Strategic Market Launch Playbook
AI Functional Readiness
90-Day Validation Strategy + 5-Year Institutional Scaling Roadmap
CENTER FOR PERFORMANCE MASTERY
January 2026
Identify the Gap Between Goal & Reality
Your goal is clear: launch AI functional readiness training for professionals and workforce development. Your expertise is solid: project management, records management, business process management, change management. But your market opportunity is too broad.
Trying to serve "everyone who needs AI training" simultaneously with limited resources means you serve no one well. You need to pick one market to validate in 90 days, prove it works, then scale to others.
Don't pivot your entire offering. Position your existing consulting expertise toward one specific buyer with forced demand:
Why This Market Works for Your 90-Day Validation
50,000+ government contractors. ~35,000 must comply with CMMC 2.0 by 2026.
Your TAM: 5,000 government contractors in your region/focus
CMMC compliance requires training. But contractors need more than "check the box" security training. They need staff who understand AI + cybersecurity integration for modern government contract work.
Your Solution: AI functional readiness assessment (30-min assessment, 10-page report)
Assessment services at $3,500-$6,500 per engagement. No need to deliver full training yet. You assess, they implement or hire for training.
15 assessments = $52,500-$97,500 revenue (more realistic: 9-12 in 90 days = $31.5K-$59K)
They have forced demand (CMMC), budget authority, and understand training ROI. They're not comparing you to free YouTube videos—they're solving a compliance problem. Your change management background is exactly what they need during organizational transformation.
Month-by-month breakdown for validating the beachhead market
Week 1-2: Setup
Week 3-4: First Outreach & Assessments
Week 5-6: Expansion
Week 7-8: Assessment Fulfillment
Week 9-10: Acceleration
Week 11-12: Finalization
Month 1: $7K-$12K (2-3 assessments)
Month 2: $17.5K-$32K (5-8 assessments)
Month 3: $7K-$15K (2-1 assessments + training)
Total: 9-12 Assessments | $31.5K-$59K Revenue
| Risk | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Low outreach response (<2%) | Medium | Shift to warm CMMC referrals, offer free diagnostic, LinkedIn ads |
| Assessment complexity (4+ weeks) | High | Use template library, partner with CMMC consultants, pre-screen |
| Budget constraints (can't hire) | High | 1099 contractor model, revenue-share 40/60, minimal cash flow |
| CMMC timeline shifts | Medium | Pivot to broader "AI governance readiness", expand to federal agencies |
Where federal and state funding flows for your solution
The government invests $70+ billion annually in workforce development. You've proven the need with government contractors. Now scale through institutions that access federal funding.
$3.3B annually - Training for unemployed/underemployed workers in high-demand fields
How it works for you: Position to workforce boards: "I validated AI readiness with contractors. These skills transfer to your target populations."
$250M+ annually - Community college and two-year institution programs
How it works: Develop AI functional readiness curriculum for community colleges. They deliver, NSF funds development.
$500M+ for training - Defense contractor workforce development
Your angle: Combine contractor success + DOD STEM funding. Scale to defense sector.
Access WIOA + NSF. Serve 9M+ students. $2K-$5K licensing per course.
$250M+/year dedicated funding. $500-$1,500 per student + corporate hiring partnerships.
Control WIOA allocation. $2K-$4K per trainee reimbursement. Direct employer relationships.
PM associations, HR associations, healthcare leadership. $5-$50 per member certified.
From $31.5K validation to $14.8M+ scaling
| Revenue Channel | Units | Unit Price | Revenue | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Assessments | 40 | $6,500 | $260K | 40% |
| GSA Schedule | 20 | $7,500 | $150K | 23% |
| CMMC Partner Referrals (30%) | 15 | $1,950 | $29K | 5% |
| Staffing Agencies | 12 | $5,000 | $60K | 9% |
| Training + Implementation | 8 | $12,000 | $96K | 15% |
| Licensing | 2 | $25,000 | $50K | 8% |
| TOTAL YEAR 1 | 90+ units | $645K | 100% | |
Assumptions: Assessment delivery accelerates Month 1 (2-3) → Months 4-12 (70+). Partnership leverage (CMMC + staffing) = 25-30% of volume. GSA schedule approved Q2.
Years 1-3: How to Access $1M-$2M in Government Contracts & Grants
| Funding Source | Award Size | Timeline | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| GSA Schedule 84 | $75K-150K Y1; $300K-500K Y2-3 | Q2 approval (60-90 days) | 70%+ |
| Direct Federal Contracts | $0 Y1; $150K-300K Y2; $500K-1M Y3 | Year 2+ RFPs | 40-50% |
| DAU Contract | $250K-500K (dev) + $100K-300K (delivery) | Q2-Q3 RFP | 30-40% |
| SBIR Phase II | $500K-1.5M over 2 years | Year 2 application → Year 2-3 award | 20-25% |
| WIOA/Workforce | $50K-250K per state | Year 2+; multiple states | 40-50% |
What to say to institutional partners & federal funders
"AI Functional Readiness is the credential your students need. Not computer science—professional literacy for AI integration. Your students become more competitive for advancement."
Proof point: Successful validation with government contractors. Ready-to-use curriculum. Built-in assessment.
"We solve your WIOA training gap. Employers can't find workers trained on AI readiness. Our curriculum + certification = documented job placement + wage gains that hit your metrics."
Proof point: Government contractor employers validated the need. Ready to scale.
"Center for Performance Mastery provides rapid AI governance assessments and certification training for federal contractors preparing for CMMC + federal AI mandates. Proven delivery model."
Proof point: 9-12 successful contractor engagements in 90 days. GSA-eligible services.
"Offer your members AI certification. Demonstrate your profession is addressing AI transformation. Position your association as thought leader in responsible AI adoption."
Proof point: Curriculum tested with executive practitioners. Ethics-aligned.
How to Execute Your 90-Day Validation
✓ 2-3 assessments completed
✓ $7K-$12K revenue generated
✓ 2-3 client case studies documented
✓ 1-2 testimonials or success stories captured
If YES on all 4 → Continue to Month 2. If NO → Adjust messaging & targeting.
Two Paths to Scale Your Success
Once you complete your 90-day validation with government contractors (9-12 assessments, $31.5K-$59K revenue, 8+ testimonials), you have two options:
Use your proof point to:
If you want expert guidance to accelerate scaling after the 90-day validation:
Your 90-day validation proves the market exists and you can deliver. The next step is institutional scaling and federal funding.
Schedule a 30-minute diagnostic review to validate your results and design your Year 1 roadmap.
Investment: $500-$1,500 (refundable if you proceed with full engagement)
Your playbook is the proof. The diagnostic is the roadmap.
Together they scale your impact from $31.5K to $645K+ in Year 1.