Sponsor
The Department of National Defence
Program
Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS)
For More Information
Visit the contest webpage.
Description
This contest seeks to accelerate the advancement of Canadian-designed space launch vehicles and supporting technologies, enabling the launch of Canadian payloads from Canadian soil with an initial operational capability for light lift by as late as 2028.
The initiative is currently focused on Responsive Light Lift rockets, with the goal of building Canadian capacity and expertise in small-scale launch capabilities. Success in this challenge will lay the foundation for potential future iterations, including a Medium Lift challenge, allowing participants to expand and scale their solutions over time.
Eligibility
The applicant must be a legal entity duly incorporated under Canadian federal or provincial law and validly existing in Canada, including:
- Canadian universities and educational institutions chartered in Canada.
- Incorporated Canadian not-for-profit organizations or associations.
- Incorporated Canadian for-profit companies, organizations, or associations.
- Canadian provincial/territorial, or municipal government organizations.
Federal departments, agencies, and crown corporations are not eligible for funding.
Funding Availability
Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) is offering grants to selected participants, distributed across three fiscal years to support the development and demonstration of breakthrough technologies.
The challenge unfolds through a multi-phase, stage-gated process, where prizes are awarded at each stage based on evaluation against pre-established criteria, driving both innovation and measurable progress. In the event that only one participant remains, the challenge will continue to the next stage to ensure that strong, strategically relevant solutions are recognized and supported. The maximum total payout per project across all phases will not exceed $100 million.
2025/26- $25,000
2026/27- $40,000
2027/28- $40,000
TOTAL- $105,000
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Internal Deadline | A copy of the proposal and OR-5 form due to research.services@uoguelph.ca | |
External Deadline | Proposals due via CPC Connect. |
How to Apply
In order to submit your application, refer to instructions in the Applicant Guide: Proposal submission and Submission steps. No submissions will be accepted that do not use a CPC Connect account provided by Canada Post Corporation (CPC).
Apply by submitting a completed proposal form below. Innovators must submit a proposal before the contest deadline to be considered for participation in the challenge. Only applicants who submit a proposal will be considered for invitation to subsequent rounds in the contest.
- Proposal form (pdf)
- Applicant guide (pdf)
- To be able to fill and save this PDF form, you must first download it to your computer and open it with Adobe Reader© 10 (or a more recent version).