The federal government wants to boost its capability to protect Canada’s territory in the Arctic and is seeking proposed projects from the government, academia and industry that will support the development of science and technology tools (S&T) meant to defend the country’s sovereignty in the region.
The Defence Research and Development Canada’s (DRDC) call for proposals will fund two programs: the All Domain Situational Awareness (ADSA) S&T Program; and the Canadian Safety and Security Program.
Individuals and organizations interested any or both of the programs have until January 11, 2017, to submit their proposals. Selected projects will be announced following the completion of an evaluation process.
“The defence, and public safety and security landscape continues to evolve at a rate that requires us to constantly adapt to ensure that we have the best tools and knowledge to respond to existing and emerging threats and risks,” said Dr. Marc Fortin, assistant deputy minister (S&T) and chief executive officer of DRDC. “Investment opportunities like those made possible by the DRDC Innovation Call for Proposals enable us to develop new capabilities to address these challenges, which ultimately safeguard Canadians.”
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The ADSA S&T Program is a new initiative led by DND, which aims to apply science and technology to identify, assess and validate technologies in support air and maritime surveillance, particularly in the North.
DND and the federal government have committed $133 million over five years to the ADSA S&T program.
ADSA supports Canada’s long-term commitment to asserting its sovereignty in the Arctic and supports the Canadian Armed Forces’ ability to exercise sovereignty in the North while providing a greater whole-of-government awareness of safety and security issues in the North.
ADSA funding will support projects and activities that apply research and analysis to deliver technology options that will enhance the surveillance of Canada’s air and maritime approaches, particularly in the North. Option development will be done within DND, and through partnerships with industry, academia, allies and other stakeholders.
This is the fifth round of projects under the CSSP, launched in 2012.
The CSSP aims to strengthen Canada’s ability to anticipate, prevent/mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism, crime, natural disasters, and serious accidents through the convergence of S&T with policy, operations and intelligence.
CSSP is a federally-funded program, led by DRDC’s Centre for Security Science, in partnership with Public Safety Canada, which provides policy guidance.
Interested bidders should consult information available at https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/tender-notice/PW-16-00757940