Naval Technology
Innovation Challenges

Find out more about the submission criteria on each of the individual challenge pages, or submit your application now.

This webinar provides additional details about the challenges, best practices to complete your applications, and resources to assist in your submission.

Watch the Webinar

There will be three rounds of evaluation. The first round will be a panel of COVE and Thales Canada appointed judges who will evaluate and score all applications. The three (3) highest-scoring applications from each category will move to the second round, to be judged by a new set of judges. The final three (3) application winners, one (1) each per category, will be determined through a combination of scoring and deliberation.

Winners will be announced online on June 12, 2023. COVE will work with the winning applicant prior to sharing any information publicly.

COVE will work with the winning applicant to monitor implementation within a five month period following the winning announcement. More information will be disclosed to the winning applicant after the announcement.

The Naval Technology Innovation Challenges are an opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups to find innovative solutions for the Royal Canadian Navy through funding and resources provided by COVE and Thales Canada.

All legally registered Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) in Atlantic Canada or indigenous organizations and groups may apply. Post-secondary institutions and other for-profit and not-for-profit organizations may apply but must be partnered with an Atlantic SME.

SMEs must be less than 500 employees and $50 million in revenue.

Any company registered to do business in one of the four Atlantic provinces (Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island).

Through these challenges, the partners are working to increase capabilities in the Atlantic region. We would encourage the research and development and the project to take place in one of the four Atlantic Provinces.

Federally incorporated companies are eligible as long as they are registered to do business in the Atlantic region.

Financial statements are required to be submitted by the winner of the challenge. If it is preferable, ACOA (Atlantic Canadian Opportunities Agency) can accept them on behalf of the challenge providers for review.

A licence for use of the solution will be issued to Thales and the selected company will retain the IP for the solution and may sell the solution at their discretion.

All submissions must be entered through the ‘Submit Application’ form.

The application deadline is April 28, 2023, at 5:00 pm (AST).

Yes. If you provide an email address, your application will be saved with a unique link that will be emailed to you. You can use the link to complete your application at a different time.