IDEaS Contests
Funds Canadian innovators solving defence and security problems through IDEaS grant-prize contests.
The Department of National Defence administers IDEaS Contests as a grant-prize mechanism under the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program. The official Contests page describes the route as defence and security prize contests where selected participants can secure grant prizes that support research and development. It is separate from the already-cataloged IDEaS Sandbox and Defence Innovation Secure Hubs routes, because this row represents the recurring contest mechanism rather than a test-event sandbox or hub contribution call.
The source does not publish a standing per-applicant award cap, total pool, fixed deadline, or standard scoring rubric for the generic Contests page. Instead, it says each contest has a customized prize pool. That means the amount, timeline, and submission materials must be read from the named contest when one is live; this canonical row intentionally leaves numeric award fields and deadline fields null rather than carrying values from a past challenge.
Eligibility is stated broadly: Contests are open to Canadian innovators, with federal government departments, Crown corporations, and their employees excluded. That wording establishes a path for Canadian companies while also allowing non-company innovators unless a named contest narrows the applicant list. Applicants should use the Contests page as the program entry point, then follow the instructions on the specific challenge page when a contest is posted.
Defence and security research and development challenges selected through the IDEaS Contests mechanism.
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