CMMC Ready Now Sponsors $500,000 in Gap Assessment Grants for Small Defense Contractors
100 in-kind grants valued at $5,000 each, donated to Cyber Grants Alliance to help small and mid-sized defense contractors prepare for the November 2026 CMMC Level 2 deadline.
CMMC Ready Now is proud to announce a $500,000 in-kind sponsorship with Cyber Grants Alliance (CGA), providing 100 free CMMC gap assessment grants to small and mid-sized defense contractors in the Department of Defense supply chain.
Each grant is valued at $5,000 and provides recipients with a comprehensive evaluation against all 110 security controls in the NIST SP 800-171 framework, which forms the foundation of CMMC Level 2 certification. Grants are being awarded on a first come, first served basis to qualifying businesses.
Why We're Doing This
The CMMC Phase 2 deadline is November 10, 2026. When that date arrives, defense contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) will need to demonstrate Level 2 compliance through a certified third-party assessment. The DoD estimates that a Level 2 C3PAO assessment alone can cost between $105,000 and $118,000, with total compliance costs ranging from $75,000 to over $150,000.
For a 30-person machine shop in West Virginia or a construction subcontractor in Georgia, those numbers can be the difference between staying in defense work or walking away entirely. Industry analysts predict that between 33,000 and 44,000 companies (15 to 20 percent of the defense industrial base) will exit the defense market between 2025 and 2027 because they cannot absorb these costs.
That is a national security problem. Small businesses make up more than 70% of the defense industrial base. They manufacture components, build facilities, and deliver services that keep our military operational. When they leave, the supply chain weakens.
We believe the first step should not be the most expensive one. A gap assessment tells a contractor exactly where they stand, which controls they are meeting, which ones they are failing, and what it will take to close the gaps. That clarity is what lets small businesses make informed decisions instead of guessing or giving up.
“Small and mid-sized defense contractors sit at the heart of the defense industrial base, but they are being squeezed by rising CMMC costs and tight implementation timelines. This grant removes the cost barrier to that critical first gap assessment so contractors can quickly see where they stand, protect their revenue, and build a realistic plan before it's too late.”
Rick Dassler, Executive Director, Cyber Grants Alliance
What Each Grant Includes
- ✓Full evaluation against all 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls across 14 control families
- ✓Assessment of technical infrastructure, policies, procedures, and operational practices
- ✓Gap identification and prioritization by severity
- ✓A complete picture of the organization's current CMMC compliance posture
- ✓Delivered through CMMC Ready Now's gap assessment platform, completable in as little as 30 minutes without requiring dedicated IT staff
Why Applying Now Matters
CMMC implementation activity is accelerating in early 2026 as contractors prepare for CMMC requirements to appear in more solicitations and contract renewals over the next 18 to 24 months. Applying now gives contractors a head start while all 100 grants are still available and leaves maximum time to turn assessment findings into funded remediation before CMMC becomes a firm gate to contract award.
Many organizations will wait until late 2026, when assessors and compliance advisors are likely to be backlogged and remediation costs higher under compressed timelines. By securing a grant now, contractors can complete their gap assessment this spring, align remediation with their 2026-2027 budget cycles, and avoid last-minute scrambles that put contracts and cash flow at risk.
Who Qualifies
The grants are available to small and medium-sized businesses that meet any of the following criteria:
- Defense Industrial Base (DIB) contractors and subcontractors
- Manufacturers in the DoD supply chain
- Government contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)
- Businesses pursuing or renewing federal contracts requiring CMMC compliance
Priority is given to businesses with fewer than 100 employees that have not yet completed a professional CMMC readiness assessment.
How to Apply
Interested businesses can apply directly through Cyber Grants Alliance at cybergrantsalliance.org/cmmc-gap-assessment-grant. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and grants are awarded first come, first served until all 100 grants have been distributed. Approved applicants receive a grant code to access the CMMC Gap Assessment platform immediately.
Apply for a Free CMMC Gap Assessment Grant
100 grants available on a first come, first served basis. Each grant covers a full evaluation against all 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls at no cost.
Apply Now at CGAAbout Cyber Grants Alliance
Cyber Grants Alliance is a nonprofit organization that provides cybersecurity grants to small and medium-sized businesses, including penetration testing, CMMC compliance tools, employee cybersecurity training, and CyberCert certification. CGA's mission is to make enterprise-grade cybersecurity accessible to the businesses that need it most.
About CMMC Ready Now
CMMC Ready Now is a cybersecurity compliance platform that provides CMMC tracking, gap assessments, and readiness tools for defense contractors navigating NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC Level 2 requirements.