Introduction
Many defense contractors are waiting to begin CMMC compliance until they see the requirement appear in a solicitation.
Unfortunately, by the time that happens, it may already be too late.
CMMC certification is a condition of contract award, meaning organizations must already meet the requirement before a contract is awarded. If your company is not compliant when the award decision is made, you will not receive the contract.
Recent analysis of upcoming Department of Defense contract opportunities shows that the timeline between solicitation and award is often far shorter than most contractors expect.
The Key Metric: Procurement Administrative Lead Time (PALT)
To understand how much time contractors really have, it’s important to look at Procurement Administrative Lead Time (PALT).
PALT measures the amount of time between:
- Contract solicitation
- Contract award
Because CMMC certification must be in place before contract award, this window represents the maximum amount of time a contractor would have to become compliant if they waited until the solicitation appeared.
For many contractors, that window is extremely short.
What the Data Shows
An analysis of 1,070 upcoming contract opportunities from the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) acquisition forecast provides valuable insight into typical timelines.
Across all contracts evaluated:
Average time from solicitation to award: approximately 10 months.
For most organizations, that is not enough time to start from scratch and achieve CMMC Level 2 certification.
Smaller Contracts Move Even Faster
The timeline becomes even shorter for smaller contract opportunities.
Contracts Under $2 Million
Average timeline: ~8 months
$2M – $7.5M Contracts
Average timeline: ~9 months
$7.5M – $50M Contracts
Average timeline: ~9 months
$50M – $100M Contracts
Average timeline: ~9–10 months
These contract values represent a large portion of the Defense Industrial Base, particularly small and mid-sized contractors.
In other words, most defense contractors competing for these opportunities would have less than a year to become compliant if they waited until solicitation.
Larger Contracts Do Not Provide Much More Time
Even for larger programs, timelines remain tight.
$100M – $250M Contracts
Average timeline: ~15 months
$250M – $1B Contracts
Average timeline: ~11–12 months
$1B+ Contracts
Average timeline: ~15 months
While these timelines are slightly longer, they still require organizations to move quickly.
Large programs also tend to involve more complex environments, supply chains, and security requirements.
The Reality of CMMC Implementation
Many organizations assume they can achieve CMMC compliance in just a few months.
In reality, the process typically includes:
- Performing a NIST SP 800-171 gap assessment
- Implementing missing security controls
- Documenting security practices and policies
- Establishing a defined CMMC assessment scope
- Conducting internal readiness reviews
- Scheduling and completing a C3PAO assessment
For most organizations, this process takes 9 to 18 months.
That means the typical solicitation-to-award window may be shorter than the time required to prepare for certification.
Why Waiting Is Risky
Defense contractors who delay preparation face several risks:
Lost Contract Opportunities
Without CMMC certification at the time of award, organizations cannot receive contracts requiring that level of certification.
Supply Chain Exclusion
Prime contractors are already requiring CMMC readiness from their suppliers.
Companies without certification may be excluded from supplier networks.
Compressed Implementation Timelines
Even if a contractor attempts to accelerate the process, internal approvals, budgeting, and remediation activities can quickly consume several months.
Upcoming Contract Activity
Contract activity is accelerating.
Forecast data shows:
- 30% of NAVAIR solicitations expected in Q2 2026
- 32% of contract awards expected in Q2 2026
This means many organizations will soon encounter solicitations requiring CMMC certification.
Contractors who have not started preparing may already be behind schedule.
The Bottom Line
The timeline between solicitation and contract award is often less than a year.
For most organizations, achieving CMMC compliance requires significantly longer.
Defense contractors that start early will have a clear advantage when new solicitations are released.
Those who wait may find themselves unable to compete for critical contract opportunities.
If your organization needs guidance on preparing for CMMC compliance, SME, Inc. helps defense contractors assess their readiness, implement required controls, and prepare for certification.
Schedule a consultation easily online today: https://outlook.office.com/book/CMMCConsulting@smeinc.net
