The Pentagon’s New Program to Help Companies Obtain a Facility Security Clearance
Holland & Knight – The U.S. Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) on September 24, 2026, opened the Classified Access to Address Critical Technology (CLASS ACT) program, a 36-month pilot that sponsors nontraditional defense contractors for facility security clearances before a specific contracting requirement exists, removing the traditional prerequisite of holding a DOW prime contract or subcontract. Selected participants may receive prototype Other Transaction agreements with a direct pathway to follow-on production contracts, and DIU will coordinate industrial security support to guide each performer through the facility clearance process.
