Why was the BIO Coronavirus Hub launched?
• The BIO Coronavirus Hub was launched by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), to connect companies and organizations that have relevant supplies, capacities, and resources to share, with those companies, researchers, or healthcare providers in need of those items.
• BIO is the global trade association representing the biotechnology industry. Our role in this effort is to serve as a conduit to connect those in need with those can share, many of whom may be BIO members. We do this through the BIO Coronavirus Hub, which is a public platform open to anyone in need and anyone who can help.
• BIO is not a healthcare relief organization, so we are unable to accept donations or supplies directly, nor provide advice on the supplies, capacities, and resources that are offered through the site or are most needed by other organizations; however, we can connect you with organizations that are equipped to handle these services through our Coronavirus Hub.
What type of categories can I request resources under?
The hub enables users to post requests for needs in three categories:
• Information Sharing – Are you looking for answers to particular questions about COVID-19 response activities, supplies, or resources, or looking for partners to assist you?
• Manufacturing Capacity – Are you in need of manufacturing capacity or have available capacity to share?
• Supplies & Resources – Are you looking for particular supplies or resources, or have available ones to share?
How do I post a need or the ability to give?
To post a need, or post the ability to give, click on the appropriate button on the home page, which is “Share what you need” or “Share what you can give.”
• Select if you have a need or can give, then include the state where you are located. Note that at the bottom, there is an option for nationwide or outside the U.S.
• Then select a type of request (see above) and provide a descriptive title for your request.
• You may ignore “Group/Visibility.”
• Provide a description of your need, or the item(s) you can provide. If the item is for purchase, please include pricing information.
• Please indicate whether you are able to support the movement or shipping of the items and provide your location.
• Lastly, you can post an image or document if you’d like, such as a product cut-sheet.
• Click “Save” to post.
How do connections work for Information Sharing and Manufacturing Capacity posts?
Information Sharing and Manufacturing Capacity are meant to operate as a peer-to-peer system. Similar to Craigslist, all posts are public. A representative of a company or organization may post a request or availability; someone can comment on that post, then the two can connect and fill the need between themselves. The BIO Coronavirus Hub is simply the conduit to make these connections happen.
How do connections work in the Supplies & Resource Section?
The Supplies & Resources sections works a little differently from the Information Sharing and Manufacturing Capacity sections. All posts in the Supplies & Resources sections are private. We know state health departments are triaging many of these requests to identify where there is the greatest need.
To accomplish this, BIO has partnered with Healthcare Ready to handle the “need” and “give” requests. Healthcare Ready is uniquely positioned to help facilitate these requests, as they are a non-profit organization actively involved in emergency management and donation coordination. Healthcare Ready works with state health and emergency management departments, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to understand areas of greatest need.
I represent a large company with significant manufacturing capacity or in-kind donations, who do I contact?
If you are a company looking to provide large-scale manufacturing capabilities or bulk products in-kind, please email [email protected] to be assisted directly. This email address is monitored on a very frequent basis.