Compiled 2026-05-11. Companion to the market primer and the buyer and influence map. Maps (a) the existing DARPA BTO relationship with playbook for extension and (b) every federal funding vehicle Valthos can credibly pursue, with submission mechanics, framing, and fit scores. [unverified] flags items not pinned to primary source.
Table of Contents
- Executive summary
- The DARPA BTO playbook
- DoD funding vehicles
- Intelligence Community funding vehicles
- HHS funding vehicles , BARDA / ASPR
- HHS funding vehicles , ARPA-H
- HHS funding vehicles , NIH / NIAID
- HHS funding vehicles , CDC + FDA enabler
- Cross-cutting vehicles
- Master 90-day → 24-month action plan
- Caveats
1. Executive summary
What the existing BTO award actually is
Valthos's $609K DARPA BTO grant (HR00112530122) is not a standalone program , it's a catalyst award from the AI BTO Pitch Day held Dec 5-6, 2024 under solicitation DARPA-SCA-24-01 (Strategic Catalyst Announcement for AI BTO). Valthos won as "Project Biosecurity, Inc." (its prior corporate name) in the "Exciting Frontiers" topic area. The SCA structure was tiered awards of $100K / $200K / $300K, with a $300K per-proposer cap (mechanism: Research Other Transaction). Valthos's initial obligation was at the $200K tier; 41 sister awardees made up the cohort.
The signal in the numbers: original obligation was $200K, modified upward to $609K (a 204% increase). DARPA does not publicly explain the modification, but it sits well above the original SCA cap , strongly suggesting BTO funded a continuation or scope expansion beyond the catalyst award. This is meaningful existing traction, not just a one-shot pitch grant.
The actual product: not publicly documented beyond the launch blog post and marketing site. Earlier draft claimed a docs.valthos.com API with a "Host Adaptation" tool , that claim was an agent-research fabrication (the docs subdomain returns 404) and has been removed. What's verified: the DARPA grant title ("Applications of protein language models for viral variant characterization") tells us the technical work uses protein LMs , most likely ESM-2-family models, the academic state of the art. Same task class as published work like CoVFit (viral fitness from spike sequences) and VirHostPRED (host-range classification from ESM-2 embeddings). No Valthos-authored preprint exists. Don't claim product specifics in the interview that aren't on valthos.com or in their press materials , ask them directly.
The "more incoming" (Koeris LinkedIn, Feb 2026): three most plausible follow-on vehicles, in order of likelihood:
- BTO Office-Wide BAA HR001126S0003 (rolling through Sept 30, 2026; accelerated-award path: ≤$2,000,000 / 30 days from selection notification , verified via SweetSpotGov + BW&CO consulting Oct 2025). best fit for an AI-bio scope extension.
- NODES (Singharoy) , DARPA-PS-25-30, $1.7M Phase I, biophysics-informed deep learning for protein function.
- Bio-Attribution Challenge , $180K prize, culminates June 30, 2026.
The 12 highest-priority vehicles right now
Ranked by fit score × speed-to-action × current open status:
| # | Vehicle | Sponsor | Window | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | MCDC Annual Meeting | JPEO-CBRND / ATI | May 12-13, 2026 | Attend in person , happens next week |
| 2 | MTEC 25-10-DTRA_Multi (Automated Threat Detection) | USAMRDC + DTRA | Open | Submit on "Automated Threat Detection" thrust |
| 3 | DTRA HDTRA1-25-S-0001 Topics B2 + B5 | DTRA | Next window ~late 2026 | Start drafting white paper now |
| 4 | DARPA BTO BAA HR001126S0003 | DARPA BTO | Through Sept 30, 2026 | Submit accelerated-path abstract |
| 5 | DoD CBD SBIR cycle | DoD-wide | Closes May 13, 2026 | Submit by deadline , 2 days |
| 6 | BARDA TechWatch | BARDA | Rolling | Submit quad chart, book 30-min |
| 7 | BARDA DRIVe EZ-BAA | BARDA DRIVe | Rolling | Submit 12,500-char abstract |
| 8 | ARPA-H Proactive Health ISO | ARPA-H | Rolling | Submit Solution Summary |
| 9 | NIH SBIR Direct-to-Phase-II (NIAID Research Area 002 antivirals) | NIAID | Next: Sept 5, 2026 | Draft over summer |
| 10 | NIAID Preclinical/Therapeutic Dev Services | NIAID DMID | Rolling | Apply for in-kind validation |
| 11 | DIU Human Systems CSO | DIU | Rolling AOIs | Solution Brief on next bio AOI |
| 12 | BTO Innovation Opportunity Fair (BIO Fair) | DARPA BTO | June 5, 2026; reg by May 28 | Register, attend hybrid |
The single most important strategic message
Valthos has already demonstrated execution to BTO (the 204% upward modification is the proof) and Koeris is publicly hyping the relationship. The Ops & Growth job in year one isn't to win the first federal contract , Valthos already has one and a clear follow-on lane. The job is to broaden the federal footprint horizontally:
- BTO → JPEO-CBRND (JPL Enabling Biotechnologies , Bruce Goodwin)
- BTO → DTRA fundamental research (Petro; B2/B5 topics)
- BTO → ARPA-H Proactive Health (Andy Kilianski)
- BTO → IARPA B24IC successor (Michael Patterson)
- BTO → BARDA (Disbrow → Houchens for CBRN MCMs)
- BTO → DIU Human Systems (Christian Whitchurch , ex-DTRA, easiest cross-pollination)
Each of these has a named champion already mapped in the buyer and influence map.
2. The DARPA BTO playbook
2.1 Confirmed status of HR00112530122
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Awardee | Valthos, Inc. (formerly Project Biosecurity, Inc.) | highergov.com; mtec-sc.org |
| Award ID | HR00112530122 | highergov.com |
| Parent solicitation | DARPA-SCA-24-01 (AI BTO Strategic Catalyst Announcement) | everglade.com; darpa.mil |
| Pitch Day | Dec 5-6, 2024 | darpa.mil/news/2024/same-day-awards |
| Topic area | "Exciting Frontiers" | darpa.mil |
| Mechanism | Research OTA | darpa.mil/news/2024/ai-bto-2024 |
| Title | "Applications of protein language models for viral variant characterization" | highergov.com |
| Original obligation | $200K | highergov.com |
| Modified obligation | $609K (204% increase, 3/2/26) | highergov.com |
| Period of performance | Dec 9, 2024 – Mar 31, 2026 | highergov.com |
| Place of performance | San Francisco | highergov.com |
| CFDA | 12.910 (Research and Technology Development) | highergov.com |
| Sister cohort | 41 other companies; ~$6.3M total pool; ~$150K avg | darpa.mil |
| Notable sister awardees | Arzeda Corp, DeepSeq.AI, MIT, Sanofi Pasteur, Wyss Institute, Tatta Bio, Lamarck Labs, Tessel Biosciences | darpa.mil; deepseq.ai; biospace.com |
2.2 Likely cognizant PM (inference, not confirmed)
DARPA does not publicly assign a specific BTO PM to AI BTO Pitch Day awards , those were administered at the office level by Koeris with Lori Adornato and Daniella Superlano handling logistics. For follow-on programs, the topic fit suggests:
- Dr. Abhishek Singharoy (PM since Jan 2024). runs Protean, NODES, SMS, Bio-attribution Challenge. His portfolio (protein dynamics + function prediction) is the closest technical fit to "protein LMs for viral variant characterization."
- Dr. Anne Cheever (PM since Aug 2020). biosecurity, bioengineering, bioinformatics. The biosecurity-mission PM in BTO.
- Dr. Tiffany Prest (Aug 2022). runs AMPHORA, Arcadia, EMBER (microbial ecology, ML-for-microbes). Adjacent but slightly off-topic for a viral-variant-focused company.
- Dr. Michael Feasel (Aug 2022). co-runs Protean alongside Singharoy. Chem-bio leaning.
2.3 Three plausible "more incoming" vehicles
Tier 1: BTO Office-Wide BAA , HR001126S0003 [highest probability]
- Status: open through Sept 30, 2026. Successor expected on annual cadence.
- Accelerated-award path: proposals ≤$2,000,000 can receive awards within 30 days of selection notification. Verified via SweetSpotGov (Oct 2025) and BW&CO consulting (Oct 2025). the underlying SAM.gov solicitation includes Attachments G–L specifically for this path (Election & Attestation Form, Model OT for Prototype, Model OT for Research, Small/Large Business contract templates).
- Opt-in mechanics (non-trivial , Valthos planning needs to budget for these):
- Submit Attachment G (Election & Attestation Form) , commits to unclassified effort, specific data rights terms, use of the model agreement (no negotiation of substantive terms).
- Use the DARPA Cost Proposal Spreadsheet (Attachment D).
- For procurement contracts: DCAA-reviewed accounting system + agreement to FAR/DFARS clauses.
- For OTs: use model OT for Prototype (Attachment K) or Research (Attachment L).
- Subawardees (academic / CRO partners) must also attest , partner alignment is required before submission.
- This is the path you write a continuation of the AI-BTO work against.
- Explicit ML/AI focus areas: AI/ML for biological data; biosurveillance anomaly detection; attribution and origin tracing of biological/environmental surveillance streams; foundation models for biology; simulation of biological systems for threat prediction.
- Framing for Valthos: continuation of HR00112530122 with a clear scope expansion , e.g., "closed-loop variant-to-countermeasure cycle integrating environmental biosurveillance signals." Emphasize ESM-2-family work already delivered; propose Year 2 expansion to multi-pathogen + multi-MCM modality.
- Source: sam.gov/opp/8d403582edfd409795560247e8d229b7
Tier 2: NODES (Network of Optimal Dynamic Energy Signatures)
- Status: DARPA-PS-25-30, published July 31, 2025. Phase I abstracts due Aug 29, 2025; full proposals Oct 7, 2025; Phase I start Jan/Feb 2026.
- Award size: up to $1.7M per award for Phase I (12 months), Other Transaction for Prototype.
- Technical fit: biophysics-informed deep learning to predict protein function (Gene Ontology terms) from sequence + structure + dynamics , directly adjacent to Valthos's PLM-for-variant-characterization stack.
- If Valthos submitted by Oct 2025, Phase I results are hitting now (May 2026). Worth asking the team directly in the interview.
- PM: Singharoy.
- Source: darpa.mil/research/programs/nodes
Tier 3: Bio-Attribution Challenge (2026)
- Status: two-round virtual challenge. Round 1 (Detection, 2 months) + Round 2 (Attribution, 1.5 months). $180K total prize pool. Culminates June 30, 2026.
- Mechanics: LLNL-curated synthetic data. Explicitly seeks ML/bioinformatics teams.
- Value: small dollar, but high signal , fast public demonstration of identification + attribution on petabyte-scale data, ladders into a NODES/Office-Wide follow-on.
- Source: darpa.mil/news/2026/bio-attribution-challenge
2.4 BTO Innovation Opportunity Fair (BIO Fair): June 5, 2026
- Hybrid event in Tysons VA. Registration deadline May 28, 2026 (DARPA-SN-26-04).
- Not a solicitation: the highest-leverage venue to socialize a follow-on white paper concept with cognizant PMs (Singharoy, Cheever, Prest, Feasel) in person.
- Action: register Valthos + send 1-2 people; pre-schedule conversations with Singharoy and Cheever; demo whatever product surface Valthos chooses to show externally (do not commit to a specific demo name without internal confirmation).
- Source: darpa.mil/events/2026/bio-fair
2.5 Koeris's stated office priorities (use these to frame proposals)
- "Autonomous science, medicine, and biosurveillance" (BU talk Feb 18, 2026).
- "AI and machine learning applied to biology and biology in space."
- "Data factory / data foundry of the future" thesis (IWBDA keynote). maps to BTO's "Data Factories" thrust on the BTO homepage. Lead any proposal that touches biosurveillance ingestion with the data-factory framing.
- Dual-use risk concerns: "the ease of creating synthetic toxins using generative AI" (2024 talk). The exact threat model Valthos sells against.
2.6 Adjacent DARPA offices to extend into
| Office | BAA | Status | Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSO (Defense Sciences Office) | HR001125S0013 | Open ~through June 2, 2026 | Frame as "physics/complexity of biological evolution"; thrust on Complex Dynamic Intelligent Systems |
| I2O (Information Innovation Office) | HR001125S0002 / HR001126S0001 | First closed Oct 2025; new BAA abstracts Nov 1, 2026 | Frame as protein-LM scaling laws, multi-modal bio fusion , thin bio framing, thick AI methods |
| ARPA-H | Mission Office ISOs (see §6) | Rolling | DARPA's Dec 2024 release noted ARPA-H co-funded the AI BTO program. Warm channel via Wegrzyn → Jackson lineage |
2.7 What the interview answer should sound like
"Valthos already has a live BTO relationship , the $609K HR00112530122 grant under the AI BTO Pitch Day, where they were one of 42 same-day catalyst awardees in the Exciting Frontiers track. The fact that the original $200K was modified up to $609K is the proof that BTO sees them as a continuation candidate, not a one-shot. Koeris's public 'more incoming' post in February probably points to one of three vehicles: the BTO Office-Wide BAA HR001126S0003 , which has an accelerated-award path that gives you a contract within 30 days of selection for any proposal ≤$2M , the NODES program out of Singharoy, or the June 2026 Bio-Attribution Challenge. In the Ops & Growth role, my first move would be to map the existing PM relationship , most likely Singharoy or Cheever , and build the Year-2 thesis around an accelerated-path BAA submission, while attending the June 5 BIO Fair to socialize the concept with adjacent PMs."
3. DoD funding vehicles
3.1 DARPA (beyond BTO already covered above)
| Vehicle | Funds | Eligibility | Size / PoP | Mechanics | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DARPA Disruptioneering (DSO master PA DARPA-PA-25-07) | High-risk feasibility OT contracts | Any US entity; non-traditional preferred | ~$1M cap, 12-18 mo | Master PA enables Disruption Opportunities (DOs). short proposals against narrow questions; awards within 120 days | 4/5 | Watch for BTO-flavored DOs around protein design, agent-based pathogen modeling, autonomous biosurveillance |
| DARPA AI Exploration (AIE) / I2O Office-Wide BAA HR001126S0001 | 18-mo AI feasibility, ~$1M; office-wide larger programs | Open | AIE ~$1M / 18 mo; BAA $1-10M / 24-48 mo | Streamlined OT; AIEs 30-45 day abstract windows; I2O BAA abstract Nov 1, 2026 | 3/5 | Pitch protein-LM scaling laws, multi-modal biosurveillance fusion, agentic reasoning over genomic data , thin bio, thick AI |
| DARPA YFA 2026 (DARPA-RA-25-02) | Junior faculty research, up to $1M / 36 mo | Academic only , Valthos not directly eligible | $1M / 36 mo | Annual posting; closed Jan 20, 2026; re-issue Aug-Sep | 2/5 (indirect) | Identify 1-2 sympathetic junior PIs in protein LMs / wastewater epi; offer industrial collaboration |
3.2 DTRA
| Vehicle | Funds | Size / PoP | Mechanics | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTRA FY25-2034 Chem-Bio Fundamental Research BAA HDTRA1-25-S-0001 | TRL 1-4 fundamental + early applied. $500M ceiling across 10 years. | $250K-$1.5M / 1-3 yr | White paper → invited full proposal; via grants.gov. Current open topics B1-B6; B2 ("Self-Improving AI Systems for Adaptive Defense") and B5 ("Sensing Engineered CB Threats with Synthetic Biology") are direct Valthos fits | 5/5 | Pitch protein-LM + biosurveillance as "self-improving adaptive defense system" against engineered threats. Lean into AI/ML methodological novelty. White papers next cycle ~late 2026 |
| DTRA CBDP / Chem-Bio Tech BAA HDTRA1-22-S-0002 | Applied R&D + advanced tech dev (TRL 3-6) | $1-10M / 2-4 yr | White paper + full; rolling; covers FY22-26 | 4/5 | Position variant-adaptation engine as applied bridge between DTRA fundamental research and JPEO-CBRND acquisition |
| DTRA Cooperative Threat Reduction / BTRP | Cooperative agreements for partner-nation biosurveillance | Task orders $0.5-50M | 6 IDIQ primes ($3.5B 10-yr ceiling); Valthos plays sub | 2/5 (wrong stage) | Sub play. Reach out to IDIQ primes (Amentum + 5 others) with capability statement on AI biosurveillance |
3.3 DoD-wide
| Vehicle | Funds | Eligibility | Size | Mechanics | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SBIR Phase I / II / III | Phase I $250K (6-9 mo) / Phase II $1.7M (24 mo) / Phase III unlimited sole-source | US small biz, >50% US-owned, <500 FTE , Valthos qualifies | $250K-$1.7M (Phase III unlimited) | DSIP portal (dodsbirsttr.mil); DoD CBD SBIR closes May 13, 2026 with DARPA BTO "Unbiased Behavioral Discovery Platforms" topic | 5/5 | Hunt directed CBD topics. Phase III = sole-source long game , once Phase II completes, Valthos can be sole-sourced for related production work |
| STTR Phase I / II | Same as SBIR | Requires academic partner (≥30% work); small biz ≥40% | Same | DSIP | 4/5 | Use to formalize partnerships with Broad/NYU/JHU labs on novel sequence modeling |
| OTAs (10 USC §4022 prototype, §4021 research, §4023 follow-on production) | $1-100M+ prototypes; §4023 production without recompete | §4022 needs non-traditional (Valthos qualifies), non-traditional participation, all small biz, or ≥1/3 non-fed cost share | $1-100M+ | Via consortium (MCDC, MTEC) or direct (DIU, AFWERX, Army xTech) | 5/5 vehicle-level | THE most important contract vehicle for a non-traditional. Pre-negotiate §4023 production language in every prototype |
| DIU CSO | Prototype OTs $1-25M, transitions to §4023 production | Commercial dual-use | $1-25M / 12-24 mo; awards within 60-90 days | Solution Brief → Pitch → Full proposal; ~30-day response goal | 4/5 | Watch Human Systems portfolio for AOIs on health-threat detection, force-health protection, pandemic early warning |
| APFIT | Procurement dollars to bridge prototype-to-production valley | Small biz/non-traditional + sponsoring PEO nominator | $10-50M / 1 yr | PEO nominates; OUSW(R&E) competitive | 2/5 today; 5/5 in 18-24 mo | Premature in 2026; target FY28 once MCDC OTA lands |
| Office of Strategic Capital (OSC) Credit Program | Loans/loan guarantees (NOT grants) for capex-heavy dual-use; FY26 $97.8M subsidy → $4.4B face-value loans | Capex needs in 34 covered categories (synbio in scope) | $10-150M loans, 5-20 yr | Apply via cto.mil/osc/ | 1/5 today | Not a software-stage fit. Revisit if Valthos vertically integrates wet-lab or owned compute |
| DEPSCoR | University capacity-building in 35 designated states | Universities only , Valthos not eligible | n/a | n/a | 1/5 | Indirect only via partner |
3.4 JPEO-CBRND / Consortia
| Vehicle | Funds | Eligibility | Size | Mechanics | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MCDC OTA via ATI | Prototype OTs for medical CBRN MCMs/dx/therapeutics | Valthos already a member (listed as "Project Biosecurity, Inc." placeholder) | $1-50M / 12-36 mo | Gov't RPP → enhanced white paper → full → award; via MCDC BIDS portal. Current: "not currently soliciting" (May 2026); CWMD & MCDC Annual Meeting May 12-13, 2026 will preview RPPs | 5/5 | Best near-term federal contract play. Pitch as AI layer that lets MCDC pharma majors (Moderna, Emergent) adapt to variants in days. Co-propose, don't compete |
| MTEC RPPs | Prototype OTs across medical research | Members | Per RPP | RPP via mtec-sc.org. Current: 25-10-DTRA_Multi "Advancing Biodefense Readiness: On-Demand Biologics, Automated Threat Detection, Alternative Testing Models" | 5/5 | Lead with Automated Threat Detection thrust. Bundle wastewater/air + protein-LM characterization. DARPA BTO grant proves execution |
| JPM CBRN Medical TechWatch | No direct funding , capabilities briefing → invitations / sole-source OTs | Open | n/a | Submit via medicalcountermeasures.gov (BARDA TechWatch is analog) | 4/5 | Seed PM relationships before an RPP drops. Show live DARPA BTO results + variant-adaptation roadmap |
3.5 USAMRDC / USAMRIID / CDMRP
| Vehicle | Funds | Size | Mechanics | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAMRDC BAA HT9425-23-S-BAA1 | Extramural medical R&D , infectious disease, biosurveillance, force health | $250K-$5M / 1-4 yr | Continuously open FY23-27; pre-app/white paper → full via eBRAP | 4/5 | USAMRIID's Synthetic Biology and Biosurveillance Branch runs Biodefense Mass Sequencing , pitch protein LMs as the analytical layer on top. Co-PI with USAMRIID scientist if possible |
| CDMRP PRMRP | FY26 $370M across 52 topic areas (incl. infectious diseases, emerging viral pathogens) | $0.5-3M / 2-4 yr | Pre-app → invited full via eBRAP; annual | 3/5 | Position as analytical co-investigator on clinician-led submission. Pair with military treatment facility or USAMRIID PI |
3.6 Service-level (lower priority)
| Vehicle | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|
| AFWERX Open Topic / D2P2 / STRATFI / AFVentures | 3/5 | Need AFOSI / AFMC / USSF customer. Frame around CBRN force protection, deployable biosurveillance for forward bases |
| SOFWERX Tech Tuesday / Vulcan | 4/5 (⬆️ bumped May 2026) | Valthos's first publicly announced FDE hire is ex-Green Beret medic + the product framing is explicitly "austere environments" , SOFWERX now a top-priority federal channel. Direct path: submit Tech Tuesday Scout Card on Vulcan platform; 20-min briefing slot to all-government audience. Pair with JPM CBRN SOF (Longobardi) outreach |
| NavalX Tech Bridges + ONR Code 34 | 2/5 | Lowest priority. Revisit if shipboard biosurveillance becomes a thrust |
4. Intelligence Community funding vehicles
| Vehicle | Funds | Size | Mechanics | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IARPA BAAs / Seedlings | Multi-year research programs (e.g., FELIX, BENGAL) | $2-10M / 2-4 yr per performer; programs $20-80M total | Program-specific BAAs on iarpa.gov + sam.gov. B24IC seedling ended May 2025; successor expected FY26-27 | 4/5 if successor drops; 2/5 otherwise | Biointelligence framing , protein LMs as attribution / characterization tooling for engineered pathogens or covert programs. IC cares about collection and characterization, not MCM |
| In-Q-Tel (IQT) | Equity investment $1-3M + Work Program (technical adaptation contract) $1-5M. NOT a grant | Dual-use commercial product + IC use case | Direct pitch to IQT BD; 6-9 mo diligence | 4/5 | IQT's 2026 outlook explicitly flags AI-native biotech as priority. Strong existing investor signal (OpenAI SF + Lux + FF) makes IQT intro comparatively easy. Pitch biointel angle, not MCM |
| CIA Office of Technology Transfer / NoVA | CRADAs, licensing, small contracts | Variable | Direct engagement; minimal public solicitations | 2/5 | Pursue alongside IQT , complementary channels into same customer |
| DIA / NCMI (via CACI prime) | Task orders under DMIGHS prime support contract (5-yr, awarded Dec 2023) | Sub-scale | Sub to CACI | 3/5 | Pitch CACI on Valthos as AI characterization layer for NCMI's foreign-pathogen monitoring |
5. HHS funding vehicles: BARDA / ASPR
| Vehicle | Funds | Eligibility | Size / PoP | Mechanics | Cadence | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BARDA BAA-23-100-SOL-00004 | Advanced MCM R&D for CBRN, pandemic flu, EIDs | Open , industry, academia, small biz, non-profits | $5M-$200M+ multi-year base + options | 3-step funnel via BARDA Digital Resources (BDR) portal: Quad Chart + ROM → invited Full Proposal → negotiation. TechWatch pre-submission strongly encouraged | Rolling through 9/25/2028 (Amendment 6 added 9 AOIs May 29, 2025) | 4/5 | Lead with adaptive MCM platform , "AI rapidly re-engineers existing licensed vaccines/therapeutics against new variants" , tying to BARDA's pathogen-agnostic posture. De-emphasize cancer/immune long-term vision |
| BARDA DRIVe EZ-BAA | Early-stage POC for transformative health-security tech | Any US entity with active SAM. Cost-share 30-50% | <$750K, 6-12 mo | Single-stage 12,500-char abstract via BDR portal; ~1-wk account turnaround | Rolling, organized by thematic AOIs | 5/5 | Fastest, lowest-friction non-dilutive vehicle for seed-stage AI. Frame biosurveillance-ingestion module as discrete POC. Cost-share easy with $30M seed |
| BARDA DRIVe Sprints (ReadyDetect, Solving Sepsis, Sharkbite, etc.) | Themed multi-stage prize/contract sprints. ReadyDetect: $10M two-stage ($100K concept × ~10 + $3M prototype × 3) | Sprint-specific | $100K-$8M / 6-24 mo | Concept paper or short app via DRIVe sprint microsites / BDR | Episodic; 1-2 new sprints/yr | 4/5 ReadyDetect; 2/5 Sepsis | ReadyDetect best fit , AI sequence characterization underpins low-cost diagnostic claim. Concept-stage Spring 2026 announcements imminent |
| BARDA TechWatch | NOT a funder , 30-min pitch meeting with BARDA SMEs, PMs, contracting staff. Feeder to BAA/DRIVe/RRPV | Open | n/a | Quad chart + meeting request via medicalcountermeasures.gov; TechWatchInbox@hhs.gov |
Rolling | 5/5 | Zero-cost, mandatory first step. Submit within 30 days. Quad chart positions adaptive-MCM platform; ask for guidance on best AOI under BAA-23-100 |
| Project BioShield Special Reserve Fund (SRF) | Late-stage procurement of FDA-licensed/EUA CBRN MCMs into SNS | Sponsors with pre-EUA / licensure pathway | $100M-$1B+ multi-yr | Procurement RFPs on sam.gov; usually preceded by BAA-funded adv. development | Episodic | 1/5 today | Wrong stage. Reference as 5-7 yr destination on roadmap |
| BARDA RRPV (Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle) OTA | Speed-to-market MCM dev , vaccines, therapeutics, dx, mfg | Consortium membership required (sign CMA via ATI) | $5M-$300M+ milestone-based | RPPs to members: Solution Brief → Full Proposal | Several RPPs/yr | 4/5 | Join consortium now (free). Watch for pandemic-flu, EID, AI-enabled MCM RPPs. Recent: RRPV 24-04 NGVx, 26-10 RAPID, 25-06 DxR2 |
| BARDA Ventures (via GHIC) | Equity investment , up to $500M over 10-yr OTA. 12 investments to date | Companies advancing global health security | Variable | Direct outreach to GHIC; no formal solicitation | Rolling | 3/5 | $30M seed makes dilution math tight, but GHIC relationship is stepping stone to BARDA contract (Prenosis: $20M GHIC + $20M BARDA contract Feb 2026) |
| BARDA DRIVe Accelerator Network (BAN). I-CREATE, Paratus | Non-dilutive milestone awards + wraparound. I-CREATE: $50-200K / 6 mo; Paratus: up to $200K | Early-stage startups | $50-200K | App to specific hub (UCI for I-CREATE, MATTER for Paratus) | Annual cohorts | 2/5 | Valthos past this stage; reputational only |
| ASPR Industrial Base Management & Supply Chain (IBMSC) | Domestic mfg capacity for MCMs/essential meds; PPE, APIs, AI-enabled mfg modernization | Manufacturers + tech providers; US preference; WOSB plus | Variable | RFIs and RFPs on sam.gov; IBMSC Industry Summit | Rolling RFIs | 2/5 (partnership only) | Valthos doesn't manufacture. Exception: AI-mfg-modernization thread is credible angle if Valthos teams with contract manufacturer |
| Project NextGen successor programs | Next-gen COVID vaccines, mucosal delivery, durable mAbs ($5B initiative). Recent: Vaxart $453M, Castlevax $34M, Cyanvac $40M | Clinical-ready candidates | $30M-$450M | Via RRPV (RRPV-24-04 NGVx) and BAA | Episodic | 3/5 as sub; 1/5 as prime | Valthos's "adapt existing therapeutics to new variants" is the NextGen thesis. Pursue as teaming opportunity with clinical-stage pharma |
| PHEMCE-aligned procurement + SNS replenishment | Procurement of MCMs vs. priority threats , anthrax/botulism antitoxins, smallpox antivirals, etc. | FDA-licensed/pre-EUA sponsors | Variable annual procurements | Standard FAR-based on sam.gov; informed by PHEMCE gap analysis | Annual | 1/5 today | Same as BioShield SRF , destination, not near-term |
6. HHS funding vehicles: ARPA-H
| Vehicle | Funds | Size | Mechanics | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARPA-H Mission Office ISOs (rolling) , HSF (ARPA-H-SOL-24-104) / Proactive Health (24-106) / Resilient Systems (24-103) / Scalable Solutions (24-105) | Individual research projects per Mission Office | $1M-$50M+ / 2-5 yr; OTs common | Solution Summary first (~10 pp) via ARPA-H BAA Management System → written feedback → invited full proposal | Rolling year-round | 4/5 |
| ARPA-H AIR (ARPA-H-SOL-26-146) | Autonomous Interventions & Robotics | Closed (full proposals due March 18, 2026) | n/a | 1/5 | Surgical robotics , off-mission |
| ARPA-H ADVOCATE (ARPA-H-SOL-26-142) | Agentic AI for cardiovascular care | Closed (full proposals due April 1, 2026) | n/a | 1/5 | Off-mission |
| ARPA-H CIRCLE (ARPA-H-SOL-26-139) | Integrated Measure-Model-Modulate to cut ICU stays 25% | Full proposals due May 28, 2026 , OPEN | n/a | 2/5 | ICU-focused, low fit but watch for sub opportunities |
| ARPA-H PRECISE-AI (ARPA-H-SOL-25-113) | Drift detection + auto-correction for clinical AI (5 TAs) | Main cycle ran 2024-2025 [unverified 2026 supplement] |
n/a | 3/5 | Valthos's protein-LM monitoring could plug into TA2/TA3 as sub |
| ARPA-H Proposers' Days | Per-program info sessions; PM networking + team-building | Free | Register per event | 5/5 | Mandatory attendance for any program Valthos plans to bid. Monitor arpa-h.gov/news-and-events/events biweekly |
| ARPA-H BDF Toolbox | Tools to harmonize biomedical research data | n/a | n/a | 2/5 | Tangential , research-data oriented, not biosurveillance |
7. HHS funding vehicles: NIH / NIAID
| Vehicle | Funds | Size | Mechanics | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NIAID Omnibus BAA HHS-NIH-NIAID-BAA2025-1 | RA001 (AMR bacterial/fungal MCMs, 1-2 awards, $8.5M total base); RA002 (direct-acting antivirals vs. pandemic-potential viruses , Bunya, Corona, Filo, Flavi, Orthopox, Paramyxo, Picorna, Toga; 3-4 awards, $20M total base) | $5-10M per award | Full proposal to NIH eRA / sam.gov; RA002 was Feb 21, 2025; next cycle in BAA2026-1 | 4/5 as sub or co-prime with virology lab | RA002 strongest match , Valthos's AI sequence characterization + protein-LM adaptation of antivirals maps directly to "viruses of pandemic potential" |
| NIH SBIR / STTR , Direct-to-Phase-II / Phase IIB / Fast-Track | Phase I $300K / Phase II $2M / D2P2 skip Phase I with prior validation | <500 FTE US-owned , Valthos qualifies | eRA Commons; NIAID Applicant Assistance Program (AAP) available | Next standard receipt: Sept 5, 2026 | 5/5 |
| NIAID R01 / R21 / R44 / U44 | R01 ($250-500K/yr × 5); R21 ($275K/2 yr); R44 Phase II SBIR; U44 SBIR Coop Agreement Clinical Trial | R01/R21 need academic PI; R44/U44 small biz | eRA Commons; PAR/PA/RFA-specific | 3/5 (requires academic partner) | Pair Valthos with Columbia / Mount Sinai / NYU virology lab for R01-led mechanistic work feeding the platform |
| NIAID Preclinical / In Vitro / In Vivo Screening Services + Therapeutic Development Services | Free in vitro/in vivo screening, animal model development, GLP efficacy, process dev, formulation, GMP mfg support | Worldwide investigators with credible candidates | In-kind services valued $100K-$5M | Online app to NIAID DMID services portal | 5/5 once candidate exists |
| DMID Clinical Research Networks (VTEUs, IDCRC) | Conducts vaccine/therapeutic clinical trials | Industry sponsors with Phase 1/2-ready candidates | Variable | Sponsor partnership via NIAID DMID | 2/5 today; 4/5 in 2-3 yr |
| RADx successors | [unverified 2026 status] |
n/a | n/a | 2/5 | Watch for NIBIB BAAs |
8. HHS funding vehicles: CDC + FDA enabler
8.1 CDC
| Vehicle | Funds | Path for Valthos | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CDC PHEP / HPP / ELC Cooperative Agreements | State, local, territorial preparedness + lab capacity; 2024-2028 cycle active | Cannot prime , must subcontract to state lab or APHL-member lab | 3/5 sub; 0/5 prime | Identify target state lab; propose AI biosurveillance ingestion or sequence analytics in their PHEP/ELC workplan. $50K-$1M+ at sub level |
| APHL / CDC NOFO CD-25-0019 | 1-2 APHL-member environmental health labs for wastewater surveillance; Jul 1, 2025 - Jun 30, 2030 | APHL members only , Valthos must sub | 3/5 | Wastewater is core to Valthos. Identify awarded labs once announced; pitch AI analytics layer as sub |
| CDC Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST) | Public Health Data Strategy milestones , DIBBs adoption, SimpleReport, disease surveillance modernization | grants.gov / sam.gov NOFOs and contracts | 2/5 | Biosurveillance ingestion has a story but CDC timelines slow; consultancy primes (Deloitte, MITRE, Booz) dominate |
| CDC Broad Agency Announcements (general) | R&D supporting CDC mission | sam.gov per-BAA | 2/5 | Keep on radar |
8.2 FDA MCMi (regulatory enabler, not a funder)
- Office of Counterterrorism and Emerging Threats (OCET) issues an MCM Regulatory Science BAA for extramural R&D supporting tools, standards, approaches to assess MCM safety/efficacy/quality. Advanced Manufacturing Program supports regulatory science for novel mfg.
- Primary value for Valthos:
- Pre-IND meetings / Type B meetings , free regulatory feedback; essential before clinical work.
- Animal Rule pathway , relevant for MCMs against threats where human efficacy trials aren't ethical. FDA is moving toward NAMs (AI/computational models) as Animal Rule evolves , this is a Valthos-relevant inflection.
- EUA / pre-EUA designation , designed for MCMs in active stockpile pipeline.
- MCM grants/contracts , small, niche; primarily diagnostic/manufacturing regulatory science.
- Fit: 5/5 as regulatory enabler; 2/5 as direct funder.
- Framing for interview: position FDA early-engagement as a non-monetary milestone on Valthos's roadmap , pre-IND in Year 1, IND-enabling studies via NIAID services in Year 2, BARDA BAA award supporting Phase 1 in Year 3. FDA touchpoint also unlocks Animal Rule eligibility for biothreat indications , critical for stockpile destination.
9. Cross-cutting vehicles
| Vehicle | Funds | Eligibility | Mechanics | Fit | Framing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRADAs with FFRDCs / National Labs | No direct cash , labs contribute personnel/facilities/IP; Valthos usually contributes funds | Direct negotiation with lab's tech transfer office | 3-6 mo negotiation; 1-5 yr terms | 3/5 | High-leverage targets: LANL (bioinformatics + threat reduction), Sandia (synbio + biosurveillance), JHU APL (NSPI + bio threat analysis). Buys credibility, access to classified-relevant computing, transition partner story for DARPA/DTRA proposals |
| GSA Schedule / MAS / OASIS+ / Polaris | No funding , contract vehicles agencies buy through | Past performance generally required (Polaris waives for emerging small biz) | OASIS+ Phase II opened Jan 12, 2026 (continuously open). Polaris WOSB pool: Mar 2026 - Mar 2031 , direct match for Valthos's WOSB cert | 1/5 today; 3/5 in 12 mo | Premature in 2026 (only 1 federal award; min past-performance thresholds tough). Target: get on Polaris WOSB pool by FY27 once Phase II SBIR or MCDC OTA closes |
| DoD Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) + SBA All Small MPP | DoD reimburses mentor's costs of dev assistance to protégé. Mentor pulls protégé into prime contracts | Valthos qualifies as protégé (WOSB, small) | Identify mentor → submit joint MPA to DoD OSBP / SBA. Year-round | 3/5 | Highest-yield mentor candidates: CACI (DIA NCMI prime), Leidos / Battelle (DTRA primes), Lockheed (JPEO-CBRND systems). MPP makes Valthos eligible for joint-venture set-asides via mentor |
10. Master 90-day → 24-month action plan
New strategic context (May 2026): Valthos's first publicly announced Forward Deployed Engineer hire is Peyton Smith , ex-Green Beret medic (8 yrs Army SF/ODA) + Cornell MS Computational Biology (built tools for viral mRNA chimeric transcripts). Product framing is explicitly "rapid and advanced pathogen characterization in austere environments." This bumps SOF-medical to the top of the ICP list and reshuffles the early-vehicle priority list to emphasize SOF channels:
- SOFWERX Tech Tuesday / Vulcan: now fit 4/5 (was 3/5).
- JPM CBRN SOF (Longobardi): top JPEO sub-PMO target alongside JPL EB (Goodwin).
- USSOCOM SBIR: directed topics on operator-medical, CBRN survivability.
- USAMRIID Applied Diagnostics Branch (Capt. C. Ian Davis): field sequencing technical peer for any pilot.
Phase 1: Next 30 days (May–June 2026)
| # | Action | Vehicle | Why now |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Attend MCDC Annual Meeting May 12-13, 2026 | MCDC OTA | Next week. Best venue to preview upcoming RPPs |
| 2 | Submit DoD CBD SBIR by May 13, 2026 | DoD SBIR | Hard deadline in 2 days |
| 3 | Reach out to Andy Kilianski at UCSF QBI | Academic partnership + ARPA-H referral | Just transitioned from ARPA-H HSF to CSTO at QBI (~May 2026). SF-local; PPI maps × Valthos's PLMs = clean STTR/R01 co-PI structure; can also referrer-in to his ARPA-H successor and source a Valthos-aligned PM candidate |
| 4 | Identify ARPA-H HSF biothreat PM successor to Kilianski | ARPA-H ISO prep | Check arpa-h.gov/about/people biweekly; brief Tyler Best (HSF Acting Director) as senior champion |
| 5 | Register for DARPA BTO BIO Fair (reg deadline May 28, 2026; event June 5, 2026) | BTO BIO Fair | Singularly best PM-socialization event of the year |
| 6 | Submit BARDA TechWatch quad chart via TechWatchInbox@hhs.gov | BARDA TechWatch | Free, mandatory first step. 30-day cycle |
| 7 | Sign RRPV consortium membership agreement via ATI | BARDA RRPV | Free option value. 6-9 mo to first RPP visibility |
| 8 | Submit MTEC 25-10-DTRA_Multi proposal , Automated Threat Detection track | MTEC OTA | Direct technical fit |
Phase 2: 90 days (May–Aug 2026)
| # | Action | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Submit DARPA BTO BAA HR001126S0003 abstract via accelerated-award path (≤$2M, 30-day award post-selection) , pre-stage Attachment G (Election & Attestation Form) and DARPA Cost Proposal Spreadsheet; align any subawardees on attestation requirements | BTO Office-Wide BAA |
| 8 | Submit BARDA DRIVe EZ-BAA abstract for biosurveillance ingestion POC | DRIVe EZ-BAA |
| 9 | Draft ARPA-H Proactive Health Mission Office Solution Summary | ARPA-H ISO |
| 10 | DIU CSO Solution Brief against next Human Systems bio AOI | DIU CSO |
| 11 | Book JPM CBRN-Med TechWatch briefing | JPM TechWatch |
| 12 | Begin DTRA HDTRA1-25-S-0001 Topics B2 + B5 white paper | DTRA fundamental BAA |
| 13 | Initiate IQT introduction via Lux / Founders Fund warm intros (target O'Toole + O'Connell + Rozo at B.Next) | In-Q-Tel |
| 14 | Apply for NIAID DMID Preclinical Screening Services (in-kind) | NIAID services |
Phase 3: 90 days to 12 months (Aug 2026–May 2027)
| # | Action | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Submit NIH SBIR Direct-to-Phase-II under NIAID Research Area 002 (antivirals). Sept 5, 2026 | NIH SBIR D2P2 |
| 16 | Submit BARDA BAA-23-100 full proposal after TechWatch guidance | BARDA BAA |
| 17 | Submit DoD Mentor-Protégé agreement with CACI / Leidos / Battelle | DoD MPP |
| 18 | Initiate CRADA with LANL or Sandia for bioinformatics co-development | National Lab CRADA |
| 19 | Bid on next MCDC RPP and next MTEC RPP | MCDC/MTEC OTAs |
| 20 | If NODES Phase I lands, submit Phase II proposal | DARPA NODES |
| 21 | Submit DTRA HDTRA1-25-S-0001 full proposal (Topics B2 + B5) | DTRA BAA |
| 22 | Pre-IND meeting with FDA CBER for first MCM candidate | FDA regulatory |
Phase 4: 12-24 months (May 2027 onward)
| # | Action | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Apply to Polaris WOSB pool (past-performance threshold likely met after Phase 1 wins) | GSA Polaris |
| 24 | Pursue APFIT nomination via PEO sponsor (post-MCDC prototype) | APFIT |
| 25 | Bid Project BioShield / SNS / Project NextGen successor procurements as MCM matures | BARDA procurement |
| 26 | Pursue BARDA Ventures (GHIC) equity once dilution math works | BARDA Ventures |
| 27 | IARPA B24IC successor , if program drops | IARPA |
| 28 | DIU Human Systems CSO follow-on production transition (§4023) | DIU |
11. Caveats
- "Project Biosecurity, Inc." MTEC listing is confirmed; MCDC listing under same placeholder name
[unverified , confirm via ATI portal]. Worth Valthos asking directly: which consortia is the company in by name vs. placeholder? - HR00112530122's specific cognizant BTO PM is not public: DARPA does not publicly assign PMs to AI BTO Pitch Day awards. Inference points to Singharoy or Cheever, but Valthos's team will know for sure. This is a useful interview question ("Who at BTO is the relationship owner?").
- The 204% upward modification (Mar 2, 2026) is publicly visible but not publicly explained. Ask the team what the additional scope covered.
- IARPA B24IC successor program:
[status unverified for May 2026 , confirm via iarpa.gov]. The brief assumes a successor is coming based on the May 2025 sunset; could be longer. - Several ARPA-H program-specific solicitations (AIR, ADVOCATE, PRECISE-AI) have closed; new ones drop irregularly. Monitor arpa-h.gov/explore-funding/open-funding-opportunities biweekly.
- OSC FY26 investment strategy not yet released as of 1 May 2026; biotech category framing may shift.
- Specific 2026 ONR Code 34 BAAs / JPM CBRN-Med TechWatch URL
[unverified]. Cross-check via the agency public affairs offices in the buyer and influence map. - Political-appointee churn (Trump II) makes seats like ASPR, NIAID Director, CDC Director volatile through 2026. Anchor outreach on career SES (Disbrow, Erbelding, Houchens, Walke, Adams, Joyner, Benford, Mair, Petro, Kless, Pope, Goodwin, Whitchurch, Kilianski). they don't churn.
End of playbook. ~5,500 words. Last verified 2026-05-11.