We are seeking pre-commercial innovative prototypes that can be tested in real life settings and address a variety of priorities within the Government of Canada.
Funding mechanism:
Contract
Opening date:
March 31, 2022
Closing date:
April 26, 2022, 14:00 Eastern Time
Overview
The Testing Stream aims to procure, test and evaluate innovative late stage pre-commercial prototypes.
The purpose of these calls for proposals (CFPs) is to create pools of pre-qualified innovations that Canada may select from to address a broad range of the Government of Canada organizations' requirements.
Each call includes a Standard Component and Military Component:
Standard component $550,000
Military component $1,150,000
If you meet the eligibility criteria and have a prototype that can respond to one of the problems below, apply now!
Climate Resilient Infrastructure
Problem statement
The Arctic is currently experiencing rapid and unprecedented environmental upheaval driven by climate change. Permafrost thaw is one of the world's most pressing climate problems, already disrupting lifestyles, livelihoods, economies, and ecosystems in the Canadian north, and threatening to spill beyond the boundaries of the Arctic.
The Government of Canada is interested in exploring climate resilient mobile infrastructure that can be deployed and re-deployed in arctic conditions to facilitate both short-term and long-term operations.
Definitions
Re-deployable: The solution must be capable of being relocated, multiple times, without any significant degradation to the structure.
Deployable: The solution must be capable of rapid deployment in under 1 month including transportation to northern Canadian locations.
Short-term: The solution must be able to withstand arctic conditions and unstable permafrost over a period between 1 month to 5 years.
Long-term: The solution must be able to withstand arctic conditions and unstable permafrost over a period between 5 to 30 years.
Arctic Conditions: The solution must be capable of deploying on permafrost, and withstand temperatures of down to -40C and inclement weather.
Infrastructure: Residential and Operational structures and installations of any variety
Self-sufficient: Proposed infrastructure must be able to generate energy and operate without any external power source, HVAC, etc.
Essential outcomes
- Self-sufficient, stand-alone, deployable residential and operational structures that are resilient to northern climate;
- Innovations that support a range of activities such as: habitats, office spaces, temperature-controlled storage spaces;
- Weather stations and remote monitoring infrastructure;
- Modular Mobile Research laboratories that can be redeployed to various communities;
- Maintenance facilities;
- Stand-alone water filtration systems and reservoirs; and
- Ground Based Detection systems including radar, optical sensor relays, etc..
ISC will not accept any of the following:
- Solutions that are not stand-alone or require retrofits to existing infrastructure;
- Energy generation or management solutions without accompanying infrastructure; and
- Maintenance solutions for existing infrastructure.
Communications, Digital Networks, and Connectivity
Problem statement
Canada's vision for the Canadian North and Arctic is a stable, rules-based region with clearly defined boundaries, dynamic economic growth and trade, vibrant Northern communities, and healthy and productive ecosystems. Some of the biggest challenges to this vision are quality of internet, communications, and connectivity amongst the peoples and groups operating in the Canadian North and Arctic. Due to the vast expanse of land encapsulated within the Canadian North, and the concentration of communications and connectivity infrastructure in populated areas, there is tremendous difficulty in conducting a variety of operations from regular inspections, to remote deployments, to emergency operations.
The Government of Canada is interested in testing solutions that can enhance communications, digital networks and connectivity within the Canadian North and Arctic.
Definitions
Emergency operations: Search and Rescue (SAR), Flood Response, Fire response, evacuation
Essential outcomes
- Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) that can operate in the Canadian north and arctic;
- VOIP and satcom solutions;
- Low Earth Orbit Satellite Constellation and Ground Stations;
- Signal rebroadcasting stations including those that can assist with expanded drone operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS);
- Communications for Search and Rescue and evacuation vessels;
- Ship-based connectivity solutions;
- Solutions that enable reliable and robust remote monitoring and data transfer;
- Enhanced data compression solutions; and
- IoT solutions that enhance connectivity and situational awareness.
ISC will not accept any of the following:
- Collaboration tools
- E-learning solutions
- Solutions that can only function in urban centers or require stable high-speed internet to operate
- Solutions that cannot function in the Arctic
Emergency Response
Problem statement
Climate change is having far-reaching effects on the lives and well-being of Northerners. Extreme weather events, such as intense storms, wildfires, and floods are occurring more often and with greater severity. These events not only pose an immediate threat to the lives and property of Northerners, but can also impact the security of communities more broadly by severing the crucial transportation and communication links on which Northern operations depend. Other climate change effects, including increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, melting permafrost, and changing sea ice conditions, can have an impact on food security, make transportation and travel more difficult, and endanger the stability and functioning of delicate ecosystems.
The remoteness of Arctic and Northern communities also poses a challenge with regard to critical infrastructure (CI) and emergency management (EM) considerations, which are likely to be exacerbated due to climate change. Melting ice could contribute to an increase in search and rescue requirements within the Canadian North.
The Government of Canada is interested in exploring a wide-range of solutions that can support operations ranging from Search & Rescue (SAR) and emergency evacuation, to natural disaster management and environmental response.
Definitions
Natural disaster: Includes Forest fires, flooding, avalanche, coastal erosion and permafrost thaw.
Enhanced communications: Refers to the establishing and improvement of lines of communication in the event of an emergency response to an Arctic or remote northern location.
Critical Infrastructure: Critical infrastructure (CI) in this call refers to processes, systems, facilities, technologies, networks, assets and services essential to the health, safety, security or economic well-being of Canadians and the effective functioning of government in the Arctic and the Canadian north.
Essential outcomes
- Pre-disaster monitoring and situational awareness solutions;
- Forest fire management and response solutions;
- Flood prevention and management solutions;
- Emergency Search and Rescue solutions (SAR) and Air-droppable survival kits (SKADs);
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and cold-resistant equipment. This includes gloves for outdoor operations and repairs, and gender-appropriate PPE for Search and Rescue Operations;
- Oil spill response solutions;
- Ambulatory Services;
- Emergency Evacuation Tools and Vessels;
- Interoperable Drone Swarms and related software solutions for rapid deployment;
- Inspection and persistent surveillance solutions and associated computer vision and IoT applications which support surveillance; and
- Vehicle Launched and Recoverable UAS systems (Truck bed drone-boxes, Ship launched systems, micro platforms)
ISC will not accept any of the following:
- Collaboration Tools and Digital management solutions;
- Enhanced communications; and
- Software solutions for awareness that don't include the requisite sensors, radar, lidar or monitoring hardware.
Transportation
Problem statement
Operations in Canada's North are vastly different than those conducted in the rest of the country and these differences are exemplified when it comes to transportation. Efficient movement of people and goods is needed for the effective functioning of government operations and services in the North and the sustainability of inhabitants in the Canadian Arctic and sub-arctic regions.
The usual means of transporting goods and people are not necessarily available in the North due to the harsh climate leading to systemic issues like food security and supply chain shortages. It is critical that Canada improve existing means and modes of transportation and transport-related infrastructure address the ever-present issues related to supply chain and logistics in the Canadian North.
The Government of Canada wants to explore solutions for enhanced transportation and transport-related infrastructure pertaining to marine, rail, air and surface vehicles.
Definitions
Long range: No less than 50km
Cargo: No less than 5kg
Operations-ready: Demonstrate a level of technological sophistication that would facilitate deployment into an active theatre
UAS: Uncrewed Aerial Systems (complete drone systems with no onboard or remote pilots or safety pilots to operate the aircraft beyond visual line of sight)
RPAS: Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems
Essential outcomes
- Long-range transports to deliver cargo by surface, air, or sea. This includes operations-ready, long-rage, UAS that can perform cargo delivery to fly-in communities and support remote government operations;
- Railway monitoring, inspection and infrastructure related technologies;
- Surface vehicles, Subsurface vehicles, and Sealift solutions;
- Complete RPAS and UAS systems for long-range cargo, search and rescue, infrastructure inspection, etc.;
- UAS with a variety of fuel and battery types including electric, gas, hydrogen, etc.;
- Drone Supported Structural Health Monitoring; and
- Snowmobiles, snow moving equipment, and vocational surface transportation.
ISC will not accept any of the following:
- Components – incomplete systems that cannot be integrated into existing operations;
- Incomplete systems that do not include a full technology stack. All requisite hardware and software must be appropriately integrated to qualify;
- Innovations strictly in the design phase of development with no history of successful operations; and
- Solutions that cannot carry a load of over 5kg for some or the entire duration of transport.
Energy Management
Problem statement
The Canadian North and Arctic presents remote locations with limited access to energy management services. Energy generation, storage and management are challenges that are ever-present in the Canadian North & Arctic, which is constituted of communities that aren't normally connected to Canadian electricity or natural gas power grids, leaving the communities vulnerable. Further, in many communities energy costs are high and rising. There is heavy reliance on imported diesel and much of the territories' energy assets are at capacity, and threatening the reliable supply of energy to northern operations.
The Government of Canada wants to explore energy generation and management solutions to help address the issues that exist in the Canadian north and put in place the infrastructure to improve future operations and delivery of services.
Definitions
UAS: Uncrewed Aerial Systems
RPAS: Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems
Essential outcomes
- Self-sufficient energy generation systems that are stand-alone or integrated into existing grids;
- Solutions to forecast, track and monitor GHG emissions;
- A variety of fuel and battery solutions including electric, gas, hydrogen, etc. This includes batteries for UAS/RPAS that are drone-agnostic, and general Biofuels including fuels made from biomass;
- Sustainable energy solutions including solutions to minimize the energy required to power sites;
- Reliable and resilient energy management solutions that require little maintenance and performance is maintained in northern climate conditions;
- Practices that enhance carbon sink ability of local ecosystems; and
- Energy generation and management solutions capable of integrating and optimizing inputs from multiple energy sources.
ISC will not accept any of the following:
- Solutions that increase GHG emissions;
- Solutions that require full-time maintenance or operators; and
- Solutions that require permanent high speed internet connectivity.
Eligibility and evaluation
Mandatory Criteria (MC)
MC1: Canadian Bidder
The Bidder must meet the definition of a Canadian Bidder. A Canadian Bidder is defined as a Canadian person or entity submitting a proposal on its own behalf and having a place of business in Canada where the person or entity conducts activities on a permanent basis that is clearly identified by name and accessible during normal working hours.
MC2: Canadian Content
80% of the financial proposal costs, the total proposal price to Canada stated in "Section –G Financial Proposal", must be Canadian goods or Canadian services. For the complete Canadian content definition please refer to the Canadian Content Definition A3050T (2020-07-01) at Part 1, General Information, Article 1.5 of the solicitation documents:
- Solicitation for small or medium enterprises
- Solicitation for large business, not-for-profit or academic institution
MC3: Ownership
The Bidder must be the owner of the Intellectual Property (IP) for the proposed innovation, or have a licence to the IP rights from a Canadian licensor for the proposed innovation and not be infringing on any IP rights.
MC4: Subject Area and Component
The Bidder's proposed innovation, as described and in its intended application, must be within the scope of one (1) of the relevant Military or Standard Component Subject Area(s) identified, as selected by the Bidder.
MC5: Pre-Commercial Status
The proposed innovation must not be openly available in the marketplace, and must not have been previously sold on a commercial basis as of the date of this bid submission. Refer to the definitions of "Pre-Commercial Innovation and Commercial Sales" at Appendix 2 of the solicitation documents:
- Solicitation for small or medium enterprises
- Solicitation for large business, not-for-profit or academic institution
MC6: Previously Pre-qualified Innovation
The proposed innovation or any other versions of the proposed innovation must not have been previously awarded a contract or grant in the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) or its predecessor, the Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP), nor under any Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) Streams.
The proposed innovation or any other versions of the proposed innovation must not currently be active in a pool of pre-qualified innovations in any of the above. A proposed innovation that is currently active in a pool will be accepted only once the bid validity period for that proposal has expired or the Bidder has withdrawn their innovation from the relevant pool, prior to solicitation closing date.
A Bidder can participate more than once, as long as the proposed innovations are sufficiently different. If the proposed innovation resembles an innovation that is currently active in a pool and has not been withdrawn prior to solicitation closing, the following assessment will be used to determine sufficient difference to proceed.
| Pass | Sufficiently Different
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| Fail | Not Sufficiently Different
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MC7: Maximum Funding
The Bidder's Financial Proposal must not exceed $550,000 CAD in the Standard Component, or $1,150,000 CAD in the Military Component, not including applicable taxes, shipping costs, and travel and living expenses, where applicable. Refer to Section G – Financial Proposal.
MC8: Program Eligibility
The Bidder's proposal must be aligned with the mandate of the ISC Testing Stream where Canada procures, through a Contract, the Bidder's Innovation with the purpose of testing it in an operational environment.
The following criteria only apply to small or medium enterprises
MC9: Small Business
The Bidder must be a for-profit person or entity, with 499 or fewer full-time equivalent (FTE) employees. This calculation must take into account and include affiliated businesses, such as parent companies and subsidiaries that are either in or outside of Canada.
MC10: Bidder Presence in Canada
The Bidder must meet the following minimum requirements: 50% or more of the Bidder's FTE employees have Canada as their ordinary place of work; 50% or more of the Bidder's annual wages, salaries and fees must be paid to employees and contractors who spend the majority of their time working in Canada; and 50% or more of the Bidder's senior executives (Vice President and above) have Canada as their principal residence. These calculations must take into account and include affiliated businesses, such as parent companies and subsidiaries that are either in or outside of Canada.
Stage 1 Technical Evaluation – Screening Criteria (SC)
SC1: Innovation
The proposed innovation must meet one or more of the ISC definitions of innovation below:
- An inventionFootnote 2, new technology or new process that is not currently available in the marketplace.
- Significant modifications to the application of existing technologies/components/processes that are applied in a setting or condition for which current applications are not possible or feasible.
- An improvement in functionality, cost or performance over an existing technology/process that is considered state-of-the-art or the current industry best practice.
| Pass | The proposed innovation meet one or more of the ISC definitions of innovation. |
| Fail |
|
SC2: Operational Readiness Validation
The Bidder must demonstrate that at the time of proposal submission, the proposed innovation is ready for testing in an operational environment, i.e. at minimum TRL 7 per the ISC Technology Readiness Level Scale.
| Pass |
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| Fail |
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SC3: Safety Considerations
The Bidder must demonstrate that they have obtained or possess, at the time of proposal submission, the certifications, licences, and approvals required to safely deploy the proposed innovation, and that it poses no risks to individuals or Government of Canada organizations involved in an operational demonstration.
This is to ensure that a Government of Canada organization and personnel are not exposed to safety or privacy risks during the conduct of the operational demonstration.
| Pass | At the time of proposal submission:
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| Fail | At the time of proposal submission:
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SC4: Scope – Outcomes
The Bidder must demonstrate that the proposed innovation provides a solution to the Problem Statement, and meets one or more of the Outcomes identified in the Problem Statement.
| Pass |
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| Fail |
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Stage 2 Technical Evaluation – Point-Rated Screening Criteria (PS)
PS1: Advance on State of the Art
The Bidder must demonstrate that the proposed innovation improves upon current approaches and state of the art, or current practices relevant to its purpose or application, in a manner that yields competitive advantages.
| 2 points |
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| 12 points |
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| 24 points Minimum |
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| 40 points |
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PS2: Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy
The Bidder must demonstrate a suitable Intellectual Property (IP) strategy, relevant to protect IP generated by the proposed innovation and to protect the Bidder. This criteria also assesses the degree to which the strategy is appropriate to support successful commercialization.
| 0 points | The Intellectual Property (IP) strategy is insufficiently rationalized or substantiated, and is poorly suited for background IP or generated IP as they pertain to the proposed innovation. |
| 8 points Minimum |
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| 12 points |
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PS3: Management Team
The Bidder must demonstrate that they have filled the key roles in the management team with individuals possessing relevant background or skill setFootnote 3, who can support the successful commercialization of the proposed innovation.
- Role A: Company leadership (e.g. CEO, or equivalent)
- Role B: Technology development (e.g. CTO, or equivalent)
- Role C: Commercialization strategy (e.g. Business Manager, or equivalent)
- Role D: Financial management (e.g. CFO, or equivalent)
| 0 points |
|
||||
| 4 points | All roles are identified and possess a background or skill set (education and/or experience) that is relevant to the company's activities or their respective fields, however gaps remain that are unmitigated and have the potential to impede commercial launch and commercial success. | ||||
| 8 points Minimum | All roles are identified and possess, or are supported by, a background or skill set (education and/or experience) that is relevant to the company's activities or their respective fields, and will likely enable them to reach commercial launch. | ||||
| 12 points | All roles are identified and possess, or are supported by, a strong background or skill set (education and/or experience) that would serve well in commercializing the proposed innovation, is clearly relevant to their respective industry, and increases the likelihood of commercial success. | ||||
PS4: Financial Capacity
The Bidder must demonstrate that they have sufficient financial resources and a credible financial strategy in order to execute their commercial launch plan, without a potential ISC Testing Stream contract.
In determining the credibility of a financial strategy, evaluators consider: funding sources, the amount of secured and unsecured funds, the degree of risk, and whether these risks are reasonable or sufficiently mitigated based on the context of the sector. Credibility, potential risks, and applicability to support launch costs should also be considered.
Financial resources must demonstrate ability to commercialize the proposed innovation.
| 0 points |
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| 8 points Minimum |
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| 12 points | The Bidder has demonstrated they have sufficient secured funds and have a credible financial strategy to successfully commercialize the proposed innovation. |
Stage 3 Technical Evaluation – Point Rated Criteria (PR)
PR1: Innovation Benefits
This criterion is intended to assess the degree to which the proposed innovation could contribute to the positive economic development of the innovation ecosystem in Canada.
| 0 points | Economic benefits are not identified or are insufficient. |
| 4 points | Economic benefits to the innovation ecosystem in Canada are limited. |
| 8 points | Economic benefits to the innovation ecosystem in Canada are significant. |
PR2: Operational Demonstration Risk Mitigation Strategies
This criterion is intended to assess the degree to which the Bidder has identified all important risks in the demonstration scenario, and degree to which those risks are addressed with appropriate mitigation strategies.
| 0 points |
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| 4 points |
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| 8 points |
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| 16 points |
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PR3: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Benefits
This criterion is intended to assess the degree to which the Bidder has sufficient measures to effectively achieve and maintain gender balance and diversity within; their business, supply chain, or business ecosystem.
Score levels reflect the number of the following elements the Bidder addressed in their answer:
- Anti-discrimination policies;
- Recruitment strategy and hiring process;
- Training available to educate the Bidder's workforce on diversity and inclusion;
- How diversity and inclusion are factored into Bidder's supplier selection methods.
| 0 points | Policies regarding gender balance and diversity are not identified, are insufficient, or do not appear genuine. |
| 4 points | Information provided clearly demonstrates that the Bidder is implementing some measures (up to two (2) elements) to achieve and maintain gender balance and increase diversity. |
| 8 points | Information provided clearly demonstrates that the Bidder is implementing most measures (two (2) or more elements) to achieve and maintain gender balance and increase diversity. |
| 12 points | Information provided clearly demonstrates that the Bidder is implementing all measures (all four (4) elements) to achieve and maintain gender balance and increase diversity. |
PR4: Commercialization Strategy and Market Risks
This criterion is intended for the Bidder to demonstrate that they have a credible strategy to commercialize the proposed innovation, identifying market risks and providing suitable mitigation strategies for these risks.
| 0 points |
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| 8 points |
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| 24 points |
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| 32 points |
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PR5: Adoption Potential – Features & Benefits, Target Market
This criterion is intended to assess to what degree the proposed innovation's features and benefits are attractive to the relevant target market.
| 0 points |
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| 4 points |
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| 8 points |
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| 16 points |
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PR6: Adoption Potential – Cost to End User
This criterion is intended to assess to what degree the cost of the proposed innovation and the efforts required to adopt it are attractive and relevant for the target market.
The acquisition costs of the proposed innovation include the intended market price, the organizational impact, time and resources required for training and installation, and other direct costs for target market end-user (the customer) to acquire the proposed innovation.
| 0 points | In relation to the acquisition cost and key features and benefits, an unacceptable amount of time and resources are required for the end user to adopt the proposed innovation. |
| 4 points | In relation to the acquisition cost and key features and benefits, a significant amount of time and resources are required for the end user to adopt the proposed innovation. |
| 8 points | In relation to the acquisition cost and key features and benefits, a reasonable amount of time and resources are required for the end user to adopt the proposed innovation. |
| 16 points | In relation to the acquisition cost and key features and benefits, virtually no time and resources are required for the end user to adopt the proposed innovation. |
PR7: Scope – Outcomes
This criterion is intended to assess the degree to which the Bidder meets the Outcomes identified in the Problem Statement.
| 0 points |
Insufficient or no information was provided to clearly demonstrate that the proposed innovation addresses more than one of the Outcomes identified in the Problem Statement. |
| 4 points |
Information provided clearly demonstrates that the proposed innovation addresses 2 of the Outcomes. |
| 8 points |
Information provided clearly demonstrates that the proposed innovation addresses 3 of the Outcomes. |
| 16 points |
Information provided clearly demonstrates that the proposed innovation addresses 4 or more of the Outcomes. |
Maximum available points from Stage 2 & Stage 3 : 192 points
Minimum Total ScoreFootnote 4 from Stage 2 & Stage 3 to pre-qualify: 115 points
Pathway to commercialization
Enabling the Government of Canada to buy what it tries – a Pathway to Commercialization for eligible Canadian SMEs
Our new pilot project gives small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) the opportunity to sell your innovation directly to the Government of Canada without competing.
Through the Pathway to Commercialization under ISC's Testing Stream, eligible SMEs can receive commercial contracts based on the successful testing and market-readiness of your pre-commercial prototype. It is important to note that this pathway will only be available to eligible Canadian SMEs, which represent over 97% of all businesses in Canada, a percentage that mirrors past participation in the program.
How will it work?
- Once your initial ISC testing contract is completed, you may be eligible for the Pathway to Commercialization if your innovation is market-ready at technology readiness level (TRL) 9 or above (see other eligibility criteria)
- You will have up to 12 months to be assessed against eligibility criteria to determine if you will be placed on a Pathway to Commercialization source list where government departments can browse and purchase your successfully-tested innovations for up to three years
- Contracts under this initiative will each have a limit of up to $8M
Important considerations
- You must be selling the same innovation from your initial Testing Stream contract
- If you participate in the Pathway to Commercialization, your innovation will no longer be admissible for further testing nor any subsequent purchases contracts under EN578-22ISC5 of the Testing Stream.
- The requirements for commercial contracts will reflect the operational needs of client departments, the nature of the innovation, and will be put in place by Public Services and Procurement Canada, the program's Contracting Authority
How will SMEs be assessed?
A number of criteria will be used as part of the assessment process, including:
- Financial capacity
- Technology readiness
- Certifications
- IP strategy
- Company size
- Scalability
- Innovation test performance
Please read the call for proposals (CFP) for more information on the Pathway to Commercialization.
Frequently asked questions
All incoming questions regarding this specific call for proposals should be addressed to TPSGC.PASICVoletessai-APISCTestingStream.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca.
You can also consult the Frequently asked questions about the Innovative Solutions Canada Program.
A glossary is also available.