IDEaS — Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems Concept Development
Canada
Get funding for your CUAS concept development solutions
grant_single_labels|summary
grant_single|eligibleFinancing
- grant_single|maxCount
grant_single|deadlines
- grant_single|openingDateJanuary 31, 2024
- grant_single|closingDateApril 15, 2024
grant_single|financingType
Grant and Funding
grant_single|eligibleIndustries
- Manufacturing
- Information and cultural industries
- Professional, scientific and technical services
- Educational services
- Public administration
grant_single|grantors
- Department of National Defence
- Government of Canada
grant_single|status
grant_card_status|closed
grant_single_labels|preview
Receive funding to advance your CUAS concepts that can detect and/or defeat micro and mini UAS with systems that can be integrated into broader military command and control systems. Get the opportunity to mature your CUAS development concepts to a Technol
grant_single_labels|projects
Projects or activities eligible for this grant should focus on developing conceptual solutions for Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (CUAS) to detect and defeat Micro and Mini UAS that can be integrated into military command and control systems. Innovative concepts should aim to address evolving threats posed by UAS systems and contribute to enhancing CUAS capabilities.
- Developmental solutions for detecting and defeating Micro and Mini UAS
- Integration of CUAS systems into broader military command and control structures
- Concepts that can leapfrog existing prototypes and capabilities
- Technologies focusing on interceptors, hard-kill solutions, beyond line-of-sight capabilities, low-cost sensor networks, integration into command and control systems, tracking and defeating UAS swarms, detecting and defeating LTE/5G controlled UAS
grant_single|admissibleProjectsExample
$850,000
Halifax
Integration of CUAS capabilities with existing military command and control systems
$2,000,000
Victoria
Creating a command center for monitoring and controlling CUAS operations
$1,600,000
Vancouver
Development of LTE/5G UAS detection capabilities
$2,000,000
Calgary
Development of interceptor UAS for tracking and neutralizing mini UAS
$1,500,000
Toronto
Development of a sensor network to detect and defeat Micro UAS in urban environments
$2,000,000
Ottawa
Research and development of hard-kill solutions for mini UAS
grant_single_labels|admissibility
Based on the provided information, the following eligibility criteria apply for the Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems Concept Development grant:
- Legal entity must be duly incorporated and validly existing in Canada, including universities, not-for-profit organizations, for-profit companies, government organizations, and individuals.
- International applicants may be eligible if they have a legal entity duly incorporated and validly existing in Canada.
- Federal and provincial crown corporations are not eligible for funding.
- No more than 50% of eligible costs under the Contribution Agreement can be incurred outside of Canada.
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_can_apply
Yes, there are eligible types of companies for this grant:
- Canadian universities and educational institutions chartered in Canada
- Incorporated Canadian not-for-profit organizations or associations
- Incorporated Canadian for-profit companies, organizations, or associations
- Provincial/territorial or municipal government organizations
- Individuals
- International applicants may be eligible if they have a legal entity duly incorporated and validly existing in Canada
grant_eligibility_criteria|who_cannot_apply
There are specific types of companies not eligible for this grant. Federal and provincial crown corporations are not eligible for funding under this grant.
- Federal and provincial crown corporations
grant_eligibility_criteria|eligible_expenses
Eligible expenses for this grant include costs directly related to the development of counter-uncrewed aerial systems (CUAS) concepts. These expenses may cover project work effort, technical development, testing, and project budget expenditures.
- Project work effort
- Technical development
- Testing
- Project budget expenditures
grant_single_labels|criteria
There are evaluation and selection criteria for this grant. The summary of the criteria is as follows:
- Critera 1: Relevance to CUAS challenge and military integration
- Criteria 2: Innovation and leapfrogging existing prototypes
- Criteria 3: Methodological differentiation for detecting and defeating UAS
- Criteria 4: Ability to address multiple operational scenarios effectively
- Criteria 5: Potential for integration into external command and control systems
grant_single_labels|register
- Step 1: Carefully read the Applicant Guide for Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (CUAS) Concept Development.
- Step 2: Download and complete the following:
- Concept Development Project Proposal Form
- Concept Development Solution Technical Description Form
- Concept Development Budget and Eligible Expenditures Form
- Concept Development Proposal Overview
- Step 3: Create an epost Connect account
- Step 4: Request an epost Connect conversation
- Step 5: Submit the proposal form using epost Connect
Apply to this program
Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems Concept Development Grant
Overview of the Grant
The Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems (CUAS) Concept Development grant aims to support innovators in developing solutions to detect and defeat Micro and Mini Uncrewed Aerial Systems that can be integrated into military command and control systems. The grant offers funding of up to $500,000 for innovative CUAS concepts over a period of up to 9 months, with the potential for further funding of up to $2 million for successful projects.
The grant addresses the evolving UAS landscape and the increasing threats posed by advanced UAS systems. Innovators are encouraged to propose solutions that can leapfrog existing prototypes and capabilities, focusing on methods that are substantively different from current CUAS technologies. The grant emphasizes the integration of CUAS solutions into external command and control systems used by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and defense partners.
Operational scenarios include defending various environments such as operating bases, mobile vehicle patrols, dismounted personnel groups, urban settings, and naval environments. Methodologies for achieving CUAS effects involve active and passive detection, as well as soft-kill and hard-kill neutralization techniques. Innovators are expected to propose novel solutions with improvements in technology areas like interceptors, hard-kill solutions, beyond line-of-sight capability, and networks of low-cost sensors.
Eligible recipients of funding under the grant include Canadian universities, not-for-profit organizations, for-profit companies, government organizations, and individuals, with opportunities for international applicants that meet certain criteria. Applicants are required to submit detailed project proposals through the epost Connect service and may submit multiple proposals for evaluation.
The grant also includes a CUAS Sandbox event in 2024, offering participants the opportunity to demonstrate and test their CUAS solutions for further recognition and potential funding opportunities. Prizes will be awarded at the Sandbox for the most promising concepts, emphasizing short-term growth potential and innovation in CUAS technologies.
