Commercial Tech Startups Selling to DoW: Why Opting For Fractional Support Is Right For You
You’re a commercial tech founder with mission-critical technology. Your pilot has gained momentum with your Pentagon clients, both in the program office and with the end users. Things are moving quickly.
Then reality hits. As you shift to selling to the Department of War (DoW) for the first time, compliance hurdles come sharply into focus:
Long timelines to obtain Authority to Operate (ATO) certification and navigate the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP)
Questions about whether you need to access a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), security clearances, or both, and how long either will take you
A Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2 Certification requirement from your prime partners, due sooner than the November deadline you were planning around
Suddenly the clock is ticking on your opportunity. You’re scrambling to understand and address must-have requirements you didn’t fully anticipate.
BLUF: Cracking product-market fit with DoW is a real accomplishment, but your moat is not just mission-aligned technology. Many companies lose momentum when tackling expensive, complicated, and time-consuming compliance requirements. That’s what StonePoint Solutions’ fractional support model was built to solve.
The compliance challenge: The compliance gap is a structural problem. Many startups and small-to-medium-sized companies lack expertise, resources, and relationships to navigate the national security compliance landscape effectively. Yet many founders underestimate what’s needed, including
200 to 1200 hours to respond to a funding opportunity;
Six to eight months to obtain secure facilities access, before work can begin; and
More than $100,000 to obtain CMMC Level 2 Certification when scoped right the first time, before factoring in implementation.
The choice many founders face is between two bad options: pulling mission-critical talent off core work, or investing in expensive, specialized capacity ahead of your business plan. StonePoint Solutions offers another way.
The fractional support model: StonePoint Solutions offers a subscription model designed for founders at every stage. Customizable compliance services, tailored to your business needs, gives smaller and earlier-stage companies the expertise and support needed to plan for and successfully achieve complex approvals required to execute their go-to-market strategy, at a manageable price point.
What differentiates our model isn’t just decades of deep ecosystem expertise, but our integrated approach. We work alongside you and your team to analyze, strategize, plan, and execute all your compliance needs.
StonePoint Solutions supports your goals holistically, whether that's on contracts, exports and mitigating foreign interests, or cyber compliance. Selling off the commercial list to an eager customer sounds straightforward, until you dig in. Does your hardware involve a technical package with Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), interact with telemetry and mission data, and integrate with a weapons system or Program of Record? If your answer to those requirements is “yes” or even “I’m not sure,” you need advice and a plan, including for CMMC Level 2. We can help.
We provide you with expert leverage at all stages, and coordinate partners for what you need, and only what you need, when you need it.
Compliance becomes your moat: Compliance barriers can be as big as CMMC or as granular as font requirements. The right support can mean the difference between strategic positioning, growth, and investor confidence, or the inability to compete, client loss, and your raise at risk.
Here’s what founders who have been there say about our work:
“We’ve found StonePoint Solutions to be an exceptional partner in navigating the complexities of the defense ecosystem. As a nontraditional defense contractor, gaining traction within government channels while maintaining compliance can be challenging. StonePoint has streamlined that process for us.”
“[The StonePoint Solutions] team operates as a true concierge, opening doors to key stakeholders, guiding us through regulatory and compliance requirements, and ensuring we are positioned effectively for meaningful engagement. Their deep understanding of the defense landscape, combined with a highly responsive and mission-oriented approach, has made them a force multiplier for our growth in the government and defense sector.”
Defense tech companies don’t win contracts solely based on their product. They turn compliance into a strategic advantage and come to the table audit- and assessment-ready.