ARPA-H Innovative Solution Openings (ISOs) — Health Technology OT Agreements
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Varies — typically $1M–$50M
ARPA-H bets on bold health tech via OT agreements
ARPA-H accelerates biomedical and health breakthroughs by funding high-risk, high-reward research through Other Transaction (OT) agreements — flexible instruments that are not grants or contracts. For-profit small businesses, startups, large companies, universities, and hospitals can all receive OT awards. ARPA-H issues Innovative Solution Openings (ISOs) on a rolling basis across four Mission Offices: Health Science Futures, Proactive Health, Resilient Systems, and Scalable Solutions. Awards are milestone-based; funding disbursed upon achieving technical milestones. SBIR/STTR topics also available.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Federal
- Amount range
- $500,000 – $50,000,000
- Realistic amount
- Most small business awards are in the $1M–$10M range for initial OT agreements. Larger awards exist for more advanced-st…
- Deadline
- Rolling — ARPA-H publishes ISOs continuously. Check arpa-h.gov/explore-funding/open-funding-opportunities for current open ISOs. Mission Office ISOs accept submissions year-round.
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- milestone
Who qualifies
- U.S.-based for-profit small businesses with a health technology innovation are eligible
- Large companies, universities, nonprofits, hospitals, and research institutions also eligible
- No size restriction for standard ISO awards (small business set-asides exist for SBIR topics only)
- PI must be primarily employed by the applicant organization (>50% effort)
- Work must primarily be performed in the United States
- For SBIR topics specifically: fewer than 500 employees, majority U.S.-owned and controlled
Hard requirements
- Must be incorporated
- Restricted to industry: healthcare
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Salaries and benefits for scientists, engineers, and technical staff
- Materials, equipment, and laboratory supplies
- Subcontracts to specialized research partners
- Clinical study costs (for health technology programs)
- IP protection costs (patents directly related to the funded technology)
- Travel for technical milestones, site visits, or program reviews
Ineligible expenses
- Profit above a reasonable fee (negotiated into the OT budget)
- Costs not directly related to the approved milestones
- Construction or renovation of facilities
- Costs incurred before OT agreement execution
How to apply
-
1
Monitor ARPA-H for relevant ISOs
Visit arpa-h.gov/explore-funding/open-funding-opportunities and SAM.gov regularly. Subscribe to ARPA-H email updates. Review the four Mission Office areas (Health Science Futures, Proactive Health, Resilient Systems, Scalable Solutions) to identify where your technology fits.
~5 hrs
-
2
Review the ISO and prepare a Solution Summary
ARPA-H uses a fast, lightweight first stage — typically a 2–4 page Solution Summary (not a 50-page grant proposal). The Summary describes the technical approach, team, proposed milestones, and budget overview. Reviewers decide on merit from this brief document.
~20 hrs
-
3
Technical presentation (if invited)
Shortlisted applicants are invited to give a 1–2 hour technical presentation and Q&A with ARPA-H Program Managers. This is where the program manager evaluates technical depth and team credibility. More interactive than a traditional grant review.
~30 hrs
-
4
Negotiate OT agreement terms and milestones
Successful applicants negotiate a milestone-based OT agreement with ARPA-H. Milestones are specific, measurable technical accomplishments — not progress reports. ARPA-H pays on milestone completion. Negotiation typically takes 4–12 weeks.
~20 hrs
Industry & certifications
NAICS codes: 541714, 541715, 339112, 325412
ARPA-H Program Managers are the real decision-makers — engage with them before submitting. Attend ARPA-H webinars and Industry Days. A 2-page Solution Summary that's technically crisp beats a 50-page federal grant narrative.
Deadline & timing
ARPA-H uses Innovative Solution Openings (ISOs) posted on SAM.gov and the ARPA-H website. Some ISOs are topic-specific with set deadlines (30–90 days); Mission Office ISOs are open continuously. Watch arpa-h.gov/explore-funding for new openings. ARPA-H typically issues new solicitations monthly.
Programs that stack well
Related programs
Last reviewed 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.