We are seeking pre-commercial innovative prototypes that can be tested in real life settings and address a variety of priorities within the Government of Canada.
Funding mechanism:
Contract
Opening date:
September 12, 2023
Closing date:
October 3, 2023, 14:00 Eastern Time
Overview
The Testing Stream aims to procure, test and evaluate innovative late stage pre-commercial prototypes.
The purpose of these calls for prototypes (CFPs) is to create pools of conditionally qualified innovations that Canada may select from to address a broad range of the Government of Canada organizations' requirements.
Each call includes a Standard Component and Military Component:
Standard component: $1,150,000 CAD
Military component: $2,300,000 CAD
If you meet the eligibility criteria and have a prototype that can respond to one of the problems below, apply now!
Problem statements
Energy Generation, Storage, and Infrastructure
Canadians are one of the world's largest per-capita consumers of energy, largely because of the significant energy required for heating and power in a large northern country.
As part of Canada's sustainable development goals, the Government is committed to exploring innovations that support:
- Transitioning to clean energy sources such as: solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, tidal, and non-greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting fuels such as hydrogen;
- Adopting technology standards to cost-effectively reduce electricity consumption; and
- Expanding infrastructure and upgrading technology to provide clean energy.
The combustion of fuels for electricity, transportation, heating and cooling represents a major challenge in achieving GHG emissions reduction targets. Clean electricity is produced from non-GHG emitting energy sources. In Canada, the majority of clean electricity generation in the provinces and territories comes from hydroelectric, nuclear, wind, and solar power generation.
The Government of Canada is interested in testing innovative technologies that provide or facilitate the production, storage and/or distribution of clean energy, energy efficiency improvements that reduce the need for investment in energy infrastructure, increase competitiveness for clean energy technologies, and improve consumer welfare.
The relevance of proposed innovations will be assessed according to how they address and resolve the Problem Statement above. Innovative processes will be accepted and constitute an innovation for the purpose of the outcomes below.
Definitions:
- Energy management:
- the process of tracking and optimizing energy consumption to conserve usage in a building or other environment. The objective is to determine, achieve and maintain optimal energy utilization without negatively impacting performance or output.
- Energy management solutions:
- tools for tracking and reducing energy usage.
- Energy demand management solutions:
- tools to manage energy load demands during peak demand hours.
- Clean energy:
- energy (e.g., electricity, heat, combined heat and power) produced from renewable and/or non-GHG emitting sources.
- Smart meters:
- also known as an advanced metering system, Smart meters are a digital electricity meter that's able to measure how much electricity is used and when it is used.
- Clean energy infrastructure:
- equipment, structures, etc. involved in the product, storage and distribution of clean energy.
- Microgrids:
-
Includes technologies that can:
- Manage a group of interconnected loads and distributed energy resources that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid;
- Operate independently of the grid as a self-sufficient energy systems;
- Manage and optimize energy deployment and usage across self-sufficient, self-managed networks
Outcomes:
Innovations must meet at least ONE of the following outcomes to meet the requirements of criteria SC4 in the Call for Proposals Evaluation Grid. Identify in your proposal which Outcome(s) you have selected.
Energy Generation and Management:
- Innovative clean energy generation, including:
- Advanced solar panel construction or materials;
- Small-, medium-, and large-scale new or novel wind turbines as well as technologies related to wind-power generation;
- New or novel wave or other marine-driven energy generation technologies;
- Wearable energy generation technologies that leverage bodily momentum;
- Advanced nuclear reactors and small modular reactors (SMR);
- Carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion to net-zero fuels;
- Municipal wastewater methane recovery and energy generation;
- Hybrid energy management solutions capable of utilizing the grid and/or multiple sources of renewable energy, such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric power, concurrently;
- Energy demand management solutions, including smart meters as well as grid-scale energy storage for renewable sources;
- Microgrid and Nano-grid solutions and other technologies that support the decentralization of the energy grid in the production, storage and distribution of energy resources; and
- Alternative fuels including bio-fuels and hydrogen fuel cells, as well as the use of hydrogen blending with natural gas for stationary combustion;
- Smart building technologies including technologies that reduce energy consumption and GHG (or can entirely empowered by other clean or renewable energy sources);
- Intelligent energy distribution and management technologies/systems;
- Producing Energy through Artificial Photosynthesis: Conversion of CO2 into chemicals or other products, materials, etc., and
- Harnessing or concentrating renewable energy (i.e. solar power) to generate industrial heat to address embodied carbon in cement, steel, etc. fabrication
Energy Storage and Infrastructure:
- Innovative battery (or other energy storage) technologies, including: solid-state batteries, high-energy density batteries, lithium-Sulphur batteries, and flow batteries as well as advancements in existing battery technologies;
- Battery reuse, recovery, and recycling technologies, particularly those that prioritize the reclamation of critical minerals and plastics;
- Technologies to support smart-grid infrastructure;
- Heat pumps capable of functioning in cold weather (-20°C or colder) as well as those that can function in high-heat environments (+40°C);
- Innovative hydrogen storage solutions;
- Innovative thermal energy storage solutions;
- Wastewater heat recovery;
- Energy storage solutions leveraging magnetic technologies;
- Compressed air and gas energy storage solutions, and;
- Resilient infrastructure, including utility poles, substations, and other energy infrastructure, which can overcome new and changing levels of rainfall, wind speeds, and weather events.
Bio-Products, Bio-Chemicals, and Waste Reduction
Innovation across clean technology benefits our economy, our communities and our well-being. Investments in bioplastics and bio-alternatives to traditional petroleum-based products can have smaller environmental footprints, and provide new opportunities across various industries. The bioeconomy was first proposed in the early 2000s, amid growing concerns about the contribution of unsustainable production and consumption to climate change, and accelerating demand for materials, energy, and services that come from a sustainable use of renewable resources. The circular bio-based economy can offer viable solutions to a range of systemic problems including climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
The Government of Canada will transition to climate-resilient operations while reducing the environmental and biodiversity impacts of its waste by 2050, and has committed to reducing the quantities of plastic waste it sends to landfill by 75% by 2030. In pursuit of its targets the Government of Canada is interested in testing innovations that support the reduction of waste, in particular plastic waste, in operational settings.
The relevance of proposed innovations will be assessed according to how they address and resolve the Problem Statement above. Innovative processes will be accepted and constitute an innovation for the purpose of the outcomes below.
Definitions
- Biomass:
- includes all living or recently deceased organic material, such as plants, animals, microorganisms, and their byproducts.
- Bioplastics:
- bioplastics are plastics that are derived from biomass.
- Bio-products:
- products made from materials that are derived from renewable biological resources, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms.
- Bio-producible:
- materials that can be produced or manufactured using biological processes, organisms, or materials. This could include products synthesized through biotechnology, bioengineering, or other methods that involve living organisms or their components
- Microshedding:
- during manufacturing, washing and use, synthetic clothes and textiles shed tiny plastic fibers that end up in the environment. Plastic deposited in the environment does not biodegrade; it breaks up into smaller pieces. These very small, thin pieces (called microfibers) are smaller than 5 mm and usually not visible to the naked eye.
Outcomes:
Innovations must meet at least ONE of the following outcomes to meet the requirements of SC4 Call for Proposals Evaluation Grid. Identify in your proposal which Outcome(s) you have selected.
- Innovative biopolymer resins designed for recycling;
- Solutions to reduce the use of virgin plastic resins;
- Solutions to re-use, recycle or reduce plastics in various industry applications (i.e., packaging, construction materials, vehicles, and textiles);
- Solutions to re-use, recycle or reduce the material components of electronic waste in various industry applications;
- Bio-producible 3D printing components to replace traditional components;
- Innovative composting technologies such as onsite composting;
- Innovations in renewable or secondary bio-based plastics, including to replace petroleum-based products, such as:
- Renewable diesel;
- Bio-based solvents, surfactants, and lubricants;
- Bio-based adhesives and sealants;
- Enzyme and bio-catalysis to replace current applications of chemical synthesis, and
- Materials derived from waste biomass;
- Biomass conversion technologies, such as fermentation and enzymatic processes,
- Technologies to reduce and remediate microplastic waste and plastic byproducts;
- Solutions to recover discarded and leaked materials from landfills, including other leakage streams, that can be reintroduced into the circular economy;
- Technologies that support the removal of microplastics in wastewater treatment plants, and;
- Compact, weather proof, and wildlife proof solutions that allow for the effective cleaning of plastics at the point of collection prior to recycling;
Low Carbon and Zero-Emissions Mobility
To build a cleaner, more prosperous economy that mitigates climate change, the Government of Canada is taking action to cut GHG emissions from all sectors of the economy – including from the transportation and building sectors, which account for a significant percentage of greenhouse gas emissions. Canada's Action Plan for Clean On-Road Transportation proposes regulations that will require at least 20 percent of new light-duty vehicles sold in Canada to be zero emission by 2026, at least 60 percent by 2030, and 100 percent by 2035.
The Government of Canada has also committed to lead by example with its own operations. The Greening Government Strategy presents the government's commitments to adopt low-carbon mobility solutions, deploy supporting infrastructure in its facilities and modernize its fleets. The strategy calls for at least 75% of new light-duty fleet vehicle purchases to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) or hybrid electric vehicles with the objective that the fleet is comprised of 100% ZEVs by 2030.
On the pathway to net-zero, the Government of Canada is interested in testing innovations that can accelerate the ability of Canadians' cars and buildings to meet zero emission and low carbon targets. The Government is seeking innovations that will advance the adoption of low-carbon (embodied and emitting) mobility and building solutions, as well as a range of vehicle and building charging technologies.
The relevance of proposed innovations will be assessed according to how they address and resolve the Problem Statement above. Innovative processes will be accepted and constitute an innovation for the purpose of the outcomes below.
Definitions
- Ultra-fast DC Charging:
- Designed to provide a measurable reduction in charging times, ultra-fast charging delivers power outputs of 350 kW or more.
- Bidirectional charging:
- Solutions allow electric vehicles to draw power from the grid and also feed power back into it. These technologies enable EVs to function as mobile energy storage units that can support the grid during peak demand.
- V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) charging:
- Similar to bidirectional charging, V2G technology allows EVs to communicate with the power grid to sell demand response services by returning electricity to the grid at peak demand times.
- Load Control with Energy Management System:
- Tools to manage energy load demands during peak demand hours.
- Dynamic wireless charging (DWC):
- Solutions to permit the simultaneous operation and charging of electric vehicles by installing wireless charging equipment under roadways to charge electric vehicles.
- Mobile Energy Disseminators (MED):
- Energy exchange can be facilitated by inductive power transfer (IPT) between vehicles. These vehicles, termed mobile energy disseminators (MEDs), use electric plug in connection or IPT in order to refill EVs while both vehicles are in motion.
- Micro-mobility solutions:
- Micro-mobility is a category of modes of transport that are provided by light weight vehicles such as electric scooters, electric skateboards, shared bicycles, and electric pedal-assisted (e-bikes) hardware.
- Mobile and semi-permanent charging solutions:
- These types of chargers are equipped with a battery pack which can be recharged using existing electrical infrastructure. The battery powered mobile chargers can then be moved to locations where charging is required.
Outcomes:
Innovations must meet at least ONE of the following outcomes to meet the requirements of SC4 Call for Proposals Evaluation Grid. Identify in your proposal which of the Outcome(s) below you have selected..
- Innovative charging technologies and infrastructure to support fleet and building electrification and operation, including:
- Wireless charging stations;
- Dynamic wireless charging technologies;
- Bidirectional charging solutions;
- Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging technologies;
- Battery-swapping technologies and stational infrastructure;
- Charging stations capable of integrating with smart grids and other energy demand management solutions;
- Green charging stations that leverage renewable power generation, such as portable solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations and;
- Mobile energy disseminators;
- Universal charging stations for drones, land vehicles, e-bikes and e-scooters;
- Marine offshore charging stations and marine shore power plug-in stations;
- Mobile and Semi-permanent charging stations;
- Innovative charging, battery, and refueling technologies and infrastructure to support fleet hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles and operation;
- Advanced EV motor technologies including permanent magnet synchronous motors (PMSMs) and switched reluctance motors (SRMs);
- Micro-mobility solutions;
- Innovate technologies to create zero-emission fuels, and;
- Fleet management and predictive information technology (IT) solutions, including those that leverage AI and Machine-Learning to drive improvements in areas including:
- Safety and traffic accident monitoring and prediction,
- Route optimization to reduce traffic congestion by predicting demand,
- Increasing commute efficiency.
Assessment, Development, and Adaption to Environmental Change
Achieving a net zero and nature-positive future will require systemic changes to the way our economy organizes the delivery of goods and services across industries and supply chains. New cross-cutting technologies, processes and services can support industries of all sizes to reduce their carbon and ecological footprints. The Government of Canada recognizes the benefit of improving the current state of goods and service delivery, broadly across several industries, in accordance with guiding principles in the clean technology approach, defined below.
Clean technology is any process, product or service that reduces environmental impacts through:
- Environmental protection activities that prevent, reduce or eliminate pollution or any other degradation of the environment, and/or;
- Resource management activities that result in the more efficient use of natural resources, thus safeguarding against their depletion, and/or;
- The use of goods that have been adapted to be significantly less energy or resource intensive than the industry standard.
The Government of Canada is interested in testing innovations that will provide measurable improvements across industry. This includes innovations that improve or maintain the quality of goods and service provision in accord with the guiding principles of clean technology.
The relevance of proposed innovations will be assessed according to how they address and resolve the Problem Statement above. Innovative processes will be accepted and constitute an innovation for the purpose of the outcomes below.
Definitions
- Lifecycle assessment tools:
- technologies that assess energy usage, toxicity, and natural resource usage across the lifecycle of a product, from the material extraction through to disposal.
Outcomes:
Innovations must meet at least ONE of the following outcomes to meet the requirements of SC4 Call for Proposals Evaluation Grid. Identify in your proposal which Outcome(s) you have selected.
- Lifecycle Assessment Tools (LCA) and Physical Flow Accounts (PFA) to measure carbon footprints, circular economy capabilities, or end-of-life disposal, throughout product lifecycles, limited to:
- Performing integrated impact assessments that include social and economic dimensions;
- Impact assessments of buildings and infrastructure;
- Capable of overcoming allocation challenges when assessing multi-output processes;
- Utilizing AI, Machine-Learning, or other predictive analysis to overcome uncertainty;
- Predicting the future impact of current or emerging technologies, and;
- Adjust for geographical variation and the presence of changing severe weather events and other technologies that predict environmental impact of products or materials;
- Low Carbon Procurement/Green Procurement Tools such as:
- Low Carbon Procurement Calculators capable of estimating the embodied carbon footprint of procured goods and services, and
- Databases on environmental impact of products such as Databases with Environmental Product Declarations, etc.
- Solutions that leverage AI or Machine-Learning to drive design, process improvements, and efficiencies across various industries;
- Innovative solutions for application within industrial ecology, such as those with an emphasis on circular economic practices, efficient resource allocation, asset use optimization, technologies that manage feedstocks and waste streams etc.;
- Innovative solutions to existing industrial challenges that leverage bio-mimicry;
- Technologies and solutions to address the impacts of climate change (e.g. forest fires, floods, storm events);
- Innovative solutions in the field of IOT designed to drive performance improvements, such as improved reliability, resource productivity, energy use reductions, increased durability, and the provision of greener cloud based and on premises server solutions to help reduce overall carbon footprint;
- Innovative product design or manufacturing solutions that enable product life extension through repair, remanufacture or repurposing;
- Advanced lightweight materials such as carbon fiber composites, aluminum alloys, and high-strength steel to reduce weight while maintaining performance;
- Advanced insulation materials and blast proof materials that are sustainable or green;
- Energy efficiency technologies such as energy-efficient lighting systems, smart HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), building automation, and energy management software where hardware has viable recovery options at end of life, and;
- Remote Monitoring and telepresence solutions to enable remote service delivery and reduce the need for physical human presence.
Eligibility and evaluation
Mandatory Criteria (MC)
MC1: Canadian Bidder
The Bidder must meet the definition of a Canadian Bidder. A Canadian Bidder is defined as a Canadian person or entity submitting a proposal on its own behalf and having a place of business in Canada where the person or entity conducts activities on a permanent basis that is clearly identified by name and accessible during normal working hours.
MC2: Canadian Content
80% of the financial proposal costs, the total proposal price to Canada stated in "Section –G Financial Proposal", must be Canadian goods or Canadian services. For the complete Canadian content definition please refer to the Canadian Content Definition A3050T (2020-07-01) at Part 1, General Information, Article 1.5 of the solicitation documents:
- Solicitation for small or medium enterprises
- Solicitation for large business, not-for-profit or academic institution
MC3: Ownership
The Bidder must be the owner of the Intellectual Property (IP) for the proposed innovation, or have a licence to the IP rights from a Canadian licensor for the proposed innovation and not be infringing on any IP rights.
MC4: Pre-Commercial Status
The proposed innovation must not be openly available in the marketplace, and must not have been previously sold on a commercial basis as of the date of this bid submission. Refer to the definitions of Pre-Commercial Innovation and Commercial Sales at Appendix 2 of the solicitation documents:
- Solicitation for small or medium enterprises
- Solicitation for large business, not-for-profit or academic institution
MC5: Previously Pre-qualified Innovation
The proposed innovation or any other versions of the proposed innovation must not have been previously awarded a contract in the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) or its predecessor, the Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP), nor under the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) Testing Stream.
The proposed innovation or any other versions of the proposed innovation must not currently be active in a pool of pre-qualified innovations. A proposed innovation that is currently active in a pool will be accepted only once the bid validity period for that proposal has expired or the Bidder has withdrawn their innovation from the relevant pool, prior to solicitation closing date.
Bidders may submit multiple proposals, ensuring that each proposal is for a different Innovation.. The same or similar proposals may not be submitted twice for different problem statements. If the proposed innovation is similar or identical to an innovation previously submitted by the bidder that is currently active in a pool and has not been withdrawn prior to solicitation closing, the following assessment will be used to determine sufficient difference to proceed.
| Pass |
Sufficiently Different
|
|---|---|
| Fail |
Not Sufficiently Different
|
MC6: Maximum Funding
The Bidder's Financial Proposal must not exceed $1,150,000 CAD in the Standard Component, or $2,300,000 CAD in the Military Component, not including applicable taxes, shipping costs, and travel and living expenses, where applicable. Refer to Section G – Financial Proposal.
MC7: Program Eligibility
The Bidder's proposal must be aligned with the mandate of the ISC Testing Stream where Canada procures, through a Contract, the Bidder's Innovation with the purpose of testing it in an operational environment.
The following criteria only applies to Small Businesses
MC8: Small Business
The Bidder must be a for-profit person or entity, with 499 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. This calculation must take into account and include affiliated businesses, such as parent companies and subsidiaries that are either in or outside of Canada.
MC9: Bidder Presence in Canada
The Bidder must meet the following minimum requirements: 50% or more of the Bidder's FTE employees have Canada as their ordinary place of work; 50% or more of the Bidder's annual wages, salaries and fees must be paid to employees and contractors who spend the majority of their time working in Canada; and 50% or more of the Bidder's senior executives (Vice President and above) have Canada as their principal residence. These calculations must take into account and include affiliated businesses, such as parent companies and subsidiaries that are either in or outside of Canada.
Stage 1 Technical Evaluation – Screening Criteria (SC)
SC1: Innovation
The proposed innovation must meet one or more of the ISC definitions of innovation below:
- An inventionFootnote 1, new technology or new process that is not currently available in the marketplace.
- Significant modifications to the application of existing technologies/components/processes that are applied in a setting or condition for which current applications are not possible or feasible.
- An improvement in functionality, cost or performance over an existing technology/process that is considered state-of-the-art or the current industry best practice.
| Pass | The proposed innovation meets one or more of the ISC definitions of innovation. |
|---|---|
| Fail |
|
SC2: Operational Readiness Validation
The Bidder must demonstrate that at the time of proposal submission, the proposed innovation is ready for testing in an operational environment, i.e. at minimum TRL 7 per the ISC Technology Readiness Level Scale.
| Pass |
|
|---|---|
| Fail |
|
SC3: Safety Considerations
The Bidder must demonstrate that they have obtained or possess, at the time of proposal submission, the licences, and approvals required to safely deploy the proposed innovation, and that it poses no risks to individuals or Government of Canada organizations involved in an operational demonstration.
This is to ensure that a Government of Canada organization and personnel are not exposed to safety or privacy risks during the conduct of the operational demonstration.
| Pass |
At the time of proposal submission:
|
|---|---|
| Fail |
At the time of proposal submission:
|
SC4: Scope – Outcomes
The Bidder must demonstrate that the proposed innovation provides a solution to the selected Problem Statement by the Bidder. In addition, the Bidder must demonstrate that the proposed innovation meets one or more of the Outcomes identified in the selected Problem Statement by the Bidder. Proposed innovations that possess characteristics and functionalities cited in the out of scope Outcomes will not be accepted
| Pass |
|
|---|---|
| Fail |
|
Stage 2 Technical Evaluation – Point-Rated Screening Criteria (PS)
PS1: Advance on State of the Art
The Bidder must demonstrate that the proposed innovation improves upon current approaches and state of the art, or current practices relevant to its purpose or application, in a manner that yields competitive advantages.
| 2 points |
|
|---|---|
| 12 points |
|
| 24 points
Minimum |
|
| 40 points |
|
PS2: Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy
The Bidder must demonstrate a suitable Intellectual Property (IP) strategy, relevant to protect IP generated by the proposed innovation and to protect the Bidder. This criteria also assesses the degree to which the strategy is appropriate to support successful commercialization.
| 0 points |
The Intellectual Property (IP) strategy is insufficiently rationalized or substantiated, and is poorly suited for background IP or generated IP as they pertain to the proposed innovation. |
|---|---|
| 8 points
Minimum |
|
| 12 points |
|
Stage 3 Technical Evaluation – Point Rated Criteria (PR)
PR1: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Benefits
This criterion is intended to assess the degree to which the Bidder has sufficient measures to effectively achieve and maintain diversity, inclusivity and gender equity within; their business, supply chain, or business ecosystem.
Score levels reflect the number of the following elements the Bidder addressed in their answer:
- Anti-discrimination policies;
- Recruitment strategy and hiring process;
- Training available to educate the Bidder's workforce on diversity and inclusion;
- How diversity and inclusion are factored into Bidder's supplier selection methods.
| 0 points |
Policies regarding diversity, inclusivity and gender equity are not identified, are insufficient, or do not appear genuine. |
|---|---|
| 4 points |
Information provided clearly demonstrates that the Bidder is implementing some measures (two (2) elements) to achieve and maintain diversity, inclusivity and gender equity. |
| 8 points |
Information provided clearly demonstrates that the Bidder is implementing most measures (three (3) elements) to achieve and maintain diversity, inclusivity and gender equity.. |
| 12 points |
Information provided clearly demonstrates that the Bidder is implementing all measures (all four (4) elements) to achieve and maintain diversity, inclusivity and gender equity. |
Maximum available points from Stage 2 and Stage 3 : 64 points
Minimum Total ScoreFootnote 2 from Stage 2 and Stage 3 to pre-qualify: 38 points
Pathway to commercialization (PTC)
Enabling the Government of Canada to buy what it tries – a Pathway to Commercialization for eligible Canadian SMEs
Our new pilot project gives small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) the opportunity to sell your innovation directly to the Government of Canada.
Through the PTC under ISC's Testing Stream, eligible SMEs can receive commercial contracts based on the successful testing and market-readiness of your pre-commercial prototype. It is important to note that this pathway will only be available to eligible Canadian SMEs, which represent over 97% of all businesses in Canada, a percentage that mirrors past participation in the program.
How will it work?
- Once your initial ISC testing contract is completed, you may be eligible for the Pathway to Commercialization if your innovation is market-ready above technology readiness level (TRL) 9
- You will have up to 12 months following the end of your initial ISC Testing Stream contract to apply to the Pathway to Commercialization, at which time you will be be assessed against the PTC entry criteria to determine if your innovation will be placed on a PTC source list where government departments can browse and purchase your successfully-tested innovations for up to three years
Important considerations
- You must be selling the same innovation from your initial Testing Stream contract
- If you participate in the PTC, you will no longer be eligible for additional testing through the Testing Stream. Unlike PTC contracts, additional testing contracts are still considered R&D contracts, similar to the initial Testing Stream contract. Additional testing opportunities are open to all program participants, SMEs and non-SMEs.
- The requirements for commercial contracts will reflect the operational needs of client departments, the nature of the innovation, as well as input from Public Services and Procurement Canada, the program's Contracting Authority.
How will SMEs be assessed?
A number of criteria will be used as part of the assessment process, including:
- Financial capacity
- Technology readiness
- Certifications
- IP strategy
- Company size
- Scalability
- Innovation test performance
Please read the call for proposals (CFP) for more information on the Pathway to Commercialization.
Frequently asked questions
All incoming questions regarding this specific call for proposals should be addressed to TPSGC.PASICVoletessai-APISCTestingStream.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.
You can also consult the Frequently asked questions about the Innovative Solutions Canada Program.
A glossary is also available.