Closed
Source verified July 4, 2026
IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security
Defence innovation support for Canadian solutions
Latest source updateLast Update: July 4, 2026Latest change: The Sentinel shield challenge page now shows the application window as March 24 to June 25, 2026 and indicates the challenge is closed.View change
Latest source update
Last Update: July 4, 2026
Latest change: The Sentinel shield challenge page now shows the application window as March 24 to June 25, 2026 and indicates the challenge is closed.
IDEaS challenge deadline updated
The Sentinel shield challenge page for wide-area detection against uncrewed aerial systems now shows the application window as March 24 to June 25, 2026 and indicates that the challenge is closed. Funding and scope details remain unchanged, but the updated status materially affects whether applicants can still submit proposals and should be treated as a major timeline update for this challenge page.
Funding available
$ 1,000,000
Deadline
Open continuously
Location
Canada
Overview
Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security supports Canadian defence innovation through challenges, contests, sandboxes, test drives, and innovation networks. It helps innovators develop solutions for defence and security applications across multiple funding elements.
/100
Opportunity Score
Moderate potential, but conditions must align.
At a glance
Funding available
Financing goals
- Conduct research and development activities
Eligible Funding
- Maximum amount : 1,000,000 $
Funds Providers
Eligible candidates
Eligible Industries
- All industries
Location
- Canada
Legal structures
- For-profit business
Annual revenue
- All revenue ranges
Organisation size
- All organization sizes
Audience
- Canadians
- Startups
Next Steps
1
Determine your project
2
Validate your eligibility
Activities funded
- Develop solutions that embed compliance-by-design into multi-sensor, multi-domain fusion workflows.
- Build a modular Fusion Compliance Engine that enforces classification rules, legal constraints, and policy adherence in real time during data aggregation and analysis.
- Repurpose existing urban infrastructure as a distributed, passive sensing network for scalable, real-time situational awareness and anomaly detection.
Documents Needed
- Proposal form
- Applicant guide
- Company one-pager
- Test plan template
Official resources
Eligibility
Who is eligible?
- Canadian companies and businesses.
- Academic and research institutions in Canada.
- Not-for-profit organizations.
- Innovators and entrepreneurs.
Who is not eligible
- Federal departments, agencies, or crown corporations, and any person that is employed under one of these, are not eligible for funding or participation in micro-net activities.
Eligible expenses
There are eligible expenses for the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program:
- Research and development costs
- Prototyping and testing expenses
- Technology demonstration costs
- Networking and collaboration expenses
- Travel costs related to project implementation
Eligible geographic areas
- Canada
Selection criteria
- Proposals must be selected for the next round of the contest to proceed.
- For Round 2, innovators are invited to Round 3 of the Contest: Prototype development.
How to apply
This CFP is closed and is no longer accepting proposals.
Processing and Agreement
- Applications are reviewed against the challenge or contest requirements.
- Some programs use a stage-gated evaluation and selection process.
- Successful applicants may be invited to later rounds, demonstrations, or pitch events.
- Funding agreements are issued before financial support is provided.
Additional information
- Innovators may receive feedback from military experts.
- The program supports networking with other innovators and stakeholders.
- IDEaS hosts and participates in defence innovation events.
Contacts
Other components of this program
Explore related funding streams and grants that belong to the same program.
- IDEaS - Autonomous Systems for Defence and Security: Trust and Barriers to AdoptionFunding for defence autonomy research and adoption
- IDEaS - Best of both worlds: Human autonomy teaming for effective decision makingFunding for trusted human-autonomy teaming solutions
- IDEaS - Better than Meets the Eye: Reliable Object Detection Amongst the WavesMaritime object detection innovation challenge
- IDEaS - Beyond GPS: Quantum solutions for next generation multistatic radar systemsQuantum solutions for synchronized radar systems
- IDEaS - Challenge: Understanding cyber intentFunding for cyber threat detection innovations
- IDEaS - Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) Hazard Detection and PlanningInnovative CBR threat detection solutions
- IDEaS - Code meets combat: Architecting the future of electromagnetic spectrum superiorityResearch funding for 5G defence capabilities
- IDEaS - Collaboration of Robotic SystemsSupport for advanced robotic control solutions
- IDEaS - Competitive ProjectsPhased funding for defence and security innovation
- IDEaS - Competitive Projects — Reliable AI sensor fusion for real world missionsPhased funding for AI compliance in sensor fusion
Frequently Asked Questions about the IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security Program
What is the IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security?
Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security supports Canadian defence innovation through challenges, contests, sandboxes, test drives, and innovation networks. It helps innovators develop solutions for defence and security applications across multiple funding elements.
How much funding can be received?
IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security Funds up to $1,000,000 of admissible expenses.
Who is eligible for the IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program?
To be eligible for the IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program, you must:
Innovators can propose solutions at all stages of development
Early-stage technologies are encouraged to participate
Mature solutions moving toward future testing or demonstration may apply
What expenses are eligible under IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security?
Develop solutions that embed compliance-by-design into multi-sensor, multi-domain fusion workflows.
Build a modular Fusion Compliance Engine that enforces classification rules, legal constraints, and policy adherence in real time during data aggregation and analysis.
Repurpose existing urban infrastructure as a distributed, passive sensing network for scalable, real-time situational awareness and anomaly detection.
Who can I contact for more information about the IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security?
You can contact Department of National Defence (DND) by email at DND.IDEaS-IDEeS.MDN@forces.gc.ca.
Where is the IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security available?
The IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program is available across Canada.
Is the IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security a grant, loan, or tax credit?
IDEaS - Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security is a Grant and Funding