NJII Earns CMMC Level 2 Certification for Defense-Related Work

New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII), a nonprofit organization under the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), announced on November 4, 2026, that it achieved Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Level 2. NJII said the certification demonstrates that its cybersecurity practices align with the 110 security requirements in NIST Special Publication 800-171, which are designed to help protect controlled unclassified information (CUI). NJII works with government, industry, and academic partners on initiatives that include advanced manufacturing, defense, healthcare, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and technology solutions. The announcement presents the certification as a cybersecurity milestone, not as notice of a specific procurement action.

The reported certification followed a comprehensive assessment of NJII’s cybersecurity program. The source describes assessment areas including access management, incident response, risk management, system security, asset protection, employee awareness, and continuous monitoring. Together, these areas indicate the breadth of organizational practices assessed, although the announcement does not provide an assessment report, certification dates beyond the announcement, or other audit documentation. NJII’s Interim President, Jennifer D’Angelo, said the achievement reflects the organization’s commitment to cybersecurity and its mission to support defense, government, and industry partners with secure solutions. Senior Director of Information Technology Michael Grinaway likewise characterized cybersecurity as foundational to innovation in the defense and technology landscape.

For federal contractors and procurement teams, the certification is a relevant qualification to consider when evaluating potential collaborators that may handle CUI or support work in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). It may expand NJII’s ability to participate in defense-related teams where CMMC Level 2 is applicable, and it offers prospective partners a signal that NJII has established practices mapped to the stated NIST requirements. However, certification should not be treated as a blanket guarantee of eligibility for every procurement. Buyers and prime contractors should confirm the applicable contract clauses, information scope, assessment and certification status, flow-down obligations, and any additional requirements for a specific opportunity.

NJII connected its cybersecurity milestone to advanced manufacturing and the National Defense Strategy. Thomas Murphy, NJII’s Vice President of Defense Business, said: “Advanced manufacturing can only accelerate with robust digital security; NJII’s CMMC Level 2 certification supports the fourth priority of the National Defense Strategy, which is to advance secure, scalable defense production by strengthening the defense industrial base.” This framing positions cybersecurity as an enabler of secure production and supply-chain resilience, rather than solely as a compliance exercise. The news reflects continued emphasis on cybersecurity capability among organizations seeking defense-related work, but it does not announce new funding, a government endorsement, a contract award, or a procurement requirement specific to NJII.

• Certification: NJII announced achievement of CMMC Level 2 on November 4, 2026.
• Standards alignment: The certification reflects practices aligned with all 110 security requirements in NIST SP 800-171 for protecting CUI.
• Assessment areas: The reported assessment covered access management, incident response, risk management, system security, asset protection, employee awareness, and continuous monitoring.
• Procurement relevance: Contractors may evaluate NJII as a potential collaborator for defense-related work involving CUI, subject to opportunity-specific requirements.
• Due diligence: Confirm contract clauses, CUI scope, certification status, and applicable flow-down obligations before relying on the certification for a teaming or sourcing decision.
• Industrial-base context: NJII linked secure digital practices with advanced manufacturing and strengthening the Defense Industrial Base.
• Leadership perspective: Interim President Jennifer D’Angelo and Senior Director of Information Technology Michael Grinaway described the milestone as supporting secure services for government, defense, and industry partners.
• No procurement announced: The announcement identifies no specific solicitation, contract, award, funding amount, or government customer commitment.