IDEaS — Counter Uncrewed Aerial Systems Concept Development

Eligibility for this grant is determined by specific requirements related to the applicant's legal status and activity location.

• The applicant must be a legal entity duly incorporated and validly existing in Canada, including Canadian universities, educational institutions, not-for-profit organizations, for-profit companies, or government organizations.
• Individuals may apply if they meet the requirement of being legally incorporated and existing in Canada.
• International applicants may be eligible if they establish a legal entity duly incorporated and validly existing in Canada.
• Federal and provincial crown corporations are not eligible for funding.
• No more than 50 percent of eligible costs under the Contribution Agreement can be incurred outside of Canada.

Who is eligible?

Eligible recipients of funding under an IDEaS Contribution Agreement (CA) must be a legal entity duly incorporated and validly existing in Canada, which includes 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, and individuals. International applicants may also be eligible, provided they establish a legal entity duly incorporated and validly existing in Canada. Federal and provincial crown corporations are not eligible for funding.

Who is not eligible

This grant has specific exclusions, primarily related to certain government-related entities. These restrictions ensure that funding is directed to viable entities capable of fulfilling the developmental objectives of the grant.

• Federal and provincial crown corporations are not eligible for funding.

Eligible expenses

The grant covers specific expenses directly related to the development and success of CUAS concepts.

• Research and development costs for CUAS technologies.
• Prototyping and testing expenses associated with CUAS solutions.
• Personnel costs directly related to the project, including salaries and benefits.
• Materials and equipment specifically needed for project implementation.
• Travel expenses necessary for project execution, including attendance at related events or testing locations.
• Consultant fees for technical expertise necessary for the project.

Eligible geographic areas

This grant is available to companies that are legal entities duly incorporated and existing in Canada. The eligibility aims to support Canadian innovation and defence capabilities.

• Companies and organizations incorporated in Canada.
• Individual entities legally existent and operating within Canada.

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

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• Successful applicants could potentially receive further funding of up to $2 million if their concepts are promising and successful after the initial funding period.
• Project proposals should demonstrate capabilities that are a significant improvement over existing technologies or address capabilities not currently available.
• Projects with integration into existing CAF command and control systems may have an increased chance of selection.
• Applicants should consider emerging UAS capabilities and how their solutions can evolve to meet future threats.
• Eligible applicants include legal entities incorporated and validly existing in Canada, with international applicants requiring a legal entity in Canada.