Business registration
- Cloud Upload LLC, US-registered
- Talent Drive operates under Cloud Upload LLC's US legal structure
- US bank account, US tax compliance, W-9 ready
- US business address for contract execution
00 SLED · For Primes
Engineering staff augmentation for US primes— built for the SLED model.
We work behind the prime, not in front of the agency. US-registered, US-served data, US working hours, NDA-protected. Built for primes who need commercial-grade engineering capacity without the management overhead.
01 · The model
Built for the prime/sub relationship — not retrofitted from a generic staff aug pitch.
Most engineering staff augmentation providers don't understand how primes operate. They show up with offshore rates and generic capability decks, and they get filtered out before the first call.
We built Talent Drive specifically for primes pursuing state, local, and education contracts. The differences matter:
- We work behind the prime, always.
Engineers communicate through your team, not directly with the end agency. No accidental positioning conflicts. No procurement complications. Your relationship with the agency stays clean.
- Everything starts with an NDA.
Before any engagement detail is shared, before any engineer is named, before any capability is discussed in writing — NDA first. Primes value discretion; we operate accordingly.
- Compliance built in, not bolted on.
SOC 2 audit-ready processes. ISO 27001 audit-ready operational practices. Engineers vetted on HIPAA, SOC 2, and PCI-DSS production experience. Available BAA execution. Documented incident response procedures.
02 · US infrastructure & operating posture
Vendor risk assessment answers, upfront.
When primes evaluate subcontractors, the technical questions look like vendor risk assessments. Here's how we answer the common ones.
Data residency
- All client data resides in US-based infrastructure
- No data leaves US jurisdiction
- Engineers access client data exclusively through US-based VPN
- All access logged, audit-ready, retention-compliant
Operating hours
- Engineers work US business hours (EST/PST overlap)
- Standups, sprint planning, code review on US calendar
- On-call coverage available within US time zones
Communication & access
- Engineers work within your security perimeter — your Slack, your GitHub, your tools
- Provider-side infrastructure used only for HR, payroll, and equipment management
- No data egress to non-US systems
- Single sign-on integration where required
Personnel screening
- NDAs executed before any engagement detail is shared
- Background screening per engagement requirements
- No moonlighting during active engagements — engineers work exclusively on your project
- Engineers do not approach end agencies directly under any circumstance
03 · What we actually do
Commercial-grade engineering for primes whose SLED work runs on commercial cloud.
This is the bulk of the SLED contracting market — state portals, K-12 SaaS platforms, higher-education systems, municipal applications, civic technology platforms. Commercial-grade software delivered to government end-customers.
Roles we provide
- Engineering: frontend, backend, full-stack, DevOps, AI/ML, mobile, QA
- Cloud infrastructure: AWS, Azure, GCP — architecture, deployment, security posture, FinOps
- Specialized: data engineering, computer vision, intelligent agents, RAG systems
- Back-office support: technical project management, security documentation, infrastructure ops
What we don't do (and won't pretend to)
- Classified or cleared workloads
- FedRAMP-mandated environments (we haven't done that work and won't claim we have)
- Bid writing or proposal management as a primary service
- Direct contracts with government agencies
- Set-aside (8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB) certifications
Primes lose deals when subcontractors overpromise. We won't be the reason that happens.
04 · Why primes choose us
Six things primes consistently care about.
- 01Cost structure that wins bids
US engineering staff at typical prime rates runs $150–250/hr fully loaded. Our published rates are 40–60% lower for equivalent senior engineering capability. When you bid against another prime with US-only staffing, our cost structure lets you price aggressively without compressing margin. Published rate card: $2,000/mo (junior) to $7,500/mo (distinguished). All-in pricing — salary, HR, payroll, equipment, workspace, retention. No hidden management fees.
- 02Bench depth
70+ engineers across our roster. When you need to staff a bid response with named engineers, we can shortlist multiple candidates per role within days. When you win the bid and need to scale up, we already have the capacity.
- 03Quality benchmarked to US senior engineers
Top 2% acceptance rate through multi-stage vetting — coding challenges, system design interviews, behavioral assessment, reference checks. 99% year-over-year engineer retention. Production experience in HealthTech, FinTech, and AI workloads.
- 04Compliance posture aligned to common SLED requirements
SOC 2 audit-ready processes. HIPAA experience (relevant for state Medicaid, public health, K-12 health programs). ISO 27001 audit-ready operational practices. Documented secure development lifecycle. Audit logging, access controls, incident response procedures.
- 05Dedicated, not split across clients
Engineers work full-time on one prime engagement during active contract periods. No marketplace-style split attention. No conflicts with competing primes during bids.
- 06Long-term partnership orientation
1-year minimum engagements with 3-month termination notice. We're built for sustained engineering relationships, not surge contractors. Once you've teamed with us on one bid, the relationship compounds across the next ten.
05 · How engagements work
Four phases. NDA-first, prime-aligned, post-award sustained.
- 01Initial conversation (NDA-first)
- 30-minute introductory call covering your firm's SLED practice areas
- NDA executed before specific engagements are discussed
- We share representative engineer profiles relevant to your work
- 02Bid support (optional)
- If you're pursuing a specific bid, we provide engineer profiles matched to the RFP requirements
- Past performance documentation we can contribute (anonymized as needed)
- Engineer resumes formatted for your prime brand and submission requirements
- Technical input on solution architecture and engineering approach sections
- 03Post-award engagement
- Engineers placed within 1–2 months of contract execution
- Direct integration with your team's workflow, tools, and processes
- Provider-side handling of HR, payroll, equipment — you focus on delivery
- Engineers ship production code within the first week of placement
- 04Sustained partnership
- Engagement continues through the contract lifecycle
- Engineers stay through audit cycles, scope changes, and renewals
- 99% retention means continuity through your contract terms
06 · Past performance
Available under NDA.
Detailed past performance available under NDA. For reference, Talent Drive engineers ship production code in regulated US commercial environments — HIPAA-bound HealthTech, SOC 2-bound FinTech, and AI workloads serving 10,000+ daily queries.
The engineering practices that satisfy commercial compliance audits are the same practices that satisfy SLED prime evaluations.
07 · What we need from you
Alignment from both sides — here's what helps us deliver.
- NDA executed before engagement details are shared. Standard, but worth saying.
- Clear scope of work. The RFP requirements you're staffing against, or the contract scope post-award.
- Direct technical contact. A named technical lead on your side who works directly with our engineers.
- Access to your tools and infrastructure. Engineers work within your security perimeter, not on isolated systems.
- Honest assessment of clearance/certification requirements. If a contract requires cleared personnel or set-aside subcontracting, tell us upfront so we can decline cleanly rather than fail later.
08 · Questions primes ask
Direct answers to the common vendor-screening questions.
09 Direct contact for primes
NDA first. Discretion is the default.
For introductory conversations under NDA, email or book a 30-minute call. We respond within one business day.