Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) – Challenge Stream

Amount

Up to $1M

Phase 1 up to $150K

Deadline

Rolling

Odds

Not published

Effort

1–3 hours

Can you get this?

✓Must operate as a for-profit entity

✓Must be incorporated in Canada

✓499 or fewer full-time equivalent employees

✓Must conduct R&D activities within Canada

✓50%+ of wages allocated to Canada-based workers

Your real odds

Competitiveness varies by challenge because each competition runs separately with its own applicant pool.

No single acceptance rate is published, and you are competing against other SMBs responding to the same specific problem statement, so niche or technical challenges tend to draw fewer applicants.

What it takes

Find an open challenge that matches your expertise on the ISC site1–3 hours

Complete a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) self-assessment to determine Phase 1 or Phase 2 entry1–2 hours

Prepare and submit your application for the specific challenge1–3 weeks

Worth knowing

If you complete Phase 2 successfully, you can enter the Pathway to Commercialization program, which lists your innovation as purchasable by federal organizations for up to three years, giving you a real government customer rather than another grant.

Apply on funder's site →

What else do you qualify for?

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