Innovative Solutions Canada

Innovative Solutions Canada is Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's procurement-style innovation program for Canadian small businesses. It has more than $100 million in total funding and connects firms with federal departments that want to test new ideas through a Challenge stream and a Testing stream. The program runs multiple challenges each year and accepts small-business applicants that are incorporated and active in Canada, typically with fewer than 500 employees. In the Challenge stream, teams move through a feasibility stage and then a prototype stage; in the Testing stream, solutions are validated in real government settings, and successful work may later be purchased by the government. The best applicants treat the program like a route to a buyer, not just a grant application. Proposals need a clear problem statement, a technical solution that can move quickly, and enough execution discipline to turn early evidence into something a federal organization can actually use.

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