Engaging with the government can give your Tough Tech startup early traction, funding, and credibility, but it takes strategy.
Think of government as both a growth lever and a complex system to navigate, not just a box to check. The earlier you engage, the more advantage you stand to gain.
The government can play many different roles in your company’s journey: partner, funder, customer, and gatekeeper. At different stages in your startup, you may end up engaging with the government in one — or all — of these roles.. What matters most early on is building awareness of how you might leverage the government along your journey to accelerate your progress.
Match your technology to the right agency and build relationships early with program officers by attending information sessions and conferences. Consider building relationships with consultants or advisors early on who have connections and experiences engaging with the government in the ways that will be most essential for your startup to succeed. However, time their involvement carefully. Bringing them on too early can drain resources; wait until you’re ready to engage meaningfully.
Here are some ways Tough Tech startups can engage with government:
Government as funder
Your startup can get direct financial support for R&D, prototyping, and commercialization through non-dilutive capital. This includes grants and contracts, challenge prizes, and innovation programs. You can cost-share technology development through public-private R&D partnerships.
Government as partner
Strategic collaborations with government agencies can provide access to technical validation, infrastructure, or shared resources. Explore reaching out to a National Lab for specialized equipment, testing environments, and domain expertise. You can pilot and test your technology with cities, agencies, or military bases and even collaborate on joint research and development initiatives with formal consortia and research centers.
Government as customer
Government procurement and early adoption can help you create markets, generate early revenue, validate demand, and align your work with national priorities.. Some common ways to engage the government as a customer include defense and intelligence contracts as well as public infrastructure and utilities contracts.
Government as gatekeeper
You will need to understand the regulation, policy, and standards that will shape your path to market early on so you can plan ahead and pace yourself with time and resources to pass through the necessary “gates.” You may need to secure regulatory approval or meet certain government standards or compliance measurements. Aligning with national policies and priorities can strengthen your position.
