DoD is the single largest federal buyer and runs the most aggressive workforce-transition programs in the government. founding_up's identity-intervention positioning maps cleanly onto pre-separation cohorts, DoD STEM pipelines, and the commercial-tech adoption ecosystem (DIU, AFWERX, NavalX, SOFWERX). Most defense contracting routes through SAM.gov + sam.gov/opportunities; SBIR runs through DSIP. OTAs and GigEagle have their own dedicated pages linked below.
Allows service members in the last 180 days of active duty to do civilian training/internships at no cost to the DoD. Partner organizations apply; cohorts are essentially free talent for the partner and identity-clarifying pre-separation development for the service member.
Each branch maintains a COOL portal (Army COOL, Navy COOL, AF COOL, USMC COOL, Coast Guard COOL) listing credentials/licenses the service will fund for active duty & veterans. Provider organizations apply to be listed.
Includes STARBASE (5th-grade STEM exposure on military installations), Junior Solar Sprint, eCYBERMISSION, JROTC STEM, and the broader National Defense Education Program.
Mandatory pre-separation curriculum for all service members. Run jointly DoD / DoL / VA. Curriculum partners and tools that improve outcomes are continually evaluated.
Other Transaction Authority — non-FAR contracting vehicle for prototypes & follow-on production. founding_up qualifies as NDC — this is our doorway. The Phoenix Group is our representation partner. Full deep dive on the dedicated page.
DoD's validated AI talent marketplace (13K users, $5.3M CDAO scaling). GigEagle owns the middle; founding_up owns both ends. Strongest single DoD-facing narrative. Full bookend frame on dedicated page.
Commercial Solutions Openings (CSO) — accelerated path to OTAs for commercial tech with DoD application. Human Systems portfolio sometimes includes workforce/talent tech.
Phase I (~$250K-$295K, 6-12mo), Phase II (~$1.5M-$2M, 24mo), Phase III (commercialization). Component-run by each service (Army, Navy, AF/Space, DARPA, OSD).
Runs SBIR Open Topics, Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI), Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI). Strong base for workforce pilots through AFRL.
Rapid prototyping for SOF. Identity, resilience, decision-making under uncertainty are core SOF research themes — strong narrative fit for SIGNAL.
Tech Bridges in regions across the country; rapid OTAs through agility cells.
SkillBridge gives founding_up its cleanest entry: a federally sanctioned mechanism to deliver identity-intervention coaching to a transitioning population that the DoD already pays salary for. Pair that with SOFWERX-style research on identity coherence under stress and the platform becomes both a service contract and an R&D story. Then layer the GigEagle bookend on top for the full talent-lifecycle pitch.
The Defense Industrial Base is in a workforce crisis with explicit Cabinet-level acknowledgment. This is the "why now" framing for every DoD-facing proposal founding_up writes. Each item below is a quotable policy or sector reference.