DODPhase II
$1.7M
Vector Atomic, Inc.
PNT, quantum sensing, atomic clocks
You're leaving government money on the table. $4 billion in non-dilutive SBIR/STTR grants just reopened. Is your company ready to claim it?
Take our free 14-minute Government Contract Readiness Assessment. Ours is the only one graded by the people who actually award the money: a $539M federal program manager and a former proposal reviewer. Your personalized email report covers eligibility, best-fit agencies, and exactly what to do first.
- Your Readiness Score across the 7 dimensions that determine funding decisions
- The 2-3 gaps that would get your application rejected before you submit
- A 90-day action plan built from the government buyer's playbook, including whether you qualify for accelerated pathways
14-16 minutesPersonalized report by emailNo AI. Human reviewed. Every submission.
Companies are winning right now0 awards in the last 6 months
DODPhase I
$305K
Helion Avionics LLC
counter-UAS, edge AI, sensor fusion
NIHPhase II
$1.5M
Lumen Bioworks Inc.
diagnostics, AMR, microfluidics
NASAPhase II
$1.3M
Aether Propulsion Corp.
in-space propulsion, smallsat, green propellants
NSFPhase I
$305K
Bedrock Materials, Inc.
battery materials, sodium-ion, grid storage
DODPhase II
$1.1M
Stellaris Robotics LLC
AUV, subsea autonomy
NIHPhase I
$412K
Polaris Quantum Biotech, Inc.
quantum computing, drug discovery, oncology
DODPhase I
$290K
Solstice Aerosystems, Inc.
HALE, ISR, space domain awareness
DODPhase II
$1.7M
Vector Atomic, Inc.
PNT, quantum sensing, atomic clocks
DODPhase I
$305K
Helion Avionics LLC
counter-UAS, edge AI, sensor fusion
NIHPhase II
$1.5M
Lumen Bioworks Inc.
diagnostics, AMR, microfluidics
NASAPhase II
$1.3M
Aether Propulsion Corp.
in-space propulsion, smallsat, green propellants
NSFPhase I
$305K
Bedrock Materials, Inc.
battery materials, sodium-ion, grid storage
DODPhase II
$1.1M
Stellaris Robotics LLC
AUV, subsea autonomy
NIHPhase I
$412K
Polaris Quantum Biotech, Inc.
quantum computing, drug discovery, oncology
DODPhase I
$290K
Solstice Aerosystems, Inc.
HALE, ISR, space domain awareness
Here's what that looks like in practice.
The only readiness assessment built and graded by people who sat on the government side of the table and decided who got funded.
ClearPath is led by Kendall Hubbard, who spent her USAF career evaluating contractors, allocating budgets, and making procurement decisions across $539M in federal programs. She has been on the government side of the table and knows how program officers separate fundable companies from applications that never make it through review.
She's backed by a network of former agency reviewers, acquisition advisors, and proposal specialists matched to your agency, including DoD, NASA, DOE, NSF, and more. The people who evaluate proposals are now on your side.
She knows what program officers look for, how budgets get allocated, which proposals get funded, and how to connect companies directly with the DoD units that sponsor their technology areas.
How a 3D Printing Company With No Government Contracts Landed $400K in DoD Funding in Just Weeks, Not Years
AUTOCON had something rare: a commercially proven 3D-printing technology the military genuinely needed. What it didn't have was a way in. Kaleb's first attempt was a dead end: the paperwork alone took 11½ months (6 of which were spent waiting for a single signature). The problem? He had no relationship inside the bases where these decisions actually get made. With Kendall, it was different.
Starting point
AUTOCON had a technology that worked. The last time Kaleb tried to sell it to the government, fifty people had to sign off. Forty-nine did. The fiftieth went on leave, and the project sat frozen for months, because reassigning one signature was more effort than anyone in the bureaucracy would spend. The system was rigged against him from the start.
What Kendall did
- Pinpointed the exact DoD requirements where AUTOCON's technology matched an active, funded need.
- Surfaced funding the base didn't even know it had: money already on the books that no one was tracking. The contract cost leadership nothing in the new budget.
- Used her relationships inside the building to line up the contract vehicle and the right contracting officer.
- Built the proposal strategy and budget structure the DoD actually funds.
- Drove a Sole Source justification, which bypassed the 3–6 month (often multi-year) competitive bidding process entirely.
The result
$400K in DoD funding. Sole source. No competitive bid. In weeks, not years.A competitive base-level contract normally takes 12-18 months to award. Kaleb's first attempt stalled at 11½ with the paperwork alone. This time, because Kendall went sole source and the money was already sitting on the books, the usual clock never even started. Same founder and the same technology. The system didn't change. The only thing that changed was having someone on the inside.
"The military is a brotherhood. If you're part of it, you're part of it. If not, it's very hard to find your way through. That's where Kendall comes in... Other people had tried before us and never got it across the finish line... Kendall actually gets it done. Why did we wait 11½ months to get the same paperwork done with anyone else?"
How It Works
Complete the 14-16 minute assessment
Get your personalized readiness report, the same evaluation a federal program manager would run on your company
If your company qualifies, book a free exploratory call to see if we're a fit
We work with fewer than 10% of companies who apply for SBIR/STTR funding each cycle. The assessment helps us identify the companies we can help most.
Is this right for you?
- Your innovation could serve government or military needs. SBIR grants range from $150K to $30M.
- You want capital that doesn't cost equity: $750K-$1.7M on your balance sheet, 100% ownership.
- You want revenue that renews, not one-time deals: $500K-$5M+ over 3-5 years.
- You want a guide who's been the buyer, not just the seller. We have $539M managed from inside the DoD, with clients funded in as fast as 3 weeks.
- You're a small business with fewer than 500 employees.
About Us
She left the USAF in April 2026 to bring that insider perspective to the private sector. Most small businesses never apply for government funding because nobody on the government side ever showed them how.
"We had no idea how to get our product into federal procurement. Kendall mapped the entire pathway, from FEMA to DoD, and gave us a proposal that spoke the government's language. She's not guessing at what they want. She knows because she used to be the one making those decisions." - Colin S, CEO of Carnivore Bar
FAQ
What is SBIR/STTR?
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) are federal programs that award grants from $150K to $2M+ to small businesses developing innovative technologies. They do not require any equity in return.
How much does the assessment cost?
Free. You get the same readiness evaluation Kendall, a $539M federal program manager, would run on your company and feedback from a bench of former agency reviewers. The report is tailored to your technology, industry, and target agencies. Done by humans who have experience scoring proposals from the inside.
Who actually reviews my assessment?
Every assessment is reviewed by a real person. Reviews are led by Kendall Hubbard, a former USAF program manager who made $539M in federal procurement decisions, and she's backed by a network of former agency reviewers, acquisition advisors, and proposal specialists matched to your agency across DoD, NASA, DOE, NSF, and more. Many of these experts scored proposals from inside the review panel. You're getting read by both sides of the funding decision: the buyer who allocated the money and the reviewers who graded the proposals. And if you become a client, your proposal gets a second senior review before you submit, a fresh insider read most applicants never get.
Why is the assessment free?
Because the assessment benefits both sides. You get a real evaluation of your readiness and a clear action plan. We get to identify the companies that are the strongest fit for hands-on support.
What kind of companies qualify?
U.S.-owned small businesses with fewer than 500 employees. Your technology or product needs to align with a federal agency's mission. The assessment tells you exactly where you fit.
How long does it take to win a government contract?
It depends on the pathway. Competitive SBIR applications typically take 60-90 days of preparation, with awards following the agency's review cycle. Procurement contracts can move faster and in some cases, sole source awards can be completed in weeks.
What if we've never done government contracting before?
That is exactly who this is for. Most of our clients start with zero government experience. The assessment identifies your starting point and maps the exact steps from where you are now to your first submission.
What happened with the SBIR funding freeze?
SBIR/STTR programs were frozen from October 2025 through April 2026. They've been reauthorized through 2031 and agencies are reopening solicitations now. Companies that are ready will capture the pent-up funding first.
Do you help with other government procurement?
Yes. We help companies with federal procurement across FEMA, DoD, and other agencies including sole source contracts that bypass the standard 3-6 month competitive bidding timeline. One client went from application to funded in three weeks.
What happens after the exploratory call?
If we're a strong fit, we'll present a tailored 90-day roadmap to get your company positioned for government contracts. This includes a second senior review on every engagement. If we're not the right fit, you'll still walk away with the free assessment report and our honest recommendation on your next steps.
The companies that move first after reauthorization will capture the most funding. Will yours be one of them?
It takes 10 minutes. The report is free. And you'll know exactly how a government buyer would evaluate your company.