Three More 3PAOs Join GovRAMP Discount Program

SecureIT, AARC-360, and RSM US LLP are the latest accredited 3PAOs to join GovRAMP's voluntary discount program, the second expansion since the April 2026 launch. Participating assessors offer up to 30% off independent security assessments, but the discount isn't available to everyone. Only service providers that have completed the Progressing Security Snapshot program or achieved GovRAMP Core verification qualify.

That's the incentive architecture. GovRAMP isn't subsidizing assessments directly. It's using the discount as a carrot to pull providers through its preparatory programs first. Early data, per GovRAMP, shows that providers completing Progressing arrive at formal assessments with more mature documentation and fewer delays from rework. The 3PAOs, in turn, get more predictable engagements. Providers who've done the prep work generate fewer surprises during the assessment itself.

The second expansion in three months, after five 3PAOs joined in May, suggests the program is working as a two-sided market. 3PAOs see value in the pipeline of prepared providers, and GovRAMP gets more assessor capacity to move providers toward verification. For small and mid-market cloud providers, where assessment costs have been a genuine barrier, the growing roster of discount-offering assessors means more options and, potentially, more competitive pricing.