Item 1. Business
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Overview and Background
DLH Holdings Corp. ("DLH") delivers improved health and cyber readiness solutions for federal government customers through digital transformation, science research and development, and systems engineering and integration. We bring a unique combination of government sector experience, proven methodology, and unwavering commitment to solve the complex problems faced by civilian and military customers alike, doing so by leveraging multiple capabilities, including cyber technology, artificial intelligence, advanced analytics, cloud-based applications, and telehealth systems.
DLH is a holding company operating through a number of operating subsidiaries. In December 2022, we acquired Grove Resource Solutions, LLC, which provides research and development, systems engineering and integration, and digital transformations solutions to federal agencies, notably the National Institutes of Health ("NIH"), U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.
Competitive Advantages
We believe we are advantageously positioned within our markets through a number of features including, but not limited to:
• highly credentialed workforce;
• predominantly performing as the prime contractor;
• strong past performance record across our government contracts; and
• strong bipartisan support for our key contracts.
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We have invested in leading credentials and capabilities that we expect will deliver value to our customers. These investments include development of secure Information Technology ("IT") platforms; sophisticated data analytic tools and techniques; and implementation process improvement and quality assurance programs and techniques. We are actively pursuing additional credentials that will support our customers' ever evolving missions.
Solutions and Services
We primarily focus on improved deployment of large-scale health and defense initiatives for multiple agencies within the federal government, including the Department of Health and Human Services ("HHS"), the Department of Veterans Affairs ("VA"), Department of Defense ("DoD"), Department of Homeland Security ("DHS"), and many of their sub-agencies.
We deliver services primarily through prime contracts awarded by the federal government through competitive bidding processes. We have a diverse mix of contract vehicles with various agencies of the federal government, which supports our overall corporate growth strategy. Our revenue is distributed to time and materials contracts (56%), firm fixed price contracts (22%), and cost reimbursable contracts (22%).
We provide the following services and solutions, which are aligned with the long-term needs of our customers:
• Digital Transformation and Cyber Security;
• Science Research and Development; and
• Systems Engineering and Integration
Digital Transformation and Cyber Security
We provide critical digital transformation and cyber security solutions across the federal civilian and cyber defense communities, leveraging advanced technology to modernize obsolete systems, protect sensitive information, manage large datasets, and enhance operational efficiency. Our suite of tools includes artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud enablement, cybersecurity ecosystem, big data analytics, and modeling and simulation.
IT modernization and cyber security maturity are priority initiatives throughout our customer set. Our customers, including numerous institutes and centers within the NIH, the Defense Health Agency ("DHA"), Tele-medicine and Advanced Technology Research Center ("TATRC"), and US Navy Naval Information Warfare Center ("NIWC"), rely on our information technology support to enable their vital missions. We work with these customers to reduce risk and build resilience to cyber and physical threats to the federal government’s infrastructure, providing the full spectrum of cyber capabilities, cryptographic and true cyber engineering, Certified Information Security Officer ("CISO") / Information System Security Officer ("ISSO") support, risk management frameworks, Continuity of Operations ("COOP") / Disaster Recovery, and enterprise infrastructure and cloud governance focused on designing and implementing zero trust architecture.
Science Research and Development
We advance scientific knowledge and understanding through our extensive research portfolio and domain expertise. We primarily provide large-scale data analytics, testing and evaluation, clinical trials research services, and epidemiology studies to support multiple operating divisions within HHS, including NIH and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC"), as well as the Military Health System.
Our employees support innovative, cutting-edge research on emerging trends, health informatics analyses, and application of best practices including mobile, social, and interactive media. We leverage evidence-based methods and web technology to drive health equity to our most vulnerable populations through public engagement. Projects often involve highly specialized expertise and transformative R&D support services. Our decades of experience designing, conducting, and analyzing studies for our diverse customer base, and our full-service clinical research solutions are designed for each customer’s specific research development program. Our employees provide expert knowledge and experience that supports our customers’ missions.
System Engineering and Integration
Our employees specialize in delivering engineering solutions that support our customers' evolving needs by rapidly deploying resources, solutions, and services. This includes specialized engineering expertise, encompassing areas of pharmaceutical delivery logistics, fire protection engineering, biomedical equipment, and technology engineering on behalf of the VA, NIWC, HHS and other federal customers.
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We utilize automation to accelerate infrastructure innovation and help customers define a lifecycle for automation assets, as well as set standards for version control, testing, and release processes that proved a robust foundation for their customers. DLH delivers IT operational resilience and efficiency in parallel with technology innovation integration, via hybrid and multi-cloud solutions, leveraging integrated services, process automation, advanced tool stacks, and mature quality processes. Our employees engineer, implement, and operate solutions that demonstrate measurable results to satisfy our customer’s management requirements, thus helping customers to confidently deploy secure platforms and technologies that reduce operational costs. We have invested in agile software development credentials for our technical staff, and have achieved Capability Maturity Model Integration ("CMMI") level 3. Our enterprise lifecycle logistics support services encompass military systems deployed worldwide, as well as scientific and IT systems and peripherals for Federal civilian agencies.
Major Customers
Our revenues are from agencies of the U.S. Federal government. A major customer is defined as a customer from whom we derive at least 10% of our revenues. The following table summarizes the revenues by customer for the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively (in thousands):
2023 2022
Revenue Percent of total revenue Revenue Percent of total revenue
Department of Health and Human Services $ 161,311 42.9 % $ 102,201 25.9 %
Department of Veterans Affairs 138,862 37.0 % 126,106 31.9 %
Department of Defense 70,325 18.7 % 33,612 8.5 %
Department of Homeland Security 919 0.2 % 126,576 32.0 %
Customers with less than 10% share of total revenue 4,455 1.2 % 6,678 1.7 %
Revenue
$ 375,872 100.0 % $ 395,173 100.0 %
Major Contracts
We operate primarily through prime contracts awarded by the government through competitive bidding processes. We have a diverse mix of contract vehicles with various agencies of the U.S. government, which supports our overall corporate growth strategy. A major contract is defined as a contract or set of contracts from which we derive at least 10% of our revenues.
The revenue attributable to the VA was derived from 16 separate contracts covering the Company's performance of pharmacy and logistics services in support of the VA's Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy ("CMOP") program.
• Nine contracts for pharmacy services, which represent approximately $79.6 million and $70.4 million of revenues for the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, are currently operating under a bridge contract through December 31, 2023.
• Seven contracts for logistics services represent approximately $59.2 million and $55.7 million of revenues for the years ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, are currently operating under a bridge contract through December 31, 2023.
The VA has issued a request for proposal for healthcare logistics and pharmacy services for each CMOP location. The procurements were set-aside for a service-disabled veteran owned small business ("SDVOSB") as the prime contractor. DLH maintains relationships with SDVOSB partners. Should the new contracts for performance of these services be awarded to a partner of DLH, the Company expects to continue to perform a significant amount of the contract’s volume of business as a subcontractor. Should the VA conclude that an award to an SDVOSB prime contractor is not in the best interest of the government, they may reissue a solicitation in an unrestricted competition. DLH believes that its service excellence over many years on the program would provide an advantage in any competition.
Backlog
At September 30, 2023, our backlog was approximately $704.8 million, of which $169.9 million was funded backlog. At September 30, 2022 our backlog was $482.5 million, of which $98.9 million was funded backlog.
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We define backlog as our estimate of remaining future revenue from existing signed contracts, assuming the exercise of all options relating to such contracts and including executed task orders issued under Indefinite Quantity/Indefinite Delivery ("IDIQ") contracts or if the contract is a single award IDIQ contract.
We define funded backlog as the portion of backlog for which funding is appropriated and allocated to the contract by the customer and authorized for payment by the customer, once specified work is completed. Funded backlog does not include the full contract value as funding for contracts occurs on a periodic basis.
Circumstances and events may cause changes in the amount of our backlog and funded backlog, including the execution of new contracts, extension of existing contracts, non-renewal or completion of current contracts, early termination, and adjustments to estimates. Changes in funded backlog may be affected by the funding cycles of the government. While no assurances can be given that existing contracts will result in earned revenue in any future period, or at all, our major customers have historically exercised their contractual renewal options.
Backlog value is quantified from management's judgment and assumptions about the volume of services based on past volume trends and current planning developed with customers.
Competitive Landscape
Competitive solicitations and long business development cycles are characteristics of the government and defense industry in which we operate. For major program competition, the business acquisition cycle typically ranges from 18 to 36 months. Companies may pursue work either as prime contractor or partner with other companies in a subcontractor role. Those competing as prime contractors normally expend substantially more resources than those in subcontractor roles. We predominantly are the prime contractor on our contracts with federal government customers and compete with several large and small-business companies in pursuit of acquiring new business. In some cases, we seek to partner with other companies on new business pursuits to improve our competitive positioning with the customer.
Our competitors include operating units within: Deloitte, Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp., CACI International, Inc., BAE Systems, ICF International, Inc., Leidos Holdings, Inc., Mantech International Corp., Aglient Technologies Inc., MAXIMUS, Inc., UnitedHealth Group, Inc. operating under Optum, and Westat, Inc.
We compete with these companies by leveraging our differentiating suite of tools and uniquely integrating people and processes and a solid track record of past performance, resulting in highly competitive proposals. We believe that our proprietary tools and processes, including e-PRAT ® and SPOT-m ® , along with our Infinibyte ® cloud-based management system differentiate us from our competitors. We compete for awards through a full and open competition on a best-value basis. We draw heavily from our consistently high-quality past performance ratings, proven and evolving technical differentiators, key personnel credentials and growing market recognition to compete. We believe that our track record, knowledge and processes with respect to government contract bidding represent significant competitive advantages. Further, we believe that the range and depth of educational experience and professional credentials and certifications held by our employees allows us to deploy highly qualified teams to implement solutions to address the needs of our customers. Our recent and future success in this competitive landscape hinges on our ability to continue to uniquely integrate people, processes and technology tools to deliver best value solutions for our targeted customers (both government and industry partners).
Additionally, the Federal government may elect to restrict certain procurement activity, including renewals of our current contracts, to bidders that qualify for certain special statuses such as veteran owned, small, or small disadvantaged businesses. For those efforts, we would be limited to a subcontractor role.
Seasonality
The U.S. government's fiscal year ends on September 30 each year. It is not uncommon for U.S. government agencies to award extra tasks or complete other contract actions within this timeframe leading up to the fiscal year end in order to avoid losses of unexpended fiscal year funds.
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Regulation
Our business is affected by numerous laws and regulations relating to the award, administration and performance of U.S. Government contracts. In addition, many federal and state laws materially affect our operations. These laws relate to ethics, labor, tax, and employment matters. As any employer is, we are subject to federal and state statutes and regulations governing their standards of business conduct with the government, including that government contracts typically contain provisions permitting government customers to terminate contracts without cause with limited notice or compensation. The development of additional statutes and regulations and interpretation of existing statutes and regulations with respect to our industry can be expected to evolve over time. Through our corporate membership with the Professional Services Council and other affiliations, we monitor proposed and pending regulations from relevant congressional committees and government agency policies that have potential impact upon our industry and our specific strategically targeted markets. As with any commercial enterprise, we cannot predict with certainty the nature or direction of the development of Federal statutes and regulations that will affect its business operations. See Risk Factors in Part I, Item 1A.
Intellectual Property
Our business involves providing services to government entities, our operations generally are not substantially dependent upon obtaining and/or maintaining copyright or trademark protections, although our operations make use of such protections and benefit from them as discriminators in competition. We claim copyright, trademark and other proprietary rights in a variety of intellectual property, including each of our proprietary computer software and data products and the related documentation. We hold the trademarks, e-PRAT ® and SPOT-m ® , for our offerings that optimize resource allocation and supply chain management processes in connection with our business process management services, as well as the registered trademark, Infinibyte ® , for our cloud-based solution. We maintain a number of trade secrets that contribute to our success and competitive distinction and endeavor to accord such trade secrets adequate protection to ensure their continuing availability.
Human Capital Management and Employee Relations
Our employees are critical to our success and are the reason we continue to execute at a high level. We believe our continued focus on making employee engagement a top priority will help us provide high quality insights and information to our customers.
As of September 30, 2023, we employed approximately 3,200 employees performing throughout the U.S. and one location overseas. Management believes that it has good relations with its employees.
Vision and Values
DLH’s vision is to be the most trusted provider of technology solutions and readiness enhancement services to Federal civilian and military agencies. Through our work, DLH supports Military Service Members, Veterans, children and families, and other at-risk and underserved communities. As a market influencer and emerging leader, DLH strives to shape and enhance the sustainability and readiness posture of those we serve, delivering value to our customers and stakeholders.
DLH stands on strong values including:
• Integrity and Trust - We establish relationships throughout our organization and with customers and partners that are built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect, which exemplifies the way DLH does business. We are committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct during the course of all business.
• Performance Excellence - We are focused on achieving all requirements, with a passion for continuous improvement in the quality of our services and products. We strive to be our customers' "best value" provider and attain the highest measure of customer and shareholder satisfaction.
• Diversity and Inclusion - We create and sustain a corporate culture that fosters inclusion of all employees and values each individual's unique talents and perspectives. We leverage the value of our diversity into every aspect of our business.
• Agility - As we grow, we continue to evolve in a manner that maintains our flexibility and agility. This allows us to anticipate and respond to ever-changing government service requirements while delivering maximum value to customers and shareholders.
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Talent Acquisition, Development, and Retention
Our success depends in large part on our ability to attract talent to meet the needs of our customers. To ensure we have the talent to meet the needs of our customers, we employ broad recruiting and outreach efforts to enable us to attract an inclusive pool of highly qualified candidates. As demand for talent is highly competitive, we continue to invest in our employees through a variety of benefits and overall program enhancements. We continually review and adapt our recruiting, hiring, and training efforts to respond to market imperatives and the needs of our customers.
We seek to attract and cultivate high performing talent by providing opportunities for career growth, skills development, and recognition for their contributions as they work to serve our customers. We provide competitive compensation programs to compete and reward our talented employees. In addition to base compensation, additional compensatory benefits may include bonus programs and participation in a 401(k) Plan. We have used targeted equity-based grants with performance and service based vesting conditions to facilitate attracting and retaining key personnel. We also invest in talent development initiatives including industry-leading learning management solutions, professional credentialing, and licensures. These benefits will further enhance our talented employee base and augment our efforts to infuse proven best practices into our operations through world-class talent acquisition and talent management tools.
Employee Safety and Health
We are committed to the health, safety and wellness of our employees. We provide our employees and their families with flexible and convenient health and wellness programs, including competitive benefits arrangements to address healthcare needs, including health insurance benefits, health savings and flexible spending accounts, paid time off, family leave, and family care resources.
Company Website and Information
Our corporate headquarters are located at 3565 Piedmont Road NE, Building 3 Suite 700, Atlanta, Georgia 30305. Our telephone number is (770) 554-3545. Our website is www.dlhcorp.com. The website contains information about our company and operations. Links to the Investor Relations section of our website, copies of our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and all amendments to those reports, can be viewed and downloaded free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after the reports and amendments are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. In addition, the SEC maintains a website (www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC, including DLH. The information on our website is not incorporated by reference into and is not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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