Executive Summary
The SMART Antiviral Prize Stage 1 (Hit-to-Lead) pays up to $7.5M per prize to U.S.-based teams with small-molecule antivirals active across the Togaviridae and/or Flaviviridae families. Declarations of Intent are accepted through November 1, 2027 (no time zone posted); data packages close February 29, 2028.
Speed decides this stage. Optimal-track awards are made on a rolling, first-to-finish basis once a reference lab confirms the data, and Essential-track awards are made only if funding remains after all Optimal awards are issued. A team that finishes a complete Optimal data package early has the strongest position.
Solicitation at a Glance
- Agency: Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), HHS, administered by Start2 Group through the VITAL Hub
- Opportunity: SMART Antiviral Prize, Stage 1: Hit-to-Lead
- Number: No solicitation number posted
- Award Vehicle: Prize competition run under a BARDA Other Transaction
- Funding: $52.5M Stage 1 pool; up to $7.5M per prize; $150M program total across all stages
- Technology Maturity: Hit-to-lead small molecules (900 Daltons or less) with in vitro breadth, selectivity and early ADME/PK data
- Due Date: Declarations of Intent September 1, 2026 to November 1, 2027; data packages March 1, 2027 to February 29, 2028 (no time zone posted)
Think your company qualifies? Talk with BW&CO before the November 1, 2027 deadline.
What Is the SMART Antiviral Prize?
The SMART Antiviral Prize is a $150M, multi-stage prize competition run through a partnership with BARDA to advance novel antiviral therapies. Start2 Group designs and administers it. The program moves from a Concept Stage (closed May 11, 2026) to Stage 1 (Hit-to-Lead), Stage 2 (Lead Optimization) and Stage 3 (IND Readiness). Stage 1 is open now and accepts new entrants as well as Concept Stage winners. Prizes are paid for meeting a defined Target Compound Profile, not for a proposal: you submit data, and a U.S.-based reference laboratory checks it.
What Problem Is BARDA Trying to Solve?
BARDA wants antivirals with broad-spectrum activity against the Togaviridae and/or Flaviviridae families, which include chikungunya and dengue viruses. The prize pays for compounds that hit several viruses in a family at once, so the same drug could be ready for an outbreak from a related virus. The Stage 1 evaluation uses anchor panels of "DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3 and DENV-4 for Flaviviridae submissions and CHIKV for Togaviridae."
Priority Capability Areas: What BARDA Is Looking For
- Small molecules only: Organic compounds with a molecular weight at or below 900 Daltons. Nucleotide and nucleoside analogs are allowed. Biologics, peptide-based products, antibody-drug conjugates and nucleic acid-based drugs are out of scope.
- Breadth within a family: Activity against a primary target virus and two additional viruses in the Togaviridae and/or Flaviviridae families.
- Potency: Essential track: EC50 of 2.5 µM or less for the primary virus and 5 µM or less for each additional virus. Optimal track: EC50 of 0.5 µM or less for the primary virus and 1 µM or less for each additional virus.
- Selectivity and yield reduction: Selectivity index (CC50/EC50) of at least 10x (Essential) or 30x (Optimal) for all three viruses, plus at least a 1 log10 reduction in infectious virus titer for the primary virus.
- Early drug-like properties: Nine further attributes, including hERG, solubility, hepatocyte clearance, preliminary PK, genotoxicity and permeability. Optimal needs at least 7 of 9; Essential needs at least 6 of 9.
Funding and Award Terms
- Stage 1 pool: $52.5M.
- Per prize: Up to $7.5M each.
- Number of prizes: The Stage 1 evaluation document anticipates up to seven awards, three of them reserved for Concept Stage winners. Another section of the prize page says up to six, with two reserved. Confirm the current count before planning around it.
- Award order: Optimal awards are made on a rolling basis, first-to-finish by the date and time a complete submission is received. Essential awards are made only if funding remains after all Optimal awards.
- Limits: Up to two Declarations of Intent per entrant, and up to two data packages per Declaration of Intent. An entrant may be prime awardee for only one award per stage.
- IP: Patent rights follow terms substantially the same as FAR 52.227-11, and the Government receives a nonexclusive, paid-up license to patented inventions.
Eligibility Requirements and Participation
- Primary Entrant: Must be a U.S.-based Concern when the Declaration of Intent is submitted and remain one through the issuance of prize awards. That means incorporated in the United States, or unincorporated with its principal place of business in the United States.
- Teaming: Partners may do work, but the Primary Entrant must retain responsibility for substantively leading the technical effort.
- Excluded entrants: USG employees and support contractors cannot be part of a submission in any capacity. Entities under a foreign country of concern are not eligible.
- Excluded compounds: Compounds tested in humans at any stage of clinical development (Phase I to IV) are not eligible. Combination therapy is out of scope.
- SAM.gov: The program FAQ says SAM.gov registration is not needed.
How to Apply
- Read the Stage 1 documents: The Terms & Conditions, Scientific Eligibility Criteria, Target Compound Profile and Evaluation Process are posted on the prize page.
- Submit a Declaration of Intent: File through the Start2 portal between September 1, 2026 and November 1, 2027. Review takes up to one month, and you are told by email whether it is approved.
- Generate the data: Run the potency, selectivity, yield reduction and ADME/PK work against the Target Compound Profile.
- Submit the data package: Each data package must tie to an approved Declaration of Intent and can be filed from March 1, 2027 to February 29, 2028.
- Ship compounds: Send test articles to the designated U.S.-based reference laboratory and provide proof of shipment within five business days of notification.
What Happens After You Submit?
- Each complete data package is timestamped, which sets its place in the queue.
- A panel of subject matter experts gives a Yes/No call on each Target Compound Profile criterion, then on the package as a whole.
- The reference laboratory independently checks potency, selectivity and virus titer reduction. If its results miss the criteria, the package is not eligible for an award, even if your own data met them.
- Optimal packages are awarded on a rolling basis. Essential packages are reviewed after Stage 1 concludes and ranked by attributes achieved (9/9 down to 6/9).
- Winners must return verification and payment documents within 10 business days of formal notification. Start2 makes final decisions, which are not subject to appeal.
Is This Opportunity a Good Fit for Your Company?
This fits a U.S.-based biotech or academic group with a small-molecule antiviral series that already shows activity against more than one togavirus or flavivirus, and the lab access to produce a full in vitro and early ADME/PK package within months. It is a weaker fit for biologics, combination therapies, compounds that have already been dosed in humans, or programs still at the screening-hit stage with no breadth data. Because Optimal awards go to the first complete packages that pass, a team that can reach Optimal criteria early gains the most.
How BW&CO Can Help
BW&CO has helped deep-tech and dual-use founders secure more than $350M in non-dilutive funding. For prize competitions like the SMART Antiviral Prize, we help you:
- Check fit early: Map your compound data against the Stage 1 Target Compound Profile to see which track is realistic.
- Prepare the Declaration of Intent: Draft and file it so it is approved well ahead of the data package window.
- Plan the data work: Build a timeline for the potency, selectivity and ADME/PK studies the package requires.
- Assemble the data package: Organize results against each criterion so reviewers can make clear Yes/No calls.
- Manage logistics: Track the reference lab shipment, winner documents and the rest of the post-submission steps.
Plan Your SMART Antiviral Prize Submission
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is each Stage 1 prize?
Up to $7.5M per prize, from a Stage 1 pool of $52.5M. The full program totals $150M across all stages.
How many Stage 1 prizes will be awarded?
The Stage 1 evaluation document anticipates up to seven, three of them reserved for Concept Stage winners. Another section of the prize page says up to six, with two reserved. Start2 may also select fewer winners.
Do I need to have won the Concept Stage?
No. Stage 1 accepts new entrants, though some awards are reserved for Concept Stage winners.
When are submissions due?
Declarations of Intent are accepted from September 1, 2026 to November 1, 2027. Data packages are accepted from March 1, 2027 to February 29, 2028. No time zone is posted, and Start2 reserves the right to change dates.
Who can be the Primary Entrant?
A U.S.-based Concern: incorporated in the United States, or unincorporated with its principal place of business in the United States. It must remain one through the issuance of prize awards.
Do I need a SAM.gov registration?
The program FAQ answers "No."
Which compounds qualify?
Organic small molecules at or below 900 Daltons with activity against the Togaviridae and/or Flaviviridae families. Biologics, nucleic acid-based drugs, combination therapies and compounds tested in humans are excluded.
What is the difference between the Optimal and Essential tracks?
Optimal requires tighter potency (EC50 0.5 µM or less for the primary virus) and selectivity (30x or more), plus 7 of 9 additional attributes. Optimal awards are rolling and first-to-finish. Essential awards are made only if funding remains after all Optimal awards.
How many submissions can I make?
Up to two Declarations of Intent per entrant and up to two data packages per Declaration of Intent.
Can BW&CO help with a SMART Antiviral Prize submission?
Yes. BW&CO can run the full submission, from the Declaration of Intent through the Stage 1 data package and post-submission steps. Book a call with our team.
Source: VITAL Hub: SMART Antiviral Prize