If I was you…and I had to go find funding for my project…where would I go?

“It depends” is a crappy answer no one likes hearing, so let me just give you some general rules of thumb to guide you on your way, while avoiding the traps of useless conversations around every corner.

For most initial product/services sales you need O&M money:

1. (Less than $50k) at any tactical or base level organization.

2. ($50k-$250k) at any MAJCOM or COCOM headquarters.

3. (Anything above $250k) at any service or DoD level headquarters.

It’s not that these amounts couldn’t be found others places, but I would want to look in places where these amounts are viewed as “not significant” (the military term is “budget dust”), as that automatically increases my chances of success from the start. Nothing is ever a guarantee, but any kind of map through the minefield is generally welcome by most.

If you need RDT&E money, it’s research labs and Headquarters organizations only for the sake of simplicity, regardless of amount. If you need Procurement money, it’s PEO’s, Centers, and Headquarters organizations as a general rule, again regardless of amount.

Plenty of exceptions to all this, but as a general map to the buried treasure, it’ll get you in the ballpark to get the conversation started with folks who even have a chance of giving you what you need.