BLUF: HHS's BARDA awarded START2 Group, Inc. a $227,139,021 Other Transaction Agreement for applied biodefense research and development.

The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), acting through its Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), has obligated $227,139,021 to START2 Group, Inc., of Cambridge, Massachusetts, according to award data published on USAspending.gov. The agreement, numbered 75A50124C00012, was signed April 9, 2024, with a period of performance running from April 10, 2024 through September 30, 2031. USAspending's own award description reads "OTHER TRANSACTION: START2 GROUP, INC. (75A50124C00012)," identifying the instrument as an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) rather than a traditional FAR-based procurement contract, even though the system's internal award-type code still files it as a "Definitive Contract."

Why it matters: OTAs let federal health agencies such as BARDA bypass standard Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) procedures, giving them speed and flexibility on biodefense research. An award this size — more than $227 million — shows ASPR/BARDA continuing to rely on OT authority for large, multiyear R&D commitments over conventional contracts. For GovCon firms, it signals that a significant share of major HHS biodefense funding now moves through non-FAR mechanisms with different competition and IP terms than standard contracts.

By the numbers:

• Award value: $227,139,021
• Period of performance: April 10, 2024 – September 30, 2031
• Agreement number: 75A50124C00012
• Awarding office: BARDA, within HHS's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response
• Competition: Full and open; six offers received under solicitation 23-BARDA-SOL-BAN_2

START2 Group is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and USAspending records classify it as a foreign-owned business incorporated in the U.S., as well as a self-certified small disadvantaged and small business. The award's product/service classification covers "Health R&D Services; Health Care - Other; Applied Research," filed under NAICS code 541714, Research and Development in Biotechnology. Pricing is firm-fixed-price, per the contract data attached to the record.

The solicitation identifier, 23-BARDA-SOL-BAN_2, points to a 2023 BARDA solicitation, consistent with the agency's pattern of issuing OTA awards through dedicated announcement vehicles. As of USAspending's most recent update, the award had recorded $151,868,261 in account obligations and roughly $5.9 million in outlays, reflecting the phased drawdown typical of multiyear OT agreements.

Source: USAspending.gov