Nevada · Western US
Nevada cybersecurity grants for defense contractors
Nevada's defense footprint runs from Nellis Air Force Base and Creech Air Force Base near Las Vegas to Naval Air Station Fallon east of Reno and Hawthorne Army Depot in the state's west, spanning fighter training, remotely piloted aircraft operations, naval aviation warfare training, and the nation's largest ammunition storage complex. 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 Nevada's defense work come from?
Nevada hosts four major defense installations spanning air combat training, remotely piloted aircraft operations, naval aviation warfare, and munitions storage, creating significant contracting opportunities, and CMMC obligations, for local businesses.
Las Vegas area
Nellis Air Force Base
Located about 8 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nellis is home to the USAF Weapons School, which trains advanced fighter tactics including F-35A instruction, and the Red Flag large-force training exercise. The base encompasses roughly 5,000 square miles of land and 7,700 square miles of restricted airspace across the Nevada Test and Training Range, and has been designated the Air Force's 5th-generation Center of Excellence.
Indian Springs
Creech Air Force Base
Located about 45 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Creech is home to remotely piloted aircraft (MQ-9 Reaper) operations, including the 42nd Attack Squadron, which flies combat and training missions via satellite-linked ground control stations.
Near Reno
Naval Air Station Fallon
Located about 60 miles east of Reno, NAS Fallon is the U.S. Navy's premier strike, fighter, and integrated carrier air wing training installation. It is home to the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center (NAWDC) and the TOPGUN program (Navy Fighter Weapons School), which relocated to Fallon in 1996.
Western Nevada
Hawthorne Army Depot
Located near Hawthorne in western Nevada, this installation is billed as the world's largest ammunition storage depot, spanning roughly 147,000 acres with 2,400-plus bunkers. It is operated for the U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command and handles receipt, storage, issue, and demilitarization of conventional munitions.
Your local partner
Who is Nevada's CMMC and manufacturing partner?
Nevada Industry Excellence, operating as Manufacture Nevada, is the state's NIST-designated Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) center, housed within the Nevada System of Higher Education at the University of Nevada, Reno. It provides business growth, workforce, and manufacturing-operations support, such as Lean Six Sigma training and process improvement, to small and medium-sized Nevada manufacturers, and has received a NIST MEP grant of nearly $950,000.
General manufacturing & workforce support
Manufacture Nevada's published service list covers business growth, workforce development, and manufacturing-operations consulting for Nevada manufacturers.
CMMC-specific services unconfirmed
We could not verify a dedicated CMMC readiness or NIST 800-171 gap-assessment service line on Manufacture Nevada's own site. If cybersecurity compliance support is central to your search, confirm current offerings directly with the center.
More resources
What other cybersecurity support can Nevada businesses use?
Beyond the grant, Nevada businesses can tap additional support through state programs and workforce initiatives.
Nevada APEX Accelerator
Housed under the Nevada Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) and funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the Department of Defense, Nevada's APEX Accelerator (formerly Nevada PTAC) provides free government-contracting assistance, including education, proposal and compliance support, bid-matching, and networking, to Nevada businesses pursuing DoD and other government contracts.
Battle Born Venture
A state venture-capital co-investment program funded through Nevada's State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) allocation and administered in connection with GOED. It makes equity-like investments of up to 50% of a round, capped at $1M, in high-growth Nevada startups, with aerospace and defense named as one of the target industries.
UNR Aerospace and Defense Academy
Launched at the University of Nevada, Reno with a $1.13M gift from Eren & Fatih Ozmen of Sierra Nevada Corporation, the Academy builds a skilled aerospace and defense workforce pipeline and supports new small businesses serving the Department of Defense through high-school outreach and a micro-credential program.
The grant
How much does a CMMC gap assessment cost in Nevada?
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 — Nevada CMMC grants
Who qualifies for the CMMC gap assessment grant in Nevada?
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. Nevada businesses supporting Nellis Air Force Base, Creech Air Force Base, Naval Air Station Fallon, or Hawthorne Army Depot are typical candidates.
How much does a CMMC gap assessment cost in Nevada?
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 Nevada's MEP center?
Nevada Industry Excellence, operating as Manufacture Nevada, is the state's NIST-designated Manufacturing Extension Partnership center, housed within the Nevada System of Higher Education at the University of Nevada, Reno. It provides business growth, workforce, and manufacturing-operations support to Nevada manufacturers; its published service list does not detail CMMC-specific offerings, so confirm current cybersecurity services directly with the center.
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 Nevada 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.