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About the AI Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program
The AI Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program (SCIP) is a key initiative under the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy that advances Canada's leadership in AI by delivering on historic investments from Budget 2024 and Budget 2025. This program is being delivered, in part, through an open call for applications to build a large-scale sovereign public AI supercomputer for Canadian researchers and innovators.
Through this initiative, the Government of Canada will improve access to advanced computing for Canada's world-class researchers and innovative firms developing novel AI solutions or applications, to spur scientific discovery and economic growth.
This investment will:
- give Canadian researchers the compute they need to undertake transformative AI projects;
- support access for innovative Canadian businesses and AI-related R&D;
- enhance Canadian sovereignty and resilience;
- allow for the integration of Canadian technologies; and
- accelerate the build-out of national public AI compute capacity to ensure Canada remains globally competitive and retains top AI talent.
Beyond providing researchers with access to advanced compute, SCIP aims to ultimately anchor a national platform for innovation, enabling Canadian researchers and innovators to experiment with cutting-edge hardware, software, and AI systems within a protected, sovereign environment. SCIP will reinforce long-term economic growth by enabling a secure, Canadian-controlled testbed where domestic technologies can be developed, scaled, and validated.
This approach will strengthen Canada's domestic technology value chain by reducing reliance on foreign supply chains, retaining intellectual property and high-value expertise, and creating pathways for homegrown companies to pilot, refine, and commercialize new technologies.
The program is structured around two integrated layers that work together to deliver advanced computing capacity across Canada.
The Infrastructure Build Layer is responsible for designing, building, and operating a national public supercomputing system for Canada. This includes installation of hardware, data centre operations, and systems administration, ensuring the national supercomputing infrastructure is secure, reliable, and high-performing. This call for applications is specific to the Infrastructure Build Layer.
The National Service Layer focuses on enabling researchers and innovators to effectively use this infrastructure. It provides services such as user support, training and skills development, research consulting, and data services, helping users fully leverage advanced computing capabilities. The National Service Layer will ensure the new system integrates smoothly with existing public infrastructure access and allocation systems, where relevant.
Together, these layers form a coordinated national ecosystem. Strong collaboration between them is essential to ensure seamless access, interoperability, and long-term sustainability.
More details on the roles and responsibilities of each layer are available in the program guide.
Questions regarding the division of responsibilities between the National Service Layer and the Infrastructure Build Layer can be directed to: aiscip-picsia@ised-isde.gc.ca.
Available fundingFootnote 1
The program will provide approximately $890 million to the Infrastructure Build Layer to support the design, construction, and ongoing operation of the compute system, over seven fiscal years, beginning in fiscal year 2026–27 as outlined in this call for applications.
Call for applications
Priorities
This program is guided by a set of core priorities that underpin the Government of Canada's strategic investment in building large-scale sovereign AI compute capability. Proponents are expected to demonstrate how their applications contribute to these priorities and advance Canada's capacity to support world-leading research and innovation.
The key priorities of this program are:
Increasing compute capacity: Expanding the availability of high-performance, AI-optimized compute infrastructure in Canada to meet growing demand from the research and innovation ecosystem.
Speed to delivery: Enabling the rapid deployment of meaningful compute capacity to ensure timely access for users and to maintain Canada's competitiveness in a fast-evolving global landscape.
Future scalability: Designing infrastructure that can grow and adapt over time, with consideration for modular expansion, long-term sustainability, and evolving technology needs.
Sovereignty and governance: Canadian-located, Canadian-governed system that ensures data residency, operational control, and decision-making authority and agency remain in Canada, and which can be adapted and scaled over time to serve the evolving needs of Canadians.
Economic impact: Supporting broader economic benefits for Canada, including enabling industrial research and development, strengthening domestic supply chains, fostering collaboration, and developing highly qualified talent.
Eligibility
To uphold the program's sovereignty requirements, only organizations that meet the criteria below are eligible to apply.
Eligible entities include:
- Not-for-profit organizations incorporated in Canada;
- Post-secondary institutions incorporated in Canada;
- Consortia (led by a not-for-profit or post-secondary institution): Multi-partner collaborations that may include academic institutions, research organizations, and industry partners, provided the Lead Applicant is a not-for-profit or post-secondary organization incorporated in Canada.
Assessment
Applications will be assessed through a rigorous, multi‑stage process that combines government due diligence with independent advice from domestic and international experts. The assessment framework balances technical feasibility with alignment to government priorities.
For more details, please review the program guide.
Interested in applying?
If you meet the eligibility requirements, please email aiscip-picsia@ised-isde.gc.ca to request the AI Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program application form. Completed forms, along with the required attachments, must be submitted by the deadline.
Before completing the application form, make sure you review the program guide, which provides important information and context.
Timelines: The application period will close at 1:00PM Eastern Time on Monday June 1, 2026. After this date, applications will no longer be accepted.
Contact us
To learn more about SCIP, ISED will be hosting an information session webinar. Additional details will follow. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP by emailing the address below.
For any other questions you might have about the program contact us at: aiscip-picsia@ised-isde.gc.ca.