Quantum sensing

Problem statement

Quantum technologies are at the cutting edge of science and innovation, both in Canada and worldwide. As an enabling platform, quantum is leading to a new suite of technologies in computing, sensors, secure communications and advanced materials. These technologies will support the growth of key sectors such as computing, communications, health care, transportation, logistics, navigation and aerospace.

Quantum sensing technologies are of particular interest to the Government of Canada (GoC) in a range of theatres. There is interest in high-resolution imaging applications in a variety of theatres such as health and pharmaceutical, mining, and aviation and aerospace. The Government of Canada is interested in leveraging the recent advances in increased sensitivity and decreased costs of magnetic sensors, to enhance the magnetic sensing capabilities within the GoC. The Government of Canada are also interested in both short-range and long-range navigation tools in GPS-denied environments. While quantum radar is at this point principally a speculative technology, we are also interested in testing the components that could one day bring the technology from concept to application.

Overall, the limits of quantum sensing and metrology become overlooked as we are seeing quantum sensing technologies in the higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). The GoC faces a challenge in understanding these limits to inform quantum sensor developments. This in turn contributes to the limited exploration and development of quantum sensing technologies for its applications in medical, aerospace, mining, navigation, meteorological, chemistry, and smart materials and technologies. ISC is soliciting proposals in search of a variety of quantum solutions that can assist the GoC in the development and eventual application of quantum sensing technologies within its operations.

Definitions

Quantum sensors: A quantum-enabled technology used to measure a physical quantity, relying on either:

1. quantum-level measurement (e.g. single-photon detection);
2. quantized systems, (e.g. as atomic systems);
3. quantum coherence (e.g. quantum interference); or
4. quantum entanglement (non-local or strong correlations).

Quantities of interest include electric or magnetic fields, precise timing, temperature, and chemical or biological processes.

Quantum Radar: There are many proposed protocols to leverage quantum effects to provide advantages in imaging over traditional radar in high noise or stealth environments. Ultimately, ISC wants to explore the ability to achieve an effective range of 1km to 10km to detect a variety of objects. Additionally, remote quantum sensing for ranged chemical detection is of interest. If proposing a quantum radar technology or component, it is not necessary for suppliers to propose a complete quantum radar system.

Quantum magnetometers: An instrument for measuring the intensity and/or direction of magnetic fields, by utilizing quantum phenomena. Quantum magnetometers are used primarily to measure the intensity and/or direction of weak magnetic fields, particularly the earth’s magnetic field and its anomalies, both on the surface and at great altitudes, and also to measure the magnetic fields of planets within our solar system and in outer space. They are also used in prospecting for minerals, for magnetic core sampling, and in searching for sunken vessels.

Outcomes

Innovations must meet at least ONE outcome to qualify under SC4 and up to FOUR to score full points under PR7

• Quantum technologies or components with potential for eventual application in any one or all of the following fields: defence, public safety, mining, navigation, weather forecasting and environmental, healthcare, pharmaceutical, chemical, and/or advanced manufacturing industries (automotive, aerospace, electronics, superconductors).
• Quantum sensing hardware, software or supporting equipment that is in the prototype stage and ready for operational testing using commercially available infrastructure.
• Hardware solutions including but not limited to quantum sensors; superconducting quantum circuits and CQED solutions.
• Quantum radar software or hardware components including but not limited to microwave photon detectors, microwave entangled photon sources, photon imaging and lidar technologies, and quantum active and passive sensing technologies.
• Quantum-enhanced magnetometers to detect underwater objects from the air and underwater, and to map surface magnetic fields. This includes technologies for submarine detection and underwater warfare using magnetic sensing.
• Quantum enabling technologies such as cryogenic refrigeration technology and single-photon spectrometers.
• Inertial navigation sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes enhanced using quantum technologies to lower the cost, size, weight and power and increase performance.

ISC will NOT accept (out of scope):

• Post-quantum cryptography or quantum-safe communication solutions.
• Quantum key distribution (QKD) solutions.

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: Subject Area and Component

The Bidder's proposed innovation, as described and in its intended application, must be within the scope of one (1) of the relevant Military or Standard Component Subject Area(s) identified, as selected by the Bidder.

MC5: 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

MC6: 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 in any of the above. 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 can submit more than one proposal, as long as the proposed innovations are sufficiently different. 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.

MC7: Maximum Funding

The Bidder's Financial Proposal must not exceed $550,000 CAD in the Standard Component, or $1,150,000 CAD in the Military Component, not including applicable taxes, shipping costs, and travel and living expenses, where applicable. Refer to Section G – Financial Proposal.

MC8: 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.

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 invention^{Footnote 2}, 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.

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.

SC3: Safety Considerations

The Bidder must demonstrate that they have obtained or possess, at the time of proposal submission, the certifications, 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.

SC4: Scope – Outcomes

The Bidder must demonstrate that the proposed innovation provides a solution to the Problem Statement, and meets one or more of the Outcomes identified in the Problem Statement.

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.

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.

PS3: Management Team

The Bidder must demonstrate that they have filled the key roles in the management team with individuals possessing relevant background or skill set^{Footnote 3}, who can support the successful commercialization of the proposed innovation.

• Role A: Company leadership (e.g. CEO, or equivalent)
• Role B: Technology development (e.g. CTO, or equivalent)
• Role C: Commercialization strategy (e.g. Business Manager, or equivalent)
• Role D: Financial management (e.g. CFO, or equivalent)

PS4: Financial Capacity

The Bidder must demonstrate that they have sufficient financial resources and a credible financial strategy in order to execute their commercial launch plan, without a potential ISC Testing Stream contract.

In determining the credibility of a financial strategy, evaluators consider: funding sources, the amount of secured and unsecured funds, the degree of risk, and whether these risks are reasonable or sufficiently mitigated based on the context of the sector. Credibility, potential risks, and applicability to support launch costs should also be considered.

Financial resources must demonstrate ability to commercialize the proposed innovation.

Stage 3 Technical Evaluation – Point Rated Criteria (PR)

PR1: Innovation Benefits

This criterion is intended to assess the degree to which the proposed innovation could contribute to the positive economic development of the innovation ecosystem in Canada.

PR2: Operational Demonstration Risk Mitigation Strategies

This criterion is intended to assess the degree to which the Bidder has identified all important risks in the demonstration scenario, and degree to which those risks are addressed with appropriate mitigation strategies.

PR3: 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 gender balance and diversity 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.

PR4: Commercialization Strategy and Market Risks

This criterion is intended for the Bidder to demonstrate that they have a credible strategy to commercialize the proposed innovation, identifying market risks and providing suitable mitigation strategies for these risks.

PR5: Adoption Potential – Features & Benefits, Target Market

This criterion is intended to assess to what degree the proposed innovation's features and benefits are attractive to the relevant target market.

PR6: Adoption Potential – Cost to End User

This criterion is intended to assess to what degree the cost of the proposed innovation and the efforts required to adopt it are attractive and relevant for the target market.

The acquisition costs of the proposed innovation include the intended market price, the organizational impact, time and resources required for training and installation, and other direct costs for target market end-user (the customer) to acquire the proposed innovation.

PR7: Scope – Outcomes

This criterion is intended to assess the degree to which the Bidder meets the Outcomes identified in the Problem Statement.

Maximum available points from Stage 2 & Stage 3 : 192 points

Minimum Total Score^{Footnote 4} from Stage 2 & Stage 3 to pre-qualify: 115 points

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 without competing.

Through the Pathway to Commercialization 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 at technology readiness level (TRL) 9 or above (see other eligibility criteria)
• You will have up to 12 months to be assessed against eligibility criteria to determine if you will be placed on a Pathway to Commercialization source list where government departments can browse and purchase your successfully-tested innovations for up to three years
• Contracts under this initiative will each have a limit of up to $8M

Important considerations

• You must be selling the same innovation from your initial Testing Stream contract
• If you participate in the Pathway to Commercialization, your innovation will no longer be admissible for further testing nor any subsequent purchases contracts under EN578-22ISC5 of the Testing Stream.
• The requirements for commercial contracts will reflect the operational needs of client departments, the nature of the innovation, and will be put in place by 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.

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.