DIU working to address bottlenecks in working with DoD

The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton · Sep 16, 2026 · 14m

For small and non-traditional businesses that want to do national security work, some of the biggest challenges can be getting security clearances — both for physical spaces, and for people. The Defense Innovation Unit may have some answers in the pipeline. Through an initiative called the Bridge Program, DIU is working to get rid of some of the bottlenecks companies face in working with DoD, including by providing classified infrastructure “as a service.” The organization issued its latest award to deliver those services just last week. Sarah Pearson is DIU’s chief of strategic initiatives…