IDEaS Competitive Projects — Component 1 (Conceive & Design)
Compared with the 242 other application forms we have read
- Scored mainly on how novel the work is. Only 10 lead with that.
- Publishes the score sheet reviewers actually use. Only 30 do.
- States real length limits, about 500 words in total. Only 64 tell you how long to write.
Can you win this grant?
Get your instant eligibility verdict plus a head start on the application. Free, no account needed.
We use this program’s real eligibility rules. 4 short questions follow.
Want your full match picture across 850+ programs? Take the 2-minute quiz →
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 (Concept Development) awards. Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure data · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada · Data through Q3 2026.
Individual award sizes for this program aren’t published — too few recipients to summarize without identifying them.
Source: Government of Canada proactive disclosure
Eligibility & Details
What this program funds and who can apply
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
- Canadian content: a 70% Canadian content certification works as a conditional set-aside; if two or more unaffiliated offerors on a challenge certify, only certified proposals can win, otherwise all proposals remain eligible
Quick Assessment
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
Moderate — standard application process
High competition — many applicants
Moderate — standard requirements
How to Win
Insider tips, common pitfalls, and what successful applicants look like
Insider TipIDEaS actively invites civilian tech companies to reframe existing solutions for defence.
Success Profile
Evaluation Criteria
How the Department of National Defence judges your application
What the reviewer scores, what gets applications rejected, and what to write.
Distilled from 6+ source documents, condensed into one brief. Sources as of 2026-09-10.
6 of the sources
- CanadaBuys tender notice cb-377-85950808 — CP Challenge 18… canadabuys.canada.ca
- CFP006 Challenge 12 "True north precision" — Attachment: Questions… canadabuys.canada.ca
- CanadaBuys contract history — IDEaS-Contract-CP6-1a-6265 canadabuys.canada.ca
- CanadaBuys contract history — IDEaS-Contract-CP6-1a-691242 canadabuys.canada.ca
- Competitive Projects element page canada.ca
- IDEaS Call For Proposals 006 – Amendment 2 canadabuys.canada.ca
Sign up free to save this programme and track your application in your workspace.
What the Department of National Defence favours
Show clear R&D evidence advancing to proposed TRL◦
“Pass: The proposal provides sufficient and clear evidence to demonstrate the R&D that has taken place to advance it to the TRL identified in the proposal.”
The form
Challenge and component
- 1Pick the challenge and the component your TRL puts you in (1a or 1b)selectionno limit
- 2Register on the Defence Innovation Portal, then Apply Now on the challengeshort answerno limit
Screening and mandatory
- 3SC-1: Financial Proposal (screening, pass/fail) — Component 1 ceilingsspreadsheetno limit
- 4MC-1: Current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of Proposed Solutionwritten answerno limit
Accurately identify the current TRL; Describe the research and development (R&D) activities that have taken place to advance the proposed solution to the stated TRL.
- 5MC-2: Alignment of Proposed Solution to S&T Challengewritten answerno limit
Describe the proposed solution and how it addresses and aligns to the identified S&T Challenge by including a description of the scientific and technological basis upon which the solution is proposed, and clearly justify how the solution meets the Essential Outcomes.
Point-rated criteria
- 6PRC-1: Scientific and/or Technical (S/T) Merit of Proposed Solution (10 points)written answerno limit
- 7PRC-2: Novel and Innovative Solution (20 points)written answerno limit
- 8PRC-3: Impact of Proposed Solution (20 points)written answerno limit
- 9PRC-4: Feasibility and Approach of Proposed Solution (20 points)written answerno limit
- 10PRC-5: Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus) of Proposed Solution (5 points)written answer · 3,000 characters
- 11PRC-6: Alignment of Desired Outcomes (15 points)written answerno limit
- 12PRC-7: Alignment of Proposed Solution Costs (10 points)spreadsheetno limit
Progression, references, certifications
- 13Solution Progression to Follow on Components (1a → 1b or 2; 1b → 2)written answerno limit
- 14References (open-source only; no attachments)listno limit
- 15Certifications with the proposal (incl. Canadian Content)checkboxesno limit
bar = length the funder allows, from its stated limits
Judged against
the Department of National Defence publishes its score sheet. in Premium
- 1
Is your solution really at that TRL?
Show them Give the specific R&D evidence for the TRL you claim, and show how the solution meets each Essential Outcome of the challenge.◦
In the funder’s words · 2
- MC-1: Current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of Proposed Solution (Mandatory – Pass/Fail)
- MC-2: Alignment of Proposed Solution to S&T Challenge (Mandatory – Pass/Fail)
- 2
Is the science sound and genuinely new?
What to show, and the funder’s 2 criteria behind it in Premium
- 3
Does it matter, and can you deliver it?
What to show, and the funder’s 3 criteria behind it in Premium
- 4
Is the price right and the paperwork clean?
What to show, and the funder’s 3 criteria behind it in Premium
4 questions the reviewer answers about you, in Premium.
Where applicants fail
“Applicable to Component 1a and 1b, Canada will not provide Government Furnished Property (GFP) (ie. materiel or equipment or information), including but not limited to access, information, and personnel to enable the Contractor to conduct the Work.”
“Advancement to Component 1b or 2 is not guaranteed.”
Premium · the rest of this brief
See all 3 rules that can reject you and every criterion you are judged on. Then we draft your application for you.
8 more criteria · 13 more prompts · 2 more pitfalls
Do you pass?
Each one can rule you out. Tick the ones you meet.
The project
TRL 1–3 goes to Component 1a
Component 1a: If the solution is at a TRL of 1 to 3, the proposal will be considered for Component 1a. (S6 1.2)
1b by invitation or direct entry
Component 1b: (a) invitation after a completed 1a contract whose solution reached TRL 4 or 5, or (b) "The Solution proposed must be at a TRL of 4 or 5 (direct entry)." (S6 1.2)
No prior component needed for direct entry
No prior component is required for direct entry (S6 1.2 b; S5 "Solutions can enter the continuum at any funding component based on their TRL.").
Documents to attach
Ticks are kept on this device.
The money
Component 1a ceilingCAD 250,000; 6 months
Funds under this Component are limited to a maximum of CAD 250,000 (excluding applicable taxes) for a maximum performance period of six (6) months.
Component 1b ceilingCAD 1,500,000; 12 months
Funds under this Component are limited to up to a maximum of CAD 1,500,000 (excluding applicable taxes) for a maximum performance period of twelve (12) months.
Challenge budget$2.1M total challenge funding
At this time, $2.1M in funding is available for the challenge in its entirety.
Payment timingMilestone payments per schedule
Canada will make milestone payments in accordance with the Schedule of Milestones detailed in Annex TBD and the payment provisions of the contract
Costs before approvalNo payment for unauthorized work
In no event will the Contractor be paid for any cost incurred for unauthorized work.
What it pays for · 1
- Therefore, funds can only be used for expenditures that are not amortized.
From application to money
- Submit on the portalclosing 2026/10/20 14:00 EDTCloses 2026/10/20 14:00 EDT
- Screening then scoringPass/fail screening before scoring
- Pre-qualified pool12 monthsPre-qualified eligible for 12 months
- Contract and SOWWinning proposal becomes SOW in negotiations
- Reports and follow-onMonthly reports; final report follow-on
In the funder’s words · 5
- Submit on the portal
- One Electronic Proposal Form per challenge and component, submitted through the Defence Innovation Portal; once submitted it is final and cannot be edited.
- Screening then scoring
- SC-1, MC-1 and MC-2 are pass/fail before the seven point-rated criteria are scored.
- Pre-qualified pool
- Proposals that reach the pass mark are considered against the Strategic Decision Parameters, and pre-qualified proposals stay eligible for 12 months.
- Contract and SOW
- The winning proposal's text becomes the Statement of Work for Component 1a and 1b, finalized during contract negotiations.
- Reports and follow-on
- A monthly progress report supports each milestone claim, and the final report is used to assess the solution's suitability for a follow-on Contract.
Quoted lines are word for word from the source documents; lines marked ◦ are our reading of them.
Everything you need to win IDEaS Competitive Projects — Component 1 (...
Not a marketing summary. The actual checklist, intel, and stack strategy reviewers look for.
- 5-document checklist with what each reviewer is actually checking
- Your Application Game Plan — the print-ready PDF the preview below describes
- 6-step application timeline with prep hours per step
- Insider tip from program officers on what separates winners
- 3-program stacking strategy to combine with compatible funding
- Success profile + evaluation criteria — exactly what reviewers score on
Application Playbook
Step-by-step process, required documents, and expenses
Application Steps
Required Documents 5
Eligible Expenses 6
Ineligible Expenses 4
Intake Periods
Deadline Notes
Ineligible Organizations
Funding Stack Strategy
Compatible programs, clawback risk, and combined funding potential
Compatible Programs
Clawback Risk
Low RiskHow IDEaS Competitive Projects — Component 1 (... Compares
Side-by-side with similar programs
| Program | Amount | Difficulty | Payment | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDEaS Competitive Projects — Componen... | Up to $250,000 | Moderate | Advance Payment | Ongoing — new challenges... |
| Strategic Response Fund (formerly Str... | Minimum $10 million contribution | Hard | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Ongoing — continuous... |
| CanExport SMEs | Up to $50,000 | Moderate | Mixed (Advance + Reimb.) | Between intakes — the... |
| Innovative Solutions Canada | up to $150,000 | Hard | Milestone-Based | Challenge-specific — new... |
| Ocean Supercluster | Up to $5 million | Hard | Reimbursement | Continuous intake (Core... |
Related Programs
Other programs you might be eligible for
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions founders most often ask about IDEaS Competitive Projects — Component 1 (...