The U.S. Space Force may soon adopt a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) pilot program designed to ease security clearance barriers for small and nontraditional defense contractors.
DARPA launched the BRIDGES program – a 30-day pilot – to break a persistent defense acquisition paradox that boils down to needing a clearance to win a contract, but needing a contract to get a clearance.
The program aimed to identify top talent and sponsor security clearances before classified work was awarded, enabling faster integration of innovative e solutions into national defense.
The program introduced tools such as TurboFCL – a platform designed to streamline the facility clearance process – and adopted plain-language solicitations to accelerate proposal reviews. Quarterly consortium meetings and secure facility access also allowed for early collaboration between nontraditional firms and Department of Defense (DOD) program offices.
The final consortium meeting of the program was held July 24-25, 2025. Through the pilot, 19 small businesses were selected for security clearances valid through September 2026.
Although DARPA will officially close out the BRIDGES program in September, its impact is expected to continue – starting with the USSF’s Commercial Space Office (COSMO), part of Space Systems Command (SSC), which is already preparing to adopt and expand the model.
“I’m really interested in being a transition agent for BRIDGES and replicating it at SSC because it gets after barriers-to-entry for our small businesses and non-traditional companies,” Col. Tim Trimailo, director of COMSO, said in a statement. “It increases innovation and collaboration, incorporates greater speed into our processes, and most importantly, delivers the most cutting-edge capabilities to the joint warfighter.”
Established in 2023, COMSO leads several efforts aimed at improving industry collaboration, including its $13 billion Proliferated LEO Services contract, the Commercial Augmentation Space Reserve, and the “Space Force Front Door” portal that simplifies access to government opportunities.
In 2025, COMSO’s small business initiatives supported 26 companies through Strategic Funding Increases, aimed at transitioning prototypes into operational systems. But as threats in space grow more complex, the Space Force sees expanding access to innovation as critical to staying ahead.
“BRIDGES gave us a new playbook,” Trimailo said. “Now it’s time to scale it.”