FEBRUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER

"I appreciate their availability and responsiveness." – Magnetic Systems International, Inc.

Did you know that the Department of Defense has begun their phased rollout of CMMC? We are currently in Phase 1, which primarily focuses on CMMC Level 1 and Level 2 self-assessments.

What does this mean for your business?

During Phase 1, DoD contractors handling Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) will need to meet certain cybersecurity standards and safeguarding requirements. Depending on the contract, they may fall under Level 1 or Level 2.

• Level 1: 15 requirements in FAR 52.204-21, annual self-assessment and affirmation entered in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) required.
• Level 2: 110 requirements in NIST SP 800-171 R2 required by DFARS 252.204-7021, triennial self-assessment and annual affirmation entered in the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) required.

What's next?

• There are 4 phases in the CMMC rollout plan. Plase 2 is scheduled to begin on November 10th, 2026.

Where can you find more information?

Luckily, there are many resources out there to help educate you on CMMC and how to become compliant.



• U.S. Department of War Chief Information Officer
• https://dowcio.war.gov/CMMC/About/
• Defense Logistics Agency Cybersecurity Resources for Suppliers
• https://www.dla.mil/Small-Business/Resource-Center/Cybersecurity-Resources/#SupplyClassestoCMMCLevels
• Project Spectrum
• https://www.projectspectrum.io/#/

The Northern Michigan Defense Conference is returning to Traverse City on March 5-6, 2026! This will be held at the Hagerty Center at Northwest Michigan College, located at 715 E Front Street.

This event is a must-attend for business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals eager to expand their presence in the defense and aerospace industries. Whether you’re an established contractor, a small business looking to break into the federal market, or a professional seeking insights into the latest defense trends, the Northern Michigan Defense Conference will provide you with the knowledge, tools, and connections to succeed.

Admission to this event is limited, so we recommend registering ASAP. To learn more, go to: https://business.traverseconnect.com/events/details/northern-michigan-defense-conference-2026-6765

The U.S. Army's ERDCWERX is seeking submissions for solutions to integrate continuous fiber-reinforced additive manufacturing technologies into future infrastructure projects. These solutions must meet a short list of requirements, with preference given to technologies that are (or soon will be) commercially available.

Submission deadline is February 13, 2026. For more details or to submit your solution(s), please go to: https://www.erdcwerx.org/continuous-fiber-reinforced-additive-manufacturing-technologies/

The Michigan Economic Development Corporation's (MEDC) Office of Defense and Aerospace Innovation (ODAI) is conducting a survey of Michigan's aerospace and defense ecosystem to address shortfalls in available secure facilities. If your firm is a provider of aerospace and/or defense products, you input is requested.

To take the survey, please go to: https://bit.ly/4jnyBoS

Grand Traverse County has posted requests for bids on a number of projects including window cleaning, lawn care, and demolition work at radio towers, the courthouse and jail. To see these opportunities and more, go to: https://www.bidnetdirect.com/mitn/grand-traverse-county

Important note: Our team's landline phones, indicated by their 231-929-50xx format, are no longer in service. All of our staff carry cell phones, and those numbers can be found on our website and at the bottom of our emails. If you need to reach one of us by phone and cannot find the number, contact Sean @ 231-620-2211.

APEX Training Calendar

In the course of navigating the complexities of government contracting, our clients receive a fair number of emails from official agencies. However, you may also be contacted by outside parties who wish to profit from your contracting efforts through deceptive means. If you receive a notification from a government agency requesting action, that address should end with a .gov or .mil suffix. Beware of scams and phishing attempts! These messages are often worded with enough official-sounding verbiage to cause concern, and we've been informed that such emails are circulating lately.

Other emails may come from private firms who express concerns regarding your SAM.gov registration and offer - for a fee - to assist. These aren't usually scams, but such firms offer to provide much of what we already do at no cost to you. This isn't illegal; it's simply unnecessary.

If you receive communications along these lines that worry you - especially if they indicate some form of looming crisis if you don't act quickly - please contact your Northwest Michigan APEX Accelerator counselor for advice.

Effective October 1, 2025, authorization for the SBIR/STTR program has lapsed. Functionality related to SBIR/STTR execution will be paused. DoD Office for Small Business Innovation SBIR/STTR activities are impacted as follows:

• Pre-release period for SBIR BAA 25.4 Release 12 & STTR BAA 25.D Release 12 will be extended; topics will open on the first Wednesday following program reauthorization. Closing dates will be extended accordingly to maintain a four-week open period for proposal submissions.
• FY 26 solicitation releases are paused; pre-release, open and closing dates will be clarified following program reauthorization.

DSIP Support remains available to assist users with questions and account issues. Please monitor DSIP for the most up-to-date information regarding SBIR/STTR Program impacts specific to program reauthorization.

For more information, please go to: https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Planning has released innovation pathways for business & industry, students & academia (including internships, grants, scholarships and research opportunities), and for the warfighter. Learn More.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has introduced a Fast-Track Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) offering to accelerate the commercialization of innovative technologies. This program aims to streamline the funding process for promising small businesses and startups engaged in cutting-edge research and development. Learn More.

U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Patents and Patent Applications are Available for Licensing.

ERDC continually develops innovations to benefit the Army and the Nation’s needs. ERDC’s Office of Research and Technology Transfer (ORTT), along with its Partnership Intermediaries, are tasked with helping industry benefit from these inventions by widely disseminating the technologies for incorporation back into military application and/or broader non-military use. To protect the Government’s interests, the technologies are patented, marketed, and licensed to partners for commercial applications.

Many of ERDC’s patents and patent applications are available for licensing. Learn more at https://www.erdcwerx.org/erdc/.

The Department of Defense is interested in learning about businesses, including university spin-off and entrepreneurial sole proprietors, working on the US critical and emerging technologies and DOD critical technology areas. Does yours fall in one of these categories?

• Advanced Computing and Software
• Advanced Materials
• Biotechnology
• Directed Energy
• Energy Resilience
• Future Generation Wireless Technology
• Human-Machine Interfaces
• Hypersonics
• Integrated Network Systems-of-Systems
• Integrated Sensing and Cyber
• Microelectronics
• Quantum Science
• Space Technology
• Trusted AI and Autonomy

Learn more about the DoD CTA at  https://dod-critical-technology-area-roadmaps.zoiclabs.io/.

If yes, please contact your APEX Accelerator counselor.

Title III of the Defense Production Act (DPA) provides unique authorities, under which the United States Government (heretofore referred to as the “Government” or “USG”) may provide appropriate incentives to create, maintain, protect, expand, or restore the productive capacities of domestic sources for critical components, critical technology items, and industrial resources essential for the execution of the national security strategy of the United States. The principal objective of all DPA Title III investments is to strengthen and expand these domestic productive capacities and to ensure Government access to critical technology items well into the future. Learn more at https://www.businessdefense.gov/ibr/mceip/dpai/dpat3/docs/DPA-TitleIII-Overview.pdf.

Small Business Cybersecurity Information

The DAF CISO's Blue Cyber Education Series for Small Businesses and Academic/Research Institutions is in its third year and has made over 20K outreach contacts in the U.S. Small Business ecosystem since April 2021. This program is dedicated to an early-partnership with Defense Industrial Base small business contractors and potential contractors to arm them with the latest in cybersecurity best practices. For more: https://www.dafcio.af.mil/CISO/Small-Business-Cybersecurity-Information/

Strengthen Your Online Fortress With These Essential Cybersecurity Tips

[1] Use robust passwords and manage them securely with a password manager

[2] Add an extra layer of defense by enabling multi-factor authentication

[3] Stay vigilant against phishing attempts; recognize and report suspicious emails or messages

immediately

[4] Keep your devices shielded by regularly updating software; patches often fix vulnerabilities

Cybersecurity Support from the Michigan SBDC

The risk for security threats is certainly daunting, but the Michigan SBDC is here to provide valuable guides, consulting, webinars and more to protect your business from hackers. See more on their website.

Project Spectrum

As a part of Project Spectrum’s ongoing mission to educate the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) on cybersecurity best practices, their team is excited to announce a “refresh” of the Project Spectrum web portal, ProjectSpectrum.io. This iteration of the Project Spectrum website will better inform visitors of the myriad tools and resources available to them at no cost through the Project Spectrum platform.

Upon visiting the site, users will now be presented with a wheel of options to choose from, ranging from background on the different types of data their companies may process, the CMMC compliance standard, information specific to manufacturers, and more.

Take a look at their redesigned site at https://projectspectrum.io.

The Northwest Michigan APEX Accelerator is a not-for-profit organization helping companies in northwest Michigan and the Upper Peninsula successfully obtain and perform under local, state, and federal government contracts. All of our services are provided at no charge.

The Northwest Michigan APEX Accelerator is funded in part by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). The APEX Accelerator is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense.