Design-partner program
BEACON · OPENA small cohort, through FedRAMP 20x.
Beacon is the continuous KSI emitter for FedRAMP 20x. We are working with a small number of CSPs through the Phase 2 and early Phase 3 window. The design-partner program is the way to get the tool deployed inside your boundary while we are still shaping it.
Cohort fit
Who the program is for.
The fit criteria below are not gates — they are the shape of partnership that has been working. If your situation is close but not exactly this, the conversation is still worth having.
In or applying to 20x Phase 2 / Phase 3
Your authorization plan includes 20x — either Phase 2 cohort participation, the Phase 2 Cohort 2 window, or Phase 3 wide-scale adoption starting Q3 2026.
Cloud-native infrastructure
Your production environment runs on cloud primitives (AWS / Azure / GCP) and IaC (Terraform, Pulumi, Helm) the KSI emitter can read directly. On-prem partners are welcome where the read path is well-defined.
A real authorization timeline
You have an authorization milestone you are working toward this calendar year. Design partnership is for organizations under genuine timeline pressure, not exploratory teams without a target date.
Capacity for feedback
A named engineering contact on your side who can engage two-way during the build. We want the implementation feedback as much as you want the tool.
What partners get
The tool, the team, the rate.
- ✓ The running Beacon build deployed inside your boundary, ahead of general availability.
- ✓ Direct input on KSI emitter implementations — what to ship next, what edge cases the spec leaves open.
- ✓ Rev-by-rev coverage updates as the consolidated rules finalize through Q3 2026.
- ✓ Reference-architecture support: how Beacon plugs into Engine, Citadel, NAICOM, or third-party GRC stacks.
- ✓ Named relationship with our engineering team — not a queue or a support ticket.
- ✓ Pricing locked at the design-partner rate through your first 20x authorization.
What we ask in return
Two-way feedback, named contact.
- → A named technical contact reachable on a recurring weekly cadence during active build phases.
- → Permission to learn from your deployment — what KSIs were hard to satisfy, where the spec is ambiguous, which cloud edge cases matter.
- → Logo permission (no testimonial obligation) on this page once you are publicly in the program.
- → A short post-authorization debrief we can both publish from.
Cohort status
Currently active, currently open.
Active partner identities are kept confidential until the partner is ready to disclose. Once authorized, partners typically choose to publish a joint case study and grant logo permission — but neither is required.
FAQ
What people usually ask first.
Is this paid?
Yes. Design-partner pricing is a discounted version of the GA price, locked through your first 20x authorization. The program is not free — partners are getting real production tooling and we are committing real engineering. The price is open in the application conversation.
How many partners?
A small cohort — typically 4-6 organizations active at any time. Small enough that every partner gets named engineering attention; large enough that the implementation feedback covers more than one shape of infrastructure.
What is the time commitment from us?
Realistically: one recurring 30-minute sync per week during active build phases, plus async on whatever channel you prefer (Slack-shared-channel, email, GitHub issues). Quieter during stable periods. We will not consume more of your team than we have to.
What if we are already on Rev 5 and not pursuing 20x?
Beacon emits Rev-5-mapped evidence too, and the RFC-0024 machine-readable package mandate (Sep 30, 2026) applies to all CSPs regardless of authorization path. If you are in that situation, the FedRAMP Management Engine may be the better entry point — happy to talk through the right fit in the application.
How exclusive is the program?
We are selective on fit (above), not on industry or competitive overlap. Beacon-in-your-boundary stays in your boundary. We do not share partner-specific implementation details across the cohort without consent.
When does the program close?
There is no hard close. We rotate the cohort as partners reach their authorization and graduate to GA terms. Realistically the window of greatest leverage is now through the Phase 3 wide-adoption period — joining after that point gets you the tool but less influence over what it becomes.
Apply to the cohort.
Send a short note about your organization, your 20x timeline, and the named technical contact who would lead the work on your side. We respond to every application; fit-decision usually inside a week.
Reach out