Xometry Foundation partners with MxD to launch CMMC Level 2 compliance grant program for small manufacturers

Xometry announced that its philanthropic arm, the Xometry Foundation, has partnered with MxD, the Department of Defense-backed Digital Manufacturing and Cybersecurity Institute, to launch a grant program helping small and mid-sized manufacturers reach cybersecurity compliance, including CMMC Level 2. The initiative is framed as the next phase of the Foundation's work, which commits $1 million annually to developing manufacturing talent. Xometry positioned the program as support for the U.S. aerospace and defense industrial base, aimed at helping smaller suppliers protect operations and qualify for government contracts.

CMMC Level 2 has become a practical gatekeeper for Department of Defense subcontractors, and compliance costs fall hardest on small manufacturers without dedicated IT security staff. Xometry's marketplace depends on a deep bench of small and mid-sized machine shops, so lowering their compliance barrier also protects the supplier base it draws on for defense-adjacent work. The move fits a pattern of platform companies underwriting supply-base compliance costs rather than competing purely on price. For small manufacturers weighing CMMC investment, subsidized access through programs like this could shorten the timeline to defense contract eligibility.