Breaking Into Defense Tech

1. Understand the industry.Explore companies, programs, and the glossary to learn who builds what and how the market works.
2. Validate a product or service.Start with mission discovery. Identify who experiences the problem, who makes purchasing decisions, and what evidence would justify adoption.
3. Find potential customers.Research past awards and current opportunities to identify relevant agencies, existing suppliers, and possible partners.
4. Choose a funding or contracting route.Explore SBIR and STTR for research funding, accelerators for capital and mentors, the Department of War front doors for prototype work, and funding beyond DoW for energy and deep-tech research.
5. Prepare your business.Find contracting and manufacturing assistance to understand the steps relevant to your business and build delivery capacity.
6. Check requirements early.Use the FedRAMP and ITAR starting points to scope cloud security and export-control questions with your customer and compliance lead.

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  Tools for understanding customer needs

  Mission Model Canvas & problem discovery →

  Hacking for Defense’s sponsor toolkit includes a Mission Model Canvas and problem sponsor guide. Use these as references to describe the mission need, identify stakeholders, and prepare questions for potential users and customers.

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  Lessons for founders & product teams

  Defense customer discovery case studies →

  Hacking for Defense’s course projects offer examples of teams interviewing users, testing assumptions, and changing direction. Read them for lessons you can apply when validating a defense product or service; assess commercial traction separately.

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  Grant search

  Grants.gov →

  Search federal funding announcements across agencies. Use each notice to check applicant eligibility, deadlines, award details, and application requirements.

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  Contract search

  SAM.gov →

  Search federal contract opportunities, including solicitations and sources-sought notices. Useful for identifying government buyers and upcoming procurement needs.

Use your proposed product, data, customer, and activities to determine which requirements apply. These starting points cover federal cloud security and defense trade controls; applicability requires a review of your specific use case.

Federal cloud security · General Services Administration (GSA)

FedRAMP — Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program

When to check

You offer a cloud service that handles federal information on behalf of an agency. Work with the agency to assess the planned use against FedRAMP’s scope and exclusions.

Next action

Document the data your service handles and its system boundary, identify the agency security owner, and check the exact offering in the FedRAMP Marketplace. Confirm the applicable assessment path and agency requirements before committing to a timeline.

Agency decision

FedRAMP security evidence supports the customer’s review. The agency remains responsible for its authorization to operate (ATO), including its configuration and use of the service.

FedRAMP is transitioning its terminology and processes. Check the official transition dates before using older authorization playbooks. GSA program overview →

Defense trade controls · State Department / DDTC

ITAR — International Traffic in Arms Regulations

When to check

Your work involves defense articles, related technical data, or defense services. Start with classification against the United States Munitions List. Selling to a defense customer alone does not establish that a product is ITAR-controlled.

Next action

Have your export-compliance lead or qualified counsel assess the product, technical data, activities, destinations, and recipients. Review registration requirements and exemptions, then determine the licenses, agreements, or exemptions needed for the proposed activity with the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC).

Registration and authorization

Manufacturers of controlled defense articles may need to register even without exporting, subject to exemptions. Registration does not grant export rights. Review technical-data access as well as shipments: a release to a foreign person in the United States can constitute an export.

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  Contracting assistance

  APEX Accelerators →

  Find a local accelerator for education and guidance on participating in federal, state, and local government contracting.

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  Manufacturing assistance

  NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership →

  Find an MEP center serving small and medium-sized manufacturers. The network helps with manufacturing operations, technology adoption, supply chains, and workforce needs.

Browse every federal contract award to the covered companies since FY2008, by agency, program and place, to see who buys what you make and who already supplies it.