Should Your SME Invest in CMMC or CPCSC Readiness?  Download this checklist!

If your company sells into the U.S. or Canadian defence supply chain, cyber compliance is becoming a business-development requirement, not just an IT project. CMMC is used by the U.S. Department of Defense to assess contractor protection of Federal Contract Information and Controlled Unclassified Information, while Canada’s CPCSC is being introduced for Canadian defence suppliers that handle federal Specified Information.

The U.S. CMMC program is being implemented through contracts, with Phase 1 running from November 10, 2025 to November 9, 2026 and focused primarily on Level 1 and Level 2 self-assessments (DoD CIO CMMC resources). Canada says CPCSC Level 1 may be required in select defence contracts beginning in summer 2026, with Level 1 self-assessment required at contract award rather than during the bidding process (Government of Canada CPCSC guidance).

Use this checklist to decide whether to invest now, how much readiness work to budget for, and what first steps will reduce cost and contract risk.

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