Getting started
What ClearedStack is, who it is for, what you can use today and where to go next.
L.1.15 min readLast revised November 2026
On this page
ClearedStack is an open-source project for the paperwork of federal government contracting. It has two parts: a catalog of small, single-purpose tools that run in your browser, and a library of plain-language guides to the rules those tools are built on. There is no account to create, nothing to install and nothing to pay.
The tools are still planned. The guides are finished and can be used today, so for now the site works as a reference manual with a published plan beside it.
Who it is for#
ClearedStack is written for people who handle federal contracting paperwork themselves:
- a solo developer or consultant pricing a first proposal
- a founder of a small business working through SAM.gov and a solicitation
- an engineer or compliance lead given NIST SP 800-171, CMMC or CUI marking to sort out
- a systems administrator running software on a network with no internet connection
- anyone tired of rebuilding the same compliance and pricing spreadsheets from scratch
You do not need contracting experience. The field guides explain the rules from the beginning, and the glossary covers the vocabulary.
What you need#
A current web browser: Firefox, Chrome, Edge or Safari. That is all.
- No account. There is no registration, sign-in or email capture.
- No install. The site is a set of plain files. Nothing is added to your computer.
- No payment. The project takes in no revenue. There are no paid tiers, ads or sponsors.
If you work somewhere that cannot reach the internet, the whole site can be hosted inside your own network. See Host your own copy.
What you can use today#
The guides. Start with the one that matches what is on your desk:
| If you are | Read |
|---|---|
| Opening a solicitation for the first time | Read a solicitation, then Answer every requirement |
| Pricing labor | Labor rates and wrap rates |
| Registering, or working out whether you count as small | Codes, registration and small business status |
| Told to protect government information | Protecting government information |
| Waiting on a late payment | Invoices and late payment interest |
| Moving software onto a closed network | Working on disconnected networks |
The catalog. The Tools page lists every planned tool in five areas. Each tool has its own page that says what it will do, what you bring to it, what you get back and which regulation it is built from.
| Line item | Area | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 0001 | Pricing & cost accounting | Wrap rates, indirect rates, price tables, late payment interest |
| 0002 | Proposal & capture | Requirement lists, compliance matrices, acronym tables, page budgets |
| 0003 | Cybersecurity & compliance | NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC, CUI marking, STIGs, OSCAL |
| 0004 | Market research & small business | NAICS and PSC codes, nontraditional contractor status, set-asides |
| 0005 | Tactical & DevSecOps | Manifests, certificates and checksums for disconnected networks |
Reading a tool’s status#
Every tool carries one of three labels:
- Planned. The job and the public source are written down. No code has been written. Every tool is Planned today.
- In development. The tool is being built in its own open-source repository.
- Live. The tool works in the browser. Its page links to the tool and to its source.
- Status 1PlannedThe job and the governing regulation are written down.
- Status 2In developmentBeing built in its own repository, from the regulation.
- Status 3LiveWorks in the browser, cites its sources, and is linked from the catalog.
Say which tool you need first#
The catalog was published before the tools so that people could say which ones matter. Requests decide what is built first.
- Find the tool on the Tools page and open its page.
- Use the buttons there to send an email or open an issue on GitHub.
- Say what you would use it for and what you do by hand today.
Request a tool or add your own has an outline to copy, and covers asking for a tool that is not listed.
What every tool will have in common#
- 1Open in a browserThe page and its code download once.
- 2Enter your figuresRates, text and files stay in the browser.
- 3Compute locallyOrdinary arithmetic and parsing, with no server and no AI.
- 4Take the resultCopy it or export it as a file.
A tool is listed only if it meets five conditions:
- Free and open source. No paid tier, no ads, and the code is public.
- Runs on your machine. The arithmetic, the parsing and the file reading happen in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to a server.
- No tracking. No cookies, analytics or third-party scripts.
- Public sources only. Built from regulations, standards and guidance the government has officially released.
- Honest about its limits. It says what it does not cover, and that its output is not professional advice.
What happens to what you type shows how to confirm the second and third for yourself. Check a tool’s answer is a method for verifying a result before it goes into a bid.
What ClearedStack is not#
- Not a government agency. It is an independent open-source project with no affiliation with the Department of Defense or any other agency.
- Not a clearance or a certification. The name is only a name. It does not grant, verify or imply a security clearance, an authorization to operate or a CMMC certification.
- Not legal or accounting advice. The tools and guides are aids for your own work. They do not replace a contracting officer, an accountant or a lawyer.
- Not for classified information. Never enter classified information into any tool, browser or form.
The About page has the full disclaimer.
Where to go next#
- What happens to what you type: where your information goes, and how to check.
- Check a tool’s answer: how to verify a result against the regulation behind it.
- Read a solicitation: the best starting point if you are new to federal proposals.
- Common questions: short answers, each with a link to the long one.
- Platform: how the project decides what to build and how it is run, if you want to look behind the catalog.
Found a mistake, or something that has gone out of date? Open an issue or write to [email protected]. This page is a text file you can read and correct: Source of this page.