FORGE matches you with vetted US manufacturers — the same operator network as the government track, no procurement paperwork, no broker fees. The network is in private beta and capacity today is concentrated in Hawaii. This page walks through every step.
Six steps from signup to shipped part. Jobs post to the operator board immediately once funded — there is no procurement cycle to wait through.
Email, company name, billing address. Activation is immediate — no admin review queue for commercial accounts. You can browse the template library before posting a job.
Pick a template from the library or upload your own CAD (STL, STEP, OBJ, 3MF). Specify material, tolerance, layer height, quantity, and delivery window. Set the payout you're willing to pay.
Pay by card through Stripe Checkout. Funds are held in escrow until you confirm delivery. The job becomes visible to vetted operators the moment payment clears.
Vetted operators across the country see the job on their board. The first to accept commits to the spec and timeline. You're notified by email with the operator's profile and equipment list.
The operator produces the parts and submits a QC packet — photos, dimensional measurements (3D scan or micrometer), and material-lot receipts confirming filament/feedstock spec. For rigorous MILSPEC jobs without operator self-verification capability, parts ship to Kapu Solutions for spec confirmation before release.
When the parts arrive and match the spec, you confirm delivery from your order page. This releases the operator's payout and closes the job. The platform fee is determined dynamically per job — see the fees section below. You can leave a rating.
Commercial is the default — instant signup, card-funded escrow. Federal procurement runs on the same vetted operators with a heavier compliance posture, gated to authorized accounts.
For anyone who needs production-grade parts without procurement overhead. Same vetted operator network with a lighter compliance posture.
A separate, gated track for federal buyers, enabled after agency review. Government work on the platform is limited to unclassified requirements today. Every file download is access-checked and logged.
You set the payout. We hold it in escrow. On delivery confirmation, the operator receives 80–90% of the job total and FORGE retains a 10–20% platform fee — determined dynamically per job by geography, complexity, and specialization required.
The full payout amount, plus Stripe's standard card processing fee (2.9% + $0.30 per transaction). Charged at checkout, held in escrow.
Released on your delivery confirmation. Direct bank transfer via Stripe Connect, typically 2–3 business days after release. Operator share scales inversely with platform fee.
Dynamic per job. Floor (10%) for unclassified, standard-geometry, common-material work. Ceiling (20%) for cleared work, exotic materials, tight tolerance, and remote-geography delivery. The exact fee is shown before you fund.