2025 was a pivotal year for CMMC. From regulatory updates and the launch of Phase 1, this year fundamentally reshaped how defense contractors approach CMMC Level 2 compliance.
Across our 2025 coverage, we highlighted how the DoD accelerated timelines, formalized expectations, and made certification a requirement. These shifts brought more urgency to assessment planning, budget alignment, and evidence readiness across the defense industrial base.
Looking ahead to 2026, one thing is clear: the organizations that move early will be best positioned to navigate rising demand, constrained capacity, and greater expectations. Below, we break down the shifts that defined 2025 and what they signal for contracts who are planning their next steps
Throughout 2025, the DoD issued new guidance that shaped how contractors prepare for and interpret Level 2 requirements. Guidance released this year refined how organizations should approach scoping, evidence expectations, and assessment mechanics, raising the bar for documentation maturity and consistency.
In Breaking Down the DoD’s Latest CMMC Guidance: What Defense Contractors Need to Know, we outline how updated documentation refined scoping, evidence expectations, and assessment mechanics. These clarifications helped remove ambiguity while raising expectations for documentation maturity and consistency across assessment objectives.
By November, the regulatory shift became official. In November 10: Phase 1 Begins, we detailed how the launch of Phase 1 activated the formal assessment ecosystem and opened the gate for certified C3PAOs to begin conducting Level 2 assessments.
The result: CMMC transformed from a future requirement into a current operational reality.
Once Phase 1 went live, momentum across the market intensified.
In Now That CMMC Phase 1 Has Started: How the Landscape is Shifting, we reported an immediate surge in assessment inquiries from mid- to enterprise-level contractors. Recognizing that contracts in 2026 and beyond would require formal certification, many organizations began actively scheduling their assessments.
At the same time, capacity constraints became more pronounced. As highlighted in CMMC Complaince, Uncovering the Quiet Cost of Waiting, the number of authorized, conflict-free assessors is limited. The surge in demand and tightening of capacity is expected to intensify through 2026, creating longer lead times and more competition for available assessment windows.
The result: Contractors who delay may find themselves competing for shrinking availability while facing growing internal and contractual pressure to certify.
With demand rising and timeliness compressing, many organizations recognize that readiness is now a strategic advantage.
Our CMMC Pre-Readiness Toolkit emphasized that contractors are increasingly seeking clarity on control interpretation, evidence organization, and preparation strategies that align with CMMC’s requirements. The push toward readiness reflets a broader market trend: organizations want to enter assessments with fewer uncertainties, fewer remediations, and greater confidence.
The result: Contractors who take time to evaluate readiness before scheduling an assessment tend to experience smoother engagements and fewer delays.
Everything that occurred in 2025 points toward a year of heightened demand and reduced availability in 2026.
Here’s what contractors should expect:
2026 will be a year of measurable impact. Contractors that act early will secure assessment dates, reduce operational risk, and position themselves competitively for the contracts ahead.
If CMMC Level 2 certification is part of your 2026 contracting strategy, now is the time to schedule your assessment. We can help you secure a place on the calendar before availability tightens.