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Call for Proposals in Advancing the Commercialization of Genomics Innovation

This program is currently open for Expression of Interest (EOI) submissions.

Submit an EOI

Advancing the commercialization of Canadian genomics technologies for the world stage.

Canada is uniquely positioned to lead the world in meeting the rising global demand for technology-driven genomics innovation.

Aligned with the federal government’s priorities under the Canadian Genomics Strategy, and Canada’s continued focus on leadership in genomic innovation, Canada has the upper hand, and DIGITAL is providing a head start in deploying genomics to drive health, environmental, and economic outcomes. DIGITAL has been at the forefront of this movement, investing over $82M in genomics initiatives that have already produced 47 commercial products and services and are projected to generate more than $300M in revenue for Canadian companies.

Through this Call for Proposals, DIGITAL’s co-investment of $6.2M will result in over $15M of investment from industry and others across 2–4 collaborative projects, driving domestic and international market adoption of Canadian-owned genomics technologies across the health and natural resources sectors.

0
Selected Projects

($0M Co-Investment Committed)

5
Full Project Proposals in Development

($12.16M Co-Investment Ask)

3
Expressions of Interest in Development

($4.96M Co-Investment Ask)

Progress as of December 19, 2025

$0M
Total Investment Committed
$0M
Digital Co-Investment Committed
$6.2M
Total Digital Co-Investment

DIGITAL’s co-investment is competitively distributed across projects that demonstrate high potential against the goals of each of our programs. Please review the Program Guide for additional information.

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Health

Technology-enabled genomics solutions that aim to transform the health sector by unlocking high-resolution insights, scaling precision interventions, and creating a more equitable and efficient health system.

Projects may include genomics applications that address health system challenges or improve health outcomes, and are not limited to:

  1. Advancing scientific discovery and research
  2. Pharmacogenomics
  3. Drug development
  4. Precision diagnostics and targeted therapies
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Natural Resources

Technology-enabled genomics solutions that aim to drive innovation at a global scale, combining scientific excellence and strategic investment to monitor, protect, and restore environmental ecosystems.

Projects may include genomics applications that address environmental challenges, and are not limited to:

  1. Genomic trait selection
  2. Microbiome-based productivity
  3. eDNA for regulatory monitoring
  4. Bioremediation in mining

Proposed projects are to:

  • Develop and commercialize innovative technology-enabled genomics solutions with early adopter customers that address clearly defined challenges in the priority investment areas (Health and Natural Resources), delivering measurable value for Canadians.
  • Have a minimum total project cost of $4M and be completed before September 30, 2028.
  • Drive the creation and commercialization of Canadian-owned intellectual property and adhere to DIGITAL’s Intellectual Property and Data Governance Strategy.
  • Have an industry-led consortium that includes a minimum of three organizations (excluding DIGITAL), with at least two Canadian for-profit organizations (one of which must be an SME) contributing financially and seeking co-investment from DIGITAL, and at least one organization representing a potential customer or distribution channel. No single organization may receive more than 80% of DIGITAL’s total project co-investment.
  • Be incremental to the regular business of participating organizations and not be possible without the participation of consortium partners, or undertaken at the same scope or scale without the co-investment provided by DIGITAL.
  • Meet the other eligibility requirements and address the Evaluation Criteria as outlined in the Program Guide.

Program Guide, Co-Investment Guidelines, and IP & Data Strategy

PROGRAM GUIDE (EN)
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PROGRAM GUIDE (FR)
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CO-INVESTMENT GUIDELINES (EN)
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CO-INVESTMENT GUIDELINES (FR)
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IP & DATA GOVERNANCE STRATEGY (EN)
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IP & DATA GOVERNANCE STRATEGY (FR)
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With this program, DIGITAL seeks to support successful projects that contribute to building a Canadian technology innovation ecosystem through the following anticipated results:

10+

Canadian-Owned Intellectual Property Assets

3+

Canadian Companies Scaled

3+

Commercial Offerings

$30M+

New Revenue by 2034 (50%+ from Global Markets)

We emphasize a collaborative approach to innovation where complementary organizations work together to build strong and impactful technology solutions to solve big problems. As such, proposed projects are expected to have strong alignment with our areas of investment and the right mix of organizational capabilities to meet our program objectives of innovation, commercialization, and benefits to Canada.
After reviewing the above guides, you may submit your Expression of Interest (EOI) through the link to the right. Only qualified applicants will be invited to submit a Full Project Proposal (FPP).

Upon request, we are available to help potential applicants further understand the objectives of this call for proposals and the eligibility criteria for a proposed project. Please email our team at proposal-support@digitalsupercluster.ca

Submit an EOI

Expression of Interest

PROJECT SELECTION COMMITTEE

DIGITAL is committed to maintaining a fair and objective co-investment decision-making process, guided by unbiased advice and adjudication. To achieve this, DIGITAL has engaged a Project Selection Committee (PSC) composed of independent, external experts in the evaluation and decision-making process. DIGITAL requires each participating organization to disclose any real or potential conflicts of interest with any of these individuals before submitting their proposal for evaluation.