CACHE Challenges

Q: How much funding can be received?

CACHE Challenges Funds up to 50% of admissible expenses, capped at $75000 per project.

Q: What is the deadline to apply?

The deadline to apply is not specified.

Q: Is the CACHE Challenges a grant, loan, or tax credit?

CACHE Challenges is a Partnering and Collaboration

Q: Who are the financial supporters of the CACHE Challenges?

CACHE Challenges is funded by Conscience

Q: Who is eligible for the CACHE Challenges program?

To be eligible for the CACHE Challenges program, you must: • Open to biotech companies, pharmaceutical firms, and software developers. • SMEs in Canada may be eligible for partial cost reimbursement.

Q: Where is the CACHE Challenges available?

The CACHE Challenges program is available across Canada.

Last Update: September 17, 2025

Canada

Open competition advancing computational drug discovery through expert collaboration

At a glance

Eligible Funding

Max. $75,000
Up to 50% of project cost

Timeline

Closing date : November 10, 2025

Financing Type

Partnering and Collaboration

Grant and Funding

Eligible Industries

Manufacturing
Professional, scientific and technical services
Health care and social assistance

Funds Providers

Conscience

Program status

Open

Overview

The CACHE Challenges program provides funding up to CA$75,000 for Canadian SMEs and CA$50,000 for Canadian academics to support the procurement of compounds in open competitions advancing computational hit-finding for drug discovery. The initiative aims to accelerate the identification of drug-like molecules that target disease-relevant proteins, with eligible activities including computational prediction and experimental validation of new molecular hits.

Financing terms and conditions

Testing costs covered for all selected teams, valued at approximately CA$100,000 per team.
Reimbursement of 50% of the costs of procuring compounds for each round, up to CA$50,000 for Canadian academics and up to CA$75,000 for Canadian SMEs.

Activities funded

Participation in open competitive challenges to accelerate drug discovery through computational hit-finding.
Prediction of novel small molecules that bind to disease-associated protein targets for drug discovery.
Experimental validation of computational predictions by a designated laboratory.
Collaborative research aimed at the identification of selective inhibitors or ligands for predefined biological targets.

Examples of admissible projects:

$ 73,000

Procurement and testing of kinase inhibitor compounds for cancer

$ 72,000

Purchasing and screening novel antibiotics targeting bacterial MraY

$ 73,500

Sourcing and validation of AI-predicted antivirals against RSV

$ 74,500

Open challenge to discover new ligands for Alzheimer’s target

$ 74,000

Purchasing and profiling small molecules for rare disease target

$ 67,000

Screening neuroactive molecules for epilepsy protein targets

Eligibility

The applicant may be a company or research team from academia, biotech, pharmaceutical, or software sectors.
Applicants must have expertise in computational chemistry, artificial intelligence, or related scientific fields relevant to drug discovery.
The project must involve predicting small molecules (hits) that bind to predefined protein targets associated with a specific disease.
Teams must be able to submit their applications for review by the CACHE Applications Review Committee during the designated competition period.

Who is eligible?

Biotech companies
Pharmaceutical companies
Software companies
Academic institutions
Nonprofit research organizations

Eligible expenses

Testing costs for selected teams (covered up to approximately CA$100,000 per team).
Reimbursement of 50% of the costs of procuring compounds for each round (up to CA$50,000 for Canadian academics and up to CA$75,000 for Canadian SMEs).

Eligible geographic areas

International (no specific geographical restrictions mentioned)
Specific additional funding available for Canadian academics and Canadian SMEs

How to apply

Identify a suitable CACHE Challenge

Review the eligibility criteria for current CACHE Challenges
Identify the appropriate challenge relevant to your research or organization
Consult the CACHE Challenge website for target descriptions and data packages

Prepare and submit your application

Complete the application requirements as outlined for the chosen challenge
Prepare necessary documentation, including proposed computational methods and relevant expertise
Adhere to application deadlines specified on the challenge web page

Application review and decision

The Applications Review Committee evaluates all submissions
Await communication regarding the status of your application

Participate and submit predictions Round 1

If selected, participate in the challenge by submitting predicted compounds in Round 1
Follow guidelines for submission as outlined by CACHE

Submit additional compounds Round 2

Receive feedback based on laboratory evaluation of submitted compounds
Prepare and submit additional compounds in Round 2 if invited

Results dissemination and follow-up

All results and chemical structures are shared with participants
Results made publicly available three months later
Continue engagement for networking and future opportunities

Additional information

Benchmarking results and all chemical structures generated during the competition are openly shared without patent restrictions.
Testing costs for selected teams are covered, valued at approximately CA$100,000 per team.
Participating teams have the option to remain anonymous when results are made public.
Related networking and knowledge-sharing events, such as symposiums, are organized as part of the program.

Apply to this program

Frequently Asked Questions about the CACHE Challenges Program

Here are answers to the most common questions about the CACHE Challenges. This section explains what the program is, how much funding is available, eligibility requirements, application deadlines, and other important details to help you determine if this grant is right for your business.

What is the CACHE Challenges?

How much funding can be received?

What expenses are eligible under CACHE Challenges?

Participation in open competitive challenges to accelerate drug discovery through computational hit-finding. Prediction of novel small molecules that bind to disease-associated protein targets for drug discovery. Experimental validation of computational predictions by a designated laboratory. Collaborative research aimed at the identification of selective inhibitors or ligands for predefined biological targets.