Spark Accelerator Program

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 up to $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.

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.

For guidance on current BARDA priorities, please refer to PHEMCE’s high-priority threat list.

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

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 within their cohort for a share of a total non-dilutive award pool of up to $50,000.

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	Shortlisted Applicant Presentations & Review Panel Q&A
November, 2026	Accelerator Cohort Selected
December, 2026	Accelerator Program Launch

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between this opportunity and the Pediatric Medical Countermeasures Summit Pitch Competition?

The Pediatric Medical Countermeasures Summit Pitch Competition is a standalone competition for up to $50,000 in funding that will be held during the SPARK Pediatric Medical Countermeasures Summit on September 22 in Washington, DC.

The SPARK Accelerator Program is a separate opportunity that provides six months of structured support, including mentorship and access to subject matter experts in areas such as regulatory strategy, reimbursement, clinical development, intellectual property, and health economics. Accelerator participants are also eligible to compete in a cohort-exclusive pitch competition for up to $50,000 in funding, which will be held at the conclusion of the accelerator programming.

Organizations may apply to both opportunities.

I haven't considered pediatric applications for my technology yet. Should I still apply?

Yes. Companies developing medical countermeasures for broader populations may benefit from incorporating pediatric indications into their development strategy. SPARK provides tailored support, clinical access and expertise, and strategic guidance to help teams navigate pediatric clinical, regulatory, commercialization, and evidence-generation pathways.

Is the accelerator program open to non-U.S. entities?

This program is open to both U.S. and non-U.S. entities that meet the eligibility criteria and contracting requirements, and remains subject to change in accordance with the terms and conditions in effect at the time of award notice. The program will be conducted virtually.

Can I apply to multiple SPARK solicitations simultaneously?

Yes. Applicants may apply to multiple solicitations, provided each submission meets the specific criteria and scope.

I’m already part of the BARDA and/or SPARK portfolio. Can I apply?

Yes. Current portfolio participants are encouraged to apply, as long as proposals are distinct and aligned with solicitation requirements. Previous participants in the SPARK Accelerator Program are not eligible to 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: sparkhub@childrensnational.org