ARPA-H Scalable Solutions Office (SSO) BAA

Executive Summary:

ARPA-H’s Scalable Solutions Office (SSO) has an open “Mission Office Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO)” to fund revolutionary solutions that expand access, affordability, manufacturing, and distribution of health technologies across the U.S. healthcare system. The ISO accepts Solution Summaries and, if encouraged, full proposals; it anticipates multiple awards made as Other Transactions (OTs). The solicitation is open now and remains open until March 5, 2029.

How much funding would I receive?

The solicitation does not specify dollar amounts or funding ceilings. Awards are made as Other Transaction (OT) agreements at the government’s discretion, with specific payment structures negotiated individually. As a rule of thumb, companies should request only what they need to reach a meaningful technical or commercialization milestone—a concrete point that clearly demonstrates feasibility, enables transition, or unlocks follow-on investment.

What could I use the funding for?

This ISO seeks solution summaries and proposals for projects that fall within the general scope of the ARPA-H Scalable Solutions Office (SSO). The SSO seeks to improve health care access and affordability through revolutionary technical innovations that address the challenges of geography, distribution, manufacturing, and data- and information management. Many communities and remote areas in the United States lack access to timely and quality health care, which leads to disparities in health outcomes for those populations. Bottlenecks during the manufacturing processes of products and health technologies also lead to delays and limited availability, preventing effective distribution of health care solutions to areas of need, especially in emergencies.

Funded SSO health innovation projects will improve the readiness of technologies and medical capabilities to be rapidly, broadly, and affordably adopted by patients, providers, and payers throughout the healthcare ecosystem and improve the patient experience. Manufacturing and supply chain focused SSO projects will lower the bar to entry for new developers, accelerate the rate of development, reduce development and product costs, and improve reliability and agility in manufacturing and product distribution.

Solutions should focus on rapid innovation and the use of partnerships, as well as flexible distribution networks and streamlined manufacturing processes. The following SSO interest areas categorize the ground-breaking solutions we seek to support:

• Health Technologies and Interventions:

  • Approaches to improve affordability and access to health care that are adaptable to various geographic, demographic, economic contexts and can be rapidly and broadly deployed (e.g., drug-repurposing, point-of-care diagnostics, and modular health care infrastructure).

  • Tailored solutions that provide the pediatric population parity with the adult population with respect to access to treatments and other health care interventions, and that adapt to the pediatric patient’s changing physiology and developmental status over the course of years.

  • Transformational approaches to reduce or eliminate health disparities, including leap-ahead technologies that scale novel approaches in human factors, and human-centered design to respond to full diversity of patients in varied geographic settings. Tools to enable expansion of capacities, capabilities, and reach of individual and institutional healthcare providers (e.g., school nurses and schools, walk-in clinics, homesteading care) to address unmet health care access needs and expand availability of critical services.

  • Foundational capabilities to accelerate diagnoses of rare diseases and reduce the cost and increase the availability rare disease treatments wherever patients are, without the need for specialized facilities or healthcare expertise.

  • Novel materials and technologies to not only return autonomy to limited mobility and/or home bound patients.

• Advanced Technologies for Medical Product and Capability Distribution:

  • Methods for standardization, automation, and broad distribution of complex procedures including, but not limited to, histopathology, rare disease diagnosis and treatment, and surgical interventions to ensure access and delivery to all populations.

  • Technical approaches to enhance delivery of effective healthcare solutions, to include dentistry, in rural or low resource settings, including but not limited to "last mile delivery”, at-home monitoring and diagnosis, imaging, drug delivery, telehealth augmentation, and support for remote medical procedures with limited need for specialized training.

  • Technologies to enable the deployment of critical healthcare resources rapidly and securely at scale to the point of need in permissive and non-permissive (i.e., damaged infrastructure, cyberdenied) environments during a public health crisis or natural disaster.

  • Innovative information technology, data and analytic products and technologies to enable ordering, inventory management, situational awareness, allocation planning and demand forecasting of critical healthcare resources during a public health crisis or natural disaster.

• Biomanufacturing Innovations:

  • Innovative manufacturing technologies

    • Approaches that reduce costs; improve access; expedite production timelines; and strengthen domestic competitiveness for biologics, pharmaceuticals, medical devices and personalprotective equipment (PPE). These innovations aim to mitigate supply chain risks through:

      • Novel solutions to minimize the reliance on cold chain management and specialized handling of pharmaceuticals and biologics.

      • Scalable solutions to strengthen biomanufacturing supplychains, resolve bottlenecks, and enable domestic production, such as:

        • Improved production of active pharmaceutical ingredients, process consumables, and other critical materials (e.g., enzymes, cell lines, etc.).

        • Data-driven models to optimize bioprocessing, enhance process control, and bolster supply chain visibility.

        • Development of alternative materials and innovative methods for PPE manufacturing.

        • Improvement of capabilities to sustainably re-shore manufacturing and utilize readily accessible, cost-efficient feedstocks to strengthen the local and national industry bases.

  • Predictable, programable biological production

    • Advanced analytical technologies designed to improve product knowledge, accelerate release, and/or significantly improve analytical figures of merit.

    • Novel sensor systems, process analytical technologies, and associated process models to precisely manage bioproduction management, including:

      • Process control and monitoring systems.

      • Real-time release assays for rapid product validation.

      • Predictive capabilities to inform process development and enable efficient and effective scale-up of manufacturing to industrial scale.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the formal funding award, there are significant indirect benefits to receiving an ARPA-H Scalable Solutions Office (SSO) agreement:

• Government Validation and Credibility:
  Being selected by ARPA-H—the nation’s newest high-impact biomedical research agency—signals exceptional scientific credibility and alignment with the federal government’s most forward-leaning health innovation priorities. This “ARPA-H validation” often accelerates partnerships with major healthcare systems, research institutions, and investors who recognize the rigor and selectivity of government-vetted innovation.

• Enhanced Market Visibility and Notoriety:
  Award recipients are frequently featured in ARPA-H announcements, federal health innovation communications, and national press coverage. This visibility positions your company as a recognized leader in translational health technology and attracts new collaborators, talent, and private-sector investment.

• Ecosystem Access and Collaboration Opportunities:
  ARPA-H performers gain access to a broad innovation ecosystem spanning federal health agencies, academic research centers, and industry partners. These relationships foster collaboration, facilitate regulatory readiness, and open pathways to follow-on contracts, pilot deployments, and commercialization opportunities within the U.S. health system.

• Nondilutive Growth and Strategic Leverage:
  Because funding is nondilutive, companies can scale and validate core technologies without giving up equity. This validation and maturity achieved under government sponsorship often lead to higher valuations and greater leverage in future fundraising or acquisition discussions.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Open period: now through March 5, 2029.

• Step 1 (required): Submit a Solution Summary via the ARPA-H Solution Submission Portal. ARPA-H strives to provide written feedback within 30 business days of submission.

• Step 2: If encouraged, you’ll generally have 45 calendar days from feedback to submit a full proposal (unless ARPA-H specifies otherwise).

• Review cadence: ARPA-H reviews proposals on a rolling basis and strives to issue a decision within 60 calendar days of receiving a full proposal.

• Award timing: After selection, final negotiations for an Other Transaction (OT) award are completed rapidly, and invoicing is handled through Payment Management Services.

Because of this streamlined process, most ARPA-H applicants move from initial Solution Summary to award decision in approximately 4–5 months—making ARPA-H one of the fastest federal funders for high-impact health innovation projects.

Where does this funding come from?

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a federal R&D agency within HHS, issuing awards under the authority of 42 U.S.C. § 290c(g)(1)(D) via OT agreements.

Who is eligible to apply?

Academia, non-profit organizations, for-profit entities, hospitals, community health centers, and non-federal research centers. Non-U.S. entities may participate if compliant with all applicable laws.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Reviewers assess (in descending importance):

1. Scientific/technical merit—innovative, complete plans with clear deliverables, risks, and mitigations;

2. Contribution & relevance to ARPA-H’s mission—transformative potential, unmet need, commercialization/transition thinking, and IP/software approaches that enable adoption (preference for open standards/OSS where appropriate);

3. Team capabilities/experience—track record delivering similar efforts on budget/schedule;

4. Cost/budget alignment with the technical approach. ARPA-H encourages proposing the best technical solution over low-risk/minimal-uncertainty concepts.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Standards & IP: strong preference for open, consensus-based standards (e.g., FHIR/TEFCA, DICOM) and commercial-friendly open-source licenses when feasible; proposals must justify any deviations/standard extensions and may need a pre-submission meeting for exceptions. Provide good-faith IP rights representations; pre-publication review may be required when sensitive info could be disclosed.

• Compliance: Human Subjects (IRB), Animal Subjects (IACUC), NIH Genomic Data Sharing (if applicable), CUI handling, research security disclosures (including CHIPS/NPSM-33 requirements), and OCI disclosures/mitigation.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

For a first-time applicant, preparing a competitive full proposal under this BAA will likely take 120–160 hours in total.

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth under Federal & State R&D Initiatives.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Our full service support is available for a flat fee of $4,000 to submit a solution summary.

Fractional support is $300 per hour.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier grant consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.

ARPA-H Resilient Systems Office (RSO) BAA

Executive Summary:

ARPA-H’s Resilient Systems Office (RSO) is accepting innovative Solution Summaries and full proposals—on a rolling basis—aimed at strengthening the adaptability, reliability, and interoperability of the U.S. health ecosystem. Multiple awards are anticipated under flexible Other Transaction (OT) agreements. The ISO is open now and remains open until March 5, 2029.

How much funding would I receive?

The solicitation does not specify dollar amounts or funding ceilings. Awards are made as Other Transaction (OT) agreements at the government’s discretion, with specific payment structures negotiated individually. As a rule of thumb, companies should request only what they need to reach a meaningful technical or commercialization milestone—a concrete point that clearly demonstrates feasibility, enables transition, or unlocks follow-on investment.

What could I use the funding for?

The Resilient Systems Office (RSO), one of ARPA-H’s mission offices, seeks project proposals that drive innovations to enhance the adaptability, reliability, and interoperability of the health ecosystem. Submissions should aim for groundbreaking ideas that solve systemic challenges across the health landscape, leveraging cutting-edge technologies that address long-standing gaps in the quality, consistency, personalization, and efficacy of care.

RSO is interested in innovations that take a systems level approach in areas including, but not limited to, systems biology, data systems, biophysical systems, health IT systems, sociotechnical systems, health-related systems engineering, and other systems with the potential to improve health outcomes. While RSO welcomes “out of the box” ideas to address the above gaps, the mission office encourages proposals that address the following areas:

• Fortifying systems to improve robustness:

  Novel system designs and modular capabilities that extend the shelf-life of systems, ensuring peak performance across a broad range of healthcare environments and use cases. Applications of interest include, but are not limited to, the adaptability and robustness of biological systems; digital platforms for secure and efficient management of information; and socio-technical systems to maintain access to care and critical information.

• Removing barriers to enhance system efficiency and efficacy:

  Approaches that provide paradigm shifts in system dynamics to improve health outcomes. This includes improvements to system interoperability, process, and transparency; foundational capabilities to enable integration of emerging technology solutions; overcoming systemic barriers driven by misaligned incentives; user-centric tools that improve patient care coordination and user experience; and clinical and research solutions to boost efficiency, reduce cognitive load, and accelerate scientific discovery and its application.

• Early detection and interventions to mitigate disruptions to the healthcare ecosystem:

  Agile interventions to reduce the impact of disruptions and enhance readiness to manage and recover from large-scale health events. This spans the entire health system, including supply chains, manufacturing, and logistics.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the formal funding award, there are significant indirect benefits to receiving an ARPA-H Resilient Systems Office (RSO) agreement:

• Government Validation and Credibility:
  Being selected by ARPA-H—the nation’s newest high-impact biomedical research agency—signals exceptional scientific credibility and alignment with the federal government’s most forward-leaning health innovation priorities. This “ARPA-H validation” often accelerates partnerships with major healthcare systems, research institutions, and investors who recognize the rigor and selectivity of government-vetted innovation.

• Enhanced Market Visibility and Notoriety:
  Award recipients are frequently featured in ARPA-H announcements, federal health innovation communications, and national press coverage. This visibility positions your company as a recognized leader in translational health technology and attracts new collaborators, talent, and private-sector investment.

• Ecosystem Access and Collaboration Opportunities:
  ARPA-H performers gain access to a broad innovation ecosystem spanning federal health agencies, academic research centers, and industry partners. These relationships foster collaboration, facilitate regulatory readiness, and open pathways to follow-on contracts, pilot deployments, and commercialization opportunities within the U.S. health system.

• Nondilutive Growth and Strategic Leverage:
  Because funding is nondilutive, companies can scale and validate core technologies without giving up equity. This validation and maturity achieved under government sponsorship often lead to higher valuations and greater leverage in future fundraising or acquisition discussions.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Open period: now through March 5, 2029.

• Step 1 (required): Submit a Solution Summary via the ARPA-H Solution Submission Portal. ARPA-H strives to provide written feedback within 30 business days of submission.

• Step 2: If encouraged, you’ll generally have 45 calendar days from feedback to submit a full proposal (unless ARPA-H specifies otherwise).

• Review cadence: ARPA-H reviews proposals on a rolling basis and strives to issue a decision within 60 calendar days of receiving a full proposal.

• Award timing: After selection, final negotiations for an Other Transaction (OT) award are completed rapidly, and invoicing is handled through Payment Management Services.

Because of this streamlined process, most ARPA-H applicants move from initial Solution Summary to award decision in approximately 4–5 months—making ARPA-H one of the fastest federal funders for high-impact health innovation projects.

Where does this funding come from?

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a federal R&D agency within HHS, issuing awards under the authority of 42 U.S.C. § 290c(g)(1)(D) via OT agreements.

Who is eligible to apply?

Academia, non-profit organizations, for-profit entities, hospitals, community health centers, and non-federal research centers. Non-U.S. entities may participate if compliant with all applicable laws.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Reviewers assess (in descending importance):

1. Scientific/technical merit—innovative, complete plans with clear deliverables, risks, and mitigations;

2. Contribution & relevance to ARPA-H’s mission—transformative potential, unmet need, commercialization/transition thinking, and IP/software approaches that enable adoption (preference for open standards/OSS where appropriate);

3. Team capabilities/experience—track record delivering similar efforts on budget/schedule;

4. Cost/budget alignment with the technical approach. ARPA-H encourages proposing the best technical solution over low-risk/minimal-uncertainty concepts.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Standards & IP: strong preference for open, consensus-based standards (e.g., FHIR/TEFCA, DICOM) and commercial-friendly open-source licenses when feasible; proposals must justify any deviations/standard extensions and may need a pre-submission meeting for exceptions. Provide good-faith IP rights representations; pre-publication review may be required when sensitive info could be disclosed.

• Compliance: Human Subjects (IRB), Animal Subjects (IACUC), NIH Genomic Data Sharing (if applicable), CUI handling, research security disclosures (including CHIPS/NPSM-33 requirements), and OCI disclosures/mitigation.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

For a first-time applicant, preparing a competitive full proposal under this BAA will likely take 120–160 hours in total.

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth under Federal & State R&D Initiatives.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Our full service support is available for a flat fee of $4,000 to submit a solution summary.

Fractional support is $300 per hour.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier grant consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.

ARPA-H Proactive Health Office (PHO) BAA

Executive Summary:

ARPA-H’s Proactive Health Office (PHO) has an open Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO) to fund high-impact R&D that improves health span and health outcomes before disease onset. The ISO accepts Solution Summaries now through March 5, 2029, with multiple awards anticipated under Other Transactions (OTs). Eligible proposers include for-profit companies, non-profits, and academia. Solutions must be novel (not incremental) and align with PHO interests in prevention, early detection, behavior change, and system-level innovations.

How much funding would I receive?

The solicitation does not specify dollar amounts or funding ceilings. Awards are made as Other Transaction (OT) agreements at the government’s discretion, with specific payment structures negotiated individually. As a rule of thumb, companies should request only what they need to reach a meaningful technical or commercialization milestone—a concrete point that clearly demonstrates feasibility, enables transition, or unlocks follow-on investment.

What could I use the funding for?

The Proactive Health Office (PHO), one of ARPA-H’s mission offices, is seeking solutions to improve the health spans and health outcomes of Americans prior to the onset of disease and/or the development of diminished quality of life from illness. Specifically, PHO hypothesizes that: 1) the development of novel early detection methods and prophylactic interventions could drastically improve the health of American throughout their lives; 2) population-level improvements in access to and uptake of disease increase prevention- and wellness-promoting behaviors; and 3) system-level innovations are required to deliver proactive health measures effectively.

Specific PHO interest areas include:

• Novel prevention, detection, and prophylactic treatment methods for disease, including:

  i. Prophylactic approaches to prevention of diseases and harmfuldisease outcomes.

  ii. Methods for continuous and widespread sensing of health-state, and early disease indicators that can be deployed at population-scales.

  iii. Novel and scalable methods for early detection of disease and illness that include the use of low/no-cost sensing modalities.

• Population-level approaches to increase the adoption of prevention- and wellness behaviors:

  i. Methods to inform and educate individuals about healthy behaviors, including lifestyle and preventative medical measures.

  ii. Methods that incentivize individuals to adopt and maintain healthy behaviors.

  iii. Novel approaches to increasing individual health spans and independence even in the absence of disease.

  iv. Early indicators of both disease- and pre-disease states, and measures associated with proactive health outcomes that are both inexpensive and effective. Low-cost, high-uptake mental health resiliency and mindfulness-building methods for individuals.

• System innovation for the delivery of proactive health outcomes:

  i. Novel, robust, and predictive surrogates for long-term health outcomes with associated epidemiological models.

  ii. Valuation models for long-term treatment effects for vaccination, screening, and other public health interventions.

  iii. New funding and delivery models for preventative interventions.

• Other Topics

  High-quality submissions that propose revolutionary technologies that meet the goals of PHO will be considered even if they do not address the areas of interest listed above.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the formal funding award, there are significant indirect benefits to receiving an ARPA-H Proactive Health Office (PHO) agreement:

• Government Validation and Credibility:
  Being selected by ARPA-H—the nation’s newest high-impact biomedical research agency—signals exceptional scientific credibility and alignment with the federal government’s most forward-leaning health innovation priorities. This “ARPA-H validation” often accelerates partnerships with major healthcare systems, research institutions, and investors who recognize the rigor and selectivity of government-vetted innovation.

• Enhanced Market Visibility and Notoriety:
  Award recipients are frequently featured in ARPA-H announcements, federal health innovation communications, and national press coverage. This visibility positions your company as a recognized leader in translational health technology and attracts new collaborators, talent, and private-sector investment.

• Ecosystem Access and Collaboration Opportunities:
  ARPA-H performers gain access to a broad innovation ecosystem spanning federal health agencies, academic research centers, and industry partners. These relationships foster collaboration, facilitate regulatory readiness, and open pathways to follow-on contracts, pilot deployments, and commercialization opportunities within the U.S. health system.

• Nondilutive Growth and Strategic Leverage:
  Because funding is nondilutive, companies can scale and validate core technologies without giving up equity. This validation and maturity achieved under government sponsorship often lead to higher valuations and greater leverage in future fundraising or acquisition discussions.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Open period: now through March 5, 2029.

• Step 1 (required): Submit a Solution Summary via the ARPA-H Solution Submission Portal. ARPA-H strives to provide written feedback within 30 business days of submission.

• Step 2: If encouraged, you’ll generally have 45 calendar days from feedback to submit a full proposal (unless ARPA-H specifies otherwise).

• Review cadence: ARPA-H reviews proposals on a rolling basis and strives to issue a decision within 60 calendar days of receiving a full proposal.

• Award timing: After selection, final negotiations for an Other Transaction (OT) award are completed rapidly, and invoicing is handled through Payment Management Services.

Because of this streamlined process, most ARPA-H applicants move from initial Solution Summary to award decision in approximately 4–5 months—making ARPA-H one of the fastest federal funders for high-impact health innovation projects.

Where does this funding come from?

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a federal R&D agency within HHS, issuing awards under the authority of 42 U.S.C. § 290c(g)(1)(D) via OT agreements.

Who is eligible to apply?

Academia, non-profit organizations, for-profit entities, hospitals, community health centers, and non-federal research centers. Non-U.S. entities may participate if compliant with all applicable laws.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Reviewers assess (in descending importance):

1. Scientific/technical merit—innovative, complete plans with clear deliverables, risks, and mitigations;

2. Contribution & relevance to ARPA-H’s mission—transformative potential, unmet need, commercialization/transition thinking, and IP/software approaches that enable adoption (preference for open standards/OSS where appropriate);

3. Team capabilities/experience—track record delivering similar efforts on budget/schedule;

4. Cost/budget alignment with the technical approach. ARPA-H encourages proposing the best technical solution over low-risk/minimal-uncertainty concepts.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Standards & IP: strong preference for open, consensus-based standards (e.g., FHIR/TEFCA, DICOM) and commercial-friendly open-source licenses when feasible; proposals must justify any deviations/standard extensions and may need a pre-submission meeting for exceptions. Provide good-faith IP rights representations; pre-publication review may be required when sensitive info could be disclosed.

• Compliance: Human Subjects (IRB), Animal Subjects (IACUC), NIH Genomic Data Sharing (if applicable), CUI handling, research security disclosures (including CHIPS/NPSM-33 requirements), and OCI disclosures/mitigation.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

For a first-time applicant, preparing a competitive full proposal under this BAA will likely take 120–160 hours in total.

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth under Federal & State R&D Initiatives.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Our full service support is available for a flat fee of $4,000 to submit a solution summary.

Fractional support is $300 per hour.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier grant consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.

ARPA-H Health Science Futures (HSF) Mission Office BAA

Executive Summary:

The ARPA-H Health Science Futures (HSF) Mission Office is accepting Solution Summaries and full proposals for revolutionary health R&D under its Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO), ARPA-H-SOL-24-104. Multiple awards are anticipated via Other Transaction (OT) agreements. The ISO remains open through March 5, 2029, and you must submit a short Solution Summary and receive written feedback before a full proposal. Submissions must align with HSF focus areas (e.g., breakthrough technologies, transformative tools, and adaptable platform systems) and are expected to be high-risk, high-impact—incremental or clinical-trial-stage efforts are out of scope.

How much funding would I receive?

The solicitation does not specify dollar amounts or funding ceilings. Awards are made as Other Transaction (OT) agreements at the government’s discretion, with specific payment structures negotiated individually. As a rule of thumb, companies should request only what they need to reach a meaningful technical or commercialization milestone—a concrete point that clearly demonstrates feasibility, enables transition, or unlocks follow-on investment.

What could I use the funding for?

This ISO seeks solution summaries and proposal submissions for projects that fall within the general scope of the ARPA-H Health Science Futures (HSF) mission office. The HSF mission office expands what is technically possible by developing approaches that will remove the scientific and technological limitations that stymie progress towards the healthcare of the future. The HSF mission office
supports cutting-edge, often disease-agnostic research programs that have the potential for translational real-world change. Specifically excluded from consideration are proposals that represent an evolutionary or incremental advance in the current state of the art, or technology that has reached the clinical trial stage. An example of this type of proposal might include the request to fund clinical trials of an otherwise developed product. Additionally, proposals directed toward policy changes; traditional education and training; center coordination, formation, or development; and construction of physical infrastructure are outside the scope of the ARPA-H mission.

The following areas define the ground-breaking research that HSF seeks to support:

• Breakthrough Technologies

  Paradigm shifting technologies that will change how we approach the diagnosis, treatment, and impact of diseases and conditions.

  • Novel approaches to improve maternal and fetal medicine, decrease maternal morbidity and mortality during birth, and the post-partum period. Efforts should include new technology to monitor, detect, and/or treat maternal and/or fetal complications with less invasive and traumatic methods.

  • Foundational advances in genetic, epigenetic, cellular, tissue, and organ replacement therapies that enable personalized medical interventions at scale in a manner that is accessible, cost-effective, and designed to impact the communities of greatest need.

  • Interventions that target and reverse disease pathogenesis and/or enhance plasticity to address diseases of the nervous, neuromuscular, skeletal, lymphatic, cardiovascular, and other organ systems.

  • Novel approaches to definitively diagnose and cure chronic diseases including, but not limited to, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, etc.), and cancer.

  • Technologies that expand the precision, scale, and accessibility of brain circuit mapping technologies that enable causative neuropsychiatric links to mental health disorders leading to definitive diagnosis and reliable therapeutic monitoring.

• Transformative Tools

  Novel, agile solutions that will move from bench to bedside quickly, facilitating revolutionary advances in medical care.

  • Development of tools that counter idiosyncratic, off-target, or chronic effects of medicines that are commonly used or that are being used experimentally to treat or prevent disease.

  • Development of bionic or biohybrid devices that enable direct integration and communication with the body to activate restorative pathways that restore lost senses, physical abilities, immune functions, and other organ functions.

  • Site-selective neuromodulation to regulate specific physiological functions and treat chronic health conditions such as inflammation, pain, and metabolic or endocrine disorders.

  • Synthetic biology approaches incorporating novel logic mechanisms, disease targeting and response methods, and robust control strategies to diagnose, and/or cure a multitude of diseases.

  • Imaging or other technologies engineered from discoveries at the forefront of physics and/or chemistry that reduce cost, improve size and/or portability, increase availability, expand capability, improve resolution, reduce exposure to radiation, and accommodate pediatric patient populations.

  • Integrated sensing and therapy delivery devices for addressing chronic health conditions, including mental health conditions or substance use disorders.

• Platform Systems

  Adaptable, multi-application systems and technologies that are reconfigurable for a wide variety of clinical needs.

  • Novel molecular platforms to target and cure diseases, including the modulation of physiological systems, delivery to targets with spatial and temporal precision, and mitigation of off-target effects to accelerate interventions that dramatically improve health outcomes.

  • New approaches to accelerate and routinize mammalian and microbial cellular engineering to enable next generation therapeutic applications, develop multiscale interventions, and automate hypothesis generation and discovery to expand those applications to disease states in which cellular therapies have not traditionally been employed.

  • Innovative approaches at the intersection of artificial intelligence, high performance computing (including quantum computing) and biological systems, including enabling de novo design of biomolecules with entirely new phenotypes.

  • Revolutionary omics platforms that enable unprecedented spatial and temporal scales and resolution of physiological and disease mechanisms.

• Other Technologies

  Other high-quality submissions that propose revolutionary technologies that meet the goals of HSF will be considered even if they do not address the other listed topics.

  Proposals in response to this Innovative Solutions Opening (ISO) are expected to identify innovative approaches to enable revolutionary advances in medicine and healthcare and the science and technologies underlying these areas. While approaches that are disease agnostic are encouraged, ARPA-H welcomes proposals that offer radically new insights to address specific health conditions, including (but not limited to) cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, infectious and neurological diseases, and pediatric and maternal/fetal health.

Are there any additional benefits I would receive?

Beyond the formal funding award, there are significant indirect benefits to receiving an ARPA-H Health Science Futures (HSF) agreement:

• Government Validation and Credibility:
  Being selected by ARPA-H—the nation’s newest high-impact biomedical research agency—signals exceptional scientific credibility and alignment with the federal government’s most forward-leaning health innovation priorities. This “ARPA-H validation” often accelerates partnerships with major healthcare systems, research institutions, and investors who recognize the rigor and selectivity of government-vetted innovation.

• Enhanced Market Visibility and Notoriety:
  Award recipients are frequently featured in ARPA-H announcements, federal health innovation communications, and national press coverage. This visibility positions your company as a recognized leader in translational health technology and attracts new collaborators, talent, and private-sector investment.

• Ecosystem Access and Collaboration Opportunities:
  ARPA-H performers gain access to a broad innovation ecosystem spanning federal health agencies, academic research centers, and industry partners. These relationships foster collaboration, facilitate regulatory readiness, and open pathways to follow-on contracts, pilot deployments, and commercialization opportunities within the U.S. health system.

• Nondilutive Growth and Strategic Leverage:
  Because funding is nondilutive, companies can scale and validate core technologies without giving up equity. This validation and maturity achieved under government sponsorship often lead to higher valuations and greater leverage in future fundraising or acquisition discussions.

What is the timeline to apply and when would I receive funding?

Open period: now through March 5, 2029.

• Step 1 (required): Submit a Solution Summary via the ARPA-H Solution Submission Portal. ARPA-H strives to provide written feedback within 30 business days of submission.

• Step 2: If encouraged, you’ll generally have 45 calendar days from feedback to submit a full proposal (unless ARPA-H specifies otherwise).

• Review cadence: ARPA-H reviews proposals on a rolling basis and strives to issue a decision within 60 calendar days of receiving a full proposal.

• Award timing: After selection, final negotiations for an Other Transaction (OT) award are completed rapidly, and invoicing is handled through Payment Management Services.

Because of this streamlined process, most ARPA-H applicants move from initial Solution Summary to award decision in approximately 4–5 months—making ARPA-H one of the fastest federal funders for high-impact health innovation projects.

Where does this funding come from?

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a federal R&D agency within HHS, issuing awards under the authority of 42 U.S.C. § 290c(g)(1)(D) via OT agreements.

Who is eligible to apply?

Academia, non-profit organizations, for-profit entities, hospitals, community health centers, and non-federal research centers. Non-U.S. entities may participate if compliant with all applicable laws.

What companies and projects are likely to win?

Reviewers assess (in descending importance):

1. Scientific/technical merit—innovative, complete plans with clear deliverables, risks, and mitigations;

2. Contribution & relevance to ARPA-H’s mission—transformative potential, unmet need, commercialization/transition thinking, and IP/software approaches that enable adoption (preference for open standards/OSS where appropriate);

3. Team capabilities/experience—track record delivering similar efforts on budget/schedule;

4. Cost/budget alignment with the technical approach. ARPA-H encourages proposing the best technical solution over low-risk/minimal-uncertainty concepts.

Are there any restrictions I should know about?

• Standards & IP: strong preference for open, consensus-based standards (e.g., FHIR/TEFCA, DICOM) and commercial-friendly open-source licenses when feasible; proposals must justify any deviations/standard extensions and may need a pre-submission meeting for exceptions. Provide good-faith IP rights representations; pre-publication review may be required when sensitive info could be disclosed.

• Compliance: Human Subjects (IRB), Animal Subjects (IACUC), NIH Genomic Data Sharing (if applicable), CUI handling, research security disclosures (including CHIPS/NPSM-33 requirements), and OCI disclosures/mitigation.

How long will it take me to prepare an application?

For a first-time applicant, preparing a competitive full proposal under this BAA will likely take 120–160 hours in total.

How can BW&CO help?

Our team specializes in complex federal R&D proposals and can:

• Triple your likelihood of success through proven strategy and insider-aligned proposal development

• Reduce your time spent on the proposal by 50–80%, letting your team focus on technology and operations

• Ensure you are targeting the best opportunity for your project and positioning your company for long-term growth under Federal & State R&D Initiatives.

How much would BW&CO Charge?

Our full service support is available for a flat fee of $4,000 to submit a solution summary.

Fractional support is $300 per hour.

For startups, we offer a discounted rate of $250 per hour to make top-tier grant consulting more accessible while maintaining the same level of strategic guidance and proposal quality.