Application

Thank you for participating in the BioHealth Innovation Challenge. We recommend reading all requirements for this application before you begin and encourage you to review the Rules and scoring rubric that will be used to assess all valid applications.

Responses to this submission form must be in English. This provides consistency across all submissions during our review process and reduces the risk of misinterpretation or translation error.

This application form saves automatically and the status of your application is available to view on your dashboard. You have the option to request an automated confirmation email after clicking “submit” – be sure the checkbox is clicked to opt into this email when the confirmation message appears.

Your entire submission will be public record pursuant to Nevada law, and will be subject to inspection and copying by any person (unless declared by law to be confidential), and will be shared with Evaluation Panel members, the Selection Committee, and the BioHealth Innovation Challenge team during the evaluation process. Portions of your applications may be published online and may be shared with the general public to promote your proposal or to highlight results. Those portions may include, but are not limited to: Lead Participant, Project Title, Project Statement, Executive Summary, Project Description, and Video Pitch.

Prior to submission:

• Confirm the information provided on the Registration Form is correct (go to Submissions and select Registration Form).  
• Be sure to review your submission as it will appear after it has been submitted (click Preview next to Submit).
• When you have completed all requirements, you will be able to submit the application form. Once you have submitted, you will no longer be able to make changes. 

Submit your application no later than 3:00 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, February 24, 2026. Participants who do not submit their completed application by the deadline will not have their entry considered for this challenge. Contact us with questions or technical issues.

All fields are required unless otherwise noted.

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A. QUICK PITCH

Make a strong first impression with a succinct and compelling overview of your project. In this section, avoid using first-person language, jargon, or complex language that may be difficult for the general public to comprehend. Your responses to this section may be shared publicly if selected as a winner of this challenge.

Project Title (up to 10 words)

Provide a title for your project that easily identifies and distinguishes it from others.

Project Statement (up to 25 words)

Provide a short, one- to two-sentence description of your project.

Executive Summary (up to 75 words)

Provide a concise summary of the most compelling aspects of your project. This should be a stand-alone statement of the problem and solution that the project represents.

Project Focus

Select the area of biohealth that most closely describes the focus of your project.

• Artificial Intelligence and Technology Integration
• Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs
• Data Science and Health Informatics
• Ethics and Environmental Biotechnology
• Genomics and Genetic Engineering
• Intensive Rehabilitation Equipment and Protocols
• Medical Devices and Diagnostics
• Microbiome and Public Health
• Nanotechnology and Biomaterials
• Neurological Research & Rehabilitation
• Next Generation Sequencing
• Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering
• Therapeutics and Biopharmaceuticals

Project Focus - Other

Select any additional areas of biohealth that describe the focus of your project. You may select more than one.

• Artificial Intelligence and Technology Integration
• Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs
• Data Science and Health Informatics
• Ethics and Environmental Biotechnology
• Genomics and Genetic Engineering
• Intensive Rehabilitation Equipment and Protocols
• Medical Devices and Diagnostics
• Microbiome and Public Health
• Nanotechnology and Biomaterials
• Neurological Research & Rehabilitation
• Next Generation Sequencing
• Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering
• Therapeutics and Biopharmaceuticals
• Other. Please describe or enter “Not Applicable.” A response here is required.

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B. VIDEO PITCH

You are required to submit a video that captures your project and describes why it should be funded. The video is an opportunity to showcase your passion and to pitch your story in a succinct format. We want you to share your vision in a way that is different from the written proposal. This DOES NOT need to be a professionally produced video – a video shot on a smartphone is acceptable.

To complete this requirement, upload a digital film using YouTube. Video submissions must follow these guidelines or else it will render the application ineligible:

• Ninety (90) seconds in length maximum.
• In English, or if in another language, subtitled in English.
• Must be captioned. See instructions on how to caption YouTube videos here.
• Excludes images of identifiable children (under age 18) without express parental consent.
• Excludes copyrighted material (including, but not limited to, music) for which you do not have a license.
• Set the Privacy Settings on your video to Public or Unlisted – do not set them to Private. When setting as Unlisted, only those with the URL – such as the BioHealth Innovation Challenge team, the Evaluation Panel members, and the Selection Committee – will be able to access and view the video.
• Check to make sure embedding is turned on.
• Be sure all these settings are in place throughout the duration of the competition.

Here are general suggestions for delivering a high-quality video pitch:

• Introduce yourself and your organization(s) or team.
• Explain your project, its impact, and what is unique about the way it addresses the problem.
• Describe how you plan to measure success and achieve meaningful impact.
• Do not simply read a slide deck – instead, make an effort to connect with your audience of Evaluation Panel judges.

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C. THE TEAM

Provide a basic understanding of the leadership, structure, and capabilities of those working on this project. Should you receive funding, you must designate a Lead Participant responsible for taking accountability for those award funds, as well as providing sustained project direction, control, and supervision. The Lead Participant was identified during registration. If the Lead Participant has changed, please select Registration Form from the Submissions menu to update the Lead Participant information.

Partners

We welcome applications from teams that include multiple organizations and reflect cross-sector partnerships. Partnerships with higher education institutions and local Las Vegas organizations are highly encouraged. If your team consists of two or more organizations, list them using the legal name of each partner. If your team does not consist of two or more organizations, enter “Not Applicable.”

Team Structure (up to 150 words)

Describe the roles, responsibilities, and contributions of each key team member/partner. Explain how the team will work together, including any reporting structures between the partners and Lead Participant. There is an opportunity to further describe team collaboration and higher education partnership in later sections of this application.

Track Record & Capabilities (up to 250 words) 

Describe your team’s skills, capacity, assets, resources, and experience to successfully deliver the project. Be sure to include core competencies and how they apply to your project, any relevant past endeavors or experience, and any other additional details that support your ability to deliver sustained impact.

Staffing Plan (up to 150 words)

Detail your plan for building your team with qualified professionals should you be selected for the award, including possible local recruitment opportunities.

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D. THE PROBLEM

Demonstrate your understanding of the problem you aim to solve.

Challenge Statement (up to 250 words)

Set the stage for your project by illustrating your understanding of the problems you are committed to solving. Identify real and potential challenges and describe specific needs that your project will address.

Existing Landscape (up to 150 words)

Briefly describe other efforts aimed at addressing this problem and, if applicable, other organizations or projects that are most similar to your work. Explain how your team and proposed project fit into, build, and/or improve on this landscape.  

Local Conditions (up to 150 words)

Describe the local conditions in and around where you intend to implement your project. It is important to reflect a genuine and authentic understanding of local conditions in Las Vegas, including gaps in services that could be addressed through this lab. This is your opportunity to showcase that you’ve taken time to understand the issues that are important to the Las Vegas community. Include specific references to any local stakeholders or groups who may have an invested interest in your success or failure.

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E. THE PROJECT

The BioHealth Innovation Challenge seeks game-changing projects and partners to develop and operate a biosciences incubator lab in one of the City of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency Redevelopment Areas, with preference for a location in or near the Las Vegas Medical District, establishing a sustained operation that provides meaningful benefits to the local community. Showcase your strategic approach and scope of work. Be sure to emphasize how your project aligns with the four criteria used to assess each valid application (see scoring rubric).

Project Description (up to 250 words)

Describe the implementation of project activities and ways your project meaningfully contributes to solving challenges previously described. Summarize the project’s short- and long-term impact, benefits and outcomes (including, but not limited to, health, research, economic, and other benefits), and who will benefit most from your solution. There is an opportunity to further describe communities served and impact in later sections of this application.

Project Stage

Select one option that best describes the project stage for your proposed solution. NOTE: Early stage projects are not eligible to apply.

• Proof of Concept: Has been implementing the strategy for a small number of targeted stakeholders and/or at a small scale.
• Scaling: Has evidence of impact and is expanding and adapting the strategy, but has yet to achieve large-scale implementation.  
• Operating at Scale: Has evidence its strategy achieves impact and is delivering the project at scale, but further iteration / evolution of the project may increase impact.

Project Visual

Upload a single PDF that includes a visual representation of your proposed project. This may include, but is not limited to illustrations, site plans, facility designs, schematics, images, graphs, diagrams, maps, flow charts, organizational charts, or other visuals to help reviewers to better understand your team, proposed approach, and project. The PDF should not exceed 10MB and up to five pages. The PDF should not contain additional text explanations or be used to circumvent word counts in this application. Some brief labels and/or basic text descriptions are permitted. Any pages beyond the five-page limit, as well as unrelated content to this specific question, will render the application ineligible.

Innovation (up to 150 words)

Emphasize unique aspects of your project and why you believe it will be more effective or impactful than existing efforts in the biohealth field. You may also explain how your project diverges from, enhances, and/or reinforces existing methods/practices.

Alignment (up to 200 words)

Explain how you’ll build upon and integrate within existing systems serving the Las Vegas community. Show your efforts to understand a future state that includes your projected benefits. Include how your project fits into one of the City of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency Redevelopment Areas, with preference for a location in or near the Las Vegas Medical District and bolsters past and current efforts.

Equipment Needs (up to 150 words)

Explain what equipment will be needed to successfully implement your project in the short- and long-term. Describe how this equipment will support your project’s mission and plans to source the equipment.

Human & Animal Subjects Research (200 words)

Describe specific plans and support mechanisms that you will use to safeguard the rights and welfare of human and/or animal subjects. Should your project be selected to participate in any future phases of this competition, you may be asked to further describe any specific research that involves these subjects. Note that any applicants conducting human or animal research are required to adhere to all applicable provisions of federal, state, city, and county law. If not applicable, enter “Not Applicable.”

Safety & Training Plan (up to 150 words)

Explain your safety plan and how you will implement safety protocols in the short- and long-term. Include how you will implement ongoing training to ensure your safety plan is closely followed.

Higher Education Partnership (up to 150 words)

Partnerships with higher education institutions are highly encouraged. Higher education partners do not need to be located in Las Vegas. Describe your plans to collaborate with higher education institutions and what roles and responsibilities, if any, higher education will have in your project. If not applicable, enter “Not Applicable.”

Team Collaboration (up to 150 words)

Describe how your team will collaborate with industry experts, including healthcare institutions and research organizations. Explain how you will involve these experts in the short- and long-term.

Long-term Operations (up to 150 words)

Detail the long-term maintenance and operations required after project completion, as well as how it will be funded and who will perform these activities over at least 10 years.

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F. BENEFICIARIES

Tell us more about where your project will focus its impact and the communities that will benefit.

Community Description (up to 200 words)

More fully describe your priority population(s), as well as any secondary or other populations who may engage with and/or benefit from the project. Include any workforce development strategies that may benefit the community.

Underserved Populations & Accessibility (up to 200 words)

Compelling proposals will fully demonstrate a commitment to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA). We expect teams to be strategic about working with a range of stakeholders and to actively plan for and include the most marginalized or vulnerable residents in project design, planning, and ongoing work. Explain how you will ensure that the design and implementation of your project authentically embraces DEIA across all aspects, including persons with disabilities, religious or ethnic minorities, people of color, native/Indigenous peoples, women, gender identity and sexual orientation. Provide additional details on how you will provide opportunities and reasonable accommodations for those populations to either engage with and/or benefit from your project, including as staff, advisors, partners, et al. Additionally, describe any disproportionate and adverse effects of the proposed project on underserved, disadvantaged populations, and specific efforts to address adverse impacts.  

Community & Stakeholder Engagement (up to 200 words)

Exhibit your understanding of the community and key stakeholders, and share your outreach and engagement plans in the short- and long-term. Describe your approach to responding to existing and expected needs of the populations described above. Identify which stakeholders you have engaged so far and how you will continue to engage relevant decision makers, beneficiaries, and other stakeholders to ensure your project successfully achieves your goals. Articulate any negative externalities or costs/burdens absorbed by stakeholders.

Participant Experience (up to 200 words)

We aim to support the creation of a project that ensures patient-centric workflows. Describe how you have engaged beneficiaries of your project to inform the patient-centric approach you plan to deliver. Explain how you will continue to engage beneficiaries to continually improve the patient experience in the long term.

Location of Current or Relevant Work (up to 50 words)

List the location(s) where your proposed project has already been implemented. If your project has not yet been implemented at another site or region, then you may identify a project of similar type or scale, where your team may not have been responsible but where the similarities are significant. If there has been no other project of similar type or scale, please explain.

Project Location (up to 100 words)

Explain the proposed location of your project within one of the City of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency Redevelopment Areas (See Section 3 of the Rules for more information about Geographic Eligibility). Describe any existing relationships or assets that will impact where the proposed project may be built. If relevant, you may also describe additional locations where you plan to expand or scale your project in the region.

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G. THE IMPACT

Demonstrate how your project will transform the quality of life for the Las Vegas community through the development and operation of a biosciences incubator lab. Focus on providing measurable indicators of your future success.

Metrics & Results (up to 250 words)

Explain how the project addresses access to healthcare and the overall quality of life for the local community. Identify the projected goals and objectives and describe your methodology for measuring overall performance of the proposed strategy, including the means through which you will track results or milestones to indicate success.  

Evidence of Effectiveness (up to 200 words)

Provide evidence to show that the project will work and share data or reasons why your results could be replicated or scaled. Present any internal (e.g., informal studies, observations, or other indicators of change) or formal academic evidence, including any results from complementary or previous work.

References (up to 150 words)

If you included citations for Evidence of Effectiveness, provide a bibliography with a corresponding bracketed number [#] for each citation. There is no specific required format for citations. You may also offer a list of resources that may be used to validate general claims made in your application. If not applicable, enter “Not applicable.”  

Scalability (up to 150 words)

Identify how your project differs from, improves upon, and/or bolsters existing methods or practices to develop and operate a biosciences incubator lab. Share your vision and describe plans to scale your project as a model that can be applied or adapted to meet the diverse, growing needs of Las Vegas’s many communities over at least 10 years.

Communications (up to 150 words)

Briefly describe plans to promote your project and share results, key findings, lessons learned, and other helpful information with others. Illustrate your commitment to collaborate with the City of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency even after the three-year project period for construction ends. If applicable, explain how your project could serve as a model for other communities/populations throughout Nevada and beyond.

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H. PROJECT PLAN & BUDGET

Illustrate your plan and the resources required to successfully implement your project.

Plan & Timeline Narrative (up to 250 words)

Offer a general overview of your implementation plan over the course of a three-year project period for construction. Include benefits and milestones to help track and measure success.

Detailed Timeline

Provide a detailed implementation plan and timeline over the course of a three-year project period for construction. Milestones and dates noted below should reflect and clarify your general explanations provided in Plan & Timeline Narrative above and include more specific descriptions and key dates.

Note that a maximum of 30 rows can be added below. The Total Plan Duration must be less than or equal to 1,095 days, which equals three years.

Risk Management (up to 200 words)

Explain how you will ensure your project is feasible, including addressing compliance with any laws and regulatory frameworks that may be applicable to your project. Describe the main risks for your project, as well as any unintended consequences, and your plan to mitigate and address them. Discuss your experience and capacity to manage technical and/or operational barriers. NOTE: Projects must comply with all federal, state, city, and county laws and regulations.    

Total Projected Costs

Provide the estimated total costs (in US dollars) to successfully implement your proposed project over a three-year construction period and at least 10 years of operations. The total project cost must be at least $30 million.    

Budget Narrative (250 words)

Offer a narrative overview of how you would use the $10 million award toward the overall project budget listed above, including the projected needs by budget category. Briefly describe additional sources of funding that will meet the minimum total project cost of $30 million including a minimum capital budget of $20 million – you will have opportunity to provide more details under Contingency & Financial Sustainability.

Detailed Budget

Provide a detailed budget for how the $10 million award would be spent. Funds identified in this table should reflect and clarify your general explanations provided in Budget Narrative above and include more detailed cost categories that support your plans and intended outcomes. Avoid any general line-item descriptions such as “Miscellaneous.” Note that funds must be used for capital expenses directly related to the proposal. Operating expenses are not eligible, including expenses such as payroll, maintenance, or other general day-to-day expenses. Review the Rules for more information about ineligible expenses.

The budget must account for the full $10 million award.

Contingency & Financial Sustainability (up to 250 words)

Explain your plan to secure at least $20 million in funding beyond the $10 million award, and how the project may be impacted if full funding is not secured. Describe your plan to leverage additional resources to realize and sustain long-term operations of your project over 10 years. Expand upon any descriptions of additional sources of funding identified in your Budget Narrative and Total Projected Costs. Explain how those additional resources will improve the feasibility, sustainability, and/or scalability of your project. Include the names of any current other funders, amounts, and type of resources (cash or in-kind).

Other Project Funders

Provide the following information for at least three and up to five of the top funders of your project over the last three years. For each funder, provide the legal name of the entity responsible for funding your project. Provide the period of funding (in months to date) for the funding. Last, provide the amount of funding within the prescribed period.

If your project has not received any support from other funders, please enter “Not Applicable” for every field below.

Legal Name (up to 10 words)

First Year of Funding (YYYY)

Last Year of Funding (YYYY)

Amount of Funding (total dollar amount in USD)

Funding Requirement

Lead Participants must have a capital budget of at least $20 million to be used during the three-year project (construction) period, plus at least $10 million to invest in operations over 10 years, for a total project cost of at least $30 million. If selected as the Winner, the award can be used towards the total $20 million capital budget. In no event can the award funds be used for any expenses that are not capital expenses directly related to the proposal. Confirm below that you have the remaining funding secured and/or a pathway to secure the remaining funding.

• Yes

Other Considerations (up to 150 words)

This is your opportunity to raise any other considerations, emphasize or expand upon a previous point, or provide new information, as necessary. Note: Evaluation Panel judges are instructed to avoid online research and/or review of links that may be provided as part of this submission – we recommend you include any key considerations and important information within your responses to this application form.

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I. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provide additional information about the Lead Participant.

Lead Participant Identification Number

Provide the identification number provided by the Lead Participant’s taxing authority (e.g., the Internal Revenue Service). If this is in progress, insert “Pending approval.” Do not include Social Security numbers. If you are an individual or a team of individuals, enter “Not Applicable”. NOTE: The response to this question will not be viewed by the Evaluation Panel.

Annual Operating Budget

What is the annual operating budget (USD) of the Lead Participant?

• Less than $1 Million
• $1.0 to 5.0 Million
• $5.1 to 10 Million
• $10.1 to 25 Million
• $25.1 to 50 Million
• $50.1 to 100 Million
• $100.1 to 250 Million
• $250.1 to 500 Million
• $500.1 to 750 Million
• $750.1 Million to $1 Billion
• $1 Billion +
• Not Applicable

Financials

We require information necessary to understand the financial health of the Lead Participant. Upload audited financial reports from the past two (2) years for the Lead Participant. If audited financial reports are not available, upload 990s or certified financials for the past two (2) years for the Lead Participant.

You may submit the two years of financial records in any standard format. You must upload a single PDF file that does not exceed 10MB. NOTE: The response to this question will not be viewed by the Evaluation Panel.

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J. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If your team is invited to participate in any future phases of this competition, you may be asked to provide additional information (refer to the Rules and Timeline), including but not limited to:

• Your acceptance of a separate award agreement with the City Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency
• A more detailed budget, project plan, project timeline, human and/or animal subject research plans, and evaluation plan
• Site maps, photographs, diagrams, data, and other information further describing the project  
• Fully executed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with any partners 
• Tax determination letter, if applicable
• Audited financial statements  
• Articles of Incorporation, Charter, or similar documentation 
• Evidence of additional funding and resources secured to implement the proposed project.
• Existing policies, if any, addressing conflicts of interest, whistleblower, internal controls, anti-money laundering, intellectual property, code of conduct, ethics, gifts, and any similar policies governing the Lead Participant and/or partners.
• If selected for an award, any summary of lessons learned, impact, and results.   

The City of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency reserves the right to perform background checks on key individuals associated with the proposal, and the refusal by key individuals to provide necessary authorizations will be a reason to reject any application for further consideration. Background information and the results of any background checks will be kept confidential.