Is my idea safe when I submit a proposal on Halo?

We often hear this concern from researchers: What’s to stop a company from taking my idea and running with it?

It’s a fair question. But it’s also based on some common misconceptions about how industry partnerships work and how Halo is designed to support them.

Every proposal on Halo is structured to be non-confidential. You are never asked to share proprietary data, unpublished methods, or trade secrets. The format is intentionally limited in length to keep the focus on approach and fit, not internal IP.

You are not submitting a technical brief or grant report. Instead, you are asked to explain:

• Your solution concept and research direction

• Why your team is a good fit for the problem

• What tools or early data you bring

Think of it as the kind of conversation you might have at a conference. In fact, Halo’s founder created the platform to mimic that kind of meaningful connection where a researcher meets someone from industry, shares what they’re working on, and explores whether there’s room to collaborate.

Trying to recreate a proposal internally is expensive, uncertain, and time-consuming. A one-page, non-confidential submission gives them no shortcut to your process. Companies know that success comes from working with the experts, not working around them.

They are using your proposal to understand:

• Who has the capabilities to solve this

• Who understands the problem space in context

• Who can hit the ground running

Your value is not just the idea. It is your expertise, infrastructure, and ability to execute. These things can't be replicated by someone else reading a short-form submission.

Halo's industry partners are here because they want to fund external work. They are not in the business of collecting ideas. In fact, many cite access to the Halo's scientific network as one of the most valuable aspects of the platform.

Their goals include:

• Finding aligned research partners

• De-risking new ideas through collaboration

• Establishing repeatable connections with academic and startup teams

Halo is not a transactional platform. It is a relationship-building platform. And unlike some open submission portals, every Halo request comes with a defined review process, a feedback timeline, and direct follow-up with finalists. Plus, our support team's inboxes are always open if you have follow-ups about where a project stands. 

Proposals on Halo follow a standardized format with character limits for each section. The entire submission is typically the equivalent of one page. There are no budgets, protocols, or detailed work plans involved. This structure makes it hard for anyone to misuse your idea and easy for them to evaluate whether you are a good match.

Each proposal includes:

• A high-level solution description

• Rationale for viability and alignment

• A non-confidential research or delivery plan

• A brief overview of capabilities and relevant work

If you have questions prior to submitting, you can post directly to the Q&A forum on the request page. This is a chance to engage with the company before submitting and ensure mutual understanding from the start. We also encourage you to check out our best practices guide for writing a strong proposal.

Whether it is Halo, SBIR, ARPA-H, or a foundation, applied research requires you to explain your work in a clear, non-confidential way. You will always be asked to describe your approach, capabilities, and intended value without revealing proprietary details.

If you are not comfortable doing that, it may be worth waiting until the work is further along. But if you can talk about your research the way you would at a conference, you are ready to submit.

Halo is built for long-term partnerships

Companies using Halo are not browsing. They are engaging in structured, time-bound evaluations with the goal of funding the right teams. Many return to the same researchers for future work, additional problem areas, or internal referrals across departments.

They are looking to:

• Build a pipeline of trusted collaborators

• Identify experts with unique capabilities

• Invest in relationships that can grow over time

Halo was designed to make those connections easier, faster, and more transparent. You stay in control of what you share, and the structure of the process is built to protect your ideas while opening the door for meaningful, funded partnerships.