Louisiana · Gulf South
Louisiana cybersecurity grants for defense contractors
Louisiana's defense footprint runs from Fort Polk's Joint Readiness Training Center in the west, to Barksdale Air Force Base and Air Force Global Strike Command headquarters in the north, to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans in the south. If you hold or pursue DoD work, a CMMC gap assessment shows exactly where you stand, and the Cyber Grants Alliance grant can cover it.
CMMC Phase 2 status: under DoD review. DoD suspended the CMMC Phase 2 third-party certification requirement in July 2026 pending a program review. Phase 1 self-assessment against NIST SP 800-171 remains mandatory now, and self-certified compliance carries more liability with third-party verification on hold.
Why it matters here
Where does Louisiana's defense work come from?
Louisiana's defense economy spans the state, from Army combat-readiness training in the west to Air Force global-strike operations in the north to Navy and Coast Guard missions in the south, creating significant contracting opportunities, and CMMC obligations, for local businesses.
Vernon Parish
Fort Polk
Home of the Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC), the Army's premier combat training center. Fort Polk spans roughly 199,000 acres, employs about 15,000 soldiers plus thousands of contractors and civilians, and accounts for more than $770 million in annual payroll.
Bossier City
Barksdale Air Force Base
Headquarters of Air Force Global Strike Command and home to the 2nd Bomb Wing's B-52H Stratofortress bombers. More than 15,000 active-duty and Air Force Reserve Command personnel serve at Barksdale.
Belle Chasse
NAS JRB New Orleans
Home to the Louisiana Air National Guard's 159th Fighter Wing, Navy Reserve and Marine Corps Reserve units, and Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans, supporting NORAD air-sovereignty, homeland-defense, and maritime-security missions.
Your local partner
Who is Louisiana's CMMC and manufacturing partner?
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana (MEPOL) is Louisiana's Manufacturing Extension Partnership center, a sponsored program of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) operating under a cooperative agreement with NIST's Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership. Established in 1997, MEPOL serves manufacturers statewide with support from a network of extension agents across LCTCS's 12 colleges.
Cybersecurity & workforce readiness
MEPOL connects manufacturers to IT and cybersecurity training through the national MEP network, including preparation relevant to CMMC and NIST 800-171, alongside process-improvement and workforce-development services.
Federal contracting support
The Louisiana APEX Accelerator (formerly the Louisiana PTAC), based at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and funded in part by a DoD Defense Logistics Agency cooperative agreement, has helped Louisiana businesses secure more than $4.4 billion in government contracts since 2009.
More resources
What other cybersecurity support can Louisiana businesses use?
Beyond the grant, Louisiana businesses can tap additional support through state, university, and federal resources.
LSU Stephenson Technologies Corporation
LSU's applied research corporation for defense and intelligence work secured a $10 million Air Force Research Laboratory award to establish a Small Business Cyber Security Operations Center, helping regional manufacturers defend against cyber incidents.
CISA Region 6
Serves Louisiana through CISA's regional presence, providing no-cost cybersecurity advisories and incident-response support to critical infrastructure and defense-adjacent businesses.
Louisiana APEX Accelerator
Formerly the Louisiana PTAC, this University of Louisiana at Lafayette-hosted program provides free help with SAM.gov registration, bid matching, cybersecurity readiness, and proposal preparation for federal and DoD contracts.
The grant
How much does a CMMC gap assessment cost in Louisiana?
Through the CMMC gap assessment grant, it is a $5,000 in-kind award, no cash changes hands. You receive the assessment itself, delivered by a certified partner. 100 grants are available.
Confirm you qualify
Open to U.S. defense contractors and manufacturers in the supply chain that hold or pursue DoD contracts and have not yet completed a CMMC assessment.
Get assessed against NIST 800-171
A certified partner reviews your current controls and produces a scored gap report showing what stands between you and CMMC Level 2.
Leave with a remediation plan
You receive a prioritized action list and the resources that can fund the fixes, so compliance becomes a budget line, not a guess.
Questions
Frequently asked questions — Louisiana CMMC grants
Who qualifies for the CMMC gap assessment grant in Louisiana?
The grant is open to U.S. defense contractors and manufacturers in the DoD supply chain that hold or are pursuing DoD contracts and have not yet completed a CMMC assessment. Louisiana businesses supporting Fort Polk, Barksdale Air Force Base, or Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans are typical candidates.
How much does a CMMC gap assessment cost in Louisiana?
Through the Cyber Grants Alliance program, the assessment is delivered as a $5,000 in-kind grant, no cash award. You receive the assessment itself from a certified partner. 100 grants are available.
What is Louisiana's MEP center?
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana (MEPOL), a program of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System operating under a NIST cooperative agreement, is Louisiana's Manufacturing Extension Partnership center. It provides manufacturing improvement, workforce, and federal-contracting readiness support, including guidance relevant to CMMC and NIST 800-171, to Louisiana manufacturers statewide.
Is CMMC Level 2 enforcement still happening on November 10, 2026?
No. DoD suspended the CMMC Phase 2 third-party (C3PAO) certification requirement on July 13, 2026, pending a program review, so there is no confirmed enforcement date at this time. Phase 1 self-assessment against all 110 NIST SP 800-171 controls remains mandatory now, and self-certified SPRS scores carry more liability while third-party verification is paused. A gap assessment is still the essential first step.
Do subcontractors in Louisiana need CMMC?
If your contract or a prime's contract involves Controlled Unclassified Information, CMMC requirements generally flow down to subcontractors that handle that information. A gap assessment is the fastest way to confirm what applies to you.
Ready when you are
Apply for your CMMC gap assessment grant
100 in-kind awards, $5,000 each. Confirm eligibility and submit in minutes.