Updated August 2026 · Verified against Department of National Defence (DND) guidelines
▲ Growing ✓ First-Timer Friendly Advance Payment Est. 2018
Grant Federal Active

IDEaS Competitive Projects — Component 1 (Conceive & Design)

Department of National Defence (DND)
Maximum Funding
Up to $250,000
Ongoing — new challenges issued throughout the year via CanadaBuys
Visit Official Program →
Difficulty
Moderate
Payment
Advance Payment
Trend
Growing
First-Timers
Friendly ✓
Co-Funding
100%
IDEaS Competitive Projects — Component 1 (Conceive & Design) provides Up to $250,000 (1a) or $1,500,000 (1b). Entry-level defence innovation grants funding Canadian innovators to conceive and design solutions to specific DND/CAF challenges. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
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Real recipient data

Who actually receives this funding

11 businesses received this funding in 2025 — 20 awards since 2024. Top provinces: Ontario 65% · Quebec 25% · British Columbia 5%. Covers: DND IDEaS Competitive Projects — Component 1 (Conceive & Design sub-stream), identified by 'Concept Development' prog_name variant. Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure data · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Data through Q3 2026.

11funded in 2025
20awards since 2024
Top provinces ON 65%QC 25%BC 5%

Individual award sizes for this program aren’t published — too few recipients to summarize without identifying them.

Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure

See all IDEaS Competitive Projects winners →

Eligibility & Details

What this program funds and who can apply

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Program Description

Entry-level defence innovation grants funding Canadian innovators to conceive and design solutions to specific DND/CAF challenges. Component 1a provides up to $250,000 over 6 months (TRL 1–3), Component 1b up to $1.5 million over 12 months (TRL 4–5). Funds 100% of costs with no matching requirement — the most accessible entry point into Canada's defence innovation pipeline.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Open to individuals, academia, industry (any size), not-for-profit organizations, and provincial, territorial or municipal government organizations
  • Must be based in Canada or have Canadian operations
  • Solution must address an active IDEaS challenge issued by DND/CAF
  • Component 1a: TRL 1–3; Component 1b: TRL 4–5 — a solution can enter the continuum at whichever component matches its TRL; there is no requirement to have completed an earlier component
Provinces
All Provinces
Industries
Technology Engineering Manufacturing AI Digital Software +3 more
Business Stage
Startup Growth Established Expansion

Quick Assessment

Difficulty
Moderate
Competition
High
First-Timer
Friendly

Funding Details

Amount
Up to $250,000 (1a) or $1,500,000 (1b)
Type
Grant
Level
Federal
Co-Funding
Up to 100% of eligible costs
Deadline
Ongoing — new challenges issued throughout the year via CanadaBuys

Program Scorecard

Competition, effort, and approval at a glance

Competition
High
Deadline
Ongoing
Approval
Moderate
Accessibility
--/5
Competition
--/5
Approval Rate
--%
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What's in this Playbook

Everything you need to win IDEaS Competitive Projects — Component 1 (...

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How to Win

Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like

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Insider Tip

IDEaS actively invites civilian tech companies to reframe existing solutions for defence.

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Success Profile

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Evaluation Criteria

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Application Playbook

Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses

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Application Steps

1 Monitor active challenges on CanadaBuys Browse canadabuys.canada.ca for current IDEaS challenges. Each challenge has a specific problem statement, TRL range, and deadline (typically 60-90 day application window).

Required Documents 5

✓ Proposal addressing the specific DND challenge
✓ TRL assessment

Eligible Expenses 6

Ineligible Expenses 4

Intake Periods

Deadline Notes

Ineligible Organizations

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Funding Stack Strategy

Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential

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Compatible Programs

NSERC Alliance Grants NRC-IRAP Provincial R&D Programs
Combined Funding Potential See your total funding potential

Clawback Risk

Low Risk
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Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about IDEaS Competitive Projects — Component 1 (...

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Can I apply without a defence background?
Yes — IDEaS actively invites civilian tech companies to reframe existing solutions for defence. Past winners include non-defence startups with TRL 1–3 concepts addressing DND challenges.
What's the realistic funding for Component 1a?
$150,000–$250,000 (max $250K for 6 months, TRL 1–3). Component 1b is $700K–$1.2M and is for solutions at TRL 4–5 — you can apply straight to 1b if that is where your solution sits; completing 1a first is not a prerequisite.
Can a municipality or a provincial department apply?
Yes — provincial, territorial and municipal government organizations are welcome to apply. Federal and provincial crown corporations are not eligible for funding.
Do I need matching funds?
No — IDEaS funds 100% of costs with no matching requirement. This is the most accessible entry point into DND procurement in Canada.
How long does it take to get paid?
Payments are made as advances (not reimbursement). Once approved, funds are disbursed within 30 days of contract signing.
Can I stack this with other grants?
Yes — IDEaS can run in parallel with NSERC Alliance Grants, NRC-IRAP, and provincial R&D programs for separate workstreams on the same challenge.

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