Class act

The Department of War Innovation Unit announced the CLASS ACT pilot program on September 24, 2026, to expand nontraditional defense contractors' access to classified DoW contracts by sponsoring facility clearances; submissions are accepted on a rolling basis for periodic topic releases with no announced close date.

Authorized under 10 U.S.C. 4022 and the FY25 NDAA, CLASS ACT addresses a structural barrier: classified contracts require facility clearance eligibility, yet classified work is required to obtain one. The 36-month pilot program selects entities with relevant capabilities or technology to gain Top Secret facility clearance sponsorship, enabling them to access and solve classified technical challenges.

Two submission types are eligible: Capability/Technology Providers must demonstrate minimum Technology Readiness Level 7, at least $10 million in equity financing, booked annual revenues of $2,000,000 or more, no adversarial capital backing, and recent national security contracting or government-sponsored exercise participation. Investors must have minimum $100 million in available non-adversarial capital and a track record of $5 million average investments in U.S. national security–aligned companies.

White paper submissions are limited to five pages, submitted electronically to the DIU Work With Us page in response to specific topic areas released periodically. Selected participants may receive Other Transaction prototype awards (minimum $2,500 compensation) or no-cost bailment agreements for classified information access.

All submissions must remain unclassified with proprietary information marked. Offerors must maintain active SAM registration, disclose Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence, certify Key Management Personnel citizenship, document security clearance eligibility, and comply with sanctions and prohibited associations requirements. Amendment 0001 clarifies that proposal invitations do not guarantee awards, and DIU will not reimburse proposal preparation costs.