Project BioShield

Project BioShield is BARDA's long-running procurement and advanced-development authority for medical countermeasures against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats. Created by the Project BioShield Act of 2004, it moved from the original $5.6 billion Special Reserve Fund into annual appropriations for the Biodefense Medical Countermeasure Development Fund. The programme supports late-stage countermeasures that are not yet FDA-approved, with awards from $10 million to $500 million and a median around $80 million. It is structured as a recoverable advance, and contracts are typically multi-year. U.S.-based for-profit and non-profit organisations can apply, individuals cannot, and the work generally needs a TRL 7 to TRL 9 profile with a prototype, pilot evidence, and IP in place. Project BioShield is designed to bridge advanced development into the Strategic National Stockpile, often with procurement commitments that become active after FDA approval or an Emergency Use Authorization. Since inception it has supported more than 27 products and added 15 to the stockpile, which makes it a good fit for de-risked candidates that have already benefited from BARDA BAA, DoD CBD, or NIAID support. This is not an early discovery route; it rewards assets that are close to deployment and ready for federal purchase terms.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.