About Mission Daybreak

Suicide is a serious public health problem that affects communities everywhere. In 2022, more than 49,000 American adults died from suicide—including 6,407 U.S. Veterans. While suicide can affect all Americans, it has a disproportionate impact on the Veteran community.

Suicide prevention is a complex problem, with a multitude of risk and protective factors that affect every individual differently—and the unique nature of the Veteran experience can often make Veterans particularly vulnerable. Suicide has no single cause, and no single strategy can end Veteran suicide. To be effective, prevention solutions must be adaptable to the unique challenges faced by each Veteran.

Reducing Veteran suicides is the top clinical priority for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Through Mission Daybreak, VA is fostering an ecosystem of support for innovative suicide prevention solutions. The mission began with a $20 million grand challenge in 2022 and has evolved into a comprehensive program for accelerating prevention solutions.

In 2024, VA expanded its commitment by publishing a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to source and fund early-stage research, development, prototyping, and piloting. Since July, private-sector innovators have answered the call and submitted more than 145 solutions, with more high-quality submissions coming in every day. They are contributing ideas in suicide prevention, care coordination, and treatment across seven key focus areas aligned with VA’s multifaceted strategy. ​

By providing support for testing and development, convening communities, and offering access to VA experts and champions, Mission Daybreak will help BAA awardees pressure test their solutions—dramatically accelerating the time it takes to get solutions into the hands of Veterans.

Coming together as a community is critical to reducing Veteran suicides. Mission Daybreak is bringing Veterans, friends, families, caregivers, community members, innovators, Veterans Service Organizations, and VA staff together to accelerate and integrate suicide prevention innovations. The program champions Veteran-centered design and integration with existing systems and communities.

Mission Daybreak’s implementation support includes:

• Technical assistance and development support
• Human-centered design expertise
• Piloting opportunities at VA Medical Centers
• Access to VA subject matter experts
• Implementation guidance
• Evaluation frameworks

By committing to ongoing support, including a new funding mechanism with the Broad Agency Announcement, VA has turned a grand challenge into an ongoing mission and a critical hub for continued collaboration, engagement, and innovation.

Mission Daybreak’s success relies on the synergy between VA’s internal expertise and external innovation. By engaging external innovators, researchers, and entrepreneurs, the program reaches beyond VA’s internal capabilities to tap into leading-edge ideas and unconventional approaches to Veteran well-being.

VA employees contributed to reviewing Phase 1 submissions for the grand challenge, ensuring that winning ideas were grounded in feasibility. Now, through the Broad Agency Announcement, VA subject matter experts continue to support innovation by reviewing proposals for promising new pilots. VA employees participate throughout the pilot process, providing crucial support for progress and ensuring the successful adoption of innovations.

Through the Broad Agency Announcement, VA invites all potential offerors (including private-sector companies, nonprofits, and institutions of higher learning) to contribute ideas for innovations in suicide prevention, care coordination, and treatment.

Please refer to the BAA for more details, including topics and deadlines, as well as all official submission requirements and instructions. Learn more about the Broad Agency Announcement.

As Mission Daybreak drives forward, we’re excited to share news and opportunities to engage with teams. Sign up for the newsletter to receive the latest updates on Mission Daybreak’s progress.