BioPREVAIL and CEPI launch global Biosecurity Innovation Challenge to support 100 Days Mission

Three teams will receive six months of support and up to US$50,000 each before a public showcase in Geneva alongside World Health Assembly in May 2027

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, September 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- · The global call invites startups, companies, research groups, laboratories, non-profit organisations and consortia to propose practical biosafety and biosecurity solutions for accelerated vaccine research, development and manufacturing.
· Selected teams will join a six-month accelerator that combines non-dilutive seed funding, technical mentorship, commercialisation support and access to global health leaders.
· Applications close Saturday, October 31 at 11:59 p.m. CET. Full details and the application form are available at bioprevail.org/apply.

BioPREVAIL and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) today launched the BioPREVAIL x CEPI Biosecurity Innovation Challenge, a global call for solutions designed to strengthen laboratory biosafety and biosecurity as vaccine research, development and manufacturing accelerate during an epidemic or pandemic response.

The Challenge aims to directly strengthen biosecurity in the setting of rapid response to the emergence of viral pathogens aligned with CEPI’s 100 Days Mission, the global goal of making safe, effective and accessible vaccines ready for initial authorisation and manufacturing at scale within 100 days of identifying a new pandemic threat. The Mission has been embraced by leaders of the G7 and G20. The BioPREVAIL x CEPI Biosecurity Innovation Challenge calls on startups and organizations working on the development of vaccines, platform technologies and manufacturing innovations to combat priority pathogens for which no licensed vaccines are currently available.

Three teams will be selected for a six-month accelerator delivered by the Global Health Security Fund through BioPREVAIL, in partnership with CEPI. Each team will be eligible for up to US$50,000 in non-dilutive seed funding, subject to approval of its project narrative and budget. Teams will retain ownership of their intellectual property. The programme will conclude with an in-person public showcase on the margins of the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May 2027, co-hosted with BioPREVAIL, CEPI, Global Health Security Fund, and Health Innovation Exchange (HIEx). Travel and accommodation for participating teams will be provided.

"Speed saves lives, but speed strains the very practices that keep this work secure. We want solutions that hold under that strain, and that still hold once the emergency has passed and everyone's attention has moved on," says Dr. Lisa McDonald, President of the Board of Directors, Global Health Security Fund. "That second part is where preparedness usually gets lost."

The accelerator will pair each team with a lead mentor and provide access to specialists in biocontainment engineering, biosafety, regulatory affairs, fabrication, intellectual property and technology commercialisation. Teams will also take part in the BioPREVAIL Academy, a series of working sessions covering customer discovery, user-centred design, regulatory and intellectual property considerations, fundraising, communications and pitch development.

“Achieving the 100 Days Mission means moving at unprecedented speed without compromising safety or security” said Andrew Hebbeler, Director of Biosecurity, of CEPI. “The BioPREVAIL x CEPI Biosecurity Innovation Challenge will help turn promising ideas into practical safeguards that can be tested and deployed in real-world settings, including where resources and infrastructure are constrained. We are proud to work with BioPREVAIL to advance innovative solutions from around the world that strengthen biosecurity and support the 100 Days Mission.”

Participating teams will receive office hours and milestone reviews, support from a graduate student associate through the Lester Entrepreneurial Scholars Program at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy, and introductions to potential funders, investors, procurement channels and implementation partners. Each project will also undergo a structured biosecurity review under the commitments of the CEPI-NTI Bio Funders Compact.
The Challenge welcomes technologies, systems innovations, training approaches and empirical studies. Proposed solutions should strengthen biosafety and biosecurity in the context of rapid response to priority pathogens including Chikungunya, Coronaviruses, including COVID-19 and MERS, Filoviruses, Lassa Fever, Mpox, Nipah, Rift Valley Fever, and novel viral threats with epidemic or pandemic potential (also known as “Disease X”). The accelerator welcomes solutions relevant to vaccine research, development or manufacturing. Priority areas include:
· Analysis without transfer, including approaches that move analysis rather than high-consequence pathogens or sensitive biological material.
· Chain of custody and tamper evidence for specimens, seed stocks, sequence files and other critical materials across laboratory and transport workflows.
· Diversion, misuse and insider risk, including detection tools, reporting mechanisms and studies of the conditions that support early intervention.
· Rapid confirmation and attribution of unusual or potentially deliberate biological events, including field-ready genomic and laboratory-signature tools.
· Compliance to action, including systems that convert audit findings into facility improvement plans and monitor progress against standards and training requirements.
· The digital-biological interface, including safeguards that authenticate biological instructions, gate automated processes and verify the integrity of sequence files and constructs.

Proposals outside these areas may be considered when they meet the Challenge scope. Cross-industry approaches are encouraged, including the adaptation of proven safeguards from aviation, engineering, cybersecurity, fraud detection and other high-reliability fields. Solutions with credible application in low- and middle-income settings will receive consideration.

“The BioPREVAIL x CEPI Biosecurity Innovation Challenge targets vulnerabilities that become even more consequential when vaccine research, development and manufacturing must move at unprecedented speed,” shares McDonald. “We seek practical innovations that can strengthen biosafety and biosecurity under the pressure of CEPI’s 100 Days Mission—including in resource-constrained settings where resilient solutions are needed most.”

Who can apply
Applications are open to startups (especially mid- to later-stage startups) companies, academic and research groups, national and reference laboratories, non-profit organisations and consortia from any country. Applicants do not need to be based in the locations where their solutions would be used, but they must explain how the proposed work applies in those settings.

Eligible proposals must directly strengthen biosecurity in rapid response to especially dangerous pathogens and identify a substantial, achievable advance that can be demonstrated within six months. Shortlisted proposals will undergo biosecurity and dual-use screening. The assessment panel will consider biosecurity impact, applicability under constraint, feasibility, sustainability and value, and the qualifications and availability of the project team. Applicants should consult the published call for the complete eligibility and assessment requirements.

How to apply
The first stage consists of a short online expression of interest and a pitch deck in PDF format. Applicants will be asked to describe the problem, the proposed solution, its current readiness, the milestone to be achieved by month six, how the funding would be used, where the solution can operate, potential users and payers, dual-use or misuse risks, and the support the team would need beyond funding.

Shortlisted teams may be asked for a technical annex, budget, partner letters and materials for formal biosecurity review. Finalists will take part in a live virtual interview before the selection panel.

Applications close on Saturday, October 31 at 11:59 p.m. CET. To review the call and submit an expression of interest, visit bioprevail.org/apply.


About BioPREVAIL
BioPREVAIL is a One Health innovation initiative focused on sustainable diagnostic containment laboratories and locally grounded solutions to biosafety and biosecurity challenges. The Global Health Security Fund leads the development of the BioPREVAIL innovation ecosystem to identify, develop and scale solutions that can strengthen laboratory resilience in diverse operating environments. Learn more at bioprevail.org.

Ashley Schlosser
BioPREVAIL Strategic Communications Team
media@bioprevail.org
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