AIAC is exploring new ways of sharing time-sensitive opportunities with our members and industry stakeholders. Be sure to check out some of the ongoing funding, procurement and collaboration opportunities below!

Funding Available for Select Industry Events

Did you know, through our partnership with the CanExport Program, AIAC members can access funding to attend select international events

Contact us to learn more about funding for the following industry events:
Funding is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Aerospace Open Innovation Challenge 2026

Led by Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) in partnership with major aerospace companies, the Aerospace Open Innovation Challenge (AOIC) 2026 invites startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to contribute innovative solutions to real-world aerospace and space industry needs.

Building on previous editions, the 2026 challenge focuses on practical technologies and scalable solutions that can strengthen industry performance and competitiveness.

Areas of interest include:
  • Automation and digital transformation initiatives
  • Advanced Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) and manufacturing technologies that enhance efficiency, safety and speed
  • Emerging and sustainable technologies that support long-term sector resilience
AOIC 2026 offers participating startups and SMEs the opportunity to collaborate directly with industry stakeholders on defined use cases. Selected participants may gain access to technical facilities, industry expertise, pilot opportunities and potential funding support for co-development and implementation.

The initiative is designed to help translate promising innovations into commercially viable applications within the global aerospace and space sectors.

Application deadline: 17 April 2026 at 11:59 PM (SGT / GMT+8)

For full details and eligibility information, please consult the official challenge website.

Procurement and market-access platforms

Government of Canada Opportunities

[NEW] Request for Proposals (RFP): Defence Innovation Secure Hubs
The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) have launched a new Call for Proposals under the From Innovation to Operational Advantage: Defence Innovation Secure Hubs (DISHs) challenge.

Through this initiative, DND/CAF aim to establish Defence Innovation Secure Hubs (DISHs) focused on:
  • Quantum technologies
  • Uncrewed systems (UxS)
These hubs are intended to create secure, mission-oriented environments where government, industry, academia, and not-for-profit organizations can collaborate to advance technologies beyond early-stage R&D and accelerate their transition to defence and security applications.

Funding Details:
  • Total funding envelope: $50 million
  • Up to $10 million per project (non-repayable) in FY 2026–27
  • Up to $15 million per project in FY 2027–28
Deadline: April 2, 2026 (2:00 PM ET)

[NEW] Request for Proposals (RFP) Canada’s next-generation satellite system ground segment – concept study
The Canadian Space Agency is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of concept studies related to the ground segment of its next-generation synthetic aperture radar satellite system. The objective is to gather proposals for a modern ground segment concept, capable of supporting Canada’s next-generation satellite system and its technical requirements, along with a development and implementation plan. The work also includes identifying key technologies to be integrated into the ground segment, and assessing their maturity, related risks, and strategies to mitigate them, to ensure the mission’s success. This RFP is open to suppliers from all sectors: innovative solutions are key to Canada’s leadership in space. Up to three contracts will be awarded under this RFP.
Key Details:
  • Publication date: 2026-01-28
  • Closing date: 2026-03-24
[NEW] CanExport SMEs is now accepting applications
The Government of Canada’s CanExport SME program offers financial assistance to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) explore and grow into international markets. Eligible companies can receive contributions to support activities such as market research, participation in trade shows and missions, marketing initiatives, translation services, and other business development efforts outside Canada.
Key Details:
  • Deadline: May 29, 2026 at 12:00 PM (ET)
  • Important: Program requirements have changed since the 2025 application period. Applications that do not reflect these updates may be deemed ineligible. Review what’s changed this year before applying.
[NEW] Taiwan – Hard Tech Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA)

Global Affairs Canada, through the Canadian Technology Accelerator (CTA) program, is recruiting Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for its Taiwan Hard Tech cohort. The program supports companies developing physical hardware and advanced technologies, including semiconductors, aerospace, robotics, advanced communications and healthcare solutions. Participants will receive targeted market-entry support, curated business meetings, media exposure opportunities and the chance to showcase at major technology events in Taipei, including COMPUTEX and InnoVEX. The program includes virtual programming (approximately one hour per week) and an in-market visit to Taipei in early June 2026.

Key Details:
  • Application deadline: March 9, 2026
Visit the web page for program details and the application form.
International Co-Innovation Action Plan (ICAP) Program Workshop
ICAP virtual workshop Fall schedule:
  • Cohort #1: January 28-29, 2026 (1:00 PM – 4:00 PM EST)
  • Cohort #2: February 17-18, 2026 (1:00 PM-4:00 PM EST)
  • Action Plan Review Sessions: These 1:1 sessions will be held one week after each ICAP virtual workshop
Project Completion Deadline: Within 6 months of the start date
Open to: Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Why should a Canadian SME apply?
  • Are planning to expand into global markets.
  • Need an international co-innovation partner to help adapt, validate or co-develop their technology solution.
  • Need help building and validating an international market entry strategy and action plan.
More information: Please contact your NRC IRAP Industrial Technology Advisor or Karl Miller, ICAP Program Lead.
Europe – Eurostars call for proposals
Sectors of focus: All sectors (except military)
Open to: Canadian SMEs and other Canadian organizations. *NRC IRAP funding is only available for eligible Canadian SMEs.

Why apply?
  • Co-innovate with partners from 35+ Eurostars Countries that have national funding available.
  • Eurostars projects are known for their high quality and impact.
  • Fast decisions on project selections (3-4 months).
Related event: Webinar for applicants on January 22, 2026. The session will be recorded and made available to all registered participants after the event.
Registration Deadline (for firms not yet NRC IRAP clients) *: February 19, 2026
Deadline to submit a Eurostars proposal (online): March 19, 2026

More information: Please visit the web page or contact IRAP International Office.
Europe – Eureka Eurogia Cluster call for proposals
Sector of focus: Clean Technologies
Open to: Canadian SMEs and other Canadian organizations. *NRC IRAP funding is only available for eligible Canadian SMEs.

Why apply?
  • Integrate your product/service into the value chain of multinational European firms;
  • Contribute to a sustainable environment, the reduction of climate change and sustainable growth by answering Eurogia’s targeted challenges which include, but are not limited to: hydrogen and renewable energy technology for generation and storage; ICT technologies tracking CO2, managing energy use and storage; energy efficient housing, digital twins, smart cities, IoT; and AI and Big data technologies used for energy use optimization.
  • Take advantage of Eurogia’s three calls for proposals per year to submit a project outline – to get informed feedback, or a full project proposal – to obtain the widely recognized Eureka label, which could be followed with a request for national funding support from NRC IRAP.
Related event: Project outline day on March 5, 2026 in Budapest, Hungary (information session and matchmaking event).
Deadline to submit a project outline or a full project proposal: April 30, 2026

More information: Please visit the web page or contact Peter Bandas.
Europe – Eureka SMART Cluster call for proposals
Sector of focus: Advanced manufacturing
Open to: Canadian SMEs and other Canadian organizations. *NRC IRAP funding is only available for eligible Canadian SMEs.

Why apply?
  • Advanced manufacturing is used in most European countries as a key enabler to increase industrial competitiveness.
  • Participants will have access to numerous organizations in 18 countries across the globe, including European multinational corporations as well as SMEs, Universities and Research centers for strategic partnerships.
  • This call for proposals will enable participants to gain visibility as an innovative organization with the widely recognized Eureka label
Deadline to submit project outline: January 22, 2026
Deadline to submit full project proposal: April 27, 2026

More information: Please visit SMART web page or contact Peter Bandas.
Europe – CELTIC-NEXT Cluster call for proposals in telecommunications
Sectors of focus: ICT and telecommunications
Open to: Canadian SMEs and other Canadian organizations. *NRC IRAP funding is only available for eligible Canadian SMEs.

Why apply?
  • ​​​​​​​​​Gain access to the telecommunications value chain, new markets, technologies, and skills as well as visibility as an innovative organization with the widely recognized Eureka label
  • Opportunities to network and potentially partner with multi-national enterprises
  • Work with partners beyond national borders, develop new products, and accelerate time-to-market
Related events:
Deadline to submit full project proposal: April 24, 2026

More information: please visit CELTIC-NEXT website or contact Vance Pan.

Procurement and market-access platforms:

NATO Funding, Procurement Opportunities & Market Access Opportunities

NATO Request for Industry Participation:
Hybrid Event to Elicit Industry Views
NCIA is inviting early industry engagement through a hybrid event to share its vision and high-level requirements for the Operational Network – Extension (ON-X) programme, focused on a secure, scalable, air-gapped multi-cloud environment for classified data. The session will also be used to gather industry input to help inform future ON-X procurement activities, with registration required by early February 2026.

Key Details:
NATO Notification of Intent to Invite Bids:
Multi-Award Framework Contract for Counter–Unmanned Aircraft Systems (CUAS) Capabilities 
NCIA is establishing a multi-award framework to enable rapid procurement, through purchase or lease, of Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) capabilities as operational needs arise. The framework will serve as a standing procurement vehicle, with individual requirements competed as needed and no funding committed at the framework level.

Key Details:
  • Solicitation Release Date: Anticipated on 12 January 2026
  • Solicitation Closing Date: Anticipated on 16 March 2026
  • Contract Award Date: Anticipated on 30 June 2026
NATO Notification of Procurement Opportunity (NPO):
PROVIDE DEPLOYABLE POINTS OF PRESENCE TO LIAISON ELEMENTS (LES) TO SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES – WP1 (SOPLE & SOLE)
The NCIA is searching for an industry partner for the design, procurement of hardware and software, licences, assembly, integration and configuration of the system, installation, testing and verification to Final System Acceptance, ILS support and warranty.


Key Details:
  • Anticipated Issue Date: 16 Mar 2026
  • Anticipated Bid Closing Date: 22 May 2026
  • Eligibility: Companies headquartered in a NATO member nation.
NATO Notification of Procurement Opportunity (NPO):
PROVIDE DEPLOYABLE POINTS OF PRESENCE TO LIAISON ELEMENTS (LES) TO SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES – WP2 (SOLO)
NCIA is seeking industry solutions to deliver 14 highly transportable Deployable Points of Presence (DPoP) to support Special Operations Liaison Officers, aligned with NATO Deployable Communication and Information Systems requirements. The scope includes end-to-end system design, delivery, integration, testing, and lifecycle support for secure, multi-domain communications and core services.


Key Details:
  • Anticipated Issue Date: 16 Mar 2026
  • Anticipated Bid Closing Date: 22 May 2026
  • Eligibility: Companies headquartered in a NATO member nation.
NATO Notification of Procurement Opportunity (NPO):
Crowdsourced Black Box Web Penetration Testing (BBPT) of External Web Assets
NCIA is seeking a supplier to deliver crowdsourced black-box web penetration testing services for NATO’s external web assets, with the goal of identifying and supporting remediation of cyber vulnerabilities. The contractor would manage vetted researchers, operate a secure testing platform, and conduct multiple time-boxed testing campaigns annually under a firm-fixed-price contract.


Key Details:
  • Date of NPO Publication: 12/01/2026
  • Anticipated Solicitation Release Date: February 2026
  • Anticipated Solicitation Closing Date: March 2026
  • Anticipated Contract Award Date: June 2026
  • Point of Contact: Line Sigh, Senior Contracting Officer | RFQ-CO-424326-BBPT@ncia.nato.int
NATO Notification of Procurement Opportunity (NPO):
New Digital Workplace operated by Intranet Packaged Solution called FENIX
NCIA is seeking a specialist supplier to deliver and operate a fully outsourced intranet packaged solution that supports the full lifecycle of the Agency’s digital workplace. The objective is to modernize the NR intranet into a single, integrated platform that enables collaboration, business processes, and access to workplace tools and applications for staff across multiple global locations.

Key details:
  • Date of NPO Publication: 19/01/2026
  • Anticipated Solicitation Release Date: 13/02/2026
  • Anticipated Solicitation Closing Date: 20/03/2026
  • Anticipated Contract Award Date: 01/07/2026
  • Point of Contact: Gracja Kuzaj | 424285-FENIX@ncia.nato.int
NATO Notification of Procurement Opportunity (NPO):
Data Centre Modules – Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Framework for the provision of containerised, module Data centre capabilities
NCIA is seeking industry solutions for containerized, transportable, and modular data centre capabilities to support on-premise and off-premise computing needs, including high-density and artificial intelligence workloads. The IDIQ framework will enable global delivery across NATO locations through multiple qualified providers, with site-specific requirements competed through individual task orders.

Key Details:
  • Date of NPO Publication: 22/01/2026
  • Estimated Ceiling Value: EUR 200,000,000
  • Anticipated Solicitation Release Date: Q1 2026
  • Anticipated Solicitation Closing Date: Release date +35 days
  • Anticipated Contract Award Date: Release date +60 days
  • Point of Contact: Pedro Mendes, Contracting Officer | E-mail: IFBCO424239DCModules@ncia.nato.int 
NATO Notification of Procurement Opportunity (NPO):
PROVIDE DEPLOYABLE POINTS OF PRESENCE TO LIAISON ELEMENTS (LES) TO SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES – WP2 (SOLO)
The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) has issued an NPO for the provision of 14 (fourteen) Special Operations Liaison Officer (SOLO) Deployable Points of Presence (DPoP), modular and highly transportable (suitable for transport on commercial airplanes – non-cargo).

Key Details:
  • Scope: The NCIA is searching for an industry partner for the design, procurement of hardware and software, assembly, integration and configuration of the system, installation, testing and verification to Final System Acceptance, ILS support and warranty.
  • Type of Contract: Lowest Priced Technical Compliant
  • Classification: Part of the solicitation documents will be classified as NATO RESTRICTED. Bidders need to be eligible in accordance with their national legislation to receive and handle information at NR level to be able to access all solicitation documents. For the performance under the Contract, the Contractor will need to be security cleared to access and handle information up to NATO SECRET.
Anticipated Issue Date: 16 Mar 2026
Anticipated Bid Closing Date: 29 May 2026
Eligibility: Companies headquartered in a NATO member nation.
NATO Notification of Procurement Opportunity (NPO):
Alternate, Contingency and Emergency (ACE) Transmission Means and Automatic Switching for SOF supporting SOCC, SOTG and LEs – WP2 (Provision of NATO-Owned Equipment)
NCIA is planning a procurement to deliver NATO-owned equipment that enables resilient Alternate, Contingency and Emergency (ACE) transmission capabilities for Special Operations Forces deployable communications. The project will establish a multi-year IDIQ framework to supply satellite, terrestrial, and emergency communications equipment, along with an automatic switching solution that integrates multiple transmission modes to ensure continuity, survivability, and command-and-control resilience under degraded or contested conditions.

Key Details:
  • Date of NPO Publication: 18/12/2025
  • Anticipated Solicitation Release Date: Q1 2026
  • Anticipated Solicitation Closing Date: Q2 2026
  • Anticipated Contract Award Date: October 2026
  • Point of Contact: Irina Barabancea, Contracting Officer | IFB-CO-424256-SOFC2CIS-ACE@ncia.nato.int
NATO Notification of Procurement Opportunity (NPO):
 Initial Solutions for Enablement Support Services (ESS) Logistics Suite (LOGSUITE)
 NCIA is seeking industry solutions to deliver an integrated Enablement Support Services (ESS) capability that strengthens NATO logistics, engineering, and medical sustainment across operations and missions. The objective is to provide interoperable services that help address capability gaps and improve support to NATO command and force structures.

Key Details:
  • Anticipated Solicitation Release Date: 23/02/2026
  • Anticipated Solicitation Closing Date: 13/05/2026
  • Anticipated Contract Award Date: 26/06/2026
  • Point of Contact: Nicholas Griffin, Senior Contracting Officer |IFB-CO-424323-ESS-LOGSUITE@ncia.nato.int
NATO Notification of Procurement Opportunity (NPO):
Ukraine-NATO Innovation, Technology & Engineering (UNITE BRAVE NATO) Programme – Innovation Contracts

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), is seeking to award a number of innovation contracts to NATO companies to strengthen the integration with the Ukraine BRAVE1 intergovernmental defence innovation platform. The NCIA hereby notifies the following Procurement Opportunity in accordance with the Procedure for NATO Competitive Procurement. This notification is issued to foster open and fair competition among eligible vendors from participating nations. This notification does not constitute a commitment to award a contract.

Anticipated Solicitation Release Date: 09/02/2026
Anticipated Solicitation Closing Date: 30/04/2026
Anticipated Contract Award Date: 29/05/2026
NATO Invitation for International Bidding:
IFIB-ACT-JWC-26-03 Contract Support to JWC Stavanger

This IFIB seeks to establish multi-award framework contracts under which tasking orders will be issued at agreed rates throughout the duration of the contracts to support NATO’s JWC in Stavanger. 

Bid Issue Date: 1 Feb 2025 (target date)
Bid Closing Date: 1 May 2025 (target date)
NATO Invitation for International Bidding:
IFIB-FC(2025)0501 RFP 80463 Management Advisory Services Framework Agreements

This IFIB seeks to establish a set of strategic Framework Agreements (FA) for Management Advisory Services (MAS+) including a wide range of consulting services to support principally NATO International Staff mission and objectives on simple and expeditious basis, as a result of the public solicitation.
 
Bid Issue Date: Q4 2025 / Q1 2026 (estimated)
An electronic version of the RFP will be posted in Q4 2025 / Q1 2026 on the NATO IS Business Opportunities portal: https://nato.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities

Contact:
All qualified Canadian companies with relevant capabilities and clearances are encouraged to consider submitting a proposal. If interested you should: