditions, without exception of any kind, is required prior to Seller travel.

 

Buyer assumes no responsibility for the security or safety of Seller’s employees or agents under this Agreement. Seller (and anyone claiming through Seller) hereby agrees to waive any and all claims against Buyer arising from the death or injury of Seller’s employees or agents or damage to the property of Seller and its employees or agents during the performance of services under this Agreement. Seller agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Buyer, its officers, employees, agents, representatives, or any of its customers from and against any and all claims and liability, loss, expenses, suits, damages, judgments, demands, and costs (including reasonable legal and professional fees and expenses) arising out of the death or injury of Seller’s employees or agents or damage to the property of the employees or agents of Seller. The preceding indemnification shall in no way diminish Seller’s obligations under paragraph a) above.

 

   

 

 

Item 20 - RISK OF LOSS

Seller assumes the following risks: (1) all risks of loss or damage to all goods, services, work in process and materials until the acceptance thereof as herein provided, notwithstanding Buyer’s physical possession of the deliverables; (2) all risks of loss or damage to the property of third parties which relate to Seller’s performance under this Agreement until the acceptance of all the goods and/or services has occurred; (3) all risks of loss or damage to any property received by Seller from or held by Seller or its supplier for the account of Buyer, until such property has been accepted by Buyer or its customer, as the case may be; (4) all risks of loss or damage to any of the goods or part thereof rejected by Buyer, from the time of shipment thereof to Seller until redelivery thereof to Buyer; (5) disallowance of any costs; and (6) any fines or penalties that arise out of any claims submitted by Buyer on behalf of Seller, or that arise out of any action or inaction by Seller.

 

Item 21 - GOVERNMENT PROPERTY OR BUYER FURNISHED PROPERTY

The Statement of Work (which has been incorporated as an attachment to this Agreement) may identify Government Property or Buyer Furnished Property to be provided under this Agreement. In such instance, Buyer will furnish the item(s) of property as Government or Buyer Furnished Property to the Seller, F.O.B. Destination, for use in performance of this Agreement. Seller shall comply with the Government Property requirements at FAR 52.245-1, 52.245-2, and 52.245-9, as applicable, in all circumstances where property is furnished to the Seller.

 

The Seller has a continuing obligation to report to Buyer, any Contractor Acquired Property (CAP) purchased or Government Furnished Property received by Seller or its subcontractors during the period of performance of this subcontract, and to comply with the Government Property requirements set forth in this Subcontract and pursuant to FAR 52.245-1, 52.245-2 and DFAR Part 245, as applicable. Seller shall make no charge for any storage, maintenance or retention of such items. Sixty (60) days prior to the end of the period of performance for this Agreement, or upon termination of the subcontract, the Seller shall furnish to the Buyer a complete inventory of all Government Property in its possession that has not been tested to destruction, completely expended in performance, or incorporated and made a part of a deliverable end item. The Buyer will furnish disposition instructions on all listed property that was furnished or purchased under this Agreement.

 

In addition to the above requirements, if the Seller does not have an Adequate Government Property System, the Seller is required to perform and complete an annual physical inventory, utilizing the Subcontractor Government Property Inventory Report Template. The report must be returned to the Buyer’s Corporate Property Administrator no later than July 1st of each year of this subcontract to governmentpropertyinbox@caci.com.

 

If the Seller does have an Adequate Government Property System, the Seller is required to provide a copy of their latest inventory utilizing the inventory format as indicated in the Seller’s Policies and Procedures. The Seller’s inventory must be returned to the Buyer’s Corporate Property Administer no later than July 1st of each year of this subcontract

to governmentpropertyinbox@caci.com.

 

Seller certifies that it will not accept any Government Furnished Property or Equipment (GFP) under this Agreement unless it is issued directly by Buyer to Seller, or unless Seller receives prior written consent from the Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative to accept GFP directly from the Government. Such consent will typically be granted by Buyer via a modification listing the GFP to be issued to Seller. Any attempts by the Government to deliver GFP directly to the Seller, without prior authorization by Buyer, will be reported by the Seller’s Contracts Representative to Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative.

 

Item 22 - VISITS TO SELLER'S LOCATION

Authorized representatives of the Buyer and the Government shall have the right to visit the Seller's location at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice during the performance of this Agreement for the purpose of making any necessary inspections or obtaining any required information on the contemplated services and supplies. Such visits shall be coordinated with Seller's personnel to minimize interference with normal Seller operations and shall only permit Buyer access to non-proprietary records, data, and facilities used in the performance of the contemplated services.

 

   

 

 

Item 23 - PUBLICITY/CONFIDENTIAL RELATIONSHIP

 

Seller shall not publish, distribute, or use any information developed under or about the existence of this Agreement, or use Buyer’s name (or the name of any division, affiliate or subsidiary thereof), logo, trademark, service mark, or trade dress for the purpose of advertising, making a news release, creating a business reference, creating a website content or for goods or service endorsement without prior written approval of Buyer.

 

Seller shall use information supplied by the Buyer only to accomplish work covered by this Agreement. Such information shall not be used for any other purposes. Upon completion or termination of this Agreement, all information is to be returned to the Buyer or destroyed upon written request of the Buyer.

 

Buyer authorizes Seller to release to the Government routine past performance information (PPI) regarding Seller’s work performed on this Agreement for purposes of responding to proposals for new work. PPI will not require approval from Buyer for its release.

 

Item 24 - TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE

 

Buyer may terminate the Agreement in whole or in part if it is determined that a termination is in the Buyer’s and/or the Government’s best interests or if the Government exercises its termination for convenience rights under the Prime Contract as defined in FAR 52.249-6. Buyer may terminate this Agreement by issuing a written notice of termination to the Seller. The written notice will include the termination effective date, justification and actions to be taken by the Seller.

 

In the event that Buyer terminates this Agreement pursuant to Government direction, Seller’s recovery of termination costs shall be limited to the extent that the Buyer is able to recover such costs from the Government.

 

Buyer may terminate this Agreement for convenience, in whole or in part, by written notice to Seller if Seller shall become insolvent or make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors; or, a petition under any bankruptcy act or similar statute is filed by or against the Seller and not vacated within ten (10) days after it is filed.

 

Item 25 - TERMINATION FOR DEFAULT

a)Buyer may, by written notice of default to the Seller, terminate this Agreement in whole or in part at any time if the Seller fails to: (1) Deliver the supplies or perform the services within the time specified in this Agreement, or any extension; (2) make progress, so as to endanger performance of the Agreement; or (3) perform any of the other provisions of this Agreement.

 

Buyer's right to terminate this Agreement under subdivisions (2) and (3) above may be exercised if the Seller does not cure such failure within seven (7) calendar days (or more if authorized in writing by Buyer) after receipt of notice from Buyer specifying the failure.

 

b)If Buyer terminates this Agreement in whole or in part, it may acquire, under the terms and in the manner Buyer considers appropriate, supplies or services equivalent to those terminated and the Seller shall be liable to Buyer for any excess costs for those supplies or services. However, unless otherwise instructed by Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative, the Seller shall continue any work not terminated.

 

c)Except for defaults of lower-tier subcontractors, the Seller shall not be liable for any excess costs if the failure to perform under this Agreement arises from causes beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the Seller. Examples of such causes include: (1) acts of God or of the public enemy, (2) acts of the Government in either its sovereign or contractual capacity, (3) fires, (4) floods, (5) epidemics, (6) quarantine restrictions, (7) strikes, (8) freight embargoes, and (9) unusually severe weather. In each instance the failure to perform must be beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the Seller.

 

d)If the failure to perform is caused by the default of a lower-tier subcontractor, and if the cause of the default is beyond the control of both the Seller and lower-tier subcontractor, and without the fault or negligence of either, the Seller shall not be liable for any excess costs for failure to perform, unless the subcontracted supplies or services were obtainable from other sources in sufficient time for the Seller to meet the required delivery schedule.

 

e)If this Agreement is terminated for default, Buyer may require the Seller to transfer title and deliver to Buyer, as directed by Buyer, any (1) completed supplies, and (2) partially completed supplies and materials, parts, tools, dies, jigs, fixtures, plans, drawings, information, and contract rights (collectively referred to as "manufacturing materials" in this Article) that the Seller has specifically produced or acquired from the terminated portion of this Agreement. Upon direction of Buyer, the Seller shall also protect and preserve property in its possession in which Buyer has an interest.

 

   

 

 

f)Buyer shall pay the Agreement price(s) for completed supplies delivered and accepted. The Seller and Buyer shall agree on the amount of payment for manufacturing materials delivered and accepted and for the protection and preservation of property. Failure to agree will be considered a dispute under the Disputes Article. Buyer may withhold from these amounts any sum Buyer determines to be necessary to protect Buyer against loss because of outstanding liens or claims of former lien holders.

 

g)If, after termination, it is determined that the Seller was not in default, or that the default was excusable, the rights and obligations of the parties shall be the same as if the termination had been issued for convenience.

 

h)The rights and remedies of Buyer in this Article are in addition to any other rights and remedies provided by law or under this Agreement.

 

Item 26 - CHANGES

Whether made pursuant to this provision or by mutual agreement, changes shall not be binding upon buyer until agreed to in writing by buyer's subcontracts representative. The issuance of information, advice, approvals, or instructions by buyer's technical personnel or other representatives shall be deemed expressions or personal opinions only and shall not affect buyer's and seller's rights and obligations hereunder unless the same is in writing, is signed by buyer's subcontracts representative, and which expressly states that it constitutes an amendment or change to this agreement. Seller shall, at the request of buyer, accept amendments to this agreement to incorporate additional articles and provisions herein or to change articles and provisions hereof, as buyer may reasonably deem necessary in order to comply with the clauses and provisions of the applicable prime contract or with the clauses and provisions of amendments to such prime contract.

 

In addition, any changes to the general scope of this Agreement shall be in accordance with FAR 52.243-3 Changes – Time & Material/LH, except that: a) as used in this clause Contractor shall be defined as Seller and Contracting Officer shall be defined as Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative; and b) Seller shall assert its right to an adjustment under this clause within TWENTY (20) days from the date of receipt of the written order. Failure to agree to any adjustment will be a dispute under the Disputes clause of this Agreement, provided, however, that nothing in this clause excuses the Seller from proceeding with the work as changed without interruption and without awaiting settlement of any such dispute.

 

Item 27 - LOWER TIER SUBCONTRACTING

The Seller is prohibited from lower-tier subcontracting without the prior written approval of the Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative.

 

If an approved lower tier supplier will be utilized in support of this agreement and a Small Business Subcontracting Plan is required under FAR 52.219-9, the Seller shall submit Individual Subcontract Reports (ISRs) semi-annually using the Government web-based Electronic Subcontract Reporting System (eSRS) at http://www.esrs.gov. The ISRs reports are required to be submitted by no later than April 30th and October 31st for the duration of this Agreement. When submitting your ISR reports, please enter the following e-mail address in Block 15, under the Subcontract Awards section: sblo@caci.com.

 

Item 28 - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Seller understands and agrees that each of FAR 52.227-1, 52.227-2, 52.227-11, 52.227-14, 52.227-15 and 52.227-16 (along with DFARS 252.227-7013, 252.227-7014 and 252.227-7015 if Buyer’s Prime Contract is with the DOD) and other Intellectual Property related clauses specified within an attachment to this Agreement are incorporated herein as though fully set forth and shall take precedence over other terms in this Agreement.

 

a)Preexisting Inventions and Patents. Seller grants to Buyer, and to Buyer’s subcontractors, suppliers, and customers in connection with goods or work being performed by Buyer, an irrevocable, nonexclusive, paid-up, worldwide license under any inventions, patents, industrial designs, and mask works (whether domestic or foreign) owned or controlled by Seller at any time before or during the term of this Agreement, but only to the extent that such would otherwise interfere with Buyer’s or Buyer’s subcontractors’, suppliers’, or customers’ use or enjoyment of goods or the work product or foreground inventions belonging to Buyer under this Agreement.
b)Inventions and Patents. To the maximum extent permitted by law, all inventions conceived, developed, or first reduced to practice by, for, or with Seller in the course of any work that is performed under this Agreement and any patents resulting from such inventions (both domestic and foreign) shall be the property of Buyer. Seller will (1) promptly disclose all such inventions to Buyer in written detail and (2) execute all papers, cooperate with Buyer, and perform all acts necessary and appropriate in connection with the filing, prosecution, maintenance, or assignment of related patents or patent applications on behalf of Buyer.

 

   

 

 

c)Preexisting Works of Authorship and Copyright. Unless superseded by an attached Seller Software License Agreement agreed to in writing by both Buyer and Seller, Seller grants to Buyer, and to Buyer’s subcontractors, suppliers, and customers in connection with goods or work being performed by Buyer, a perpetual, irrevocable, nonexclusive, paid-up, worldwide license in Seller’s copyrights to reproduce, distribute copies of, perform publicly, display publicly, and make derivative works from software included in or provided with or for goods (software) and related information and materials (software documentation) and that is owned or controlled by Seller at any time before or during the term of this Agreement, but only to the extent that such copyrights would otherwise interfere with Buyer’s or Buyer’s subcontractors’, suppliers’, or customers’ use or enjoyment of goods or the work products, inventions, or works of authorship belonging to Buyer and resulting from this Agreement.
d)Works of Authorship and Copyrights. All works of authorship (including, but not limited to, documents, data, drawings, software, software documentation, photographs, video tapes, sound recordings, and images) created by, for, or with Seller in the course of any work performed under this Agreement, together with all copyrights subsisting therein, shall be the sole proprietary property of Buyer. To the extent permitted under United States copyright law, all such works will be works made for hire, with the copyrights therein vesting in Buyer. The copyrights in all other such works, including all of the exclusive rights therein, will be promptly transferred and formally assigned free of any additional charges to Buyer.

 

Item 29 - PROPRIETARY INFORMATION AND DATA OF BUYER/SELLER

In order for proprietary information to be protected as such in accordance with the Agreement, it must be:

a.In writing;
b.Clearly identified as proprietary information on each page thereof and marked with the following legend: "Proprietary Information of (furnishing party)" or equivalent; and
c.Delivered to the individual designated as provided herein.

 

Each party agrees not to disclose such proprietary information to unauthorized parties. Neither party shall be liable; however, for the inadvertent or accidental disclosure of such information, marked as proprietary information as provided above, if such disclosure occurs despite the exercise of the same degree of care as such party normally takes to preserve and safeguard its own proprietary information. The receiving party shall not use proprietary information of the other for any purpose other than as is required for the performance of this Agreement. The receiving party assumes no responsibility for release of proprietary information by the U.S. Government to the general public pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, as amended, or any other similar statute or regulation.

 

The parties designated in the Article entitled REPRESENTATIVES AND COMMUNICATION, are the only persons authorized to receive proprietary information exchanged between the parties pursuant to this Agreement.

 

The obligation of the parties with respect to handling and using proprietary information is not applicable to the following information:

a.is in the public domain without any breach of this Agreement by the Receiving Party;
b.is generally known by others in the industry on a non-confidential basis, through no wrongful act of the Receiving Party;
c.is lawfully furnished by a third party, which is not required to maintain its confidentiality; was or becomes known to the Receiving Party prior to disclosure without any obligation to keep it confidential;
d.is independently developed by the Receiving Party without reference to or use of Proprietary Information of the other Party;
e.is or has been furnished by the disclosing party to the Government with "unlimited rights";
f.is or becomes available to a party by inspection or analysis of products offered for sale or,
g.is the subject of a written agreement whereby the Disclosing Party consents to disclosure.

 

The obligations of the parties under this provision shall terminate five (5) years from the date of expiration of this Agreement and shall survive the expiration and termination of portions of this Agreement.

 

Except as required in the performance of this Agreement, neither this Agreement nor the furnishing of any information hereunder by Buyer shall grant the Seller, by implication or otherwise, any license under any invention, patent, trademark or copyright.

 

If no such proprietary information or data is identified, it will be assumed that all deliverable information and data is furnished with unlimited rights.

 

Proprietary Data of Third Parties: In the event the Seller requests access to the proprietary data of third parties, in order to conduct studies and research under the Agreement, it will enter into Non-Disclosure Agreements with the supplying parties to protect such data from unauthorized use or disclosure so long as such data remains proprietary. These Non-Disclosure Agreements shall be made available to the Government upon request of the Contracting Officer.

 

   

 

 

Proprietary Data Furnished by the Government: In the event the Seller is given access by the Government to proprietary data of the Government or proprietary data of third parties in the possession of the Government, the Seller hereby agrees to protect such data from unauthorized use or disclosure as long as such data remains proprietary.

 

Item 30 - ASSIGNMENT

Seller shall not assign or in any manner transfer its interests, or any part thereof, in this Agreement without the prior written consent of Buyer. Any such purported assignment, delegation, or subcontracting by Seller without such consent shall be void. Buyer may assign this Agreement to (i) any affiliated company, (ii) any successor in interest, or (iii) Buyers customer.

 

Seller shall promptly notify Buyer in writing of any Seller name or ownership changes, or mergers or acquisitions. Seller shall not change the place of performance under this Agreement without prior written consent of Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative.

 

Changes in the Seller’s relationships due to mergers, consolidations or any unanticipated circumstances may create an organizational conflict of interest which may necessitate such disclosure in accordance with the Conflict of Interest Article of this Agreement.

 

Item 31 - COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS

The Seller agrees to comply with and warrants that the goods to be furnished and the services to be rendered under this Agreement shall be manufactured, sold, used and rendered in compliance with, all applicable Federal, State, and Local laws, regulations, rules, and orders including, but not limited to: (i) Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act; (ii) the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; (iii) state equal employment opportunities laws; (iv) the Occupational Safety and Health Act and state safety laws; (v) the Fair Labor Standards Act, regulations thereunder, and state wage-hour laws; (vi) the Service Contract Act; (vii) federal and state affirmative action requirements (including any applicable Executive Orders); (viii) federal and state tax laws, and with the regulations and standards issued pursuant thereto; (ix) the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78 et seq. (the “FCPA”), and other anti-corruption requirements, including but not limited to the UK Bribery Act 2010, the anti-corruption laws, regulations, and policies of the home country of any supplier to this Agreement, the United States of America, and/or the anti-corruption laws, regulations, and policies of any other country with jurisdiction over the activities performed pursuant to this Agreement; (x) the Anti-Kickback Act of 1986; (xi) U.S. Department of Transportation regulations on hazardous materials; and (xii) FAR 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons.

 

Seller, in all matters relating to this Agreement, shall be acting as an independent contractor. Neither Seller nor any person furnishing materials or performing work or services required by this Agreement on behalf of Seller shall be employees of the Buyer within the meaning of, or the application of, any Federal or State Unemployment Insurance Law, Social Security Law, Workman’s Compensation Law, Industrial Accident Law, or other Industrial or Labor Law. Seller, at its own expense, shall comply with such laws, and assume all obligations imposed by any one or more of such laws with respect to this Agreement.

 

Seller acknowledges and agrees that failure to comply with Federal, State, and Local laws is a material breach of this contract. Accordingly, Seller agrees that, should employee(s) of Seller or any of its lower tier subcontractors, the U.S. Department of Labor, the Internal Revenue Service, or any other Federal, State, or Local agency seek to collect from Buyer any back wages, back taxes, penalties, interest, or any other damages resulting from Seller’s violation of a Federal, State or Local law, Buyer may withhold contract payments due to Seller in an amount equal to the demanded back wages, back taxes, penalties, interest, or any other damages sought by employee(s) of Seller or any of its lower tier subcontractors, Federal, State, or Local agency. Such moneys will be held in an escrow account until a final determination regarding amounts due is made by a court or the Federal, State, or Local agency.

 

Item 32 - REMEDIES AND NON-WAIVER

Except as otherwise provided herein, the rights and remedies of both Parties hereunder shall be in addition to their rights and remedies at law or in equity. The failure of either party to insist upon strict performance of any of the terms and conditions in the Agreement, or to exercise any rights or remedies, shall not be construed as a waiver of its rights to assert any of the same or to rely on any such terms or conditions at any time thereafter. The invalidity in whole or in part of any term or condition of this Agreement shall not affect the validity of other parts hereof. Buyer shall be entitled at all times to set off any amount owing at any time from Seller to Buyer, against any amount payable at any time by Buyer to Seller.

 

   

 

 

Item 33 - LITIGATION AND CLAIMS

In the event of any dispute or claim arising under the Prime Contract, or this Agreement implicating the Seller’s performance or involving any matter arising therefrom, the Seller at its own cost shall cooperate in good faith, on a reasonable basis with the Buyer in connection with any such dispute or claim, including, without limitation, the conduct or defense of any litigation, arbitration or other dispute resolution procedure associated therewith. This duty of cooperation shall include, without limitation, making witnesses, documents and information available during discovery and/or litigation. In the event of the occurrence of either of the above, the Seller shall immediately furnish to Buyer copies of all pertinent papers and documents received by the Seller with respect to such action or claim.

 

Item 34 - DISPUTES

Disputes under this Agreement shall be referred to each party’s designated executive management for resolution within thirty (30) calendar days before either party may commence formal proceedings. When seeking to resolve a dispute, the parties’ designated executive management shall consider the impact of the disputed matter, the effect of the dispute and Buyer’s success as the Prime Contractor, the cost to both parties of resolving the dispute and the practical effects on the business of each party resulting from the resolution or failure to resolve any such dispute.

 

In the event the designated executives are unable to resolve a dispute within thirty (30) calendar days of written notification or longer, if extended by the mutual agreement of both parties, either party may then submit the matter for formal proceedings as indicated below.

 

Any dispute (other than one concerning the allocability of costs by the U.S. Government) under this Agreement shall be litigated in the Federal courts of the United States or the Courts of the Commonwealth of Virginia and each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such suit, action, or proceeding. The parties (a) irrevocably and unconditionally waive any objection to venue of any suit, action, or proceeding in such courts; (b) irrevocably waive and agree not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit, action, or proceeding brought in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum, and (c) irrevocably and unconditionally waive to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any right it may have to a trial by jury in any legal action, proceeding, cause of action or counterclaim arising out of or relating to this Agreement.

 

Irrespective of the place of performance and/or delivery of goods, this Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

 

Pending resolution or settlement of any dispute arising under this Agreement, Seller will proceed diligently as directed by Buyer with the performance of this Agreement.

 

The rights and obligations set forth in this Article shall survive completion and final payment under this Agreement.

 

Item 35 - SUBCONTRACT CLOSEOUT PROCEDURES

Seller shall submit the Closeout Package, which can be found as an attachment to this Agreement, within thirty (30) days after the end of the period of performance, or the Termination for Convenience of this Agreement. The Closeout Package shall include, as applicable, Subcontractor Release of Claims; Subcontractor's Assignment of Refunds, Rebates, Credits, and Other Amounts; Subcontract Patents Report; Government Property Inventory Report; and any other documentation or request for information considered necessary by Buyer to closeout this Agreement. Seller shall submit a FINAL invoice bearing the statement, “FINAL INVOICE.” Buyer may unilaterally close-out this Agreement if the Seller fails to submit the close-out documentation within the specified time period.

 

Item 36 - EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

 

Seller shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability.

 

   

 

 

Item 37 - SELLER PERSONNEL

Seller shall provide a sufficient number of personnel possessing the skills, knowledge, ability and training to satisfactorily perform the services required by this Agreement and the SOW. Seller personnel shall meet the minimum education and/or experience requirements for each specific service area as stated in the SOW and any position description qualifications identified as an attachment to this Agreement.

 

During the course of the effort, positions that must be backfilled will be accomplished as follows:

a)In the event an incumbent employee of the Seller is to be replaced, the Seller shall provide written notification to Buyer no later than fourteen (14) calendar days before the incumbent employee’s last scheduled workday.
b)In the case of resignation, termination, or other unexpected departure of incumbent Seller personnel, Seller shall provide written notification to Buyer’s Technical and Subcontracts Representatives within 48 hours of knowledge of the resignation, termination or other unexpected departure.
c)Seller will have the first opportunity to replace its personnel with a suitable replacement. Suitability includes personnel with at least substantially equal technical capabilities as was originally proposed for the individual, qualifications, security clearance requirements, cost, timeliness of availability, and acceptance by Buyer and the Government.
d)In the event that the performance of assigned Seller personnel or any substitute(s) is determined by Buyer and/or Government to be unsatisfactory at any time during the life of this Agreement, Buyer reserves the right to request and receive satisfactory personnel replacement within fourteen (14) calendar days of written notification to the Seller by Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative. Replacement personnel must have equal technical capabilities as was originally proposed for the individual, qualifications, security clearance requirements, cost, timeliness of availability, and acceptance by Buyer and the Government. Resumes shall be submitted to Buyer’s Technical Representative for approval.

 

The above procedures may be superseded by contract critical support requirements or other terms of the Prime Contract, such as meeting socioeconomic goals required to be achieved by the Buyer.

 

In order to meet Prime Contract requirements, Buyer reserves the right to fill any positions that remain open longer than fourteen (14) calendar days. Seller will have the first opportunity to replace its personnel with a suitable replacement between resignation and the fourteen day limit. Seller will coordinate with Buyer’s Technical Representative for consideration when an issue arises that will prevent Seller from meeting the requirement that is of no fault of theirs; i.e., Delays in the selection process by the Government.

 

If any of the Seller’s personnel are designated as key personnel in the Agreement, the terms and conditions that provide for key personnel will take precedence over this Article.

 

Item 38 - KEY PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

The Seller’s key technical, management and administrative personnel listed below are considered to be essential to the work performed under this Agreement:

 

Labor Category   Named Individual
     
     

 

Seller agrees that such personnel shall not be removed or replaced, or a reduction made to their commitment without first meeting the requirements of this Article and only after an approved transition strategy has been agreed to with Buyer’s Technical Representative.

 

All requests for approval of substitution hereunder must be in writing and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution(s). Requests must contain a complete resume for the proposed substitute, and any other information reasonably requested by Buyer.

 

It is essential that the key personnel specified in the Seller’s proposal for this order be available on the effective date of this Agreement. If these personnel are not made available at that time, Buyer reserves the right to Terminate for Default in whole or in part.

 

   

 

 

Item 39 - NON-SOLICITATION OF PERSONNEL

Seller shall not directly or indirectly solicit, endeavor to hire, hire, consult, or otherwise contract with any employee(s) of the Buyer who are associated with the efforts and performance of this Agreement hereunder (and any extensions or modifications) for the duration of the Agreement AND for a period of one (1) year after the conclusion thereof. In the event this Article is breached, Buyer shall have the right to seek an injunction or any other remedy available by law. Any legal expenses involved with the enforcement of this provision shall be paid by the Seller to the Buyer. Direct solicitation does not include advertisements published in the general media, except to the extent that an individual was specifically encouraged to respond to such advertisements. Nothing in this Article restricts an individual employee’s right to seek employment with Seller to perform work unrelated to this Agreement hereunder (and any extensions or modifications thereto).

 

Item 40 - SERVICE CONTRACT LABOR STANDARDS RESPONSIBILITY

If this Agreement is subject to the Service Contract Labor Standards, the Seller agrees to abide by the terms and conditions of the Service Contract Labor Standards, including the applicable Department of Labor Wage Determination(s) if included as an attachment hereto. It is hereby agreed that the Buyer shall not be liable to Seller for any additional sums for which Seller becomes liable to its employee(s) which is a result of a failure by Seller to properly conform its employees to the labor classifications stated in the Wage Determinations.

 

The Service Contract Labor Standards Directory of Occupations and Wage Determinations can be found on the Internet at http://www.wdol.gov/index.html.

 

Item 41 - EMPLOYMENT OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL RESTRICTED

In performing this Agreement, the Seller shall not use as a consultant or employ (on either a full-time or part-time basis), any active duty Federal Government personnel (civilian or military) without the prior written approval of Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative and the Buyer’s Government Contracting Officer. Such approval may be given only in those circumstances where it is clear that no laws or Federal Government instructions, regulations, or policies might be contravened and no conflict or appearance of a conflict of interest will result.

 

Item 42 - FOREIGN SOURCES

In the event that the Seller anticipates soliciting foreign source(s) for any work under this Agreement which may require access to any equipment/technical data which is controlled by either the Arms Export Control Act or the Export Administration Act of 1979 (as amended), the Seller shall notify Buyer's Subcontracts Representative no less than fifteen (15) business days before either applying for an export license under ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulation), 22 CFR 121-128, or before solicitation of the foreign source(s), whichever shall occur first. This notification shall include a detailed description of the data/equipment to be exported and a copy of the application for an export license, if such application has been made. This notification to Buyer shall not be construed as an application for an export license, nor shall it in any way be interpreted to impede the Seller's right to apply for an export license. However, if the Government agency to whom Seller submits such application disapproves the Seller's application, the Seller will so notify the Buyer.

 

Item 43 - FOREIGN NATIONALS

For purposes of this Article, foreign nationals are all persons not citizens of, or immigrant aliens to, the United States. Nothing in this Article is intended to waive or modify any statutory requirement or any requirement imposed by any other U.S. Government agency with respect to employment of foreign nationals or export control. The Seller acknowledges that equipment/technical data generated or delivered in performance of this Agreement may be controlled by the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) 22 CFR 121-128, and may require an export license before assigning any foreign national to perform work under this Agreement or before granting access to foreign nationals to any equipment/technical data generated or delivered in performance of this Agreement (See 22 CFR 125.03 in this regard). The Seller agrees to request approval from Buyer's Subcontracts Representative, and obtain approval in writing, prior to assigning or granting access to a foreign national to any work, equipment or technical data generated or delivered in performance of this Agreement, which is controlled by either the Arms Export Control Act or the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended. This notification will include the name and country of origin of the foreign national, the specific work, equipment or data to which the person will have access, and whether the foreign national is cleared to have access to technical data (Reference: Section 3 of DOD 5220.22-M, "Industrial Security Manual for Safeguarding Classified Information").

 

   

 

 

The Seller also agrees that, in addition to the procedures established by ITAR, the following legend shall be placed on all technical data generated or delivered in performance of this Agreement which is controlled by either the Arms Export Control Act or the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended:

 

WARNING

This document contains technical data whose export is restricted by the Arms Export Control Act (Title 22, U.S.C., Sec 2751, et seq.) or the Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended, Title 50, U.S.C., App. 2401, et seq. Violations of these export laws are subject to severe criminal penalties. Disseminate in accordance with the provisions of AFR 80-34.

 

The above requirements shall not be construed as an application for an export license nor shall they in any way be interpreted to impede the Seller's right to apply for an export license. However, if the Government agency to whom Seller submits such application disapproves the Seller's application, the Seller will so notify the Buyer.

 

Item 44 - CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The Seller warrants that, to the best of the Seller's knowledge and belief, there are no relevant facts or circumstances which could give rise to an organizational conflict of interest (OCI) as defined in FAR 9.5, Organizational and Consultant Conflicts of Interest, and that the Seller has disclosed all such relevant information.

 

The Seller agrees that if an actual or potential OCI is discovered after award, the Seller shall make a full disclosure in writing to the Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative. This disclosure shall include a description of actions which the Seller has taken or proposes to take, after consultation with the Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative, to avoid, mitigate, or neutralize the actual or potential conflict.

 

The Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative, at its sole discretion, may terminate this Agreement for convenience, in whole or in part, if it deems such termination necessary to avoid an OCI. If the Seller was aware of a potential OCI prior to award, or discovered an actual or potential conflict after award, and did not disclose or misrepresented relevant information to the Buyer’s Subcontracts Representative, the Buyer may terminate the Agreement for default, or pursue such other remedies as may be permitted by law, regulation (including the FAR and its supplements) or this Agreement.

 

The Seller shall include this provision, including this paragraph, in subcontracts of any tier which involve access to information covered by this provision.

 

Item 45 - PERSONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Seller agrees and certifies that it shall not provide either its own personnel or subcontract personnel (“personnel”), for performance under this Agreement that have a personal conflict of interest. “Personal Conflict of Interest” is defined as a situation in which personnel has a financial interest, personal activity, or relationship that could impair the personnel’s ability to act impartially and in the best interest of the Buyer or the Government when performing under the Prime Contract and this Agreement.

 

Personal conflicts of interest may arise, but not necessarily be limited to, performance under this Agreement involving acquisition functions closely associated with inherently governmental functions. The Seller is responsible for ensuring that (1) personnel are not placed for work under this Agreement that have a personal conflict of interest (2) personnel who are working under this Agreement in which a personal conflict of interest is discovered report such instance to the Buyer and (3) comply with the requirements of FAR 52.203-16.

 

Failure to comply with this requirement may result, at Buyer’s sole discretion, in the Seller being terminated in accordance with the Termination Articles of this Agreement.

 

   

 

 

Item 46 - ANTI-CORRUPTION AND ANTI-KICKBACK REGULATIONS

Seller acknowledges that its actions may subject it and Buyer to liability under the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 78 et seq. (the “FCPA”), the UK Bribery Act 2010, the anti-corruption laws, regulations, and policies of the home country of any supplier to this Agreement, the United States of America, and/or the anti-corruption laws, regulations, and policies of any other country with jurisdiction over the activities performed pursuant to this Agreement (together and individually hereinafter referred to as the “Anti-Corruption Requirements”). Seller represents and warrants to, and covenants and agrees with, Buyer that:

 

1.Seller is familiar with the prohibitions under the Anti-Corruption Requirements.

 

2.No compensation payable hereunder has been used, nor will be used, for any activity or purpose where a reasonable belief exists that the Anti-Corruption Requirements would be violated or that Seller or Buyer would be exposed to liability under the Anti-Corruption Requirements.

 

3.In connection with its performance of this Agreement, Seller has not, and has not either agreed to or directly or indirectly, offered, paid, given, promised to pay or give, or authorized the payment or giving of any money, gift, loan, fee, reward, advantage or anything of value, and will not either agree to or directly or indirectly, offer, pay, give, promise to pay or give, or authorize the payment or giving of any money, gift, loan, fee, reward, advantage, or anything of value to:

 

a.(A) any officer or employee of a foreign government or any department or agency thereof, whether at the national, regional, or local level, (B) any officer or employee of any entity, enterprise or organization that is owned or controlled by a foreign government or any department or agency thereof; (C) any officer or employee of a public international organization, (D) any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any such government or department, agency, entity, enterprise, or organization, or (E) any member of a political party or candidate for public office in a foreign country (together and individually hereinafter referred to as “Government Official”);

 

b.Any customer, or any officer, director, employee of a customer, or any shareholder or beneficial owner of shares in a customer or any affiliate of a customer or any person who has or exercises control over the customer or any affiliate of the customer (together and individually hereinafter referred to as “Customer Personnel”).

 

c.Any person while knowing or having reason to know that all or a portion of such money, gift, loan, fee, reward, advantage, or thing of value will be offered, paid, given or promised, directly or indirectly, to any Government Official or Customer Personnel (“Restricted Person”); or

 

d.Any relative, close associate, agent or representative of a Government Official, Customer Personnel, or Restricted Person, for the purpose of: (A) influencing or attempting to influence any act or decision of any Government Official, Customer Personnel, or Restricted Person acting in an official capacity, or influencing or attempting to influence any Government Official, Customer Personnel, or Restricted Person to do or omit to do any act in violation of his, her or its lawful duty, obligation or responsibility; (B) inducing or attempting to induce a Government Official, Customer Personnel or Restricted Person to use his, her, or its influence to affect or influence any act or decision of a customer, a foreign government, a foreign agency, a public international organization or department thereof, or any entity, enterprise or organization controlled by a foreign government, a foreign agency or a public international organization (C) rewarding a Government Official, Customer Personnel, or Restricted Person for doing or forbearing to do anything in respect of any matter or transaction; or (D) assisting Seller or Buyer in obtaining or retaining business, improving profitability or revenues of Buyer or Seller, or receiving any improper advantage by securing business, or directing business for, with, or to any person.

 

   

 

 

4.None of Seller’s principals, consultants, subcontractors, officers, directors, shareholders, employees, or agents is a Government Official, Customer Personnel, or Restricted Person unless approved by Buyer. Neither Seller nor any of its principals, consultants, subcontractors, shareholders, directors, officers, employees or agents has performed or will perform any act which Buyer could reasonably believe would constitute a violation of the Anti-Corruption Requirements or which Buyer could reasonably believe would cause Buyer to be in violation of the Anti-Corruption Requirements, or present a credible risk, as determined by Buyer, of a violation of the Anti-Corruption Requirements.

 

5.If at any time Seller becomes aware of information or circumstances that suggest any of the representations, warranties, and covenants referenced in this Section may not be accurate, it shall notify Buyer immediately in writing, but not more than seven (7) days after becoming aware of such circumstances.

 

6.No Government Official, Customer Personnel, or Restricted Person has a right to share directly or indirectly in any compensation payable under this Agreement. No payment will be made hereunder to any person other than Seller; and no payment will be made to Seller under this Agreement other than the payment of the compensation in accordance with the terms hereof.

 

7.In connection with this Agreement Seller shall maintain books, records, and accounts, which in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and asset dispositions of Seller and allow Buyer to maintain accurate books and records and comply with the requirements for internal management controls set forth in the Anti- Corruption Requirements as well as relevant U.S. laws and regulations.

 

8.Any modification or amendment to this Agreement shall be deemed a re-certification of the accuracy and truthfulness of the foregoing representations and warranties of this Section.

 

9.Seller’s price quotations and invoice prices shall accurately and fairly reflect the commensurate value of the goods and services provided under this Agreement.

 

10.Seller shall cooperate with, and provide assistance to, Buyer in implementing adequate due diligence procedures in connection with the selection and retention of consultants and subcontractors by Buyer or Seller.

 

Anti-Kickback Act of 1986. Seller warrants that it and its officers, employees or representatives (i) have complied with the Anti-Kickback Act of 1986 and has not offered or given and will not offer or give to any employee, agent, or representative of Buyer any gratuity or any kickback within the meaning of the Anti-Kickback Act of 1986 and (ii) have not, for the purpose of improperly obtaining or rewarding favorable treatment in connection with the award of this Agreement to Seller from Buyer: (1) provided, attempted to provide, or offered to provide any kickback; (2) solicited, accepted, or attempted to accept any kickback; or (3) included, directly or indirectly, the amount of any kickback prohibited by (1) or (2) of this Section in the price charged by Seller to Buyer under this Agreement. Any breach of this warranty shall constitute a material breach of this Agreement. For purposes of this Section, the term "kickback" means any money, fee, commission, credit, gift, gratuity, thing of value, or compensation of any kind which is provided, directly or indirectly, to Buyer or Buyer's officers, employees or representatives, including any of their family members, subcontractors, or subcontractor employees, for the purpose of improperly obtaining or rewarding favorable treatment in connection with this Agreement. Any breach of this warranty shall be a material breach of each and every contract between Buyer and Seller.

 

Item 47 - PROFESSIONAL AND ETHICAL STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

During the life of this Agreement, the Seller's personnel may have access to Buyer and/or Government facilities. During all operations on Buyer and Government premises, the Seller's personnel shall comply with the rules and regulations governing the conduct of personnel and the operation of the facility and shall adhere to professional and ethical standards of conduct required by Buyer and its customer. If required, access to place of duty and/or United States (U.S.) military installations shall be accomplished with the issuance of U.S. Government Identification Cards to all Seller’s personnel under this Agreement.

 

Under no circumstances shall the Seller’s personnel:

a.Discuss with unauthorized persons any information obtained in the performance of the work under this Agreement;
b.Conduct business, other than which is covered by this Agreement, during periods paid by the Buyer;
c.Conduct business not directly related to this Agreement on Buyer and/or Government premises;

 

   

 

 

d.Use computer systems and/or other Buyer or Government facilities for unrelated business; and
e.Recruit on Buyer or Government premises or otherwise act to disrupt official Buyer or Government business.

 

Personnel assigned by the Seller to work under this Agreement must be acceptable to the Buyer in terms of personal and professional conduct. Seller management shall provide sufficient oversight and supervision to ensure employees (direct or subcontracted) are fulfilling their technical responsibilities and doing so in the best interest of the Buyer. It is understood that any personnel assigned by the Seller to the performance of the work hereunder, if in conflict with the best interests of the Buyer and/or Government or for reasons of misconduct or security, shall be immediately removed from the assigned position. Such removal from the workplace or dismissal from the area of responsibility shall not relieve the Seller of the requirement to provide sufficient personnel to perform the services required under this Agreement. Notwithstanding the above, the Buyer may elect to direct the retention of an individual on a task until a replacement has been approved, or reported, or until a transition has occurred.

 

Employment and staffing difficulties shall not be justification for failure to meet established schedules, and if such difficulties impair performance, the Seller may be subject to default.

 

Item 48 - CYBERSECURITY AND CONTROLLED UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION

 

A.Cybersecurity:

 

The Seller shall provide adequate security to safeguard Buyer and Customer information/data on its information systems from unauthorized access and disclosure. In addition to any security requirements specific to the Statement of Work issued to the Seller, to include DFARS 252.204-7008 and 252.204-7012, the Seller shall apply the following basic safeguarding requirements to Buyer and Customer information/data:

 

1.Protecting Buyer and Customer information on public computers or websites. Seller is prohibited from processing Buyer and Customer information/data on public computers (e.g., those available for use by the general public in kiosks, hotel business centers, etc.) or computers that do not have access control. Buyer and Customer information/data shall not be posted on websites that are publicly available or have access limited only by domain/Internet Protocol restriction. Such information may be posted to web pages that control access by user ID/password, user certificates, or other technical means, and that provide protection via use of security technologies. Access control may be provided by the intranet (vice the website itself or the application it hosts).

 

2.Transmitting electronic information. Seller shall transmit email, text messages, blogs, and similar communications using technology and processes that provide the best level of security and privacy available, given facilities, conditions, and environment.

 

3.Transmitting voice and fax information. Seller shall transmit voice and fax information only when the sender has a reasonable assurance that access is limited to authorized recipients.

 

4.Physical or electronic barriers. Seller shall protect information by at least one physical or electronic barrier (e.g., locked container or room, login and password) when not under direct individual control.

 

5.Sanitization. Seller shall, at a minimum, clear information/data on media that has been used to process Buyer and Customer information/data before external release or disposal. Overwriting is an acceptable means of clearing media in accordance with National Institute of Standards and Technology 800-88, Guidelines for Media Sanitization, at https://nvlpubs.nist.gov.

 

6.Intrusion protection. Seller shall exercise reasonable care against computer intrusions and data compromise including exfiltration by adopting appropriate measures including the following:
a.Current and regularly updated malware protection services, e.g., anti-virus, anti-spyware.
b.Prompt application of security-relevant software upgrades, e.g., patches, service packs, and hot fixes.

 

   

 

 

7.Transfer limitations. Seller shall transfer Buyer and Customer information only to those second-tier subcontractors that both have a need to know and provide at least the same level of security as specified in this clause.

 

B.Safeguarding Controlled Unclassified Information:

 

The Seller shall apply the following requirements to Controlled Unclassified Information:

 

1.                                Protection. If Seller handles or possesses Customer information that has been declared to be Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) or can be reasonably assumed to be CUI as defined by the National Archives and Retrieval Administration, Seller shall protect the information in accordance with the DFARS 252.204-7012.

 

2.                               Prohibitions. If Seller is not compliant with the full scope of the DFARS 252.204-7012, to include the requirements outlined in the NIST 800-171, Seller is strictly prohibited from handling CUI on their network, to include laptops, email, and portable storage, etc. unless authorized by Buyer.

 

3.                               Inspection. At Buyer’s request, the Seller shall allow Buyer to review documentation to determine if the Seller is compliant with DFARS 252.204-7012. Seller consents to participation in any Customer sponsored assessments of their system to ascertain compliance with applicable security requirements.

 

4.                               Notifications. If Seller is not compliant with the full scope of DFARS 252.204-7008 or 252.204-7012, to include the requirements outlined in the NIST 800-171, Seller shall notify Buyer immediately. Seller shall immediately (within 72 hours) contact Buyer if there are any internal or external violations of their information systems.

 

Any agency-specific enhanced cybersecurity requirements included or incorporated in Buyer’s Prime Contract by its Customer shall be incorporated into this Agreement. To the extent that the U.S. Department of Defense imposes additional or revised cybersecurity requirements during the course of performance that implicate Seller’s statement of work, Seller and Buyer agree to amend this Agreement to incorporate the requirements. If Seller is not compliant with the full scope of any agency-specific enhanced security requirements incorporated into this Agreement, Seller shall notify Buyer immediately.

 

The Seller shall flow down and include the substance of this clause in all second-tier subcontracts under this subcontract (if allowed in accordance with the Article entitled LOWER TIER SUBCONTRACTING), if the Seller’s subcontractor will have access to or generate Controlled Unclassified Information. The Seller shall assess lower tier supplier compliance in accordance with the DFARS 252.204-7012.

 

By executing this Agreement, Seller certifies and affirms that the controls and requirements in this clause are in place and that they will immediately contact Buyer if there are any internal or external violations of Seller’s information systems

 

Item 49 - SUBCONTRACT SECURITY CLASSIFICATION SPECIFICATION

Where classified information/data is involved, the Seller shall comply with the National Industrial Security Program. The Seller’s DD Form 254 (if applicable) itemizes the classified portions of work to be performed hereunder. The Seller, upon completion and final delivery of the work requirements, shall promptly notify Buyer's Subcontract Representative in writing, and shall request information regarding the disposition of any classified documents.

 

It shall be the responsibility of the Seller to optimize the use of currently cleared personnel in completing the requirements of this Agreement at the Seller’s expense. The Seller’s SOW shall identify the level of clearance required in performance of this Agreement. In the event that the Seller requires additional personnel clearances, any delays incurred in the Seller’s progress and/or schedule as a result of the time required to clear such personnel shall be the Seller’s responsibility. Under no circumstances shall Buyer recognize a claim for an equitable adjustment in the Agreement price and/or schedule as a result of any delay due to the failure to have properly cleared personnel.

 

   

 

 

In the event it becomes necessary to transmit classified material by mail, the transmittal shall be made in accordance with the requirements of the National Industrial Security Program Operation Manual (DOD 5220.22-M). Outer containers shall not disclose the classification or the name of classified material contained within the envelope or package, even though the name itself may not be classified. Internal markings or internal packaging will clearly indicate the level of classification.

 

Item 50 - DEFENSE PRIORITY AND ALLOCATION SYSTEM (DPAS) RATING

 

If this Agreement is rated under the Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) (15 CFR 700), Seller must follow all the requirements of that regulation.

 

Item 51 - SEVERABILITY

 

If any provision of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable to any extent, the remainder of this Agreement shall not be affected and shall be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.

 

Item 52 - SURVIVABILITY

Upon expiration or termination of this Agreement, all provisions herein that by their applicability would extend beyond said termination or expiration date will remain in full force and effect.

 

Item 53 - ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

 

The documents listed below are hereby incorporated by reference. In the event of an inconsistency or conflict between or among any of the provisions of this Agreement, the inconsistency shall be resolved by giving precedence in the following order:

1.Labor Hour Subcontract Agreement
2.SCHEDULE A: Submission of Invoices
3.SCHEDULE B: FAR & DFAR Clauses
4.SCHEDULE C: Special Terms and Conditions and Agency Clauses
5.Annual U.S. Government Representations and Certifications dated 09/24/2020
6.The Statement of Work dated 09/22/2020
7.Minimum Labor Categories Qualifications and Descriptions
8.DD254
9.Subcontractor Closeout Package

 

Supplier certifies that all documents and certifications incorporated by reference into this award are true, correct and accurate as of the date of execution.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have, through duly authorized officials, executed this Agreement effective as of the signature date on this Agreement.

 

   

 

 

Item 54 - FAR AND DFARS CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

In the event the goods, deliverables and/or services covered by this Agreement are to be used in whole or in part for the performance of contracts governed by specific rules and regulations of the Federal Government, the clauses from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (“DFARS”) set forth in Schedule B hereto are incorporated herein by reference

 

Item 55 - SCHEDULE A: SUBMISSION OF INVOICES

 

Labor Invoices & Reporting of Labor – Time Collection (Extraction)

 

Seller employees will utilize Buyer’s web-based SubET Deltek timekeeping application to record their labor hours daily. All labor invoices shall be automatically generated on the Seller’s behalf based on timekeeping entry and timesheet approvals. Payment shall be made in accordance with the payment terms of this subcontract

 

The process below facilitates the identification and reconciliation of Seller labor costs and allows for automatic processing of invoicing/payment to Seller:

 

a)Buyers Program Staff shall provide each Seller employee a system ID, log-on instructions, charge codes in writing and Help Desk support. Charge codes must be used by Seller employees to record labor hours. Seller shall be responsible for obtaining clarification from Buyer Program Staff as needed.

 

b)The Seller shall designate, a primary point of contact responsible for coordinating all Seller employee timesheet activity and submissions to Buyer.

 

c)Seller employees must enter hours in SubET at the end of the day or no later than 10AM the following business day morning. On days the employee does not work during the week (M-F), 0.00 hours should be recorded.

 

d)Timesheets shall be submitted in the Buyer’s web-based SubET timekeeping system by the end of the workday the last day of the time period; time periods end on the 15th and the last day of the month. All changes to previously submitted/approved timesheets and any timesheets that were submitted late shall be included in the next invoicing cycle. Buyer Program Staff will approve/reject all timesheets.

 

All questions relating to time collection setup, user accounts, approval and backup approver maintenance shall be directed to SubETAdmin@caci.com. Reporting time inaccurately may be determined to be fraud and subject to criminal and civil penalties. Failure to complete time recording as detailed above and any mismatch information may result in delays of payment.

 

Minimum Labor Qualifications are incorporated into the Prime Contract for each Labor Category and apply to this Subcontract. Prior to commencing work, resumes for each Seller employee must be submitted to Buyer along with completed Subcontractor Labor Category Verification form (362S) certifying the individual meets the minimum labor qualifications. Seller employees’ timesheets shall not be approved until resumes and Labor Category Verification form are received.

 

By executing this agreement and with the submission of each timesheet, Seller certifies that they have reviewed the qualifications of the individuals whose labor costs will be invoiced and hereby confirms that all individuals meet the minimum requirements for the prime contract labor category qualifications and that all listed professional certifications, accreditations, degree information and citizenship status on the resume are accurate, and that the charges for which payment is requested herein are true and correct.

 

Travel Invoices:

Travel invoices and all attachments shall be electronically submitted via the Procure to Pay Portal (https://supplier.caci.com) no more frequently than on a bi-monthly basis. Travel invoices are to be documented with travel dates, employee names with itemized description of cost elements and amounts (airfare, hotel, mileage, meals, etc.). Each invoice shall contain the following information:

 

1)Seller's name and business address
2)Date of invoice
3)Prime Contract/Task Order No.
4)Subcontract No.
5)Period covered by invoice (i.e. July 1, 20XX - July 31, 20XX)
6)Travel receipts

 

   

 

 

7)Travel Authorization(s) (if required)
8)Total charges billed
9)Remit to address
10)Program billing charge number: 20610.0010

 

Payment shall be made in accordance with the payment terms of this subcontract.

 

Item 56 - SCHEDULE B: FAR & DFAR FLOWDOWN CLAUSES

 

The clauses from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (“DFARS) set forth below are incorporated by reference into the Order that references this Schedule B.

 

In order to make the context of these clauses applicable to this Order, the term "Contractor" in all such clauses shall mean "Seller", the term "Contract" in all such clauses shall mean this "Order", and the term "Contracting Officer" shall mean "Buyer" unless otherwise specified.

 

The terms "Government" and "Contracting Officer" do not change:

(1)in the phrases "Government Property," "Government-Owned Property," "Government Equipment," "Government- Furnished Property," and "Government-Owned Equipment;"
(2)when a right, act, authorization, or obligation can be granted or performed only by the Government or the Prime Contract Contracting Officer or his duly authorized representative;
(3)when access to proprietary financial information or other proprietary data is required;
(4)when title to property is to be transferred directly to the Government;
(5)where specifically modified as noted below;
(6)in FAR 52.215-2, 52.227-1, 52.227-2, 52.227-14, 52.227-19, 52.230-3, 52.246-23, and 52.246-25; and
(7)in DFARS 252.227-7013, 252.227-7014, 252.227-7015, 252.227-7016, 252.227-7026, and 252.227-7027.

 

FAR CLAUSES

 

FAR

Reference

Title of Clause Date
52.203-3 Gratuities Apr-84
52.203-5 Covenant Against Contingent Fees May-14
52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government Sep-06
52.203-7 Anti-Kickback Procedures (If order exceeds $150,000) May-14
52.203-8 Cancellation, Rescission, and Recovery of Funds for Illegal or Improper Activity May-14
52.203-10 Price or Fee Adjustment for Illegal or Improper Activity May-14
52.203-11 Certification and Disclosure Regarding Payments to Influence Certain Federal Transactions (If order exceeds $150,000) Sep-07
52.203-12 Limitation on Payments to Influence Certain Federal Transactions (If order exceeds $150,000) Oct-10
52.203-13 Contractor Code of Business Ethics and Conduct (If order exceeds $5,500,000) Oct-15
52.203-14 Display of Hotline Poster(s) (If order exceeds $5,500,000) Oct-15
52.203-17 Contractor Employee Whistleblower Rights and Requirement To Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights (if order exceeds $150,000) Apr-14
52.204-4 Printed or Copied Double-Sided on Postconsumer Fiber Content Paper (May 2011) May-11
52.204-23 Prohibition on Contracting for Hardware, Software, and Services Developed or Provided by Kaspersky Lab and Other Covered Entities Jul-18
52.204-25 Prohibition on Contracting for Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment Aug-20
52.209-6 Protecting the Government’s Interest When Subcontracting with Contractors Debarred, Suspended, or Proposed for Debarment (If order exceeds $35,000) Oct-15
52.211-5 Material Requirements Aug-00

 

   

 

 

52.211-15 Defense Priority and Allocation Requirement Apr-08
52.215-2 Audit and Records Negotiation (If order exceeds $150,000) Oct-10
52.219-8 Utilization of Small Business Concerns (if Order exceeds $150,000) Nov-16
52.219-9 Small Business Subcontracting Plan (If order exceeds $700,000 and if supplier is a Large Business) Jun-16
52.222-1 Notice to the Government of Labor Disputes Feb-97
52.222-4

Contract Work Hours & Safety Standards Act Overtime Compensation (If order exceeds

$150,000)

May-14
52.222-21 Prohibition of Segregated Facilities Apr-15
52.222-26 Equal Opportunity Apr-15
52.222-35 Equal Opportunity Veterans (If order exceeds $150,000) Oct-15
52.222-36 Affirmative Action for Workers with Disabilities (If order exceeds $15,000) Jul-14
52.222-37 Employment Reports on Veterans (If order exceeds $150,000) Feb-16
52.222-50 Combating Trafficking in Persons Mar-15
52.223-3 Hazardous Material Identification and Material Safety Data Jul-95
52.223-6 Drug-Free Workplace May-01
52.223-18 Encouraging Contractor Policy to Ban Text Messaging While Driving Aug-11
52.225-13 Restrictions on Certain Foreign Purchases Jun-08
52.227-2

Notice and Assistance Regarding Patent and Copyright Infringement (If order exceeds

$150,000)

Dec-07
52.229-3 Federal, State, and Local Taxes Feb-13
52.242-13 Bankruptcy (If order exceeds $150,000) Jul-95
52.246-16 Responsibility for Supplies (If order exceeds $150,000) Apr-84
52.247-63 Preference for U.S. Flag Air Carriers Jun-03

 

If checked, the clauses included in the table below are incorporated and are in effect on the date of this Order.

 

Applies?

FAR

Reference

Title of Clause DATE
X 52.202-1 DEFINITIONS Nov 13
X 52.203-15 WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS UNDER THE AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 2009 Jun 10
X 52.203-16 PREVENTING PERSONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST Dec 11
X 52.204-10 REPORTING EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION AND FIRST-TIER SUBCONTRACT AWARDS Oct 15
X 52.204-15 SERVICE CONTRACT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR INDEFINITE- DELIVERY CONTRACTS Jan 14
X 52.204-2 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS Aug 96
X 52.204-21 BASIC SAFEGUARDING OF COVERED CONTRACTOR INFORMATION SYSTEMS Jun 16
X 52.204-5 WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS (OTHER THAN SMALL BUSINESS) Oct 14
X 52.204-9 PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL Jan 11
X 52.207-3 RIGHT OF FIRST REFUSAL OF EMPLOYMENT May 06
X 52.207-5 OPTION TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT Feb 95
X 52.209-9 UPDATES OF PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION REGARDING RESPONSIBILITY MATTERS Jul 13
  52.215-10 PRICE REDUCTION FOR DEFECTIVE CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA Aug 11

 

   

 

 

  52.215-11 PRICE REDUCTION FOR DEFECTIVE CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA- MODIFICATIONS Aug 11
  52.215-12 SUBCONTRACTOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA Oct 10
  52.215-13 SUBCONTRACTOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA-MODIFICATIONS Oct 10
X 52.215-14 INTEGRITY OF UNIT PRICES Oct 10
X 52.215-14 ALTERNATE I OCT 1997 Oct 97
X 52.215-15 PENSION ADJUSTMENTS AND ASSET REVERSIONS Oct 10
X 52.215-18 REVERSION OR ADJUSTMENT OF PLANS FOR POSTRETIREMENT BENEFITS (PRB) OTHER THAN PENSIONS Jul 05
X 52.215-19 NOTIFICATION OF OWNERSHIP CHANGES Oct 97
X 52.215-2 ALTERNATE I MAR 2009 Mar 09
X 52.215-2 ALTERNATE II APR 1998 Apr 98
X 52.215-2 ALTERNATE III JUN 1999 Jun 99
X 52.215-20 REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA AND DATA OTHER THAN CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA Oct 10
X 52.215-20 ALTERNATE II OCT 1997 X X X Oct 97
X 52.215-21

REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING AND DATA OTHER THAN CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA - MODIFICATIONS OCT 2010

52.215.21 ALTERNATE I OCT 2010

Oct 10
X 52.215-21 ALTERNATE II OCT 1997 Oct 97
X 52.215-21 ALTERNATE III OCT 1997 Oct 97
X 52.215-21 ALTERNATE IV OCT 2010 Oct 10
X 52.215-22 LIMITATIONS ON PASS-THROUGH CHARGES-IDENTIFICATION OF SUBCONTRACT EFFORT Oct 09
X 52.215-23 LIMITATIONS ON PASS-THROUGH CHARGES Oct 09
X 52.216-12 COST-SHARING CONTRACT-NO FEE Apr 84
X 52.216-18 ORDERING Oct 95
X 52.216-19 ORDER LIMITATIONS Oct 95
X 52.216-29 TIME-AND-MATERIALS/LABOR-HOUR PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS-NON- COMMERCIAL ITEM ACQUISITION WITH ADEQUATE PRICE COMPETITION Feb 07
X 52.216-29 TIME-AND-MATERIALS/LABOR- HOUR PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS — NON- COMMERCIAL ITEM ACQUISITION WITH ADEQUATE PRICE COMPETITION (NOTE: IF DOD USE DFARS 252.216- 7002 ALTERNATE A (FEB 2007) IN COMBINATION WITH FAR Feb 07
X 52.216-30 TIME-AND-MATERIALS/LABOR-HOUR PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS-NON- COMMERCIAL ITEM ACQUISITION WITHOUT ADEQUATE PRICE COMPETITION Feb 07
X 52.216-31 TIME-AND-MATERIALS/LABOR-HOUR PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS- COMMERCIAL ITEM ACQUISITION Feb 07
X 52.216-4 ECONOMIC PRICE ADJUSTMENT-LABOR AND MATERIAL Jan 97
X 52.216-8 FIXED FEE Jun 11
X 52.217-8 OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES Nov 99
X 52.217-9 OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT Mar 00
X 52.219-4 NOTICE OF PRICE EVALUATION PREFERENCE FOR HUBZONE SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS Oct 14
X 52.219-9 ALTERNATE II OCT 2001 Oct 01
X 52.222-19 CHILD LABOR-COOPERATION WITH AUTHORITIES AND REMEDIES Feb 16
X 52.222-2 PAYMENT FOR OVERTIME PREMIUMS Jul 90
X 52.222-3 CONVICT LABOR Jun 03

 

   

 

 

X 52.222-36 ALTERNATE I JUL 2014 Jul 14
X 52.222-40 NOTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEE RIGHTS UNDER THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT Dec 10
X 52.222-54 EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION Oct 15
X 52.223-15 ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN ENERGY-CONSUMING PRODUCTS Dec 07
X 52.223-3 HAZARDOUS MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION AND MATERIAL SAFETY DATA (ALTERNATE I) JUL 1995 Jul 95
X 52.224-2 PRIVACY ACT Apr 84
X 52.225-1 BUY AMERICAN-SUPPLIES May 14
X 52.225-19 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL IN A DESIGNATED OPERATIONAL AREA OR SUPPORTING A DIPLOMATIC OR CONSULAR MISSION OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES Mar 08
X 52.225-3 BUY AMERICAN-FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS-ISRAELI TRADE ACT May 14
X 52.225-3 ALTERNATE I MAY 2014 May 14
X 52.225-3 ALTERNATE II MAY 2014 May 14
X 52.225-3 ALTERNATE III MAY 2014 May 14
X 52.225-5 TRADE AGREEMENTS Feb 16
X 52.225-8 DUTY-FREE ENTRY Oct 10
X 52.227-1 AUTHORIZATION AND CONSENT Dec 07
X 52.227-10 FILING OF PATENT APPLICATIONS-CLASSIFIED SUBJECT MATTER Dec 07
X 52.227-11 PATENT RIGHTS-OWNERSHIP BY THE CONTRACTOR May 14
X 52.227-13 PATENT RIGHTS-OWNERSHIP BY THE GOVERNMENT Dec 07
X 52.227-14 RIGHTS IN DATA-GENERAL May 14
X 52.227-14 ALTERNATE I DEC 2007 Dec 07
X 52.227-14 ALTERNATE IV DEC 2007 Dec 07
X 52.227-14 ALTERNATE V DEC 2007 Dec 07
X 52.227-17 RIGHTS IN DATA-SPECIAL WORKS Dec 07
X 52.227-19 COMMERCIAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE LICENSE Dec 07
X 52.227-21 TECHNICAL DATA DECLARATION, REVISION, AND WITHHOLDING OF PAYMENT-MAJOR SYSTEMS May 14
X 52.227-22 MAJOR SYSTEM-MINIMUM RIGHTS Jun 87
X 52.227-23 RIGHTS TO PROPOSAL DATA (TECHNICAL) Jun 87
X 52.227-3 PATENT INDEMNITY Apr 84
X 52.227-9 REFUND OF ROYALTIES Apr 84
X 52.228-3 WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSURANCE (DEFENSE BASE ACT) Jul 14
X 52.228-4 WORKERS’ COMPENSATION AND WAR-HAZARD INSURANCE OVERSEAS Apr 84
X 52.228-5 INSURANCE-WORK ON A GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION Jan 97
  52.229-6 TAXES-FOREIGN FIXED-PRICE CONTRACTS Feb 13
  52.230-2 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS Oct 15
  52.230-3 DISCLOSURE AND CONSISTENCY OF COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICES Oct 15
  52.230-4 DISCLOSURE AND CONSISTENCY OF COST ACCOUNTING PRACTICES- FOREIGN CONCERNS Oct 15
  52.230-5 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS-EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION Oct 15
X 52.230-6 ADMINISTRATION OF COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS Jun 10
X 52.232-1 PAYMENTS Nov 09
X 52.232-12 ADVANCE PAYMENTS (ALTERNATE I) APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.232-16 ALTERNATE I MAR 2000 Mar 00

 

   

 

 

X 52.232-17 INTEREST May 14
X 52.232-23 ASSIGNMENT OF CLAIMS May 14
X 52.232-23 ALTERNATE I APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.232-25 PROMPT PAYMENT Nov 09
X 52.232-25 ALTERNATE I FEB 2002 Feb 02
X 52.232-32 PERFORMANCE-BASED PAYMENTS Apr 12
X 52.232-40 PROVIDING ACCELERATED PAYMENTS TO SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTORS Dec 13
X 52.232-7 PAYMENTS UNDER TIME-AND-MATERIALS AND LABOR-HOUR CONTRACTS May 12
X 52.233-1 DISPUTES May 14
X 52.233-1 ALTERNATE I DEC 1991 Dec 91
X 52.233-3 PROTEST AFTER AWARD Aug 96
X 52.233-3 ALTERNATE I JUN 1985 Jun 85
X 52.237-10 IDENTIFICATION OF UNCOMPENSATED OVERTIME Mar 15
X 52.237-3 CONTINUITY OF SERVICES Jan 91
X 52.237-9 WAIVER OF LIMITATION ON SEVERANCE PAYMENTS TO FOREIGN NATIONALS May 14
X 52.239-1 PRIVACY OR SECURITY SAFEGUARDS Aug 96
X 52.242-1 NOTICE OF INTENT TO DISALLOW COSTS Apr 84
X 52.242-15 STOP-WORK ORDER Aug 89
X 52.242-15 ALTERNATE I APR 1984 X Apr 84
X 52.242-17 GOVERNMENT DELAY OF WORK Apr 84
X 52.242-3 PENALTIES FOR UNALLOWABLE COSTS May 14
X 52.242-4 CERTIFICATION OF FINAL INDIRECT COSTS Jan 97
X 52.243-1 CHANGES-FIXED-PRICE Aug 87
X 52.243-1 ALTERNATE I APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.243-1 ALTERNATE II APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.243-1 ALTERNATE III APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.243-2 CHANGES-COST-REIMBURSEMENT Aug 87
X 52.243-2 ALTERNATE I APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.243-2 ALTERNATE II APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.243-2 ALTERNATE V APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.243-3 CHANGES-TIME-AND-MATERIALS OR LABOR-HOURS Sep 00
X 52.244-5 COMPETITION IN SUBCONTRACTING Dec 96
X 52.244-6 SUBCONTRACTS FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS Jun 16
X 52.245-1 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY Apr 12
X 52.245-1 ALTERNATE I APR 2012 Apr 12
X 52.245-1 ALTERNATE II APR 2012 Apr 12
X 52.246-19 ALTERNATE I APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.246-19 ALTERNATE II APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.246-19 ALTERNATE III APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.246-2 INSPECTION OF SUPPLIES-FIXED-PRICE Aug 96
X 52.246-2 ALTERNATE I JUL 1985 X Jul 85
X 52.246-2 ALTERNATE II JUL 1985 X Jul 85
X 52.246-23 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY Feb 97

 

   

 

 

X 52.246-24 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY-HIGH-VALUE ITEMS Feb 97
X 52.246-25 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY-SERVICES Feb 97
X 52.246-3 INSPECTION OF SUPPLIES-COST-REIMBURSEMENT May 01
X 52.246-4 INSPECTION OF SERVICES-FIXED-PRICE Aug 96
X 52.246-5 INSPECTION OF SERVICES-COST-REIMBURSEMENT Apr 84
X 52.246-6 INSPECTION-TIME-AND-MATERIAL AND LABOR-HOUR May 01
X 52.246-7 INSPECTION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT-FIXED-PRICE Aug 96
X 52.246-8 INSPECTION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT-COST-REIMBURSEMENT May 01
X 52.246-8 ALTERNATE I APR 1984 X Apr 84
X 52.246-9 INSPECTION OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (SHORT FORM) Apr 84
X 52.248-1 VALUE ENGINEERING (ALTERNATE I) APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.248-1 VALUE ENGINEERING (ALTERNATE II) FEB 2000 Feb 00
X 52.248-1 VALUE ENGINEERING (ALTERNATE III) APR 1984 Apr 84
X 52.249-14 EXCUSABLE DELAYS Apr 84
X 52.249-2 TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT (FIXED-PRICE) Apr 12
X 52.249-4 TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE OF THE GOVERNMENT (SERVICES) (SHORT FORM) Apr 84
X 52.249-6 TERMINATION (COST-REIMBURSEMENT) May 04
X 52.249-6 ALTERNATE IV SEP 1996 Sep 96
X 52.249-8 DEFAULT (FIXED-PRICE SUPPLY AND SERVICE) Apr 84
X 52.251-1 GOVERNMENT SUPPLY SOURCES Apr 12

 

DFAR CLAUSES

 

DFAR

Reference

Title of Clause Date
252.203-7000 Requirements Relating to Compensation of Former DoD Officials Sep-11
252.203-7001 Prohibition on Persons Convicted of Fraud or Other Defense-Contract Related Felonies Dec-08
252.203-7002 Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights Sep-13
252.204-7000 Disclosure of Information Aug-13
252.204-7012 Safeguarding of Unclassified Controlled Technical Information Dec-15
252.208-7000 Intent to Furnish Precious Metals as Government-Furnished Material Dec-91
252.209-7002 Disclosure of Ownership or Control by a Foreign Government  
252.211-7000 Acquisition Streamlining Oct-10
252.215-7000 Pricing Adjustments Dec-12
252.219-7003 Small Business Subcontracting Plan (DoD Contracts) Mar-16
252.222-7006 Restrictions on the Use of Mandatory Arbitration Agreements Dec-10
  (If order exceeds $1,000,000 AND if funded from Defense Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2010)  
252.225-7031 Secondary Arab Boycott of Israel  
252.225-7050 Disclosure of Ownership or Control by the Government of a Country that is a State Sponsor of Terrorism  
252.226-7001 Utilization of Indian Organizations, Indian-Owned Economic Enterprises, and Native Hawaiian Small Business Concerns Sep-04
252.227-7037 Validation of Restrictive Markings on Technical Data Jun-13

 

   

 

 

252.231-7000 Supplemental Cost Principles Dec-91
252.239-7017 Notice of Supply Chain Risk (Nov 2013) Nov-13
252.239-7018 Supply Chain Risk (Oct 2015) Oct-15
252.246-7007 Contractor Counterfeit Electronic Part Detection and Avoidance System May-14
  (If order is for an electronic part)  
252.247-7023 Transportation of Supplies by Sea Apr-14

 

ADDITIONAL DFAR CLAUSES:

 

If checked, the clauses included in the table below are incorporated and are in effect on the date of this Order.

 

Applies?

DFAR

Reference

Title of Clause Date
X 252.203-7003 AGENCY OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL  
X 252.203-7004 DISPLAY OF HOTLINE POSTERS  
X 252.204-7004 ALTERNATE A SYSTEM FOR AWARD MANAGEMENT (FEB 2014) DFARS  

 

X

252.204-7007 ALTERNATE A ANNUAL REPRESENTATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS (JAN 2015) SUBSTITUTE THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS (D) AND (E) FOR PARAGRAPH (D) OF THE PROVISION AT FAR  
X 252.204-7015 NOTICE OF AUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION FOR LITIGATION SUPPORT  
X 252.211-7006 PASSIVE RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION  
X 252.211-7007 REPORTING OF GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY  
X 252.215-7008 ONLY ONE OFFER  
X 252.215-7009 PROPOSAL ADEQUACY CHECKLIST  
X 252.216-7009 ALLOWABILITY OF LEGAL COSTS INCURRED IN CONNECTION WITH A WHISTLEBLOWER PROCEEDING  
X 252.217-7001 SURGE OPTION  
X 252.219-7003 ALTERNATE A (MAR 2016) DEVIATION 2013-O0014 SUMMARY SUBCONTRACT REPORT SUBMISSIONS DFARS  
X 252.219-7003 SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTING PLAN (DOD CONTRACTS)(MAR 2016) ALTERNATE I (MAR 2016)  
X 252.222-7000 RESTRICTIONS ON EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONNEL  
X 252.223-7006 PROHIBITION ON STORAGE AND DISPOSAL OF TOXIC AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS  
X 252.223-7008 PROHIBITION OF HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM  
X 252.225-7000 BUY AMERICAN—BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PROGRAM CERTIFICATE  
X 252.225-7001 BUY AMERICAN AND BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PROGRAM  
X 252.225-7004 REPORT OF INTENDED PERFORMANCE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA—SUBMISSION AFTER AWARD  
X 252.225-7013 DUTY-FREE ENTRY  
X 252.225-7020 TRADE AGREEMENTS CERTIFICATE  
X 252.225-7020 TRADE AGREEMENTS CERTIFICATE. USE WITH ALTERNATE I.  
X 252.225-7021 TRADE AGREEMENTS  
X 252.225-7035 BUY AMERICAN—FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS—BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PROGRAM CERTIFICATE  
X 252.225-7040 CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL SUPPORTING U.S. ARMED FORCES DEPLOYED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES  
X 252.225-7043 ANTITERRORISM/FORCE PROTECTION POLICY FOR DEFENSE CONTRACTORS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES  
X 252.225-7048 EXPORT-CONTROLLED ITEMS  
X 252.227-7013 RIGHTS IN TECHNICAL DATA—NONCOMMERCIAL ITEMS  

 

   

 

 

X 252.227-7014 RIGHTS IN NONCOMMERCIAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND NONCOMMERCIAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE DOCUMENTATION  
X 252.227-7015 TECHNICAL DATA—COMMERCIAL ITEMS  
X 252.227-7016 RIGHTS IN BID OR PROPOSAL INFORMATION  
X 252.227-7019 VALIDATION OF ASSERTED RESTRICTIONS—COMPUTER SOFTWARE  
X 252.227-7020 RIGHTS IN SPECIAL WORKS  
X 252.227-7025 LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OR DISCLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT- FURNISHED INFORMATION MARKED WITH RESTRICTIVE LEGENDS  
X 252.227-7027 DEFERRED ORDERING OF TECHNICAL DATA OR COMPUTER SOFTWARE  
X 252.227-7030 TECHNICAL DATA—WITHHOLDING OF PAYMENT  
X 252.229-7012 TAX EXEMPTIONS (ITALY)—REPRESENTATION  
X 252.229-7013 TAX EXEMPTIONS (SPAIN)—REPRESENTATION  
X 252.234-7001 NOTICE OF EARNED VALUE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM  
X 252.239-7000 PROTECTION AGAINST COMPROMISING EMANATIONS  
X 252.243-7001 PRICING OF CONTRACT MODIFICATIONS  
X 252.244-7000 SUBCONTRACTS FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS  
X 252.244-7001 CONTRACTOR PURCHASING SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION  
X 252.245-7001 TAGGING, LABELING, AND MARKING OF GOVERNMENT- FURNISHED PROPERTY  
X 252.245-7002 REPORTING LOSS OF GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY  
X 252.245-7003 CONTRACTOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION  
X 252.245-7004 REPORTING, REUTILIZATION, AND DISPOSAL  
X 252.246-7001 WARRANTY OF DATA  
X 252.246-7003 NOTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUES  
X 252.247-7003 PASS-THROUGH OF MOTOR CARRIER FUEL SURCHARGE ADJUSTMENT TO THE COST BEARER  
X 252.247-7022 REPRESENTATION OF EXTENT OF TRANSPORTATION BY SEA  
X 252.249-7002 NOTIFICATION OF ANTICIPATED CONTRACT TERMINATION OR REDUCTION  

 

Item 57 - SCHEDULE C: SPECIAL TERMS & CONDITIONS and AGENCY SPECIFIC CLAUSES

 

The clauses and provisions below are extracted directly from the Prime Contract and are incorporated herein and made a part of this Order.

 

The follow definitions apply to all Clauses and Provisions below:

 

"Offeror” and “Contractor" shall mean Seller;

"Government", "Contracting Officer" and “Contracting Officer Representative” shall mean Buyer unless otherwise specified;

"Contract" shall mean this Order executed by and between Buyer and Seller.

 

   

 

 

The terms "Government" and "Contracting Officer" do not change:

i.in the phrases "Government Property," "Government-Owned Property," "Government Equipment," "Government- Furnished Property," and "Government-Owned Equipment;"
ii.when a right, act, authorization, or obligation can be granted or performed only by the Government or the Prime Contract Contracting Officer or his duly authorized representative;
iii.when access to proprietary financial information or other proprietary data is required; and
iv.when title to property is to be transferred directly to the Government.

 

ALLIANT 2 SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

TRAVEL PRICING (ALL ORDER TYPES)

Contractor personnel may be required to travel to support the requirements of this contract and as stated in individual TOs. Long distance and local travel may be required both in the Contiguous United States (CONUS) and Outside the Contiguous United States (OCONUS). For those TOs requiring travel, the Contractor shall include estimated travel requirements in the proposal as required by the OCO.

 

If authorized in the Task Order, travel will be reimbursed at actual cost in accordance with the limitations set forth in FAR Subpart 31.205-46, Travel Costs. Profit shall not be applied to travel costs. To the extent authorized by the Task Order, Contractors may apply indirect costs to travel in accordance with the Contractor’s usual accounting practices consistent with FAR 31.2.

 

The OCO will identify a not-to-exceed travel ceiling under a separate CLIN on the Task Order.

 

WORK OUTSIDE THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES (OCONUS)

Contiguous United States (CONUS) means the 48 contiguous States and the District of Columbia.

 

OCONUS includes:

1)OCONUS. Outside of the contiguous United States.
2)NON-FOREIGN OCONUS AREA. The states of Alaska and Hawaii, the Commonwealths of Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and U.S. territories and possessions.

 

It is anticipated that there may be Task Orders under this contract for work outside the United States. The Contractor will be compensated for work performed OCONUS pursuant to the Task Order. Standard references for OCONUS pricing include:

 

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Administration, Office of Allowances (see Attachment J-8 Website References) publishes quarterly report indexes of living costs abroad, per-diem rate maximums, quarter’s allowances, hardship differentials, and danger pay allowances for Contractors to follow when proposing on OCONUS efforts. No allowances, other than those listed by the U. S. Department of State, shall be allowed on Task Orders.

 

The Department of State Standardized Regulations (DSSR) are the controlling regulations for allowances and benefits available to all U.S.

 

Government civilians assigned to foreign areas; however, for Task Orders issued under the Master Contract, Contractor civilians assigned to foreign areas shall not exceed the allowances and benefits in the DSSR as well.

 

For OCONUS Task Orders where costs are not specifically addressed in the DSSR, the Government will reimburse the Contractor for all reasonable, allowable, and allocable costs in accordance with FAR 31, Contract Cost Principles and Procedures.

 

PRESERVATION, PACKAGING, PACKING, AND MARKING

Unless otherwise specified, all items shall be preserved, packaged, and packed in accordance with normal commercial practices, as defined in the applicable commodity specification. Packaging and packing shall comply with the requirements of the Uniform Freight Classification and the National Motor Freight Classification (issue in effect at time of shipment) and each shipping container or each item in a shipment shall be of uniform size and content, except for residual quantities. Where special or unusual packing is specified in an order, but not specifically provided for by the contract, such packing details must be the subject of an agreement independently arrived at between the ordering agency and the contractor.

 

PACKING LIST

A packing list or other suitable shipping document shall accompany each shipment and shall indicate:

 

   

 

 

a)Name and address of the consignor
b)Name and complete address of the consignee
c)Government order or requisition number
d)Government bill of lading number covering the shipment (if any)
e)Description of the material shipped, including item number, quantity, number of containers, package number (if any), and weight of each package

 

UNCLASSIFIED AND CLASSIFIED MARKING

Unclassified data shall be prepared for shipment in accordance with requirements set forth in the Order, or if none is specified, pursuant to industry standards.

 

Classified reports, data, and documentation shall be prepared for shipment in accordance with requirements set forth in the Order, or if none is specified, pursuant to the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), DOD 5220.22-M.

 

SOFTWARE AND MAGNETIC MEDIA MARKINGS

Packages containing software or other magnetic media shall be marked in accordance with requirements set forth in the Order, or if none is specified, shall be marked on external containers with a notice reading substantially as follows: “CAUTION: SOFTWARE/MAGNETIC MEDIA ENCLOSED. DO NOT EXPOSE TO HEAT OR MAGNETIC FIELDS”.

 

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The services to be provided under the Master Contract shall be accomplished at the locations identified in the Task Order and may include locations in the Contiguous United States (CONUS) and Outside the CONUS (OCONUS).

 

The place of performance and/or delivery requirements will be specified in each individual Order.

 

ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The guidelines and procedures of FAR 9.5 will be used in identifying and resolving any issues of organizational conflict of interest at the Order level.

 

In the event that an Order requires activity that would create an actual or potential conflict of interest, the Contractor shall identify the potential or actual conflict to the OCO for review per FAR 9.5.

 

TASK ORDER NOTICE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF DELAYS

(a) In the event the Contractor encounters difficulty in meeting performance requirements, or when it anticipates difficulty in complying with the contract delivery schedule or any date, or whenever the Contractor has knowledge that any actual or potential situation is delaying or threatens to delay the timely performance of this contract, the Contractor shall immediately notify the Contracting Officer and the Contracting Officer’s Representative, in writing, giving pertinent details, provided that this data shall be informational only in character and that this provision shall not be construed as a waiver by the Government of any delivery schedule or date or of any rights or remedies provided by law or under this contract.

 

(b) If the Contractor fails to respond in a timely manner to any portion of this contract, delay will be attributed to the Contractor. Although the period of performance may change due to the delay, the price may be subject to a downward adjustment.

 

(c) If the Government delays performance of this contract, the period of performance and/or price may be revised upon mutual agreement between the Government and the Contractor.

 

MARKETING

GSA requires the review and approval of any Press/News Releases for Orders and Master Contracts, Marketing/Promotional Materials and Brochures by a Contractor that is GSA GWAC related, including information on the Contractor’s GWAC webpage. The Contractor shall develop and display company specific GSA GWAC brochures for distribution at trade shows, conferences, seminars, etc., and distribute printed materials to enhance awareness of the GSA GWAC. The GWAC Program will periodically provide the GWAC Sales Training. It is highly recommended that the Contractor’s Business Development, Marketing & Sales, and Capture Management personnel attend these training programs.

 

All marketing, promotional materials, and news releases in connection with the GSA GWAC or Task Order awards under the GSA GWAC, including information on the Contractor’s GSA GWAC web page, may be co-branded with marks owned or licensed by the Contractor and GSA, as long as the Contractor complies with GSAM 552.203-71, Restriction on Advertising, and in the case of GSA’s logo must comply with GSA Star Mark logo policy (See Attachment J-8 Website References). Contractors shall ensure these guidelines are adhered to by its subcontractors.

 

   

 

 

The Prime Contractor shall not permit the marketing of their Master Contract on its subcontractor webpages that purports to, has the appearance of, or misrepresents itself to be a GSA GWAC approved teaming partner/subcontractor, when this arrangement has not been approved by the GWAC Contracting Officer. Per Section G.23, the Government had not pre- approved any subcontractors for the Master Contract. Subcontractor information may reside on the Prime Contractor’s Alliant webpage for purposes of marketing and customer awareness.

 

PERMITS

Except as otherwise provided in an individual Order, the Contractor shall, without direct cost to the Government, be responsible for obtaining any and all licenses, certifications, authorizations, approvals, and permits; for complying with any applicable Federal, national, state, and municipal laws, codes, and regulations; and any applicable foreign work permits, authorizations, etc., and/or visas in connection with the performance of any applicable Order issued under the Master Contract.

 

SECURITY: REQUIRED IT SECURITY POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

Contractors entering into an agreement for service to government activities shall be subject to all ordering activity IT security standards, policies, reporting requirements, and government wide laws or regulations applicable to the protection of government wide information security.

 

The Contractor acknowledges and affirms by their signed acceptance of this Master Contract they will abide by all required IT security indicated throughout this Master Contract and federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, and agency policies relating to Government IT security. Refer to Attachment J-2 Government Security Publications and Contractor Minimum Security Requirements for Select Systems.

 

SECURITY: SAFEGUARDING SENSITIVE DATA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES

In accordance with FAR 39.105, this section is included in the Master Contract. This section applies to all users of sensitive data and information technology (IT) resources, including contractors, subcontractors, lessors, suppliers and manufacturers. Agency-specific IT Security guidelines will be identified in individual Task Orders by the issuing agency OCO.

 

GSA Agency-specific IT Security Guidelines

For all Task Orders issued by the GSA, the following GSA policies are required to be followed by GSA Personnel whether acting as the requiring agency or the contract servicing agency. The IT Security policies can be found on the GSA Directives website. See Attachment J-8 Website References.

 

1.CIO P 2100.1 GSA Information Technology (IT) Security Policy
2.CIO P 2100.2B GSA Wireless Local Area Network (LAN) Security
3.CIO 2100.3B Mandatory Information Technology (IT) Security Training Requirement for Agency and Contractor Employees with SignificantSecurity Responsibilities
4.CIO 2104.1A GSA Information Technology IT General Rules of Behavior
5.CIO 2105.1 B GSA Section 508: Managing Electronic and InformationTechnology for Individuals with Disabilities
6.CIO 2106.1 GSA Social Media Policy
7.CIO 2107.1 Implementation of the Online Resource Reservation Software
8.CIO 2160.4 Provisioning of Information Technology (IT) Devices
9.CIO 2162.1 Digital Signatures
10.CIO P 2165.2 GSA Telecommunications Policy
11.CIO P 2180.1 GSA Rules of Behavior for Handling Personally Identifiable Information (Pll)
12.CIO 2182.2 Mandatory Use of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) Credentials
13.CIO P 1878.2A Conducting Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) in GSA
14.CIO IL-13-01 Mobile Devices and Applications
15.CIO IL-14-03 Information Technology (IT) Integration Policy
16.HCO 9297.1 GSA Data Release Policy
17.HCO 9297.2B GSA Information Breach Notification Policy
18.ADM P 9732.1 D Suitability and Personnel Security
19.GSAR Clause 552.204-9, Personal Identity Verification Requirements

 

   

 

 

20.GSAR Clause 552.239-70, Information Technology Security Plan and Security Authorization
21.GSAR Clause 552.239-71, Security Requirements for Unclassified Information Technology Resources

 

Task Order Subcontractors IT Security Guidelines, if applicable

The Contractor and its Subcontractors, if any, shall expressly insert the substance of this Master Contract for their agency-specific IT security guidelines into all GWAC Task Order Subcontractor agreements/contracts who are providing any IT goods or services, including all levels of Subcontractor tiers.

 

SECURITY: SECURITY CLEARANCES

The Master contract’s pre-established labor categories and associated Maximum Rates cover work at the classified Secret level.

 

Individual Task Orders may require higher level security clearances. Only those Offerors that meet the required security clearance levels on individual Orders shall be able to compete for Task Orders requiring security clearance(s). When classified work is required on an individual Task Order, the Contract Security Classification Specification, (DD Form 254 or agency equivalent) will be issued to the Contractor by the requiring agency.

 

The Contractor is responsible for providing personnel with appropriate security clearances to ensure compliance with Government security regulations, as specified on individual Orders. The Contractor shall fully cooperate on all security checks and investigations by furnishing requested information to verify the Contractor employee's trustworthiness and suitability for the position. Clearances may require Special Background Investigations (SBI), Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access or Special Access Programs (SAP), or agency-specific access, such as a Q clearance or clearance for restricted data.

 

SECURITY: HOMELAND SECURITY PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVES-12 (HSPD-12)

The Contractor shall comply with agency personal identity verification procedures identified in individual Orders that implement Homeland Security Presidential Directives-12 (HSPD-12); OMB guidance M-05-24; Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) number 201; and GSA HSPD- 12, Personal Identity Verification- I, Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). The Master Contract’s pre-established labor

 

CONTRACTOR TRAINING

The Contractor is generally expected to maintain the professional qualifications and certifications of its personnel through ongoing training. Unless specifically authorized in an individual Order, the Contractor shall not directly bill the Government for any training.

 

Mandatory Training

Contractor employees that are engaged in any programmatic reporting capacity with the GWAC Program shall within 90 days of involvement meet the following:

 

All contractor employees having access to the GSA government designated system shall review and understand the various online government designated system video tutorials contained in the government designated system’s Training Module at a website noted in Attachment J-8.

 

GOVERNMENT PROPERTY

Any equipment, property, or facilities furnished by the Government or any Contractor-acquired property must be specified on individual Orders and follow the policies and procedures of FAR Part 45, Government Property, for providing Government property to Contractors, Contractors’ use and management of Government property, and reporting, redistributing, and disposing of Contractor inventory.

 

LEASING OF REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY

The Government contemplates that leases may be part of a solution offered by a Contractor, but the Government, where the Offeror’s solution includes leasing, will not be the Lessee. Under no circumstances on any Task Order issued under this Master Contract shall:

(a)       The Government be deemed to have privity-of-contract with the owner/lessor of the leased items; or

 

   

 

 

(b)       The Government be held liable for early termination/cancellation damages if the Government decides not to exercise an Option period under an Order unless the Contractor has specifically disclosed the amount of such damages (or the formula by which such damages would be calculated) as part of its proposal and the OCO for the Order has specifically approved/allowed such damages as part of the Award. The Master Contract strictly prohibits the use of lease-like payment arrangements, which purport to permit the Government to receive delivery of items and then pay for the full cost of the items over time, even if such arrangements are not technically a lease transaction because the Government is not the lessee.

 

ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY

Pursuant to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, all electronic and information technology (EIT) products and services developed, acquired, maintained, or used under Task Orders issued against the contract must comply with the "Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Provisions" set forth by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (also referred to as the "Access Board") in 36 CFR part 1194.

 

The offeror must reference the Section 508 technical standards below as a resource for meeting compliance of deliverables:

1194.21 Software applications and operating systems

1194.22 Web-based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications

1194.23 Telecommunications Products

1194.24 Video and multimedia products

1194.25 Self-contained, closed products

1194.26 Desktop and portable computers

1194.31 Functional Performance Criteria

1194.41 Information, Documentation and Support

 

The Offeror must comply with all required Federal or agency standards, including providing a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VAT) or Government Product and Services Accessibility Template (GPAT), as specified in the scope of work for each Task Order. OCOs have the option to perform testing and validation of EIT deliverables against any conformance claim and may include Section 508 compliance as an evaluation factor within a Task Order. Information about Section 508 provisions and complete text is available on the GSA Government- wide Section508 Accessibility Program website. (See Attachment J.8 Website References).

 

INTERNET PROTOCOL VERSION 6 (IPV6)

The Master Contract involves the acquisition of Information Technology (IT) that uses Internet Protocol (IP) technology. The Contractor agrees that: (1) all deliverables that involve IT that uses IP (products, services, software, etc.) comply with IPv6 Standards and interoperate with both IPv6 and IPv4 systems and products; and (2) it has IPv6 technical support for fielded product management, development, and implementation available. If the Contractor plans to offer a deliverable that involves IT that is not initially compliant, the Contractor shall (1) obtain the Task Order Ordering Contracting Officer's (OCO’s) approval before starting work on the deliverable; and (2) have IPv6 technical support for fielded product management, development and implementation available. Should the Contractor find that the Statement of Work (SOW) or specifications of this contract do not conform to IPv6 standards, it must notify the Task Order OCO of such nonconformance and act in accordance with the instructions of the OCO.

 

COMMERCIAL SOFTWARE AGREEMENTS

The Government understands that commercial software tools will be purchased in furtherance of this GWAC and subsequent orders, and may be subject to commercial agreements which may take a variety of forms, including without limitation, licensing agreements, terms of service, maintenance agreements, and the like, whether existing, in hard copy or in an electronic or online format such as "clickwrap" or "browsewrap" (collectively, "Software Agreements"). The parties a cknowledge that 12.212(a) requires the Government to procure such tools and their associated documentation under such Software Agreements to the extent such Software Agreements are consistent with Federal law.

 

The GSA Senior Procurement Executive issued a class deviation on 31 July 2015 to the GSAR to reconcile federal requirements with the terms of standard Commercial Supplier Agreements. An objective of the class deviation is to alleviate costs and delays of negotiating contract terms that federal purchasers can accept from commercial sources of information technology. This deviation (Acquisition Letter MV-15-03) is incorporated by reference into the Master Contract applicable to all Task Orders issued by GSA Contracting Officers

 

   

 

 

LOGISTICAL SUPPORT PRIVILEGES

As specified on individual Orders, Contractors may be required to provide logistical support in OCONUS areas. Individual Orders will specify whether Status of Forces Agreements (SOFAs) for foreign jurisdictions will apply and will be processed for foreign tax exemption purposes. At the discretion of the Military Theatre Commander, the Government may provide, but is not limited to, use of the following:

 

a)Military or other U.S. Government Clubs, exchanges, or other non- appropriated fund organizations;
b)(Military or other U.S. Government commissary stores;
(c)Military or other U.S. Government postal facilities;
c)Utilities and services in accordance with priorities, rates or tariffs
d)established by military or other U.S. Government agencies;
e)Military Payment Certificate (MPC), where applicable;
f)Military or other U.S. Government banking facilities; and
g)Military or other U.S. Government provided telephones, lines, and
h)services with direct dialing capability and access to the Defense Switched

Network (DSN), (formerly AUTOVON). The precedence of usage shall be coincident with the urgency of the requirement and in accordance with Government and Military regulations.

 

(DBAI)DEFENSE BASE ACT INSURANCE

Pursuant to FAR 28.305, DBAI coverage provides workers’ compensation benefits (medical, disability, death) in the event of a work-related injury or illness that occurs outside the United States.

 

The Government requires that employees hired by Contractors and subcontractors who work inter https://max.gov/ https://max.gov/ https://max.gov/ https://max.gov/ https://max.gov/ https://max.gov/ nationally be protected by the DBAI coverage, regardless of their assignment and/or location unless a waiver has been obtained by the U.S. Department of Labor.

 

DBAI shall be at no direct cost to the GWAC Program; however, if required and approved by an OCO under an individual Task Order, DBAI may be charged as a direct cost to the government.

 

GOVERNMENT SECURITY PUBLICATIONS AND CONTRACTOR MINIMUM SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECT SYSTEMS

The Government requires that information technology solutions meet Federal security standards. The security requirements of government sensitive data and information technology (IT) resources, including awardees, contractors, subcontractors, lessors, suppliers and manufacturers are located in Section H.7 SAFEGUARDING SENSITIVE DATA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES. Additional security requirements, standards and specifications may be provided at the Task level and the contractors must understand certain Security Publications so that contractors are prepared to comply if encountered at the Task level. Furthermore, the Government requires that Contractors ensure a minimal level of security for certain select systems as outlined in this document.

 

Federal Security Standards at the Task Level

Contractors entering into an agreement for services at the Task Order level to the General Services Administration (GSA) and/or its Federal customers shall be contractually subject to all GSA and Federal IT Security standards, policies, and reporting requirements. The Contractor shall meet and comply with all GSA IT Security Policies and all applicable GSA and NIST standards and guidelines, and other Government-wide laws and regulations for protection and security of Information Technology. All GSA Contractors must comply with the GSA policies referenced within the GSA IT Security Policy that are listed under Section H.7

 

SAFEGUARDING SENSITIVE DATA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES.

Contractors are also required to comply with Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), the “Special Publication 800 series” guidelines published by NIST, and the requirements of FISMA.

 

FAR 52.204-21 (June 2016) Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information Systems
Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) of 2002.
Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 also known as the “Information Technology Management Reform Act of 1996.”
Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. § 552a).
Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-12), “Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors”, August 27, 2004.

 

   

 

 

Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, “Management of Federal Information Resources”, and Appendix III, “Security of Federal Automated Information Systems”, as amended.
OMB Memorandum M-04-04, “E-Authentication Guidance for Federal Agencies.”
FIPS PUB 199, “Standards for Security Categorization of Federal Information and Information Systems.”
FIPS PUB 200, “Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and Information Systems.”
FIPS PUB 140-2, “Security Requirements for Cryptographic Modules.”
NIST Special Publication 800-18 Rev 1, “Guide for Developing Security Plans for Federal Information Systems.”
NIST Special Publication 800-30, “Risk Management Guide for Information Technology Security Risk Assessment Procedures for Information Technology Systems.”
NIST Special Publication 800-34, “Contingency Planning Guide for Information Technology Systems.”
NIST Special Publication 800-37, Revision 1, “Guide for the Security Certification and Accreditation of Federal Information Systems.”
NIST Special Publication 800-47, “Security Guide for Interconnecting Information Technology Systems.”
NIST Special Publication 800-53 Revision 3, “Recommended Security Controls for Federal Information Systems.”
NIST Special Publication 800-53A, “Guide for Assessing the Security Controls in Federal Information Systems.”

 

Cloud Computing Security Requirements for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)

For those Task Orders issued under DOD/DISA, Program Managers (PMs) or Federal Service Manager (FSMs) must implement any cloud computing services in accordance with DISA provided in the Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (SRG) found at the DoD Cloud Computing Security Website (See Attachment J-8 Website References). Prior to contract award, all commercially provided cloud services must have a DoD Provisional Authorization granted by DISA. Prior to operational use, all cloud services must have an Authority to Operate granted by the PM/FSM’s Authorizing Official. PMs/FSMs that acquire or use cloud services remain responsible for ensuring that end to end security and computer network defense requirements are met.

 

Information Security Policies, Procedures, and Practices

In addition to being able to perform in accordance to the referenced publications as required at the Task level for sensitive data and information technology (IT) resources, a contractor must ensure that the contractor's information security policies, procedures, and practices applicable to all information systems it owns or operates which contain, transmit, or process information provided by or generated for the Government to support the operations and assets of a Federal agency (“Federal Information”), which may be reasonably contemplated to be used during the performance of this contract, meet, at a minimum, the requirements of the security control baseline for Low-Impact information systems (in the most current version of NIST Special Publication 800-53), or conform to the requirements commercial standards that provide a substantially equivalent or greater level of security.

 

AGENCY (GSAR) SPECIFIC CLAUSES

 

The following clauses are applicable to this Order, are in effect on the date of this Order and are incorporated herein.

 

Reference Title of Clause Date
552.252-6 AUTHORIZED DEVIATIONS IN CLAUSES (DEVIATION FAR 52.252-6) SEP 1999
552.204-9 PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION REQUIREMENTS OCT 2012
552.204-70 CYBER INCIDENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS PENDING
552.212-4 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS- COMMERCIAL ITEMS (ALTERNATE II) (FAR DEVIATION) JUL 2015
552.215-70 EXAMINATION OF RECORDS BY GSA FEB 1996
552.237-73 RESTRICTION ON DISCLOSURE INFORMATION JUN 2009
552.232-78 COMMERCIAL SUPPLIER AGREEMENTS FEB 2018
552.239-71 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR UNCLASSIFIED INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES JUN 2011

 

   

 

 

Item 58 - TASK ORDER FAR & DFAR CLAUSES

 

The clauses from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (“FAR”) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (“DFARS) set forth below are incorporated by reference into the Order, in addition to the FAR and DFAR clauses incorporated into the Agreement listed on the cover page of this Order.

 

In order to make the context of these clauses applicable to this Order, the term "Contractor" in all such clauses shall mean "Seller", the term "Contract" in all such clauses shall mean this "Order", and the term "Contracting Officer" shall mean "Buyer" unless otherwise specified.

 

The terms "Government" and "Contracting Officer" do not change:

(1)in the phrases "Government Property," "Government-Owned Property," "Government Equipment," "Government- Furnished Property," and "Government-Owned Equipment;"
(2)when a right, act, authorization, or obligation can be granted or performed only by the Government or the Prime Contract Contracting Officer or his duly authorized representative;
(3)when access to proprietary financial information or other proprietary data is required;
(4)when title to property is to be transferred directly to the Government;
(5)where specifically modified as noted below;
(6)in FAR 52.215-2, 52.227-1, 52.227-2, 52.227-14, 52.227-19, 52.230-3, 52.246-23, and 52.246-25; and
(7)in DFARS 252.227-7013, 252.227-7014, 252.227-7015, 252.227-7016, 252.227-7026, and 252.227-7027.

 

FAR CLAUSES

 

Applies?

FAR

Reference

Title of Clause DATE
X 52.204-9 PERSONAL IDENTITY VERIFICATION OF CONTRACTOR PERSONNEL Jan 11
X 52.215-10 PRICE REDUCTION FOR DEFECTIVE CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA Aug 11
X 52.215-11 PRICE REDUCTION FOR DEFECTIVE CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA- MODIFICATIONS Aug 11
X 52.215-12 SUBCONTRACTOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA Oct 10
X 52.215-13 SUBCONTRACTOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA-MODIFICATIONS Oct 10
X 52.215-2 AUDIT AND RECORDS-NEGOTIATION Oct 10
  52.215-20 REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA AND DATA OTHER THAN CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA Oct 10
  52.215-21 REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA AND DATA OTHER THAN CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA-MODIFICATIONS Oct 10
X 52.215-23 LIMITATIONS ON PASS-THROUGH CHARGES Oct 09
  52.216-7 ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT Aug 18
  52.216-8 FIXED FEE Jun 11
X 52.222-50 COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS Jan 19
X 52.228-3 WORKERS’ COMPENSATION INSURANCE (DEFENSE BASE ACT) Jul 14
X 52.228-4 WORKERS’ COMPENSATION AND WAR-HAZARD INSURANCE OVERSEAS Apr 84
  52.230-2 COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS Oct 15
X 52.232-40 PROVIDING ACCELERATED PAYMENTS TO SMALL BUSINESS CONTRACTORS Dec 13
X 52.233-3 PROTEST AFTER AWARD – ALT I (JUNE 1995) Jun 95
X 52.243-2 CHANGES – COST REIMBURSEMENT ALT II (AUG 1987) Aug 87

 

   

 

 

X 52.245-1 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY Jan 17
X 52.246-5 INSPECTION OF SERVICES-COST-REIMBURSEMENT Apr 84
X 52.249-6 TERMINATION (COST-REIMBURSEMENT) May 04

 

DFAR CLAUSES

 

Applies?

DFAR

Reference

Title of Clause DATE
X 252.203-7001 PROHIBITION ON PERSONS CONVICTED OF FRAUD OR OTHER DEFENSE- CONTRACT-RELATED FELONIES Dec 08
X 252.203-7002 REQUIREMENTS TO INFORM EMPLOYEES OF WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS Sep 13
X 252.203-7003 AGENCY OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL Dec 12
X 252.204-7000 DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION Oct 16
X 252.204-7012 SAFEGUARDING COVERED DEFENSE INFORMATION AND CYBER INCIDENT REPORTING Oct 16
X 252.204-7015 NOTICE OF AUTHORIZED DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION FOR LITIGATION SUPPORT May 16
X 252.211-7007 REPORTING OF GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY Aug 12
X 252.225-7048 EXPORT-CONTROLLED ITEMS Jun 13
X 252.245-7001 TAGGING, LABELING, AND MARKING OF GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY Apr 12
X 252.245-7002 REPORTING LOSS OF GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY Dec 17
X 252.245-7003 CONTRACTOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION Apr 12
X 252.245-7004 REPORTING, REUTILIZATION, AND DISPOSAL Dec 17

 

   

 

 

Exhibit 10.18

 

Portions of this exhibit have been redacted in compliance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(10)(iv) because it is both (i) not material and (ii) and the type of information that is confidential.”

 

   

Purchase Order No.: P000096970

(Please reference this Purchase Order on all invoices)

Order Date: 9/30/2020

Modification Date: 4/8/2022

Modification No : 15

 

CACI, INC.-FEDERAL

 

 

CORVUS CONSULTING LLC

______________________

______________________

USA

______________________

_________________________

______________

 

Ceiling Value $6,742,678.44
   
POP Start 10/1/2020
   
POP End 4/6/2023
   
Order Type Labor Hour
   
Ship Via Best Way
   
Deliver To

____________

______________________

_______________________________

_____________

   
Payment Terms NET 45
   
Upload Invoice To Payment for hours worked will be made based on approved time sheets in CACI's subcontractor timekeeping system. See terms
   
CACI Contact for this Order

_________________

______________________

   
Prime Contract Number 47QTCK18D0009
   
Prime Delivery Order Number 47QFWA20F0011

 

Documents Included by Reference
Other (S)  Funding Table

 

  Page 1 of 4 

 

 

   

Purchase Order No.: P000096970

(Please reference this Purchase Order on all invoices)

Order Date: 9/30/2020

Modification Date: 4/8/2022

Modification No : 15

 

CACI, INC.-FEDERAL

 

 

CORVUS CONSULTING LLC

______________________

______________________

USA

______________________

_________________________

______________

 

Item  Reference and Description  Quantity  Units  Unit Price   Tax   Total Price 
1 

Base Year Labor

POP: 10/1/2020 - 4/21/2021

Comments: de-obligating remaining base year funding and re-obligating to OY1

  1.00  Not to Exceed  $343529.600   $0.00   $343,529.60 
2 

20610.0010 Option Year 1 Labor support

POP: 4/7/2021 - 4/6/2022

Comments: Funding through PoP

  1.00  Not to Exceed  $1532208.00   $0.00   $1,532,208.00 
3 

20610.0010 Option Year 1 Labor Support

POP: 7/12/2021 - 4/6/2022

Comments: Funding 2 FTE - Computer Scientists Mar- PoP

  1.00  Not to Exceed  $375280.960   $0.00   $375,280.96 
4 

20610.0010 Option Year 1 Travel

POP: 9/1/2021 - 4/6/2022

Comments: Funding for Stephanie Chenault's Sept travel

  1.00  Not to Exceed  $3000.0000   $0.00   $3,000.00 
5 

20610.0010 Option Year 2 Labor Support

POP: 4/7/2022 - 4/6/2023

Comments: Funding for 10 FTE April 7- Jun

  1.00  Not to Exceed  $979577.020   $0.00   $979,577.02 
6 

20610.0010 Option Year 2 Labor Support

POP: 4/7/2022 - 4/6/2023

Comments: Funding for 2 FTE April 7- Jun

  1.00  Not to Exceed  $168544.370   $0.00   $168,544.37 

 

Total before Tax   3,402,139.95 USD 
Total after Tax   3,402,139.95 USD 

 

We/I acknowledge receipt of the Purchase Order. We/I agree to comply with these instructions and hereby accept the conditions, agreements, and terms stated within this Purchase Order and in the attachments hereto. Supplier certifies that all documents and certifications incorporated by reference into this award are true, correct and accurate as of the date of execution.

 

  Page 2 of 4 

 

 

   

Purchase Order No.: P000096970

(Please reference this Purchase Order on all invoices)

Order Date: 9/30/2020

Modification Date: 4/8/2022

Modification No : 15

 

CACI, INC.-FEDERAL

 

 

CORVUS CONSULTING LLC

______________________

______________________

USA

______________________

_________________________

______________

 

CACI Procurement (Electronic Signed by): Date:

 

Supplier Point of Contact (Electronic Signed by): Date:

 

  Page 3 of 4 

 

 

   

Purchase Order No.: P000096970

(Please reference this Purchase Order on all invoices)

Order Date: 9/30/2020

Modification Date: 4/8/2022

Modification No : 15

 

CACI, INC.-FEDERAL

 

 

CORVUS CONSULTING LLC

______________________

________________________

_________________________________

 

 

Item 1 – SUBCONTRACT MODIFICATION 15

 

Modification 15 is being issued to accomplish the following:

 

·Line Item 5 (OY 2 Labor support) funding value increase from: $0.00 by: $979,577.02 to: $979,577.02
·Line Item 6 (OY 2Labor support) funding value increase from: $0.00 by: $168,544.37 to: $168,544.37
·Increase Overall Funding from: $2,254,018.56 by: $1,148,121.39 to: $3,402,139.95
·No change to ceiling value

 

Funded Value
Previous Value:  $2,254,512.48 
Modified By:  $1,148,121.39 
Revised Value:  $2,254,018.56 

 

Ceiling Value
Previous Value:  $6,742,678.44 
Modified By:  $0.00 
Revised Value:  $6,742,678.44 

 

  Page 4 of 4 

 

 

 

Exhibit 10.19

 

Portions of this exhibit have been redacted in compliance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(10)(iv) because it is both (i) not material and (ii) and the type of information that is confidential.”

 

 

   
   

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Contract Specialist

 

____________ 

 

________________ 

 

_________________________ 

  

Contracting Officer

 

____________ 

 

________________ 

 

_________________________ 

 

Contracting Officer Representative

 

____________ 

 

________________ 

 

_________________________ 

 

Contractor Representatives

 

____________ 

 

________________ 

 

_________________________ 

 

or

 

____________ 

 

________________ 

 

_________________________ 

 

PR: 1300768825 -____________ ) SLIN 700001 - ____________

 

Contractor will provide CyberSecurity support for lab security support for multiple ALRE programs. These services will include supporting efforts for Risk Management Framework (RMF) which the contractor will initiate and plan the Assessment and Authorization (A&A), perform the Implementation & Validation of assigned IA controls, submit for a certification determination and accreditation decision, maintain the Authority to Operate (ATO) and conduct reviews.

 

   
CONTRACT NO.
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DELIVERY ORDER NO.
N6833519F3000
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SECTION B SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES

 

CLIN - SUPPLIES OR SERVICES

 

For Cost Type Items:

 

Item PSC Supplies/Services Qty Unit Est. Cost Fixed Fee CPFF
         

  

7000 R425 Labor for the Base Period. The 1.0 LO ______________________ $7,781,633.75 contractor shall provide support services in accordance with Section C. COST PLUS FIXED FEE (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)

 

700001 R425 Funding in support of CLIN 7000
in the amount of ________________
(O&MN,N)

 

7100 R425 Labor for Option Period I. The 1.0 LO _____________________ $7,967,121.24 contractor shall provide support services in accordance with Section C. COST PLUS FIXED FEE (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option

 

7200 R425 Labor for Option Period II. The 1.0 LO _____________________ $8,158,059.73 contractor shall provide support services in accordance with Section C. COST PLUS FIXED FEE (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option

 

7300 R425 Labor for Option Period III. 1.0 LO _____________________ $8,353,889.59
    The contractor shall provide support services in accordance with Section C. COST PLUS FIXED FEE (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option

 

7400 R425 Labor for Option Period IV. The 1.0 LO _____________________ $8,554,263.85 contractor shall provide support services in accordance with Section C. COST PLUS FIXED FEE (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option

 

For ODC Items:

 

Item PSC Supplies/Services Qty Unit Est. Cost
   

 

9000 R425 Travel for the Base Period. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO $_________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)

 

Item PSC Supplies/Services Qty Unit Est. Cost

 

9001 R425 Material for the Base Period. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO _________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
9002 R425 ODC for the Base Period. The contractor shall provide support 1.0 LO _________________ services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)

 

   
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9003 R425 Deliverables for Base Period in accordance with the attached 1.0 LO _________________ CDRLs. NOT SEPARATELY PRICED (Fund Type - TBD)
     
9100 R425 Travel for Option Period I. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO ________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9101 R425 Material for Option Period I. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO _________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9102 R425 ODC for Option Period I. The contractor shall provide support 1.0 LO _________________ services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9103 R425 Deliverables for Option I Period in accordance with the 1.0 LO $0.00 attached CDRLs. NOT SEPARATELY PRICED (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9200 R425 Travel for Option Period II. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO _________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9201 R425 Material for Option Period II. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO _________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9202 R425 ODC for Option Period II. The contractor shall provide support 1.0 LO _________________ services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9203 R425 Deliverables for Option II Period in accordance with the 1.0 LO _________________ attached CDRLs. NOT SEPARATELY PRICED (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9300 R425 Travel for Option Period III. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO _________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9301 R425 Material for Option Period III. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO _________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)

 

Item PSC Supplies/Services Qty Unit Est. Cost

 

    Option
     
9302 R425 ODC for Option Period III. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO _________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9303 R425 Deliverables for Option III Period in accordance with the 1.0 LO _________________ attached CDRLs. NOT SEPARATELY PRICED (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9400 R425 Travel for Option Period IV. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO ________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option

 

   
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9401 R425 Material for Option Period IV. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO _________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9402 R425 Material for Option Period IV. The contractor shall provide 1.0 LO _________________ support services in accordance with Section C. COST ONLY (Fund Type - TBD) (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option
     
9403 R425 Deliverables for Option IV Period in accordance with the 1.0 LO _________________ attached CDRLs. NOT SEPARATELY PRICED (Fund Type - TBD)
     
    Option

 

The Level of Effort is a term type CPFF task order.

 

Cost Plus Fixed-Fee CLINs are: Labor CLINs 7000, 7100, 7200, 7300, and 7400.

 

Cost Reimbursement Only and NON-FEE BEARING CLINs are: Other Direct Costs: Travel CLINs 9000, 9100, 9200, 9300, and 9400; and Material CLINs 9001, 9101, 9201, 9301, and 9401; ODC CLINs 9002, 9102, 9202, 9302 and 9402; No Cost Data CLINs are: 9003, 9103, 9203, 9303, and 9403.

 

For informational purposes only, the Government Estimate per period is as follows:

 

Labor Category Estimated Hours for Each Year

 

Labor Category Base Option I Option II Option III Option IV
Program Manager Senior  _____ _____  _____  _____  _____ 
Systems Engineer Senior  ______ ______  ______  ______  ______ 
Systems Engineer Journeyman ______  ______  ______  ______  ______ 
Software Engineer Senior ______  ______  ______  ______  ______ 
Software Engineer Journeyman ______  ______  ______  ______  ______ 
Software Engineer Junior ______  ______  ______  ______  ______ 
Engineering Technician Senior ______  ______  ______  ______  ______ 
Engineering Technician Journeyman ______  ______  ______  ______  ______ 
Engineering Technician Junior ______  ______  ______  ______  ______ 
Subject Matter Expert (fleet experience) ______  ______  ______  ______  ______ 
Engineer/Scientist Senior ______  ______  ______  ______  ______ 

 

   
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Computer Specialist Senior  ______  ______  ______  ______  ______
Computer Specialist Journeyman  ______  ______  ______  ______  ______
Computer Specialist Junior  ______  ______  ______  ______  ______
Principal Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Specialist  ______  ______  ______  ______  ______
Information Assurance Analyst Senior  ______  ______  ______  ______  ______
Information Assurance Analyst Journeyman  ______  ______  ______  ______  ______
Technical Writer Senior  ______  ______  ______  ______  ______
Technical Writer Journeyman  ______  ______  ______  ______  ______
Total Hours  ______  ______  ______  ______  ______

 

CLIN Travel Material ODC
9000  _________    
9100  _________    
9200  _________    
9300  _________    
9400  _________    
9001   _________  
9101   _________  
9201   _________  
9301   _________  
9401    _________
9002      _________
9102      _________
9202      _________
9302      _________
9402      _________

 

Note: For proposal purposes all offerors shall use the estimated labor categories, labor hours, travel, and material costs.

 

HQ B-2-0004 EXPEDITING CONTRACT CLOSEOUT (NAVESEA)(DEC 1995) ( Applicable at Task Order Level)

 

(a) As part of the negotiated fixed price or total estimated amount of this contract, both the Government and the Contractor have agreed to waive any entitlement that otherwise might accrue to either party in any residual dollar amount of $500 or less at the time of final contract closeout. The term "residual dollar amount" shall include all money that would otherwise be owed to either party at the end of the contract, except that, amounts connected in any way with taxation, allegations of fraud and/or antitrust violations shall be excluded.

 

For purposes of determining residual dollar amounts, offsets of money owed by one party against money that would otherwise be paid by that party may be considered to the extent permitted by law.

 

   
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(b) This agreement to waive entitlement to residual dollar amounts has been considered by both parties. It is agreed that the administrative costs for either party associated with collecting such small dollar amounts could exceed the amount to be recovered.

 

HQ B-2-0007 LIMITATION OF COST OR LIMITATION OF FUNDS LANGUAGE

 

The clause entitled “LIMITATION OF COST” (FAR 52.232-20) or “LIMITATION OF FUNDS” (FAR 52.232-22), as appropriate, shall apply separately and independently to each separately identified estimated cost.

 

HQ B-2-0015 PAYMENTS OF FEE(S) (LEVEL OF EFFORT – ALTERNATE 1) (NAVSEA) (MAY 2010)

 

(a) For purposes of this contract, “fee” means “target fee” in cost-plus-incentive-fee type contracts, "base fee" in cost-plus award-fee type contracts, or "fixed fee" in cost-plus-fixed-fee type contracts for level of effort type contracts.

 

(b) The Government shall make payments to the Contractor, subject to and in accordance with the clause in this contract entitled “FIXED FEE" (FAR 52.216-8) or "INCENTIVE FEE", (FAR 52.216-10), as applicable. Such payments shall be submitted by and payable to the Contractor pursuant to the clause of this contract entitled "ALLOWABLE COST AND PAYMENT" (FAR 52.216-7), subject to the withholding terms and conditions of the "FIXED FEE" or "INCENTIVE FEE" clause, as applicable, and shall be paid fee at the hourly rate(s) specified above per man-hour performed and invoiced. Total fee(s) paid to the Contractor shall not exceed the fee amount(s) set forth in this contract.

 

In no event shall the Government be required to pay the Contractor any amount in excess of the funds obligated under this contract.

 

5252.211-9503 LEVEL OF EFFORT (COST REIMBURSEMENT) (NAVAIR)(DEC 2012) - ALT I (JUN 2013)

 

(a) The level of effort estimated to be ordered during the term of this contract/order is _________] man-hours of direct labor including authorized subcontract labor, if any. The estimated composition of the total man-hours of direct labor by classification is as follows: [See Section B Above]
   
(b) FAR Clause 52.232-20, "Limitation of Cost" applies to fully funded orders and FAR Clause 52.232-22,

 

"Limitation of Funds" applies to incrementally funded orders. Nothing in this clause amends the rights or responsibilities of the parties hereto under either of those two clauses. In addition, the notifications required by this clause are separate and distinct from any specified in either FAR Clause 52.232-20 or FAR Clause 52.232-22.

 

(c) It is agreed that while the contractor's performance during the period set forth in paragraph (a) above is based upon an anticipated level of effort consisting of man-hours of direct labor (as may be described or defined elsewhere herein), such level of effort may fluctuate, either upward or downward, by no more than ten (10%) percent of the total anticipated man-hours. This fixed fee is agreed to be paid for man-hours expended from ninety (90%) percent to one hundred ten (110%) percent of the total anticipated man-hours. The fixed fee shall not vary with the cost of the actual effort supplied within this range. In the event that less than ninety (90%) percent of the anticipated level of effort is actually expended by the expiration date of the contract, the Government shall have the option of:

 

(1) requiring the contractor to continue to perform until the level of effort expended equals ninety (90%) percent of the anticipated level of effort; or

 

(2) effecting a reduction in the fixed fee by the percentage by which the total expended man-hours is less than ninety (90%) percent of the anticipated level of effort.

 

(d) The contractor agrees that effort performed in fulfillment of level of effort obligations under this contract shall include only verifiable effort in direct support of the work specified. It shall not include efforts such as work performed in transit to or from an employee's usual workplace, work during lunchtime activities, or effort performed at other non-work locations.

 

SECTION C DESCRIPTIONS AND SPECIFICATIONS

 

1.0 Scope

 

This Statement of Work (SOW) defines the typical efforts and products required in support of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Support Equipment (SE) and Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Department work products including Software Support Activities (SSAs) for ALRE as well as other departmental and in-service engineering work for software intensive systems.

 

   
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2.0 Applicable Documents

 

● IEEE Std 12207, "Systems and Software Engineering — Software life cycle processes"

● EIA-632 Process for Engineering a System

● Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) For Development, Version 1.3 or later

● Department of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) clause

● 252.227-7013, "Rights in technical data - Non-commercial items"

● Department of Defense, Joint Software Systems Safety Engineering Workgroup, Joint

● Software Systems Safety Engineering Handbook, Version 1.0 (JSSSEH)

● MIL-STD-882E, Department of Defense Standard Practice, System Safety

 

3.0 Overview

 

3.1 General Requirements

 

Through this contract, tasking will be placed to provide SSA and other in-service engineering and technical support for the Aviation Data Management and Control System (ADMACS), Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), Advanced Recovery Control (ARC) System, and other software intensive programs.

 

The tasking will include engineering activities ranging from requirements definition, design, development, fabrication, integration, test, maintenance, infrastructure, fleet support, training, and support of SSA and other in-service software systems and components. It will include technology demonstrations, trade studies, specifications, design documents, source code, algorithm formulation, test procedures, development, production, and enhancements of hardware and software, installation, training, and maintenance. Any actions performed, and any tools developed that will be hosted on Navy systems must comply with applicable cybersecurity and intelligence policies.

 

3.2 Project Oversight and Technical Support

 

The Contractor shall plan and manage each technical service effort in accordance with its proposed Management approach. The contractor shall provide Progress, Status, and Management reports with periodic updates that contain the following information in performing any tasking: milestones, deliverable status, project status, and financial status. In addition, the contractor will support the government in its management function as required to support the tasking.

 

  Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) A001 Contractor's Progress, Status, and Management Report

 

   
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3.3 Integrated Product Teams

 

The Government intends to use an Integrated Product Team approach for most efforts associated with this contract. Contractor personnel shall work with the government team and actively participate with the Government to plan and coordinate program efforts to ensure successful completion of all task requirements. The primary mechanism for this coordination will be the project Integrated Government Schedule (IGS) which is an integrated master schedule developed by the government team. Effective communication is essential and key personnel can expect to participate in technical meetings and reviews wherever they may need to be conducted. For certain specific efforts, the contractor will be co-located with the Government at the Aircraft Platform Interface laboratories in Lakehurst, NJ. The Contractor shall work within the government provided software design, development, and maintenance environment and follow the established processes defined in the Software Development Plans, Software Configuration Management Plans, Systems Engineering Technical Review (SETR) process and other software processes defined by the government team. The contractor shall perform supportive functions when requested, such as providing meeting agendas and minutes (including action items) for program status and technical interchange meetings.

 

  CDRL A002 Meeting Minutes

 

3.4 Stand-alone Teams

 

For some projects, tasking may be provided as a stand-alone requirement where the contractor will need to perform the tasks independently and create products for the government. The contractor will in those cases need to perform as a Prime contractor developer, following the SETR approach, and creating deliverables per CDRLs which will be defined in later sections.

 

3.5 Program and Technical Reviews

 

The contractor will participate in program and technical reviews including but not limited to SETR. Typical reviews include System Requirement Reviews, Preliminary Design Review, Critical Design Review, Test Readiness Review and Production Readiness Review. The contractor shall be responsible for specific elements of the review, and provide inputs in accordance with the IGS.

 

   
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4.0 Range of Projects

 

The Contractor shall perform requirements definition, design, development, fabrication, integration, maintenance, fleet support, training, and test of technology demonstrations, production representative systems, and production systems. Tasking will be for hardware and software components, and cybersecurity and intelligence in support of these types of systems, and will require defined work products with tailoring limited to those areas deemed necessary. For each system, support tools include all non-shipboard software required to test, configure and support the system in all configurations including the lab test environments.

 

4.1 ADMACS is a mission critical shipboard aviation system providing electronic data processing, display and distribution over a shipboard real time, redundant, survivable Local Area Network (LAN) capability, planning and executing critical flight operations data, improving timeliness and accuracy of information received by those decision-makers requiring the information on board CVN class ships. ADMACS acts as an autonomous LAN within the ALRE and Air Operations supporting work centers, with connections to other systems when failures or battle damage prevent communication with and/or through external interfaces. ADMACS employs existing and emerging technologies interfacing with other shipboard tactical, navigational, and meteorological databases to enable rapid input, collection, processing, distribution and display of relevant flight operations, aircraft weapons, and ALRE data throughout the ship. ADMACS provides integrated software applications for executing flight operations management (including shipboard planning and AirPlan), flight deck and hangar deck management, and weapons management. ADMACS supports the Aircraft Handling Officer, Carrier Air Group Maintenance Chief, Squadron Maintenance Control Work Centers, Air Boss, V2 division, aviation weapons, flight deck and hangar deck personnel.

 

4.2 EMALS is a mission and safety critical system designed to provide improved availability, expanded launch envelopes and increased controllability of catapults that are used to launch fixed-wing aircraft from the flight deck of CVN 78 class aircraft carriers. EMALS is a complete launch system designed to replace the existing steam catapults currently being used aboard aircraft carriers. EMALS uses a linear induction motor to generate magnetic fields that propel a carriage down a track to launch the aircraft. It has a closed loop control system and diagnostic health monitoring capability. EMALS accepts power from the ship, stores the energy, delivers the stored energy to a linear motor, and controls the linear motor to produce the required additional force to the aircraft.

 

4.3 AAG is a mission and safety critical system designed to provide the ability to recover current and projected carrier based tail hook-equipped air vehicles well into the twenty-first century. The system has built-in test and diagnostic capabilities, resulting in less maintenance and manpower to operate than current arresting gear systems. The AAG System will be forward fit on CVN 78 class aircraft carriers and future ships.

 

   
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4.4 ARC replaces the arresting gear Constant Run-out Valve, the Retraction Control Valve mechanical actuators and associated control system with a hydraulically actuated computer controlled closed loop system. ARC also has a backup failsafe control system that will complete the arrestment if the primary control system malfunctions. ARC is currently being installed on all carriers that have the Mark 7 Arresting Gear Systems. ARC will not be used on aircraft carriers that have the AAG system installed.

 

4.5 Other ALRE programs (all versions primarily after transition to their maintenance phases), such as but not limited to:

 

● ADMACS interface links application platform, communication, and database functionality for ALRE modernization efforts.

● ALCS - Advanced Launch Control System provides modernization of the fixed wing aircraft Catapult Control System.

● ALRE SLMP - Service Life Management Program predicts the service life of ALRE components with complex loading histories.

● CSM - Compact Swaging Machine is a software controlled hydraulic system used to swage a terminal onto an aircraft carrier purchase cable. This terminal connects to the cross deck pendant that stretches across the flight deck which engages the arresting hook of a fixed wing aircraft as it is landing aboard an aircraft carrier.

● EAF - Expeditionary Air Field programs, such as the EAF Design Analysis Tool, and future lighting systems.

● IFLOLS- Improved Fresnel Lens Optical Landing System provides landing guidance for fixed wing aircraft approaching the carrier deck.

● ILARTS – Integrated Launch and Recovery Television Surveillance provides landing signal officers with glide-slope and line-up information and views of deck operations, aircraft approaches and launches.

● IMOVLAS – Improved Manually Operated Visual Landing Aid System is a manual backup for IFLOLS.

● LSODS - Landing Signal Officer Display Station providing status information to the LSO regarding aircraft approaches to the carrier.

● MWS - Moriah Wind System is the processing and distribution system that acquires wind data, crosswind, headwind, and true wind and provides this data to displays units via the ADMACS network.

● STS - Shooter Tablet System is a computer-based Catapult Capacity Selector Value (CSV) Calculator system which replaces the current manual calculation process used by the Shooter station aboard an aircraft carrier.

● VLA - Visual Landing Aid systems such as the Next Generation Visual Landing Aid (NGVLA) programs include upgrades for advanced aviation lighting system control panel sets, advanced flight deck lighting and multifunction displays

 

   
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5.0 Technical Support Required

 

The Contractor shall perform each technical function noted below in accordance with its proposed engineering approach, to the extent applicable for that project. For selected Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Support Equipment (SE) and Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) Department work products and programs, the contractor will follow the Systems Engineering Technical Review process and be consistent with IEEE 12207, EIA-632, JSSSEH for safety critical systems, and CMMI for Development as referenced in the Applicable Documents in Section 2.0 above. The contractor shall provide technical inputs to and then follow the IGS for programs where an IGS exists. The IGS contains data on project milestones, contract deliverables, and project technical status.

 

5.1 Analyses and Technical Studies

 

Tasking will include analyses and technical studies which address ship environments for carriers and other air capable ships, shore environments for expeditionary air fields and other operational and lab environments for development and testing. Studies will consider real-time operations, installation, manpower, safety, reliability, maintainability, supportability, cost benefit, risk, obsolescence and programmatic factors. Information should be provided in the form of a Technical Report.

 

● CDRL A003 Technical Report

 

5.2 Requirements

 

Tasking will include development of requirements in accordance with the project Systems Engineering Plan (SEP) and corresponding Software Development Plan (SDP) on projects for which these plans are available. Requirements should be provided in accordance with the IGS, and be consistent with appropriate IEEE 12207 Data Item Description. The Contractor shall utilize requirements tools as defined by the ALRE project team, and provide inputs to the team as required for creation by the team of such products as a System/Subsystem Specification, Software Requirements Specification, Interface Requirements Specification, and Unified Modeling Language Use Cases.

 

● CDRL A004System/Subsystem Specification (SSS)

● CDRL A005Software Requirements

● Specification (SRS) CDRL A006Interface Requirements Specification (IRS)

 

5.3 Design

 

Tasking shall include development of the design in accordance with the project SEP and corresponding SDP on projects for which these plans are available. Design support should be provided in accordance with the IGS, and be consistent with appropriate IEEE 12207 Data Item Description. The contractor shall provide inputs to the team as required for creation by the team of such products as Software Design Description, Interface Design Description, and Database Design Description.

 

● CDRL A007 Software Design Description (SDD)

● CDRL A008 Interface Design Description (IDD)

● CDRL A009 Database Design Description (DBDD)

 

   
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As part of design, the contractor shall support System Safety efforts to evaluate and determine safety criticality of requirements, safety impact of designs and design changes, determination of software criticality index for software designs and design changes, identify safety-related testing required based on software criticality index assessment, and review results of testing for potential safety impact. System Safety analysis, evaluation, and verification activities shall be in accordance with MIL-STD-882E. The contractor shall provide inputs to the team as required for creation by the team of such products as System Requirements Hazard Analysis and Functional Hazard Analysis. Details on content and format for this data will be provided by the government.

 

5.4 Development

 

The Contractor shall perform development (including unit testing) in accordance with associated SEP and corresponding SDP as applicable. The Contractor shall help produce, test, and deliver source code, executable code, firmware, and associated drawings, and shall provide engineering support for development. The contractor shall develop and document traceability data from requirements through design and test, to include test cases and test results. For major projects or as required, the contractor will provide inputs to the SDP, Software Transition Plan (STrP), Software Product Specification (SPS), Software User Manual (SUM) and Firmware Support Manual (FSM). Materials and tools necessary for fabrication of hardware design shall be procured by the contractor utilizing the component procurement specification. Development support should be provided in accordance with the IGS, and be consistent with appropriate IEEE 12207 Data Item Description.

 

***Offerors must submit a proposed Software Development Plan (SDP) with their proposals.

 

● CDRL A010 Software Development Plan (SDP)

● CDRL A011 Software Transition Plan (STrP)

● CDRL A012 Software Product Specification (SPS)

● CDRL A013 Software User Manual (SUM)

● CDRL A014 Firmware Support Manual (FSM)

 

   
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5.5 Test and Evaluation

 

The contractor shall provide support for software test activities as defined in the specific tasking, and will be associated with software builds and product releases to perform verification and validation to ensure that software products are built correctly and meet the intended use. The contractor shall develop and document traceability data from requirements through design, to test to include test cases and test results. Typical test activities include generation of test plans, generation of test procedures, execution of test, and generating test reports. Test activities should be consistent with the project SEP and SDP. Software testing should be commensurate with the level of safety criticality assigned to the software based on software criticality index assessment per MIL-STD-882E. Test support should be provided in accordance with the IGS, and be consistent with appropriate IEEE 12207 Data Item Description. The contractor shall provide inputs to the team as required for creation by the team of such products as Software Test Plan, Software Test Description including test procedures, and Software Test Report.

 

● CDRL A0015 Software Test Plan (STP)

● CDRL A0016 Software Test

● Description (STD) CDRL A0017 Software Test Report (STR)

 

5.6 Configuration Management and Quality Assurance

 

The Contractor shall provide software Configuration Management (CM) support associated with planning, software builds, documentation, and product releases. The Contractor shall prepare and submit Change Requests for all applicable design changes and software changes. Submissions shall be in accordance with the Program Management Activities’ Configuration Management Plan as implemented with the ALRE Software Configuration Management Plan and tailored for the particular project application. The contractor shall provide inputs to documents according to the government Software Configuration Management Plan guidance, or develop their own as specified in the Project IGS. The contractor shall provide inputs to the Software Version Description (SVD) document for software prepared for testing or release. As required, the contractor will perform CM functions in accordance with the CM plan.

 

The Contractor shall perform software Quality Assurance in support of specified systems, and will be associated with planning software builds, documentation, and product releases. The contractor shall provide inputs to the government Software Quality Assurance Plan (SQAP), or develop their own as specified in the Project IGS. As required, the contractor will perform quality assurance functions (e.g., peer review and process audits) in accordance with the SQAP.

 

● CDRL A018 Software Version Description (SVD)

● CDRL A019 Software Quality Assurance Plan (SQAP)

 

5.7 Infrastructure Support

 

The contractor shall perform a variety of engineering support functions for the shipboard and laboratory environments of the software intensive systems. This will include version control and loading of software product baselines to recreate ship configurations as well as development configurations in the lab where engineers can replicate operational problems with products aboard ship. The contractor will provide fleet support including riding the ship if necessary to perform technical support functions. Ship and lab support efforts would be configuration control, troubleshooting, testing, installing and configuring authorized software for the individual programs and performing backups. Software will include commercial-off-the-shelf software, application software, commercial-off-the-shelf firmware, application firmware and patches as authorized for the program and the site. In addition, the contractor will provide software related support such as: documenting and reporting infrastructure designs, changes and enhancements as they occur in the engineering laboratories; updating and periodically implementing the disaster recovery plan; and providing technical inputs to the project team for support of the preparation of documents for the procurement of systems and subsystems.

 

   
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5.8 On-Site Engineering Support

 

  The contractor shall provide technical support of SSA and other in-service project facilities on-site and at contractor facilities as required. This will include supporting the lab environment, documentation generation, editing, and addressing requirements for IT. The Contractor shall provide system configuration and troubleshooting support by personnel skilled and trained in computer operating systems and networking.
  The Contractor shall provide Field Services Support including engineering, technical, and other services at Navy sites and ships around the world as necessary to address equipment deficiencies, mishap investigations, CASREP investigations, engineering investigations and quality issues, test and repair, and training of SSA and other in-service systems and subsystems.
  The Contractor shall provide training of personnel in the operation, maintenance, and application of SSA and other in-service project and related equipment. Personnel to be trained include civilian and military personnel at shore sites and onboard Navy ships in the operational environment. If required, the contractor shall be prepared to conduct training and provide oversight of these SSA and other in-service project systems aboard carriers and other air capable ships up to and including during sea trials and deployment.
  The Contractor shall provide technical manual updates required to assist personnel in operating and maintaining the SSA and other in-service project and related systems.
  The Contractor shall update the applicable technical manuals files and develop new files (e.g. those needed for any new work packages required). Technical manual data shall be based upon and traceable to approved Maintenance Plans.

 

5.9 Cyber Security Requirements including Certification and Accreditation and Engineering

 

Cyber Security Certification and Accreditation

 

  Perform Assessment and Authorization (A&A) activities, Cybersecurity Certification and Accreditation, Implementation and Validation or assigned cybersecurity controls; Authority to Operate support and analysis required for the Department of Defense (DOD) Cybersecurity Risk Management Framework (RMF) and related future processes when implemented.RMF is a 6 step process which includes but is not limited to artifacts, Information Systems Categorization Form, Security Plan, Security Assessment Plan, Security Assessment Report, POAM, Continuous Monitoring Strategy, ACAS scan results, DISA STIG results, Risk Assessment Report (RAR), and other supporting artifacts.All A&A artifacts will be maintained in Enterprise Mission Assurance Support Service (eMASS).

 

   
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  Support to the Functional Area Managers (FAMs) and the DON Application and Database Management System (DADMS), the authoritative list of software applications, as well as the DOD Information Technology Portfolio Repository-DON (DITPR-DON).
  Support with acknowledging, reporting applicability, reporting compliance/noncompliance, and creating/submitting mitigation plans for Information Assurance Vulnerability Management (IAVM) and Communication Task Orders (CTOs) in the Vulnerability Remediation Asset Management (VRAM).
  The programs and systems consist of, but are not limited to, heterogeneous operating environments including the Windows, Linux, and Unix based operating systems, real time operating systems, and embedded operating system based platforms.Various networking equipment may or may not also be included within the accreditation boundary of the supported programs.Systems can either be networked or non-networked running commercial off the shelf, Government off the shelf, system unique, and/or government mission related information platform applications.
  Contractor personnel performing Cybersecurity duties shall meet the requirements of:
     
  Department of Defense (DOD) Directive 8140
  Navy Instruction (SECNAVINST) 5239.20A
  SECNAV Manual 5239.2
  Department of Defense (DOD) 8570.01-M
  Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI) for privileged access personnel Clearance level required is eligibility for access to Top Secret information

 

Cyber Security Engineering

 

  Support Cyber Risk Assessments (CRA) and Cyber Table Tops, Incident response and Forensics, and Penetration testing. These tasks may involve Intelligence data and as such the Contractor must be qualified for Intelligence Data on Attachment 3 the DD254 security document and be verified by the Scientific and Technical Intelligence Liaison Officer (STILO).The Contractor must have approved safeguarding capability to retain Intelligence Data.Intelligence data is the property of the U.S. government, DCll 6/6 "Security Controls on the Dissemination of Intelligence Information" dtd 20 Jan 2004.
  Support susceptibility scoring efforts as documented in the CRA standard work package which will be provided by the government when needed.
  Provide input in the Vulnerability Assessment Reports (VAR).
  Provide translation between system susceptibilities and potential attacks and corresponding cyber effects to the rest of the CRA team.
  Support the CRA Lead in completing all worksheets necessary to complete the CRA.
  Develop mitigation strategies for identified vulnerabilities.
  Support the AIR-4.8 Penetration Testing Team in execution of Verification & Validation (V&V) in order to validate findings from the CRA.
  Support the AIR-4.8 Penetration Testing Team in the creation of a penetration test plan, based on findings from the CRA.
  Support the AIR-4.8 Penetration Testing Team in the execution of a penetration test, including any time necessary for environment configuration/build-up and break-down.
  Support the AIR-4.8 Penetration Testing Team in the creation of a Penetration Test Report.
  Support the AIR 4.8 Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT) with providing detection, protection, incident response, and recovery from malware and/or effects on aircraft & weapon system.

 

   
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5.10 Miscellaneous Technical Efforts

 

  Support the government requirement to prepare requests for approvals in accordance with NMCI, RDT&E, security, and other guidance established for these efforts. The contractor will participate in creating engineering designs and documents, and in connecting systems consistent with policies and procedures required by NAVAIR organizations that are responsible for interpreting and enforcing software related policies and procedures. Provide technical expertise to identify potential problems that could affect development, acceptance, production, utilization or implementation of ALRE/SE systems.
  Provide engineering and technical services to reverse engineer portions of ALRE/SE, and other equipment that have software change implications. This effort could be a result of parts obsolescence or lack of original technical data package. Develop new drawing packages for the reengineered items if required.
  Develop, produce, and provide inputs for documentation of ALRE/SE and related systems prototypes as required.
  Develop Software Transition Plans as required for the hardware, software and other resources needed for life cycle support of the software. The plan will lay out the steps for transitioning deliverable items to NAVAIR In-Service Engineering Activities and SSAs. Provide engineering and technical support for system and software process improvement initiatives within NAVAIR.
  Provide documentation support for ALRE/SE and associated programs.
  Establish, support, and maintain SSA development and/or test facilities associated with the programs.
  Create and maintain hardware and software based simulators associated with the programs.

 

   
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6.0 Technical Data

 

6.1 Data Accessibility

 

The Contractor shall provide access to all available data and documentation relative to this effort. Contractor data shall be provided to the Government for review upon the Government's request as specified in the tasking.

 

6.2 Updates / Revisions

 

The Contractor shall provide copies, updates, and/or revisions of various documents in support of all initial requirements and any changes or modifications in the operation of the system and equipment. This may include procedures for dealing with consumable supplies, disk backup procedures, and related operational issues.

 

6.3 Security Classification Requirements

 

Data developed for this effort shall be unclassified or of the lowest classification consistent with the information contained herein and in accordance with the requirements of DOD 5220.22 National Industrial Security Program (NISP) September 27, 2004.

 

The Contractor may be required to handle, store and generate documents, manuals, drawings, magnetic tapes/disks, sketches or schematic, classified from Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) up to and including SECRET and Intelligence Data.

 

Contractor personnel may be required to perform services in Navy spaces that have security classifications which range from unclassified and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), through SECRET, and for cybersecurity functions, Intelligence data. Any classification guidance needed will be provided by the Navy activity, and contractor personnel will need to be cleared at the level required for working in those spaces.

 

The contractor will provide OPSEC protection for all classified information (as defined by FAR 4.4) and sensitive information (as defined by Section 3 (d) (4) of PL 100-235 (1012 Stat 1727)), pursuant to the National Security Decision Directive 298 of 22 January 1998 and DFARs Clause 252.239.7016. In order to meet this requirement, the contractor shall develop, implement, and maintain an OPSEC program in accordance with the OPSEC Plan to protect classified and sensitive information during performance of this contract. The contractor shall be responsible for subcontractor implementation of the OPSEC program requirements for this task order.

 

● CDRL A020 OPSEC Plan

 

   
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The Contractor must be qualified for Intelligence Data on the DD254 security document and be verified by the Scientific and Technical Intelligence Liaison Officer (STILO). The Contractor must have approved safeguarding capability to retain Intelligence Data. Intelligence data is the property of the U.S. government, DCll 6/6 "Security Controls on the Dissemination of Intelligence Information" dtd 20 Jan 2004. The contractor shall return all intelligence documents to the STILO no later than 36 months from receipt, or the termination date of the contract, whichever occurs first.

 

6.4 Technology Data and Computer Software Rights

 

In accordance with DFARS clause 252.227-7013, "Rights in technical data - Non-commercial items", all Government Furnished Material (GFM) and other material used, bought, designed, developed and acquired under this tasking shall remain the property of the United States Government (USG) and shall be returned to the USG upon completion of the delivery order. The USG shall maintain the exclusive right to update and modify the GFM and other materials in parts or whole.

 

6.5 Commercial Data Rights

 

The Contractor shall identify all commercially licensed software to be made available to the government as part of this effort.

 

6.6 Government Purpose Rights

 

For data and software developed by the Contractor under this contract, the Government shall have the right to use, duplicate, or disclose Data and software in whole or in part and in any manner, for Government purposes only, and to have or permit others to do so for Government purposes only. Government purposes include competitive procurements but do not include for commercial purpose or use.

 

7.0 Other Considerations

 

7.1 Government Furnished Property.

 

Computer systems used to develop the work products in this SOW and subsequent tasks may be provided as GFM. Information and material required to perform efforts in this tasking may be provided as Government Furnished Information (GFI). Any specific Government data required shall be identified by the Contractor. All GFI and GFM maintained in the Contractor's facilities shall be identified and tracked by the Contractor. All GFI and GFM and any other material used and acquired by the Contractor, excluding materials consumed during the course of work defined in this tasking, shall be returned to the Government upon completion of the work or when no longer required by the Contractor.

 

   
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7.2 Information Technology (IT) and Cybersecurity Related Constraints

 

The Government will provide all necessary reference documents not generally available to the Contractor as required. Throughout the life of the contract, if any instruction or document is replaced or superseded, the replacement or superseding instruction or document shall be applicable to the requirements defined in this SOW.

 

The Contractor shall not purchase any Information Technology (IT) equipment on behalf of NAVAIR in support of this Contract without a Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Command Information Officer (CIO) signed "IT" approval.

 

It is the Government's responsibility to ensure that any "IT" procurement (hardware/hardware maintenance, software/software maintenance, support services, web services, telecommunications, etc.) procured by the Contractor under the scope of this Contract/Task Order that contains "IT" meet the following requirements.

 

If an IT procurement, for example shipboard IT, is not budgeted under PBIS-IT (program budget information system), and it is not under DoN Enterprise License Agreements, then it does not require an IT Approval. However, Cybersecurity and other IT compliance such as DADMS registration are still a mandated requirement for all IT.

 

1. Clinger-Cohen Act:

 

In 1996, Congress enacted the Clinger-Cohen Act (CCA) requiring agencies to use a disciplined capital planning and investment control process to acquire, use, maintain and dispose of information technology. In accordance with the following Department of Defense Directive (DODD), Department of Defense Instruction (DODI), Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) memo, and Secretary of the Navy Instruction (SECNAVINST), CCA compliance is required for all programs that contain IT, including IT in weapons and weapons system programs. The law provides authority to the agency’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) to manage IT resources effectively. The authority to grant compliance with CCA and approve the cybersecurity strategy depends on the Acquisition Category (ACAT).

 

  DODD Number 5000.01 “The Defense Acquisition System,” May 12, 2003, Certified
  Current as of November 20, 2007
  DODI 5000.02, “Operation of the Defense Acquisition System,” January 7, 2015
  OSD Memo, “Clinger-Cohen Act Compliance Policy,” Mar 8 2002
  SECNAVINST 5000.2E, “Implementation and Operation of the Defense Acquisition System and the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System,” 1 September 2011

 

   
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2. System Software / Application Compliance:

 

"All Information Technology Systems or software/application development, modification or support shall be performed in accordance with Defense Business Transformation guidance (formerly Business Management Modernization Program (BMMP)), Department of the Navy (DON)/Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Functional Area Manager (FAM) Policies and

Guidance, Network and Server Registration, and Web Enablement mandates."

 

3. Web Sites, Web Enablement and Application / System Development, Modification, andMaintenance Support Services:

 

“All Information Technology systems, software, and website development, modification or support shall be performed in accordance with all applicable Federal, DOD, DON, and NAVAIR policy, guidance, standards, and strategies, and should be integrated within the NAVAIR Enterprise portal and collaboration environment whenever possible. Any Web sites/servers hosted/located in contractor facilities, or outside NAVAIR enclave, will transition to NAVAIR architecture and infrastructure in accordance with Legacy Shutdown guidance. Policies include, but are not limited to:

 

  a. OMB Management of Federal Information Resources, OMB CIRCULAR NO. A-130 Revised https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars_a130_a130trans4
     
  b. OMB Memorandum 17-06, Policies for Federal Agency Public Websites and Digital Services http://osec.doc.gov/opog/privacy/laws_and_regs.html https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/omb/memoranda/2017/m17-06.pdf
     
  c. Section 508, Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 1998 amendment http://www.section508.gov/
     
  d. Department of Defense Web Policies and Guidelines http://dodcio.defense.gov/DOD-WebPolicy/

 

   
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  e. Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Norfolk Web Risk Assessment Team Website https://www.nioc-norfolk.navy.mil/wra/index.html
     
  f. DON Policy for Content of Publicly Accessible World Wide Web Sites SECNAVINST 5720.47B http://www.doncio.navy.mil/PolicyView.aspx?ID=421
     
  g. NAVAIR CIO Website (NAVAIR specific policy and guidelines https://mynavair.navair.navy.mil/portal/server.pt/community /dcio_applications_integration_business_intelligence_%287_2_2%29 /1491/web_enablement/57583
     
  h. DISA Hosting of All Navy Websites (NAVADMIN 061/08 )http://www.npc.navy.mil /NR/rdonlyres/A4E463D0-02AF-4094-A054-BB1D807F631B/0/NAV08061.txt
     
  i. Consolidation of Navy Web Sites - Reduction of IM/IT Footprint NAVADMIN 145/07 http://www.npc.navy.mil/NR/rdonlyres/787908B8-55E8-4A6F-9BD8-A74B3C0824F0 /0/NAV07145.txt
     
  j. DON Web Presence Policy: The Registration, Compliance of, and Investment in, All Unclassified Web Sites and Uniform Resource Locators http://www.doncio.navy.mil /PolicyView.aspx?ID=577

 

4. Software Development/Server Procurement:

 

“Any tools developed that will be hosted by the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) or run on NMCI workstations will be certified for NMCI and comply with NMCI policy. Additionally, any servers supporting this effort will be transitioned to meet the requirements of the current NAVAIR Server Consolidation effort.”

 

5. NMCI Services for Contract Performance:

 

No longer required.

 

   
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6. Cybersecurity

 

A. CYBERSECURITY

 

Cybersecurity is the discipline that protects and defends information and information systems by ensuring their availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality, and non-repudiation. These measures include providing for restoration of information systems by incorporating protection, detection, and reaction capabilities. The following paragraphs contain United States Public Law as well as Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of the Navy (DON) Cybersecurity requirements. These Cybersecurity requirements stem from various DOD, Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV), and Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) policies, directives, and instructions. United States Government herein described as "Government" officials have the authority to review and examine, in conjunction with contractor personnel, the Cybersecurity controls on any contractor operated system containing government information for the purposes of ascertaining proper cybersecurity posture and implementation.

 

B. ARCHITECTURE

 

The network architecture shall maximize use of the contractor’s existing infrastructure and that of its subcontractors, suppliers, the internet, and the Government Wide Area Networks (WANs), such as NIPRNET, DREN, and NMCI, and shall maintain compatibility with the NMCI architecture. The contractor shall continue to utilize a network architecture which supports the mission needs of NAVAIR Programs for the purposes of interoperability while maintaining the quality and timeliness of the technical information, data access, and delivery. The contractor shall share all observed network trends; to be utilized in quarterly cybersecurity reviews for the purposes of ascertaining the successful accomplishment of the preceding. The contractor shall implement electronic data sharing for the purposes of data reduction and to avoid the transmission of large data files over the network. Appropriate security measures shall be put in place in accordance with

 

  SECNAVINST 5239.3B
  OPNAVINST 5239.3A
  CJCSI 6211.02D
  DODI 8500.2 DODI 8520.02.

 

C. CYBERSECURITY PRACTICES

 

The contractor shall adhere to the Department of the Navy’s (DON)’s Cybersecurity Program prescribed methodologies for the protection of information to support DON missions. The contractor shall utilize existing methods and processes in order to deliver secure, interoperable and integrated information management (IM) and information technology (IT) to the DON and its contract support. The contractor shall ensure that all IT systems, software and interfaces that contain Government data meet government security certification standards and requirements appropriate to the particular classification level of operation as specified by the US Navy, Department of Defense, or other cognizant government authority for the purposes of the above mentioned DON goals in accordance with SECNAV M-5239.2. DON Cybersecurity Program policies are referenced within the Cybersecurity sections of this document.

 

   
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D. PUBLIC KEY INFRASTRUCTURE (PKI):

 

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) encryption is the chosen compliant DOD standard for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) during transmission. CUI is defined as U.S. Government data that is NOT CLASSIFIED and that has NOT BEEN PUBLICALLY RELEASED. CUI includes but is not limited to data that is labeled or considered: For Official Use Only (FOUO), Privacy data, Contract Information, Unclassified Technical Data, Accountability information, DOD Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU). Failure to encrypt CUI during electronic transmission is considered a security weakness and must be reported to the Program Information System Security Manager (ISSM) and the Program Security Manager via the contractor’s responsible individual. The contractor shall require its personnel to adhere to the required PKI policies stated herein when transmitting CUI. The contractor shall implement DOD PKI policy per DODI 8520.02. The contractor shall obtain and utilize PKI certificates issued by an approved External Certificate Authority (ECA) for the purposes of protecting all CUI. Approved PKI will be utilized by the contractor, its subcontractors, and suppliers when transmitting CUI via electronic means. Public Key Enablement (PKE) is the chosen DOD standard for authentication at the application level. The contractor shall utilize PKI when interacting with DOD PKI/PKE information systems and accessing DOD CUI or sensitive information.

 

E. ELECTRONIC MAIL (E-MAIL):

 

The contractor shall utilize digital signature and encryption via DOD PKI or ECA digital certificates on all electronic mail (e-mail) messages containing CUI or e-mail messages that discuss any matter that may serve as an OPSEC indicator, per DODI 8520.02. If contractor personnel support multiple email addresses for use under this contract then a separate PKI certificate is required for each email address. Unapproved accounts, such as AOL, GMAIL, HOTMAIL or YAHOO, will not be used for official business under this contract unless specifically authorized to do so by the Government per CJCSI 6510.01F.

 

F. DATA AT REST

 

The contractor shall ensure that an approved DOD product is utilized for Data at Rest (DAR) that is stored on mobile computing devices such as laptops and personal digital assistants (PDAs), or removable storage media. The cryptography shall be National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 (FIPS 140-2) compliant and a mechanism shall be established to ensure encrypted data can be recovered in the event the primary encryption system fails.

 

   
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G. CERTIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION

 

For Information Technology (IT) systems which receive process, store, display, or transmit DOD information to be delivered to the government, the contractor shall coordinate with the Program ISSM to determine the cybersecurity requirements for the delivered systems. The contractor shall ensure that the delivered IT system can successfully complete either the DOD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) or the Platform Information Technology (PIT) Risk Approval (PRA) process; whichever is applicable. All delivered IT systems must have the ability to obtain an Authority To Operate (ATO) if going through the DIACAP process or alternatively a PIT Risk Approval letter if going through the PRA process as defined in DODD 8500.01E, DODI 8500.2, DODI 8520.02, DODI 5000.02, DODI 8580.1, SECNAVINST 5239.3B, OPNAVINST 5239.3A and OMB A-130, Appendix III.

 

The contractor will assist and provide necessary documents as defined in the above policies for the purposes of completing the applicable DIACAP or PRA process. The government will provide the contractor with the DIACAP tool or the NAVAIR PRA tool, whichever is applicable.

 

The contractor shall employ all cybersecurity controls that are deemed appropriate by the Mission Assurance Category (MAC) and Confidentiality Level (CL) of the delivered system. The contractor shall demonstrate the required cybersecurity design features of all systems, software and interfaces to assist the government in meeting the certification standards specified by the cognizant government agency (DONCIO, NETWARCOM, SPAWAR, PEO(T), and NAVAIR).

 

The results of certification testing shall be submitted to the government in support of a recommendation to the Designated Approving Authority (DAA) for accreditation or PIT designation, using the applicable tool. The contractor will assist the government in managing applications associated with these systems via the appropriate Functional Area Manager (FAM). The contractor will assist the government in determining the Information Assurance Vulnerability Management (IAVM) requirements for the delivered IT system where applicable. For IT systems delivered to the government, the contractor shall provide all pertinent information to comply with Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA) and Information Technology Management Reform Act (Pub L. 104-106, Division E Clinger-Cohen Act) requirements as requested by the Government. IT systems shall be tested for cybersecurity requirements in accordance with the policies stated above.

 

For IT systems delivered to the government, the contractor shall ensure that any commercial cybersecurity or cybersecurity-enabled IT products that are utilized as part of that system have been evaluated and validated, as appropriate, in accordance with the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP) (http://www.niap-ccevs.org/cc-scheme/) or Common Criteria (CC). If network switches are part of the architectural design of the system then the contractor shall ensure the switching devices are equipped with the means to manage ports and that have been validated and certified by NIAP (http://www.niap-ccevs.org) or CC evaluation and validation scheme.

 

   
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For IT systems delivered to the government, the contractor shall ensure that the system will incorporate cybersecurity-Enabled Operating Systems that have been validated or are under evaluation by NIAP or CC scheme and are:

 

  Configurable in accordance with applicable DOD Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) or System and Network Attack Center (SNAC) guides. DOD STIGs and SNAC guides are available at http://iase.disa.mil/;
  Able to incorporate the DOD Information Assurance Vulnerability Management Program
   (IAVMP) in accordance with DODI 8500.2; and
  Supportable for the expected lifecycle of the system.
  The contractor shall also ensure that the system shall incorporate the DOD licensed virus protection software available at the following DOD website: https://patches.csd.disa.mil.

 

The contractor shall ensure that the delivered IT system adheres to the DAR requirement DATA AT REST.

 

For IT systems delivered to the government, the contractor shall be familiar with and apply the following Cybersecurity, IT and INFOSEC standards, or superseding issuance of, where applicable:

 

  Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA, Information Technology
  Management Reform Act (Pub L. 104-106, Division E Clinger-Cohen Act)
  National Security Telecommunications and Information Systems Security Instruction (CNSS/NSTISSI) No 1000, No. 7000, No. 7001
     
  DODD 5000.01
  DODD 8500.01E
  DODI 8500.2
  DODI 8520.02
  DODI 8510.01 (DIACAP)
  SECNAVINST 5239.3B
  OPNAVINST 5239.3A
  DOD MIL-STD-461F
  MIL-STD-464C
  CJCSM 6510.01A CJCSI 6510.01F

 

   
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The contactor may address these requirements within the Program Protection Implementation Plan (PPIP) or the Implementation Plan

 

H. CYBERSECURITY Workforce (CSWF)

 

For IT systems delivered to the government, the contractor shall define its cybersecurity workforce requiring cybersecurity certification based on the requirements defined in DOD Directive 8140.01, “Cyberspace Workforce Management,” August 11, 2015 and DOD 8570.01M with level approval by the government. Personnel in the cybersecurity workforce will be required to fulfill the certification requirements of DOD Directive 5144.02 to implement the policy in DOD Directive 8140.01, and DOD 8570.01-M, Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program, December 19, 2005, Incorporating Change 4, November 10, 2015. "Contractor personnel supporting IA functions shall obtain the appropriate DOD-approved IA baseline certification prior to being engaged. Contractors have up to 6 months to obtain the rest of the qualifications. The contractor shall be required to complete “sustainment training/continuing education as required to maintain certification status.” The contractor shall not be required to enter the CSWF personnel certification in the personnel system referenced in DODD 8570.01 Privileged Access Agreement.

 

The contractor shall provide a counterpart point of contact to the Information System Security Manager (ISSM). The ISSM shall ensure all cybersecurity requirements are adhered to. The ISSM will ensure that the contractor team is aware of all cybersecurity requirements. The ISSM shall coordinate with the IAM in all matters related to cybersecurity The ISSM will be required to fulfill the certification requirements of DOD Directive 8140.01, “Cyberspace Workforce Management,” August 11, 2015, and DOD 8570.01-M, Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program, December 19, 2005, Incorporating Change 4, November 10, 2015. The contractor is not required to flow down the requirement for a Cybersecurity POC to its subcontractors.

 

I. WEB SITES, ELECTRONIC ROOMS (E-ROOMS), & COLLOBORATION TOOLS

 

The contractor shall utilize DOD compliant PKI digital certificates to use as authenticators for accessing all DOD web sites and/or e-rooms and collaboration tools. Per DON/CIO MEMORANDUM FOR DISTRIBUTION SUBJ: RELEASE OF DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY ENTERPRISE ARCHITECTURE VERSION 1.0 Rule #7 DON Utilization of DOD Mandated Enterprise Services and NAVAIR POLICY; the contractor shall utilize the official DOD remote conferencing collaboration tool, Defense Connect Online (DCO) (https://www.dco.dod.mil) for all electronic collaborative efforts that contain DOD information.

 

Before hosting services, such as but not limited to: web sites, e-rooms and SharePoint sites that contain DOD CUI information, the contractor shall investigate existing government tools and services to meet these requirements. In the event that existing services cannot be utilized, the contractor shall obtain government approval prior to implementing or utilizing any such services. If such services are deemed necessary by the government then, these tools shall be web based applications that enhance data delivery and distribution to include electronic collaboration and management tools. These efforts shall supplement existing legacy systems, and the Navy’s goals of web enablement of new technology and applications. Any developed systems shall utilize DOD PKI and PKE digital certificates as an authenticating mechanism and utilize existing encryption methods (i.e. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) or Transport Layer Security (TLS) for the protection of CUI data.

 

   
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J. COMMON ACCESS CARDS (CAC) & SAAR-N FORMS

 

CAC

 

The government may approve and issue common access cards (CAC) to personnel supporting this contract on a case by case basis. CAC requests shall be initiated using the Contractor Verification System (CVS) Registration Request form. Per DTM 08-003, the Next Generation CAC Implementation Guidance document, initial CAC issuance requires, at a minimum, the completion of FBI fingerprint check with favorable results and submission of a National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), or a DOD-determined equivalent investigation.

 

SAAR-N Forms

 

All personnel in support of this contract with requirements for accessing government IT systems must provide a completed System Authorization Access Request –Navy (SAAR-N) form (OPNAV 5239/14 (Rev 9/2011) or latest version thereof) and a completed Cyber Awareness Challenge Training (latest version) Certificate. This training is available at the following location: https://iatraining.disa.mil/eta/disa_cac2018/launchPage.htm. The contractor shall establish a CAC/SAAR-N POC to coordinate with the government in such matters. The CAC/SAAR-N POC shall deliver completed CVS and SAAR-N forms electronically for approval and processing by the government. SAAR-N forms should be digitally signed by all signatories as possible, using either their DOD or ECA issued PKI certificate.

 

  Contractor personnel assigned to perform work under this contract may require access to Navy IT resources (e.g., computers, laptops, personal electronic devices/personal digital assistants (PEDs/PDAs), NMCI, RDT&E networks, websites such as My NAVAIR, and Navy Web servers requiring CAC PKI. Contractor personnel (prime, subcontractor, consultants, and temporary employees) requiring access to Navy IT resources (including those personnel who previously signed SAAR DD Form 2875) shall electronically submit a completed System Authorization Access Request Navy (SAAR-N), OPNAV 5239/14 (Rev 9/2011) form or latest version thereof, and have initiated the requisite background investigation (or provide proof of a current background investigation) prior to accessing any Navy IT resources.

 

   
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  SAAR-N forms will be submitted to the IAM via the augmented competency manager or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or Alternate COR (ACOR), or via the contractor’s Facility Security Officer (FSO). Copies of the approved SAAR-N forms may be obtained through the COR/ACOR or designated SAAR-N Government Sponsor.
     
   In order to maintain access to Navy IT resources, the contractor shall ensure completion of initial and annual Cyber Awareness Challenge training. The contractor shall ensure that a completed DOD Cyber Awareness Challenge Training Certificate ver. (latest version) is up-to-date, monitor expiration of requisite background investigations, and initiate re-investigations as required. If requested, the contractor shall provide to the COR/ACOR or designated SAAR-N Government Sponsor documentation sufficient to prove that it is monitoring/tracking the SAAR-N requirements for its employees who are accessing Navy IT resources. For those contractor personnel not in compliance with the requirements of this clause, access to Navy IT resources will be denied/revoked.
     
  The SAAR-N form remains valid throughout contractual performance, inclusive of performance extensions and option exercises where the contract number does not change. Contractor personnel are required to submit a new SAAR-N form only when they begin work on a new or different contract.

 

K. CONTRACTOR OWNED UNCLASSIFIED NETWORK SECURITY:

 

  Provide protection against computer network intrusions and data exfiltration, including no less than the following:
  Current and regularly updated malware protection services, e.g., anti-virus, anti-spyware. Monitoring and control of inbound and outbound network traffic as appropriate (e.g., at the external boundary, sub-networks, individual hosts) including blocking unauthorized ingress, egress, and exfiltration through technologies such as firewalls and router policies, intrusion prevention or detection services, and host-based security services.
  Prompt application of security-relevant software patches, service packs, and hot fixes. Comply with other Federal and DOD information protection and reporting requirements for specified categories of information (e.g., Critical Program Information (CPI),
  Personally Identifiable Information (PII), export controlled information) and Cybersecurity requirements of the contract.

 

   
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L. INFORMATION SECURITY REQUIREMENTS FOR PROTECTION OF UNCLASSIFIED DOD INFORMATION ON NON-DOD SYSTEMS

 

The contractor shall safeguard unclassified DOD information stored on non-DOD information systems to prevent the loss, misuse, and unauthorized access to or modification of this information. The contractor shall:

 

  Not process DOD information on public computers (e.g., those available for use by the general public in kiosks or hotel business centers) or computers that do not have access control.
  Protect information by no less than one physical or electronic barrier (e.g., locked container or room, login and password) when not under direct individual control.
  Sanitize media (e.g., overwrite) before external release or disposal.
  Encrypt the information that has been identified as CUI when it is stored on mobile computing devices such as laptops and personal digital assistants, or removable storage media such as thumb drives and compact disks per DATA AT REST. July 3, 2007 DoD
  Policy Memorandum “Encryption of Sensitive Unclassified Data at Rest on Mobile
  Computing Devices and Removable Storage Media”
  Limit information transfer to subcontractors or teaming partners with a need to know and a commitment to at least the same level of protection.
  Transmit voice and fax transmissions only when there is a reasonable assurance that access is limited to authorized recipients.
  Do not post DOD information to Web sites that are publicly available. Access control may be provided by an internal company intranet.

 

M. CLASSIFIED SYSTEMS: N/A

 

N. CLASSIFIED SPILLAGES:

 

All classified spillages either initiated or received by the contractor containing Government data shall be reported to the program specific Information System Security Manager (ISSM) and the associated Program Security Manager (PSM) within 24 hours of the incident.

 

O. CLASSIFIED RADIOS & TEMPEST CONTROLS: N/A

 

P. PROCUREMENT OF CELLULAR TELEPHONES, PDA’S, AIR CARDS AND CALLING CARDS: N/A

 

   
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7. Enterprise Architecture:

 

  Contractor Networks and Connections. Contractor-owned and operated networks are prohibited on any Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) facility or site in support of this contract. The contractor may access non-government, external IP space via the NAVAIR provided Virtual Private Network (VPN) Outreach service or NAVAIR CIO approved Internet Protocol (IP) service.
     
  Architecture Compliance. The contractor shall ensure all IT solutions, including database solutions, comply with the appropriate NAE Enterprise Architecture, and are verified by the NAVAIR Enterprise Architect (AIR-7.2.3) prior to build out.
     
   Disclosure of pre-existing networks, circuits or connections. Any and all networks, circuits or connections between the contractor and any NAVAIR site related to previous contracts shall be identified in the MOA. Failure to comply and subsequent discovery of an unregistered network, circuit or connection shall be grounds for immediate disconnection.
     
   IT Approval. The contractor shall not purchase any IT equipment on behalf of NAVAIR in support of a contract without a NAVAIR CIO signed IT approval.

 

8. Software Process Improvement Initiative (SPII):

 

The SPII Policy requires that standardized contract language be included in solicitations or contracts under which contractor(s) are required to perform “software development”. As defined in the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (ASN) Memorandum, Software Process Improvement Initiative (SPII) Guidance for Use of Software Process Improvement Contract Language dated 13 July 2007, “Computer Software development” or “software development” means, as applicable developing or delivering new source code, modifying existing source code, coding computer instructions and data definitions, building databases schema, and performing other activities needed to implement the design of a noncommercial computer software product. This definition recognized that even small changes to software code can result in significant changes to software system behavior and quality, and, consequently, that it is necessary for developers to define and follow disciplined and appropriate processes.” Mandatory elements of the SPII policy language are:

 

  The requirement that Offerors submit a proposed Software Development Plan (SDP) with their proposals, and, during contract performance, deliver a completed SDP (based on the proposed SDP) as a Contract Data Requirements List (CDRL) deliverable, subject to Government review and approval.
     
  The information content of the SDPs, which shall follow the framework of Institute of Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE)/Electronics Industries Association (EIA) IEEE/EIA Std 12207 latest version regarding subject content, level of detail, and completeness.

 

   
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  The requirement that the SDP serve during contract performance as the benchmark for the contractor’s software development effort.
     
  The requirement that the SDP shall be periodically evaluated and updated, as a part of continuous process improvement subject to Government review and approval. Discretionary elements of the SPII policy language are:

 

  a. Where the language is incorporated in the solicitation and contract.
  b. ii. The format of the SDP (including whether it needs to be a single volume or may consist of multiple volumes.)
  c. The other elements of IEE/EIA Std 12207 latest version that must be included, as based on the needs of the system to be acquired and its associated work content.

 

The policy and additional information can be found at http://www.secnav.navy.mil/rda/Pages /default.aspx

 

*** See SOW Section 5.4 for Software Development Plan Details.

 

9. Labor Category Definitions

 

Labor Category Qualifications
* Subject Matter Expert

A. Education: High School diploma, GED, technical training in a relevant technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: This position requires at least ten (10) years of hands on fleet experience in Navy aircraft carrier operations involving Ship Planning, Flight Operations, Flight Deck Management, Weapons Management, or Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment.

 

GS: 12

* Engineer/Scientist:

Senior

A. Education: Master’s degree in Engineering/Science or a related technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: At least ten (10) years of experience in an engineering position , three (3) of which must be directly related to Naval Aviation systems.

Demonstrated knowledge in area of engineering expertise. Applies engineering principles to investigate, analyze, plan, and design, develop, implement, test evaluate or lead military so ware systems.

 

C. Substitution of Education: A Bachelor’s degree and an additional four (4) years of experience can be substituted for a Master’s degree.

 

S Equivalent: 13/14

* Program Manager:

Senior

A. Education: Master’s degree in a Business, Management, or a relevant Engineering/Science Discipline.

 

B. Experience: This position requires approximately twelve (12) years of experience in the development of one or more complex soft ware-intensive systems with a minimum of three (3) years supervisory experience The position requires experience with naval aviation software systems, configuration on control, test and evaluation, systems integration, and systems supportability. Knowledgeable of acquisition on policies and procedures, including the requirements of the DOD 5000 series. Demonstrated ability to work with large and diverse teams and the ability to effectively provide guidance, direction, and supervision in all areas of planning, cost, performance and schedule.

 

C. Substitution of Education: A Bachelor’s degree and an additionall four (4) years of experience can be subtituted for a Master’s degree.

 

GS Equivalent: 13/14

 

   
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*Systems Engineer: Senior

A. Education: Master’s degree in Engineering/Science or a related technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: This position requires at least ten (10) years of experience in the development of one or more complex software-intensive systems, three (3) of which must be directly related to Naval Aviation (including shipboard) software systems. Having demonstrated experience with SETR, the Navy's acquisition methodology is preferred.

 

C. Substitution of Education: A Bachelor’s degree and an additi onal four (4) years of experience can be subtituted for a Master’s degree.

 

GS Equivalent: 13/14

Systems Engineer: Journeyman

A. Education: BS or BA degree in Engineering/Science or a related technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: This postionon requires at least three (3) years of experience in the development of one or more complex software-intensive systems, Having demonstrated experience with SETR, the Navy's acquisition on methodology is preferred.

 

C. Substitution on of Education: None

 

GS Equivalent: 7-12

* Software Engineer: Senior  

A. Education: Master’s degree in Engineering/Science or a related technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: These positions require ten (10) years of experience in development of complex so ware-intensive systems, with demonstrated ability to technically lead complex system designs, work on portions of a complex system such as design, development, integration, test, implementation, Configuration Management, Quality Assurance, Operations, and Maintenance. Experience with Navy (including shipboard) software systems and with SETR, the Navy's acquisition on methodology, is preferred.

 

C. Substition on of Education: A Bachelor’s degree and an additional four (4) years of experience can be substituted for a Master’s degree.

 

GS Equivalent: 13/14

 

   
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Software Engineer: Journeyman  

A. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Science or a related technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: These positions require three (3) years of experience in development of complex software-intensive systems, with demonstrated ability to work on portions of a complex system such as design, development, integra on, test, implementation on, Configuration on Management, Quality Assurance, Operations, and Maintenance. Experience with Navy (including shipboard) so ware systems and with SETR, the Navy's acquisition on methodology, is preferred.

 

C. Substitution of Education: None

 

GS Equivalent: 7 to 12

Software Engineer: Junior

A. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Science or a related technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: Position does not require prior experience.

 

C. Substitution of Education: None

 

GS Equivalent: 5 to 7

* Engineering/ Technician: Senior

A. Education: High School diploma or GED; Completion of a technical school, tradeschool, or advanced armed services technical school curriculum or at least 30 semester hours of course studies at an accredited college or university in an engineering, scientific, or technical curriculum.

 

B. Experience: This position requires ten (10) years of experience in Engineering support work (Navy experience preferred) for so ware intensive systems. The Engineering Technician shall have demonstrated knowledge of software intensive systems, test and evaluation, and have demonstrated experience in performing tasks with minimum supervision, the ability to research, correlate and interpret technical data, and presentation of technical documents. The Engineering Technician shall have demonstrated knowledge of principles, methods and techniques related to software intensive systems including Configuration on Management, Quality Assurance, or standard technician functions.

 

GS Equivalent: 13/14

 

Engineering Technician: Journeyman

A. Education: High School diploma or GED; Completion of a technical school, tradeschool, or advanced armed services technical school curriculum or at least 30 semester hours of course studies at an accredited college or university in an engineering, scientific, or technical curriculum.

 

B. Experience: This position requires four (4) years of experience in Engineering support work (Navy experience preferred) for software intensive systems. The Engineering Technician shall have demonstrated knowledge of software intensive systems, test and evaluation, and have demonstrated experience in performing tasks with minimum supervision, the ability to research, correlate and interpret technical data, and presentation of technical documents. The Engineering Technician shall have demonstrated knowledge of principles, methods and techniques related to software intensive systems including Configuration Management, Quality Assurance, or standard technician functions.

 

GS Equivalent: 7 to 12

 

   
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Engineering Technician: Junior  

A. Education: High School diploma or GED; Completion of a technical school, tradeschool, or advanced armed services technical school curriculum or at least 30 semester hours of course studies at an accredited college or university in an engineering, scientific, or technical curriculum.

 

B. Experience: This position requires no prior experience.

GS Equivalent: 5 to 7

* Computer Specialist: Senior  

A. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems,Mathematics, Operations Research, Statistics, or a related technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: This position requires four (4) years of experience in development of one or more complex software-intensive systems, with demonstrated experience with Navy software systems preferred. These positions require approximately three (3) years of experience with databases, or with Java, C++, or comparable software language.

 

C. Substitution of Education: Eight (8) years of combined education (at the undergraduate level in any academic field) and experience performing the foregoing functions can be substituted for a BS or BA degree.

GS Equivalent: 13/14

Computer Specialist: Journeyman  

A. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Mathematics, Operations Research, Statistics, or a related technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: This position requires three (3) years of experience in development of one or more complex software-intensive systems, with demonstrated experience with Navy software systems preferred. These positionss require approximately one (1) year of experience with databases, or with Java, C++, or comparable so ware language.

 

C. Substitution of Education: Eight (8) years of combined education (at the undergraduate level in any academic field) and experience performing the foregoing functions can be substituted for a BS or BA degree.

GS Equivalent: 7 to 12

 

Computer Specialist: Junior  

A. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Mathematics, Operations Research, Statistics, or a related technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: This positionrequires no prior experience.

 

C. Substitution on of Education: The equivalent combination of education, technical certifications or training, or work experience.

 

GS Equivalent: 5 to 7

* Information Assurance Analyst: Senior  

A. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or a relevant technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: This position requires seven (7) years of practical CEAT computer security experience in secure network and system design, analysis, procedure/test generation, test execution and implementation of computer/network security mechanisms, working engineering aspects of software intensive systems, including Cybersecurity tasks. Must meet current DoD 8570.01M training requirements.

Current Comp TIA Security+ and/or ISC2 Certified Informa on Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. Demonstrated experience with SETR, the Navy's acquisition methodology is preferred.

 

C. Substitution on of Education: An AS or AA degree and an additional three (3) years of experience can be substituted for a BS or BS degree.

 

GS Equivalent: 13/14

 

   
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Information Assurance Analyst: Journeyman  

A. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or a relevant technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: This position requires four (4) years of practical CEAT computer security experience in secure network and system design, analysis, procedure/test generation, test execution and implementation of computer/network security mechanisms, working engineering aspects of soft ware intensive systems, including Cybersecurity tasks. Must meet current DoD 8570.01M training requirements.

Current Comp TIA Security+ and ISC2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification. Demonstrated experience with SETR, the Navy's acquisition methodology is preferred.

 

C. Substitution of Education: A High School diploma and additional four (4) years of experience can be substituted for a Bachelor’s degree.

 

GS Equivalent: 7 to 12

* Principal Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Specialist: Senior  

A. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or a relevant technical discipline.

 

B. Experience: This positision requires ten (10) years of practical experience and either a broad background in numerous cybersecurity technologies/policy organization or have deep background in a specific cyber technology such as Cross Domain Solutions, Multi -Level Security (MLS), Host Based Security Systems, Identity Management Solutions, Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems, Public Key Infrastructure, Mobile Device Management, Wireless Security Solutions, Communications Security (COMSEC), Cryptography, or other emerging cyber technology solutions. Computer security experience in secure network and system design, analysis, procedure/test generation, test execution and implementation of computer/network security mechanisms, working engineering aspects of soft ware intensive systems, including Cybersecurity tasks. Must meet current DoD 8570.01M training requirements. Current Comp TIA Security+ and/or ISC2 Certified Informa on Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification on. Demonstrated experience with SETR, the Navy's acquisiton methodology is preferred.

 

C. Substitution of Educatation: A High School diploma and additional ten (10) years of experience can be substituted for a Bachelor’s degree.

 

GS Equivalent: 13/14

Technical Writer: A. Educa on: High School diploma or GED; Vocational training commensurate with Department of Labor functional description.
Senior  

B. Experience: This position requires five (5) years of experience in analyzing technical data and preparing technical reports. Familiarity with Navy systems and experience with SETR, the Navy's acquisition on methodology is preferred. Bachelor’s degree preferred.

GS Equivalent: 13/14

Technical Writer: Journeyman

A. Education: High School diploma or GED; Vocational training commensurate with Department of Labor functional description.

 

B. Experience: This position requires three (3) years of experience in analyzing technical data and preparing technical reports. Familiarity with Navy systems and experience with SETR, the Navy's acquisition methodology is preferred. Bachelor’s degree preferred.

 

GS Equivalent: 7 to 12

 * Denotes Key Labor Category  

 

   
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Skill/Experience Level: The contractor shall be responsible for employing personnel having the levels of education, professional, and technical experience noted in each labor category. Contractor personnel shall meet the minimum experience and education qualifications for the skill level to which they are proposed. Requirements for specific experience and types of educational degrees, including substitution allowances, are noted in individual labor category descriptions. Government General Schedule (GS) equivalent ranges are also provided for each skill level below and can be applied to all contract labor categories.

 

Education as Experience: Higher education, above a labor category’s minimum, in some labor categories can be credited as years of experience, as long as the higher degree is within the same required field of study as the minimum degree requirement and/or directly relevant to the support for which the individual is performing under this contract.

 

All required experience for all labor categories may have been obtained concurrently. All degrees shall be obtained from an accredited college or university.

 

Labor Categories: Corresponding OMB Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) numbers have been noted for each labor category. The Contractor may elect to identify different SOC numbers for each labor category.

 

Labor Category SOC Number
Program Manager Senior * 13-1111
Systems Engineer Senior* 17-2011
Systems Engineer Journeyman 17-2011
Software Engineer Senior * 15-1252

 

   
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Software Engineer Journeyman 15-1252
Software Engineer Junior 15-1252
Engineering Technician Senior * 17-3023
Engineering Technician Journeyman 17-3023
Engineering Technician Junior 17-3023
Subject Matter Expert (fleet experience)*  
Engineer/Scientist Senior* 17-2011
Computer Specialist Senior* 15-1211
Computer Specialist Journeyman 15-1211
Computer Specialist Junior 15-1211
Principal Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Specialist* 15-1212
Information Assurance Analyst Senior* 15-1212
Information Assurance Analyst Journeyman 15-1212
Technical Writer Senior 27-3042
Technical Writer Journeyman 27-3042
 * Denotes Key Labor Category  

 

   
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SECTION D PACKAGING AND MARKING

 

Clauses specified in Section D of the SeaPort-e basic contract apply to this task order, unless otherwise specified in the task order, in addition to the following:

 

TASK ORDER CLAUSE D.1 DELIVERABLES MEDIA

 

The contractor shall provide CDRLs A001- A020. The contractor shall use best commercial practices for formatting deliverables under this Task Order.

 

TASK ORDER CLAUSE D.2 MARKINGS FOR ELECTRONIC DELIVERY

 

Electronic copies shall be delivered via e-mail attachment. The contractor shall label each electronic deliver with the TO Number and Project Title in the subject line of the e-mail transmittal. The contractor shall include a transmittal letter with all formal data submittals that defines the contents of the data shipment, including the following information as applicable:

 

Item name and serial number

Specification number

Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code

TO Number

CDRL number corresponding to Section F. Submittal type – preliminary, final.

 

HQ D-1-0001 DATA PACKAGING LANGUAGE

 

Data to be delivered by Integrated Digital Environment (IDE) or other electronic media shall be as specified in the contract.

 

All unclassified data to be shipped shall be prepared for shipment in accordance with best commercial practice.

 

Classified reports, data, and documentation shall be prepared for shipment in accordance with National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), DOD 5220.22-M dated 28 February 2006.

 

HQ D-2-0008 MARKING OF REPORTS (NAVSEA) (SEP 1990)

 

All reports delivered by the Contractor to the Government under this contract shall prominently show on the cover report:

 

(1) name and business of the contractor

(2) contract number

(3) task order number

(4) sponsor _________________________

 

(Name of Individual Sponsor)

 

_____________________________

 

(Name of Requiring Activity)

 

____________________________

 

(City & State)

 

   
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SECTION E INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE

 

Inspection and Acceptance shall be in accordance with Section E of the SeaPort-e basic contract.

 

Items - Labor CLINs (7000, 7100, 7200, 7300, and 7400) - Inspection and acceptance of the services called for hereunder shall be performed in accordance with Section C at the destination approved by the cognizant Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO)/COR. The Government will monitor the Contractor's performance to assure compliance with the contract requirements, inclusive of the terms and conditions, in accordance with Section C of the SOW and Section J, Attachment 1 - Surveillance Activity Checklist (SAC) Final acceptance of all associated Contract Data Requirements List (CDRLs), DD Form 1423 Attachment 2 (A001 - A020) under the associated items (CLINs 9003, 9103, 9203, 9303, and 9403) must be completed prior to final acceptance of the services identified herein.

 

Items - Data CLINs (9003, 9103, 9203, 9303, and 9403) - Inspection and acceptance of the data to be furnished hereunder by the Contractor shall be in accordance with Attachment 2 (A001 - A020) Contract Data Requirements List, DD Form 1423 in support of CLINs 7000. 7100, 7200, 7300, and 7400. Acceptance shall be performed by the first addressee listed in the distribution list under Block 14 and in accordance with Block 16 of the DD Form 1423.

 

The COR will be designated the responsibility of monitoring, progressing, and controlling the technical work for the resultant task order. The SAC for this task order includes the COR performing a Task Order Performance Evaluation (TOPE) in accordance with the SeaPort-e basic contract. This Task Order will be registered in the Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS). As part of the SAC, performance will be measured by the COR for quality of service, schedule, cost control, business relations, management, and cooperation with other IDIQ holder terms.

 

52.246-5 INSPECTION OF SERVICES—COST-REIMBURSEMENT (APR 1984)

 

(a) Definition. "Services," as used in this clause, includes services performed, workmanship, and materialfurnished or used in performing services.

 

(b) The Contractor shall provide and maintain an inspection system acceptable to the Government covering theservices under this contract. Complete records of all inspection work performed by the Contractor shall be maintained and made available to the Government during contract performance and for as long afterwards as the contract requires.

 

(c) The Government has the right to inspect and test all services called for by the contract, to the extentpracticable at all places and times during the term of the contract. The Government shall perform inspections and tests in a manner that will not unduly delay the work.

 

(d) If any of the services performed do not conform with contract requirements, the Government may require theContractor to perform the services again in conformity with contract requirements, for no additional fee. When the defects in services cannot be corrected by reperformance, the Government may (1) require the Contractor to take necessary action to ensure that future performance conforms to contract requirements and (2) reduce any fee payable under the contract to reflect the reduced value of the services performed.

 

(e) If the Contractor fails to promptly perform the services again or take the action necessary to ensure futureperformance in conformity with contract requirements, the Government may (1) by contract or otherwise, perform the services and reduce any fee payable by an amount that is equitable under the circumstances or (2) terminate the contract for default.

 

SECTION F DELIVERABLES OR PERFORMANCE

 

The periods of performance for the following Items are as follows:

 

7000 2/14/2019 - 2/13/2020
9000 2/14/2019 - 2/13/2020
9001 2/14/2019 - 2/13/2020
9002 2/14/2019 - 2/13/2020
9003 2/14/2019 - 2/13/2020

 

   
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CLIN - DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE

 

The periods of performance for the following Items are as follows:

 

7000 2/14/2019 - 2/13/2020
9000 2/14/2019 - 2/13/2020
9001 2/14/2019 - 2/13/2020
9002 2/14/2019 - 2/13/2020
9003 2/14/2019 - 2/13/2020

 

The periods of performance for the following Option Items are as follows:

 

7100   2/14/2020 - 2/13/2021
7200   2/14/2021 - 2/13/2022
7300   2/14/2022 - 2/13/2023
7400   2/14/2023 - 2/13/2024
9100   2/14/2020 - 2/13/2021
9101   2/14/2020 - 2/13/2021
9102   2/14/2020 - 2/13/2021
9103   2/14/2020 - 2/13/2021
9200   2/14/2021 - 2/13/2022
9201   2/14/2021 - 2/13/2022
9202   2/14/2021 - 2/13/2022
9203   2/14/2021 - 2/13/2022
9300   2/14/2022 - 2/13/2023
9301   2/14/2022 - 2/13/2023
9302   2/14/2022 - 2/13/2023
9303   2/14/2022 - 2/13/2023
9400 2/14/2023 - 2/13/2024 9401 2/14/2023 - 2/13/2024
9402   2/14/2023 - 2/13/2024
9403   2/14/2023 - 2/13/2024

 

   
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5252.247-9505 TECHNICAL DATA AND INFORMATION (NAVAIR) (FEB 1995)

 

Technical Data and Information shall be delivered in accordance with the requirements of the Contract Data Requirements List, DD Form 1423, Attachment 2, attached hereto, and the following:

 

(a)The contractor shall concurrently deliver technical data and information per DD Form 1423, Blocks 12 and 13 (date of first/subsequent submission) to all activities listed in Block 14 of the DD Form 1423 (distribution and addresses) for each item. Complete addresses for the abbreviations in Block 14 are shown in paragraph (g) below.

 

Additionally, the technical data shall be delivered to the following cognizant codes, who are listed in Block 6 of the DD Form 1423.

 

(b)Partial delivery of data is not acceptable unless specifically authorized on the DD Form 1423, or unlessapproved in writing by the PCO.

 

(c)The Government review period provided on the DD Form 1423 for each item commences upon receipt of allrequired data by the technical activity designated in Block 6.

 

(d)A copy of all other correspondence addressed to the Contracting Officer relating to data item requirements(i.e., status of delivery) shall also be provided to the codes reflected above and the technical activity responsible for the data item per Block 6, if not one of the activities listed above.

 

(e)The PCO reserves the right to issue unilateral modifications to change the destination codes and addresses forall technical data and information at no additional cost to the Government.

 

(f)Unless otherwise specified in writing, rejected data items shall be resubmitted within thirty (30) days after receipt of notice of rejection.

 

(g)DD Form 1423, Block 14 Mailing Addresses:

 

Naval Air Warfare Center - Aircraft Division

HWY 547

Joint Base MDL, NJ 08733

 

(End of Provision)

 

Note: For the purposes of this clause included in a task order under a multiple award contract, the term "PCO" refers to the "Task Order PCO."

 

5252.247-9521 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE (NAVAIR) (OCT 2005)

 

For this effort 90% of the work for this effort shall be on site located in a Government facility and the other 10% shall be performed at the contractor’s site. All employees will be provided Government- site work spaces.

 

SECTION G CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

 

TYPE OF CONTRACT: This is a Cost Plus Fixed-Fee level of effort task order.

 

5252.201-9501 DESIGNATION OF CONTRACTING OFFICER’S REPRESENTATIVE (COR)(NAVAIR) (SEP 2012)

 

(a)The Contracting Officer has designated Catherine Friedman as the authorized Contracting Officer’sRepresentative (COR) to perform those specific functions assigned in the Contracting Officer Representative appointment letter.
(b)The effective period of the COR designation is the period of performance for this task order.

 

   
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252.201-7000 CONTRACTING OFFICER'S REPRESENTATIVE (DEC 1991)

 

(a) "Definition. Contracting officer's representative" means an individual designated in accordance withsubsection 201.602-2 of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement and authorized in writing by the contracting officer to perform specific technical or administrative functions.

 

(b) If the Contracting Officer designates a contracting officer's representative (COR), the Contractor willreceive a copy of the written designation. It will specify the extent of the COR's authority to act on behalf of the contracting officer. The COR is not authorized to make any commitments or changes that will affect price, quality, quantity, delivery, or any other term or condition of the contract.

 

TASK ORDER ADMINISTRATION G.2.1 CONTRACTING OFFICER (CO)

 

Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst

ATTN: Patrick Smith

Highway 547, Bldg. 562-3, ATTN: 2.5.2.4

Joint Base MDL, NJ 08733-5082

Telephone: 732-323-7754

E-Mail: patrick.w.smith2@navy.mil

 

SEA 5252.232-9104 ALLOTMENT OF FUNDS (MAY 1993)

 

(a) This contract is incrementally funded with respect to both cost and fee. The amount(s) presently available andallotted to this contract for payment of fee for incrementally funded contract line item number/contract subline item number (CLIN/SLIN), subject to the clause entitled "FIXED FEE" (FAR 52.216-8) or "INCENTIVE FEE" (FAR 52.216-10), as appropriate, is specified below. The amount(s) presently available and allotted to this contract for payment of cost for incrementally funded CLINs/SLINs is set forth below. As provided in the clause of this contract entitled "LIMITATION OF FUNDS" (FAR 52.232-22), the CLINs/SLINs covered thereby, and the period of performance for which it is estimated the allotted amount(s) will cover are as follows:

 

ESTIMATED

 

ITEM (S) ALLOTTED TO COST ALLOTTED TO FEE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

 

[_______] [_______] [_______] Base Year

 

(b) The parties contemplate that the Government will allot additional amounts to this contract from time to timefor the incrementally funded CLINs/SLINs by unilateral contract modification, and any such modification shall state separately the amount(s) allotted for cost, the amount(s) allotted for fee, the CLINs/SLINs covered thereby, and the period of performance which 5the amount(s) are expected to cover.

 

(c) CLINs/SLINs [_____] are fully funded and performance under these CLINs/SLINs is subject to the clause ofthis contract entitled "LIMITATION OF COST" (FAR 52.232-20) or "LIMITATION OF COST (FACILITIES)" (FAR 52.232-21), as applicable.

 

(d) The Contractor shall segregate costs for the performance of incrementally funded CLINs/SLINs from the costsof performance of fully funded CLINs/SLINs.

 

FUNDING PROFILE

 

5252.242-9511 CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA (NAVAIR)(NOV 2017)

 

(a) Contract Administration Office.

 

(1) Contract administration functions (see FAR 42.302(a) and DFARS 242.302(a)) are assigned to: See the ADMINISTERED BY Block on the face page of the contract, modification, or order.

 

(b) Special Instructions (see FAR 42.202(b) and (c)):

 

(1) The following contract administration functions are retained (see FAR 42.302(a) and DFARS242.302(a)):

 

Functions Retained Retained for Performance By:
None None
   
   

 

(2) The following additional contract administration functions are assigned (see FAR 42.302(b)):

 

Additional Functions Retained for Performance By:
None None
   

 

(c) Inquiries regarding payment should be referred to: MyInvoice through the Wide Area Workflow eBusinessSuite: https://wawf.eb.mil/.

 

252.232-7006 Wide Area WorkFlow Payment Instructions.

 

a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

“Department of Defense Activity Address Code (DoDAAC)” is a six position code that uniquely identifies a unit, activity, or organization.

 

“Document type” means the type of payment request or receiving report available for creation in Wide Area WorkFlow (WAWF).

 

“Local processing office (LPO)” is the office responsible for payment certification when payment certification is done external to the entitlement system.

 

“Payment request” and “receiving report” are defined in the clause at 252.232-7003, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving Reports.

 

(b)Electronic invoicing. The WAWF system provides the method to electronically process vendor payment requests and receiving reports, as authorized by Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.232-7003, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving Reports.

 

(c)WAWF access. To access WAWF, the Contractor shall—

 

(1)Have a designated electronic business point of contact in the System for

 

Award Management at https://www.sam.gov; and

 

(2)Be registered to use WAWF at https://wawf.eb.mil/ following the step-by-step procedures for self-registration available at this web site.

 

   
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(d)       WAWF training. The Contractor should follow the training instructions of the WAWF Web-Based Training Course and use the Practice Training Site before submitting payment requests through WAWF. Both can be accessed by selecting the “Web Based Training” link on the WAWF home page at https://wawf.eb.mil/

 

(e)       WAWF methods of document submission. Document submissions may be via web entry, Electronic Data Interchange, or File Transfer Protocol.

 

(f)       WAWF payment instructions. The Contractor shall use the following information when submitting payment requests and receiving reports in WAWF for this contract or task or delivery order:

 

(1) Document type. The Contractor shall submit payment requests using the following document type(s):

 

(i)       For cost-type line items, including labor-hour or time-and-materials, submit a cost voucher.

 

(ii)       For fixed price line items—

 

(A)       That require shipment of a deliverable, submit the invoice and receiving report specified by the ContractingOfficer.

 

____Cost Voucher________________________________________________

 

(B)       For services that do not require shipment of a deliverable, submit either the Invoice 2in1, which meets therequirements for the invoice and receiving report, or the applicable invoice and receiving report, as specified by the Contracting Officer.

 

____________________________________________________________

 

(iii)       For customary progress payments based on costs incurred, submit a progress payment request.

 

(iv)       For performance based payments, submit a performance based payment request.

 

(v)       For commercial item financing, submit a commercial item financing request.

 

(2)       Fast Pay requests are only permitted when Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.213-1 is included in thecontract.

 

(3)       Document routing. The Contractor shall use the information in the Routing Data Table below only to fill in applicable fields in WAWF when creating payment requests and receiving reports in the system. Routing Data Table*

 

Field Name in WAWF Data to be entered in WAWF
Pay Official DoDAAC  HQ0337
Issue By DoDAAC  N68335
   
Admin DoDAAC**  S3915A
Inspect By DoDAAC  N68355
Ship To Code  N/A

 

   
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Ship From Code  N/A
Mark For Code  N/A
Service Approver (DoDAAC)  N68335
Service Acceptor (DoDAAC)  N68335
Accept at Other DoDAAC  N/A
LPO DoDAAC  N/A
DCAA Auditor DoDAAC  N/A
Other DoDAAC(s)  N/A

 

(4)       Payment request. The Contractor shall ensure a payment request includes documentation appropriate to the type of payment request in accordance with the payment clause, contract financing clause, or Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment, as applicable.

 

(5)       Receiving report. The Contractor shall ensure a receiving report meets the requirements of DFARS Appendix F.

 

(g)        WAWF point of contact. Catherine Friedman, catherine.friedman@navy.mil

 

(1)        The Contractor may obtain clarification regarding invoicing in WAWF from the following contracting activity’s WAWF point of contact

 

PGI 204.7108(d)(12) other Payment instructions.

 

In accordance with the PGI 204-7108 instructions, the standard payment instructions provided for in paragraphs (d)(7) through (d)(11) are not appropriate for utilization in this contract. Funding for the CLINs contained in this contract are received from various funding sources and applied to specific tasking as defined in the funding modifications. The contract structure or receipt of funding does not allow for a single funding line on each CLIN, and task performance does not allow for sequential payment of ACRNS or prorated payment against all ACRNs. In order to accurately track and account for funding expenditures in accordance with the specific tasking associated with each funding line, payment instruction (d)(12) "Other" applies. Payment shall be made in accordance with the contractor identification of the CLIN and ACRN on each invoice. This will allow for appropriate contractor invoicing based on the task, WBS performance, and applicable funding.

 

Accounting Data

 

SLINID PR Number Amount
 ____________________  __________________________________________   ___________________________ 
700001 130076866900001 ________________ LLA :
AA 97X4930 NH2A 251 77777 0 050120 2F 000000 A00004913074

 

BASE Funding ____________ 

Cumulative Funding ____________ 

 

   
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SECTION H SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

 

Note: All provisions and clauses of Section H of the Basic Seaport-e Multiple Award Contract apply to this task order, unless otherwise specified in this task order, in addition to the following:

 

5252.209-9510 ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST (NAVAIR) (SERVICES)(MAR 2007)

 

(a)Purpose. This clause seeks to ensure that the contractor (1) does not obtain an unfair competitive advantage over other parties by virtue of its performance of this contract, and (2) is not biased because of its current or planned interests (financial, contractual, organizational or otherwise) that relate to the work under this contract.

 

(b)Scope. The restrictions described herein shall apply to performance or participation by the contractor (as defined in paragraph (d)(7)) in the activities covered by this clause.

 

(1)The restrictions set forth in paragraph (e) apply to supplies, services, and other performance rendered with respect to the suppliers and/or equipment used in the performance of this Task Order.

 

(2)The financial, contractual, organizational and other interests of contractor personnel performing work under this contract shall be deemed to be the interests of the contractor for the purposes of determining the existence of an Organizational Conflict of Interest. Any subcontractor that performs any work relative to this contract shall be subject to this clause. The contractor agrees to place in each subcontract affected by these provisions the necessary language contained in this clause.

 

(c)Waiver. Any request for waiver of the provisions of this clause shall be submitted in writing to the Procuring Contracting Officer. The request for waiver shall set forth all relevant factors including proposed contractual safeguards or job procedures to mitigate conflicting roles that might produce an Organizational Conflict of Interest. No waiver shall be granted by the Government with respect to prohibitions pursuant to access to proprietary data.

 

(d)Definitions. For purposes of application of this clause only, the following definitions are applicable:

 

(1)“System” includes system, major component, subassembly or subsystem, project, or item.

 

(2)“Nondevelopmental items” as defined in FAR 2.101.

 

(3)“Systems Engineering” (SE) includes, but is not limited to, the activities in FAR 9.505-1(b).

 

(4)“Technical direction” (TD) includes, but is not limited to, the activities in FAR 9.505-1(b).

 

(5)“Advisory and Assistance Services” (AAS) as defined in FAR 2.101.

 

(6)“Consultant services” as defined in FAR 31.205-33(a).

 

(7)“Contractor”, for the purposes of this clause, means the firm signing this contract, its subsidiaries and affiliates, joint ventures involving the firm, any entity with which the firm may hereafter merge or affiliate, and any other successor or assignee of the firm.

 

(8)“Affiliates,” means officers or employees of the prime contractor and first tier subcontractors involved in the program and technical decision-making process concerning this contract.

 

(9)“Interest” means organizational or financial interest.

 

(10)“Weapons system supplier” means any prime contractor or first tier subcontractor engaged in, or having a known prospective interest in the development, production or analysis of any of the weapon systems, as well as any major component or subassembly of such system.

 

(e)Contracting restrictions.

 

   
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[ X ] (1) To the extent the contractor provides systems engineering and/or technical direction for a system or commodity but does not have overall contractual responsibility for the development, the integration, assembly and checkout (IAC) or the production of the system, the contractor shall not (i) be awarded a contract to supply the system or any of its major components or (ii) be a subcontractor or consultant to a supplier of the system or of its major components. The contractor agrees that it will not supply to the Department of Defense (either as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor) or act as consultant to a supplier of, any system, subsystem, or major component utilized for or in connection with any item or other matter that is (directly or indirectly) the subject of the systems engineering and/or technical direction or other services performed under this contract for a period of 12 months after the date of completion of the contract. (FAR 9.505-1(a))

 

[ X ] (2) To the extent the contractor prepares and furnishes complete specifications covering nondevelopmental items to be used in a competitive acquisition, the contractor shall not be allowed to furnish these items either as a prime contractor or subcontractor. This rule applies to the initial production contract, for such items plus a specified time period or event. The contractor agrees to prepare complete specifications covering non-developmental items to be used in competitive acquisitions, and the contractor agrees not to be a supplier to the Department of Defense, subcontract supplier, or a consultant to a supplier of any system or subsystem for which complete specifications were prepared hereunder. The prohibition relative to being a supplier, a subcontract supplier, or a consultant to a supplier of these systems of their subsystems extends for a period of 12 months after the terms of this contract. (FAR 9.505-2(a)(1))

 

[ X ] (3) To the extent the contractor prepares or assists in preparing a statement of work to be used in competitively acquiring a system or services or provides material leading directly, predictably and without delay to such a work statement, the contractor may not supply the system, major components thereof or the services unless the contractor is the sole source, or a participant in the design or development work, or more than one contractor has been involved in preparation of the work statement. The contractor agrees to prepare, support the preparation of or provide material leading directly, predictably and without delay to a work statement to be used in competitive acquisitions, and the contractor agrees not to be a supplier or consultant to a supplier of any services, systems or subsystems for which the contractor participated in preparing the work statement. The prohibition relative to being a supplier, a subcontract supplier, or a consultant to a supplier of any services, systems or subsystems extends for a period of 12 months after the terms of this contract. (FAR 9.505-2(b)(1))

 

[ X ] (4) To the extent work to be performed under this contract requires evaluation of offers for products or services, a contract will not be awarded to a contractor that will evaluate its own offers for products or services, or those of a competitor, without proper safeguards to ensure objectivity to protect the Government’s interests. Contractor agrees to the terms and conditions set forth in the Statement of Work that are established to ensure objectivity to protect the Government’s interests. (FAR 9.505-3)

 

[ X ] (5) To the extent work to be performed under this contract requires access to proprietary data of other companies, the contractor must enter into agreements with such other companies which set forth procedures deemed adequate by those companies (i) to protect such data from unauthorized use or disclosure so long as it remains proprietary and (ii) to refrain from using the information for any other purpose other than that for which it was furnished. Evidence of such agreement(s) must be made available to the Procuring Contracting Officer upon request. The contractor shall restrict access to proprietary information to the minimum number of employees necessary for performance of this contract. Further, the contractor agrees that it will not utilize proprietary data obtained from such other companies in preparing proposals (solicited or unsolicited) to perform additional services or studies for the United States Government. The contractor agrees to execute agreements with companies furnishing proprietary data in connection with work performed under this contract, obligating the contractor to protect such data from unauthorized use or disclosure so long as such data remains proprietary, and to furnish copies of such agreement to the Contracting Officer. Contractor further agrees that such proprietary data shall not be used in performing for the Department of Defense additional work in the same field as work performed under this contract if such additional work is procured competitively. (FAR 9.505)

 

   
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[X ] (6) Preparation of Statements of Work or Specifications. If the contractor under this contract assists substantially in the preparation of a statement of work or specifications, the contractor shall be ineligible to perform or participate in any capacity in any contractual effort (solicited or unsolicited) that is based on such statement of work or specifications. The contractor shall not incorporate its products or services in such statement of work or specifications unless so directed in writing by the Contracting Officer, in which case the restrictions in this subparagraph shall not apply. Contractor agrees that it will not supply to the Department of Defense (either as a prime contractor or as a subcontractor) or act as consultant to a supplier of, any system, subsystem or major component utilized for or in connection with any item or work statement prepared or other services performed or materials delivered under this contract, and is procured on a competitive basis, by the Department of Defense with a 12 month prohibition after completion of work under this contract. The provisions of this clause shall not apply to any system, subsystem, or major component for which the contractor is the sole source of supply or which it participated in designing or developing. (FAR 9.505-4(b))

 

[  ] (7) Advisory and Assistance Services (AAS). If the contractor provides AAS services as defined in paragraph (d) of this clause, it shall be ineligible thereafter to participate in any capacity in Government contractual efforts (solicited or unsolicited) which stem directly from such work, and the contractor agrees not to perform similar work for prospective offerors with respect to any such contractual efforts. Furthermore, unless so directed in writing by the Contracting Officer, the contractor shall not perform any such work under this contract on any of its products or services, or the products or services of another firm for which the contractor performs similar work. Nothing in this subparagraph shall preclude the contractor from competing for follow-on contracts for AAS.

 

(f)       Remedies. In the event the contractor fails to comply with the provisions of this clause, suchnoncompliance shall be deemed a material breach of the provisions of this contract. If such noncompliance is the result of conflicting financial interest involving contractor personnel performing work under this contract, the Government may require the contractor to remove such personnel from performance of work under this contract. Further, the Government may elect to exercise its right to terminate for default in the event of such noncompliance. Nothing herein shall prevent the Government from electing any other appropriate remedies afforded by other provisions of this contract, or statute or regulation.

 

(g)       Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. The contractor recognizes that during the term of this contract, conditions may change which may give rise to the appearance of a new conflict of interest. In such an event, the contractor shall disclose to the Government information concerning the new conflict of interest. The contractor shall provide, as a minimum, the following information:

 

(1) a description of the new conflict of interest (e.g., additional weapons systems supplier(s), corporate restructuring, new first-tier subcontractor(s), new contract) and identity of parties involved; (2) a description of the work to be performed;

 

(3) the dollar amount;

 

(4) the period of performance; and

 

(5) a description of the contractor’s internal controls and planned actions, to avoid any potential organizational conflict of interest.

 

5252.211-9510 CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEES (NAVAIR) (MAY 2011)

 

(a) In all situations where contractor personnel status is not obvious, all contractor personnel are required to identify themselves to avoid creating an impression to the public, agency officials, or Congress that such contractor personnel are Government officials. This can occur during meeting attendance, through written (letter or email) correspondence or verbal discussions (in person or telephonic), when making presentations, or in other situations where their contractor status is not obvious to third parties. This list is not exhaustive. Therefore, the contractor employee(s) shall:

 

(1)Not by word or deed give the impression or appearance of being a Government employee;

 

   
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(2)Wear appropriate badges visible above the waist that identify them as contractor employees when in Government spaces, at a Government-sponsored event, or an event outside normal work spaces in support of the contract/order;

 

(3)Clearly identify themselves as contractor employees in telephone conversations and in all formal and informal written and electronic correspondence. Identification shall include the name of the company for whom they work;

 

(4)Identify themselves by name, their company name, if they are a subcontractor the name of the prime contractor their company is supporting, as well as the Government office they are supporting when participating in meetings, conferences, and other interactions in which all parties are not in daily contact with the individual contractor employee; and

 

(5)Be able to provide, when asked, the full number of the contract/order under which they are performing,and the name of the Contracting Officer’s Representative.

 

(b) If wearing a badge is a risk to safety and/or security, then an alternative means of identification may be utilized if endorsed by the Contracting Officer’s Representative and approved by the Contracting Officer.

 

(c) The Contracting Officer will make final determination of compliance with regulations with regard to proper identification of contractor employees.

 

5252.215-9505 EXCLUSIVE TEAMING ARRANGEMENTS WHICH INHIBIT COMPETITION (NAVAIR)(OCT 2005)

 

Offerors who propose teaming arrangements on an exclusive basis will be evaluated to determine whether such teaming agreements inhibit competition. In order for the Government to evaluate whether the proposed agreements inhibit competition, offerors are required to (1) provide a copy of all teaming arrangements, and (2) explain why the teaming arrangements do not inhibit competition. The documentation must include, but is not limited to: structure of the teaming arrangement, responsibilities, and liabilities; financial responsibility; managerial responsibility and accountability; and applicable legal documents. The burden of proving that any exclusive teaming arrangement proposed does not restrict competition shall rest with the offeror. Offerors are advised that should the Government determine that any such proposed, exclusive teaming arrangement inhibits competition, (1) that determination may render the offeror's proposal ineligible for award, and (2) the Contracting Officer shall forward the matter to the appropriate authorities as prescribed by Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 3.3.

 

5252.227-9511 DISCLOSURE, USE AND PROTECTION OF PROPRIETARY INFORMATION (NAVAIR) (FEB 2009)

 

(a)During the performance of this contract, the Government may use an independent services contractor (ISC),who is neither an agent nor employee of the Government. The ISC may be used to conduct reviews, evaluations, or independent verification and validations of technical documents submitted to the Government during performance.

 

(b)The use of an ISC is solely for the convenience of the Government. The ISC has no obligation to the prime contractor. The prime contractor is required to provide full cooperation, working facilities and access to the ISC for the purposes stated in paragraph (a) above.

 

(c)Since the ISC is neither an employee nor an agent of the Government, any findings, recommendations, analyses, or conclusions of such a contractor are not those of the Government.

 

(d)The prime contractor acknowledges that the Government has the right to use ISCs as stated in paragraph (a) above. It is possible that under such an arrangement the ISC may require access to or the use of information (other than restricted cost or pricing data), which is proprietary to the prime contractor.

 

   
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(e)To protect any such proprietary information from disclosure or use, and to establish the respective rights and duties of both the ISC and prime contractor, the prime contractor agrees to enter into a direct agreement with any ISC as the Government requires. A properly executed copy (per FAR 9.505-4) of the agreement will be provided to the Procuring Contracting Officer.

 

5252.211-9502 GOVERNMENT INSTALLATION WORK SCHEDULE (NAVAIR) (DEC 2014)

 

(a)The Holidays applicable to this contract are: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday, President's Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

 

(b)In the event that any of the above holidays occur on a Saturday or Sunday, or alternate Friday, then such holiday shall be observed as they are by the assigned Government employees at the using activity.

 

(c)The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division works a 4/5/9 work schedule. Therefore alternate Fridays are not a part of the normal workweek for work performed on-site at a Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division site. The majority of the Government offices are closed on alternate Fridays.

 

(d)No deviation in the normal workweek will be permitted without express advance approval by the designated Contracting Officer with coordination of the using departments.

 

5252.237-9501 ADDITION OR SUBSTITUTION OF KEY PERSONNEL (SERVICES) (NAVAIR)(OCT 2005)

 

(a)A requirement of this contract is to maintain stability of personnel proposed in order to provide quality services. The contractor agrees to assign only those key personnel whose resumes were submitted and approved, and who are necessary to fulfill the requirements of the effort. The contractor agrees to assign to any effort requiring non-key personnel only personnel who meet or exceed the applicable labor category descriptions. No substitution or addition of personnel shall be made except in accordance with this clause.

 

(b)If personnel for whatever reason become unavailable for work under the contract for a continuous period exceeding thirty (30) working days, or are expected to devote substantially less effort to the work than indicated in the proposal, the contractor shall propose a substitution to such personnel, in accordance with paragraph (d) below.

 

(c)The contractor agrees that during the first six months of the contract, no key personnel substitutions or additions will be made unless necessitated by compelling reasons including, but not limited to: an individual’s illness, death, termination of employment, declining an offer of employment (for those individuals proposed as contingent hires), or family friendly leave. In such an event, the contractor must promptly provide the information required by paragraph

 

(d)below to the Contracting Officer for approval prior to the substitution or addition of key personnel.

 

(d)All proposed substitutions shall be submitted, in writing, to the Contracting Officer at least fifteen (15) days (thirty (30) days if a security clearance must be obtained) prior to the proposed substitution. Each request shall provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitution, a complete resume for the proposed substitute, information regarding the full financial impact of the change, and any other information required by the Contracting Officer to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. All proposed substitutes (no matter when they are proposed during the performance period) shall have qualifications that are equal to or higher than the qualifications of the person being replaced.

 

(e)In the event a requirement to increase the specified level of effort for a designated labor category, but not the overall level of effort of the contract occurs, the offeror shall submit to the Contracting Officer a written request for approval to add personnel to the designated labor category. The information required is the same as that required in paragraph (d) above. The additional personnel shall have qualifications greater than or equal to at least one (1) of the individuals proposed for the designated labor category.

 

   
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(f)The Contracting Officer shall evaluate requests for substitution and addition of personnel and promptly notifythe offeror, in writing, of whether the request is approved or disapproved.

 

(g)If the Contracting Officer determines that suitable and timely replacement of personnel who have been reassigned, terminated or have otherwise become unavailable to perform under the contract is not reasonably forthcoming or that the resultant reduction of productive effort would impair the successful completion of the contract or the task order, the contract may be terminated by the Contracting Officer for default or for the convenience of the Government, as appropriate. Alternatively, at the Contracting Officer’s discretion, if the Contracting Officer finds the contractor to be at fault for the condition, he may equitably adjust (downward) the contract price or fixed fee to compensate the Government for any delay, loss or damage as a result of the contractor’s action.

 

(h)Noncompliance with the provisions of this clause will be considered a material breach of the terms and conditions of the contract for which the Government may seek any and all appropriate remedies including Termination for Default pursuant to FAR Clause 52.249-6, Alt IV, “Termination (Cost-Reimbursement)”.

 

5252.204-9505 SYSTEM AUTHORIZATION ACCESS REQUEST NAVY (SAAR-N) REQUIREMENTS FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT)(NAVAIR) (NOV 2017)

 

(a)Contractor personnel assigned to perform work under this contract may require access to Navy Information Technology (IT) resources (e.g., computers, laptops, personal electronic devices/personal digital assistants (PEDs/PDAs), NMCI, RDT&E networks, websites such as My NAVAIR, and Navy Web servers requiring Common Access Card (CAC) Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)). Contractor personnel (prime, subcontractor, consultants, and temporary employees) requiring access to Navy IT resources (including those personnel who previously signed SAAR DD Form 2875) shall submit a completed System Authorization Access Request Navy (SAAR-N), OPNAV 5239/14 (Jul 2008) form or latest version thereof, and have initiated the requisite background investigation (or provide proof of a current background investigation) prior to accessing any Navy IT resources. The form and instructions for processing the SAAR-N form are available at: https://navalforms.documentservices.dla.mil/formsDir/_OPNAV_5239_14_7631.pdf. Instruction Note: SAAR-N forms are required to be downloaded and then completed. The "E-MAIL SUBMIT" button on the SAAR-N form is not to be used.

 

(b)SAAR-N forms will be submitted to the Government Sponsor or Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) via the contractor’s Facility Security Officer (FSO). The designated SAAR-N Government Sponsor or TPCO for contractor employees requiring IT access, [fill-in name] shall be responsible for signing and processing the SAAR-N forms. For those contractors that do not have a FSO, SAAR-N forms shall be submitted directly to the designated SAAR-N Government Sponsor or TPOC. Copies of the approved SAAR-N forms may be obtained through the designated SAAR-N Government Sponsor or TPOC. Requests for access should be routed through the NAVAIR_SAAR.fct@navy.mil mailbox.

 

(c)In order to maintain access to Navy IT resources, the contractor shall ensure completion of initial and annual IA training, monitor expiration of requisite background investigations, and initiate re-investigations as required. If requested, the contractor shall provide to the designated SAAR-N Government Sponsor or TPOC documentation sufficient to prove that it is monitoring/tracking the SAAR-N requirements for its employees who are accessing Navy IT resources. For those contractor personnel not in compliance with the requirements of this clause, access to Navy IT resources will be denied/revoked.

 

(d)The SAAR-N form remains valid throughout contractual performance, inclusive of performance extensions and option exercises where the contract number does not change. Contractor personnel are required to submit a new SAAR-N form only when they begin work on a new or different contract.

 

   
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5252.232-9509 REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL, PER DIEM, AND SPECIAL MATERIAL COSTS (NAVAIR) (OCT 2013)

 

(a)General. Performance under this contract may require travel by Contractor personnel. If travel, domestic or overseas, is required, the Contractor is responsible for making all necessary arrangements for its personnel. These include but are not limited to: medical examinations, immunizations, passports/visas/etc., and security clearances. (b) Travel Approval Process. Prior approval is required for all travel under this contract. Travel shall be reviewed and approved/disapproved as follows:

 

(1)The Contractor shall provide the [Insert Procuring Contracting Officer (PCO) or Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)] a written request for authorization to travel at least 30 days in advance of the required travel date, when possible. The request should include: purpose of travel, location, travel dates, number of individuals traveling, and all estimated costs associated with the travel (e.g., lodging, meals, transportation costs, incidental expenses, etc.).

 

(2)The [Insert PCO or COR] will review the travel request and provide, in writing, an approval or disapproval of the travel request to the Contractor [Insert "and the Procuring Contracting Officer." if the COR is reviewing and approving the request.]

 

(c)Travel Policy.

 

(1)Travel arrangements shall be planned in accordance with the Federal Travel regulations, prescribed by the General Services Administration for travel in the conterminous 48 United States, (hereinafter the FTR) and the Joint Travel Regulation, Volume 2, DoD Civilian Personnel, Appendix A, prescribed by the Department of Defense (hereinafter the JTR).

 

(2)The Government will reimburse the Contractor for allowable travel costs incurred by the Contractor in performance of the contract in accordance with FAR Subpart 31.2.

 

(3)For purposes of reimbursement of travel expenses, the Contractor's official station is defined as within 50miles of the Contractor's regular work site. (If Contractor has more than one regular work site, the official station is defined as within 50 miles of each of its regular work sites.)

 

(4)The Contractors documentation for the reimbursement of travel costs (e.g., receipts) shall be governed asset forth in FAR Subpart 31.2, the FTR, and the JTR.

 

(5)Car Rental for a team on temporary duty (TDY) at one site will be allowed provided that only one car is rented for every four (4) members of the TDY team. In the event that less than four (4) persons comprise the TDY team, car rental will be allowed if necessary to complete the mission required.

 

(6)Whenever work assignments require TDY aboard a Government ship, the Contractor will be reimbursed at the per diem identified in the JTR.

 

5252.242-9515 RESTRICTION ON THE DIRECT CHARGING OF MATERIAL (NAVAIR) (JUL 1998)

 

(a)The term “material” includes supplies, materials, parts, equipment, hardware and Information Technology (IT) resources including equipment, services and software. This is a service contract and the procurement of material of any kind that are not incidental to and necessary for contract performance may be determined to be unallowable costs pursuant to FAR Part 31. No materials may be acquired under the contract without the prior written authorization of the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR). IT resources may not be procured under the material line item of this contract unless the approvals required by Department of Defense purchasing procedures have been obtained. Any material provided by the contractor is subject to the requirements of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), and applicable Department of the Navy regulations and instructions.

 

(b)Prior written approval of the COR shall be required for all purchases of materials. If the contractor’s proposal submitted for a task order includes a list of materials with associated prices, then the COR’s acceptance of the contractor’s proposal shall constitute written approval of those purchases.

 

(c)The costs of general purpose business expenses required for the conduct of the contractor’s normal business operations will not be considered an allowable direct cost in the performance of this contract. General purpose business expenses include, but are not limited to, the cost for items such as telephones and telephone charges, reproduction machines, word processing equipment, personal computers and other office equipment and office supplies.

 

   
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5252.242-9502 TECHNICAL DIRECTION (NAVAIR) (MAY 2011)

 

(a)Definition. Technical Direction Letters (TDLs) are a means of communication between the Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) or Task Order Manager (TOM), and the contractor to answer technical questions, provide technical clarification, and give technical direction regarding the content of the Statement of Work (SOW) of a Contract, Order, or Agreement; herein after referred to as contract.

 

(i)“Technical Direction” means “clarification of contractual requirements or direction of a technical nature, within the context of the SOW of the contract.”

 

(b)Scope. The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 201.602-2 states that the Contracting Officer may designate qualified personnel as a COR. In this capacity, the COR or TOM may provide Technical Direction to the contractor, so long as the Technical Direction does not make any commitment or change that affects price, quality, quantity, delivery, or other terms and conditions of the contract. This Technical Direction shall be provided consistent with the limitations specified below.

 

(c)Limitations. When necessary, Technical Direction concerning details of requirements set forth in the contract, shall be given through issuance of TDLs prepared by the COR or TOM subject to the following limitations.

 

(i)The TDL, and any subsequent amendments to the TDL, shall be in writing and signed by both the COR or TOM, and the Contracting Officer prior to issuance of the TDL to the contractor. Written TDLs are the only medium permitted for use when technical direction communication is required. Any other means of communication (including such things as Contractor Service Request Letters, Authorization Letters, or Material Budget Letters) are not permissible means of communicating technical direction during contract performance.

 

(ii)In the event of an urgent situation, the COR/TOM may issue the TDL directly to the contractor prior to obtaining the Contracting Officer’s signature.

 

(iii)Each TDL issued is subject to the terms and conditions of the contract and shall not be used to assign new work, direct a change to the quality or quantity of supplies and/or services delivered, change the delivery date(s) or period of performance of the contract, or change any other conditions of the contract. TDLs shall only provide additional clarification and direction regarding technical issues. In the event of a conflict between a TDL and the contract, the contract shall take precedence.

 

(iv)Issuance of TDLs shall not incur an increase or decrease to the contract price, estimated contract amount (including fee), or contract funding, as applicable. Additionally, TDLs shall not provide clarification or direction of a technical nature that would require the use of existing funds on the contract beyond the period of performance or delivery date for which the funds were obligated.

 

(v)TDLs shall provide specific Technical Direction to the contractor only for work specified in the SOW and previously negotiated in the contract. TDLs shall not require new contract deliverables that may cause the contractor to incur additional costs.

 

(vi)When, in the opinion of the contractor, a TDL calls for effort outside the terms and conditions of the contract or available funding, the contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing, with a copy to the COR or TOM, within two (2) working days of having received the Technical Direction. The contractor shall undertake no performance to comply with the TDL until the matter has been resolved by the Contracting Officer through a contract modification or other appropriate action.

 

(vii)If the contractor undertakes work associated with a TDL that is considered to be outside the scope of the contract, the contractor does so at its own risk and is not subject to recover any costs and fee or profit associated with the scope of effort.

 

   
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5252.245-9500 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS CONTRACT (NAVAIR)(MAY 2014)

 

(a)Authorization is granted to use the Government property identified below without rental charge in the performance of this contract and subcontracts of any tier issued hereunder (see FAR 45.201(a) for further information regarding identification requirements) :

 

(1)Government property currently accountable and managed under the following contracts:

 

NONE

 

(2)Government furnished property to be provided under this contract:

 

DESCRIPTION: NMCI Services for off-site contractors - As noted in the NAVY NET System. (The list specific to the order/contract can be obtained by the COR from the designated NMCI POC or AIR 7.2

 

(3)Government furnished material, as defined in FAR 45.101, to be provided under this contract:

 

NONE

 

(4)If authority has been granted in accordance with FAR 51.102, Contractor access to Government supply sources is authorized for the following items. Paragraph (b) does not apply to purchases under the NMCI/CoSC contract.

 

NONE

 

(b)The contractor shall prepare requisition documentation for the items listed in paragraph (a)(4) above inaccordance with the “Military Standard Requisitioning and Issue Procedures (MILSTRIP) for Defense Contractors”, DoD 4000.25-1- M, Chapter 11, which is available at http://www2.dla.mil/j-6/dlmso/elibrary /manuals/dlm/dlm-pubs.asp. The contractor shall submit all requisitions for material from the supply system to the Material Control Activity specified in Section G of this contract.

 

(c)Government property provided above (except for special tooling and special test equipment as defined in Far 2.101) shall not be installed or constructed or otherwise affixed to property not owned by the Government in such a fashion as to be non-severable unless written authorization has been obtained from the Contracting Officer.

 

(d)The contractor is responsible for scheduling the use of all property covered by this clause and the Government shall not be responsible for conflicts, delays, or disruptions to any work performed by the contractor due to use of any or all such property, either under this contract or any other contracts under which use of such property is authorized.

 

SECTION I CONTRACT CLAUSES

 

Contract Clauses in Section I in the contractor's Basic SeaPort-e IDIQ are incorporated into this task order by reference.

 

52.203-16 Preventing Personal Conflicts of Interest (Dec 2011).

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

“Acquisition function closely associated with inherently governmental functions” means supporting or providing advice or recommendations with regard to the following activities of a Federal agency:

 

(1)Planning acquisitions.

 

(2)Determining what supplies or services are to be acquired by the Government, including developing statements of work.

 

   
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(3)Developing or approving any contractual documents, to include documents defining requirements, incentive plans, and evaluation criteria.

 

(4)Evaluating contract proposals.

 

(5)Awarding Government contracts.

 

(6)Administering contracts (including ordering changes or giving technical direction in contract performance or contract quantities, evaluating contractor performance, and accepting or rejecting contractor products or services).

 

(7)Terminating contracts.

 

(8)Determining whether contract costs are reasonable, allocable, and allowable.

 

“Covered employee” means an individual who performs an acquisition function closely associated with inherently governmental functions and is—

 

(1)An employee of the contractor; or

 

(2)A subcontractor that is a self-employed individual treated as a covered employee of the contractor because there is no employer to whom such an individual could submit the required disclosures.

 

“Non-public information” means any Government or third-party information that—

 

(1)Is exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) or otherwise protected from disclosure by statute, Executive order, or regulation; or

 

(2)Has not been disseminated to the general public and the Government has not yet determined whether the information can or will be made available to the public.

 

“Personal conflict of interest” means a situation in which a covered employee has a financial interest, personal activity, or relationship that could impair the employee’s ability to act impartially and in the best interest of the Government when performing under the contract. (A de minimis interest that would not “impair the employee’s ability to act impartially and in the best interest of the Government” is not covered under this definition.)

 

(1)Among the sources of personal conflicts of interest are—

 

(i)Financial interests of the covered employee, of close family members, or of other members of the covered employee’s household;

 

(ii)Other employment or financial relationships (including seeking or negotiating for prospective employment or business); and

 

(iii)Gifts, including travel.

 

(2)For example, financial interests referred to in paragraph (1) of this definition may arise from— (i) Compensation, including wages, salaries, commissions, professional fees, or fees for business referrals;

 

(ii)Consulting relationships (including commercial and professional consulting and service arrangements, scientific and technical advisory board memberships, or serving as an expert witness in litigation);

 

(iii)Services provided in exchange for honorariums or travel expense reimbursements;

 

(iv)Research funding or other forms of research support;

 

(v)Investment in the form of stock or bond ownership or partnership interest (excluding diversified mutual fund investments);

 

   
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(vi)Real estate investments;

 

(vii)Patents, copyrights, and other intellectual property interests; or

 

(viii)Business ownership and investment interests.

 

(b)Requirements. The Contractor shall—

 

(1)Have procedures in place to screen covered employees for potential personal conflicts of interest, by—

 

(i)Obtaining and maintaining from each covered employee, when the employee is initially assigned to the task under the contract, a disclosure of interests that might be affected by the task to which the employee has been assigned, as follows:

 

(A)Financial interests of the covered employee, of close family members, or of other members of the covered employee’s household.

 

(B)Other employment or financial relationships of the covered employee (including seeking or negotiating for prospective employment or business).

 

(C)Gifts, including travel; and

 

(ii)Requiring each covered employee to update the disclosure statement whenever the employee’s personal or financial circumstances change in such a way that a new personal conflict of interest might occur because of the task the covered employee is performing.

 

(2)For each covered employee—

 

(i)Prevent personal conflicts of interest, including not assigning or allowing a covered employee to perform any task under the contract for which the Contractor has identified a personal conflict of interest for the employee that the Contractor or employee cannot satisfactorily prevent or mitigate in consultation with the contracting agency;

 

(ii)Prohibit use of non-public information accessed through performance of a Government contract for personal gain; and

 

(iii)Obtain a signed non-disclosure agreement to prohibit disclosure of non-public information accessed through performance of a Government contract.

 

(3)Inform covered employees of their obligation—

 

(i)To disclose and prevent personal conflicts of interest;

 

(ii)Not to use non-public information accessed through performance of a Government contract for personal gain;and

 

(iii)To avoid even the appearance of personal conflicts of interest;

 

(4)Maintain effective oversight to verify compliance with personal conflict-of-interest safeguards;

 

(5)Take appropriate disciplinary action in the case of covered employees who fail to comply with policies established pursuant to this clause; and

 

(6)Report to the Contracting Officer any personal conflict-of-interest violation by a covered employee as soon asit is identified. This report shall include a description of the violation and the proposed actions to be taken by the Contractor in response to the violation. Provide follow-up reports of corrective actions taken, as necessary. Personal conflict-of-interest violations include—

 

(i)Failure by a covered employee to disclose a personal conflict of interest;

 

   
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(ii)Use by a covered employee of non-public information accessed through performance of a Government contract for personal gain; and

 

(iii)Failure of a covered employee to comply with the terms of a non-disclosure agreement.

 

(c)Mitigation or waiver.

 

(1)In exceptional circumstances, if the Contractor cannot satisfactorily prevent a personal conflict of interest as required by paragraph (b)(2)(i) of this clause, the Contractor may submit a request through the Contracting Officer to the Head of the Contracting Activity for—

 

(i)Agreement to a plan to mitigate the personal conflict of interest; or

 

(ii)A waiver of the requirement.

 

(2)The Contractor shall include in the request any proposed mitigation of the personal conflict of interest.

 

(3)The Contractor shall—

 

(i)Comply, and require compliance by the covered employee, with any conditions imposed by the Government as necessary to mitigate the personal conflict of interest; or

 

(ii)Remove the Contractor employee or subcontractor employee from performance of the contract or terminate the applicable subcontract.

 

(d)Subcontract flowdown. The Contractor shall include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (d), in subcontracts—

 

(1)That exceed $150,000; and

 

(2)In which subcontractor employees will perform acquisition functions closely associated with inherently governmental functions (i.e., instead of performance only by a self-employed individual).

 

(End of clause)

 

52.204-9 Personal Identity Verification of Contractor Personnel. (JAN 2011)

 

(a)The Contractor shall comply with agency personal identity verification procedures identified in the contract that implement Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance M-05-24, and Federal Information Processing Standards Publication (FIPS PUB) Number 201. (b) The Contractor shall account for all forms of Government-provided identification issued to the Contractor employees in connection with performance under this contract. The Contractor shall return such identification to the issuing agency at the earliest of any of the following, unless otherwise determined by the Government;

 

(1)When no longer needed for contract performance.

 

(2)Upon completion of the Contractor employee’s employment.

 

(3)Upon contract completion or termination.

 

(c)The Contracting Officer may delay final payment under a contract if the Contractor fails to comply with these requirements.

 

(d)The Contractor shall insert the substance of clause, including this paragraph (d), in all subcontracts when the subcontractor’s employees are required to have routine physical access to a Federally-controlled facility and/or routine access to a Federally-controlled information system. It shall be the responsibility of the prime Contractor to return such identification to the issuing agency in accordance with the terms set forth in paragraph (b) of this section, unless otherwise approved in writing by the Contracting Officer.

 

   
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52.209-11 REPRESENTATION BY CORPORATIONS REGARDING DELINQUENT TAX

LIABILITY OR A FELONY CONVICTION UNDER ANY FEDERAL LAW (FEB 2016)

 

(a)As required by sections 744 and 745 of Division E of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub.L. 113-235), and similar provisions, if contained in subsequent appropriations acts, the Government will not enter into a contract with any corporation that —

 

(1)Has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability, where the awarding agency is aware of the unpaid tax liability, unless an agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that suspension or debarment is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government; or

 

(2)Was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months, where the awarding agency is aware of the conviction, unless an agency has considered suspension or debarment of the corporation and made a determination that this action is not necessary to protect the interests of the Government.

 

(b)The Offeror represents that —

 

(1)It is [ ] is not [ ] a corporation that has any unpaid Federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability; and

 

(2)It is [ ] is not [ ] a corporation that was convicted of a felony criminal violation under any Federal law within the preceding 24 months,

 

52.215-20 REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA OR INFORMATION OTHER

THAN CERTIFIED COST OR PRICING DATA (OCT 2010)

 

(a)Exceptions from certified cost or pricing data.

 

(1)In lieu of submitting certified cost or pricing data, offerors may submit a written request for exception by submitting the information described in the following subparagraphs. The Contracting Officer may require additional supporting information, but only to the extent necessary to determine whether an exception should be granted, and whether the price is fair and reasonable.

 

(i)Identification of the law or regulation establishing the price offered. If the price is controlled under law by periodic rulings, reviews, or similar actions of a governmental body, attach a copy of the controlling document, unless it was previously submitted to the contracting office.

 

(ii)Commercial item exception. For a commercial item exception, the offeror shall submit, at a minimum,information on prices at which the same item or similar items have previously been sold in the commercial market that is adequate for evaluating the reasonableness of the price for this acquisition. Such information may include—

 

(A)For catalog items, a copy of or identification of the catalog and its date, or the appropriate pages for the offered items, or a statement that the catalog is on file in the buying office to which the proposal is being submitted. Provide a copy or describe current discount policies and price lists (published or unpublished), e.g., wholesale, original equipment manufacturer, or reseller. Also explain the basis of each offered price and its relationship to the established catalog price, including how the proposed price relates to the price of recent sales in quantities similar to the proposed quantities;

 

(B)For market-priced items, the source and date or period of the market quotation or other basis for market price,the base amount, and applicable discounts. In addition, describe the nature of the market;

 

(C)For items included on an active Federal Supply Service Multiple Award Schedule contract, proof that an exception has been granted for the schedule item. The offeror grants the Contracting Officer or an authorized representative the right to examine, at any time before award, books, records, documents, or other directly pertinent records to verify any request for an exception under this provision, and the reasonableness of price. For items priced using catalog or market prices, or law or regulation, access does not extend to cost or profit information or other data relevant solely to the offeror's determination of the prices to be offered in the catalog or marketplace.

 

   
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(b)Requirements for certified cost or pricing data. If the offeror is not granted an exception from the requirement to submit certified cost or pricing data, the following applies:

 

(1)The offeror shall prepare and submit certified cost or pricing data, data other than certified cost or pricing data,and supporting attachments in accordance with the instructions contained in Table 15-2 of FAR 15.408, which is incorporated by reference with the same force and effect as though it were inserted here in full text. The instructions in Table 15-2 are incorporated as a mandatory format to be used in this contract, unless the Contracting Officer and the Contractor agree to a different format and change this clause to use Alternate I.

 

(2)As soon as practicable after agreement on price, but before contract award (except for unpriced actions such as letter contracts), the offeror shall submit a Certificate of Current Cost or Pricing Data, as prescribed by FAR 15.406-2.

 

52.216-1 TYPE OF CONTRACT (APR 1984)

 

The Government contemplates award of a Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF) term type Task Order. This procurement will have one (1) year base period and four (4) one (1) year option periods.

 

52.217-8 OPTION TO EXTEND SERVICES (NOV 1999)

 

The Government may require continued performance of any services within the limits and at the rates specified in the contract. These rates may be adjusted only as a result of revisions to prevailing labor rates provided by the Secretary of Labor. The option provision may be exercised more than once, but the total extension of performance hereunder shall not exceed 6 months. The Contracting Officer may exercise the option by written notice to the Contractor within 30 days before the expiration of the current period of performance.

 

52.217-9 — OPTION TO EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT (MAR 2000)

 

(a)The Government may extend the term of this contract by written notice to the Contractor within 10 days of the expiration of the current period of performance; provided that the Government gives the Contractor a preliminary written notice of its intent to extend at least 60 days before the contract expires. The preliminary notice does not commit the Government to an extension.

 

(b)If the Government exercises this option, the extended contract shall be considered to include this option clause.

 

(c)The total duration of this contract, including the exercise of any options under this clause, shall not exceed 5 years 6 months.

 

52.222-50 COMBATING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS (JAN 2019)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

“Agent” means any individual, including a director, an officer, an employee, or an independent contractor, authorized to act on behalf of the organization.

 

“Coercion” means—

 

(1)Threats of serious harm to or physical restraint against any person;

 

(2)Any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; or

 

(3)The abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process.

 

   
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“Commercial sex act” means any sex act on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person.

 

“Commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item” means-(1) Any item of supply (including construction material) that is—

 

(i)A commercial item (as defined in paragraph (1) of the definition at FAR 2.101);

 

(ii)Sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace; and

 

(iii)Offered to the Government, under a contract or subcontract at any tier, without modification, in the same form in which it is sold in the commercial marketplace; and

 

(2)Does not include bulk cargo, as defined in 46 U.S.C. 40102(4), such as agricultural products and petroleum products.

 

“Debt bondage” means the status or condition of a debtor arising from a pledge by the debtor of his or her personal services or of those of a person under his or her control as a security for debt, if the value of those services as reasonably assessed is not applied toward the liquidation of the debt or the length and nature of those services are not respectively limited and defined.

 

“Employee” means an employee of the Contractor directly engaged in the performance of work under the contract who has other than a minimal impact or involvement in contract performance.

 

“Forced labor” means knowingly providing or obtaining the labor or services of a person— (1) By threats of serious harm to, or physical restraint against, that person or another person;

 

(2)By means of any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause the person to believe that, if the person did not perform such labor or services, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint; or

 

(3)By means of the abuse or threatened abuse of law or the legal process.

 

“Involuntary servitude” includes a condition of servitude induced by means of—

 

(1)Any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe that, if the person did not enter into or continue in such conditions, that person or another person would suffer serious harm or physical restraint; or

 

(2)The abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process.

 

“Recruitment fees” means- Fees of any type, including charges, costs, assessments, or other financial obligations, that are associated with the recruiting process, regardless of the time, manner, or location of imposition or collection of the fee.

 

(1) Recruitment fees include, but are not limited to, the following fees (when they are associated with the recruiting process) for—

 

(i)Soliciting, identifying, considering, interviewing, referring, retaining, transferring, selecting, training, providing orientation to, skills testing, recommending, or placing employees or potential employees; (ii) Advertising;

 

(iii)Obtaining permanent or temporary labor certification, including any associated fees;

 

(iv)Processing applications and petitions;

 

(v)       Acquiring visas, including any associated fees;

 

(vi)Acquiring photographs and identity or immigration documents,such as passports, including any associated fees;

 

   
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(vii)Accessing the job opportunity, including required medical examinations and immunizations; background,reference, and security clearance checks and examinations; and additional certifications;

 

(viii)An employer's recruiters, agents or attorneys, or other notary or legal fees;

 

(ix)Language interpretation or translation, arranging for or accompanying on travel, or providing other advice to employees or potential employees;

 

(x)Government-mandated fees, such as border crossing fees, levies, or worker welfare funds;

 

(xi)Transportation and subsistence costs—

 

(A)While in transit, including, but not limited to, airfare or costs of other modes of transportation, terminal fees,and travel taxes associated with travel from the country of origin to the country of performance and the return journey upon the end of employment; and

 

(B)From the airport or disembarkation point to the worksite;

 

(xii)Security deposits, bonds, and insurance; and

 

(xiii)Equipment charges.

 

(2)A recruitment fee, as described in the introductory text of this definition, is a recruitment fee, regardless of whether the payment is-(i) Paid in property or money;

 

(ii)Deducted from wages;

 

(iii)Paid back in wage or benefit concessions;

 

(iv)Paid back as a kickback, bribe, in-kind payment, free labor, tip, or tribute; or

 

(v)Collected by an employer or a third party, whether licensed or unlicensed, including, but not limited to—

 

(A)Agents;

 

(B)Labor brokers;

 

(C)Recruiters;

 

(D)Staffing firms (including private employment and placement firms);

 

(E)Subsidiaries/affiliates of the employer;(F) Any agent or employee of such entities; and (G) Subcontractors at all tiers.

“Severe forms of trafficking in persons” means—

 

(1)Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or

 

(2)The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through theuse of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

 

“Sex trafficking” means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.

 

“Subcontract” means any contract entered into by a subcontractor to furnish supplies or services for performance of a prime contract or a subcontract.

 

   
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“Subcontractor” means any supplier, distributor, vendor, or firm that furnishes supplies or services to or for a prime contractor or another subcontractor.

 

“United States” means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and outlying areas.

 

(b)Policy. The United States Government has adopted a policy prohibiting trafficking in persons including the trafficking-related activities of this clause. Contractors, contractor employees, and their agents shall not—

 

(1)Engage in severe forms of trafficking in persons during the period of performance of the contract;

 

(2)Procure commercial sex acts during the period of performance of the contract;

 

(3)Use forced labor in the performance of the contract;

 

(4)Destroy, conceal, confiscate, or otherwise deny access by an employee to the employee's identity orimmigration documents, such as passports or drivers' licenses, regardless of issuing authority;

 

(5)

 

(i)Use misleading or fraudulent practices during the recruitment of employees or offering of employment, such as failing to disclose, in a format and language understood by the employee or potential employee, basic information or making material misrepresentations during the recruitment of employees regarding the key terms and conditions of employment, including wages and fringe benefits, the location of work, the living conditions, housing and associated costs (if employer or agent provided or arranged), any significant costs to be charged to the employee or potential employee, and, if applicable, the hazardous nature of the work;

 

(ii)Use recruiters that do not comply with local labor laws of the country in which the recruiting takes place;

 

(6)Charge employees or potential employees recruitment fees;

 

(7)

 

(i)Fail to provide return transportation or pay for the cost of return transportation upon the end of employment—

 

(A)For an employee who is not a national of the country in which the work is taking place and who was brought into that country for the purpose of working on a U.S. Government contract or subcontract (for portions of contracts performed outside the United States); or

 

(B)For an employee who is not a United States national and who was brought into the United States for the purpose of working on a U.S. Government contract or subcontract, if the payment of such costs is required under existing temporary worker programs or pursuant to a written agreement with the employee (for portions of contracts performed inside the United States); except that—

 

(ii)The requirements of paragraphs (b)(7)(i) of this clause shall not apply to an employee who is—

 

(A)Legally permitted to remain in the country of employment and who chooses to do so; or

 

(B)Exempted by an authorized official of the contracting agency from the requirement to provide return transportation or pay for the cost of return transportation;

 

(iii)The requirements of paragraph (b)(7)(i) of this clause are modified for a victim of trafficking in persons who is seeking victim services or legal redress in the country of employment, or for a witness in an enforcement action related to trafficking in persons. The contractor shall provide the return transportation or pay the cost of return transportation in a way that does not obstruct the victim services, legal redress, or witness activity. For example, the contractor shall not only offer return transportation to a witness at a time when the witness is still needed to testify. This paragraph does not apply when the exemptions at paragraph (b)(7)(ii) of this clause apply. (8) Provide or arrange housing that fails to meet the host country housing and safety standards; or

 

   
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(9)If required by law or contract, fail to provide an employment contract, recruitment agreement, or other required work document in writing. Such written work document shall be in a language the employee understands. If the employee must relocate to perform the work, the work document shall be provided to the employee at least five days prior to the employee relocating. The employee's work document shall include, but is not limited to, details about work description, wages, prohibition on charging recruitment fees, work location(s), living accommodations and associated costs, time off, roundtrip transportation arrangements, grievance process, and the content of applicable laws and regulations that prohibit trafficking in persons.

 

(c)Contractor requirements. The Contractor shall—

 

(1)Notify its employees and agents of—

 

(i)The United States Government's policy prohibiting trafficking in persons, described in paragraph (b) of this clause; and

 

(ii)The actions that will be taken against employees or agents for violations of this policy. Such actions for employees may include, but are not limited to, removal from the contract, reduction in benefits, or termination of employment; and

 

(2)Take appropriate action, up to and including termination, against employees, agents, or subcontractors that violate the policy in paragraph (b) of this clause.

 

(d)Notification.

 

(1)The Contractor shall inform the Contracting Officer and the agency Inspector General immediately of—

 

(i)Any credible information it receives from any source (including host country law enforcement) that alleges a Contractor employee, subcontractor, subcontractor employee, or their agent has engaged in conduct that violates the policy in paragraph (b) of this clause (see also 18 U.S.C. 1351, Fraud in Foreign Labor Contracting, and 52.203-13(b)(3)(i)(A), if that clause is included in the solicitation or contract, which requires disclosure to the agency Office of the Inspector General when the Contractor has credible evidence of fraud); and

 

(ii)Any actions taken against a Contractor employee, subcontractor, subcontractor employee, or their agent pursuant to this clause.

 

(2)If the allegation may be associated with more than one contract, the Contractor shall inform the contracting officer for the contract with the highest dollar value.

 

(e)Remedies. In addition to other remedies available to the Government, the Contractor's failure to comply with the requirements of paragraphs (c), (d), (g), (h), or (i) of this clause may result in—

 

(1)Requiring the Contractor to remove a Contractor employee or employees from the performance of the contract;

 

(2)Requiring the Contractor to terminate a subcontract;

 

(3)Suspension of contract payments until the Contractor has taken appropriate remedial action;

 

(4)Loss of award fee, consistent with the award fee plan, for the performance period in which the Government determined Contractor non-compliance;

 

(5)Declining to exercise available options under the contract;

 

(6)Termination of the contract for default or cause, in accordance with the termination clause of this contract; or

 

(7)Suspension or debarment.

 

(f)Mitigating and aggravating factors. When determining remedies, the Contracting Officer may consider the following:

 

   
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(1)Mitigating factors. The Contractor had a Trafficking in Persons compliance plan or an awareness program at the time of the violation, was in compliance with the plan, and has taken appropriate remedial actions for the violation, that may include reparation to victims for such violations.

 

(2)Aggravating factors. The Contractor failed to abate an alleged violation or enforce the requirements of a compliance plan, when directed by the Contracting Officer to do so.

 

(g)Full cooperation.

 

(1)The Contractor shall, at a minimum—

 

(i)Disclose to the agency Inspector General information sufficient to identify the nature and extent of an offense and the individuals responsible for the conduct;

 

(ii)Provide timely and complete responses to Government auditors' and investigators' requests for documents;

 

(iii)Cooperate fully in providing reasonable access to its facilities and staff (both inside and outside the U.S.) toallow contracting agencies and other responsible Federal agencies to conduct audits, investigations, or other actions to ascertain compliance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. chapter 78), E.O. 13627, or any other applicable law or regulation establishing restrictions on trafficking in persons, the procurement of commercial sex acts, or the use of forced labor; and

 

(iv)Protect all employees suspected of being victims of or witnesses to prohibited activities, prior to returning tothe country from which the employee was recruited, and shall not prevent or hinder the ability of these employees from cooperating fully with Government authorities.

 

(2)The requirement for full cooperation does not foreclose any Contractor rights arising in law, the FAR, or the terms of the contract. It does not—

 

(i)Require the Contractor to waive its attorney-client privilege or the protections afforded by the attorney work product doctrine;

 

(ii)Require any officer, director, owner, employee, or agent of the Contractor, including a sole proprietor, to waive his or her attorney client privilege or Fifth Amendment rights; or

 

(iii)Restrict the Contractor from—(A) Conducting an internal investigation; or

 

(B)Defending a proceeding or dispute arising under the contract or related to a potential or disclosed violation.

 

(h)Compliance plan.

 

(1) This paragraph (h) applies to any portion of the contract that—

 

(i)       Is for supplies, other than commercially available off-the-shelf items, acquired outside the United States, or services to be performed outside the United States; and

 

(ii)Has an estimated value that exceeds $500,000.

 

(2)The Contractor shall maintain a compliance plan during the performance of the contract that is appropriate—

 

(i)To the size and complexity of the contract; and

 

(ii)To the nature and scope of the activities to be performed for the Government, including the number ofnon-United States citizens expected to be employed and the risk that the contract or subcontract will involve services or supplies susceptible to trafficking in persons.

 

(3)Minimum requirements. The compliance plan must include, at a minimum, the following:

 

   
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(i)An awareness program to inform contractor employees about the Government's policy prohibiting trafficking related activities described in paragraph (b) of this clause, the activities prohibited, and the actions that will be taken against the employee for violations. Additional information about Trafficking in Persons and examples of awareness programs can be found at the Web site for the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at http://www.state.gov/j/tip/.

 

(ii)A process for employees to report, without fear of retaliation, activity inconsistent with the policy prohibiting trafficking in persons, including a means to make available to all employees the hotline phone number of the Global Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-844-888-FREE and its email address at help@befree.org.

 

(iii)A recruitment and wage plan that only permits the use of recruitment companies with trained employees, prohibits charging recruitment fees to the employee or potential employees, and ensures that wages meet applicable host-country legal requirements or explains any variance.

 

(iv)A housing plan, if the Contractor or subcontractor intends to provide or arrange housing, that ensures that the housing meets host-country housing and safety standards.

 

(v)Procedures to prevent agents and subcontractors at any tier and at any dollar value from engaging in trafficking in persons (including activities in paragraph (b) of this clause) and to monitor, detect, and terminate any agents, subcontracts, or subcontractor employees that have engaged in such activities.

 

(4)Posting.

 

(i)The Contractor shall post the relevant contents of the compliance plan, no later than the initiation of contract performance, at the workplace (unless the work is to be performed in the field or not in a fixed location) and on the Contractor's Web site (if one is maintained). If posting at the workplace or on the Web site is impracticable, the Contractor shall provide the relevant contents of the compliance plan to each worker in writing.

 

(ii)The Contractor shall provide the compliance plan to the Contracting Officer upon request.

 

(5)Certification. Annually after receiving an award, the Contractor shall submit a certification to the Contracting Officer that—

 

(i)It has implemented a compliance plan to prevent any prohibited activities identified at paragraph (b) of this clause and to monitor, detect, and terminate any agent, subcontract or subcontractor employee engaging in prohibited activities; and

 

(ii)After having conducted due diligence, either—

 

(A)To the best of the Contractor's knowledge and belief, neither it nor any of its agents, subcontractors, or their agents is engaged in any such activities; or

 

(B)If abuses relating to any of the prohibited activities identified in paragraph (b) of this clause have been found,the Contractor or subcontractor has taken the appropriate remedial and referral actions.

 

(i)Subcontracts.

 

(1)The Contractor shall include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (i), in all subcontracts and in all contracts with agents. The requirements in paragraph (h) of this clause apply only to any portion of the subcontract that—

 

(A)Is for supplies, other than commercially available off-the-shelf items, acquired outside the United States, or services to be performed outside the United States; and

 

(B)Has an estimated value that exceeds $500,000.

 

   
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(2)If any subcontractor is required by this clause to submit a certification, the Contractor shall require submission prior to the award of the subcontract and annually thereafter. The certification shall cover the items in paragraph (h)(5) of this clause.

 

52.225-25 PROHIBITION ON CONTRACTING WITH ENTITIES ENGAGING IN CERTAIN

ACTIVITIES OR TRANSACTIONS RELATING TO IRAN-REPRESENTATION AND CERTIFICATION (AUG 2018)

 

(a) Definitions. As used in this provision—

 

Person-(1)

 

Means—

 

(i)A natural person;

 

(ii)A corporation, business association, partnership, society, trust, financial institution, insurer, underwriter, guarantor, and any other business organization, any other nongovernmental entity, organization, or group, and any governmental entity operating as a business enterprise; and

 

(iii)Any successor to any entity described in paragraph (1)(ii) of this definition; and

 

(2)Does not include a government or governmental entity that is not operating as a business enterprise.

 

Sensitive technology—

 

(1)Means hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, or any other technology that is to be used specifically—

 

(i)To restrict the free flow of unbiased information in Iran; or

 

(ii)To disrupt, monitor, or otherwise restrict speech of the people of Iran; and

 

(2)Does not include information or informational materials the export of which the President does not have the authority to regulate or prohibit pursuant to section 203(b)(3) of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(3)).

 

(b)The offeror shall email questions concerning sensitive technology to the Department of Stateat CISADA106@state.gov.

 

(c)Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this provision or if a waiver has been granted in accordance with 25.703-4, by submission of its offer, the offeror—

 

(1)Represents, to the best of its knowledge and belief, that the offeror does not export any sensitive technology tothe government of Iran or any entities or individuals owned or controlled by, or acting on behalf or at the direction of, the government of Iran;

 

(2)Certifies that the offeror, or any person owned or controlled by the offeror, does not engage in any activities for which sanctions may be imposed under section 5 of the Iran Sanctions Act. These sanctioned activities are in the areas of development of the petroleum resources of Iran, production of refined petroleum products in Iran, sale and provision of refined petroleum products to Iran, and contributing to Iran's ability to acquire or develop certain weapons or technologies; and

 

(3)Certifies that the offeror, and any person owned or controlled by the offeror, does not knowingly engage in any transaction that exceeds $3,500 with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps or any of its officials, agents, or affiliates, the property and interests in property of which are blocked pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (see OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List at https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/SDN-List/Pages/default.aspx ).

 

   
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(d)Exception for trade agreements. The representation requirement of paragraph (c)(1) and the certification requirements of paragraphs (c)(2) and (c)(3) of this provision do not apply if—

 

(1)This solicitation includes a trade agreements notice or certification (e.g., 52.225-4, 52.225-6, 52.225-12, 52.225-24, or comparable agency provision); and

 

(2)The offeror has certified that all the offered products to be supplied are designated country end products or designated country construction material.

 

52.232-39 – Unenforceability of Unauthorized Obligations (Jun 2013).

 

(a)Except as stated in paragraph (b) of this clause, when any supply or service acquired under this contract is subject to any End User License Agreement (EULA), Terms of Service (TOS), or similar legal instrument or agreement , that includes any clause requiring the Government to indemnify the Contractor or any person or entity for damages, costs, fees, or any other loss or liability that would create an Anti-Deficiency Act violation (31 U.S.C. 1341), the following shall govern:

 

(1)Any such clause is unenforceable against the Government.

 

(2)Neither the Government nor any Government authorized end user shall be deemed to have agreed to such clause by virtue of it appearing in the EULA, TOS, or similar legal instrument or agreement. If the EULA, TOS, or similar legal instrument or agreement is invoked through an “I agree” click box or other comparable mechanism (e.g., “click-wrap” or “browse-wrap” agreements), execution does not bind the Government or any Government authorized end user to such clause.

 

(3)Any such clause is deemed to be stricken from the EULA, TOS, or similar legal instrument or agreement.

 

(b)Paragraph (a) of this clause does not apply to indemnification by the Government that is expressly authorized by statute and specifically authorized under applicable agency regulation and procedures.

 

(End of clause)

 

52.237-3 CONTINUITY OF SERVICES (JAN 1991)

 

(a)The Contractor recognizes that the services under this contract are vital to the Government and must be continued without interruption and that, upon contract expiration, a successor, either the Government or another contractor, may continue them. The Contractor agrees to (1) furnish phase-in training and (2) exercise its best efforts and cooperation to effect an orderly and efficient transition to a successor.

 

(b)The Contractor shall, upon the Contracting Officer's written notice, (1) furnish phase-in, phase-out services for up to 90 days after this contract expires and (2) negotiate in good faith a plan with a successor to determine the nature and extent of phase-in, phase-out services required. The plan shall specify a training program and a date for transferring responsibilities for each division of work described in the plan, and shall be subject to the Contracting Officer's approval. The Contractor shall provide sufficient experienced personnel during the phase-in, phase-out period to ensure that the services called for by this contract are maintained at the required level of proficiency.

 

(c)The Contractor shall allow as many personnel as practicable to remain on the job to help the successor maintain the continuity and consistency of the services required by this contract. The Contractor also shall disclose necessary personnel records and allow the successor to conduct on-site interviews with these employees. If selected employees are agreeable to the change, the Contractor shall release them at a mutually agreeable date and negotiate transfer of their earned fringe benefits to the successor.

 

(d)The Contractor shall be reimbursed for all reasonable phase- in, phase-out costs (i.e., costs incurred within the agreed period after contract expiration that result from phase-in, phase-out operations) and a fee (profit) not to exceed a pro rata portion of the fee (profit) under this contract.

 

   
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52.244-2 SUBCONTRACTS (OCT 2010)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

"Approved purchasing system" means a Contractor's purchasing system that has been reviewed and approved in accordance with Part 44 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).

 

"Consent to subcontract" means the Contracting Officer's written consent for the Contractor to enter into a particular subcontract.

 

"Subcontract" means any contract, as defined in FAR Subpart 2.1, entered into by a subcontractor to furnish supplies or services for performance of the prime contract or a subcontract. It includes, but is not limited to, purchase orders, and changes and modifications to purchase orders.

 

(b)When this clause is included in a fixed-price type contract, consent to subcontract is required only on unpriced contract actions (including unpriced modifications or unpriced delivery orders), and only if required in accordance with paragraph (c) or (d) of this clause.

 

(c)If the Contractor does not have an approved purchasing system, consent to subcontract is required for any subcontract that—

 

(1)Is of the cost-reimbursement, time-and-materials, or labor- hour type; or

 

(2)Is fixed-price and exceeds—

 

(i)For a contract awarded by the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the greater of the simplified acquisition threshold or 5 percent of the total estimated cost of the contract; or

 

(ii)For a contract awarded by a civilian agency other than the Coast Guard and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, either the simplified acquisition threshold or 5 percent of the total estimated cost of the contract.

 

(d) If the Contractor has an approved purchasing system, the Contractor nevertheless shall obtain the Contracting Officer's written consent before placing the following subcontracts:

 

(e)

 

(1)The Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer reasonably in advance of placing any subcontract or modification thereof for which consent is required under paragraph (b), (c), or (d) of this clause, including the following information:

 

(i)A description of the supplies or services to be subcontracted.

 

(ii)Identification of the type of subcontract to be used.

 

(iii)Identification of the proposed subcontractor.

 

(iv)The proposed subcontract price.

 

(v)The subcontractor's current, complete, and accurate certified cost or pricing data and Certificate of Current Certified Cost or Pricing Data, if required by other contract provisions.

 

(vi)The subcontractor's Disclosure Statement or Certificate relating to Cost Accounting Standards when such data are required by other provisions of this contract.

 

(vii)A negotiation memorandum reflecting—

 

(A)The principal elements of the subcontract price negotiations;

 

(B)The most significant considerations controlling establishment of initial or revised prices;

 

   
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(C)The reason certified cost or pricing data were or were not required;

 

(D)The extent, if any, to which the Contractor did not rely on the subcontractor's certified cost or pricing data in determining the price objective and in negotiating the final price;

 

(E)The extent to which it was recognized in the negotiation that the subcontractor's certified cost or pricing data were not accurate, complete, or current; the action taken by the Contractor and the subcontractor; and the effect of any such defective data on the total price negotiated;

 

(F)The reasons for any significant difference between the Contractor's price objective and the price negotiated; and

 

(G)A complete explanation of the incentive fee or profit plan when incentives are used. The explanation shall identify each critical performance element, management decisions used to quantify each incentive element, reasons for the incentives, and a summary of all trade-off possibilities considered.

 

(2)The Contractor is not required to notify the Contracting Officer in advance of entering into any subcontract for which consent is not required under paragraph (b), (c), or (d) of this clause.

 

(f) Unless the consent or approval specifically provides otherwise, neither consent by the Contracting Officer to any subcontract nor approval of the Contractor's purchasing system shall constitute a determination—

 

(1)Of the acceptability of any subcontract terms or conditions;

 

(2)Of the allowability of any cost under this contract; or

 

(3)To relieve the Contractor of any responsibility for performing this contract.

 

(g)No subcontract or modification thereof placed under this contract shall provide for payment on a cost-plus a-percentage-of- cost basis, and any fee payable under cost-reimbursement type subcontracts shall not exceed the fee limitations in FAR 15.404- 4(c)(4)(i).

 

(h)The Contractor shall give the Contracting Officer immediate written notice of any action or suit filed and prompt notice of any claim made against the Contractor by any subcontractor or vendor that, in the opinion of the Contractor, may result in litigation related in any way to this contract, with respect to which the Contractor may be entitled to reimbursement from the Government.

 

(i)The Government reserves the right to review the Contractor's purchasing system as set forth in FAR Subpart 44.3.

 

(j)Paragraphs (c) and (e) of this clause do not apply to the following subcontracts, which were evaluated during negotiations:

 

CDI M&T Company (Cage: 1UTD3)

 

DCS Corporation (Cage: 1P418)

 

MTG Services Inc. (Cage: 1QPU2)

 

SABRE Systems Inc. (Cage: 0GYV8)

 

Engility (Cage: 4A457)

 

 

   
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52.245-1 GOVERNMENT PROPERTY (JAN 2017)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

“Cannibalize” means to remove parts from Government property for use or for installation on other Government property.

 

“Contractor-acquired property” means property acquired, fabricated, or otherwise provided by the Contractor for performing a contract, and to which the Government has title.

 

“Contractor inventory” means—

 

(1)Any property acquired by and in the possession of a Contractor or subcontractor under a contract for which title is vested in the Government and which exceeds the amounts needed to complete full performance under the entire contract;

 

(2)Any property that the Government is obligated or has the option to take over under any type of contract, e.g., as a result either of any changes in the specifications or plans thereunder or of the termination of the contract (or subcontract thereunder), before completion of the work, for the convenience or at the option of the Government; and

 

(3)Government-furnished property that exceeds the amounts needed to complete full performance under the entire contract.

 

“Contractor's managerial personnel” means the Contractor's directors, officers, managers, superintendents, or equivalent representatives who have supervision or direction of—

 

(1)All or substantially all of the Contractor's business;

 

(2)All or substantially all of the Contractor's operation at any one plant or separate location; or

 

(3)A separate and complete major industrial operation.

 

“Demilitarization” means rendering a product unusable for, and not restorable to, the purpose for which it was designed or is customarily used.

 

“Discrepancies incident to shipment” means any differences (e.g., count or condition) between the items documented to have been shipped and items actually received.

 

“Equipment” means a tangible item that is functionally complete for its intended purpose, durable, nonexpendable, and needed for the performance of a contract. Equipment is not intended for sale, and does not ordinarily lose its identity or become a component part of another article when put into use. Equipment does not include material, real property, special test equipment or special tooling.

 

“Government-furnished property” means property in the possession of, or directly acquired by, the Government and subsequently furnished to the Contractor for performance of a contract. Government-furnished property includes, but is not limited to, spares and property furnished for repair, maintenance, overhaul, or modification. Government-furnished property also includes contractor-acquired property if the contractor-acquired property is a deliverable under a cost contract when accepted by the Government for continued use under the contract.

 

“Government property” means all property owned or leased by the Government. Government property includes both Government-furnished and Contractor-acquired property. Government property includes material, equipment, special tooling, special test equipment, and real property. Government property does not include intellectual property and software.

 

“Loss of Government Property” means unintended, unforeseen or accidental loss, damage or destruction to

Government property that reduces the Government’s expected economic benefits of the property. Loss of Government property does not include purposeful destructive testing, obsolescence, normal wear and tear or manufacturing defects. Loss of Government property includes, but is not limited to—

 

(1)Items that cannot be found after a reasonable search:

 

(2)Theft:

 

   
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(3)Damage resulting in unexpected harm to property requiring repair to restore the item to usable condition; or

 

(4)Destruction resulting from incidents that render the item useless for its intended purpose or beyond economical repair.

 

“Material” means property that may be consumed or expended during the performance of a contract, component parts of a higher assembly, or items that lose their individual identity through incorporation into an end item. Material does not include equipment, special tooling, special test equipment or real property.

 

“Nonseverable” means property that cannot be removed after construction or installation without substantial loss of value or damage to the installed property or to the premises where installed.

 

“Precious metals” means silver, gold, platinum, palladium, iridium, osmium, rhodium, and ruthenium.

 

“Production scrap” means unusable material resulting from production, engineering, operations and maintenance, repair, and research and development contract activities. Production scrap may have value when re-melted or reprocessed, e.g., textile and metal clippings, borings, and faulty castings and forgings.

 

“Property” means all tangible property, both real and personal.

 

“Property Administrator” means an authorized representative of the Contracting Officer appointed in accordance with agency procedures, responsible for administering the contract requirements and obligations relating to Government property in the possession of a Contractor.

 

“Property records” means the records created and maintained by the contractor in support of its stewardship responsibilities for the management of Government property.

 

“Provide” means to furnish, as in Government-furnished property, or to acquire, as in contractor-acquired property.

 

“Real property” See Federal Management Regulation 102-71.20 (41 CFR 102-71.20).

 

“Sensitive property” means property potentially dangerous to the public safety or security if stolen, lost, or misplaced, or that shall be subject to exceptional physical security, protection, control, and accountability. Examples include weapons, ammunition, explosives, controlled substances, radioactive materials, hazardous materials or wastes, or precious metals.

 

“Unit acquisition cost” means—

 

(1)For Government-furnished property, the dollar value assigned by the Government and identified in the contract; and

 

(2)For contractor-acquired property, the cost derived from the Contractor’s records that reflect consistently applied generally accepted accounting principles.

 

(b)Property management.

 

(1)The Contractor shall have a system of internal controls to manage (control, use, preserve, protect, repair and maintain) Government property in its possession. The system shall be adequate to satisfy the requirements of this clause. In doing so, the Contractor shall initiate and maintain the processes, systems, procedures, records, and methodologies necessary for effective and efficient control of Government property. The Contractor shall disclose any significant changes to its property management system to the Property Administrator prior to implementation of the changes. The Contractor may employ customary commercial practices, voluntary consensus standards, or industry-leading practices and standards that provide effective and efficient Government property management that are necessary and appropriate for the performance of this contract (except where inconsistent with law or regulation).

 

(2)The Contractor's responsibility extends from the initial acquisition and receipt of property, through stewardship, custody, and use until formally relieved of responsibility by authorized means, including delivery, consumption, expending, sale (as surplus property), or other disposition, or via a completed investigation, evaluation, and final determination for lost property. This requirement applies to all Government property under the Contractor's accountability, stewardship, possession or control, including its vendors or subcontractors (see paragraph (f)(1)(v) of this clause).

 

   
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(3)The Contractor shall include the requirements of this clause in all subcontracts under which Government property is acquired or furnished for subcontract performance.

 

(4)The Contractor shall establish and maintain procedures necessary to assess its property management system effectiveness and shall perform periodic internal reviews, surveillances, self assessments, or audits. Significant findings or results of such reviews and audits pertaining to Government property shall be made available to the Property Administrator.

 

(c)Use of Government property.

 

(1)The Contractor shall use Government property, either furnished or acquired under this contract, only for performing this contract, unless otherwise provided for in this contract or approved by the Contracting Officer.

 

(2)Modifications or alterations of Government property are prohibited, unless they are—

 

(i)Reasonable and necessary due to the scope of work under this contract or its terms and conditions;

 

(ii)Required for normal maintenance; or

 

(iii)Otherwise authorized by the Contracting Officer.

 

(3)The Contractor shall not cannibalize Government property unless otherwise provided for in this contract or approved by the Contracting Officer.

 

(d)Government-furnished property.

 

(1)The Government shall deliver to the Contractor the Government-furnished property described in this contract. The Government shall furnish related data and information needed for the intended use of the property. The warranties of suitability of use and timely delivery of Government-furnished property do not apply to property acquired or fabricated by the Contractor as contractor-acquired property and subsequently transferred to another contract with this Contractor.

 

(2)The delivery and/or performance dates specified in this contract are based upon the expectation that the Government-furnished property will be suitable for contract performance and will be delivered to the Contractor by the dates stated in the contract.

 

(i)If the property is not delivered to the Contractor by the dates stated in the contract, the Contracting Officershall, upon the Contractor's timely written request, consider an equitable adjustment to the contract.

 

(ii)In the event property is received by the Contractor, or for Government-furnished property after receipt and installation, in a condition not suitable for its intended use, the Contracting Officer shall, upon the Contractor's timely written request, advise the Contractor on a course of action to remedy the problem. Such action may include repairing, replacing, modifying, returning, or otherwise disposing of the property at the Government's expense. Upon completion of the required action(s), the Contracting Officer shall consider an equitable adjustment to the contract (see also paragraph (f)(1)(ii)(A) of this clause).

 

(iii)The Government may, at its option, furnish property in an “as-is” condition. The Contractor will be given the opportunity to inspect such property prior to the property being provided. In such cases, the Government makes no warranty with respect to the serviceability and/or suitability of the property for contract performance. Any repairs, replacement, and/or refurbishment shall be at the Contractor's expense.

 

(3)(i) The Contracting Officer may by written notice, at any time—

 

   
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(A)Increase or decrease the amount of Government-furnished property under this contract;

 

(B)Substitute other Government-furnished property for the property previously furnished, to be furnished, or to be acquired by the Contractor for the Government under this contract; or

 

(C)Withdraw authority to use property.

 

(ii)Upon completion of any action(s) under paragraph (d)(3)(i) of this clause, and the Contractor's timely written request, the Contracting Officer shall consider an equitable adjustment to the contract.

 

(e)Title to Government property.

 

(1)All Government-furnished property and all property acquired by the Contractor, title to which vests in the Government under this paragraph (collectively referred to as “Government property”), is subject to the provisions of this clause. The Government shall retain title to all Government-furnished property. Title to Government property shall not be affected by its incorporation into or attachment to any property not owned by the Government, nor shall Government property become a fixture or lose its identity as personal property by being attached to any real property.

 

(2)Title vests in the Government for all property acquired or fabricated by the Contractor in accordance with the financing provisions or other specific requirements for passage of title in the contract. Under fixed price type contracts, in the absence of financing provisions or other specific requirements for passage of title in the contract, the Contractor retains title to all property acquired by the Contractor for use on the contract, except for property identified as a deliverable end item. If a deliverable item is to be retained by the Contractor for use after inspection and acceptance by the Government, it shall be made accountable to the contract through a contract modification listing the item as Government-furnished property.

 

(3)Title under Cost-Reimbursement or Time-and-Material Contracts or Cost-Reimbursable line items under Fixed-Price contracts.

 

(i)Title to all property purchased by the Contractor for which the Contractor is entitled to be reimbursed as a direct item of cost under this contract shall pass to and vest in the Government upon the vendor's delivery of such property.

 

(ii)Title to all other property, the cost of which is reimbursable to the Contractor, shall pass to and vest in the Government upon—

 

(A)Issuance of the property for use in contract performance;

 

(B)Commencement of processing of the property for use in contract performance; or(C) Reimbursement of the cost of the property by the Government, whichever occurs first.

 

(f)Contractor plans and systems.

 

(1)Contractors shall establish and implement property management plans, systems, and procedures at the contract, program, site or entity level to enable the following outcomes:

 

(i)Acquisition of Property. The Contractor shall document that all property was acquired consistent with its engineering, production planning, and property control operations.

 

(ii)Receipt of Government Property. The Contractor shall receive Government property and document the receipt, record the information necessary to meet the record requirements of paragraph (f)(1)(iii)(A)(1) through (5) of this clause, identify as Government owned in a manner appropriate to the type of property (e.g., stamp, tag, mark, or other identification), and manage any discrepancies incident to shipment.

 

   
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(A)Government-furnished property. The Contractor shall furnish a written statement to the Property Administrator containing all relevant facts, such as cause or condition and a recommended course(s) of action, if overages, shortages, or damages and/or other discrepancies are discovered upon receipt of Government-furnished property.

 

(B)Contractor-acquired property. The Contractor shall take all actions necessary to adjust for overages, shortages, damage and/or other discrepancies discovered upon receipt, in shipment of Contractor-acquired property from a vendor or supplier, so as to ensure the proper allocability and allowability of associated costs.

 

(iii)Records of Government property. The Contractor shall create and maintain records of all Government property accountable to the contract, including Government-furnished and Contractor-acquired property.

 

(A)Property records shall enable a complete, current, auditable record of all transactions and shall, unless otherwise approved by the Property Administrator, contain the following:

 

(1)The name, part number and description, National Stock Number (if needed for additional item identification tracking and/or disposition) and other data elements as necessary and required in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract.

 

(2)Quantity received (or fabricated), issued, and balance-on-hand.

 

(3)Unit acquisition cost.

 

(4)Unique-item identifier or equivalent (if available and necessary for individual item tracking).

 

(5)Unit of measure.

 

(6)Accountable contract number or equivalent code designation.

 

(7)Location.

 

(8)Disposition.

 

(9)Posting reference and date of transaction.

 

(10)Date placed in service (if required in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract).

 

(B)Use of a Receipt and Issue System for Government Material. When approved by the Property Administrator, the Contractor may maintain, in lieu of formal property records, a file of appropriately cross-referenced documents evidencing receipt, issue, and use of material that is issued for immediate consumption.

 

(iv)Physical inventory. The Contractor shall periodically perform, record, and disclose physical inventory results. A final physical inventory shall be performed upon contract completion or termination. The Property Administrator may waive this final inventory requirement, depending on the circumstances (e.g., overall reliability of the Contractor's system or the property is to be transferred to a follow-on contract).

 

(v)Subcontractor control.

 

(A)The Contractor shall award subcontracts that clearly identify items to be provided and the extent of any restrictions or limitations on their use. The Contractor shall ensure appropriate flow down of contract terms and conditions (e.g., extent of liability for loss of Government property).

 

(B)The Contractor shall assure its subcontracts are properly administered and reviews are periodically performed to determine the adequacy of the subcontractor's property management system.

 

(vi)Reports. The Contractor shall have a process to create and provide reports of discrepancies, loss of Government property, physical inventory results, audits and self-assessments, corrective actions, and other property related reports as directed by the Contracting Officer.

 

   
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(vii)Relief of stewardship responsibility and liability. The Contractor shall have a process to enable the prompt recognition, investigation, disclosure and reporting of loss of Government property, including losses that occur at subcontractor or alternate site locations.

 

(A)This process shall include the corrective actions necessary to prevent recurrence.

 

(B)Unless otherwise directed by the Property Administrator, the Contractor shall investigate and report to the Government all incidents of property loss as soon as the facts become known. Such reports shall, at a minimum, contain the following information:

 

(1)Date of incident (if known).

 

(2)The data elements required under paragraph (f)(1)(iii)(A) of this clause.

 

(3)Quantity.

 

(4)Accountable contract number.

 

(5)A statement indicating current or future need.

 

(6)Unit acquisition cost, or if applicable, estimated sales proceeds, estimated repair or replacement costs.

 

(7)All known interests in commingled material of which includes Government material.

 

(8)Cause and corrective action taken or to be taken to prevent recurrence.

 

(9)A statement that the Government will receive compensation covering the loss of Government property, in the event the Contractor was or will be reimbursed or compensated.

 

(10)Copies of all supporting documentation.

 

(11)Last known location.

 

(12)A statement that the property did or did not contain sensitive, export controlled, hazardous, or toxic material, and that the appropriate agencies and authorities were notified.

 

(C)Unless the contract provides otherwise, the Contractor shall be relieved of stewardship responsibility and liability for property when—

 

(1)Such property is consumed or expended, reasonably and properly, or otherwise accounted for, in the performance of the contract, including reasonable inventory adjustments of material as determined by the Property Administrator;

 

(2)Property Administrator grants relief of responsibility and liability for loss of Government property;

 

(3)Property is delivered or shipped from the Contractor’s plant, under Government instructions, except when shipment is to a subcontractor or other location of the Contractor; or

 

(4)Property is disposed of in accordance with paragraphs (j) and (k) of this clause.

 

(viii)Utilizing Government property.

 

(A)The Contractor shall utilize, consume, move, and store Government Property only as authorized under this contract. The Contractor shall promptly disclose and report Government property in its possession that is excess to contract performance.

 

(B)Unless otherwise authorized in this contract or by the Property Administrator the Contractor shall not commingle Government material with material not owned by the Government.

 

   
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(ix)Maintenance. The Contractor shall properly maintain Government property. The Contractor's maintenance program shall enable the identification, disclosure, and performance of normal and routine preventative maintenance and repair. The Contractor shall disclose and report to the Property Administrator the need for replacement and/or capital rehabilitation.

 

(x)Property closeout. The Contractor shall promptly perform and report to the Property Administrator contract property closeout, to include reporting, investigating and securing closure of all loss of Government property cases; physically inventorying all property upon termination or completion of this contract; and disposing of items at the time they are determined to be excess to contractual needs.

 

(2)The Contractor shall establish and maintain Government accounting source data, as may be required by this contract, particularly in the areas of recognition of acquisitions, loss of Government property, and disposition of material and equipment.

 

(g)Systems analysis.

 

(1)The Government shall have access to the contractor's premises and all Government property, at reasonable times, for the purposes of reviewing, inspecting and evaluating the Contractor's property management plan(s), systems, procedures, records, and supporting documentation that pertains to Government property. This access includes all site locations and, with the Contractor’s consent, all subcontractor premises.

 

(2)Records of Government property shall be readily available to authorized Government personnel and shall be appropriately safeguarded.

 

(3)Should it be determined by the Government that the Contractor's (or subcontractor’s) property management practices are inadequate or not acceptable for the effective management and control of Government property under this contract, or present an undue risk to the Government, the Contractor shall prepare a corrective action plan when requested by the Property Administer and take all necessary corrective actions as specified by the schedule within the corrective action plan.

 

(4)The Contractor shall ensure Government access to subcontractor premises, and all Government propertylocated at subcontractor premises, for the purposes of reviewing, inspecting and evaluating the subcontractor's property management plan, systems, procedures, records, and supporting documentation that pertains to Government property.

 

(h)Contractor Liability for Government Property.

 

(1)Unless otherwise provided for in the contract, the Contractor shall not be liable for loss of Government property furnished or acquired under this contract, except when any one of the following applies—

 

(i)The risk is covered by insurance or the Contractor is otherwise reimbursed (to the extent of such insurance or reimbursement). The allowability of insurance costs shall be determined in accordance with 31.205-19.

 

(ii)Loss of Government property that is the result of willful misconduct or lack of good faith on the part of the Contractor’s managerial personnel.

 

(iii)The Contracting Officer has, in writing, revoked the Government's assumption of risk for loss of Government property due to a determination under paragraph (g) of this clause that the Contractor's property management practices are inadequate, and/or present an undue risk to the Government, and the Contractor failed to take timely corrective action. If the Contractor can establish by clear and convincing evidence that the loss of Government property occurred while the Contractor had adequate property management practices or the loss did not result from the Contractor's failure to maintain adequate property management practices, the Contractor shall not be held liable.

 

(2)The Contractor shall take all reasonable actions necessary to protect the property from further loss. The Contractor shall separate the damaged and undamaged property, place all the affected property in the best possible order, and take such other action as the Property Administrator directs.

 

   
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(3)The Contractor shall do nothing to prejudice the Government's rights to recover against third parties for any loss of Government property.

 

(4)The Contractor shall reimburse the Government for loss of Government property, to the extent that the Contractor is financially liable for such loss, as directed by the Contracting Officer.

 

(5)Upon the request of the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall, at the Government's expense, furnish to the Government all reasonable assistance and cooperation, including the prosecution of suit and the execution of instruments of assignment in favor of the Government in obtaining recovery.

 

(i) Equitable adjustment. Equitable adjustments under this clause shall be made in accordance with the procedures of the Changes clause. However, the Government shall not be liable for breach of contract for the following:

 

(1)Any delay in delivery of Government-furnished property.

 

(2)Delivery of Government-furnished property in a condition not suitable for its intended use.

 

(3)An increase, decrease, or substitution of Government-furnished property.

 

(4)Failure to repair or replace Government property for which the Government is responsible. Standard Form 1428.

 

(j)Contractor inventory disposal. Except as otherwise provided for in this contract, the Contractor shall not dispose of Contractor inventory until authorized to do so by the Plant Clearance Officer or authorizing official.

 

(1)Predisposal requirements.

 

(i)If the Contractor determines that the property has the potential to fulfill requirements under other contracts, the Contractor, in consultation with the Property Administrator, shall request that the Contracting Officer transfer the property to the contract in question, or provide authorization for use, as appropriate. In lieu of transferring the property, the Contracting Officer may authorize the Contractor to credit the costs of Contractor-acquired property (material only) to the losing contract, and debit the gaining contract with the corresponding cost, when such material is needed for use on another contract. Property no longer needed shall be considered contractor inventory.

 

(ii)For any remaining Contractor-acquired property, the Contractor may purchase the property at the unitacquisition cost if desired or make reasonable efforts to return unused property to the appropriate supplier at fair market value (less, if applicable, a reasonable restocking fee that is consistent with the supplier's customary practices.)

 

(2)Inventory disposal schedules.

 

(i)Absent separate contract terms and conditions for property disposition, and provided the property was not reutilized, transferred, or otherwise disposed of, the Contractor, as directed by the Plant Clearance Officer or authorizing official, shall use Standard Form 1428, Inventory Disposal Schedule or electronic equivalent, to identify and report—

 

(A)Government-furnished property that is no longer required for performance of this contract;

 

(B)Contractor-acquired property, to which the Government has obtained title under paragraph (e) of this clause, which is no longer required for performance of that contract; and

 

(C)Termination inventory.

 

(ii)The Contractor may annotate inventory disposal schedules to identify property the Contractor wishes to purchase from the Government, in the event that the property is offered for sale.

 

(iii)Separate inventory disposal schedules are required for aircraft in any condition, flight safety critical aircraft parts, and other items as directed by the Plant Clearance Officer

 

(iv)The Contractor shall provide the information required by FAR 52.245-1(f)(1)(iii) along with the following:

 

   
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(A)Any additional; information that may facilitate understanding of the property’s intended use.

 

(B)For work-in-progress, the estimated percentage of completion.

 

(C)For precious metals in raw or bulk form, the type of metal and estimated weight.

 

(D)For hazardous material or property contaminated with hazardous material, the type of hazardous material.

 

(E)For metals in mill product form, the form, shape, treatment, hardness, temper, specification (commercial or Government) and dimensions (thickness, width and length).

 

(v)Property with the same description, condition code, and reporting location may be grouped in a single line item.

 

(vi)Scrap should be reported by “lot” along with metal content, estimated weight and estimated value.

 

(3)Submission requirements.

 

(i)The Contractor shall submit inventory disposal schedules to the Plant Clearance Officer no later than—

 

(A)30 days following the Contractor's determination that a property item is no longer required for performance ofthis contract;

 

(B)60 days, or such longer period as may be approved by the Plant Clearance Officer, following completion ofcontract deliveries or performance; or

 

(C)120 days, or such longer period as may be approved by the Termination Contracting Officer, following contract termination in whole or in part.

 

(ii)Unless the Plant Clearance Officer determines otherwise, the Contractor need not identify or report production scrap on inventory disposal schedules, and may process and dispose of production scrap in accordance with its own internal scrap procedures. The processing and disposal of other types of Government-owned scrap will be conducted in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract or Plant Clearance Officer direction, as appropriate.

 

(4)Corrections. The Plant Clearance Officer may—

 

(i)Reject a schedule for cause (e.g., contains errors, determined to be inaccurate); and

 

(ii)Require the Contractor to correct an inventory disposal schedule.

 

(5)Postsubmission adjustments. The Contractor shall notify the Plant Clearance Officer at least 10 working days in advance of its intent to remove an item from an approved inventory disposal schedule. Upon approval of the Plant Clearance Officer, or upon expiration of the notice period, the Contractor may make the necessary adjustments to the inventory schedule.

 

(6)Storage.

 

(i)The Contractor shall store the property identified on an inventory disposal schedule pending receipt of disposal instructions. The Government's failure to furnish disposal instructions within 120 days following acceptance of an inventory disposal schedule may entitle the Contractor to an equitable adjustment for costs incurred to store such property on or after the 121st day.

 

(ii)The Contractor shall obtain the Plant Clearance Officer's approval to remove property from the premises where the property is currently located prior to receipt of final disposition instructions. If approval is granted, any costs incurred by the Contractor to transport or store the property shall not increase the price or fee of any Government contract. The storage area shall be appropriate for assuring the property's physical safety and suitability for use.

 

Approval does not relieve the Contractor of any liability for such property under this contract.

 

(7)Disposition instructions.

 

   
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(i)The Contractor shall prepare for shipment, deliver f.o.b. origin, or dispose of Contractor inventory as directed by the Plant Clearance Officer. Unless otherwise directed by the Contracting Officer or by the Plant Clearance Officer, the Contractor shall remove and destroy any markings identifying the property as U.S. Government-owned property prior to its disposal.

 

(ii)The Contracting Officer may require the Contractor to demilitarize the property prior to shipment or disposal. In such cases, the Contractor may be entitled to an equitable adjustment under paragraph (i) of this clause.

 

(8)Disposal proceeds. As directed by the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall credit the net proceeds from the disposal of Contractor inventory to the contract, or to the Treasury of the United States as miscellaneous receipts.

 

(9)Subcontractor inventory disposal schedules. The Contractor shall require its Subcontractors to submit inventory disposal schedules to the Contractor in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (j)(3) of this clause.

 

(k)Abandonment of Government property.

 

(1)The Government shall not abandon sensitive property or termination inventory without the Contractor's written consent.

 

(2)The Government, upon notice to the Contractor, may abandon any no sensitive property in place, at whichtime all obligations of the Government regarding such property shall cease.

 

(3)Absent contract terms and conditions to the contrary, the Government may abandon parts removed and replaced from property as a result of normal maintenance actions, or removed from property as a result of the repair, maintenance, overhaul, or modification process.

 

(4)The Government has no obligation to restore or rehabilitate the Contractor's premises under any circumstances; however, if Government-furnished property is withdrawn or is unsuitable for the intended use, or if other Government property is substituted, then the equitable adjustment under paragraph (i) of this clause may properly include restoration or rehabilitation costs.

 

(l)Communication. All communications under this clause shall be in writing.

 

(m)Contracts outside the United States. If this contract is to be performed outside of the United States and its outlying areas, the words “Government” and “Government-furnished” (wherever they appear in this clause) shall be construed as “United States Government” and “United States Government-furnished,” respectively.

 

52.245-9 USE AND CHARGES (APR 2012)

 

(a)Definitions applicable to this contract are provided in the clause at 52.245-1, Government Property. Additional definitions as used in this clause include:

 

“Rental period” means the calendar period during which Government property is made available for nongovernmental purposes.

 

“Rental time” means the number of hours, to the nearest whole hour, rented property is actually used for nongovernmental purposes. It includes time to set up the property for such purposes, perform required maintenance, and restore the property to its condition prior to rental (less normal wear and tear).

 

(b)Use of Government property. The Contractor may use the Government property without charge in the performance of—

 

(1)Contracts with the Government that specifically authorize such use without charge;

 

(2)Subcontracts of any tier under Government prime contracts if the Contracting Officer having cognizance of the prime contract—

 

(i)Approves a subcontract specifically authorizing such use; or

 

   
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(ii)Otherwise authorizes such use in writing; and

 

(3) Other work, if the Contracting Officer specifically authorizes in writing use without charge for such work.

 

(c)Rental. If granted written permission by the Contracting Officer, or if it is specifically provided for in the Schedule, the Contractor may use the Government property (except material) for a rental fee for work other than that provided in paragraph (b) of this clause. Authorizing such use of the Government property does not waive any rights of the Government to terminate the Contractor's right to use the Government property. The rental fee shall be determined in accordance with the following paragraphs.

 

(d)General. (1) Rental requests shall be submitted to the Administrative Contracting Officer (ACO), identifythe property for which rental is requested, propose a rental period, and compute an estimated rental charge by using the Contractor's best estimate of rental time in the formulae described in paragraph (e) of this clause.

 

(2) The Contractor shall not use Government property for nongovernmental purposes, including Independent Research and Development, until a rental charge for real property, or estimated rental charge for other property, is agreed upon. Rented property shall be used only on a non-interference basis.

 

(e)Rental charge.—(1) Real property and associated fixtures. (i) The Contractor shall obtain, at its expense, a property appraisal from an independent licensed, accredited, or certified appraiser that computes a monthly, daily, or hourly rental rate for comparable commercial property. The appraisal may be used to compute rentals under this clause throughout its effective period or, if an effective period is not stated in the appraisal, for one year following the date the appraisal was performed. The Contractor shall submit the appraisal to the ACO at least 30 days prior to the date the property is needed for nongovernmental use. Except as provided in paragraph (e)(1)(iii) of this clause, the ACO shall use the appraisal rental rate to determine a reasonable rental charge.

 

(ii)Rental charges shall be determined by multiplying the rental time by the appraisal rental rate expressed as a rate per hour. Monthly or daily appraisal rental rates shall be divided by 720 or 24, respectively, to determine an hourly rental rate.

 

(iii)When the ACO believes the appraisal rental rate is unreasonable, the ACO shall promptly notify the Contractor. The parties may agree on an alternative means for computing a reasonable rental charge.

 

(iv)The Contractor shall obtain, at its expense, additional property appraisals in the same manner as provided in paragraph (e)(1)(i) if the effective period has expired and the Contractor desires the continued use of property for nongovernmental use. The Contractor may obtain additional appraisals within the effective period of the current appraisal if the market prices decrease substantially.

 

(2)Other Government property. The Contractor may elect to compute the rental charge using the appraisal method described in paragraph (e)(1) of this clause subject to the constraints therein or the following formula in which rental time shall be expressed in increments of not less than one hour with portions of hours rounded to the next higher hour: The hourly rental charge is calculated by multiplying 2 percent of the acquisition cost by the hours of rental time, and dividing by 720.

 

(3)Alternative methodology. The Contractor may request consideration of an alternative basis for computing the rental charge if it considers the monthly rental rate or a time-based rental unreasonable or impractical.

 

(f)Rental payments. (1) Rent is due 60 days following completion of the rental period or as otherwise specified in the contract. The Contractor shall compute the rental due, and furnish records or other supporting data in sufficient detail to permit the ACO to verify the rental time and computation. Payment shall be made by check payable to the Treasurer of the United States and sent to the contract administration office identified in this contract, unless otherwise specified by the Contracting Officer.

 

(2)Interest will be charged if payment is not made by the date specified in paragraph (f)(1) of this clause. Interest will accrue at the “Renegotiation Board Interest Rate” (published in the Federal Register semiannually on or about January 1st and July 1st) for the period in which the rent is due.

 

   
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(3)The Government's acceptance of any rental payment under this clause, in whole or in part, shall not be construed as a waiver or relinquishment of any rights it may have against the Contractor stemming from the Contractor's unauthorized use of Government property or any other failure to perform this contract according to its terms.

 

(g)Use revocation. At any time during the rental period, the Government may revoke nongovernmental useauthorization and require the Contractor, at the Contractor's expense, to return the property to the Government, restore the property to its pre-rental condition (less normal wear and tear), or both.

 

(h)Unauthorized use. The unauthorized use of Government property can subject a person to fines, imprisonment, or both, under 18 U.S.C. 641.

 

252.203-7000 REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO COMPENSATION OF FORMER DOD OFFICIALS

(SEP 2011)

 

(a)Definition. “Covered DoD official,” as used in this clause, means an individual that—
(1)Leaves or left DoD service on or after January 28, 2008; and

(2)(i) Participated personally and substantially in an acquisition as defined in 41 U.S.C. 131 with a value in excess of $10 million, and serves or served—

(A)In an Executive Schedule position under subchapter II of chapter 53 of Title 5, United States Code;
(B)In a position in the Senior Executive Service under subchapter VIII of chapter 53 of Title 5, United States Code; or
(C)In a general or flag officer position compensated at a rate of pay for grade O-7 or above under section 201of Title 37, United States Code; or

(ii) Serves or served in DoD in one of the following positions: program manager, deputy program manager, procuring contracting officer, administrative contracting officer, source selection authority, member of the source selection evaluation board, or chief of a financial or technical evaluation team for a contract in an amount in excess of $10 million.

 

(b)The Contractor shall not knowingly provide compensation to a covered DoD official within 2 years after the official leaves DoD service, without first determining that the official has sought and received, or has not received after 30 days of seeking, a written opinion from the appropriate DoD ethics counselor regarding the applicability of post-employment restrictions to the activities that the official is expected to undertake on behalf of the Contractor.

 

(c)Failure by the Contractor to comply with paragraph (b) of this clause may subject the Contractor to rescission of this contract, suspension, or debarment in accordance with 41 U.S.C. 2105(c).

 

(End of clause)

 

252.204-7012 SAFEGUARDING COVERED DEFENSE INFORMATION AND CYBER INCIDENT

INFORMATION (OCT 2016)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

“Adequate security” means protective measures that are commensurate with the consequences and probability of loss, misuse, or unauthorized access to, or modification of information.

 

“Compromise” means disclosure of information to unauthorized persons, or a violation of the security policy of a system, in which unauthorized intentional or unintentional disclosure, modification, destruction, or loss of an object, or the copying of information to unauthorized media may have occurred.

 

“Contractor attributional/proprietary information” means information that identifies the contractor(s), whether directly or indirectly, by the grouping of information that can be traced back to the contractor(s) (e.g., program description, facility locations), personally identifiable information, as well as trade secrets, commercial or financial information, or other commercially sensitive information that is not customarily shared outside of the company.

 

“Controlled technical information” means technical information with military or space application that is subject to controls on the access, use, reproduction, modification, performance, display, release, disclosure, or dissemination. Controlled technical information would meet the criteria, if disseminated, for distribution statements B through F using the criteria set forth in DoD Instruction 5230.24, Distribution Statements on Technical Documents. The term does not include information that is lawfully publicly available without restrictions. “Covered contractor information system” means an unclassified information system that is owned, or operated by or for, a contractor and that processes, stores,or transmits covered defense information.

 

   
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“Covered defense information” means unclassified controlled technical information or other information, as described in the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Registry athttp://www.archives.gov/cui/registry /category-list.html, that requires safeguarding or dissemination controls pursuant to and consistent with law, regulations, and Governmentwide policies, and is—

 

(1)Marked or otherwise identified in the contract, task order, or delivery order and provided to the contractor by or on behalf of DoD in support of the performance of the contract; or

 

(2)Collected, developed, received, transmitted, used, or stored by or on behalf of the contractor in support of the performance of the contract.

 

“Cyber incident” means actions taken through the use of computer networks that result in a compromise or an actual or potentially adverse effect on an information system and/or the information residing therein.

 

“Forensic analysis” means the practice of gathering, retaining, and analyzing computer-related data for investigative purposes in a manner that maintains the integrity of the data.

 

“Information system” means a discrete set of information resources organized for the collection, processing, maintenance, use, sharing, dissemination, or disposition of information.

 

“Malicious software” means computer software or firmware intended to perform an unauthorized process that will have adverse impact on the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an information system. This definition includes a virus, worm, Trojan horse, or other code-based entity that infects a host, as well as spyware and some forms of adware.

 

“Media” means physical devices or writing surfaces including, but is not limited to, magnetic tapes, optical disks, magnetic disks, large-scale integration memory chips, and

 

printouts onto which covered defense information is recorded, stored, or printed within a covered contractor information system.

 

‘‘Operationally critical support’’ means supplies or services designated by the Government as critical for airlift, sealift, intermodal transportation services, or logistical support that is essential to the mobilization, deployment, or sustainment of the Armed Forces in a contingency operation.

 

“Rapidly report” means within 72 hours of discovery of any cyber incident.

 

“Technical information” means technical data or computer software, as those terms are defined in the clause at DFARS 252.227-7013, Rights in Technical Data— Noncommercial Items, regardless of whether or not the clause is incorporated in this

solicitation or contract. Examples of technical information include research and engineering data, engineering drawings, and associated lists, specifications, standards, process sheets, manuals, technical reports, technical orders, catalog-item identifications, data sets, studies and analyses and related information, and computer software executable code and source code.

 

(b)Adequate security. The Contractor shall provide adequate security on all covered contractor information systems. To provide adequate security, the Contractor shall implement, at a minimum, the following information security protections:

 

   
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(1)For covered contractor information systems that are part of an

 

Information Technology (IT) service or system operated on behalf of the Government, the following security requirements apply:

 

(i)Cloud computing services shall be subject to the security requirements specified in the clause252.239-7010, Cloud Computing Services, of this contract.

 

(ii)Any other such IT service or system (i.e., other than cloud computing) shall be subject to the security requirements specified elsewhere in this contract.

 

(2)For covered contractor information systems that are not part of an IT service or system operated on behalf of the Government and therefore are not subject to the security requirement specified at paragraph (b)(1) of this clause, the following security requirements apply:

 

(i)Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this clause, the covered contractor information system shall be subject to the security requirements in National

 

Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication (SP) 800-171, “Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information in Nonfederal Information Systems and Organizations” (available via the internet at http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.SP.800-171) in effect at the time the solicitation is issued or as authorized by the Contracting Officer.

 

(ii)(A) The Contractor shall implement NIST SP 800-171, as soon as practical, but not later than December 31,

2017. For all contracts awarded prior to October 1, 2017, the Contractor shall notify the DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO), via email at osd.dibcsia@mail.mil, within 30 days of contract award, of any security requirements specified by NIST SP 800-171 not implemented at the time of contract award.

 

(B)The Contractor shall submit requests to vary from NIST SP 800-171 in writing to the Contracting Officer, for consideration by the DoD CIO. The Contractor need not implement any security requirement adjudicated by an authorized representative of the DoD CIO to be nonapplicable or to have an alternative, but equally effective, security measure that may be implemented in its place.

 

(C)If the DoD CIO has previously adjudicated the contractor’s requests indicating that a requirement is not applicable or that an alternative security measure is equally effective, a copy of that approval shall be provided to the Contracting Officer when requesting its recognition under this contract.

 

(D)If the Contractor intends to use an external cloud service provider to store, process, or transmit any covered defense information in performance of this contract, the Contractor shall require and ensure that the cloud service provider meets security requirements equivalent to those established by the Government for the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Moderate baseline (https://www.fedramp.gov/resources /documents/) and that the cloud service provider complies with requirements in paragraphs (c) through (g) of this clause for cyber incident reporting, malicious software, media preservation and protection, access to additional information and equipment necessary for forensic analysis, and cyber incident damage assessment.

 

(3)Apply other information systems security measures when the Contractor reasonably determines that information systems security measures, in addition to those identified in paragraphs (b)(1) and (2) of this clause, may be required to provide adequate security in a dynamic environment or to accommodate special circumstances (e.g., medical devices) and any individual, isolated, or temporary deficiencies based on an assessed risk or vulnerability. These measures may be addressed in a system security plan.

 

   
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(c)Cyber incident reporting requirement.

 

(1)When the Contractor discovers a cyber incident that affects a covered contractor information system or the covered defense information residing therein, or that affects the contractor’s ability to perform the requirements of the contract that are designated as operationally critical support and identified in the contract, the

 

Contractor shall—

 

(i)Conduct a review for evidence of compromise of covered defense information, including, but not limited to, identifying compromised computers, servers, specific data, and user accounts. This review shall also include analyzing covered contractor information system(s) that were part of the cyber incident, as well as other information systems on the Contractor’s network(s), that may have been accessed as a result of the incident in order to identify compromised covered defense information, or that affect the Contractor’s ability to provide operationally critical support; and

 

(ii)Rapidly report cyber incidents to DoD at http://dibnet.dod.mil.

 

(2)Cyber incident report. The cyber incident report shall be treated as information created by or for DoD and shall include, at a minimum, the required elements at http://dibnet.dod.mil.

 

(3)Medium assurance certificate requirement. In order to report cyber incidents in accordance with this clause, the Contractor or subcontractor shall have or acquire a DoD-approved medium assurance certificate to report cyber incidents. For information on obtaining a DoD-approved medium assurance certificate, see http://iase.disa.mil/pki/eca/Pages/index.aspx.

 

(d)Malicious software. When the Contractor or subcontractors discover and isolate malicious software in connection with a reported cyber incident, submit the malicious software to DoD Cyber Crime Center (DC3) in accordance with instructions provided by DC3 or the Contracting Officer. Do not send the malicious software to the Contracting Officer.

 

(e)Media preservation and protection. When a Contractor discovers a cyber incident has occurred, the Contractor shall preserve and protect images of all known affected information systems identified in paragraph (c)(1)(i) of this clause and all relevant monitoring/packet capture data for at least 90 days from the submission of the cyber incident report to allow DoD to request the media or decline interest.

 

(f)Access to additional information or equipment necessary for forensic analysis. Upon request by DoD, the Contractor shall provide DoD with access to additional information or equipment that is necessary to conduct a forensic analysis.

 

(g)Cyber incident damage assessment activities. If DoD elects to conduct a damage assessment, the Contracting Officer will request that the Contractor provide all of the damage assessment information gathered in accordance with paragraph (e) of this clause.

 

(h)DoD safeguarding and use of contractor attributional/proprietary information. The Government shall protect against the unauthorized use or release of information obtained from the contractor (or derived from information obtained from the contractor) under this clause that includes contractor attributional/proprietary information, including such information submitted in accordance with paragraph (c). To the maximum extent practicable, the Contractor shall identify and mark attributional/proprietary information. In making an authorized release of such information, the Government will implement appropriate procedures to minimize the contractor attributional/proprietary information that is included in such authorized release, seeking to include only that information that is necessary for the authorized purpose(s) for which the information is being released.

 

(i)Use and release of contractor attributional/proprietary information not created by or for DoD.Information that is obtained from the contractor (or derived from information obtained from the contractor) under this clause that is not created by or for DoD is authorized to be released outside of DoD—

 

   
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(1)To entities with missions that may be affected by such information;

 

(2)To entities that may be called upon to assist in the diagnosis, detection, or mitigation of cyber incidents;

 

(3)To Government entities that conduct counterintelligence or law enforcement investigations;

 

(4)For national security purposes, including cyber situational awareness and defense purposes (including with Defense Industrial Base (DIB) participants in the program at 32 CFR part 236); or

 

(5)To a support services contractor (“recipient”) that is directly supporting Government activities under a contract that includes the clause at 252.204-7009, Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Third-Party Contractor Reported Cyber Incident Information.

 

(j)Use and release of contractor attributional/proprietary information created by or for DoD.Information that is obtained from the contractor (or derived from information obtained from the contractor) under this clause that is created by or for DoD (including the information submitted pursuant to paragraph (c) of this clause) is authorized to be used and released outside of DoD for purposes and activities authorized by paragraph (i) of this clause, and for any other lawful Government purpose or activity, subject to all applicable statutory, regulatory, and policy based restrictions on the Government’s use and release of such information.

 

(k)The Contractor shall conduct activities under this clause in accordance with applicable laws and regulations on the interception, monitoring, access, use, and disclosure of electronic communications and data.

 

(l)Other safeguarding or reporting requirements. The safeguarding and cyber incident reporting required by this clause in no way abrogates the Contractor’s responsibility for other safeguarding or cyber incident reporting pertaining to its unclassified information systems as required by other applicable clauses of this contract, or as a result of other applicable U.S. Government statutory or regulatory requirements.

 

(m)Subcontracts. The Contractor shall—

 

(1)Include this clause, including this paragraph (m), in subcontracts, or similar contractual instruments, for operationally critical support, or for which subcontract performance will involve covered defense information, including subcontracts for commercial items, without alteration, except to identify the parties. The Contractor shall determine if the information required for subcontractor performance retains its identity as covered defense information and will require protection under this clause, and, if necessary, consult with the Contracting Officer; and

 

(2)Require subcontractors to—

 

(i)Notify the prime Contractor (or next higher-tier subcontractor) when submitting a request to vary from a NISTSP 800-171 security requirement to the Contracting Officer, in accordance with paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(B) of this clause; and

 

(ii)Provide the incident report number, automatically assigned by DoD, to the prime Contractor (or next higher-tier subcontractor) as soon as practicable, when reporting a cyber incident to DoD as required in paragraph (c) of this clause.

 

252.225-7000 BUY AMERICAN STATUTE—BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PROGRAM CERTIFICATE-BASIC (NOV 2014)

 

(a)Definitions. “Commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item”, “component”, “domestic end product”, “foreign end product”, “qualifying country”, “qualifying country end product”, “South Caucasus/Central and South Asian (SC/CASA) state”, “South Caucasus/Central and South Asian (SC/CASA) state end product”, and “United States”, as used in this provision, have the meanings given in the Buy American and Balance of Payments Program-Basic clause of this solicitation.

 

   
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(b)Evaluation. The Government-

 

(1)Will evaluate offers in accordance with the policies and procedures of Part 225 of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement; and

 

(2)Will evaluate offers of qualifying country end products without regard to the restrictions of the Buy American statute or the Balance of Payments Program.

 

(c) Certifications and identification of country of origin.

 

(1) For all line items subject to the Buy American and Balance of Payments Program clause of this solicitation, the offeror certifies that-

 

(i)Each end product, except those listed in paragraphs (c)(2) or (3) of this provision, is a domestic end product; and

 

(ii)For end products other than COTS items, components of unknown origin are considered to have been mined, produced, or manufactured outside the United States or a qualifying country.

 

(2)       The offeror certifies that the following end products are qualifying country end products:

 

 Line Item Number Country of Origin
   
________________ _______________
   
________________ _______________

 

(3)The following end products are other foreign end products, including end products manufactured in theUnited States that do not qualify as domestic end products, i.e., an end product that is not a COTS item and does not meet the component test in paragraph (ii) of the definition of “domestic end product”:

 

Line Item Number Country of Origin (If known)
   
________________ ________________
   
________________ ________________

 

252.225-7001 BUY AMERICAN AND BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PROGRAM-BASIC (DEC 2017)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause?

 

“Commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) item”—

 

(i)Means any item of supply (including construction material) that is—

 

(A)A commercial item (as defined in paragraph (1) of the definition of “commercial item” in section 2.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation);

 

(B)Sold in substantial quantities in the commercial marketplace; and

 

(C)Offered to the Government, under a contract or subcontract at any tier, without modification, in the same form in which it is sold in the commercial marketplace; and

 

(ii)Does not include bulk cargo, as defined in 46 U.S.C. 40102(4), such as agricultural products and petroleum products.

 

“Component” means an article, material, or supply incorporated directly into an end product. “Domestic end product” means—

 

   
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(i)An unmanufactured end product that has been mined or produced in the United States; or

 

(ii)An end product manufactured in the United States if—

 

(A)The cost of its qualifying country components and its components that are mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States exceeds 50 percent of the cost of all its components. The cost of components includes transportation costs to the place of incorporation into the end product and U.S. duty (whether or not a duty-free entry certificate is issued). Scrap generated, collected, and prepared for processing in the United States is considered domestic. A component is considered to have been mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States (regardless of its source in fact) if the end product in which it is incorporated is manufactured in the United States and the component is of a class or kind for which the Government has determined that—

 

(1)Sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities of a satisfactory quality are not mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States; or

 

(2)It is inconsistent with the public interest to apply the restrictions of the Buy American statute; or

 

(B)The end product is a COTS item.

 

“End product” means those articles, materials, and supplies to be acquired under this contract for public use.

 

“Foreign end product” means an end product other than a domestic end product.

 

“Qualifying country” means a country with a reciprocal defense procurement memorandum of understanding or international agreement with the United States in which both countries agree to remove barriers to purchases of supplies produced in the other country or services performed by sources of the other country, and the memorandum or agreement complies, where applicable, with the requirements of section 36 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776) and with 10 U.S.C. 2457. Accordingly, the following are qualifying countries:

 

Australia

 

Austria

 

Belgium

 

Canada

 

Czech Republic

 

Denmark

 

Egypt

 

Estonia

 

Finland

 

France

 

Germany

 

Greece

 

Israel

 

Italy

 

Japan

 

   
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Latvia

 

Luxembourg

 

Netherlands

 

Norway

 

Poland

 

Portugal

 

Slovenia

 

Spain

 

Sweden

 

Switzerland

 

Turkey

 

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

 

“Qualifying country component” means a component mined, produced, or manufactured in a qualifying country.

 

“Qualifying country end product” means—

 

(i)An unmanufactured end product mined or produced in a qualifying country; or

 

(ii)An end product manufactured in a qualifying country if —

 

(A) The cost of the following types of components exceeds 50 percent of the cost of all its components:

 

(1)Components mined, produced, or manufactured in a qualifying country.

 

(2)Components mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States.

 

(3)Components of foreign origin of a class or kind for which the Government has determined that sufficient and reasonably available commercial quantities of a satisfactory quality are not mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States; or

 

(B)The end product is a COTS item.

 

“United States” means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and outlying areas.

 

(b)This clause implements 41 U.S.C chapter 83, Buy American. In accordance with 41 U.S.C. 1907, the component test of the Buy American statute is waived for an end product that is a COTS item (see section 12.505(a)(1) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation). Unless otherwise specified, this clause applies to all line items in the contract.

 

(c)The Contractor shall deliver only domestic end products unless, in its offer, it specified delivery of other end products in the Buy American Balance of Payments Program Certificate provision of the solicitation. If the Contractor certified in its offer that it will deliver a qualifying country end product, the Contractor shall deliver a qualifying country end product or, at the Contractor’s option, a domestic end product.

 

(d)The contract price does not include duty for end products or components for which the Contractor will claim duty-free entry.

 

   
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252.225-7002 QUALIFYING COUNTRY SOURCES AS SUBCONTRACTORS (DEC 2017) 

 

(a) Definition. “Qualifying country,” as used in this clause, means a country with a reciprocal defense procurement memorandum of understanding or international agreement with the United States in which both countries agree to remove barriers to purchases of supplies produced in the other country or services performed by sources of the other country, and the memorandum or agreement complies, where applicable, with the requirements of section 36 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776) and with 10 U.S.C. 2457. Accordingly, the following are qualifying countries:

 

Australia

 

Austria

 

Belgium

 

Canada

 

Czech Republic

 

Denmark

 

Egypt

 

Estonia

 

Finland

 

France

 

Germany

 

Greece

 

Israel

 

Italy

 

Japan

 

Latvia

 

Luxembourg

 

Netherlands

 

Norway

 

Poland

 

Portugal

 

Slovenia

 

Spain

 

Sweden

 

Switzerland

 

Turkey

 

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

 

   
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(b)Subject to the restrictions in section 225.872 of the Defense FAR Supplement, the Contractor shall not preclude qualifying country sources or U.S. sources from competing for subcontracts under this contract.

 

252.225-7012 PREFERENCE FOR CERTAIN DOMESTIC COMMODITIES (DEC 2017)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause-

 

“Component” means any item supplied to the Government as part of an end product or of another component.

 

“End product” means supplies delivered under a line item of this contract.

 

“Qualifying country” means a country with a reciprocal defense procurement memorandum of understanding or international agreement with the United States in which both countries agree to remove barriers to purchases of supplies produced in the other country or services performed by sources of the other country, and the memorandum or agreement complies, where applicable, with the requirements of section 36 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2776) and with 10 U.S.C. 2457. Accordingly, the following are qualifying countries::

Australia; Austria; Belgium; Canada; Denmark; Egypt; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Israel; Italy; Luxembourg; Netherlands; Norway; Poland, Portugal; Spain; Sweden; Switzerland; Turkey; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

 

“Structural component of a tent” —

 

(i)Means a component that contributes to the form and stability of the tent (e.g., poles, frames, flooring, guy ropes, pegs);

 

(ii)Does not include equipment such as heating, cooling, or lighting.

 

“United States” means the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and outlying areas.

 

“U.S.-flag vessel” means a vessel of the United States or belonging to the United States, including any vessel registered or having national status under the laws of the United States.

 

(b)The Contractor shall deliver under this contract only such of the following items, either as end products or components, that have been grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States, its possessions, or Puerto Rico:

 

(1)Food.

 

(2)Clothing and the materials and components thereof, other than sensors, electronics, or other items added to, and not normally associated with, clothing and the materials and components thereof. Clothing includes items such as outerwear, headwear, underwear, nightwear, footwear, hosiery, handwear, belts, badges, and insignia. (3)(i) Tents and structural components of tents;

 

(ii)Tarpaulins; or

 

(iii)Covers.

 

(4)Cotton and other natural fiber products.

 

(5)Woven silk or woven silk blends.

 

(6)Spun silk yarn for cartridge cloth.

 

(7)Synthetic fabric, and coated synthetic fabric, including all textile fibers and yarns that are for use in such fabrics.

 

(8)Canvas products.

 

(9)Wool (whether in the form of fiber or yarn or contained in fabrics, materials, or manufactured articles).

 

   
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(10)Any item of individual equipment (Federal Supply Class 8465) manufactured from or containing fibers, yarns, fabrics, or materials listed in this paragraph b.

 

(c)This clause does not apply-

 

(1)To items listed in section 25.104(a) of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), or other items for which the Government has determined that a satisfactory quality and sufficient quantity cannot be acquired as and when needed at U.S. market prices;

 

(2)To incidental amounts of cotton, other natural fibers, or wool incorporated in an end product, for which the estimated value of the cotton, other natural fibers, or wool—

 

(i)Is not more than 10 percent of the total price of the end product; and

 

(ii)Does not exceed the simplified acquisition threshold in FAR Part 2;]

 

(3)To waste and byproducts of cotton or wool fiber for use in the production of propellants and explosives; (4) To foods, other than fish, shellfish, or seafood, that have been manufactured or processed in the United States, regardless of where the foods (and any component if applicable) were grown or produced. Fish, shellfish, or seafood manufactured or processed in the United States and fish, shellfish, or seafood contained in foods manufactured or processed in the United States shall be provided in accordance with paragraph (d) of this clause;

 

(5)To chemical warfare protective clothing produced in a qualifying country; or

 

(6)To fibers and yarns that are for use in synthetic fabric or coated synthetic fabric (but does apply to the synthetic or coated synthetic fabric itself), if-

 

(i)The fabric is to be used as a component of an end product that is not a textile product. Examples of textile products, made in whole or in part of fabric, include-

 

(A)Draperies, floor coverings, furnishings, and bedding (Federal Supply Group 72, Household and Commercial Furnishings and Appliances);

 

(B)Items made in whole or in part of fabric in Federal Supply Group 83, Textile/leather/furs/apparel/findings/tents/flags, or Federal Supply Group 84, Clothing, Individual Equipment and Insignia;

 

(C)Upholstered seats (whether for household, office, or other use); and

 

(D)Parachutes (Federal Supply Class 1670); or

 

(ii)The fibers and yarns are para-aramid fibers and continuous filament para-aramid yarns manufactured in a qualifying country.

 

(d)(1) Fish, shellfish, and seafood delivered under this contract, or contained in foods delivered under this contract— (i) Shall be taken from the sea by U.S.-flag vessels; or (ii) If not taken from the sea, shall be obtained from fishing within the United States; and

 

(2)Any processing or manufacturing of the fish, shellfish, or seafood shall be performed on a U.S.-flag vessel or in the United States.

 

252.225-7015 RESTRICTION ON ACQUISITION OF HAND OR MEASURING TOOLS (JUN 2005)

 

Hand or measuring tools delivered under this contract shall be produced in the United States or its outlying areas.

 

   
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252.225-7048 EXPORT CONTROLLED ITEMS (JUN 2013)

 

(a)Definition. “Export-controlled items,” as used in this clause, means items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR)(15 CFR Parts 730-774) or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)(22 CFR Parts 120-130). The term includes — “Defense items,” defined in the Arms Export Control Act. 22 U.S.C. 2778(j)(4)(A), as defense articles, defense services, and related technical data, and further defined in the ITAR, 22 CFR Part 120; and

 

“Items,” defined in the EAR as "commodities". "software", and "technology," terms that are also defined in the EAR, 15 CFR 772.1.

 

(b)The Contractor shall comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding export-controlled items, including, but not limited to, the requirement for contractors to register with the Department of State in accordance with the ITAR. The Contractor shall consult with the Department of State regarding any questions relating to compliance with the ITAR and shall consult with the Department of Commerce regarding any questions relating to compliance with the EAR.

 

(c)The Contractor's responsibility to comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding export-controlled items exists independent of, and is not established or limited by, the information provided by this clause.

 

(d)Nothing in the terms of this contract adds, changes, supersedes, or waives any of the requirements of applicable Federal laws, Executive orders, and regulations, including but not limited to - (1) The Export Administration Act of 1979, as amended (50 U.S.C. App. 2401, et seq.);

 

(2)The Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751, et seq.);

 

(3)The International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701, et seq.);

 

(4)The Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR Parts 730-774);

 

(5)The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (22 CFR Parts 120-130); and

 

(6)Executive Order 13222, as extended.

 

(e)The Contractor shall include the substance of this clause, including this paragraph (e), in all subcontracts.

 

252.227-7013 RIGHTS IN TECHNICAL DATA—NONCOMMERCIAL ITEMS (FEB 2014)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

(1)“Computer data base” means a collection of data recorded in a form capable of being processed by a computer. The term does not include computer software.

 

(2)“Computer program” means a set of instructions, rules, or routines recorded in a form that is capable of causing a computer to perform a specific operation or series of operations.

 

(3)“Computer software” means computer programs, source code, source code listings, object code listings, designdetails, algorithms, processes, flow charts, formulae and related material that would enable the software to be reproduced, recreated, or recompiled. Computer software does not include computer data bases or computer software documentation.

 

(4)“Computer software documentation” means owner's manuals, user's manuals, installation instructions, operating instructions, and other similar items, regardless of storage medium, that explain the capabilities of the computer software or provide instructions for using the software.

 

(5)"Covered Government support contractor" means a contractor (other than a litigation support contractor covered by 252.204-7014) under a contract, the primary purpose of which is to furnish independent and impartial advice or technical assistance directly to the Government in support of the Government’s management and oversight of a program or effort (rather than to directly furnish an end item or service to accomplish a program or effort), provided that the contractor—

 

   
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(i)Is not affiliated with the prime contractor or a first-tier subcontractor on the program or effort, or with any direct competitor of such prime contractor or any such first-tier subcontractor in furnishing end items or services of the type developed or produced on the program or effort; and

 

(ii)Receives access to technical data or computer software for performance of a Government contract that contains the clause at 252.227-7025, Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Government-Furnished Information Marked with Restrictive Legends.

 

(6)“Detailed manufacturing or process data” means technical data that describe the steps, sequences, and conditions of manufacturing, processing or assembly used by the manufacturer to produce an item or component or to perform a process.

 

(7)“Developed” means that an item, component, or process exists and is workable. Thus, the item or component must have been constructed or the process practiced. Workability is generally established when the item, component, or process has been analyzed or tested sufficiently to demonstrate to reasonable people skilled in the applicable art that there is a high probability that it will operate as intended. Whether, how much, and what type of analysis or testing is required to establish workability depends on the nature of the item, component, or process, and the state of the art. To be considered “developed,” the item, component, or process need not be at the stage where it could be offered for sale or sold on the commercial market, nor must the item, component, or process be actually reduced to practice within the meaning of Title 35 of the United States Code.

 

(8)“Developed exclusively at private expense” means development was accomplished entirely with costs charged to indirect cost pools, costs not allocated to a government contract, or any combination thereof.

 

(i)Private expense determinations should be made at the lowest practicable level.

 

(ii)Under fixed-price contracts, when total costs are greater than the firm-fixed-price or ceiling price of the contract, the additional development costs necessary to complete development shall not be considered when determining whether development was at government, private, or mixed expense.

 

(9)“Developed exclusively with government funds” means development was not accomplished exclusively or partially at private expense.

 

(10)“Developed with mixed funding” means development was accomplished partially with costs charged to indirect cost pools and/or costs not allocated to a government contract, and partially with costs charged directly to a government contract.

 

(11)“Form, fit, and function data” means technical data that describes the required overall physical, functional, and performance characteristics (along with the qualification requirements, if applicable) of an item, component, or process to the extent necessary to permit identification of physically and functionally interchangeable items.

 

(12)“Government purpose” means any activity in which the United States Government is a party, including cooperative agreements with international or multi-national defense organizations, or sales or transfers by the United States Government to foreign governments or international organizations. Government purposes include competitive procurement, but do not include the rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose technical data for commercial purposes or authorize others to do so.

 

(13)“Government purpose rights” means the rights to—

 

(i)Use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose technical data within the Government without restriction; and

 

   
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(ii)Release or disclose technical data outside the Government and authorize persons to whom release or disclosure has been made to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose that data for United States government purposes.

 

(14)“Limited rights” means the rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose technical data, in whole or in part, within the Government. The Government may not, without the written permission of the party asserting limited rights, release or disclose the technical data outside the Government, use the technical data for manufacture, or authorize the technical data to be used by another party, except that the Government may reproduce, release, or disclose such data or authorize the use or reproduction of the data by persons outside the Government if—

 

(i)The reproduction, release, disclosure, or use is— (A)

 

Necessary for emergency repair and overhaul; or

 

(B)A release or disclosure to—

 

(1)A covered Government support contractor in performance of its covered Government support contract for use, modification, reproduction, performance, display, or release or disclosure to a person authorized to receive limited rights technical data; or

 

(2)A foreign government, of technical data other than detailed manufacturing or process data, when use of such data by the foreign government is in the interest of the Government and is required for evaluational or informational purposes;

 

(ii)The recipient of the technical data is subject to a prohibition on the further reproduction, release, disclosure, or use of the technical data; and

 

(iii)The contractor or subcontractor asserting the restriction is notified of such reproduction, release, disclosure, or use.

 

(15)“Technical data” means recorded information, regardless of the form or method of the recording, of a scientific or technical nature (including computer software documentation). The term does not include computer software or data incidental to contract administration, such as financial and/or management information.

 

(16)“Unlimited rights” means rights to use, modify, reproduce, perform, display, release, or disclose technical data in whole or in part, in any manner, and for any purpose whatsoever, and to have or authorize others to do so.

 

(b)Rights in technical data. The Contractor grants or shall obtain for the Government the following royalty free, world-wide, nonexclusive, irrevocable license rights in technical data other than computer software documentation (see the Rights in Noncommercial Computer Software and Noncommercial Computer Software Documentation clause of this contract for rights in computer software documentation):

 

(1)Unlimited rights. The Government shall have unlimited rights in technical data that are—

 

(i)Data pertaining to an item, component, or process which has been or will be developed exclusively with Government funds;

 

(ii)Studies, analyses, test data, or similar data produced for this contract, when the study, analysis, test, or similar work was specified as an element of performance;

 

(iii)Created exclusively with Government funds in the performance of a contract that does not require the development, manufacture, construction, or production of items, components, or processes;

 

(iv)Form, fit, and function data;

 

   
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(v)Necessary for installation, operation, maintenance, or training purposes (other than detailed manufacturing process data);

 

(vi)Corrections or changes to technical data furnished to the Contractor by the Government;

 

(vii)Otherwise publicly available or have been released or disclosed by the Contractor or subcontractor without restrictions on further use, release or disclosure, other than a release or disclosure resulting from the sale, transfer, or other assignment of interest in the technical data to another party or the sale or transfer of some or all of a business entity or its assets to another party;

 

(viii)Data in which the Government has obtained unlimited rights under another Government contract or as a result of negotiations; or

 

(ix)Data furnished to the Government, under this or any other Government contract or subcontract thereunder, with—

 

(A)Government purpose license rights or limited rights and the restrictive condition(s) has/have expired; or

 

(B)Government purpose rights and the Contractor's exclusive right to use such data for commercial purposes has expired.

 

(2)Government purpose rights.

 

(i)The Government shall have government purpose rights for a five-year period, or such other period as may be negotiated, in technical data—

 

(A)That pertain to items, components, or processes developed with mixed funding except when the Government is entitled to unlimited rights in such data as provided in paragraphs (b)(1)(ii) and (b)(1)(iv) through (b)(1)(ix) of this clause; or

 

(B)Created with mixed funding in the performance of a contract that does not require the development, manufacture, construction, or production of items, components, or processes.

 

(ii)The five-year period, or such other period as may have been negotiated, shall commence upon execution of the contract, subcontract, letter contract (or similar contractual instrument), contract modification, or option exercise that required development of the items, components, or processes or creation of the data described in paragraph (b)(2)(i)(B) of this clause. Upon expiration of the five-year or other negotiated period, the Government shall have unlimited rights in the technical data.

 

(iii)The Government shall not release or disclose technical data in which it has government purpose rights unless—

 

(A)Prior to release or disclosure, the intended recipient is subject to the non-disclosure agreement at 227.7103-7 of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS); or

 

(B)The recipient is a Government contractor receiving access to the data for performance of a Government contract that contains the clause at DFARS 252.227-7025, Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Government Furnished Information Marked with Restrictive Legends.

 

(iv)The Contractor has the exclusive right, including the right to license others, to use technical data in which the Government has obtained government purpose rights under this contract for any commercial purpose during the time period specified in the government purpose rights legend prescribed in paragraph (f)(2) of this clause.

 

(3)Limited rights.

 

(i)Except as provided in paragraphs (b)(1)(ii) and (b)(1)(iv) through (b)(1)(ix) of this clause, the Government shall have limited rights in technical data—

 

   
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(A)Pertaining to items, components, or processes developed exclusively at private expense and marked with the limited rights legend prescribed in paragraph (f) of this clause; or

 

(B)Created exclusively at private expense in the performance of a contract that does not require the development, manufacture, construction, or production of items, components, or processes.

 

(ii)The Government shall require a recipient of limited rights data for emergency repair or overhaul to destroy the data and all copies in its possession promptly following completion of the emergency repair/overhaul and to notify the Contractor that the data have been destroyed.

 

(iii)The Contractor, its subcontractors, and suppliers are not required to provide the Government additional rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose technical data furnished to the Government with limited rights. However, if the Government desires to obtain additional rights in technical data in which it has limited rights, the Contractor agrees to promptly enter into negotiations with the Contracting Officer to determine whether there are acceptable terms for transferring such rights. All technical data in which the Contractor has granted the Government additional rights shall be listed or described in a license agreement made part of the contract. The license shall enumerate the additional rights granted the Government in such data.

 

(iv)The Contractor acknowledges that—

 

(A)Limited rights data are authorized to be released or disclosed to covered Government support contractors;

 

(B)The Contractor will be notified of such release or disclosure;

 

(C)The Contractor (or the party asserting restrictions as identified in the limited rights legend) may require eachsuch covered Government support contractor to enter into a non-disclosure agreement directly with the Contractor (or the party asserting restrictions) regarding the covered Government support contractor’s use of such data, or alternatively, that the Contractor (or party asserting restrictions) may waive in writing the requirement for a non-disclosure agreement; and

 

(D)Any such non-disclosure agreement shall address the restrictions on the covered Government support contractor’s use of the limited rights data as set forth in the clause at 252.227-7025, Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Government-Furnished Information Marked with Restrictive Legends. The non-disclosure agreement shall not include any additional terms and conditions unless mutually agreed to by the parties to the non-disclosure agreement.

 

(4)Specifically negotiated license rights. The standard license rights granted to the Government under paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of this clause, including the period during which the Government shall have government purpose rights in technical data, may be modified by mutual agreement to provide such rights as the parties consider appropriate but shall not provide the Government lesser rights than are enumerated in paragraph (a)(14) of this clause. Any rights so negotiated shall be identified in a license agreement made part of this contract.

 

(5)Prior government rights. Technical data that will be delivered, furnished, or otherwise provided to the Government under this contract, in which the Government has previously obtained rights shall be delivered, furnished, or provided with the pre-existing rights, unless—

 

(i)The parties have agreed otherwise; or

 

(ii)Any restrictions on the Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose the data have expired or no longer apply.

 

(6) Release from liability. The Contractor agrees to release the Government from liability for any release or disclosure of technical data made in accordance with paragraph (a)(14) or (b)(2)(iii) of this clause, in accordance with the terms of a license negotiated under paragraph (b)(4) of this clause, or by others to whom the recipient has released or disclosed the data and to seek relief solely from the party who has improperly used, modified, reproduced, released, performed, displayed, or disclosed Contractor data marked with restrictive legends.

 

   
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(c)Contractor rights in technical data. All rights not granted to the Government are retained by the Contractor.

 

(d)Third party copyrighted data. The Contractor shall not, without the written approval of the Contracting Officer, incorporate any copyrighted data in the technical data to be delivered under this contract unless the Contractor is the copyright owner or has obtained for the Government the license rights necessary to perfect a license or licenses in the deliverable data of the appropriate scope set forth in paragraph (b) of this clause, and has affixed a statement of the license or licenses obtained on behalf of the Government and other persons to the data transmittal document.

 

(e)Identification and delivery of data to be furnished with restrictions on use, release, or disclosure.

 

(1)This paragraph does not apply to restrictions based solely on copyright.

 

(2)Except as provided in paragraph (e)(3) of this clause, technical data that the Contractor asserts should be furnished to the Government with restrictions on use, release, or disclosure are identified in an attachment to this contract (the Attachment). The Contractor shall not deliver any data with restrictive markings unless the data are listed on the Attachment.

 

(3)In addition to the assertions made in the Attachment, other assertions may be identified after award whenbased on new information or inadvertent omissions unless the inadvertent omissions would have materially affected the source selection decision. Such identification and assertion shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer as soon as practicable prior to the scheduled date for delivery of the data, in the following format, and signed by an official authorized to contractually obligate the Contractor:

 

Identification and Assertion of Restrictions on the Government's Use, Release,

or Disclosure of Technical Data.

 

The Contractor asserts for itself, or the persons identified below, that the Government's rights to use, release, or disclose the following technical data should be restricted—

 

Technical Data     Name of Person
to be Furnished Basis for Asserted Rights Asserting
With Restrictions* Assertion** Category*** Restrictions****
(LIST) (LIST) (LIST) (LIST)

 

*If the assertion is applicable to items, components, or processes developed at private expense, identify both the data and each such item, component, or process.

 

**Generally, the development of an item, component, or process at private expense, either exclusively or partially, is the only basis for asserting restrictions on the Government's rights to use, release, or disclose technical data pertaining to such items, components, or processes. Indicate whether development was exclusively or partially at private expense. If development was not at private expense, enter the specific reason for asserting that the Government's rights should be restricted.

 

***Enter asserted rights category (e.g., government purpose license rights from a prior contract, rights in SBIR data generated under another contract, limited or government purpose rights under this or a prior contract, or specifically negotiated licenses).

 

****Corporation, individual, or other person, as appropriate.

 

   
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Date    
Printed Name and Title    
     
Signature    

 

(End of identification and assertion)

 

(4)When requested by the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall provide sufficient information to enable the Contracting Officer to evaluate the Contractor's assertions. The Contracting Officer reserves the right to add the Contractor's assertions to the Attachment and validate any listed assertion, at a later date, in accordance with the procedures of the Validation of Restrictive Markings on Technical Data clause of this contract.

 

(f)Marking requirements. The Contractor, and its subcontractors or suppliers, may only assert restrictions on the Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose technical data to be delivered under this contract by marking the deliverable data subject to restriction. Except as provided in paragraph (f)(5) of this clause, only the following legends are authorized under this contract: the government purpose rights legend at paragraph (f)(2) of this clause; the limited rights legend at paragraph (f)(3) of this clause; or the special license rights legend at paragraph (f)(4) of this clause; and/or a notice of copyright as prescribed under 17 U.S.C. 401 or 402.

 

(1)General marking instructions. The Contractor, or its subcontractors or suppliers, shall conspicuously and legibly mark the appropriate legend on all technical data that qualify for such markings. The authorized legends shall be placed on the transmittal document or storage container and, for printed material, each page of the printed material containing technical data for which restrictions are asserted. When only portions of a page of printed material are subject to the asserted restrictions, such portions shall be identified by circling, underscoring, with a note, or other appropriate identifier. Technical data transmitted directly from one computer or computer terminal to another shall contain a notice of asserted restrictions. Reproductions of technical data or any portions thereof subject to asserted restrictions shall also reproduce the asserted restrictions.

 

(2)Government purpose rights markings. Data delivered or otherwise furnished to the Government with government purpose rights shall be marked as follows:

 

GOVERNMENT PURPOSE RIGHTS

 

Contract No.    
Contractor Name    
Contractor Address    
     
Expiration Date    

 

The Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose these technical data are restricted by paragraph (b)(2) of the Rights in Technical Data—Noncommercial Items clause contained in the above identified contract. No restrictions apply after the expiration date shown above. Any reproduction of technical data or portions thereof marked with this legend must also reproduce the markings.

 

(End of legend)

 

(3)Limited rights markings. Data delivered or otherwise furnished to the Government with limited rights shall be marked with the following legend:

 

   
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LIMITED RIGHTS

 

Contract No.    
Contractor Name    
Contractor Address    
     

 

The Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose these technical data are restricted by paragraph (b)(3) of the Rights in Technical Data—Noncommercial Items clause contained in the above identified contract. Any reproduction of technical data or portions thereof marked with this legend must also reproduce the markings. Any person, other than the Government, who has been provided access to such data must promptly notify the above named Contractor.

 

(End of legend)

 

(4)Special license rights markings.

 

(i)Data in which the Government's rights stem from a specifically negotiated license shall be marked with the following legend:

 

SPECIAL LICENSE RIGHTS

 

The Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose these data are restricted by Contract No. _____(Insert contract number)____, License No. ____(Insert license identifier)____. Any reproduction of technical data or portions thereof marked with this legend must also reproduce the markings.  

(End of legend)

 

(ii)For purposes of this clause, special licenses do not include government purpose license rights acquired under a prior contract (see paragraph (b)(5) of this clause).

 

(5)Pre-existing data markings. If the terms of a prior contract or license permitted the Contractor to restrict the Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose technical data deliverable under this contract, and those restrictions are still applicable, the Contractor may mark such data with the appropriate restrictive legend for which the data qualified under the prior contract or license. The marking procedures in paragraph (f)(1) of this clause shall be followed.

 

(g)Contractor procedures and records. Throughout performance of this contract, the Contractor and its subcontractors or suppliers that will deliver technical data with other than unlimited rights, shall—

 

(1)Have, maintain, and follow written procedures sufficient to assure that restrictive markings are used only when authorized by the terms of this clause; and

 

(2)Maintain records sufficient to justify the validity of any restrictive markings on technical data delivered under this contract.

 

(h)Removal of unjustified and nonconforming markings.

 

(1)Unjustified technical data markings. The rights and obligations of the parties regarding the validation of restrictive markings on technical data furnished or to be furnished under this contract are contained in the Validation of Restrictive Markings on Technical Data clause of this contract. Notwithstanding any provision of this contract concerning inspection and acceptance, the Government may ignore or, at the Contractor's expense, correct or strike a marking if, in accordance with the procedures in the Validation of Restrictive Markings on Technical Data clause of this contract, a restrictive marking is determined to be unjustified.

 

   
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(2)Nonconforming technical data markings. A nonconforming marking is a marking placed on technical data delivered or otherwise furnished to the Government under this contract that is not in the format authorized by this contract. Correction of nonconforming markings is not subject to the Validation of Restrictive Markings on Technical Data clause of this contract. If the Contracting Officer notifies the Contractor of a nonconforming marking and the Contractor fails to remove or correct such marking within sixty (60) days, the Government may ignore or, at the Contractor's expense, remove or correct any nonconforming marking.

 

(i)Relation to patents. Nothing contained in this clause shall imply a license to the Government under any patent or be construed as affecting the scope of any license or other right otherwise granted to the Government under any patent.

 

(j)Limitation on charges for rights in technical data.

 

(1)The Contractor shall not charge to this contract any cost, including, but not limited to, license fees, royalties, or similar charges, for rights in technical data to be delivered under this contract when— (i) The Government has acquired, by any means, the same or greater rights in the data; or

 

(ii)The data are available to the public without restrictions.

 

(2)The limitation in paragraph (j)(1) of this clause—

 

(i)Includes costs charged by a subcontractor or supplier, at any tier, or costs incurred by the Contractor to acquire rights in subcontractor or supplier technical data, if the subcontractor or supplier has been paid for such rights under any other Government contract or under a license conveying the rights to the Government; and

 

(ii)Does not include the reasonable costs of reproducing, handling, or mailing the documents or other media inwhich the technical data will be delivered.

 

(k)Applicability to subcontractors or suppliers.

 

(1)The Contractor shall ensure that the rights afforded its subcontractors and suppliers under 10 U.S.C. 2320, 10 U.S.C. 2321, and the identification, assertion, and delivery processes of paragraph (e) of this clause are recognized and protected.

 

(2)Whenever any technical data for noncommercial items, or for commercial items developed in any part at Government expense, is to be obtained from a subcontractor or supplier for delivery to the Government under this contract, the Contractor shall use this same clause in the subcontract or other contractual instrument, including subcontracts or other contractual instruments for commercial items, and require its subcontractors or suppliers to do so, without alteration, except to identify the parties. This clause will govern the technical data pertaining to noncommercial items or to any portion of a commercial item that was developed in any part at Government expense, and the clause at 252.227-7015 will govern the technical data pertaining to any portion of a commercial item that was developed exclusively at private expense. No other clause shall be used to enlarge or diminish the Government's, the Contractor's, or a higher-tier subcontractor's or supplier's rights in a subcontractor's or supplier's technical data.

 

(3)Technical data required to be delivered by a subcontractor or supplier shall normally be delivered to the next higher-tier contractor, subcontractor, or supplier. However, when there is a requirement in the prime contract for data which may be submitted with other than unlimited rights by a subcontractor or supplier, then said subcontractor or supplier may fulfill its requirement by submitting such data directly to the Government, rather than through a higher-tier contractor, subcontractor, or supplier.

 

   
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(4)The Contractor and higher-tier subcontractors or suppliers shall not use their power to award contracts as economic leverage to obtain rights in technical data from their subcontractors or suppliers.

 

(5)In no event shall the Contractor use its obligation to recognize and protect subcontractor or supplier rights in technical data as an excuse for failing to satisfy its contractual obligation to the Government.

 

252.222-7007 Representation Regarding Combating Trafficking in Persons.(JAN 2015)

 

By submission of its offer, the Offeror represents that it—

 

(a)Will not engage in any trafficking in persons or related activities, including but not limited to the use of forced labor, in the performance of this contract;

 

(b)Has hiring and subcontracting policies to protect the rights of its employees and the rights of subcontractor employees and will comply with those policies in the performance of this contract; and

 

(c)Has notified its employees and subcontractors of—

 

(1)The responsibility to report trafficking in persons violations by the Contractor, Contractor employees, or subcontractor employees, at any tier; and

 

(2)Employee protection under 10 U.S.C. 2409, as implemented in DFARS subpart 203.9, from reprisal for whistleblowing on trafficking in persons violations.

 

252.227-7016 RIGHTS IN BID OR PROPOSAL INFORMATION (JAN 2011)

 

(a)Definitions.

 

(1)For contracts that require the delivery of technical data, the terms “technical data” and “computer software” are defined in the Rights in Technical Data—Noncommercial Item clause of this contract or, if this is a contract awarded under the Small Business Innovation Research Program, the Rights in Noncommercial Technical Data and Computer Software—Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program clause of this contract.

 

(2)For contracts that do not require the delivery of technical data, the term “computer software” is defined in the Rights in Noncommercial Computer and Noncommercial Computer Software Documentation clause of this contract or, if this is a contract awarded under the Small Business Innovation Research Program, the Rights in Noncommercial Technical Data and Computer Software—Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program clause of this contract.

 

(b)Government rights prior to contract award. By submission of its offer, the Offeror agrees that the Government—

 

(1)May reproduce the bid or proposal, or any portions thereof, to the extent necessary to evaluate the offer.

 

(2)Except as provided in paragraph (d) of this clause, shall use information contained in the bid or proposal only for evaluational purposes and shall not disclose, directly or indirectly, such information to any person including potential evaluators, unless that person has been authorized by the head of the agency, his or her designee, or the Contracting Officer to receive such information.

 

(c)Government rights subsequent to contract award. The Contractor agrees-

 

(1)Except as provided in paragraphs (c)(2), (d), and (e) of this clause, the Government shall have the rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose information contained in the Contractor's bid or proposal within the Government. The Government shall not release, perform, display, or disclose such information outside the Government without the Contractor's written permission.

 

(2)The Government's right to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or disclose information that is technical data or computer software required to be delivered under this contract are determined by the Rights in Technical Data—Noncommercial Items, Rights in Noncommercial Computer Software and Noncommercial Computer Software Documentation, or Rights in Noncommercial Technical Data and Computer Software—Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program clause(s) of this contract.

 

   
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(d)Government-furnished information. The Government's rights with respect to technical data or computer software contained in the Contractor's bid or proposal that were provided to the Contractor by the Government are subject only to restrictions on use, modification, reproduction, release, performance, display, or disclosure, if any, imposed by the developer or licensor of such data or software.

 

(e)Information available without restrictions. The Government's rights to use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, display, or, disclose information contained in a bid or proposal, including technical data or computer software, and to permit others to do so, shall not be restricted in any manner if such information has been released or disclosed to the Government or to other persons without restrictions other than a release or disclosure resulting from the sale, transfer, or other assignment of interest in the information to another party or the sale or transfer of some or all of a business entity or its assets to another party.

 

(f)Flow down. The Contractor shall include this clause in all subcontracts or similar contractual instruments and require its subcontractors or suppliers to do so without alteration, except to identify the parties.

 

252.227-7025 LIMITATIONS ON THE USE OR DISCLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED INFORMATION MARKED WITH RESTRICTIVE LEGENDS (MAY 2013)

 

(a)(1)For contracts in which the Government will furnish the Contractor with technical data, the terms “covered Government support contractor,” “limited rights,” and “Government purpose rights” are defined in the clause at 252.227-7013, Rights in Technical Data—Noncommercial Items.

 

(2)For contracts in which the Government will furnish the Contractor with computer software or computer software documentation, the terms “covered Government support contractor,” “government purpose rights”, and “restricted rights” are defined in the clause at 252.227-7014, Rights in Noncommercial Computer Software and Noncommercial Computer Software Documentation.

 

(3)For Small Business Innovation Research program contracts, the terms “covered Government support contractor”, “limited rights,” “restricted rights,” and “SBIR data rights ” are defined in the clause at 252.227-7018, Rights in Noncommercial Technical Data and Computer Software—Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program.

 

(b)Technical data or computer software provided to the Contractor as Government-furnished information (GFI) under this contract may be subject to restrictions on use, modification, reproduction, release, performance, display, or further disclosure.

 

(1)GFI marked with limited, restricted rights, or SBIR data rights legends.

 

(i)The Contractor shall use, modify, reproduce, perform, or display technical data received from the Government with limited rights legends, computer software received with restricted rights legends, or SBIR technical data or computer software received with SBIR data rights legends (during the SBIR data protection period) only in the performance of this contract. The Contractor shall not, without the express written permission of the party whose name appears in the legend, release or disclose such data or software to any unauthorized person.

 

(ii)If the Contractor is a covered Government support contractor, the Contractor is also subject to the additional terms and conditions at paragraph (b)(5) of this clause.

 

(2)GFI marked with government purpose rights legends. The Contractor shall use technical data or computer software received from the Government with government purpose rights legends for government purposes only. The Contractor shall not, without the express written permission of the party whose name appears in the restrictive legend, use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, or display such data or software for any commercial purpose or disclose such data or software to a person other than its subcontractors, suppliers, or prospective subcontractors or suppliers, who require the data or software to submit offers for, or perform, contracts under this contract. Prior to disclosing the data or software, the Contractor shall require the persons to whom disclosure will be made to complete and sign the non-disclosure agreement at 227.7103-7.

 

   
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(3)GFI marked with specially negotiated license rights legends.

 

(i)The Contractor shall use, modify, reproduce, release, perform, or display technical data or computer software received from the Government with specially negotiated license legends only as permitted in the license. Such data or software may not be released or disclosed to other persons unless permitted by the license and, prior to release or disclosure, the intended recipient has completed the non-disclosure agreement at 227.7103-7. The Contractor shall modify paragraph (1)(c) of the non-disclosure agreement to reflect the recipient's obligations regarding use, modification, reproduction, release, performance, display, and disclosure of the data or software.

 

(ii)If the Contractor is a covered Government support contractor, the Contractor may also be subject to some or all of the additional terms and conditions at paragraph (b)(5) of this clause, to the extent such terms and conditions are required by the specially negotiated license.

 

(4)GFI marked with commercial restrictive legends.

 

(i)The Contractor shall use, modify, reproduce, perform, or display technical data that is or pertains to a commercial item and is received from the Government with a commercial restrictive legend (i.e., marked to indicate that such data are subject to use, modification, reproduction, release, performance, display, or disclosure restrictions) only in the performance of this contract. The Contractor shall not, without the express written permission of the party whose name appears in the legend, use the technical data to manufacture additional quantities of the commercial items, or release or disclose such data to any unauthorized person.

 

(ii)If the Contractor is a covered Government support contractor, the Contractor is also subject to the additional terms and conditions at paragraph (b)(5) of this clause.

 

(5)Covered Government support contractors. If the Contractor is a covered Government support contractor receiving technical data or computer software marked with restrictive legends pursuant to paragraphs (b)(1)(ii), (b)(3)(ii) or (b)(4)(ii) of this clause, the Contractor further agrees and acknowledges that —

 

(i)The technical data or computer software will be accessed and used for the sole purpose of furnishingindependent and impartial advice or technical assistance directly to the Government in support of the Government's management and oversight of the program or effort to which such technical data or computer software relates, as stated in this contract, and shall not be used to compete for any Government or non-Government contract;

 

(ii)The Contractor will take all reasonable steps to protect the technical data or computer software againstany unauthorized release or disclosure;

 

(iii)The Contractor will ensure that the party whose name appears in the legend is notified of the accessor use within thirty (30) days of the Contractor's access or use of such data or software;

 

(iv)The Contractor will enter into a non-disclosure agreement with the party whose name appears in thelegend, if required to do so by that party, and that any such non-disclosure agreement will implement the restrictions on the Contractor's use of such data or software as set forth in this clause. The non-disclosure agreement shall not include any additional terms and conditions unless mutually agreed to by the parties to the non-disclosure agreement; and

 

(v)That a breach of these obligations or restrictions may subject the Contractor to —

 

(A)Criminal, civil, administrative, and contractual actions in law and equity for penalties, damages, and other appropriate remedies by the United States; and

 

(B)Civil actions for damages and other appropriate remedies by the party whose name appears in the legend.

 

(c)Indemnification and creation of third party beneficiary rights. The Contractor agrees—

 

   
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(1)To indemnify and hold harmless the Government, its agents, and employees from every claim or liability, including attorneys fees, court costs, and expenses, arising out of, or in any way related to, the misuse or unauthorized modification, reproduction, release, performance, display, or disclosure of technical data or computer software received from the Government with restrictive legends by the Contractor or any person to whom the Contractor has released or disclosed such data or software; and

 

(2)That the party whose name appears on the restrictive legend, in addition to any other rights it may have,is a third party beneficiary who has the right of direct action against the Contractor, or any person to whom the Contractor has released or disclosed such data or software, for the unauthorized duplication, release, or disclosure of technical data or computer software subject to restrictive legends. (d) The Contractor shall ensure that its employees are subject to use and non-disclosure obligations consistent with this clause prior to the employees being provided access to or use of any GFI covered by this clause.

 

252.227-7028 TECHNICAL DATA OR COMPUTER SOFTWARE PREVIOUSLY DELIVERED TO THE GOVERNMENT (JUN 1995)

 

The Offeror shall attach to its offer an identification of all documents or other media incorporating technical data or computer software it intends to deliver under this contract with other than unlimited rights that are identical or substantially similar to documents or other media that the Offeror has produced for, delivered to, or is obligated to deliver to the Government under any contract or subcontract. The attachment shall identify—

 

(a)The contract number under which the data or software were produced;

 

(b)The contract number under which, and the name and address of the organization to whom, the data or software were most recently delivered or will be delivered; and

 

(c)Any limitations on the Government's rights to use or disclose the data or software, including, when applicable, identification of the earliest date the limitations expire.

 

252.227-7030 TECHNICAL DATA—WITHHOLDING OF PAYMENT (MAR 2000)

 

(a)If technical data specified to be delivered under this contract, is not delivered within the time specified by this contract or is deficient upon delivery (including having restrictive markings not identified in the list described in the clause at 252.227-7013(e)(2) or 252.227-7018(e)(2) of this contract), the Contracting Officer may until such data is accepted by the Government, withhold payment to the Contractor of ten percent (10%) of the total contract price or amount unless a lesser withholding is specified in the contract. Payments shall not be withheld nor any other action taken pursuant to this paragraph when the Contractor's failure to make timely delivery or to deliver such data without deficiencies arises out of causes beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of the Contractor.

 

(b)The withholding of any amount or subsequent payment to the Contractor shall not be construed as a waiver of any rights accruing to the Government under this contract.

 

252.227-7037 VALIDATION OF RESTRICTIVE MARKINGS ON TECHNICAL DATA (SEP 2016)

 

(a)Definitions. The terms used in this clause are defined in the Rights in Technical Data—Noncommercial Items clause of this contract.

 

(b)Presumption regarding development exclusively at private expense.

 

(1)Commercial items.

 

(i)Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this clause, the Contracting Officer will presume that the Contractor’s or a subcontractor’s asserted use or release restrictions with respect to a commercial item is justified on the basis that the item was developed exclusively at private expense.

 

(ii)The Contracting Officer will not challenge such assertions unless the Contracting Officer has information that demonstrates that the commercial item was not developed exclusively at private expense.

 

   
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(2)Major weapon systems. In the case of a challenge to a use or release restriction that is asserted with respect to data of the Contractor or a subcontractor for a major weapon system or a subsystem or component thereof on the basis that the major weapon system, subsystem, or component was developed exclusively at private expense—

 

(i)The presumption in paragraph (b)(1) of this clause applies to—

 

(A)A commercial subsystem or component of a major weapon system, if the major weapon system was acquired as a commercial item in accordance with DFARS subpart 234.70 (10 U.S.C. 2379(a));

 

(B)A component of a subsystem, if the subsystem was acquired as a commercial item in accordance with DFARS subpart 234.70 (10 U.S.C. 2379(b)); and

 

(C)Any other component, if the component is a commercially available off-the-shelf item or a commercially available off-the-shelf item with modifications of a type customarily available in the commercial marketplace or minor modifications made to meet Federal Government requirements; and

 

(ii)In all other cases, the challenge to the use or release restriction will be sustained unless information provided by the Contractor or a subcontractor demonstrates that the item or process was developed exclusively at private expense.

 

(c)Justification. The Contractor or subcontractor at any tier is responsible for maintaining records sufficient to justify the validity of its markings that impose restrictions on the Government and others to use, duplicate, or disclose technical data delivered or required to be delivered under the contract or subcontract. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(1) of this clause, the Contractor or subcontractor shall be prepared to furnish to the Contracting Officer a written justification for such restrictive markings in response to a challenge under paragraph (e) of this clause.

 

(d)Prechallenge request for information.

 

(1)The Contracting Officer may request the Contractor or subcontractor to furnish a written explanation for any restriction asserted by the Contractor or subcontractor on the right of the United States or others to use technical data. If, upon review of the explanation submitted, the Contracting Officer remains unable to ascertain the basis of the restrictive marking, the Contracting Officer may further request the Contractor or subcontractor to furnish additional information in the records of, or otherwise in the possession of or reasonably available to, the Contractor or subcontractor to justify the validity of any restrictive marking on technical data delivered or to be delivered under the contract or subcontract (e.g., a statement of facts accompanied with supporting documentation). The Contractor or subcontractor shall submit such written data as requested by the Contracting Officer within the time required or such longer period as may be mutually agreed.

 

(2)If the Contracting Officer, after reviewing the written data furnished pursuant to paragraph (d)(1) of this clause, or any other available information pertaining to the validity of a restrictive marking, determines that reasonable grounds exist to question the current validity of the marking and that continued adherence to the marking would make impracticable the subsequent competitive acquisition of the item, component, or process to which the technical data relates, the Contracting Officer shall follow the procedures in paragraph (e) of this clause.

 

(3)If the Contractor or subcontractor fails to respond to the Contracting Officer's request for information under paragraph (d)(1) of this clause, and the Contracting Officer determines that continued adherence to the marking would make impracticable the subsequent competitive acquisition of the item, component, or process to which the technical data relates, the Contracting Officer may challenge the validity of the marking as described in paragraph (e) of this clause.

 

(e)Challenge.

 

(1)Notwithstanding any provision of this contract concerning inspection and acceptance, if the Contracting Officer determines that a challenge to the restrictive marking is warranted, the Contracting Officer shall send a written challenge notice to the Contractor or subcontractor asserting the restrictive markings. Such challenge shall—

 

   
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(i)State the specific grounds for challenging the asserted restriction;

 

(ii)Require a response within sixty (60) days justifying and providing sufficient evidence as to the current validityof the asserted restriction;

 

(iii)State that a DoD Contracting Officer's final decision, issued pursuant to paragraph (g) of this clause,sustaining the validity of a restrictive marking identical to the asserted restriction, within the three-year period preceding the challenge, shall serve as justification for the asserted restriction if the validated restriction was asserted by the same Contractor or subcontractor (or any licensee of such Contractor or subcontractor) to which such notice is being provided; and

 

(iv)State that failure to respond to the challenge notice may result in issuance of a final decision pursuant to paragraph (f) of this clause.

 

(2)The Contracting Officer shall extend the time for response as appropriate if the Contractor or subcontractor submits a written request showing the need for additional time to prepare a response.

 

(3)The Contractor's or subcontractor's written response shall be considered a claim within the meaning of 41 U.S.C. 7101, Contract Disputes, and shall be certified in the form prescribed at 33.207 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, regardless of dollar amount.

 

(4)A Contractor or subcontractor receiving challenges to the same restrictive markings from more than one Contracting Officer shall notify each Contracting Officer of the existence of more than one challenge. The notice shall also state which Contracting Officer initiated the first in time unanswered challenge. The Contracting Officer initiating the first in time unanswered challenge after consultation with the Contractor or subcontractor and the other Contracting Officers, shall formulate and distribute a schedule for responding to each of the challenge notices to all interested parties. The schedule shall afford the Contractor or subcontractor an opportunity to respond to each challenge notice. All parties will be bound by this schedule.

 

(f)Final decision when Contractor or subcontractor fails to respond. Upon a failure of a Contractor or subcontractor to submit any response to the challenge notice the Contracting Officer will issue a final decision to the Contractor or subcontractor in accordance with paragraph (b) of this clause and the Disputes clause of this contract pertaining to the validity of the asserted restriction. This final decision shall be issued as soon as possible after the expiration of the time period of paragraph (e)(1)(ii) or (e)(2) of this clause. Following issuance of the final decision, the Contracting Officer will comply with the procedures in paragraphs (g)(2)(ii) through (iv) of this clause.

 

(g)Final decision when Contractor or subcontractor responds.

 

(1)If the Contracting Officer determines that the Contractor or subcontractor has justified the validity of the restrictive marking, the Contracting Officer shall issue a final decision to the Contractor or subcontractor sustaining the validity of the restrictive marking, and stating that the Government will continue to be bound by the restrictive marking. This final decision shall be issued within sixty (60) days after receipt of the Contractor's or subcontractor's response to the challenge notice, or within such longer period that the Contracting Officer has notified the Contractor or subcontractor that the Government will require. The notification of a longer period for issuance of a final decision will be made within sixty (60) days after receipt of the response to the challenge notice.

 

(2)(i)If the Contracting Officer determines that the validity of the restrictive marking is not justified, the Contracting Officer shall issue a final decision to the Contractor or subcontractor in accordance with the Disputes clause of this contract. Notwithstanding paragraph (e) of the Disputes clause, the final decision shall be issued within sixty (60) days after receipt of the Contractor's or subcontractor's response to the challenge notice, or within such longer period that the Contracting Officer has notified the Contractor or subcontractor of the longer period that the Government will require. The notification of a longer period for issuance of a final decision will be made within sixty (60) days after receipt of the response to the challenge notice.

 

   
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(ii)The Government agrees that it will continue to be bound by the restrictive marking for a period of ninety (90) days from the issuance of the Contracting Officer's final decision under paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this clause. The Contractor or subcontractor agrees that, if it intends to file suit in the United States Claims Court it will provide a notice of intent to file suit to the Contracting Officer within ninety (90) days from the issuance of the Contracting Officer's final decision under paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this clause. If the Contractor or subcontractor fails to appeal, file suit, or provide a notice of intent to file suit to the Contracting Officer within the ninety (90)-day period, the Government may cancel or ignore the restrictive markings, and the failure of the Contractor or subcontractor to take the required action constitutes agreement with such Government action.

 

(iii)The Government agrees that it will continue to be bound by the restrictive marking where a notice of intent to file suit in the United States Claims Court is provided to the Contracting Officer within ninety (90) days from the issuance of the final decision under paragraph (g)(2)(i) of this clause. The Government will no longer be bound, and the Contractor or subcontractor agrees that the Government may strike or ignore the restrictive markings, if the Contractor or subcontractor fails to file its suit within one (1) year after issuance of the final decision. Notwithstanding the foregoing, where the head of an agency determines, on a nondelegable basis, that urgent or compelling circumstances will not permit waiting for the filing of a suit in the United States Claims Court, the Contractor or subcontractor agrees that the agency may, following notice to the Contractor or subcontractor, authorize release or disclosure of the technical data. Such agency determination may be made at any time after issuance of the final decision and will not affect the Contractor's or subcontractor's right to damages against the United States where its restrictive markings are ultimately upheld or to pursue other relief, if any, as may be provided by law.

 

(iv)The Government agrees that it will be bound by the restrictive marking where an appeal or suit is filed pursuant to the Contract Disputes statute until final disposition by an agency Board of Contract Appeals or the United States Claims Court. Notwithstanding the foregoing, where the head of an agency determines, on a nondelegable basis, following notice to the Contractor that urgent or compelling circumstances will not permit awaiting the decision by such Board of Contract Appeals or the United States Claims Court, the Contractor or subcontractor agrees that the agency may authorize release or disclosure of the technical data. Such agency determination may be made at any time after issuance of the final decision and will not affect the Contractor's or subcontractor's right to damages against the United States where its restrictive markings are ultimately upheld or to pursue other relief, if any, as may be provided by law.

 

(h)Final disposition of appeal or suit.

 

(1)If the Contractor or subcontractor appeals or files suit and if, upon final disposition of the appeal or suit, the Contracting Officer's decision is sustained—

 

(i)The restrictive marking on the technical data shall be cancelled, corrected or ignored; and

 

(ii)If the restrictive marking is found not to be substantially justified, the Contractor or subcontractor, as appropriate, shall be liable to the Government for payment of the cost to the Government of reviewing the restrictive marking and the fees and other expenses (as defined in 28 U.S.C. 2412(d)(2)(A)) incurred by the Government in challenging the marking, unless special circumstances would make such payment unjust.

 

(2)If the Contractor or subcontractor appeals or files suit and if, upon final disposition of the appeal or suit, the Contracting Officer's decision is not sustained—

 

(i)The Government shall continue to be bound by the restrictive marking; and

 

(ii)The Government shall be liable to the Contractor or subcontractor for payment of fees and other expenses (as defined in 28 U.S.C. 2412(d)(2)(A)) incurred by the Contractor or subcontractor in defending the marking, if the challenge by the Government is found not to have been made in good faith.

 

(i)Duration of right to challenge. The Government may review the validity of any restriction on technical data, delivered or to be delivered under a contract, asserted by the Contractor or subcontractor. During the period within three (3) years of final payment on a contract or within three (3) years of delivery of the technical data to the Government, whichever is later, the Contracting Officer may review and make a written determination to challenge the restriction. The Government may, however, challenge a restriction on the release, disclosure or use of technical data at any time if such technical data—

 

   
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(1)Is publicly available;

 

(2)Has been furnished to the United States without restriction; or

 

(3)Has been otherwise made available without restriction. Only the Contracting Officer's final decision resolving a formal challenge by sustaining the validity of a restrictive marking constitutes “validation” as addressed in 10 U.S.C. 2321.

 

(j)Decision not to challenge. A decision by the Government, or a determination by the Contracting Officer, to not challenge the restrictive marking or asserted restriction shall not constitute “validation.”

 

(k)Privity of contract. The Contractor or subcontractor agrees that the Contracting Officer may transact matters under this clause directly with subcontractors at any tier that assert restrictive markings. However, this clause neither creates nor implies privity of contract between the Government and subcontractors.

 

(l)Flowdown. The Contractor or subcontractor agrees to insert this clause in contractual instruments, including subcontracts and other contractual instruments for commercial items, with its subcontractors or suppliers at any tier requiring the delivery of technical data.

 

252.211-7007 REPORTING OF GOVERNMENT –FURNISHED PROPERTY (AUG 2012)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

“Commercial and Government entity (CAGE) code” means—

 

(i)A code assigned by the Defense Logistics Agency Logistics Information Service to identify a commercial or Government entity: or

 

(ii)A code assigned by a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that the Defense Logistics Agency Logistics Information Service records and maintains in the CAGE master file. The type of code is known as an “NCAGE code”.

 

“Contractor-acquired property” has the meaning given in FAR clause 52.245-1. Upon acceptance by the Government, contractor-acquired property becomes Government-furnished property.

 

“Government-furnished property” has the meaning given in FAR clause 52.245-1.

 

“Item unique identification (IUID)” means a system of assigning, reporting, and marking DoD property with unique item identifiers that have machine-readable data elements to distinguish an item from all other like and unlike items.

 

“IUID Registry” means the DoD data repository that receives input from both industry and Government sources and provides storage of, and access to, data that identifies and describes tangible Government personal property.

 

The IUID Registry is —

 

(i)The authoritative source of Government unit acquisition cost for items with unique item identification (see DFARS 252.211-7003) that were acquired after January 1, 2004;

 

(ii)The master data source for Government-furnished property, and

 

(iii)An authoritative source for establishing the acquisition cost of end-tem equipment.

 

“National stock number (NSN)” means a 13-digit stock number used to identify items of supply. It consists of a four-digit Federal Supply Code and a nine-digit National Item Identification Number.

 

“Nomenclature” means—

 

(i)The combination of a Government-assigned type designation and an approved item name;

 

   
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(ii)Names assigned to kinds and groups of products; or

 

(iii)Formal designations assigned to products by customer or supplier (such as model number or model type, design differentiation, or specific design series or configuration).

 

“Part or identifying number (PIN)” means the identifier assigned by the original design activity, or by the controlling nationally recognized standard, that uniquely identifies (relative to that design activity) a specific item.

 

“Reparable” means an item, typically in unserviceable condition, furnished to the Contractor for maintenance, repair, modification, or overhaul.

 

“Serially managed item” means an item designated by DoD to be uniquely tracked, controlled, or managed in maintenance, repair, and/or supply systems by means of its serial number.

 

“Supply condition code” means a classification of materiel in terms of readiness for issue and use or to identify action underway to change the status of materiel (see http://www2.dla.mil/j-6/dlmso/elibrary/manuals /dlm/dlm_pubs.asp).

 

“Unique item identifier (UII)” means a set of data elements permanently marked on an item that is globally unique and unambiguous and never changes, in order to provide traceability of the item throughout its total life cycle. The term includes a concatenated UII or a DoD recognized unique identification equivalent.

 

“Unit acquisition cost” has the meaning given in FAR clause 52.245-1.

 

(b)Reporting Government-furnished property to the IUID Registry. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of thisclause, the Contractor shall report, in accordance with paragraph (f), Government-furnished property to the IUID Registry as follows—

 

(1)Up to and including December 31, 2013, report serially managed Government-furnished property with aunit-acquisition cost of $5,000 or greater.

 

(2)Beginning January 1, 2014, report—

 

(i)All serially managed Government-furnished property, regardless of unit-acquisition cost; and

 

(ii)Contractor receipt of non-serially managed items. Unless tracked as an individual item, the Contractor shall report non-serially managed items to the Registry in the same unit of packaging, e.g., original manufacturer's package, box, or container, as it was received.

 

(c)Exceptions. Paragraph (b) of this clause does not apply to—

 

(1)Contractor-acquired property;

 

(2)Property under any statutory leasing authority;

 

(3)Property to which the Government has acquired a lien or title solely because of partial, advance,progress, or performance-based payments;

 

(4)Intellectual property or software; or

 

(5)Real property; or

 

(6)Property released for work in process.

 

(d)Data for reporting to the IUID Registry. To permit reporting of Government-furnished property to the IUID Registry, the Contractor's property management system shall enable the following data elements in addition to those required by paragraph (f)(1)(iii)(A)(1) through (3), (5), (7), (8), and (10) of the Government Property clause of this contract (FAR 52.245-1):

 

   
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(1)Received/Sent (shipped) date.

 

(2)Status code.

 

(3)Accountable Government contract number.

 

(4)Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code on the accountable Government contract.

 

(5)Mark record.

 

(i)Bagged or tagged code (for items too small to individually tag or mark).

 

(ii)Contents (the type of information recorded on the item, e.g., item internal control number).

 

(iii)Effective date (date the mark is applied).

 

(iv)Added or removed code/flag.

 

(v)Marker code (designates which code is used in the marker identifier, e.g., D=CAGE, UN=DUNS, LD=DODAAC).

 

(vi)Marker identifier, e.g., Contractor's CAGE code or DUNS number).

 

(vii)Medium code; how the data is recorded, e.g., barcode, contact memory button.

 

(viii)Value, e.g., actual text or data string that is recorded in its human-readable form.

 

(ix)Set (used to group marks when multiple sets exist).

 

(6)Appropriate supply condition code, required only for reporting of reparables, per Appendix 2 of DoD 4000.25-2-M, Military Standard Transaction Reporting and Accounting Procedures manual "http://www2.dla.mil /j-6/dlmso/elibrary/manuals/dlm/dlm_pubs.asp".

 

(e)When Government-furnished property is in the possession of subcontractors, Contractors shall ensure that reporting is accomplished using the data elements required in paragraph (d) of this clause.

 

(f)Procedures for reporting of Government-furnished property. Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this clause, the Contractor shall establish and report to the IUID Registry the information required by FAR clause 52.245-1, paragraphs (e) and (f)(1)(iii), in accordance with the data submission procedures at "http://www.acq.ods.mil/dpap/pdi/uid/data_submission_information.html".

 

(g)Procedures for updating the IUID Registry.

 

(1)Except as provided in paragraph (g)(2), the Contractor shall update the IUID Registry at "https://iuid.logisticsinformationservice.dla.mil/" for changes in status, mark, custody, condition code (for reparable only), or disposition of items that are—

 

(i)Received by the Contractor;

 

(ii)Delivered or shipped from the Contractor's plant, under Government instructions, except when shipment is to a subcontractor or other location of the Contractor;

 

(iii)Consumed or expended, reasonably and properly, or otherwise accounted for, in the performance of the contract as determined by the Government property administrator, including reasonable inventory adjustments; (iv) Disposed of; or

 

(v)Transferred to a follow-on or other contract.

 

   
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(2)The Contractor need not report to the IUID Registry those transactions reported or to be reported to the following DCMA etools:

 

(i)Plant Clearance Automated Reutilization and Screening System (PCARSS); or

 

(ii)Lost, Theft, Damaged or Destroyed (LTDD) system.

 

(3)The contractor shall update to IUID Registry as transactions occur or as otherwise stated in the Contractor's property management procedure.

 

252.245-7001 TAGGING, LABELING, AND MARKING OF GOVERNMENT-FURNISHED PROPERTY (APR 2012)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

“Government-furnished property” is defined in the clause at FAR 52.245-1, Government Property.

 

“Serially-managed item” means an item designated by DoD to be uniquely tracked, controlled, or managed in maintenance, repair, and/or supply systems by means of its serial number.

 

(b)The Contractor shall tag, label, or mark Government-furnished property items identified in the contract as subject to serialized item management (serially-managed items).

 

(c)The Contractor is not required to tag, label, or mark Government-furnished property previously tagged, labeled, or marked.

 

252.245-7002 REPORTING LOSS OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY (DEC 2017)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

“Government property” is defined in the clause at FAR 52.245-1, Government Property.

 

“Loss of Government property” means unintended, unforeseen, or accidental loss, damage, or destruction of Government property that reduces the Government’s expected economic benefits of the property. Loss of Government property does not include purposeful destructive testing, obsolescence, normal wear and tear, or manufacturing defects. Loss of Government property includes, but is not limited to— (1) Items that cannot be found after a reasonable search;

 

(2)Theft;

 

(3)Damage resulting in unexpected harm to property requiring repair to restore the item to usable condition; or

 

(4)Destruction resulting from incidents that render the item useless for its intended purpose or beyond economical repair.

 

“Unit acquisition cost” means—

 

(1)For Government-furnished property, the dollar value assigned by the Government and identified in the contract; and

 

(2)For Contractor-acquired property, the cost derived from the Contractor’s records that reflect consistently applied, generally acceptable accounting principles.

 

(b)Reporting loss of Government property.

 

(1)The Contractor shall use the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) eTools software application for reporting loss of Government property. Reporting value shall be at unit acquisition cost. The eTools “LTDD of Government Property” toolset can be accessed from the DCMA home page External Web Access Management application at http://www.dcma.mil/WBT/propertyloss/.

 

   
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(2)Unless otherwise provided for in this contract, the requirements of paragraph (b)(1) of this clause do not apply to normal and reasonable inventory adjustments, i.e., losses of low-risk consumable material such as common hardware, as agreed to by the Contractor and the Government Property Administrator. Such losses are typically a product of normal process variation. The Contractor shall ensure that its property management system provides adequate management control measures, e.g., statistical process controls, as a means of managing such variation.

 

(3)The Contractor shall report losses of Government property outside normal process variation, e.g., losses due to—

 

(i)Theft;

 

(ii)Inadequate storage;

 

(iii)Lack of physical security; or

 

(iv)“Acts of God.”

 

(4)This reporting requirement does not change any liability provisions or other reporting requirements that may exist under this contract.

 

252.245-7003 CONTRACTOR PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION (APR 2012)

 

(a)Definitions. As used in this clause—

 

“ Acceptable property management system” means a property system that complies with the system criteria in paragraph (c) of this clause.

 

“ Property management system” means the Contractor's system or systems for managing and controlling Government property.

 

“ Significant deficiency” means a shortcoming in the system that materially affects the ability of officials of the Department of Defense to rely upon information produced by the system that is needed for management purposes.

 

(b)General. The Contractor shall establish and maintain an acceptable property management system. Failure to maintain an acceptable property management system, as defined in this clause, may result in disapproval of the system by the Contracting Officer and/or withholding of payments.

 

(c)System criteria. The Contractor's property management system shall be in accordance with paragraph (f) of the contract clause at Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.245-1.

 

(d)Significant deficiencies. (1) The Contracting Officer will provide an initial determination to the Contractor, in writing, of any significant deficiencies. The initial determination will describe the deficiency in sufficient detail to allow the Contractor to understand the deficiency.

 

(2)The Contractor shall respond within 30 days to a written initial determination from the Contracting Officer that identifies significant deficiencies in the Contractor's property management system. If the Contractor disagrees with the initial determination, the Contractor shall state, in writing, its rationale for disagreeing.

 

(3)The Contracting Officer will evaluate the Contractor's response and notify the Contractor, in writing, of the Contracting Officer's final determination concerning—

 

(i)Remaining significant deficiencies;

 

(ii)The adequacy of any proposed or completed corrective action; and

 

   
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(iii)System disapproval, if the Contracting Officer determines that one or more significant deficiencies remain.

 

(e)If the Contractor receives the Contracting Officer's final determination of significant deficiencies, the Contractor shall, within 45 days of receipt of the final determination, either correct the significant deficiencies or submit an acceptable corrective action plan showing milestones and actions to eliminate the significant deficiencies.

 

(f)Withholding payments. If the Contracting Officer makes a final determination to disapprove the Contractor’s property management system, and the contract includes the clause at 252.242-7005, Contractor Business Systems, the Contracting Officer will withhold payments in accordance with that clause.

 

   
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SECTION J LIST OF ATTACHMENTS

 

Attachment 1 Surveillance Activity Checklist

 

Attachment 2 CDRLs A001 - A020

 

Attachment 3 DD254

 

 

 

 

 Exhibit 10.20

 

Portions of this exhibit have been redacted in compliance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(10)(iv) because it is both (i) not material and (ii) and the type of information that is confidential.”

 

 

   

  
 

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SECTION SF 30 BLOCK 14 CONTINUATION PAGE

 

SUMMARY OF CHANGES

 

SECTION A- SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM

 

The following have been added by full text:

P0000l

Procurement Contracting Officer:

_______________

__________________

_____________________

 

Contract Specialist:

_______________

__________________

_____________________

 

Technical Points of Contact

_______________

__________________

_____________________

 

Contractor POC

_______________

__________________

_____________________

 

_______________

__________________

_____________________

 

The purpose of this modification is to:

1.)Remove the Progress Payments clause (FAR 52.232-16) and replace it with Performance-based Payments clause (FAR 52.232-32).
2.)Add the Performance-based Payment Table to Section G.
3.)Update the WAWF clause with an additional WAWF Point of Contact.

 

This modification acts as a complete and equitable adjustment for the changes herein. The Contractor hereby releases the Government from any and all liability for further equitable adjustments arising from these changes. All other terms and conditions remain in full force and effect.

 

   

  
 

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SECTION G - CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA

 

The following have been added by full text:

PERFORMANCE-BASED PAY TABLE

 

Milestone   Estimate
Date
  Performance
Based Payment
Event
  Performance
Verification
  CUN
Billed
    Total Invoice     Eligible
Costs (90%)
    Cumulative
Eligible Costs
(90%)
    Milestone Verification
1   11/30/21   Project Management Plan   CDRL A001     _______       _______       _______       _______     _____________________
2   1/31/22   Integrated Master Schedule   CDRL A002   _______       _______       _______       _______     Same as above
3   3/31/22   AC/DC System Specification   CDRL A004   _______       _______       _______       _______     Same as above
4   5/31/22   System Architecture Document   CDRL A005     _______       _______       _______       _______     Same as above
5   7/31/22   AC/DC CI/CD Pipeline System Specification   CDRLA006     _______       _______       _______       _______     Same as above
6   9/30/22   AC/DC Test Plan   CDRL A007     _______       _______       _______       _______     Same as above
7   11/30/22   Demonstrate AC/DC CI/CD Pipelines Executing Under Black Pearl   Certificate of Milestone Achievement from SSI     _______       _______       _______       _______     Same as above
8   1/31/23   AC/DC Preliminary Test Report   CDRL C003     _______       _______       _______       _______     Same as above
9   3/31/23   Black Pearl Training Plan   CDRL A008                                   Same as above
10   5/31/23   Demonstrate Infrastructure as Code (laC) Under Black Pearl   CDRL B001     2       _______       _______       _______     Same as above
11   7/31/23   Black Pearl User Manual and Training Sessions   CDRL C001     2       _______       _______       _______     Same as above
12   9/30/23   Software Sustainability Package   CDRL C002     _______     $ 3     $ 3_______     $ 2_______     Same as above
                  Total:     $ 2,964,683.92                      

 

_________________

___________________

____________________

 

PERFORMANCE-BASED PAYMENT TABLE

 

52.232-32 PERFORMANCE-BASED PAYMENTS (APR 2012)

 

(a) Amount of payments and limitations on payments. Subject to such other limitations and conditions as are specified in this contract and this clause, the amount of payments and limitations on payments shall be specified in the contract's description of the basis for payment.

(b) Contractor request for performance-based payment. The Contractor may submit requests for payment of performance-based payments not more frequently than monthly, in a form and manner acceptable to the Contracting Officer. Unless otherwise authorized by the Contracting Officer, all performance-based payments in any period for which payment is being requested shall be included in a single request, appropriately itemized and totaled. The Contractor's request shall contain the information and certification detailed in paragraphs (1) and (m) of this clause.

(c) Approval and payment of requests.

(1) The Contractor shall not be entitled to payment of a request for performance-based payment prior to successful accomplishment of the event or performance criterion for which payment is requested. The Contracting Officer shall determine whether the event or performance criterion for which payment is requested has been successfully accomplished in accordance with the terms of the contract. The Contracting Officer may, at any time, require the Contractor to substantiate the successful performance of any event or performance criterion which has been or is represented as being payable.

 

   

  
 

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(2) A payment under this performance-based payment clause is a contract financing payment under the Prompt Payment clause of this contract and not subject to the interest penalty provisions of the Prompt Payment Act. The designated payment office will pay approved requests on the [30th] day after receipt of the request for performance- based payment by the designated payment office. However, the designated payment office is not required to provide payment if the Contracting Officer requires substantiation as provided in paragraph (c)(l) of this clause, or inquires into the status of an event or performance criterion, or into any of the conditions listed in paragraph (e) of this clause, or into the Contractor certification. The payment period will not begin until the Contracting Officer approves the request.

(3) The approval by the Contracting Officer of a request for performance-based payment does not constitute an

acceptance by the Government and does not excuse the Contractor from performance of obligations under this contract.

(d) Liquidation of performance-based payments.

(1) Performance-based finance amounts paid prior to payment for delivery of an item shall be liquidated by deducting a percentage or a designated dollar amount from the delivery payment. If the performance-based finance payments are on a delivery item basis, the liquidation amount for each such line item shall be the percent of that delivery item price that was previously paid under performance-based finance payments or the designated dollar amount. If the performance-based finance payments are on a whole contract basis, liquidation shall be by either predesignated liquidation amounts or a liquidation percentage.

(2) If at any time the amount of payments under this contract exceeds any limitation in this contract, the Contractor shall repay to the Government the excess. Unless otherwise determined by the Contracting Officer, such excess shall be credited as a reduction in the unliquidated performance-based payment balance(s), after adjustment of invoice payments and balances for any retroactive price adjustments.

(e) Reduction or suspension of performance-based payments. The Contracting Officer may reduce or suspend performance-based payments, liquidate performance-based payments by deduction from any payment under the contract, or take a combination of these actions after finding upon substantial evidence any of the following conditions:

(1) The Contractor failed to comply with any material requirement of this contract (which includes paragraphs (h) and (i) ofthjs clause).

(2) Performance ofthjs contract is endangered by the Contractor's -

(i) Failure to make progress; or

(ii) Unsatisfactory financial condition.

(3) The Contractor is delinquent in payment of any subcontractor or supplier under this contract in the ordinary course of business.

(f) Title.

(1) Title to the property described in this paragraph (f) shall vest in the Government. Vestiture shall be immediately upon the date of the first performance-based payment under this contract, for property acquired or produced before that date. Otherwise, vestiture shall occur when the property is or should have been allocable or properly chargeable to this contract.

(2) "Property," as used in this clause, includes all of the following described items acquired or produced by the Contractor that are or should be allocable or properly chargeable to this contract under sound and generally accepted accounting principles and practices:

(i) Parts, materials, inventories, and work in process;

(ii) Special tooling and special test equipment to which the Government is to acquire title;

(iii) Nondurable (i.e., noncapital) tools, jigs, dies, fixtures, molds, patterns, taps, gauges, test equipment and other similar manufacturing aids, title to which would not be obtained as special tooling under subparagraph (f)(2)(ii) of this clause; and

(iv) Drawings and technical data, to the extent the Contractor or subcontractors are required to deliver them to the Government by other clauses of this contract.

(3) Although title to property is in the Government under this clause, other applicable clauses of this contract (e.g., the termination clauses) shall determine the handling and disposition of the property.

 

   

  
 

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(4) The Contractor may sell any scrap resulting from production under this contract, without requesting the Contracting Officer's approval, provided that any significant reduction in the value of the property to which the Government has title under this clause is reported in writing to the Contracting Officer.

(5) In order to acquire for its own use or dispose of property to which title is vested in the Government under this clause, the Contractor must obtain the Contracting Officer's advance approval of the action and the terms. If approved, the basis for payment (the events or performance criteria) to which the property is related shall be deemed to be not in compliance with the terms of the contract and not payable (if the property is part of or needed for performance), and the Contractor shall refund the related performance-based payments in accordance with paragraph (d) of this clause.

(6) When the Contractor completes all of the obligations under this contract, including liquidation of all performance-based payments, title shall vest in the Contractor for all property (or the proceeds thereof) not -

(i) Delivered to, and accepted by, the Government under this contract; or

(ii) Incorporated in supplies delivered to, and accepted by, the Government under this contract and to which title is vested in the Government under this clause.

(7) The terms of this contract concerning liability for Government-furnished property shall not apply to property to which the Government acquired title solely under this clause.

(g) Risk of loss. Before delivery to and acceptance by the Government, the Contractor shall bear the risk of loss for property, the title to which vests in the Government under this clause, except to the extent the Government expressly assumes the risk. If any property is lost (see 45.101), the basis of payment (the events or performance criteria) to which the property is related shall be deemed to be not in compliance with the terms of the contract and not payable (if the property is part of or needed for performance), and the Contractor shall refund the related performance-based payments in accordance with paragraph (d) of this clause.

(h) Records and controls. The Contractor shall maintain records and controls adequate for administration of this clause. The Contractor shall have no entitlement to performance-based payments during any time the Contractor's records or controls are determined by the Contracting Officer to be inadequate for administration of this clause.

(i) Reports and Government access. The Contractor shall promptly furnish reports, certificates, financial statements, and other pertinent information requested by the Contracting Officer for the administration of this clause and to determine that an event or other criterion prompting a financing payment has been successfully accomplished. The Contractor shall give the Government reasonable opportunity to examine and verify the Contractor's records and to examine and verify the Contractor's performance of this contract for administration of this clause.

(i) Special terms regarding default. If this contract is terminated under the Default clause,

(1) the Contractor shall, on demand, repay to the Government the amount ofunliquidated performance-based payments, and

(2) title shall vest in the Contractor, on full liquidation of all performance-based payments, for all property for which the Government elects not to require delivery under the Default clause of this contract. The Government shall be liable for no payment except as provided by the Default clause.

(k) Reservation of rights.

(1) No payment or vesting of title under this clause shall —

(i) Excuse the Contractor from performance of obligations under this contract; or

(ii) Constitute a waiver of any of the rights or remedies of the parties under the contract.

(2) The Government's rights and remedies under this clause —

(i) Shall not be exclusive, but rather shall be in addition to any other rights and remedies provided by law or this contract; and

(ii) Shall not be affected by delayed, partial, or omitted exercise of any right, remedy, power, or privilege, nor shall such exercise or any single exercise preclude or impair any further exercise under this clause or the exercise of any other right, power, or privilege of the Government.

(I) Content of Contractor's request for performance-based payment. The Contractor's request for performance- based payment shall contain the following:

(1) The name and address of the Contractor;

(2) The date of the request for performance-based payment;

(3) The contract number and/or other identifier of the contract or order under which the request is made;

(4) Such information and documentation as is required by the contract's description of the basis for payment; and

(5) A certification by a Contractor official authorized to bind the Contractor, as specified in paragraph (m) of this clause.

 

   

  
 

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(m) Content of Contractor's certification. As required in paragraph (1)(5) of this clause, the Contractor shall make the following certification in each request for performance-based payment:

I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that —

(1) This request for performance-based payment is true and correct; this request (and attachments) has been prepared from the books and records of the Contractor, in accordance with the contract and the instructions of the Contracting Officer;

(2) (Except as reported in writing on________ ), all payments to subcontractors and suppliers under this contract have been paid, or will be paid, currently, when due in the ordinary course of business;

(3) There are no encumbrances (except as reported in writing on _______) against the property acquired or produced for, and allocated or properly chargeable to, the contract which would affect or impair the Government's title;

(4) There has been no materially adverse change in the financial condition of the Contractor since the submission by the Contractor to the Government of the most recent written information dated__________; and

(5) After the making of this requested performance-based payment, the amount of all payments for each deliverable item for which performance-based payments have been requested will not exceed any limitation in the contract, and the amount of all payments under the contract will not exceed any limitation in the contract.

 

The following have been modified:

 

252.232-7006 WIDE AREA WORK.FLOW PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS (DEC 2018)

 

(a) Definitions. As used in this clause-

 

"Department of Defense Activity Address Code (DoDAAC)" is a six position code that uniquely identifies a unit, activity, or organization.

 

"Document type" means the type of payment request or receiving report available for creation in Wide Area WorkFlow (WA WF).

 

"Local processing office (LPO)" is the office responsible for payment certification when payment certification is done external to the entitlement system.

 

"Payment request" and "receiving report" are defined in the clause at 252.232-7003, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving Reports.

 

(b) Electronic invoicing. The WAWF system provides the method to electronically process vendor payment requests and receiving reports, as authorized by Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 252.232- 7003, Electronic Submission of Payment Requests and Receiving Reports.

 

(c) WAWF access. To access WAWF, the Contractor shall-

 

(1) Have a designated electronic business point of contact in the System for Award Management at https://www.sam.gov; and

 

(2) Be registered to use WAWF at https://wawf.eb.mil/ following the step-by-step procedures for self-registration available at this web site.

 

(d) WAWF training. The Contractor should follow the training instructions of the WAWF Web-Based Training Course and use the Practice Training Site before submitting payment requests through WA WF. Both can be accessed by selecting the "Web Based Training" link on the WAWF home page at https://wawf.eb.mil/.

 

   

  
 

N6833521C0843

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(e) WAWF methods of document submission. Document submissions may be via web entry, Electronic Data Interchange, or File Transfer Protocol.

 

(f) WAWF payment instructions. The Contractor shall use the following information when submitting payment requests and receiving reports in WAWF for this contract or task or delivery order:

 

(1) Document type. The Contractor shall submit payment requests using the following document type(s):

 

(i) For cost-type line items, including labor-hour or time-and-materials, submit a cost voucher.

 

(ii) For fixed price line items-

 

(A) That require shipment ofa deliverable, submit the invoice and receiving report specified by the Contracting Officer.

 

_________2 in 1 invoice ____________________________________

 

(B) For services that do not require shipment of a deliverable, submit either the Invoice 2inl, which meets the requirements for the invoice and receiving report, or the applicable invoice and receiving report, as specified by the Contracting Officer.

 

_______________________________________________________

 

(Contracting Officer: Insert either "Invoice 2inl" or the applicable invoice and receiving report document type(s) for fixed price line items for services.)

 

(iii) For customary progress payments based on costs incurred, submit a progress payment request.

 

(iv) For performance based payments, submit a performance based payment request.

 

(v) For commercial item financing, submit a commercial item financing request.

 

(2) Fast Pay requests are only permitted when Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 52.213-1 is included in the contract.

 

[Note: The Contractor may use a WAWF "combo" document type to create some combinations of invoice and receiving report in one step.]

 

(3) Document routing. The Contractor shall use the information in the Routing Data Table below only to fill in applicable fields in WAWF when creating payment requests and receiving reports in the system.

 

Routing Data Table*

 

Field Name in WAWF   Data to be entered in WAWF
Pay Official DoDAAC   HQ0337
Issue By DoDAAC   N68335
Admin DoDAAC**   S3915A
Inspect By DoDAAC   N68335
Ship To Code   N68335

 

   

  
 

N6833521C0843

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Ship From Code  
Mark For Code  
Service Approver (DoDAAC)  
Service Acceptor (DoDAAC)  
Accept at Other DoDAAC  
LPODoDAAC  
DCAA Auditor DoDAAC  
Other DoDAAC(s)  

 

(4) Payment request. The Contractor shall ensure a payment request includes documentation appropriate to the type of payment request in accordance with the payment clause, contract financing clause, or Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.216-7, Allowable Cost and Payment, as applicable.

 

(5) Receiving report. The Contractor shall ensure a receiving report meets the requirements ofDFARS Appendix F.

 

(g) WAWF point of contact.

 

(1) The Contractor may obtain clarification regarding invoicing in WAWF from the following contracting activity's WAWF point of contact.

 

___________________________________________________

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

_______(2) Contact the WAWF helpdesk at _________________, if assistance is needed.

 

(End of clause)

 

The following have been deleted:

 

52.232-16 Progress Payments JUN 2020

 

(End of Summary of Changes)

 

   

 

 

 Exhibit 10.21

 

Portions of this exhibit have been redacted in compliance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(10)(iv) because it is both (i) not material and (ii) and the type of information that is confidential.”

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

TIME & MATERIAL SUBCONTRACT NUMBER PO-0018098

 

between

 

Perspecta Engineering Inc.

___________________________ 

_____________ 

 

AND

 

Corvus Consulting, LLC

___________________

_____________

 

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 1 of 16  

 

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

CONTENTS

 

AGREEMENT    
     
ARTICLE I SCOPE OF WORK AND LIST OF EXHIBITS  
ARTICLE II SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND TOTAL PRICE  
ARTICLE III PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE, PLACE OF PERFORMANCE AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE  
ARTICLE IV PAYMENTS  
ARTICLE V F.O.B. POINT, PACKAGING, SHIPMENT AND ROUTING  
ARTICLE VI INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE  
ARTICLE VII CLOSEOUT  
ARTICLE VIII REPORTS AND DOCUMENTATION  
ARTICLE IX PREDETERMINATION OF RIGHTS IN DATA AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE  
ARTICLE X DPAS RATING  
ARTICLE XI GOVERNMENT AND/OR PERSPECTA FURNISHED PROPERTY  
ARTICLE XII COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS  
ARTICLE XIII SUBCONTRACT AUTHORITY AND NOTIFICATION  
ARTICLE XIV RECRUITMENT OF TEAM MEMBER EMPLOYEES  
ARTICLE XV ACCOUNTING, BILLING, PROPERTY AND PURCHASING SYSTEMS  
ARTICLE XVI ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (OCI)  
ARTICLE XVII INSURANCE  

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS/SPECIAL PROVISIONS/OPTIONAL ARTICLES SIGNATURE PAGE

 

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 2 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

In consideration of the promises hereinafter set forth, the parties agree:

 

AGREEMENT

 

This Time and Material Subcontract Agreement (along with all exhibits hereto, and any schedules, appendices and attachments attached thereto or otherwise incorporated by reference therein, the “Agreement”), is entered into with effect June 3, 2019, by and between Perspecta Engineering Inc., a Delaware corporation with an office at 15050 Conference Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151 (hereinafter, “Perspecta” or “Buyer”), and Corvus Consulting, LLC., a Virginia corporation with an office at 15416 Kentwell Circle, Centreville, VA 20120-1194 (hereinafter, "Subcontractor" or “Seller”). References herein to a “party” shall mean, as context requires, Perspecta or Subcontractor, and references to “parties” shall mean both of Perspecta and Subcontractor.

 

Perspecta is the prime contractor under that certain U.S. Government Prime Contract Number GS00Q14OADU128 (the “Prime Contract”) / Delivery Order 47QFCA19F0033. Perspecta desires to engage Subcontractor, pursuant to the Prime Contract, to deliver certain products and/or services to Perspecta for the benefit of the U.S. Government agency that issued the Prime Contract (the “Customer”). Subcontractor desires to provide such products and/or services.

 

This Subcontract supersedes in its entirety the Letter Contract PO-0018098 between the parties dated June 4, 2019; as well as subsequent modifications to that Letter Contract. Any action taken in accordance with the authorization previously contained in that Letter Contract shall be considered as an action taken in performance of this subcontract. This Subcontract integrates, merges, and supersedes any prior offers, negotiations, and any other agreements concerning the subject matter hereof and constitutes the entire agreement between the parties.

 

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541990. The small business size standard is $15M.

 

The Product Service Code (PSC) for this acquisition is R499.

 

ARTICLE I - SCOPE OF WORK AND LIST OF EXHIBITS

 

The Subcontractor, in the capacity of an independent subcontractor, and not as an agent of Perspecta, shall provide, in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth herein, the personnel, services, materials, equipment, and facilities (collectively referred to as “Work”) necessary for the proper accomplishment of the tasks specified in the Exhibits cited below and other requirements identified elsewhere in this subcontract. All deliverable “Work” set forth herein shall be delivered in strict accordance with the delivery schedule set forth in Article III – Period of Performance, place of performance and delivery schedule.

 

Perspecta will comply with the laws and regulations that relate to the receipt and use of government information. Even if not specifically covered by law or regulation, the Corporation prohibits receipt or use by its Subcontractors, of government or privately-owned information when such possession or use is not consistent with the integrity of the U.S. government competitive bidding system or when there is reason to believe that Perspecta or the Subcontractor should not possess such information. Subcontractors are required to notify the Perspecta Subcontract Administrator if they are requested by any Perspecta employee to provide Government or third party information.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 3 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

No Subcontractor will solicit, accept, use, or possess any:

 

·Document bearing a legend indicating that: (a) the document originated with or belongs to another company; (b) the document is of a competitive nature; and/or (c) receipt, possession and/or use of the information is prohibited
·Document (with or without a legend) or information that is part of or relates to the contents of another company's proposal at any state of competition.
·Government document of a source selection or procurement planning nature that bears a legend indicating that release outside the government is not authorized.
·Government document or extracts from a document that contains source selection or procurement planning information not containing a restrictive legend, if there is reason to believe release has not been approved by the government.
·Information of the government or a business organization, whether a competitor or not, where it is clear that release of that information is unauthorized or in circumstances where there is reason to believe that such information cannot lawfully be in Perspecta's or the Subcontractor’s possession.

 

At and upon the Effective Date this Agreement consists of the following exhibits (the “Exhibits”). The parties acknowledge and agree that certain of the Exhibits, and certain appendices and other attachments to the Exhibits, may be pending completion and/or subject to revision pursuant to the requirements of the Customer under the Prime Contract. To the extent any Exhibit, or any attachment or appendix thereto, is incomplete on, or otherwise subject to revision following, the Effective Date, the parties agree to act promptly and in good faith to complete, amend or revise such Exhibit(s), it being understood that the obligations of the Customer under the Prime Contract shall in all cases determine the scope and content of such additions, amendments or revisions. For the avoidance of doubt, and subject to the determinative application of the Prime Contract requirements, in the event Perspecta determines that any such additions or revisions require the execution of a new or additional exhibit, the parties shall promptly meet to discuss and finalize such exhibit, which shall, upon mutual written agreement of the parties, be deemed an “Exhibit” for purposes hereof.

 

EXHIBIT A Perspecta Engineering Inc. document titled “Subcontractor Statement of Work for Corvus Consulting, LLC., ARCYBER Cyberspace Operations Support Program”, Revision 01, dated 9/18/19; except the Base Period start date in Part 3.0 is changed from 4/08/19 to 6/03/19

 

EXHIBIT BPerspecta General Provisions and FAR Flowdown Provisions document CorpDoc 4 T&M (Aug 2019)

 

EXHIBIT CPerspecta Nondisclosure Agreement No. 18-NDA-CDG-0242 with Corvus Consulting, LLC., effective 4/19/19. The provisions therein will continue to apply until the end of the term of this Subcontract.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 4 of 16  

 

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

EXHIBIT DOasis Pool 1 Flow Downs, dated 9/16/18

 

EXHIBIT EARCYBER Flow Downs by Reference (Full Text), dated 9/27/19

 

EXHIBIT FDepartment of Defense Contract Security Classification Specification, DD Form 254 Rev. 2, dated 6/20/19

 

If this Subcontract is primarily for the purpose of furnishing service, no subcontract shall be made by the Seller with any other Party for furnishing all or substantially all of the Work or services herein subcontracted for without the advance written approval of Perspecta, but this provision shall not be construed to require the approval of contracts of employment between the Seller and Personnel assigned for services hereunder.

 

ARTICLE II - SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND TOTAL PRICE

 

A.Seller shall, in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth hereafter, furnish the necessary qualified personnel, services, travel, facilities, and materials for completion of the contractual effort, subject to the continuing approval of the Buyer. Buyer reserves the right to change its staffing requirements and to direct the seller to remove, transfer and/or replace any Seller personnel that are not meeting the requirements for the position.

 

B.Subcontractor will be reimbursed for costs for transportation, lodging, meals and incidental expenses in accordance with FAR 31.205-46, if authorized under the subcontract. Reimbursement shall be made at Subcontractor’s cost, without profit, and shall be supported by the Seller’s invoice as prescribed by the applicable regulation. All travel must receive prior authorization from the Perspecta Subcontract Administrator or his/her designee.

 

C.The estimated total Subcontract value hereunder is as set forth in Table 1 below. The values set forth in Table 1 are estimates, only, and subject at all times to the terms of Article II E., and Perspecta’s right to elect not to exercise an option under the Prime Contract. For the avoidance of doubt, the cost estimates set forth herein do not establish a commitment on the part of Perspecta, or otherwise require Perspecta to expend the full amounts expressed in Table 1 during the term of this Agreement, including any option elections, extensions or renewals of this Agreement.

 

Period  Period of Performance   Hours   Labor Value  

Travel/ODC

Value

  

Estimated

Subcontract Value

 
Base Period   6/03/2019-2/11/2020    _______    _______    _______   $3,362,495.73 
Option Year 1   2/12/2020-2/11/2021    _______    _______    _______   $5,930,734.94 
Option Year 2   2/12/2021-2/11/2022    _______    _______    _______   $6,048,749.64 
Option Year 3   2/12/2022-2/11/2023    _______    _______    _______   $6,169,124.64 
Option Year 4   2/12/2023-2/11/2024    _______    _______    _______   $6,291,907.13 
Totals                      $27,803,012.08 

Table 1

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 5 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

D.The negotiated labor categories and associated labor hour rates that will pertain to this subcontract are set forth in Table 2 below.

 

    Hourly Labor Rate Table
Labor Category   Base   OY1   OY2   OY3   OY4
    6/03/2019-2/11/2020   2/12/2020-2/11/2021   2/12/2021-2/11/2022   2/12/2022-2/11/2023   2/12/2023-2/11/2024
Cyber Operational Planner II (VA)   _______   _______   _______   _______   _______
Cyber Operational Planner III (VA)   _______   _______   _______   _______   _______
Cyber Operations Research Analyst II   _______   _______   _______   _______   _______
Subject Matter Expert III (SME III)   _______   _______   _______   _______   _______
Subject Matter Expert II (SME II)   _______   _______   _______   _______   _______
Cyber Operational Planner II (GA)   _______   _______   _______   _______   _______
Cyber Operational Planner III (GA)   _______   _______   _______   _______   _______

Table 2

 

E.Perspecta reserves the unilateral right to exercise any part, all, or none of the options under the Prime Contract identified in Table 3, below. The estimated costs and associated fees for the option years one are set out in Table 1 above for informational purposes, only. Perspecta may exercise an option by written notice to Subcontractor at any time up to and including the Latest Exercise Date set out in Table 3. If Perspecta exercises an option, the Subcontractor shall perform the work specified for such option at the negotiated costs and fee provided under the option. Subcontractor acknowledges and agrees that Perspecta shall have no obligation or liability to Subcontractor under or with respect to any option period under the Prime Contract in the event Perspecta determines not to exercise such option or options under the Prime Contract.

 

Period   Period of Performance   Latest Exercise Date   Status
Option Year 1   2/12/2020-2/11/2021   2/11/2020   Not Exercised
Option Year 2   2/12/2021-2/11/2022   2/11/2021   Not Exercised
Option Year 3   2/12/2022-2/11/2023   2/11/2022   Not Exercised
Option Year 4   2/12/2023-2/11/2024   2/11/2023   Not Exercised

Table 3

 

F.LIMITATION OF FUNDS (INCREMENTAL FUNDING FOR T&M CONTRACTS)

 

This Subcontract will be incrementally funded by Perspecta. Of the total price of this Subcontract, the sum of $3,265,742.53 (refer to table below for funding limits by CLIN) is available for payment for the performance by the Subcontractor under this Agreement. The period of performance estimated to be covered by the allotted amount specified above is through 2/11/2020.

 

When expenditures reach 85% of the incremental funding identified above, Seller shall notify the Buyer of the approach of the expenditure limit and provide the Buyer with a future projection for when the funding will be completely depleted. The notification must be in writing and is recommended to be communicated electronically.

 

Any expenditures or obligations incurred by the Seller in excess of the funded amount shall be at the Seller’s own risk.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 6 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

Period  Period of Performance   CLIN   Labor Funding  Travel/ODC
Funding
  Subcontract Funding 
         0001 (Labor)   _______  _______  $74,000.00 
Base Period   6/03/2019-2/11/2020    0002 (Labor)   _______  _______  $3,161,742.53 
        0003 (Travel)   _______ _______  $30,000.00 
    Totals         _______  _______  $3,265,742.53 

 

ARTICLE III – PLACE OF PERFORMANCE, PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE

 

A.All work hereunder shall be performed at Customer facilities, and other locations as mutually may be agreed upon by Perspecta and Subcontractor. During the life of this Subcontract, all Subcontractor services provided at Fort Belvoir, VA will be relocating to Fort Gordon, GA.

 

B.Subcontractor shall commence performance on or about 6/03/19, and shall complete all performance on or before 2/11/24 (or last option exercised) in conformance with Exhibit A, Statement of Work.

 

ARTICLE IV – PAYMENTS

 

The work performed on this subcontract will be billed through the Deltek Time and Expense System (TESS) at https://webconnectlite.vencore.com

 

Timely invoicing from Seller is expected and Perspecta reserves the right to disallow untimely invoicing. Untimely invoice is defined as an invoice presented to Perspecta for payment of work performed greater than 90 days from that performance period. Such definition under this paragraph shall not apply to DCAA/DCMA rate adjustments.

 

Seller will implement and utilize TESS, which details the work performed by the appropriate charge number. This is a web-based system that is accessible through the internet. Perspecta will provide each Seller employee with Deltek TESS access and establish the DeltekTESS role in order to enter billable time into the system.

 

For services performed under this subcontract, Perspecta shall pay Seller in accordance with the Article II negotiated rate(s) and all other associated provisions set forth in this subcontract. Any negotiated changes to hourly rates shall be executed via a subcontract modification.

 

Direct labor hours are those productive hours inclusive of approved overtime expended by Seller personnel performing work under this subcontract that are charged as direct labor under the Seller’s established accounting policy and procedures. This term does not include sick leave, vacation leave, or any kind of administrative leave, but does include direct labor hours provided under level-of-effort subcontracts.

 

Payment of Premiums: There is NO overtime-premium provision under this subcontract.

 

Other Direct Costs (ODC), such as travel will be submitted by the designated Seller representative utilizing the Deltek TESS system, entering the information in the Expense portion of TESS. Data in support of each Expense submission shall be provided to the Program Finance representative for the program upon submission, and prior to approval of said submission. Expenses should be submitted monthly at a minimum (if applicable).

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 7 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

The Seller will notify Perspecta in writing of changes to billing rates associated with the subcontract within 15 to 30 days PRIOR to the effective date of the rate change.

 

Every Seller employee who directly charges this program (or approved data entry designee), regardless of that employee’s location (e.g., Perspecta, Government, or Seller’s facility), shall submit a weekly labor submission via Deltek TESS.

Perspecta will provide each Seller employee with access to Deltek TESS and create their role so they can enter their billable time into Deltek TESS weekly. Seller shall identify a point of contact as the primary approver and an alternate approver who will have responsibility for labor submission approvals and submission to Perspecta.

 

Seller shall submit and approve submissions by Friday, 9:00 PM EST in order to be processed in the weekly payment run and support Earned Value Management requirements. Seller may delegate the responsibility to enter Deltek TESS claims to a backup “data entry” employee to ensure claims are submitted in time for weekly processing as the electronic Deltek TESS invoice used by Perspecta to pay the Seller for services rendered.

 

In utilizing the Deltek TESS system, the Seller’s employees (biller, data entry, and approver) attest that, to the best of their knowledge, the hours recorded and the charge number entered are consistent with the work performed.

Seller shall identify a representative to be granted TESS vendor labor approval role. A cumulative invoice will then be available to the Seller's approver for all approved claims by Monday of the week following processing of the submission. Any labor submission not processed in the current week will default to processing with the week it is approved.

 

The Deltek TESS work week runs from Saturday to Friday.

 

Payment terms are Net 45 days for the initial payment, and then weekly after the payment. Only submissions approved in Deltek TESS prior to the Friday, 9:00 PM deadline will be processed for payment. Payment shall be made via ACH/electronic funds transfer.

Seller shall reconcile weekly TESS invoice reports against Seller company timekeeping records to ensure accuracy of the submissions. Seller shall correct any labor submission errors online within one week of detection. Corrections detected beyond this period will be made in the current reporting period.

 

Perspecta will conduct random quarterly audits on Seller’s timekeeping records against Deltek TESS invoice reports to ensure accuracy and support Perspecta program requirements. Seller shall make available any documentation required to support these audits. Perspecta will provide an audit summary to the Seller when the audit is complete.

 

Any problems associated with the application(s) or system or questions regarding Deltek TESS should be reported immediately to Perspecta Buyer or Subcontract Administrator. All parties will be notified via email of any changes to this contact information.

 

Data in support of each labor submission shall be maintained and available for audit by the Government for 3 years.

 

The parties acknowledge that the Seller employees entering data into Deltek TESS are not authorized to generate invoices under Government contracts pursuant to Perspecta’s Government approved billing systems. Resultant Deltek payments will constitute Perspecta interim financing for services rendered subject to final verification by Seller. An exception may be made by Perspecta to allow Seller to designate alternate personnel to enter labor data. Seller shall submit request for this exception in writing. Labor data may be input by a Seller representative vs. the Seller employee performing the work.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 8 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

ARTICLE V - F.O.B. POINT, DELIVERY LOCATION AND ROUTING - RESERVED

 

ARTICLE VI - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE - RESERVED

 

ARTICLE VII- CLOSEOUT

 

Seller shall, as requested by the BUYER or within thirty (30) months from the end of the period of performance (as stated in Article III) or, at final acceptance, complete, sign and return the Subcontract Closeout Package (FRM-25-01) with final invoice. If a DCAA Assist Audit is required, the final invoice will be processed for payment upon completion of the audit in accordance with the audit findings. At that time, a revised Subcontract Closeout Package (FRM-25-01) and final invoice may be required to be submitted in accordance with the DCAA Assist Audit findings.

 

ARTICLE VIII - REPORTS AND DOCUMENTATION

 

A.Consistent with this Time and Material Contract, Subcontractor shall provide the following

 

Item   Description   Qty.   Date Required
01   Monthly Status Report   1   5th of Each Month
02   Subcontract Closeout Package, FRM-25-01   1   Concurrent with Final Invoice
03   Documentation as required by Exhibit A Statement of Work   As Required   Per Exhibit A
04   Insurance Certificate   1   Annually (if performing on Perspecta or Gov’t property)
05   Billing Account Worksheet   As Required   As employees leave/start Program or rate changes

 

B.All reports and documentation specified hereinabove shall be addressed to the cognizant Subcontract Administrator.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 9 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

ARTICLE IX - PREDETERMINATION OF RIGHTS IN DATA AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE

 

A.All technical data and computer software that is deliverable, or subject to delivery, by the Subcontractor to Perspecta or to the Government under this Subcontract, shall be furnished with unlimited rights to the Government, except as provided in Paragraph B below.

 

B.The following items of technical data and computer software shall be furnished with limited or restricted rights:

 

Technical Data or Computer Software to be Furnished with Restrictions   Basis for Assertion   Asserted Rights Category   Name of Person Asserting Restrictions
NONE AT THIS TIME            

 

C.To the extent that additional technical data or computer software is later discovered to be of a Limited or Restricted Rights nature, as defined in the “Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software” clause (DFARS 252.227-7013), the foregoing list may be amended upon notification to Perspecta and the U.S. Government.

 

ARTICLE X – DPAS RATING - RESERVED

 

ARTICLE XI -GOVERNMENT AND/OR PERSPECTA FURNISHED PROPERTY - RESERVED

 

ARTICLE XII - COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS RESERVED

 

ARTICLE XIII - SUBCONTRACT AUTHORITY AND NOTIFICATION

 

Sole authority to make changes in or amendments to this Subcontract and to effect deviations from the work herein specified is hereby vested in the authorized representative of Perspecta's Subcontract Administrator and must be made in writing. Unauthorized changes, alterations or modifications to this Subcontract will not be considered for equitable adjustment. Changes to the Subcontract or its scope shall not be made without the express written authorization of the designated Perspecta Subcontract Administrator. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, any notices to be furnished by Subcontractor to Perspecta, or by Perspecta to Subcontractor shall be sent by mail or electronic means as follows:

 

Perspecta Engineering Inc.

___________________

_____________________

_______________________

________________________

_________________________

______

___________________

and

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 10 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

Corvus Consulting, LLC

 

___________________

_____________________

_______________________

________________________

_________________________

______

___________________

 

ARTICLE XIV – RECRUITMENT OF TEAM MEMBER EMPLOYEES

 

A.It is expressly agreed and understood by the parties that during the course of this Agreement, neither party will actively solicit personnel of the other party who are engaged in performance of this Agreement for the purpose of inducing them to join such other party’s employ. The foregoing shall not prohibit either party from having employment discussions with, or hiring the employees of the other party who: 1) Have terminated employment with the other party of their own volition; 2) Respond to or apply for positions offered through the normal process of general public advertisement; or 3) Are hired as a result of the use of an independent employment agency (so long as the agency was not directed to solicit such person) not specifically directed to employees of the parties.

 

B.Use of Former Program Staff Prohibited - Subcontractor shall not assign to work on the Program any individual who has performed work on the Program under a different subcontractor, without the advance expressed written consent of the cognizant subcontract administrator. Any and all associated costs shall be deemed to be unallowable and therefore not billable, unless and until the cognizant subcontract administrator approves. Such approval, if provided, would be for a billable hourly rate no greater than the hourly rate billed to the program by the individual’s prior employer.

 

C.Second Tier Subcontractor Prohibition - The use of second tier subcontractors is strictly prohibited and any and all associated costs shall be deemed to be unallowable and therefore not billable without the advance expressed written consent of the cognizant subcontract administrator.

 

ARTICLE XV – ACCOUNTING, BILLING, PROPERTY AND PURCHASING SYSTEMS

 

Subcontractor agrees to promptly notify Buyer, during the term of this Agreement, of any changes to its accounting and billing systems and/or related internal control structure that would adversely affect its ability to report hours delivered and costs incurred accurately and completely or adversely affect its ability to acquire goods and services, or to control government acquired property without prejudice to the government.

 

ARTICLE XVI – ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (OCI)

 

Seller certifies that they have no knowledge of any OCI that would ensue during performance of this subcontract. If during performance Seller becomes aware of a potential OCI, Seller will promptly provide a disclosure statement which describes all relevant information concerning any past, present, or planned interests bearing on whether it (including Seller's chief executives and directors, or any proposed consultant or lower-tier subcontractor) may have an existing or potential OCI and will cooperate with Perspecta to mitigate the conflict.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 11 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

ARTICLE XVII – INSURANCE

 

Seller shall obtain and maintain Workers Compensation, commercial general liability, and automobile liability (third party bodily injury and property damage liability) insurance in accordance with Part 17 of Buyer’s CorpDoc 4 T&M general provisions document incorporated herein as Exhibit B. A Certificate of Liability Insurance shall be forwarded to the Subcontract Administrator (upon such request), with evidence of Perspecta being named as an additional insured.

 

Defense Base Act (DBA), FAR 52.228-3, is applicable to this order. The Seller shall (a) provide, before commencing performance under this contract, such workers’ compensation insurance or security as the Defense Base Act (42 U.S.C. 1651, et seq.) requires and (b) continue to maintain it until performance is completed.

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS/SPECIAL PROVISIONS/OPTIONAL ARTICLES

 

A.TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

1.Perspecta General Provisions and FAR Flowdown Provisions document CorpDoC 4 T&M (Aug 2019)

 

2.ARCYBER Flow Downs (see Part B below, and EXHIBIT E); as well as EXHIBIT D – Oasis Pool 1 Flow Downs

 

3.Additional or different terms or conditions proposed by the Subcontractor shall be void and of no effect unless accepted in writing and included herein.

 

B.SPECIAL SUBCONTRACT PROVISIONS

 

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The full text of each clause may also be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/far. In all the Articles below, where the clause indicates “Government” this shall also mean “Perspecta Engineering Inc.” and where the clause indicates “Contractor” this shall mean “Subcontractor”. However, the terms “Government” and “Contracting Officer” do not change; (i) in the terms “Government Property”, “Government–Owned Property”, “Government Furnished Equipment” or “Government-Owned Equipment”; (ii) when Perspecta’s customer (“Customer”) or the Customer’s Contracting Officer or his/her access to proprietary financial information or other proprietary data is required; or (iv) when title to property is to be transferred directly to the Customer:

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 12 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

FAR TITLE DATE
52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government SEPT 2006
52.204-21

Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information

Systems

JUN 2016
52.215-12 Subcontractor Cost or Pricing Data OCT 2010
52.215-22

Limitations on Pass-Through Charges—Identification of

Subcontract Effort

OCT 2009
52.215-23 Limitations on Pass-Through Charges OCT 2009
52.222-2 Payment for Overtime Premiums Fill-in: $0 JUL 1990
52.222-29 Notification of Visa Denial APR 2015
52.222-41 Service Contract Labor Standards MAY 2014
52.222-55 Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 13658 DEC 2015
52.224-3 Privacy Training JAN 2017
52.225-19 Contractor Personnel in a Designated Operational Area or Supporting a Diplomatic or Consular Mission Outside the United States MAR 2008
52.228-3 Worker’s Compensation Insurance (Defense Base Act) JUL 2014
52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Deviation) DEC 2013
52.237-3 Continuity of Services JAN 1991
52.237-10 Identification of Uncompensated Overtime MAR 2015
52.239-1 Privacy or Security Safeguards AUG 1996
52.242-5 Payments to Small Business Subcontractors JAN 2017
52.244-2 Subcontracts Fill-in: (d) In support of all CLIN’s - Labor OCT 2010
52.245-1 Government Property JAN 2017
GSAM TITLE DATE
552.204-9 Personal Identity Verification Requirements OCT 2012
DFARS TITLE DATE
252.203-7000

Requirements Relating to Compensation of Former DoD

Officials

SEPT 2011
252.203-7001 Prohibition On Persons Convicted Of Fraud Or Other Defense-Contract-Related Felonies DEC 2008
252.203-7002 Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights SEP 2013
252.203-7003 Agency Office of the Inspector General DEC 2012
252.203-7004 Display of Hotline Posters OCT 2016
252.203-7005

Representation Relating to Compensation of Former DoD

Officials

NOV 2011
252.204-7000 Disclosure of Information OCT 2016
252.204-7003 Control of Government Personnel Work Product APR 1992

252.204-7008

Provision

Compliance with Safeguarding Covered Defense Information Controls OCT 2016

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 13 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

252.204-7009

Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Third-Party

Contractor Reported Cyber Incident Information

OCT 2016
252.204-7012

Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber

Incident Reporting

OCT 2016
252.209-7004 Subcontracting with Firms that are Owned or Controlled by the Government of a Country that is a State Sponsor of Terrorism OCT 2015
252.211-7007 Reporting of Government-Furnished Property AUG 2012
252.216-7004

Award Fee Reduction or Denial for Jeopardizing the Health

or Safety of Government Personnel

SEP 2011
252.222-7002 Compliance with Local Labor Laws (Overseas) JUN 1997
252.222-7007 Representation Regarding Combating Trafficking in Persons JAN 2015
252.223-7004 Drug-Free Work Force SEP 1988
252.225-7040

Contractor Personnel Supporting U.S. Armed Forces

Deployed Outside the United States

OCT 2015
252.225-7043 Antiterrorism/Force Protection Policy for Defense Contractors Outside the United States JUN 2015
252.225-7048 Export-Controlled Items JUN 2013
252.225-7995 Contractor Personnel Performing in the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility (DEVIATION 2017- O0004) SEPT 2017
252.227-7013 Rights in Technical Data--Noncommercial Items FEB 2014
252.227-7014

Rights in Noncommercial Computer Software and

Noncommercial Computer Software Documentation

FEB 2014
252.227-7015 Technical Data--Commercial Items FEB 2014
252.227-7025

Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Government-

Furnished Information Marked with Restrictive Legends

MAY 2013
252.227-7026 Deferred Delivery of Technical Data or Computer Software APR 1988
252.227-7027 Deferred Ordering of Technical Data or Computer Software APR 1988
252.227-7028 Technical Data or Computer Software Previously Delivered to the Government JUN 1995
252.227-7030 Technical Data--Withholding of Payment MAR 2000
252.227-7037 Validation of Restrictive Markings on Technical Data SEP 2016
252.229-7002 Customs Exemptions (Germany) JUN 1997
252.229-7006 Value Added Tax Exclusion (United Kingdom) DEC 2011
252.239-7001 Information Assurance Contractor Training and Certification JAN 2008
252.244-7000 Subcontracts for Commercial Items JUN 2013
252.246-7001 Warranty of Data--Basic MAR 2014
252.246-7007

Contractor Counterfeit Electronic Part Detection and

Avoidance System

AUG 2016
252.251-7000 Ordering From Government Supply Sources AUG 2012

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 14 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

C.OPTIONAL ARTICLES

 

KEY PERSONNEL AND/OR POSITIONS

 

The Subcontractor key personnel and/or positions listed below are considered to be essential to the Work being performed hereunder. Prior to diverting any of the personnel assigned to these positions to other programs, the Subcontractor shall notify Perspecta Subcontract Administrator reasonably in advance (not less than thirty (30) days) and shall submit justification (including proposed substitutions) in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the impact on Perspecta program. The key personal and/or positions listed below may, with the consent of the Parties, be amended from time to time during the course of the Subcontract to either add or delete key personal and/or positions as appropriate. For any changes requested to be approved by Perspecta, the Subcontractor will be responsible for substituting personnel with equal or greater qualifications as originally approved and used.

 

The Subcontractor agrees that the Key Personnel and /or Positions listed below will be utilized in the performance of the Subcontract to the extent necessary for full and satisfactory performance of this Subcontract.

 

  Position Employee Name
  None identified at this time

 

CHANGES - “NOT-TO-EXCEED” SUBMITTAL

 

Prior to the issuance of a change order under this Subcontract, Perspecta may solicit from the SELLER written agreement as to the maximum (in the case of an increase) adjustments to be made in the price and/or in the delivery schedule (or time of performance), by reason of the change. Perspecta may also solicit such agreement on limitations on the adjustments to any other provisions of the Subcontract which may be subject to equitable adjustment by reason of the change. The SELLER shall promptly submit a "not-to-exceed" amount or maximum schedule adjustment when so requested by Perspecta. Any such written agreement shall then be cited in the change order and upon its issuance shall be deemed to become part of the Subcontract. In no event shall the definitive equitable adjustment exceed the maximum price and/or delivery schedule (or time of performance) adjustments so established, nor otherwise be inconsistent with other adjustment limitations so established. Except with respect to such limitations, nothing contained herein shall affect the right of the Parties to an equitable adjustment by reason of the change, pursuant to this clause

 

GSA SCHEDULE CONTRACTS

 

This Subcontract is a delivery order placed against Government Services Administration’s (GSA) One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) Unrestricted Pool 1 Multiple Award Indefinite- Delivery Indefinite Quantity (MA-IDIQ) Contract Number GS00Q14OADU128; and is placed under written authorization from DCMA Hampton, Divisional Administrative Contracting Officer, Defense Contract Management Command and dated 2018MAR01.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 15 of 16  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Initial Award
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

SIGNATURE PAGE

 

When executed by Perspecta, this Subcontract, as described, shall constitute the entire agreement between the Parties hereto and any Terms or Conditions offered by the Subcontractor in addition thereto or in any way different from those set forth herein are hereby objected to by Perspecta.

 

Subcontractor/Seller certifies that as of the date of the signature affixed below:

·In accordance with FAR Clause 52.203-12, to the best of its knowledge and belief no Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress on its behalf in connection with the awarding of this contract.
·In accordance with FAR Clause 52.209-6(c), Subcontractor/Seller

xis not debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment by the Federal Government

¨is debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment by the Federal Government.

 

In WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Contract effective as of the date of the final signature to this agreement.

 

  Perspecta Engineering Inc.
     
   

________________

__________

  By:  
       
  Title: ____________________
  Date:    December 2, 2019  
       
  Corvus Consulting, LLC
     
   AUSTIN.ANN. ___________________
________________
  By:  
  Title: ____________________
  Date: December 2, 2019
       

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 16 of 16  

 

 Exhibit 10.22

 

Portions of this exhibit have been redacted in compliance with Regulation S-K Item 601(b)(10)(iv) because it is both (i) not material and (ii) and the type of information that is confidential.”

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

TIME & MATERIAL SUBCONTRACT

 

NUMBER PO-0018098

 

between

 

Perspecta Engineering Inc.

___________________________ 

________________________

 

AND

 

Corvus Consulting, LLC

__________________________

________________________

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 1 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

Modification 13 Change Summary:

 

Modify Article II: SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND TOTAL PRICE

 

oSection D- Labor Categories and Rates
Incorporate the Labor Category Cyber Intelligence Analyst III and the associated rate

 

oSection F: Funds
Increase Option Year 3 Labor Funding CLIN 401 from $00.00 by $145,508.00 to $145,508.00
Increase Total Subcontract Funding from $18,918,552.45 by $145,508.00 to $18,918,552.45

 

Except as modified herein, all other terms, conditions, and requirements currently applicable to this subcontract remain in full force and effect.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 2 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

CONTENTS

 

AGREEMENT    
     
ARTICLE I SCOPE OF WORK AND LIST OF EXHIBITS  
ARTICLE II SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND TOTAL PRICE  
ARTICLE III PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE, PLACE OF PERFORMANCE AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE  
ARTICLE IV PAYMENTS  
ARTICLE V  F.O.B. POINT, PACKAGING, SHIPMENT AND ROUTING  
ARTICLE VI INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE  
ARTICLE VII CLOSEOUT  
ARTICLE VIII REPORTS AND DOCUMENTATION  
ARTICLE IX PREDETERMINATION OF RIGHTS IN DATA AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE  
ARTICLE X DPAS RATING  
ARTICLE XI GOVERNMENT AND/OR PERSPECTA FURNISHED PROPERTY  
ARTICLE XII  COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS  
ARTICLE XIII SUBCONTRACT AUTHORITY AND NOTIFICATION  
ARTICLE XIV RECRUITMENT OF TEAM MEMBER EMPLOYEES  
ARTICLE XV  ACCOUNTING, BILLING, PROPERTY AND PURCHASING SYSTEMS  
ARTICLE XVI ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (OCI)  
ARTICLE XVII INSURANCE  

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS/SPECIAL PROVISIONS/OPTIONAL ARTICLES SIGNATURE PAGE

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 3 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

In consideration of the promises hereinafter set forth, the parties agree:

 

AGREEMENT

 

This Time and Material Subcontract Agreement (along with all exhibits hereto, and any schedules, appendices and attachments attached thereto or otherwise incorporated by reference therein, the “Agreement”), is entered into with effect June 3, 2019, by and between Perspecta Engineering Inc., a Delaware corporation with an office at 15050 Conference Center Drive, Chantilly, VA 20151 (hereinafter, “Perspecta” or “Buyer”), and Corvus Consulting, LLC., a Virginia corporation with an office at 360 Central Ave., Suite 800, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 (hereinafter, "Subcontractor" or “Seller”). References herein to a “party” shall mean, as context requires, Perspecta or Subcontractor, and references to “parties” shall mean both of Perspecta and Subcontractor.

 

Perspecta is the prime contractor under that certain U.S. Government Prime Contract Number GS00Q14OADU128 (the “Prime Contract”) / Delivery Order 47QFCA19F0033. Perspecta desires to engage Subcontractor, pursuant to the Prime Contract, to deliver certain products and/or services to Perspecta for the benefit of the U.S. Government agency that issued the Prime Contract (the “Customer”). Subcontractor desires to provide such products and/or services.

 

This Subcontract supersedes in its entirety the Letter Contract PO-0018098 between the parties dated June 4, 2019; as well as subsequent modifications to that Letter Contract. Any action taken in accordance with the authorization previously contained in that Letter Contract shall be considered as an action taken in performance of this subcontract. This Subcontract integrates, merges, and supersedes any prior offers, negotiations, and any other agreements concerning the subject matter hereof and constitutes the entire agreement between the parties.

 

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is 541990. The small business size standard is $15M.

 

The Product Service Code (PSC) for this acquisition is R499.

 

ARTICLE I - SCOPE OF WORK AND LIST OF EXHIBITS

 

The Subcontractor, in the capacity of an independent subcontractor, and not as an agent of Perspecta, shall provide, in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth herein, the personnel, services, materials, equipment, and facilities (collectively referred to as “Work”) necessary for the proper accomplishment of the tasks specified in the Exhibits cited below and other requirements identified elsewhere in this subcontract. All deliverable “Work” set forth herein shall be delivered in strict accordance with the delivery schedule set forth in Article III – Period of Performance, place of performance and delivery schedule.

 

Perspecta will comply with the laws and regulations that relate to the receipt and use of government information. Even if not specifically covered by law or regulation, the Corporation prohibits receipt or use by its Subcontractors, of government or privately-owned information when such possession or use is not consistent with the integrity of the U.S. government competitive bidding system or when there is reason to believe that Perspecta or the Subcontractor should not possess such information. Subcontractors are required to notify the Perspecta Subcontract Administrator if they are requested by any Perspecta employee to provide Government or third party information.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 4 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

No Subcontractor will solicit, accept, use, or possess any:

 

·Document bearing a legend indicating that: (a) the document originated with or belongs to another company; (b) the document is of a competitive nature; and/or (c) receipt, possession and/or use of the information is prohibited
·Document (with or without a legend) or information that is part of or relates to the contents of another company's proposal at any state of competition.
·Government document of a source selection or procurement planning nature that bears a legend indicating that release outside the government is not authorized.
·Government document or extracts from a document that contains source selection or procurement planning information not containing a restrictive legend, if there is reason to believe release has not been approved by the government.
·Information of the government or a business organization, whether a competitor or not, where it is clear that release of that information is unauthorized or in circumstances where there is reason to believe that such information cannot lawfully be in Perspecta's or the Subcontractor’s possession.

 

At and upon the Effective Date this Agreement consists of the following exhibits (the “Exhibits”). The parties acknowledge and agree that certain of the Exhibits, and certain appendices and other attachments to the Exhibits, may be pending completion and/or subject to revision pursuant to the requirements of the Customer under the Prime Contract. To the extent any Exhibit, or any attachment or appendix thereto, is incomplete on, or otherwise subject to revision following, the Effective Date, the parties agree to act promptly and in good faith to complete, amend or revise such Exhibit(s), it being understood that the obligations of the Customer under the Prime Contract shall in all cases determine the scope and content of such additions, amendments or revisions. For the avoidance of doubt, and subject to the determinative application of the Prime Contract requirements, in the event Perspecta determines that any such additions or revisions require the execution of a new or additional exhibit, the parties shall promptly meet to discuss and finalize such exhibit, which shall, upon mutual written agreement of the parties, be deemed an “Exhibit” for purposes hereof.

 

EXHIBIT APerspecta Engineering Inc. document titled “Subcontractor Statement of Work for Corvus Consulting, LLC., ARCYBER Cyberspace Operations Support Program”, Revision 01, dated 9/18/19; except the Base Period start date in Part 3.0 is changed from 4/08/19 to 6/03/19

 

EXHIBIT BPerspecta General Provisions and FAR Flowdown Provisions document CorpDoc 4 T&M (Aug 2019)

 

EXHIBIT CPerspecta Nondisclosure Agreement No. 18-NDA-CDG-0242 with Corvus Consulting, LLC., effective 4/19/19. The provisions therein will continue to apply until the end of the term of this Subcontract.

 

EXHIBIT DOasis Pool 1 Flow Downs, dated 9/16/18

 

EXHIBIT EARCYBER Flow Downs by Reference (Full Text), dated 9/27/19

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 5 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

EXHIBIT FDepartment of Defense Contract Security Classification Specification, DD Form 254 Rev. 2, dated 6/20/19

 

EXHIBIT GARMY Cyber (ARCYBER) Cyberspace Operations Support Task Order Request No.47QFCA19F0033 OCI Mitigation Plan, dated December 9, 2019

 

If this Subcontract is primarily for the purpose of furnishing service, no subcontract shall be made by the Seller with any other Party for furnishing all or substantially all of the Work or services herein subcontracted for without the advance written approval of Perspecta, but this provision shall not be construed to require the approval of contracts of employment between the Seller and Personnel assigned for services hereunder.

 

ARTICLE II - SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND TOTAL PRICE

 

A.Seller shall, in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth hereafter, furnish the necessary qualified personnel, services, travel, facilities, and materials for completion of the contractual effort, subject to the continuing approval of the Buyer. Buyer reserves the right to change its staffing requirements and to direct the seller to remove, transfer and/or replace any Seller personnel that are not meeting the requirements for the position.

 

B.Subcontractor will be reimbursed for costs for transportation, lodging, meals and incidental expenses in accordance with FAR 31.205-46, if authorized under the subcontract. Reimbursement shall be made at Subcontractor’s cost, without profit, and shall be supported by the Seller’s invoice as prescribed by the applicable regulation. All travel must receive prior authorization from the Perspecta Subcontract Administrator or his/her designee.

 

C.The estimated total Subcontract value hereunder is as set forth in Table 1 below. The values set forth in Table 1 are estimates, only, and subject at all times to the terms of Article II E., and Perspecta’s right to elect not to exercise an option under the Prime Contract. For the avoidance of doubt, the cost estimates set forth herein do not establish a commitment on the part of Perspecta, or otherwise require Perspecta to expend the full amounts expressed in Table 1 during the term of this Agreement, including any option elections, extensions or renewals of this Agreement.

 

 

Period  Period of Performance   Hours   Labor Value  

Travel/ODC

Value

  

Estimated

Subcontract Value

 
Base Period   6/03/2019-2/11/2020    _______    _______    _______   $3,362,495.73 
Option Year 1   2/12/2020-2/11/2021    _______    _______    _______   $6,142,925.56 
Option Year 2   2/12/2021-2/11/2022    _______    _______    _______   $8,562,561.64 
Option Year 3   2/12/2022-2/11/2023    _______    _______    _______   $6,169,124.64 
Option Year 4   2/12/2023-2/11/2024    _______    _______    _______   $6,291,907.13 
Totals                      $30,529,014.70 

Table 1

 

D.The negotiated labor categories and associated labor hour rates that will pertain to this subcontract are set forth in Table 2 below.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 6 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

        Hourly Labor Rate Table
    Base   OY1   OY2   OY3   OY4
Labor Category   Location   6/03/2019-2/11/2020   2/12/2020-2/11/2021   2/12/2021-2/11/2022   2/12/2022-2/11/2023   2/12/2023-2/11/2024
Cyber Intelligence Analyst III   Gordon   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Cyber Operational Planner II   Arlington   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Cyber Operational Planner II   Gordon   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Cyber Operational Planner III   Arlington   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Cyber Operational Planner III   Gordon   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Cyber Operations Research Analyst II   Arlington   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Subject Matter Expert II (SME II)   Fort Gordon (CCOE)   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Subject Matter Expert II (SME II)   Georgia (remote)   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Subject Matter Expert II (SME II)   Taylor Bldg   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Subject Matter Expert II (SME II)   Pentagon   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Subject Matter Expert III (SME III)   Virginia (remote)   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Subject Matter Expert III (SME III)   Pentagon   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________
Subject Matter Expert III (SME III)   California (remote)   ________   ________   ________   ________   ________

Table 2

 

E.Perspecta reserves the unilateral right to exercise any part, all, or none of the options under the Prime Contract identified in Table 3, below. The estimated costs and associated fees for the option years one are set out in Table 1 above for informational purposes, only. Perspecta may exercise an option by written notice to Subcontractor at any time up to and including the Latest Exercise Date set out in Table 3. If Perspecta exercises an option, the Subcontractor shall perform the work specified for such option at the negotiated costs and fee provided under the option. Subcontractor acknowledges and agrees that Perspecta shall have no obligation or liability to Subcontractor under or with respect to any option period under the Prime Contract in the event Perspecta determines not to exercise such option or options under the Prime Contract.

 

Period   Period of Performance   Latest Exercise Date   Status
Option Year 1   2/12/2020-2/11/2021   2/11/2020   Exercised
Option Year 2   2/12/2021-2/11/2022   2/11/2021   Exercised
Option Year 3   2/12/2022-2/11/2023   2/11/2022   Exercised
Option Year 4   2/12/2023-2/11/2024   2/11/2023   Not Exercised

Table 3

 

F.LIMITATION OF FUNDS (INCREMENTAL FUNDING FOR T&M CONTRACTS)

 

This Subcontract will be incrementally funded by Perspecta. Of the total price of this Subcontract, the sum of $19,064,060.45 (refer to table below for funding limits by CLIN) is available for payment for the performance by the Subcontractor under this Agreement. The period of performance estimated to be covered by the allotted amount specified above is through 05/30/2022.

 

When expenditures reach 85% of the incremental funding identified above, Seller shall notify the Buyer of the approach of the expenditure limit and provide the Buyer with a future projection for when the funding will be completely depleted. The notification must be in writing and is recommended to be communicated electronically.

 

Any expenditures or obligations incurred by the Seller in excess of the funded amount shall be at the Seller’s own risk.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 7 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

Period  Period of Performance  CLIN  Labor Funding 

Travel/ODC

Funding

 

Subcontract

Funding

 
      0001 (Labor)  _______  _______  $74,000.00 
Base Period  6/03/2019-2/11/2020  0002 (Labor)  _______  _______  $3,161,742.53 
      0003 (Travel)  _______  _______  $30,000.00 
      201 (Labor)  _______  _______  $438,592.46 
Option Year 1  2/12/2020-2/11/2021  202 (Labor)  _______  _______  $5,674,333.10 
      203 (Travel)  _______  _______  $30,000.00 
      301 (Labor)  _______  _______  $0.00 
      302 (Labor)  _______  _______  $7,056,514.11 
Option Year 2  2/12/2021-2/11/2022  303 (Travel)  _______  _______  $29,018.76 
      304 (ODC)  _______  _______  $450.00 
      401 (Labor)  _______  _______  $145,508.00 
Option Year 3  2/12/2022-2/11/2023  402 (Labor)  _______  _______  $2,403,901.49 
      403 (Travel)  _______  _______  $20,000.00 
      404 (ODC)  _______  _______  $0.00 
Totals        _________  _________  $19,064,060.45 

 

ARTICLE III – PLACE OF PERFORMANCE, PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE AND DELIVERY SCHEDULE

 

A.All work hereunder shall be performed at Customer facilities, and other locations as mutually may be agreed upon by Perspecta and Subcontractor. During the life of this Subcontract, all Subcontractor services provided at Fort Belvoir, VA will be relocating to Fort Gordon, GA.

 

B.Subcontractor shall commence performance on or about 6/03/19, and shall complete all performance on or before 2/11/24 (or last option exercised) in conformance with Exhibit A, Statement of Work.

 

ARTICLE IV – PAYMENTS

 

The work performed on this subcontract will be billed through the Deltek Time and Expense System (TESS) at https://cpweb.peraton.com

 

Timely invoicing from Seller is expected and Perspecta reserves the right to disallow untimely invoicing. Untimely invoice is defined as an invoice presented to Perspecta for payment of work performed greater than 90 days from that performance period. Such definition under this paragraph shall not apply to DCAA/DCMA rate adjustments.

 

Seller will implement and utilize TESS, which details the work performed by the appropriate charge number. This is a web-based system that is accessible through the internet. Perspecta will provide each Seller employee with Deltek TESS access and establish the DeltekTESS role in order to enter billable time into the system.

 

For services performed under this subcontract, Perspecta shall pay Seller in accordance with the Article II negotiated rate(s) and all other associated provisions set forth in this subcontract. Any negotiated changes to hourly rates shall be executed via a subcontract modification.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 8 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

Direct labor hours are those productive hours inclusive of approved overtime expended by Seller personnel performing work under this subcontract that are charged as direct labor under the Seller’s established accounting policy and procedures. This term does not include sick leave, vacation leave, or any kind of administrative leave, but does include direct labor hours provided under level-of-effort subcontracts.

 

Payment of Premiums: There is NO overtime-premium provision under this subcontract.

 

Other Direct Costs (ODC), such as travel will be submitted by the designated Seller representative utilizing the Deltek TESS system, entering the information in the Expense portion of TESS. Data in support of each Expense submission shall be provided to the Program Finance representative for the program upon submission, and prior to approval of said submission. Expenses should be submitted monthly at a minimum (if applicable).

The Seller will notify Perspecta in writing of changes to billing rates associated with the subcontract within 15 to 30 days PRIOR to the effective date of the rate change.

 

Every Seller employee who directly charges this program (or approved data entry designee), regardless of that employee’s location (e.g., Perspecta, Government, or Seller’s facility), shall submit a weekly labor submission via Deltek TESS.

 

Perspecta will provide each Seller employee with access to Deltek TESS and create their role so they can enter their billable time into Deltek TESS weekly. Seller shall identify a point of contact as the primary approver and an alternate approver who will have responsibility for labor submission approvals and submission to Perspecta.

 

Seller shall submit and approve submissions by Friday, 9:00 PM EST in order to be processed in the weekly payment run and support Earned Value Management requirements. Seller may delegate the responsibility to enter Deltek TESS claims to a backup “data entry” employee to ensure claims are submitted in time for weekly processing as the electronic Deltek TESS invoice used by Perspecta to pay the Seller for services rendered.

 

In utilizing the Deltek TESS system, the Seller’s employees (biller, data entry, and approver) attest that, to the best of their knowledge, the hours recorded and the charge number entered are consistent with the work performed.

 

Seller shall identify a representative to be granted TESS vendor labor approval role. A cumulative invoice will then be available to the Seller's approver for all approved claims by Monday of the week following processing of the submission. Any labor submission not processed in the current week will default to processing with the week it is approved.

 

The Deltek TESS work week runs from Saturday to Friday.

 

Payment terms are Net 45 days for the initial payment, and then weekly after the payment. Only submissions approved in Deltek TESS prior to the Friday, 9:00 PM deadline will be processed for payment. Payment shall be made via ACH/electronic funds transfer.

 

Seller shall reconcile weekly TESS invoice reports against Seller company timekeeping records to ensure accuracy of the submissions. Seller shall correct any labor submission errors online within one week of detection. Corrections detected beyond this period will be made in the current reporting period.

 

Perspecta will conduct random quarterly audits on Seller’s timekeeping records against Deltek TESS invoice reports to ensure accuracy and support Perspecta program requirements. Seller shall make available any documentation required to support these audits. Perspecta will provide an audit summary to the Seller when the audit is complete.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 9 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

Any problems associated with the application(s) or system or questions regarding Deltek TESS should be reported immediately to Perspecta Buyer or Subcontract Administrator. All parties will be notified via email of any changes to this contact information.

 

Data in support of each labor submission shall be maintained and available for audit by the Government for 3 years.

 

The parties acknowledge that the Seller employees entering data into Deltek TESS are not authorized to generate invoices under Government contracts pursuant to Perspecta’s Government approved billing systems. Resultant Deltek payments will constitute Perspecta interim financing for services rendered subject to final verification by Seller. An exception may be made by Perspecta to allow Seller to designate alternate personnel to enter labor data. Seller shall submit request for this exception in writing. Labor data may be input by a Seller representative vs. the Seller employee performing the work.

 

ARTICLE V - F.O.B. POINT, DELIVERY LOCATION AND ROUTING - RESERVED

 

ARTICLE VI - INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE - RESERVED

 

ARTICLE VII- CLOSEOUT

 

Seller shall, as requested by the BUYER or within thirty (30) months from the end of the period of performance (as stated in Article III) or, at final acceptance, complete, sign and return the Subcontract Closeout Package (FRM-25-01) with final invoice. If a DCAA Assist Audit is required, the final invoice will be processed for payment upon completion of the audit in accordance with the audit findings. At that time, a revised Subcontract Closeout Package (FRM-25-01) and final invoice may be required to be submitted in accordance with the DCAA Assist Audit findings.

 

ARTICLE VIII - REPORTS AND DOCUMENTATION

 

A.Consistent with this Time and Material Contract, Subcontractor shall provide the following

 

Item   Description   Qty.   Date Required
01   Monthly Status Report   1   5th of Each Month
02   Subcontract Closeout Package, FRM-25-01   1   Concurrent with Final Invoice
03   Documentation as required by Exhibit A Statement of Work   As Required   Per Exhibit A
04   Insurance Certificate   1   Annually (if performing on Perspecta or Gov’t property)
05   Billing Account Worksheet   As Required  

As employees leave/start

Program or rate changes


 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 10 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

B.All reports and documentation specified hereinabove shall be addressed to the cognizant Subcontract Administrator.

 

ARTICLE IX - PREDETERMINATION OF RIGHTS IN DATA AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE

 

A.All technical data and computer software that is deliverable, or subject to delivery, by the Subcontractor to Perspecta or to the Government under this Subcontract, shall be furnished with unlimited rights to the Government, except as provided in Paragraph B below.

 

B.The following items of technical data and computer software shall be furnished with limited or restricted rights:

 

Technical Data or Computer
Software to be Furnished with
Restrictions
  Basis for Assertion   Asserted Rights
Category
  Name of Person
Asserting Restrictions
NONE AT THIS TIME            

 

C.To the extent that additional technical data or computer software is later discovered to be of a Limited or Restricted Rights nature, as defined in the “Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software” clause (DFARS 252.227-7013), the foregoing list may be amended upon notification to Perspecta and the U.S. Government.

 

ARTICLE X – DPAS RATING - RESERVED

 

ARTICLE XI -GOVERNMENT AND/OR PERSPECTA FURNISHED PROPERTY - RESERVED

 

ARTICLE XII - COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS - RESERVED

 

ARTICLE XIII - SUBCONTRACT AUTHORITY AND NOTIFICATION

 

Sole authority to make changes in or amendments to this Subcontract and to effect deviations from the work herein specified is hereby vested in the authorized representative of Perspecta's Subcontract Administrator and must be made in writing. Unauthorized changes, alterations or modifications to this Subcontract will not be considered for equitable adjustment. Changes to the Subcontract or its scope shall not be made without the express written authorization of the designated Perspecta Subcontract Administrator. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, any notices to be furnished by Subcontractor to Perspecta, or by Perspecta to Subcontractor shall be sent by mail or electronic means as follows:

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 11 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

Perspecta Engineering Inc.

_____________________

_______________________

________________________

________________

______

___________________

 

and

 

Corvus Consulting, LLC

_____________________

_______________________

________________________

________________

______

___________________

 

ARTICLE XIV – RECRUITMENT OF TEAM MEMBER EMPLOYEES

 

A.It is expressly agreed and understood by the parties that during the course of this Agreement, neither party will actively solicit personnel of the other party who are engaged in performance of this Agreement for the purpose of inducing them to join such other party’s employ. The foregoing shall not prohibit either party from having employment discussions with, or hiring the employees of the other party who: 1) Have terminated employment with the other party of their own volition; 2) Respond to or apply for positions offered through the normal process of general public advertisement; or 3) Are hired as a result of the use of an independent employment agency (so long as the agency was not directed to solicit such person) not specifically directed to employees of the parties.

 

B.Use of Former Program Staff Prohibited - Subcontractor shall not assign to work on the Program any individual who has performed work on the Program under a different subcontractor, without the advance expressed written consent of the cognizant subcontract administrator. Any and all associated costs shall be deemed to be unallowable and therefore not billable, unless and until the cognizant subcontract administrator approves. Such approval, if provided, would be for a billable hourly rate no greater than the hourly rate billed to the program by the individual’s prior employer.

 

C.Second Tier Subcontractor Prohibition - The use of second tier subcontractors is strictly prohibited and any and all associated costs shall be deemed to be unallowable and therefore not billable without the advance expressed written consent of the cognizant subcontract administrator.

 

ARTICLE XV – ACCOUNTING, BILLING, PROPERTY AND PURCHASING SYSTEMS

 

Subcontractor agrees to promptly notify Buyer, during the term of this Agreement, of any changes to its accounting and billing systems and/or related internal control structure that would adversely affect its ability to report hours delivered and costs incurred accurately and completely or adversely affect its ability to acquire goods and services, or to control government acquired property without prejudice to the government.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 12 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

ARTICLE XVI – ORGANIZATIONAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST (OCI)

 

Seller certifies that they have no knowledge of any OCI that would ensue during performance of this subcontract. If during performance Seller becomes aware of a potential OCI, Seller will promptly provide a disclosure statement which describes all relevant information concerning any past, present, or planned interests bearing on whether it (including Seller's chief executives and directors, or any proposed consultant or lower-tier subcontractor) may have an existing or potential OCI and will cooperate with Perspecta to mitigate the conflict.

 

ARTICLE XVII – INSURANCE

 

Seller shall obtain and maintain Workers Compensation, commercial general liability, and automobile liability (third party bodily injury and property damage liability) insurance in accordance with Part 17 of Buyer’s CorpDoc 4 T&M general provisions document incorporated herein as Exhibit B. A Certificate of Liability Insurance shall be forwarded to the Subcontract Administrator (upon such request), with evidence of Perspecta being named as an additional insured.

 

Defense Base Act (DBA), FAR 52.228-3, is applicable to this order. The Seller shall (a) provide, before commencing performance under this contract, such workers’ compensation insurance or security as the Defense Base Act (42 U.S.C. 1651, et seq.) requires and (b) continue to maintain it until performance is completed.

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS/SPECIAL PROVISIONS/OPTIONAL ARTICLES

 

A.TERMS AND CONDITIONS

 

1.Perspecta General Provisions and FAR Flowdown Provisions document CorpDoC 4 T&M (Aug 2019)

 

2.ARCYBER Flow Downs (see Part B below, and EXHIBIT E); as well as EXHIBIT D – Oasis Pool 1 Flow Downs

 

3.Additional or different terms or conditions proposed by the Subcontractor shall be void and of no effect unless accepted in writing and included herein.

 

B.SPECIAL SUBCONTRACT PROVISIONS

 

This contract incorporates one or more clauses by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Officer will make their full text available. The full text of each clause may also be accessed electronically at http://acquisition.gov/far. In all the Articles below, where the clause indicates “Government” this shall also mean “Perspecta Engineering Inc.” and where the clause indicates “Contractor” this shall mean “Subcontractor”. However, the terms “Government” and “Contracting Officer” do not change; (i) in the terms “Government Property”, “Government–Owned Property”, “Government Furnished Equipment” or “Government-Owned Equipment”; (ii) when Perspecta’s customer (“Customer”) or the Customer’s Contracting Officer or his/her access to proprietary financial information or other proprietary data is required; or (iv) when title to property is to be transferred directly to the Customer:

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 13 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

FAR TITLE DATE
52.203-6 Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government SEPT 2006
52.204-21

Basic Safeguarding of Covered Contractor Information

Systems

JUN 2016
52.215-12 Subcontractor Cost or Pricing Data OCT 2010
52.215-22

Limitations on Pass-Through Charges—Identification of

Subcontract Effort

OCT 2009
52.215-23 Limitations on Pass-Through Charges OCT 2009
52.222-2 Payment for Overtime Premiums Fill-in: $0 JUL 1990
52.222-29 Notification of Visa Denial APR 2015
52.222-41 Service Contract Labor Standards MAY 2014
52.222-55 Minimum Wages Under Executive Order 13658 DEC 2015
52.224-3 Privacy Training JAN 2017
52.225-19 Contractor Personnel in a Designated Operational Area or Supporting a Diplomatic or Consular Mission Outside the United States MAR 2008
52.228-3 Worker’s Compensation Insurance (Defense Base Act) JUL 2014
52.232-40 Providing Accelerated Payments to Small Business Subcontractors (Deviation) DEC 2013
52.237-3 Continuity of Services JAN 1991
52.237-10 Identification of Uncompensated Overtime MAR 2015
52.239-1 Privacy or Security Safeguards AUG 1996
52.242-5 Payments to Small Business Subcontractors JAN 2017
52.244-2 Subcontracts Fill-in: (d) In support of all CLIN’s - Labor OCT 2010
52.245-1 Government Property JAN 2017
GSAM TITLE DATE
552.204-9 Personal Identity Verification Requirements OCT 2012
DFARS TITLE DATE
252.203-7000

Requirements Relating to Compensation of Former DoD

Officials

SEPT 2011
252.203-7001 Prohibition On Persons Convicted Of Fraud Or Other Defense-Contract-Related Felonies DEC 2008
252.203-7002 Requirement to Inform Employees of Whistleblower Rights SEP 2013
252.203-7003 Agency Office of the Inspector General DEC 2012
252.203-7004 Display of Hotline Posters OCT 2016
252.203-7005

Representation Relating to Compensation of Former DoD

Officials

NOV 2011
252.204-7000 Disclosure of Information OCT 2016
252.204-7003 Control of Government Personnel Work Product APR 1992

252.204-7008

Provision

Compliance with Safeguarding Covered Defense Information Controls OCT 2016

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 14 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

252.204-7009

Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Third-Party

Contractor Reported Cyber Incident Information

OCT 2016
252.204-7012

Safeguarding Covered Defense Information and Cyber

Incident Reporting

OCT 2016
252.209-7004 Subcontracting with Firms that are Owned or Controlled by the Government of a Country that is a State Sponsor of Terrorism OCT 2015
252.211-7007 Reporting of Government-Furnished Property AUG 2012
252.216-7004

Award Fee Reduction or Denial for Jeopardizing the Health

or Safety of Government Personnel

SEP 2011
252.222-7002 Compliance with Local Labor Laws (Overseas) JUN 1997
252.222-7007 Representation Regarding Combating Trafficking in Persons JAN 2015
252.223-7004 Drug-Free Work Force SEP 1988
252.225-7040

Contractor Personnel Supporting U.S. Armed Forces

Deployed Outside the United States

OCT 2015
252.225-7043 Antiterrorism/Force Protection Policy for Defense Contractors Outside the United States JUN 2015
252.225-7048 Export-Controlled Items JUN 2013
252.225-7995

Contractor Personnel Performing in the United States

Central Command Area of Responsibility (DEVIATION 2017- O0004)

SEPT 2017
252.227-7013 Rights in Technical Data—Noncommercial Items FEB 2014
252.227-7014

Rights in Noncommercial Computer Software and

Noncommercial Computer Software Documentation

FEB 2014
252.227-7015 Technical Data—Commercial Items FEB 2014
252.227-7025

Limitations on the Use or Disclosure of Government-

Furnished Information Marked with Restrictive Legends

MAY 2013
252.227-7026 Deferred Delivery of Technical Data or Computer Software APR 1988
252.227-7027 Deferred Ordering of Technical Data or Computer Software APR 1988
252.227-7028 Technical Data or Computer Software Previously Delivered to the Government JUN 1995
252.227-7030 Technical Data—Withholding of Payment MAR 2000
252.227-7037 Validation of Restrictive Markings on Technical Data SEP 2016
252.229-7002 Customs Exemptions (Germany) JUN 1997
252.229-7006 Value Added Tax Exclusion (United Kingdom) DEC 2011
252.239-7001 Information Assurance Contractor Training and Certification JAN 2008
252.244-7000 Subcontracts for Commercial Items JUN 2013
252.246-7001 Warranty of Data—Basic MAR 2014
252.246-7007

Contractor Counterfeit Electronic Part Detection and

Avoidance System

AUG 2016
252.251-7000 Ordering From Government Supply Sources AUG 2012

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 15 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

C.OPTIONAL ARTICLES

 

KEY PERSONNEL AND/OR POSITIONS

 

The Subcontractor key personnel and/or positions listed below are considered to be essential to the Work being performed hereunder. Prior to diverting any of the personnel assigned to these positions to other programs, the Subcontractor shall notify Perspecta Subcontract Administrator reasonably in advance (not less than thirty (30) days) and shall submit justification (including proposed substitutions) in sufficient detail to permit evaluation of the impact on Perspecta program. The key personal and/or positions listed below may, with the consent of the Parties, be amended from time to time during the course of the Subcontract to either add or delete key personal and/or positions as appropriate. For any changes requested to be approved by Perspecta, the Subcontractor will be responsible for substituting personnel with equal or greater qualifications as originally approved and used.

 

The Subcontractor agrees that the Key Personnel and /or Positions listed below will be utilized in the performance of the Subcontract to the extent necessary for full and satisfactory performance of this Subcontract.

 

  Position Employee Name
  None identified at this time

 

CHANGES - “NOT-TO-EXCEED” SUBMITTAL

 

Prior to the issuance of a change order under this Subcontract, Perspecta may solicit from the SELLER written agreement as to the maximum (in the case of an increase) adjustments to be made in the price and/or in the delivery schedule (or time of performance), by reason of the change. Perspecta may also solicit such agreement on limitations on the adjustments to any other provisions of the Subcontract which may be subject to equitable adjustment by reason of the change. The SELLER shall promptly submit a "not-to-exceed" amount or maximum schedule adjustment when so requested by Perspecta. Any such written agreement shall then be cited in the change order and upon its issuance shall be deemed to become part of the Subcontract. In no event shall the definitive equitable adjustment exceed the maximum price and/or delivery schedule (or time of performance) adjustments so established, nor otherwise be inconsistent with other adjustment limitations so established. Except with respect to such limitations, nothing contained herein shall affect the right of the Parties to an equitable adjustment by reason of the change, pursuant to this clause

 

GSA SCHEDULE CONTRACTS

 

This Subcontract is a delivery order placed against Government Services Administration’s (GSA) One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) Unrestricted Pool 1 Multiple Award Indefinite- Delivery Indefinite Quantity (MA-IDIQ) Contract Number GS00Q14OADU128; and is placed under written authorization from DCMA Hampton, Divisional Administrative Contracting Officer, Defense Contract Management Command and dated 2018MAR01.

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 16 of 17  

 

 

Subcontract Number: PO-0018098  
Modification Number: Mod 13
Subcontractor Name: Corvus Consulting, LLC
Subcontract Type: Time & Material

 

SIGNATURE PAGE

 

When executed by Perspecta, this Subcontract, as described, shall constitute the entire agreement between the Parties hereto and any Terms or Conditions offered by the Subcontractor in addition thereto or in any way different from those set forth herein are hereby objected to by Perspecta.

 

Subcontractor/Seller certifies that as of the date of the signature affixed below:

·In accordance with FAR Clause 52.203-12, to the best of its knowledge and belief no Federal appropriated funds have been paid or will be paid to any person for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress on its behalf in connection with the awarding of this contract.
·In accordance with FAR Clause 52.209-6(c), Subcontractor/Seller

xis not debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment by the Federal Government

¨is debarred, suspended, or proposed for debarment by the Federal Government.

 

In WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Contract effective as of the date of the final signature to this agreement.

 

  Perspecta Engineering Inc.
     
  By:  
     
  Title: ____________________
     
  Date:  

 

  Corvus Consulting, LLC
     
  _____ ______________
     
  By: _____________
     
  Title: ________
     
  Date:  5/31/2022

 

Perspecta 11/2018Page 17 of 17  

 

 

 

Exhibit 14.1

 

CASTELLUM, INC.

 

CODE OF ETHICS AND BUSINESS CONDUCT

 

As adopted by the Board of Directors on July 10, 2022

 

1.         Introduction

 

1.1          The Board of Directors of Castellum, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (together with its subsidiaries, the "Company") has adopted this Code of Ethics and Business Conduct (the "Code") in order to:

 

(a)          promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest;

 

(b)          promote full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that the Company files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and in other public communications made by the Company;

 

(c)          promote compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and regulations;

 

(d)          promote the protection of Company assets, including corporate opportunities and confidential information;

 

(e)          promote fair dealing practices;

 

(f)           deter wrongdoing; and

 

(g)          ensure accountability for adherence to the Code.

 

1.2         All directors, officers and employees are required to be familiar with the Code, comply with its provisions and report any suspected violations as described below in Section 10, Reporting and Enforcement.

 

2.         Honest and Ethical Conduct.

 

2.1          The Company's policy is to promote high standards of integrity by conducting its affairs honestly and ethically.

 

2.2          Each director, officer and employee must act with integrity and observe the highest ethical standards of business conduct in his or her dealings with the Company's customers, suppliers, partners, service providers, competitors, employees and anyone else with whom he or she has contact in the course of performing his or her job.

 

1 

 

  

3.         Conflicts of Interest.

 

3.1          A conflict of interest occurs when an individual's private interest (or the interest of a member of his or her family) interferes, or even appears to interfere, with the interests of the Company as a whole. A conflict of interest can arise when an employee, officer or director (or a member of his or her family) takes actions or has interests that at may make it difficult to perform his or her work for the Company objectively and effectively. Conflicts of interest also arise when an employee, officer or director (or a member of his or her family) receives improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position in the Company. Each director, officer, and employee and their family members may not accept gifts from persons or entities if such gifts are made in order to influence them in their capacity as an officer, employee, or director of the Company, or if acceptance of such gifts could create the appearance of a conflict of interest. Receipt of normal compensation (as set forth in employment agreements, consulting agreements, or offer letters from the Company, or as approved by the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of the Company) and reimbursement of expenses within company guidelines in the ordinary course of business and/or as approved by the CEO of the Company (or the Board for the CEO’s expenses) are not conflicts of interest under this policy. Owning equity in the Company, in and of itself, is not a conflict of interest (generally it is an alignment of interests); however, in the event of a potential change of control of the business, an ownership position of more than 9.99% of the Company’s equity securities may constitute a potential conflict of interest depending on the facts and circumstances of the situation. The potential to become an executive officer or director in an acquiring company may be a potential conflict of interest requiring recusal from board discussions of a potential acquisition. The Board of Directors shall evaluate such situations and the potential need for a special committee of the Board to address such issues.

 

3.2         Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, employees or their family members are of special concern and could constitute improper personal benefits to the recipients of such loans or guarantees, depending on the facts and circumstances. Loans by the Company to, or guarantees by the Company of obligations of, any director, officer, or their family members are expressly prohibited.

 

3.3          Whether or not a conflict of interest exists or will exist can be unclear. Conflicts of interest should be avoided unless specifically authorized as described in Section 3.4.

 

3.4         Persons other than directors and executive officers who have questions about a potential conflict of interest, or who become aware of an actual or potential conflict should discuss the matter with and seek a determination and prior authorization or approval from the Company’s General Counsel. The General Counsel may not authorize or approve conflict of interest matters or make determinations as to whether a problematic conflict of interest exists without first providing the Chief Executive Officer with a written description of the activity and seeking the Chief Executive Officer's written approval.

 

Directors and executive officers must seek determinations and prior authorizations or approvals of potential conflicts of interest exclusively from the Governance Committee of the Board of Directors.

 

2 

 

  

4.         Compliance.

 

4.1          Employees, officers and directors should comply, both in letter and spirit, with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in the cities, states and countries in which the Company operates.

 

4.2          Although not all employees, officers and directors are expected to know the details of all applicable laws, rules, and regulations, it is important to know enough to determine when to seek advice from appropriate personnel. Questions about compliance should be addressed to the Company’s General Counsel.

 

4.3        No director, officer or employee may purchase or sell any Company securities while in possession of material nonpublic information regarding the Company, nor may any director, officer or employee purchase or sell another company's securities while in possession of material nonpublic information regarding that company. It is against Company policies and illegal for any director, officer or employee to use material nonpublic information regarding the Company or any other company to:

 

(a)          obtain profit for himself or herself; or

 

(b)          directly or indirectly "tip" others who might make an investment decision on the basis of that information.

 

5.         Disclosure.

 

5.1          The Company's periodic reports and other documents filed with the SEC, including all financial statements and other financial information, must comply with applicable federal securities laws and SEC rules.

 

5.2          Each director, officer, and employee who contributes in any way to the preparation or verification of the Company's financial statements and other financial information must ensure, to the extent that person is able, that the Company's books, records and accounts are accurately maintained. Each director, officer, and employee must cooperate fully with the Company's accounting and internal audit departments, as well as the Company's independent public accountants and counsel.

 

5.3          Each director, officer and employee who is involved in the Company's disclosure process must:

 

(a)          be familiar with and comply with the Company's disclosure controls and procedures and its internal control over financial reporting; and

 

(b)          take all necessary steps, to the extent that person is able, to ensure that all filings with the SEC and all other public communications about the financial and business condition of the Company provide full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure.

 

3 

 

  

6.         Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets.

 

6.1           All directors, officers, and employees should protect the Company's assets and ensure their efficient use. Theft, carelessness, and waste have a direct impact on the Company's profitability and are prohibited. All directors, officers, and employees are required to comply with the Company’s cybersecurity policies.

 

6.2         All Company assets should be used only for legitimate business purposes, though incidental personal use is permitted. Any suspected incident of fraud or theft should be reported for investigation immediately.

 

6.3         The obligation to protect Company assets includes the Company's proprietary information. Proprietary information includes intellectual property such as trade secrets, patents, trademarks, and copyrights, as well as business and marketing plans, engineering and manufacturing ideas, designs, databases, records and any nonpublic financial data or reports. Unauthorized use or distribution of this information is prohibited and could also be illegal and result in civil or criminal penalties.

 

7.         Corporate Opportunities. All directors, officers, and employees owe a duty to the Company to advance its interests when the opportunity arises. Directors, officers, and employees are prohibited from taking for themselves personally (or for the benefit of friends or family members) opportunities that are discovered through the use of Company assets, property, information or position. Directors, officers, and employees may not use Company assets, property, information or position for personal gain (including gain of friends or family members). In addition, no director, officer, or employee may compete with the Company.

 

8.         Confidentiality. Directors, officers, and employees should maintain the confidentiality of information entrusted to them by the Company or by its customers, suppliers, or partners, except when disclosure is expressly authorized or is required or permitted by law. Confidential information includes all nonpublic information (regardless of its source) that might be of use to the Company's competitors or harmful to the Company or its customers, suppliers or partners if disclosed.

 

9.         Fair Dealing. Each director, officer, and employee must deal fairly with the Company's customers, suppliers, partners, service providers, competitors, employees and anyone else with whom he or she has contact in the course of performing his or her job. No director, officer, or employee may take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of facts or any other unfair dealing practice.

 

10.       Reporting and Enforcement.

 

10.1        Reporting and Investigation of Violations.

 

(a)         Actions prohibited by this Code involving directors or executive officers must be reported to the Governance Committee, and, if it involves material financial matters, the Audit Committee.

 

(b)          Actions prohibited by this Code involving anyone other than a director or executive officer must be reported to the General Counsel.

 

4 

 

  

(c)         After receiving a report of an alleged prohibited action, the Governance Committee, Audit Committee, the General Counsel, or the Chief Executive Officer must promptly take all appropriate actions necessary to investigate.

 

(d)          All directors, officers, and employees are expected to cooperate in any internal investigation of misconduct.

 

10.2        Enforcement.

 

(a)          The Company must ensure prompt and consistent action against violations of this Code.

 

(b)          If, after investigating a report of an alleged prohibited action by a director or executive officer, the Governance or Audit Committee determines that a violation of this Code has occurred, such Committee will report such determination to the Board of Directors.

 

(c)         If, after investigating a report of an alleged prohibited action by any other person, the General Counsel or the Chief Executive Officer determines that a violation of this Code has occurred, the General Counsel or Chief Executive Officer will report such determination to the Governance Committee and/or Audit Committee (as applicable) of the Board of Directors.

 

(d)         Upon receipt of a determination that there has been a violation of this Code, the Board of Directors or the General Counsel will take such preventative or disciplinary action as it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, reassignment, demotion, dismissal and, in the event of criminal conduct or other serious violations of the law, notification of appropriate governmental authorities.

 

10.3        Waivers.

 

(a)          Each of the Board of Directors (in the case of a violation by a director or executive officer) and the General Counsel (in the case of a violation by any other person) may, in its discretion, waive any violation of this Code provided that such waiver is documented in writing with the reasons for such waiver.

 

(b)         Any waiver for a director or an executive officer shall be disclosed as required by SEC and applicable stock exchange rules.

 

10.4        Prohibition on Retaliation.

 

The Company does not tolerate acts of retaliation against any director, officer, or employee who makes a good faith report of known or suspected acts of misconduct or other violations of this Code.

 

5 

 

  

Acknowledgment of Receipt and Review

 

Acknowledgment of Receipt and Review

 

To be signed and returned to the Human Resources Department.

 

I, _______________________, acknowledge that I have received and read a copy of the Castellum, Inc. Code of Ethics and Business Conduct (the “Code”). I understand the contents of the Code and I agree to comply with the policies and procedures set out in the Code.

 

I understand that I should approach the General Counsel if I have any questions about the Code generally or any questions about reporting a suspected conflict of interest or other violation of the Code.

 

     
  NAME  
     
     
  PRINTED NAME  
     
     
  DATE  

 

6 

 

 

 

Exhibit 21.1 

 

List of Subsidiaries

 

Castellum, Inc.

 

Subsidiary Name   State of Organization   Percentage Owned
         
Corvus Consulting, LLC   Virginia   100%
Mainnerve Federal Services, Inc. (MFSI)   Delaware   100%
Merrison Technologies, LLC (Merrison)   Virginia   100%
Specialty Systems, Inc. (SSI)   New Jersey   100%

 

  

 

 

 Exhibit 23.1

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

We consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Castellum, Inc. of our report dated March 29, 2022, relating to the consolidated financial statements of Castellum, Inc. as of and for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, appearing in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement.

 

We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading "Experts" in such Prospectus.

 

/s/ RSM US LLP

McLean, Virginia

September 2, 2022

 

   

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.2

 

Consent of Independent Auditor

 

We consent to the use in this Registration Statement on Form S-1 of Castellum, Inc. of our report dated May 26, 2022, relating to the financial statements of Specialty Systems, Inc. as of and for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, appearing in the Prospectus, which is part of this Registration Statement.

 

We also consent to the reference to our firm under the heading "Experts" in such Prospectus.

 

/s/ Aronson LLC

Rockville, Maryland

September 2, 2022

 

   

  

 

Exhibit 99.1

 

CONSENT OF DIRECTOR NOMINEE

 

Castellum, Inc. intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Registration Statement”) registering securities for issuance. As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named in the Registration Statement as a Director Nominee.

 

August 30, 2022

 

By: /s/ Patricia Frost  
  Name:  Patricia Frost  

 

   

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.2

 

CONSENT OF DIRECTOR NOMINEE

 

Castellum, Inc. intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Registration Statement”) registering securities for issuance. As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named in the Registration Statement as a Director Nominee.

 

 August 30, 2022

 

By: /s/ C. Thomas McMillen  
  Name:  C. Thomas McMillen  

 

   

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.3

 

CONSENT OF DIRECTOR NOMINEE

 

Castellum, Inc. intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Registration Statement”) registering securities for issuance. As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named in the Registration Statement as a Director Nominee.

 

August 30, 2022

 

By: /s/ John F. Campbell  
  Name:  John F. Campbell  

 

   

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.4

 

CONSENT OF DIRECTOR NOMINEE

 

Castellum, Inc. intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Registration Statement”) registering securities for issuance. As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named in the Registration Statement as a Director Nominee.

 

August 30, 2022

 

By: /s/ Mark Alarie  
  Name:  Mark Alarie  

 

   

 

 

 

Exhibit 99.5

 

CONSENT OF DIRECTOR NOMINEE

 

Castellum, Inc. intends to file a Registration Statement on Form S-1 (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, the “Registration Statement”) registering securities for issuance. As required by Rule 438 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the undersigned hereby consents to being named in the Registration Statement as a Director Nominee.

 

August 30, 2022

 

By: /s/ Bernard S. Champoux   
  Name:  Bernard S. Champoux  

 

   

 

 

Exhibit 107

 

Calculation of Filing Fee Tables

Form S-1
(Form Type)

Castellum, Inc.
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

Table 1: Newly Registered and Carry Forward Securities

 

  

Security

Type

 

Security

Class

Title

 

Fee

Calculation

or

Carry

Forward

Rule

  

Maximum

Aggregate

Offering

Price

(1) (2)

 

Fee

Rate

 

Amount of

Registration

Fee

 

Carry

Forward

Form

Type

 

Carry

Forward

File

Number

 

Carry

Forward

Initial

effective

date

 

Filing

Fee

Previously

Paid In

Connection

with

Unsold

Securities

to be

Carried Forward

 
Newly Registered Securities  
Fees to  Be  Paid                                        
   Equity  Common
Stock,
Par
value
$0.0001,
Per
share (3)
   457(o)  $14,720,000  $92.70
per
$1,000,000
  $1,365              
   Equity  Underwriter
Warrants (4)
   457(g)   -  $92.70
per
$1,000,000
   -                  
   Equity  Common
Stock
issuable
upon
exercise
of
Underwriter
Warrants (5)
   457(g)  $441,600  $92.70
per
$1,000,000
  $41                  
   Equity  Common
Stock to
be
sold by
the
Security
Holders (6)
   457(c)  $8,875,000  $92.70
per
$1,000,000
  $823                  

 

   
   

 

Carry Forward Securities                        
Carry
Forward
Securities
                  
Total Offering Amounts  $24,036,600   $2,228.19         
Total Fees Previously Paid                  
Total Fee Offsets                  
Net Fee Due       $2,228.19         

 

(1)Estimated solely for the purpose of computing the amount of the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

(2)Includes Common Stock to cover the exercise of the over-allotment option granted to the underwriter.

 

(3)Pursuant to Rule 416 of the Securities Act, the shares of common stock registered hereby also includes an indeterminable number of additional shares of common stock as may from time to time become issuable by reason of stock splits, stock dividends, recapitalizations or other similar transactions.

 

(4)In accordance with Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act, because the Common Stock underlying the Representative Warrants are registered no registration fee is required with respect to the Warrants registered hereby.

 

(5)Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act. The warrants, or the Underwriter Warrants, are exercisable at a per share exercise price equal to 115% of the public offering price. As estimated solely for the purpose of recalculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(g) under the Securities Act, the proposed maximum aggregate offering price of the Underwriter Warrants is equal to 115% of $384,000 (which is equal to 3% of $12,800,000 (which amount excludes shares of common stock sold to cover over-allotments, if any)).

 

(6)In accordance with Rule 457(c) under the Securities Act, the aggregate offering price for the shares to be sold by the Security Holders is calculated based on a price of $4.80 (the $0.24 average of the high and low prices reported on the OTC Pink marketplace for August 31, 2022 adjusted for the proposed 1-20 Reverse Stock Split).

 

2,218,750 shares of common stock * $4.80 = $8,875,000