GOTS Will Get You Cut
What the New White House Memo Means for Federal Tech Procurement
In April 2025, the White House issued a forceful directive: use Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technology, or risk losing your funding.
The message was unambiguous: stop wasting taxpayer dollars duplicating proven technology. Teams relying on duplicative, government-built solutions (GOTS) have 60 days to justify their approach—or risk losing up to 90% of their funding. Agencies that ignore commercially available alternatives aren’t just out of compliance—they’re putting entire programs at risk.
This is a pivotal moment for the defense and national security ecosystem—and a massive opportunity for organizations ready to deliver proven commercial solutions at speed and scale. This policy shift doesn’t just validate the model Hidden Level was built on, it demands it.
COTS Is No Longer a Preference. It’s the Mandate.
The White House’s Executive Order, Ensuring Commercial, Cost-Effective Solutions in Federal Contracts, lays out a stark new reality:
- GOTS teams that can’t demonstrate superiority over commercial alternatives will be defunded.
- Program leaders who ignore available COTS options risk program-wide cancellation.
- Legacy projects and “science fair” experiments are no longer protected by tradition or politics.
The warning is clear—the era of duplicative, slow-to-field systems is over.
Hidden Level: Built for This Moment
As CEO Jeff Cole shared at Manifest Demo Day, Hidden Level was founded to bring Silicon Valley speed to defense innovation. “We saw first hand how fast tech could move when there was urgency, commercial discipline, and freedom to build,” Jeff said. “We asked ourselves, why not apply that mindset to airspace security?”
The result is a fully commercial, TRL-9 certified, MIL-STD-810 validated, COTS-ready passive sensing platform. Designed and manufactured in the United States. Deployed across the country and in operating theaters around the world.
Why Hidden Level Stands Out Under the New Policy
With federal agencies under pressure to justify every GOTS program—or cut 90% of its funding—Hidden Level is emerging as the low-risk, high-readiness alternative. Here’s why:
- COTS from Day One – We self-funded and self-built to accelerate deployment, not entangle ourselves in development cycles.
- Deployed in Under 24 Hours – Our team delivered full operational capability within hours during a drone incident in New England.
- Integrated with Government Networks – Hidden Level’s data is live inside platforms like Palantir’s Maven via IL5—used daily for decision-making.
- Title 18 Compliant – 100% passive. No FCC waiver required. Lawful under existing privacy regulations.
- Deployable Hardware or DaaS– Buy it or subscribe. We meet you where you are—without the burden of building your own system.
- Program of Record – In 2024, we became an Army Program of Record supported by APFIT.
From Stewart ANGB to the Golden Dome Initiative—We’re Already There
Hidden Level has deployed systems in under 24 hours. We’ve enabled a 7-minute drone-to-operator apprehension. We’re part of the Army’s FoCUS Program of Record. We’re already protecting the National Capital Region, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and critical infrastructure across the country.
While others debate what’s possible, we’re delivering what’s proven.
For Program Managers and PEOs: Avoid the Budget Guillotine
If you’re evaluating CUAS, spectrum management, or airspace threat detection systems, this memo should make your next move clear. COTS isn’t just compliant—it’s safe. We offer:
- Hardware you can buy today
- Data you can subscribe to
- Deployment that takes hours, not years
- A business model designed for speed, flexibility, and scale
We know the pressure you’re under. We’ve designed our technology and our procurement model to make compliance easy and performance exceptional.
Ready to Replace GOTS? Let’s Talk.
Contact Hidden Level today to find out how our COTS technology can:
- Ensure compliance with the White House EO
- Deliver faster procurement and deployment
- Eliminate legacy cost and complexity
- Protect your mission—and your funding
From ports and airports to Indo-Pacific deployments and inauguration security, Hidden Level is proving every day that COTS can meet the mission. Faster. Smarter. More affordably. And in alignment with the government’s new procurement mandate.
We’ve been ready. Now, the system is catching up.
Misson Objective
What we did
Value Delivered
GOTS Will Get You Cut
What the New White House Memo Means for Federal Tech Procurement
In April 2025, the White House issued a forceful directive: use Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technology, or risk losing your funding.
The message was unambiguous: stop wasting taxpayer dollars duplicating proven technology. Teams relying on duplicative, government-built solutions (GOTS) have 60 days to justify their approach—or risk losing up to 90% of their funding. Agencies that ignore commercially available alternatives aren’t just out of compliance—they’re putting entire programs at risk.
This is a pivotal moment for the defense and national security ecosystem—and a massive opportunity for organizations ready to deliver proven commercial solutions at speed and scale. This policy shift doesn’t just validate the model Hidden Level was built on, it demands it.
COTS Is No Longer a Preference. It’s the Mandate.
The White House’s Executive Order, Ensuring Commercial, Cost-Effective Solutions in Federal Contracts, lays out a stark new reality:
- GOTS teams that can’t demonstrate superiority over commercial alternatives will be defunded.
- Program leaders who ignore available COTS options risk program-wide cancellation.
- Legacy projects and “science fair” experiments are no longer protected by tradition or politics.
The warning is clear—the era of duplicative, slow-to-field systems is over.
Hidden Level: Built for This Moment
As CEO Jeff Cole shared at Manifest Demo Day, Hidden Level was founded to bring Silicon Valley speed to defense innovation. “We saw first hand how fast tech could move when there was urgency, commercial discipline, and freedom to build,” Jeff said. “We asked ourselves, why not apply that mindset to airspace security?”
The result is a fully commercial, TRL-9 certified, MIL-STD-810 validated, COTS-ready passive sensing platform. Designed and manufactured in the United States. Deployed across the country and in operating theaters around the world.
Why Hidden Level Stands Out Under the New Policy
With federal agencies under pressure to justify every GOTS program—or cut 90% of its funding—Hidden Level is emerging as the low-risk, high-readiness alternative. Here’s why:
- COTS from Day One – We self-funded and self-built to accelerate deployment, not entangle ourselves in development cycles.
- Deployed in Under 24 Hours – Our team delivered full operational capability within hours during a drone incident in New England.
- Integrated with Government Networks – Hidden Level’s data is live inside platforms like Palantir’s Maven via IL5—used daily for decision-making.
- Title 18 Compliant – 100% passive. No FCC waiver required. Lawful under existing privacy regulations.
- Deployable Hardware or DaaS– Buy it or subscribe. We meet you where you are—without the burden of building your own system.
- Program of Record – In 2024, we became an Army Program of Record supported by APFIT.
From Stewart ANGB to the Golden Dome Initiative—We’re Already There
Hidden Level has deployed systems in under 24 hours. We’ve enabled a 7-minute drone-to-operator apprehension. We’re part of the Army’s FoCUS Program of Record. We’re already protecting the National Capital Region, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and critical infrastructure across the country.
While others debate what’s possible, we’re delivering what’s proven.
For Program Managers and PEOs: Avoid the Budget Guillotine
If you’re evaluating CUAS, spectrum management, or airspace threat detection systems, this memo should make your next move clear. COTS isn’t just compliant—it’s safe. We offer:
- Hardware you can buy today
- Data you can subscribe to
- Deployment that takes hours, not years
- A business model designed for speed, flexibility, and scale
We know the pressure you’re under. We’ve designed our technology and our procurement model to make compliance easy and performance exceptional.
Ready to Replace GOTS? Let’s Talk.
Contact Hidden Level today to find out how our COTS technology can:
- Ensure compliance with the White House EO
- Deliver faster procurement and deployment
- Eliminate legacy cost and complexity
- Protect your mission—and your funding
From ports and airports to Indo-Pacific deployments and inauguration security, Hidden Level is proving every day that COTS can meet the mission. Faster. Smarter. More affordably. And in alignment with the government’s new procurement mandate.
We’ve been ready. Now, the system is catching up.
