If you are a manufacturer looking to grow your business, becoming part of the government supply chain is a great way to build additional revenue. However, there are requirements called the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) you need to meet to receive general government or Department of Defense contracts.
The NIST 800-171 Special Publication provides the requirements to protect unclassified but confidential information. Defense contractors are required to achieve compliance with these DFARS requirements if they want to be part of the Department of Defense supply chain.
For more detailed information about becoming part of the government/DoD supply chain check out this article from Industry Week.