Meridian Compass
CMMC Provider Type Matcher · free

Do you need a C3PAO, RPO, MSP, software, or scoping help?

Eight short questions. The matcher tells you which provider categories you likely need now, which to defer, and where the conflict-of-interest lines run between roles. Not a vendor ranking. A buyer-side hint about the kind of help you should be asking for first.

Anonymous by default. The directory is unordered and unweighted; no provider pays for placement.

The category map

Eight provider types with different roles and different conflicts.

Buyers consistently confuse these. The most expensive CMMC mistakes trace back to engaging the wrong category for the moment.

  • RPO
    Registered Practitioner Organization

    Buyer-side scoping, gap assessment, readiness opinion. Usually the right first paid call on a Level 2 path.

  • C3PAO
    Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization

    The terminal step of a Level 2 path. The provider type buyers most often book too early.

  • MSP / MSSP
    Managed (Security) Service Provider

    Runs the controls the assessor will evaluate. Generalist IT is rarely enough at Level 2.

  • vCISO
    Fractional virtual CISO

    Security-leadership voice in vendor calls and prime questionnaires without a full-time hire.

  • Enclave
    CUI enclave provider

    Concentrates CUI handling into a tightly scoped tenant. Often the largest single cost reducer.

  • Software
    CMMC / GRC software

    Accelerator for evidence and SPRS, not a replacement for an SSP that matches reality.

  • Documentation
    Documentation / SSP / POA&M support

    Authors the SSP that matches what you do. Where many engagements stall.

  • Templates
    Policy templates

    Useful starting point. Adopting templates verbatim is a frequent assessment-failure pattern.

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Want the full picture, not just the categories?

The $249 Decision Pack adds path, cost band, source-backed provider shortlist, quote-risk flags, and a 30-day plan to this match.