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SaaS Listings on AWS GovCloud (US) Marketplace

Alli Lindor
Updated

 

SaaS Listings on AWS GovCloud (US) Marketplace with Labra

AWS GovCloud (US) Marketplace is similar to the standard AWS Marketplace but designed specifically for U.S. government customers. Labra helps streamline the listing and publishing process so you can focus on compliance, operational setup, and connecting with government buyers.
 

 

🌎 Audience & Access 🔒

  • Commercial AWS Marketplace: Global access for all AWS customers.

  • GovCloud Marketplace: Restricted to U.S. government agencies, contractors, and ITAR/FedRAMP-compliant organizations. Only vetted U.S. persons (U.S. citizens or green-card holders) can access it.

 

✅ Compliance & Security 🛡️

GovCloud has stricter security and compliance expectations than the commercial Marketplace.

  • Follow export-controlled data handling rules. Only U.S. persons may have access to sensitive data.

  • Use Vendor Insights to publish your Security Profile, allowing buyers to see certifications such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, or FedRAMP.

  • AWS Marketplace does not require you to be FedRAMP authorized to list in GovCloud; these are buyer-side requirements. Vendor Insights helps share your certifications transparently.

  • Review Marketplace security guidance and configure IAM properly for your SaaS integration.

 

📄 Listing & Management 🛠️

  • Separate GovCloud listings are required; commercial listings do not carry over automatically.

  • Prepare your listing metadata before starting:

    • Product title, logo, short & long descriptions, highlights, categories, keywords

    • Support resources (documentation URLs, contact info)

    • Pricing model & dimensions

    • Refund policy and EULA (AWS Standard Contract or your own)

    • Enable GovCloud regions (us-gov-west-1 and us-gov-east-1)

  • SaaS-specific requirements for GovCloud:

    • Include “GovCloud” in the product title if offered exclusively in GovCloud regions.

    • In the description, explain architectural boundaries between commercial and GovCloud partitions, intended use cases, and unsupported workloads.

    • Plan your metering using AWS BatchMeterUsage API (supports SaaS/FCP; deduped hourly and retry-safe).

 

💵 Buyer Procurement Flow 📋

  • Customers cannot “1-click launch” straight from the public Marketplace site into GovCloud.

  • Discovery happens on the Marketplace, but launch occurs via the EC2 console in the GovCloud partition.

  • Private Marketplace controls in the commercial account extend to the linked GovCloud account.

 

🤝 Co-Sell & Visibility 📢

  • Listing in GovCloud signals compliance readiness and opens co-sell opportunities with AWS public sector reps.

  • Helps government buyers find and trust your SaaS solution.
     

🚀  GovCloud listings expand your addressable market into the U.S. public sector, with extra compliance, operational, and support requirements.

 

⚠️ Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Forgetting to include “GovCloud” in the product title for exclusive listings.

  • Missing architectural boundaries and unsupported workloads in your description.

  • Failing to follow export-control rules or restrict access to U.S. persons.

     

 

🚀 How Labra Simplifies GovCloud Listings

  • Streamline listing creation: Labra guides you through SaaS metadata, pricing, and compliance requirements.

  • Limited state publication: Labra submits your listing in limited view and coordinates with AWS Managed Seller Operations for next steps.

  • Assisted publishing: Labra collaborates with AWS to ensure your product is fully published and compliant.

With Labra, GovCloud listings expand your addressable market into the U.S. public sector, while helping you navigate extra compliance, operational, and support requirements efficiently.

 

 

🔗 Helpful Resources

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