SPARK Accelerator Program
A six-month, no-cost, equity-free accelerator for startups and academic innovators developing pediatric medical countermeasures. Participants receive mentorship, strategic guidance, and access to key networks, with an opportunity to compete for $50,000 in non-dilutive funding.
Request for submissions
SPARK Accelerator Program
Background
The mission of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is to prepare for and respond to health security threats including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats, pandemic influenza, and emerging infectious diseases. For guidance on current BARDA priority pathogens, please refer to PHEMCE’s high-priority threat list.
Medical countermeasures (MCMs) are a class of technologies and products that counter above mentioned health security threats and include vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics, medical devices, digital health tools, and enabling technologies.
The SPARK Hub (Special Populations Acceleration Research and Knowledge) for Innovations in Pediatrics, a BARDA Accelerator Network Hub for Special Populations led by Children’s National Hospital, supports the development of innovations that address challenges related to the development and availability of medical countermeasures for pediatric populations.
About the Accelerator
Are you an academic innovator or company developing a groundbreaking technology that can enhance health security for pediatric populations?
The SPARK Accelerator Program supports academic innovators and companies developing innovative technologies for pediatric populations aligned with BARDA’s mission and strategic plan. Selected teams will be admitted to a zero-cost, equity-free, six-month accelerator program offering comprehensive wraparound services focused on technical, clinical, regulatory, reimbursement, intellectual property, and commercialization support. Program will be conducted virtually and its highlights include but are not limited to:
- Tailored Onboarding: The program begins with a comprehensive needs assessment to identify your team’s specific priorities, ensuring highly targeted and relevant support throughout the accelerator.
- Specialized Support Tracks: Based on the outcomes of the needs assessment, participants are assigned to tailored support tracks, including but not limited to:
- Regulatory Strategy: Guidance on developing and advancing regulatory pathways, including FDA engagement, submission planning, and compliance considerations.
- Clinical Study and Trial Design: Support in designing robust clinical studies, including protocol development, endpoint selection, alignment with regulatory and commercialization goals, and guidance on Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes.
- Intellectual Property: Advisory on protecting and strengthening intellectual property, including patent strategy, landscape analysis, and freedom-to-operate considerations.
- Reimbursement and Market Access: Insights into reimbursement pathways, coding, coverage, and payment strategies to support market access and adoption.
- Health Economics and Go-to-Market Strategy: Support in developing evidence to demonstrate economic value, including cost-effectiveness analysis, value frameworks, and data strategies to inform payer and provider decision-making.
- Clinical Access: Engage directly with pediatric clinician networks to support product validation, gather expert feedback, and explore potential clinical collaboration opportunities.
- Strategic Alignment with BARDA Priorities: Through program engagement, mentor feedback, and curated networking events, participants receive guidance that may help strengthen alignment with BARDA areas of interest and reduce key development risks relevant to potential future funding opportunities. Participation in the accelerator does not guarantee follow-on funding.
- Non-Dilutive Funding: Participants who successfully complete the accelerator will have the opportunity to compete for up to $50,000 in non-dilutive funding.
Focus Areas
SPARK hub aims to support innovative technologies for pediatrics populations aligned with BARDA’s mission and strategic plan. Specific technology/product development areas include, but are not limited to:
- Diagnostics, medical devices, digital tools, therapeutics, vaccines, and enabling technologies to address BARDA mission-relevant health security threats in pediatric populations
- Enabling technologies that facilitate evidence generation for the expansion of pediatric labeling of a specified BARDA mission-relevant medical countermeasure (MCM). Some examples of such technologies include, but are not limited to:
- Pediatric digital twins to predict the safety and efficacy of therapeutics and vaccines
- Microphysiological systems, including organoids, assembloids, and organ-on-a-chip platforms, that can simulate pediatric systems to better evaluate therapeutic candidates
- PK/PD models for pediatric dose optimization
- Simulation platforms for trial design and pediatric response forecasting
Key Dates
| August 12, 2026 | Virtual Information Session. Register here. |
| September 10, 2026 | Application Submission Deadline Note: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Early submission is encouraged to receive priority review. |
| October, 2026 | Pitch Calls with Shortlisted Applicants |
| November, 2026 | Awardees Announced |
| December, 2026 | Accelerator Program Launch |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the accelerator program open to non-U.S. entities?
Can I apply to multiple SPARK solicitations simultaneously?
I’m already part of the BARDA and/or SPARK portfolio. Can I apply?
How will submissions be evaluated?
Submissions will be evaluated based on:
- Alignment with BARDA’s mission
- Relevance to Pediatric Populations
- Innovation and Differentiation
- Technical Expertise
- Regulatory Knowledge and Readiness
- Proposed use and impact of Accelerator resources
Who can I contact for more information?
For additional inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
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