The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is soliciting research proposals for medical technologies that work interchangeably on both human warfighters and military working dogs, with the goal of replacing duplicated gear in medics’ and handlers’ kits with single products that serve both patients.
The program, formally titled Broadening Availability of Regimens for K-9s — or BARK, was published by DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office as a Small Business Innovation Research open-topic solicitation. The solicitation pre-released on April 13, 2026, opens to applicants on May 6, and closes June 3.
The Problem BARK Is Solving
Military working dogs are a core element of U.S. ground operations, deployed for explosive detection, patrol, search and rescue, and direct assault support. But caring for them in the field creates a logistical problem: not all human medical products work for canines, which means MWD handlers must carry separate, specialized veterinary equipment in addition to their own combat load. That duplication adds weight, expands supply chains, and creates dependence on the smaller and less-resourced veterinary market for procurement and sustainment.
“MWD handlers must therefore carry extra medical equipment to provide emergency care for their K-9 partner, exacerbating equipment loads and impeding operational capacity,” the DARPA program page states. “Specialized equipment also expands medical materiel requirements and dependence on the less-resourced veterinary market, encumbering acquisition and sustainment activities.”
BARK’s solution is direct: develop products that replace two separate items — one human, one veterinary — with a single interoperable product. Technologies of greatest interest are those that allow existing items in medical sets to be replaced outright with species-compatible alternatives, “reducing the total amount of medical supplies — expanding capability without expanding the kits.”
What DARPA Is Looking For
The BARK solicitation describes a broad range of target technologies. DARPA specifically identifies the following as priority areas:
Filters for donor plasma capable of removing cross-reactive antigens that block compatibility across species; universal synthetic plasma designed with all components necessary for transfusion in both humans and dogs; sensors and form-factors that enable physiological monitoring — including core body temperature and blood pressure — or triage in both species; medical devices such as splints, backboards, tourniquets, and mechanical ventilators designed to be rapidly adjustable at point of care for flexible use across anatomies; interoperable medical countermeasures and form-agnostic personal protective equipment to protect against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats; and delivery mechanisms — including autoinjectors — that can modulate dosing to enable universal use of pharmaceuticals across species.
DARPA is explicit that it is not looking for incremental improvements. “Research that merely tests existing products, including collection of data to titrate dosages or support label expansion of a marketed product to an additional species, is unlikely to achieve the degree of technical innovation a successful proposal should demonstrate,” the program page states. New drug discovery is discouraged but may be considered in compelling cases.
A Three-Phase Research Path
The BARK program follows DARPA’s standard SBIR structure. In Phase I, selected companies will conduct feasibility research and design a preliminary prototype, with all testing conducted in vitro or in silico — no animal or human subjects are permitted at this stage. Phase II involves fabricating, testing, and validating a working prototype in pre-clinical settings and developing a detailed regulatory and commercialization strategy, including engagement with the FDA. Phase III envisions dual-use commercial applications spanning both military and civilian markets, including emergency medicine, veterinary care for companion animals, and civilian working dogs in law enforcement and search-and-rescue.
The solicitation is managed under DARPA opportunity number DPA26BZ01-NP001 and falls under the Department of War’s SBIR 2026 BAA Release 1. It is classified under two critical technology areas: Biomanufacturing and Contested Logistics Technologies.
Military Working Dogs as Force Multipliers
DARPA’s framing of the program reflects a broader recognition of the operational role military dogs play. “Military working dogs are critical to national security, serving as force multipliers by enhancing the lethality and survivability of their teams through their unique senses, agility, and autonomy,” the program description states.
The program references a 2022 Government Accountability Office report — GAO-23-104489 — which found that federal agencies needed to better address the health and welfare of working dogs, and a 2025 Joint Trauma System clinical practice guideline update for military working dog care. It also references a study of causes of death in military working dogs during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom from 2001 to 2013, published in Military Medicine.
Proposals responding to the BARK solicitation must include an initial technical white paper addressing the proposed concept, its concept of employment, a path to FDA regulatory compliance for both species, and a scalability analysis. Companies whose white papers are selected will be invited to submit a full proposal.