Everything you need to know about applying, getting vetted, accepting jobs, getting paid, and resolving issues. Read top-to-bottom or jump to the section you need.
Most operators take 1–2 weeks from application to first accepted job. Vetting is the longest step (5–10 business days). Everything after vetting takes minutes.
Fill out the operator signup form: business info, equipment, clearance level, weekly capacity, and the job tracks you accept (government and/or commercial). Takes ~10 minutes.
Click the link in the verification email (valid 72 hours). Without this step, you can't log in. Didn't receive it? Use "Resend verification link" on the sign-in page.
A FORGE vetting officer reviews your application in 5–10 business days. We verify your business registration, clearance documentation, and equipment claims. You'll get an approval or rejection email.
Set up Stripe Connect (~3 min) — this is how we send you money. Stripe handles ID verification and bank account collection directly. We never see your banking info. Required before you can accept jobs.
Jobs that match your clearance level and tracks appear at /jobs.php. Each one shows a match score, payout, delivery deadline, and region (in-state / regional / CONUS).
Click Accept to claim a job. Files unlock immediately. Advance the status as you go: ACCEPTED → PRINTING → QC → SHIPPED. Submit photos and dimensional measurements at QC.
When advancing QC → SHIPPED you'll be required to enter a carrier (USPS / UPS / FedEx / DHL) and tracking number. The agency gets an automatic email with the tracking link.
Once the agency confirms delivery, the platform fee is deducted and the remainder transfers to your Stripe Connect account — usually within minutes. You'll get a payout email.
No invoices. No NET-30. Agencies fund the job into escrow before you start working. You get paid the moment they confirm delivery.
| EVENT | WHAT HAPPENS |
|---|---|
| Agency posts job | Agency pays the full payout amount + platform fee into a Stripe-held escrow account. Job goes live on the board. |
| You accept | The job locks to your operator profile. Money is still in escrow — not yours yet. |
| You ship | Tracking number captured. Agency notified. Escrow stays held. |
| Agency confirms | Escrow releases. Platform fee retained by FORGE. Remainder transfers to your Stripe Connect account. |
| Transfer fails | Job is queued in /admin/payouts.php. A human admin retries within 1 business day. |
FORGE runs two parallel tracks. Commercial is open to everyone. Government has clearance tiers gated by your vetted level.
| LEVEL | RANK | CAN ACCEPT |
|---|---|---|
| UNCLASSIFIED | 0 | Unclassified jobs only |
| CONFIDENTIAL | 1 | Unclassified + Confidential |
| SECRET | 2 | Unclassified + Confidential + Secret |
| TOP SECRET | 3 | All levels |
Your effective clearance is set by FORGE during vetting. To upgrade, email [email protected] with current clearance documentation and proof of cleared personnel on your floor.
| TRACK | WHO POSTS | CLEARANCE NEEDED |
|---|---|---|
| GOVERNMENT | Defense agencies (INDOPACOM, NAVFAC Pacific, etc.) | Per-job — see the job detail |
| COMMERCIAL | Startups, hardware teams, makers | Always unclassified |
The job board ranks jobs by match score and dims jobs you can't accept (clearance, track, or capacity).
| FACTOR | WEIGHT | SIGNAL |
|---|---|---|
| Clearance fit | 30% | Your level ≥ job's required level |
| Process listed | 25% | Job's process (FDM/SLS/CNC/etc.) is in your equipment |
| State/region | 20% | Same state → 1.0 · Pacific region → 0.7 · CONUS → 0.25 |
| Capacity headroom | 15% | Your weekly capacity vs job's unit count |
| Material history | 10% | You've completed jobs in this material before |
Both parties can step out of an order in defined ways. All actions are audit-logged.
| WHILE STATUS IS | WHAT HAPPENS |
|---|---|
| ACCEPTED · PRINTING | Job returns to OPEN on the board. No payment was at risk yet. You pick a reason (equipment failure, timeline conflict, etc.). |
| QC · SHIPPED · COMPLETED | Not cancellable — the agency must dispute instead. |
If the agency claims the parts are damaged, wrong, missing, or failed QC, they can open a dispute instead of confirming delivery. The job goes into disputed status, escrow stays held, and a FORGE admin reviews.
| OUTCOME | WHO GETS WHAT |
|---|---|
| OPERATOR PAID | Full payout to you. Same as a normal completed job. |
| SPLIT | Admin sets a percentage (1–99%) to you. Remainder refunded to agency. |
| AGENCY REFUNDED | Full refund to agency. You receive nothing. Job marked cancelled. |
| DISMISSED | No money moves. Job returns to SHIPPED status for normal confirmation. |
FORGE handles authentication, sessions, file access, and audit logging against NIST 800-171 as a design reference. The platform is not CMMC-certified.
| CONTROL | HOW WE IMPLEMENT IT |
|---|---|
| Password policy | 14+ characters with mixed case, number, symbol. Bcrypt at rest (cost 12). |
| Account lockout | 5 failed attempts in 15 minutes locks the account. Per-IP throttle on the login page on top of that. |
| MFA | TOTP via any RFC 6238 authenticator. Mandatory for admin accounts, optional for operators. |
| Sessions | 30-min idle timeout · 8-hr absolute · session ID rotation on auth state change. Cookies Secure + HttpOnly + SameSite=Lax. |
| File access | CAD downloads are access-gated and logged. Files only unlock for the accepting operator, and only while the job is open. |
| Audit log | Every login, accept, advance, payment, and admin action is logged with timestamp, IP, and event details. Append-only in practice; not cryptographically sealed. |
| Transport | TLS 1.2+ everywhere, with HSTS enabled. A Content-Security-Policy is set, though inline scripts are still permitted. |
FORGE is operated by Kapu Solutions Inc. & Holomua Tech out of Honolulu. We answer within 1 business day, often faster.
| CHANNEL | WHEN TO USE |
|---|---|
| Job-message thread | Routine questions about a specific order. Both you and the agency see the thread; admin can step in if needed. |
| [email protected] | Onboarding help, clearance upgrades, payment issues, account questions. |
| [email protected] | Reporting a vulnerability or suspected breach. |
| (808) 365-0692 | Time-sensitive issues during HST business hours. |
Mailing address:
Kapu Solutions Inc.
1188 Bishop St, Suite 811
Honolulu, HI 96813