The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released its Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years (FY) 2026–2029, setting a clear direction for the federal government’s approach to health security. As the nation’s lead health security agency, ASPR is responsible for preparing for disasters and public health emergencies, securing domestic medical supply chains, advancing gold-standard science, and delivering rapid federal response when lives are at risk. This Strategic Plan reflects Presidential priorities related to state and local preparedness efficiency and pharmaceutical onshoring, as well as lessons learned from recent public health emergencies. Collectively, it signals a shift away from reactive crisis management toward measurable readiness and resilience, with an emphasis on preparation before disaster strikes.
Overview of the Strategic Plan for FY 2026-2029
At its core, ASPR’s Strategic Plan establishes a vision of a resilient nation where every community is prepared for disasters and public health emergencies, supported by a secure domestic medical supply chain and evidence-based decision-making. The Plan reinforces ASPR’s mission to strengthen national security by preparing for, responding to, and recovering from health emergencies at scale.
The document emphasizes several unifying themes that will shape ASPR’s investments and partnerships over the next four fiscal years:
- Health security as a component of national security
- Strong federal-state-local partnerships built in advance of crises
- Transparency, stewardship, and measurable outcomes for taxpayer investments
- Scientific integrity and preparedness-driven research and development
Together, these principles form the foundation for ASPR’s five strategic goals for FY 2026–2029.
- Strengthen the Workforce and Reinforce a “One ASPR” Culture: ASPR prioritizes internal coordination and workforce readiness, focusing on cross-center collaboration, information sharing, and professional development. The objective is to eliminate silos and ensure ASPR personnel are trained and prepared to execute the mission efficiently.
- Strengthen Preparedness through State and Local Resiliency: This goal emphasizes empowering state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) partners through improved planning and performance-based readiness metrics. ASPR intends to modernize programs such as the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) and the National Special Pathogen System (NSPS), improve supply chain visibility, and strengthen SLTT capacity to receive, distribute, and administer medical countermeasures (MCMs).
- Execute Rapid, Efficient, and Adaptive Federal Response: When SLTT systems are overwhelmed, ASPR seeks to deliver swift, coordinated federal support. Key priorities include maintaining deployable federal medical response teams, clarifying response authorities, modernizing data systems, standardizing after-action reviews, and ensuring the continued readiness of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
- Secure America’s Medical Supply Chain: ASPR identifies medical supply chain resilience as a national security imperative. The Plan calls for bolstering domestic manufacturing of critical medicines, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and key starting materials (KSMs). Incentivizing onshoring, reducing barriers to domestic production, and improving supply chain transparency are central to this effort.
- Address Emerging Health Security Threats: The final goal focuses on advancing gold-standard science to address chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats and future pandemics. ASPR emphasizes transparent and reproducible research, reduced reliance on animal testing, improved research integrity, and selective integration of digital health tools and artificial intelligence (AI) where they demonstrably improve preparedness and response outcomes.
Why This Matters for Future ASPR, BARDA, and HHS Funding
For organizations pursuing federal health security funding, this Strategic Plan serves as a roadmap for future solicitations across ASPR, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and broader HHS programs, and it establishes strong signals about how proposals will be evaluated moving forward.
Future funding opportunities are likely to emphasize:
- Measurable preparedness and readiness outcomes
- Domestic manufacturing and supply chain resilience
- Integration with state and local response systems
- Scientific rigor, transparency, and integrity
- Scalable solutions that function under real-world emergency conditions
Organizations that can demonstrate alignment with these priorities and articulate how their work advances national health security will be best positioned as new solicitations emerge in FY 2026.
What This Means for Industry
For industry partners, ASPR’s Strategic Plan underscores the importance of moving beyond innovation alone toward operational readiness and impact. Companies engaged in biomedical research, advanced manufacturing, digital health, data analytics, logistics, and emergency response support should expect increased scrutiny of their ability to scale, integrate, and perform during crises.
The Plan also signals expanded opportunity for organizations supporting domestic production of critical medicines, APIs, KSMs, and MCMs, as well as those offering technologies that enhance preparedness, supply chain visibility, and response coordination.
Finally, firms that can operate effectively in partnership with SLTT entities and support real-world deployment, distribution, and administration of medical countermeasures will have a competitive advantage in the evolving federal funding landscape.
Early Engagement
ASPR’s FY 2026–2029 Strategic Plan makes clear that future funding decisions will be driven by alignment and preparedness, not last-minute proposal development. Organizations that engage early will be best positioned to translate these strategic priorities into competitive positioning, strong partnerships, and compliant, compelling proposals.
EverGlade Consulting works with clients well ahead of solicitation release to interpret agency strategy, identify where capabilities align with federal priorities, and shape pursuit roadmaps that reflect how ASPR, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and HHS evaluate readiness and impact. Early engagement allows organizations to refine technical approaches, build teaming strategies, anticipate compliance requirements, and align budgets with realistic performance expectations.
As ASPR’s priorities begin to translate into new solicitations, proactive planning will be a differentiator. EverGlade ensures your organization is not just responding to opportunities but is strategically positioned to win them.
If your company has considered applying for federal funding, your federal funding journey starts here. EverGlade Consulting is a national firm that helps organizations win and manage federal awards. We offer services ranging from Pursuit, Proposal and Post-Award support to comply with federal regulations at agencies including BARDA, ARPA-H, NIH, DTRA, JPEO, DOD, DIU, DOE, and DARPA.
