Digital Health Innovation Fund

• Total funding envelope of up to $25 million available until March 2027.
• Eligible project budgets are expected to range from $1 million to $7 million per project.
• Funding operates under a reimbursement model, with a reimbursement ratio (typically 20-25%) determined case-by-case according to the proposed budget, eligible expenditures, and funds available.
• The maximum allowable government funding is 75% of eligible costs for industry collaborators and 100% for academic collaborators, calculated per project.

• The applicant must be a private-sector or public organization based in Canada, such as an academic, health, or research institution, independently owned business, multinational enterprise (MNE), non-governmental organization (NGO), or granting agency.
• The project team must include at least two (2) Canadian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), each with fewer than 499 employees.
• The project must include a data provider willing to share health data through the Digital Health and Discovery Platform (DHDP), with project activities carried out in Canada.
• Applicants who are not currently members of the DHDP Network are required to obtain membership before becoming eligible for funding.
• The project must demonstrate technical feasibility and financial capacity, be carried out in Canada over an 8–12-month period, and align with the fund’s objectives for data-driven health or AI research.

Who is eligible?

• Private-sector organizations, including independently owned businesses
• Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with fewer than 499 employees
• Multinational enterprises (MNEs)
• Public organizations such as academic, health, and research institutions (and their foundations)
• Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and granting agencies operating in Canada

Eligible expenses

• Expenses for data readiness, including data mapping to the OMOP data model and data curation for use on the Platform.
• Onboarding support for data providers related to platform integration.

Eligible geographic areas

• Businesses and organizations from across Canada

• Economic, innovation, scientific merit, and potential health and social benefits of the project.
• Benefits to the health and digital sectors in Canada.
• Technical feasibility and technological advancement demonstrated by the project.
• Potential for commercialization, including a comprehensive commercialization plan covering market opportunity, regulatory strategy, pilot protocol, IP strategy, and commercialization steps.
• Contribution to network outcomes such as publications, R&D investments, job and business creation, and intellectual property generation.

• Project teams can request matchmaking assistance to help form eligible collaborations via the Expression of Interest survey.
• Applicants must obtain DHDP Network membership if not already members to be eligible for funding.
• Underrepresented and disadvantaged groups are strongly encouraged to apply in order to promote diversity and representation.
• Regular webinars and Q&A sessions are organized as part of the application process, with recordings and resources made available.