Sponsor
Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
Program
Deep Space Food Challenge
For More Information
For full details on the CSA-managed competition webpage, visit impact.canada.ca.
Description
The Deep Space Food Challenge is a prize competition run in parallel by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The goal of the challenge is to advance food production technologies to support long-duration space missions and to improve accessibility of nutritious foods across Canada, including the North. The Canadian component of the Deep Space Food Challenge is intended to incentivize Canadian innovators to advance food production technologies to support long-duration missions in space and to improve the accessibility of nutritious food across Canada, including the North.
Eligibility
The competition is open to all Canadian organizations and innovators, including in the food and agriculture sector. Read more about eligibility details here
Funding Availability
Up to CAD $1.08 million in total will be awarded in grant funding to Canadian semi-finalists, finalists and the grand prize winner of the Deep Space Food Challenge:
| Phase | Number of Canadian winners per phase | Prize amount per winner |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 - Design Report | Up to 10 semi-finalists | CAD $30,000 |
| Phase 2 - Kitchen Demonstration | Up to 4 finalists | CAD $100,000 |
| Phase 3 - Full System Demonstration | 1 grand prize winner | CAD $380,000 |
Note: The number of winners and Canadian prize amounts may vary depending on the applications received. For each phase, prize amounts will not be less than the amount per winner indicated above.
Special Notes
Please note that research activities carried out in the context of COVID-19 need to adhere to the University of Guelph COVID-19 research principles, policies, guidelines and processes as they may be updated from time to time and communicated on the Office of Research web-page.
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
External Deadline | Bioenterprise Corporation, in collaboration with Zone Agtech and the Canadian Space Agency, is hosting a webinar for Canadian innovators, to answer questions about the DSFC. We will cover:
| |
Internal Deadline | Applicants must submit a complete copy of their Phase 1 application along with a signed OR-5 form to resserv@uoguelph.ca | |
External Deadline | Phase 1 Application Form must be submitted to CSA. |
How to Apply
The Deep Space Food Challenge is a stage-gated challenge and is expected to be comprised of three phases:
- Phase 1: Design Report – Challenge launched on January 12, 2021. Applications are open until July 30, 2021. Teams will provide a detailed explanation of a design for a novel food production technology that meets the Challenge goals and performance criteria.
- Phase 2: Kitchen Demonstration – Beginning in Fall 2021, Semi-Finalists selected in Phase 1 will move on to Phase 2, where they will need to build a food production technology prototype (equivalent to a TRL 4 Footnote1) and have their prototype take part in a Kitchen-Level demonstration with samples of food outputs. Those who are successful in this phase will move on as a Finalist in Phase 3.
Note: New interested Applicants may be able to apply and participate directly in Phase 2. Further details will be provided prior to the launch of Phase 2. - Phase 3: Full System Demonstration – At this stage, selected Finalists will have 12-18 months to build a full-scale food production technology and demonstrate the technology at an appropriate facility, and will be competing to be the Grand Prize Winner of the Challenge.
- Canadian Grand Prize Winner for The Deep Space Food Challenge – announced in Spring 2024.
For details on How to Apply in each Phase, please see the Applicant Guide.