How innovators connect with industry partners on Halo

Overview

There are three ways to connect with industry partners on Halo. Two respond to a need a company has posted. The third lets companies find you.

1. Partnering requests and proposals

A partnering request is a need an industry partner posts on Halo's marketplace. You respond with a proposal. Requests come in a few types; the two you'll see most are:

• Solutions (formerly called RFPs): the partner wants a specific technology solution to a challenge.

• Experts (RFEs): the partner wants expertise in a topic area for consulting, small research projects or an expert bench. You submit a short application about your experience and how you'd collaborate.

How to submit a proposal

Click Easy Apply on the right side of the request page. Only proposals submitted this way are reviewed. Each request takes one standardized proposal, about a page long, and most innovators finish it in under an hour. Submitting creates no contractual obligation.

For a Solutions request, the proposal asks for:

• A title (80 characters max)

• Which of the partner's solutions of interest it falls under

• Your proposed solution (825 characters max)

• Why it's a viable solution for this request (825 characters max)

• Your solution's technology readiness level (TRL)

• Validation for each of the partner's must-have requirements (500 characters max each)

• Your research or delivery plan (1,025 characters max)

• Your most relevant publications, patents and grants (no more than 10 recommended)

Don't include confidential information.

What happens after you submit

Halo isn't involved in the review. Your proposal goes straight to the industry partner, and you get an email with their estimated response timeline.

• Initial response. The partner advances or declines your proposal, usually within 2 months of the submission deadline. They often do this without contacting you directly.

• Detailed response. If advanced, expect a detailed response within 3 months. The partner may ask clarifying questions first. You'll either be selected as a finalist or declined with feedback.

• Finalist. You'll get an email with the partner's contact details (unless they posted anonymously), and they'll reach out about next steps off Halo. Being a finalist doesn't guarantee a partnership.

If the partner asks for an NDA or a formal proposal with budgets and timelines, take the conversation off Halo and loop in your tech transfer or corporate relations office if you have one. A decline reflects fit with the partner's business needs, not the quality of your work.

Track your proposals any time in Account Settings > My Proposals.

2. PulseChecks: raise your hand

A PulseCheck is a brief need a company posts while it's exploring a topic and wants to see who in the network might be relevant. If one shows up in your digest, Halo's matching flagged you as a potential fit.

Responding is a low-commitment signal that you might be relevant. It isn't a proposal, and neither side is obligated.

How to respond

1. Open the PulseCheck page.

2. Click Raise my hand.

3. In a sentence or two, say what you work on and how it connects to the need. Don't pitch or write a detailed summary; just give enough context for the company to recognize a fit.

What happens next

PulseChecks are open for a limited time and close automatically. After it closes, the company reviews the profiles of everyone who responded and decides who to contact. If they reach out, you'll get a message through Halo, and a company that was hidden will identify itself then.

You can't view or edit your response after submitting it, so check it before you send. Because the company is judging from your profile, keep your profile current.

3. Partnering listings: let partners find you

A partnering listing showcases a technology, product, service or research that's ready for industry partnership. Instead of waiting for a matching request, you describe what you offer and industry partners find it. Each listing is tied to your organization, appears on your public profile, and shows up in relevant industry partner feeds and in Discover search.

How to create a listing

1. Click your profile icon in the top-right corner and select Edit profile.

2. Scroll to Partnering listings at the bottom and click Add listing.

3. Choose the basics: a listing type (Technology / product or Service / other), its TRL, and the partnership models you're open to.

4. Describe your listing. Cover an overview (what it is and why it matters), technical specifications, TRL and validation to date, and what a partnership could look like. The field supports Markdown: ## for headings, - for bullets, **text** for bold.

5. Select up to six industry applications so the listing reaches the right partner feeds.

6. Click Create listing to publish.

You can view, edit or add listings any time from Edit profile > Partnering listings, and share a live listing outside Halo.

Writing a listing partners will act on

Industry partners are short on time, so use headings and bullets they can scan. Avoid:

• Holding details back ("contact for details" or waiting for an NDA). Share as much non-confidential detail as you can.

• Pasting patent claims or raw technical text. Write in plain terms.

• Writing a cover letter or cold pitch. Your listing is indexed across Halo, not sent to one company.

• Staying vague. Name the specific technology, method, material or capability.

• Announcing future work. List what you have now.

• Listing outcomes without explaining how the technology works.

Which one to use

They work together, so you don't have to pick one.

• There's an open request that fits your work: submit a proposal. It's the most direct route to funding or a partnership.

• There's an active PulseCheck that fits your work: raise your hand while it's open. It takes a few minutes and commits you to nothing.

• You have something ready to offer: create a partnering listing so partners can find you between requests.

Full help articles

• What is the submission process?

• PulseChecks

• Partnering listings

Questions? Email support@halo.science.