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Every door, side by side
Eighteen ways into government buying. Compare who each one is for, how you get in and whether it is open, then open the chapter.
Pitch-anytime doors
No deadline. Pitch any time.
Pitch-anytime doors: ways to pitch the government any time, not only when a specific solicitation is open (for example CSOs, open BAAs and unsolicited proposals). Check each notice's end date before you submit.
CH 02
Army Drone Marketplace CSO and Calls
RollingCH 04JIATF-401 counter-drone CSO
RollingCH 05DIU open solicitations
Rolling listCH 06Air Force small UAS CSO
Watch for CallsCH 07Drone OTA Consortium
Open applicationsCH 08Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace
Monthly assessmentsCH 11GSA schedule
ContinuousCH 12Fort Drum Blue-listed drone BPA
Open window| Door | Best for | How you get in | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 · The Blue List and Green UASThe key trust credential for many drone buyers. Check each notice, then get on it. | Most hardware sellers | DCMA, through its US-X office | Open: apply through the Blue List portal |
| 02 · The Army Drone MarketplaceThe broadest door into Army orders. A standing, rolling pitch window for drones, counter-drone gear, payloads, autonomy and components. | Group 1 to 3 drones, payloads, components | Rolling: open until canceled | |
| 03 · The Drone Dominance ProgramTest-then-buy competitions for cheap one-way attack drones, at prices the government sets. | Producers of low-cost attack drones | DIU + TRMC; NSWC Crane contracts | Runs in phases; current round in the companion spreadsheet |
| 04 · JIATF-401 and the counter-drone marketplaceThe joint door for sensors, effectors and command-and-control that find and defeat drones. | Counter-drone sensors, effectors, C2 | Joint Interagency Task Force 401 | Rolling CSO: long-running; check the notice for its end date |
| 05 · The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)The Pentagon's fast lane for commercial technology that already has traction. | Commercial tech with traction | Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs) | Open CSOs change; check diu.mil |
| 06 · Service CSOs and RFIsThe Air Force and Army post problem-specific calls and market research. Answering them shapes what gets bought. | Problem-specific solutions | Calls under service CSOs; RFIs | AF CSO open; watch for Calls |
| 07 · The Drone OTA Consortium and other consortiaMember groups that compete for prototype and production agreements. Join the one that has your target call. | Prototype to production OTs | The government (Drone OTA Consortium) | Open: applications accepted until May 28, 2031 (SAM.gov) |
| 08 · Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace | |||
| 09 · Prizes and test events | |||
| 10 · SBIR and STTR | |||
| 11 · The GSA scheduleThe General Services Administration (GSA) catalog contract that civil, state and local buyers order from. | Blue-listed drones for civil buyers | GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), drone category SIN 334220 | Open: MAS accepts offers on a rolling basis |
| 12 · Blanket purchase agreements and unit buysStanding agreements Army units use for small, repeat drone buys. | Resellers, distributors and makers of small drones | Sources-sought notices from Army contracting offices | Rolling: two open windows on SAM.gov |
| 13 · FMS Fast LaneAllies order pre-cleared drone and counter-drone systems through the Army's marketplaces. | Exportable, standard configurations | Get listed on the Army UAS or counter-UAS marketplace | Open: partner countries keep joining; check the program page |
| 14 · PrimesThe large companies that already hold big contracts. Sell to them as a supplier or subcontractor. | Components, payloads and software | One narrow offer to a named program | Always open: no notice needed |
| 15 · Homeland Security buyersThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Coast Guard and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) buy with their own budgets. | Border, maritime and public-safety missions | SAM.gov notices; FEMA grants through states | Open: see dates on the next page |
| 16 · The Office of Strategic CapitalThe Pentagon's lending office for manufacturers in critical supply chains. | Manufacturing scale-up | OSC funding notices (cto.mil/osc, Federal Register) | Watch for OSC funding notices |
| 17 · Compliance self-auditWhere drone deals die late: at delivery, not at the pitch. Score yourself, assign owners, close the reds. | Every company before its first award | Check, rate red / amber / green, assign an owner and a date | Rules as of Oct 19, 2026; recheck before you rely on them |
| 18 · Finding what's open nowNotices open and close every week. The live list sits in a companion spreadsheet; this chapter shows how to read it and how to keep finding new ones. | Every founder | Companion spreadsheet plus SAM.gov saved searches | Sheet pulled Oct 2026; recheck every link |
Not sure which fits? Use the door picker or the pathway map.