Defence IDEaS — Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security

Defence IDEaS is the Department of National Defence Canada and Canadian Armed Forces flagship innovation program. Launched in April 2018, it is the main route for Canadian innovators working on defence and security challenges, and the record places its long-run commitment at over CAD 1 billion across 20 years. It is active in the 2025-2026 cycle and remains challenge-driven rather than open-ended. The program uses several mechanisms. Competitive Projects offers phased, non-repayable support of up to CAD 6.75 million in total, with Component 1a at up to CAD 250,000 for early-stage work, Component 1b at up to CAD 1.5 million for mid-stage development, and Component 2 at up to CAD 5 million for later-stage validation. Innovation Networks can reach CAD 3 million over up to 48 months, while Contests, Sandboxes, and Test Drives extend the program into prize competition, testbed access, and real-world procurement trials. Canadian businesses, academic institutions, individuals, and not-for-profits are eligible, and the program is published in English and French. Its strongest fit is for teams that can respond to a defined defence problem and move through staged validation without waiting for a single large unrestricted grant. The structure rewards technical maturity, dual-use relevance, and a clear line from concept to operational deployment. Five new challenges were launched in the 2025-2026 cycle, which confirms that the program is still being used as the federal front door for defence-oriented innovation work.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.