Innovative Solutions Canada — Testing stream

Eligibility for this grant is open to a variety of participants who meet the defined criteria for innovation.

• The applicant can be a private company, public company, not-for-profit organization, university, or individual.
• The innovation must qualify under the definition of "innovative", such as being an invention, a new technology, or a new process not currently available in the marketplace.
• Significant modifications to existing technologies or processes applied in new settings or conditions that are currently not feasible must be present.
• There must be an improvement in functionality, cost, or performance over existing technologies or processes that are considered state-of-the-art or the current industry best practice.
• The applicant must have all required certifications and approvals to safely test their innovation.

Who is eligible?

Eligible expenses

This grant is specifically designed to test and evaluate pre-commercial innovations in a real-life operational setting. The eligible activities focus on testing new technologies, significant process modifications, and performance improvements before they enter the marketplace.

• Testing new inventions, technologies, or processes not currently available in the market.
• Evaluating significant modifications to existing application technologies applied in new settings.
• Assessing improvements in functionality, cost, or performance over existing state-of-the-art technologies or processes.

Eligible geographic areas

The eligibility of companies for this grant regarding geographical areas is not specified in the provided information. Organizations should verify directly with the program to confirm eligibility based on location.

The evaluation and selection of projects for this grant are based on the readiness and potential impact of the innovation, along with the feasibility of testing in an operational environment.

• Readiness of the innovation to test in an operational environment, including the speed of manufacturing and deployment.
• Possession of all required certifications and approvals to safely test the innovation.
• The level of interest from potential testing partners and alignment with a federal organization.
• Project timelines and availability of funding.

Here are additional relevant details for this grant:

• Proposals are evaluated in partnership with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and the National Research Council (NRC).
• Even if an innovation passes evaluation, funding is contingent on interest from potential testing partners.
• Calls for proposals are announced 2-3 times annually.
• The program encourages innovation ready for testing, ensuring quick manufacturing and deployment capabilities.
• Applicants should subscribe to the program's email updates or follow on LinkedIn for news and updates.