Pick your industry. Get the Level 1 plan that actually fits.
Three contractor populations make up the vast majority of CMMC Level 1 shops. Each has its own contracts, its own version of FCI, and its own pitfalls. Pick yours below.
New to CMMC? Start with the CMMC Level 1 complete guide, the glossary, or the clauses library.
Machine shops & precision manufacturers
Small CNC, precision-machining, and metal-fabrication shops are the single largest population sitting at CMMC Level 1. They typically receive Federal Contract Information (FCI) — drawings, purchase orders, delivery schedules — from a DoD prime, but never receive Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) like technical data marked under DFARS 252.204-7012.
SBIR Phase I awardees
First-time SBIR Phase I winners with a DoD component (AFWERX, NavalX, ARMY xTech, DIU, etc.) almost always sit at CMMC Level 1 for the duration of Phase I. Phase I award documents, kickoff materials, and progress reports are FCI; CUI is rare until Phase II and only when the agency explicitly marks deliverables.
Construction, facilities & base-services subcontractors
Subcontractors performing construction, facility maintenance, janitorial, landscaping, fuel handling, and other base-services work for USACE, NAVFAC, AFCEC, and the GSA Public Buildings Service sit overwhelmingly at CMMC Level 1. The contract paperwork, drawings, and schedules are FCI; CUI is rare unless the project touches a sensitive facility, security system, or critical-infrastructure design.
If you receive Federal Contract Information (FCI) — POs, drawings, schedules, award docs, RFIs, pay applications — from a DoD prime or directly from the government, and you have never received explicitly marked CUI under DFARS 252.204-7012, you sit at CMMC Level 1. Run the decision tree if you want a 60-second confirmation.