Summary of ICF International Conference Call Company Profile - ICF International is a professional services and technology services company with revenues slightly under $2 billion and approximately 9,500 employees. The company has been publicly traded on Nasdaq for nearly 20 years [4][5] - The company operates in two main verticals: - Energy, environment, infrastructure, and disaster recovery (48% of total revenue) - Public health and social programs (37% of total revenue) [5][6] Financial Performance - The company has a strong backlog, starting each year with over 70% of revenues secured [6] - Approximately 30% of the company's work is commercial, which is higher margin and growing rapidly, particularly in the energy sector [7] - The company expects a mid-single-digit decline in revenue for the year, primarily due to a transition in the US federal business, but anticipates returning to growth next year [9] Growth Drivers - The non-federal business is expected to grow approximately 15% this year, driven by: - Commercial energy work, primarily for utilities, which has been growing over 25% due to increased power demand from data centers and crypto [11][12] - Disaster recovery services, which are increasingly in demand due to the rising frequency and severity of natural disasters [13] - International revenues are also expected to grow by 20% due to large contracts with European Union and UK government clients [13][14] Federal Business Challenges - About 43-45% of total business is with the US federal government, which has seen significant contract cancellations due to a shift in administration priorities [15][16] - The company reported $117 million in revenue impacted by contract cancellations, with expectations that no further material cancellations will occur [18] - The federal focus is shifting towards IT modernization, with a strong emphasis on AI and agile methodologies [51][52] Sustainability and Renewable Energy - There is a continued interest in sustainability and renewable energy, despite federal shifts. Utilities are still prioritizing sustainability alongside resource adequacy [22][23] - The company is involved in various energy efficiency programs, which are funded through small charges on customer bills, and has a high recompete rate for these contracts [41][43] Disaster Recovery Business - The company has diversified its disaster recovery portfolio, now working in 20 states, and is well-positioned to respond to increasing natural disasters [34][36] - Federal funding for disaster recovery typically comes through special appropriations, which are often bipartisan [35] Margin and Future Outlook - The company has guided for flat EBITDA margins this year but has seen a slight increase in margins compared to last year due to a favorable mix of higher-margin commercial business [64][65] - The expectation is for continued margin improvement in the coming years, driven by growth in the commercial energy sector [66] Conclusion - ICF International is positioned for growth despite current challenges, with a strong focus on expanding its commercial and international business segments while navigating the complexities of federal contracts and sustainability initiatives [61][62]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company's first quarter revenues declined by 1.4% year over year to $487.6 million, which is within the guidance range [17] - Adjusted EBITDA margin on total revenues expanded by 10 basis points to 11.3%, reflecting careful cost management [6][21] - Non-GAAP EPS increased by 9.6% year over year to $1.90, significantly outpacing revenue performance [22] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenues from commercial clients increased by 22.1% year over year, accounting for 29.5% of total revenues, up from 23.9% in the previous year [6][18] - Revenues from commercial energy clients rose by 21%, driven by strong demand for energy efficiency programs [5][7] - Revenues from state and local government clients remained stable year on year, with disaster management revenues experiencing lower pass-through revenues [11][12] - International government client revenues increased by 7.2% in the first quarter, aided by new task orders from the European Union and UK government [12][13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported that revenues from commercial, state and local, and international government clients collectively accounted for 51% of first quarter revenues, up from approximately 45% a year ago [5][18] - Federal client revenues declined by 12.6% year over year, impacted by contract funding curtailments and a slower pace of new RFPs [13][15] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to maintain adjusted EBITDA margins comparable to 2024 levels while navigating a dynamic federal government business environment [15][30] - The focus remains on capturing growth opportunities in commercial energy, state and local, and international government sectors, with expectations of at least 15% growth in these areas for the full year [29] - The company is also exploring strategic acquisitions, particularly in the energy sector, while remaining cautious in the federal arena due to uncertainty [74] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management indicated that the federal business environment remains fluid and unsettled, with expectations of continued activity but not significantly more impactful than the first quarter [33] - The company reaffirmed its revenue guidance for 2025, projecting a decline of flat to 10% from last year, primarily due to federal government revenue losses [15][29] - Management expressed confidence in the growth prospects for the commercial energy business, citing increased budgets from utility clients for energy efficiency programs [10][16] Other Important Information - The backlog at the end of the first quarter was $3.4 billion, with $1.9 billion funded, indicating stability in the business [23] - The company repurchased 313,000 shares for a total of $35 million during the first quarter, demonstrating confidence in its long-term outlook [25][26] Q&A Session Summary Question: Guidance on the impact of federal government changes - Management expects Q2 and Q3 to have similar impacts as Q1, with no significant increase in federal activity [33] Question: Update on stop work orders - The figure for stop work orders has increased to approximately $375 million [34] Question: Contribution of Applied Energy Group to revenues - Specific revenue figures for Applied Energy Group were not disclosed, but integration and performance have been positive [36][37] Question: Outlook for IT modernization business - The IT modernization business is expected to decline by 5% to 10% due to delays in awards, with no significant cuts observed yet [41][42] Question: Growth outlook for disaster recovery business - The disaster recovery business is expected to grow, supported by a robust pipeline of opportunities [60] Question: Potential for acquisitions - Future acquisitions are likely to focus on the energy sector, with smaller tuck-in acquisitions being more probable [74][76]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company's first quarter revenues declined by 1.4% year over year to $487.6 million, which is within the guidance range [16] - Adjusted EBITDA margin on total revenues expanded by 10 basis points to 11.3%, reflecting careful cost management [6][19] - Non-GAAP EPS increased by 9.6% year over year to $1.90, significantly outpacing revenue performance [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenues from commercial clients increased by 22.1% year over year, accounting for 29.5% of total first quarter revenues, up from 23.9% in the previous year [6][17] - Revenues from commercial energy clients rose by 21% year over year, driven by strong demand for energy efficiency programs [5][6] - Revenues from state and local government clients remained stable year on year, with disaster management revenues experiencing lower pass-through revenues [11] - Revenues from international government clients increased by 7.2% in the first quarter, aided by recent contract wins with the European Union and the UK government [12][13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported that revenues from commercial, state and local, and international government clients collectively accounted for 51% of total revenues, up from approximately 45% in the prior year [17] - Federal client revenues declined by 12.6% year over year, impacted by contract funding curtailments and a slower pace of new RFPs [13][14] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to maintain its adjusted EBITDA margins at levels comparable to 2024 margins while navigating a dynamic federal government business environment [14][29] - The company expects revenues from commercial energy, state and local, and international government clients to grow at least 15% in aggregate for the year, partially offsetting lower revenues from federal clients [27][28] - The company is focused on organic growth initiatives and strategic acquisitions in targeted markets, particularly in the energy sector [24][73] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management indicated that the federal business environment remains fluid and unsettled, with expectations for continued activity in the coming quarters [32] - The company reaffirmed its revenue guidance for 2025, projecting a decline of flat to 10% from last year, primarily due to federal government revenue losses [14][27] - Management expressed confidence in the growth prospects for the commercial energy business, citing increased budgets from utility clients for energy efficiency programs [10][29] Other Important Information - The company completed the integration of AEG, a leading energy technology and advisory firm, which is expected to enhance growth opportunities [9] - The backlog at the end of the first quarter was $3.4 billion, with $1.9 billion funded, indicating stability in the business [22] - The company repurchased 313,000 shares for an aggregate purchase price of $35 million, demonstrating confidence in its long-term outlook [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Guidance on the impact of federal business - Management expects Q2 and Q3 to have similar impacts as Q1, with no significant increase in federal business impact [32] Question: Update on stop work orders - The figure for stop work orders has increased to approximately $375 million [33] Question: Contribution of Applied Energy Group to revenues - The contribution of Applied Energy Group was not disclosed separately, but management expressed satisfaction with its integration and performance [35][36] Question: Outlook for IT modernization business - The IT modernization business is expected to decline by 5% to 10% for the year due to delays in awards [40] Question: Growth outlook for commercial energy - Management expects commercial energy to continue being a strong performer with high margins [46] Question: Insights on disaster recovery business - The disaster recovery business is expected to grow this year, supported by a robust pipeline of opportunities [60] Question: Potential for acquisitions - Future acquisitions are likely to focus on the energy sector, with smaller tuck-in acquisitions being more probable [73]