Build in Canada Innovation Program: $267k for Water Technology
FREDsense Technologies is a biotechnology firm that combines engineering and biology to develop next-generation solutions for monitoring water quality. Recently, the company developed a new innovative water technology product, the Field Ready Electrochemical Detector (FRED), which is a portable device that measures contaminants and toxins in water. The device provides test results in real time, eliminating the step of sending samples to a lab.
Through a successful application to the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP), FREDsense Technologies will receive up to $267,467 in a federal government contract.
To optimize the new product’s commercialization phase, FREDsense Technologies applied and was successfully invited to participate in the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP). BCIP is a first-procurement program offered through the federal government. It offers innovators a government contract to supply their product, and allows for valuable feedback from the government department that tests/evaluates the product’s benefits over current products or processes.
Over $267k in BCIP Funding Awarded for Innovative Water Technology
FREDsense Technologies’ newest device, the Field Ready Electrochemical Detector (FRED), is a groundbreaking biotechnology innovation. It features an electrochemical biosensor that uses living cells to rapidly identify chemicals in water. The portable kits are fast, sensitive, require no training and can detect arsenic, iron, and manganese.
As a pre-commercial technology that has not yet been brought to market, FREDsense Technologies applied for the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP). The program offered funding for the technology’s first sale, and will provide testing by a government department whose results will help FREDsense improve the product prior to mass commercialization.
Through the Build in Canada Innovation Program, FREDsense Technologies will record its initial sale of the product and receive up to $267k in a Canadian government contract.
The technology was purchased through Public Services and Procurement Canada’s (PSPC) mine water management team in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The team will evaluate FREDsense’s technology during the treatment of acidic coal mine water. PSPC will test the technology against its previously deployed equipment to verify the quality and speed of its results.
“We are excited to be working with the PSPC team to help monitor trace contaminant levels and ensure sustainable reclamation of natural resource sites.”
– David Lloyd, CEO and Co-Founder of FREDsense Technologies
Build in Canada Innovation Program: Procurement Contracts for Canadian Innovators
The Build in Canada Innovation Program is a permanent, competitive first purchase program offered by the Canadian government. Businesses across Canada can receive support from the program to partner with federal government departments, who purchase and test their pre-commercial technologies.
Typically, BCIP contracts are provided to support technology projects with up to $500,000 (standard innovations) or up to $1 million (military innovations).
- Standard Component: Provides Canadian government contracts for health technologies, environmental technologies, safety and security technologies, and enabling technologies.
- Military Component: Offers federal government contracts for command and support technologies, technologies that protect soliders, training system technologies, in-service support technologies, and arctic and maritime security technologies.
To be eligible for BCIP, applicants must be able to demonstrate how their innovation could be used to improve function in the government or broader public sector. The program has a continuous call for proposals, therefore companies can connect with a government department and apply at any time.
Innovators can learn more about the Build in Canada Innovation Program, including successful contracts awarded, by registering for the Funding Snapshot Newsletter.
