Industry Advisory Committee

An Industry Advisory Committee was established to provide advice to Senior Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada officials regarding the Technology Demonstration Program (TDP) and its application process. The committee was created in consultation with the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC) and the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI).

The first meeting of the committee was held on February 21, 2014 and included representatives from AIAC and CADSI as well as small, medium and large companies.

Overall, the feedback from the committee was positive. Members supported the design of the program, notably the intent to support one large scale project per year involving many small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and research partners who are expected to receive approximately 50 percent of the federal funding.

The committee also endorsed the two-phase application process, starting with a Statement of Interest. On the committee’s recommendation, the Statement of Interest application form was modified to request less detailed information. This was done in time for the second call for applications.

Finally, the committee strongly endorsed the department's intent to issue future calls for proposals in April of every year and to complete application cycles in a 12-month period. Industry representatives believe that a 12-month review period is reasonable and that a predictable April call will result in stronger proposals.

The next committee meeting will be held in 2016. For more information, consult the Industry Advisory Committee Terms of Reference.