Innovative Solutions Canada Challenges is a federal government procurement program providing over $100 million to support the scale-up and growth of Canada’s innovators. Twenty different federal departments and agencies contribute funding to this program, and each puts forth specific themed challenges throughout the year for Canadian SMEs to solve.

Applicants may receive funding of up to $150,000 to develop a proof-of-concept solution to the challenge, followed by additional funding up to $1 million to develop a full working prototype. The federal department may then opt to procure the solution and implement it.

Last week, seven new challenges were announced under the theme of Plastics Innovation, soliciting proposals to solve various problems around reducing plastic waste. They are as follows:

  • Construction Waste: increasing the recovery, reuse, and recycling of plastic wastes generated from construction activities;
  • Separation of Mixed Plastics: improving the separation, sorting, and processing of mixed plastics to produce high-quality recycled feed stocks;
  • Recycling of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Plastic: recycling or reusing glass fiber-reinforced plastic in a manner that is energy efficient and recovers as much material as possible;
  • Removal and Management of Ghost Fishing Gear and Marine Debris: removing plastic ghost fishing gear and other marine litter from aquatic environments;
  • Food Packaging: Improving the design of film food packaging to reduce the generation and disposal of plastic waste;
  • Sustainable Fishing and Aquaculture Gear: innovating fishing and aquaculture gear or gear-related technologies to reduce or eliminate ghost fishing and aquatic plastic pollution;
  • Improved Compostable Bio-plastics: improving compatibility of bio-plastics with home and municipal composting.

Contact our grant specialists to learn more about the Innovative Solutions Canada Challenges and your eligibility:
[email protected]
416-368-9341