The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) are seeking innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions that embed compliance-by-design into multi-sensor, multi-domain fusion workflows. The goal is to develop a modular Fusion Compliance Engine (FCE) that automatically enforces classification rules, legal constraints, and policy adherence in real time during data aggregation and analysis.
DND/CAF are seeking innovative Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven solutions that repurpose existing urban infrastructure as a distributed, passive sensing network capable of delivering scalable, real-time situational awareness and anomaly detection.
Funding awarded for this challenge will depend on your solution’s Technology Readiness Level (TRL). Lower TRL solutions (TRL 1-3) will be eligible for up to $250,000 for a period of up to six months for solution development. In the design phase (TRL 4-5), up to $1.5 million in funding is available for a period of up to 12 months. Finally, during the build phase (TRL 6-9), up to $5 million is available to build and validate your prototype in various environments. Provided solutions advance to the appropriate TRL, they may move to the next funding stage. Visit How it works in Competitive Projects for additional information on available funding.
More time to apply! The submission deadline for IDEaS’ two AI challenges has been extended to July 21, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.
| Reliable AI sensor fusion for real-world missions Turning urban data into real-time insight through AI |
Each challenge offers up to $6.75 million in phased development funding. We’re looking for practical, scalable AI solutions from innovators across Canada.
Submit your proposal through IDEaS and help shape Canada’s future defence capabilities.
