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STDP AO 4.1 Space R&D

Industrial Capability-Building Contribution

Announcement of Opportunity

Publication date: May 23, 2017

Application deadline: July 21, 2017

Table of Contents

  • Eligible Recipients: Eligible recipients are limited to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations established and operating in Canada, excluding academic institutions
  • Non-Repayable Contributions
  • Maximum Amount per Project: $2,000,000
  • Maximum Timeframe of the Project: 36 months with a possibility of extension to 48 months

1. Introduction

Canada's Innovation and Skills Plan is focused on three priority areas to spur innovation: People, Technologies, and Companies. Working with industry, the Government of Canada will encourage innovation by increasing its support for basic research and development (R&D) in space technology development. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is issuing this Announcement of Opportunity (AO) to support the development of Canadian industrial capabilities in the area of space technologies with the aim of increasing the commercial potential of Canadian space companies to capture global opportunities.

It is indeed paramount that the Canadian space industry remains strong, healthy and relevant, and that it has the required readiness to respond to national demand and the necessary competitiveness to secure an increased share of commercial and institutional markets worldwide. Only through innovation and continued investments in R&D can Canada ensure that it has the industrial depth and breadth to remain a valued player in the international arena.

In light of the above, this AO concerning Space R&D will award non-repayable contributions up to $2M per space technology project that expect commercial potential in the short to medium term (i.e. 2 to 5 years).

This AO is consistent with the terms and conditions of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) Class Grant and Contribution Program to Support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology – Research Component.

Applicants are asked to read the following AO thoroughly before submitting their applications. This AO was prepared to help applicants complete the application process, and outlines key elements, including mandatory criteria for eligibility, details on eligible projects and the selection process. In the event of any discrepancies between this AO and the individual funding agreements governing a project, the latter document(s) will take precedence.

2. AO Objectives

The objective of this AO is as follows:

To support the development of Canadian industrial capabilities in the area of space technologies for the purpose of increasing the commercial potential of Canadian space companies.

3. Eligibility Criteria

3.1 Eligible Recipients

Eligible recipients are limited to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations established and operating in Canada, excluding academic institutions.

3.2 Eligible Projects

The CSA's STDP aims to support the strengthening of industrial capabilities (new concepts, products and/or know-how) related to basic R&D of space technologies (space and/or ground segment).

Eligible projects do not include application development related to Earth Observation data, Satellite Telecommunications data, and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) data.

All development phases necessary for a project are eligible. Any logical breakdown or combination of these phases can constitute a funded project. However, breaking down a project into numerous phases to obtain more than the maximum contribution is not allowed. Furthermore, even if the maximum funding for one project is not reached, the completion of a funded phase does not automatically guarantee funding of the remaining phases.

3.3 Links to CSA Priorities

This AO focuses on the CSA's priority of building industrial capabilities, meaning those projects that aim to develop new concepts, products and/or know-how. Industrial capability building therefore encompasses all projects aimed at strengthening the industry core capabilities with particular focus on developing its people and technologies.

3.4 Links to Program Objectives

This AO supports STDP objectives and contributes to the following objectives of the CSA Class Grant and Contribution (G&C) Program:

3.5 Basic R&D Definition

Eligible projects supported under this AO must comply with the following definition for basic R&D by providing the required justification within section 5 of the Application Form (Information with respect to basic R&D provided only in the proposal will not be used for screening the project):

"Any pre-commercial technology activities that are carried out to resolve unknowns regarding the feasibility of space concepts in the space sector."

The following due diligence process will be applied to determine whether projects are compliant with this definition. To that end, justification provided in section 5 of the Application Form must:

The following Technology Readiness Level (TRL) definitions must be used:

TRL 1
Basic principles observed and reported
TRL 2
Technology concept and/or application formulated
TRL 3
Analytical and experimental critical function and/or characteristic proof-of-concept
TRL 4
Component and/or breadboard validation in laboratory environment
TRL 5
Component and/or breadboard validation in relevant environment
TRL 6
System/subsystem model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment (ground or space)

Basic R&D activities supported under this AO shall be undertaken in Canada unless it is essential to the success of the project.

4. Applications

4.1 Required Documentation

The application must include the following:

Note: The completed application form and the full proposal shall be two separate files, each with self-contained information including cross-references, if required and as appropriate.

It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the application complies with all relevant federal, provincial and territorial legislation and municipal bylaws.

Applications must be mailed to the CSA at the following address:

Sid Saraf
Manager, Technology Development
Canadian Space Agency
6767 Route de l'Aéroport
Saint-Hubert, Quebec J3Y 8Y9

Questions and answers related to this AO will be posted on the CSA website in the Frequently Asked Questions (Section 9).

4.2 Service Standards – Complete Applications

Applicants will be notified in writing of decisions regarding their application. Selected applications will be announced on the CSA website. The CSA has set the following service standards for processing times, acknowledgement of receipt, funding decisions and payment procedures.

Acknowledgement: The CSA's goal is to acknowledge receipt within 5 business days of receiving the completed application package.

Decision: The CSA's goal is to respond to the proposal within 10 weeks of the AO's closing date and to send a contribution agreement for signature within 4 weeks after formal approval of the proposal.

Payment: The CSA's goal is to issue payment within 6 weeks of the successful fulfillment of the requirements outlined in the contribution agreement.

Compliance with these service standards is a shared responsibility. Applicants must submit all required documentation in a timely fashion. Service standards may vary by AO.

5. Evaluation

5.1 Eligibility Criteria

5.2 Point Rated Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated according to the following point rated criteria:

  1. Innovation and Market Need (30%)
    1. 1.1. Degree of Innovation
    2. 1.2. Market Assessment
  2. Project Feasibility, Resources and Risk Assessment (20%)
    1. 2.1. Team Technical Expertise
    2. 2.2. Project Clarity, Completeness, Feasibility and Risk Assessment
  3. Outcomes and Benefits to Canada (50%)
    1. 3.1. Development of Industrial Core Capabilities
    2. 3.2. Competitive Advantage
    3. 3.3. HQP and Students Developing science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) Skills
    4. 3.4. Path to Commercial Potential

The word limit to support each of the previous criteria and the scoring grid is specified in Appendix A.

5.3 Evaluation Process

Only applications that have passed the eligibility assessment listed in Section 5.1 will be given further consideration.

Once the eligibility criteria are confirmed, an individual quantitative evaluation of the screened applications will be performed according to the criteria listed in Section 5.2. Evaluators shall be experts in the field relevant to the applications and may include representatives of other Canadian government departments as well as external consultants. An application must receive an overall minimum score of 65% as well as the minimum specified thresholds to be considered further for funding. This will generate a ranked list of successful proposals. A review committee will then make an overall selection based on the priorities of the Government of Canada and the CSA. Contribution agreements will be offered to the applicants in this final list in the order of the proposals to maximize the use of available funding (Section 6).

Before a final decision is made, the CSA's Program Manager responsible for this AO may seek input and advice from other organizations, including (but not limited to) federal, provincial, territorial and municipal government agencies and organizations.

The amount of support will be determined according to the total eligible cost of the project, as well as the other sources of funds invested by other stakeholders and the applicant.

6. Funding

6.1 Available Funding and Duration

The total funding available under this AO 4.1 is currently expected to be approximately $10.5M, with the following maximum per project:

The maximum duration for any project is 36 months with a possibility of extension to 48 months.

The overall number of contributions awarded and their level will depend on the availability of funds.

Approved proposals will be eligible for a total government (federal, provincial/territorial and municipal) assistance of up to a maximum of 75% of total eligible project costs. Thus, the maximum assistance of $2 million will be available for projects with $2.67 million of total eligible project costs.

Company financial statements for the last two years and the most recent interim results will be requested, in a later phase of the evaluation process, as a condition to signing a contribution agreement. It is not required to submit financial statements with the application.

To determine the amount of funding to be allocated, consideration will be given to the availability of CSA funds, the total cost of the project, and the other confirmed sources of funds provided by other stakeholders and the applicant.

Applicants must identify all sources of funding in their applications and confirm this information in a funding agreement if the project is selected for funding. Upon completion of a project, the recipient must also disclose all sources of funding.

The CSA reserves the right not to accept any proposals or to reduce the amount of the contributions at its entire discretion.

6.2 Eligible Costs

Eligible costs are direct expenses that are associated with the delivery of the approved project and that are required to achieve the expected results of the project. Expenses will be covered subject to the applicant signing a funding agreement in the form of a contribution with the CSA.

Eligible costs are limited to one or a combination of the following categories (see definitions):

7. Funding Agreements

7.1 Payments

The CSA and each successful applicant (the recipient) will sign a funding agreement. This is a condition for any payment made by the CSA with respect to the approved project.

Payments for contribution agreements will be made in accordance with the process and the reporting requirements described in the signed funding agreement. Upon notice of a successful application, the CSA will have no liability until a funding agreement is signed by both parties. Only eligible costs incurred after the funding agreement is signed and indicated in the agreement will be reimbursed.

7.2 Audit

The recipient of a funding agreement shall keep proper records of all documentation related to the funded project, for the duration of the project and for six (6) years after the completion date of the project, in the event of an audit. This documentation shall be available upon request. The CSA intends to audit at least 5% of all funded projects upon their completion.

7.3 Conflict of Interest

In the funding agreement, the recipient will certify that any current or former public office holder or public servant it employs complies with the provisions of the relevant Conflict of Interest and Post-Employment Code for Public Office Holders and the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector respectively.

Note: Current employees of the CSA are not eligible to participate in any way in any application under this AO.

7.4 Intellectual Property

All intellectual property developed by the recipient in the course of the project shall vest in the recipient.

7.5 Organizations in Quebec

An organization in Quebec whose operations are partially or fully funded by the province of Quebec may be subject to the Act Respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif, R.S.Q., Chapter M-30.

Under Sections 3.11 and 3.12 of this Act, certain entities/organizations, as defined in the meaning of the Act, such as municipal bodies, school bodies, or public agencies, must obtain authorization from the Secrétariat aux affaires intergouvernementales canadiennes du Québec (SAIC), as indicated by the Act, before signing any funding agreement with the Government of Canada, its departments or agencies, or a federal public agency.

Consequently, any entity that is subject to the Act is responsible for obtaining such authorization before signing any funding agreement with the Government of Canada.

Quebec applicants must complete, sign and include the M-30 Supporting Documentation form with their application.

7.6 Performance Measurement

The CSA will ask the recipients to report on the following topics:

As a courtesy, the CSA would like to receive a copy of publications arising from the work, and to be informed in advance of significant press releases or media interest resulting from the work.

8. Privacy Notice Statement

The CSA will comply with the federal Access to Information Act and Privacy Act with respect to applications received. By submitting personal information, an applicant is consenting to its collection, use and disclosure in accordance with the following Privacy Notice Statement, which explains how the applicant's information will be managed.

Necessary measures have been taken to protect the confidentiality of the information provided by the applicant. This information is collected under the authority of the CSA Class G&C Program to Support Research, Awareness and Learning in Space Science and Technology – Research Component, and will be used for the evaluation and selection of proposals. Personal information (such as contact information and biographical information) included in the rejected proposals will be stored in a CSA Personal Information Bank for five (5) years and then destroyed (Personal Information File no. ASC PPU045). Personal information included in the successful proposals will be kept along with the proposal results for historical purposes. These data are protected under the Privacy Act. According to the Privacy Act, the data linked to an individual and included in the proposal being evaluated can be accessed by the specific concerned individual who has rights with respect to this information. This individual may, upon request, (1) be given access to his/her data and (2) have incorrect information corrected or have a notation attached.

Applicants shall note that for all agreements over $25,000, information related to the funding agreement (amount, grant or contribution, name of the recipient and project location) will be made available to the public on the CSA website.

For additional information on privacy matters prior to submitting a proposal, please contact:

Access to Information and Privacy
Canadian Space Agency
Telephone: 450-926-4866
Email: aiprp-atip@asc-csa.gc.ca

9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

It is the responsibility of the applicants to obtain clarification of the requirements contained herein, if necessary, before submitting an application.

For any questions related to the AO, applicants shall use the following generic email address lecedessetc-thegandccoe@asc-csa.gc.ca. Questions and answers related to this AO will be posted on the CSA website in the Frequently Asked Questions section of this AO. The CSA will respond to questions received before 12:00 noon (EDT), July 7, 2017.

At any point, applicants are welcome to share with the CSA their comments or suggestions regarding the AO, the program or the process. Applicants may either use the generic email address or the generic web-based Comments and Suggestions Box.

Question 1: We are considering proposing a project that would require non-Canadian expertise in order to support the key project activities that will otherwise be conducted in Canada. In order to help us scope the project work share, could you please clarify the following:

  1. Are there any rules we should apply in terms of maximum work share (e.g. as a percentage of the total project budget) that can be allocated to the non-Canadian partner?
  2. Are there any specific justifications that our proposal should contain in order to explain why the work to be performed by the non-Canadian partner cannot be conducted in Canada?
  3. There are no evaluation criteria related to the presence of a non-Canadian partner. Can you confirm that the presence of a non-Canadian partner will not penalise the evaluation of the proposal, that no evaluation criteria take into account the presence of a non-Canadian partner, and that having a non-Canadian partner will not have a negative impact on the chances of success of a proposal?

Answer 1:

  1. Please see section 3.5: Basic R&D activities supported under this AO shall be undertaken in Canada unless it is essential to the success of the project.

    The intent of this AO is to provide funding to enhance the R&D capacity of the Canadian industry and, as such, R&D activities supported under this AO shall be undertaken in Canada. Foreign consultants are acceptable as eligible costs as long as reasonable efforts to find Canadian consultants have been demonstrated.

  2. It is up to the applicant to provide the appropriate justification as to why the work to be performed by the non-Canadian partner cannot be conducted in Canada as the justification can vary. The CSA will evaluate the justification on a case-by-case basis.

  3. As mentioned in answer 1b, it is up to the applicant to justify why the work needs to be performed outside of Canada and although there is no specific evaluation criterion related to the presence of non-Canadian partners, the following criterion evaluates the creation of highly skilled jobs in Canada: HQP and Students Developing STEM Skills. Please see description of this criterion.

Question 2: Consultant services

  1. For pricing purposes, could you please clarify what constitutes a valid 'consultant service', versus the work to be conducted by the project team and that should be costed under the category 'salaries and benefits'?
  2. Can you please also clarify if cost of consultant services may include a profit margin?

Answer 2:

  1. Consultants can not be employees on the recipient's payroll. Eligible personnel for the "salaries and benefits" category must be employees on the recipient's payroll. Please also see Eligible Costs Definitions.
  2. Consultant services may include a profit margin. Please also see Eligible Costs Definitions.

Question 3: Can the closing date of the AO be extended?

Answer 3: The closing date of the AO will not be extended and will remain before .

Question 4: To make an application, is a company required to be anything more than a legally registered corporation? Are there any other licenses or registrations that would be required?

Answer 4: The eligible recipients for this AO are described as the following: "Eligible recipients are limited to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations established and operating in Canada, excluding academic institutions" (see section 3.1). Each application to this AO must include a copy of the document(s) confirming the legal name of the applicant (see section 4.1 Required Documentation). The document that confirms the legal name of the applicant is the Certificate of Incorporation or the Letters Patent of Incorporation.

Question 5: If we collaborate with an academic partner and that partner leverages additional funding to support their portion of the work such as NSERC Engage grants or provincial OCE grants, would this cause the CSA to reduce their maximum contribution to the project below the maximum?

Answer 5: The total governmental assistance of 75% (i.e. stacking limit) applies to the total project costs. If the other government grant supports the project then it will count towards the stacking limit or 75%. The CSA's maximum contribution amount listed in the AO remains the same and the other government support can be in addition to the CSA maximum as long as the total government support does not exceed 75% of total project costs (see section 6.1).

Question 6 : Do the evaluation criteria delineated in Appendix A apply to eligible projects when evaluated from the perspective of any commercial market (e.g. mining, marine transportation, agriculture) or is the evaluation made solely from the perspective of the space sector market?

Answer 6: The proposals are evaluated primarily from the perspective of the space sector market, but other commercial markets will certainly add value.

Question 7: For the purposes of this AO, what definition of Highly Qualified People (HQP) is being used? Are HQP considered to be only current masters or PhD students, or do they also include college students in a STEM-related field, or individuals who have already graduated?

Answer 7: HQP in this AO is defined as project managers, engineers, scientists, post-doc fellows, and technicians. Students are defined separately and can be current Masters, PhD, and college students in a STEM-related field. Please see the criterion in Appendix A: "HQP and Students Developing STEM Skills".

Question 8: Regarding the above announcement of opportunity, does the SACC manual apply in this case? Specifically, does the SACC manual, Section 1, subsection 07 () on delayed bids apply for this submission?

Answer 8: The SACC Manual does not apply as the AO generates contributions managed by the CSA and not contracts managed by Public Services and Procurement Canada. In terms of deadlines for applications, please see Section 4.1: The application has to reach CSA before . All applications received after this date and time will be rejected.

Question 9: In the past, the Appendix A Point-Rated Evaluation Criteria was expected to be a separate section in the proposal. Is this still the case or is it meant to be part of the proposal?

Answer 9: The proposal should include a complete description of the project that responds to the evaluation criteria in Appendix A. Please see Section 4.1 for complete application and proposal requirements.

Question 10: Is there an overall page limitation on the proposal size?

Answer 10: While there are no page limits defined for the proposal, there are guidelines provided in terms of word limits for each criterion in Appendix A.

Question 11: In order to apply to this AO, my enterprise has just registered as a sole proprietorship. Do I have to incorporate?

Answer 11: It is not required to incorporate. Eligible recipients are for-profit and not-for-profit organizations established and operating in Canada, excluding academic institutions (see section 3.1). The CSA requires documents that prove the legal status of an enterprise. This could include registration documents, a Certificate of Incorporation or the Letters Patent of Incorporation. The proof of legal status of the enterprise is required with the application and before the closing date of the AO.

Question 12: In reference to section 6.1 – Available Funding and Duration
For a contribution agreement to be signed, the financial statements of the two past years as well as the most recent interim results of an enterprise have to be provided in a later phase of the evaluation process. My enterprise has just been registered. I do not have financial statements for the past two years, nor interim results. May I still apply?

Answer 12: Yes, you may still apply. In the case the enterprise has recently been registered and financial statements do not exist, they will not be required. The date of registration or incorporation will be required to prove that the enterprise has not existed long enough for financial statements to exist and to be provided.

Question 13: With respect to the Announcements of Opportunity, we kindly request the CSA to reconsider the decision not to extend the submission deadline of the proposals. Considering the holiday period and the complexity of the proposal submission, an additional 2 weeks would greatly enhance our ability to submit a winning proposal.

Answer 13: As there was an Advance Notice for the AO published in and the posting period for the AO is over 8 weeks, the deadline will not be extended and remains .

Question 14: Is it sufficient to utilize a labor category rate (minus overhead) or is the individual's salary necessary. For example, at my company we have labor categories for RF engineer, all RF engineers are billed internally to projects at that rate. However an employee is paid a salary which may be more or less than the hourly labor category rate. Which rate is required by the CSA?

Answer 14: The individual's salary is required.  The amount invoiced shall be actual gross pay for the work performed and shall include no markup for profit, selling, administration or financing. Labour claims must be supported by suitable records such as time sheets and records, and be held for verification at time of audit. Management personnel are required to maintain appropriate records of time devoted to the project. For complete details, please see definition of salaries and benefits provided in section 6.2.

Question 15: While the Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Standard Acquisition Clauses and Conditions (SACC) Manual itself does not apply to the AO, we request that CSA consider adopting terms similar to Section 1, subsection 07 of that manual on delayed bids for these AOs in order to accept a Canada Post Corporation (CPC) cancellation date stamp, Priority Courier bill of lading and/or Xpresspost label, clearly indicating that the bid was mailed before the bid closing date, as an alternate deadline.

Answer 15: The AO deadline provided follows the same format provided in all CSA AOs. Your suggestion may be considered for the program in the future, but there will be no changes made midway through this process. Please see previous response which states that the SACC Manual does not apply, and indicates that applications have to reach CSA before . Any applications received after this date and time will be rejected.

Question 16: Evaluation Criterion 2.2 asks for: "a clear and complete implementation plan consisting of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), detailed Work Package Descriptions (WPD), schedule, milestones, resource (personnel, facilities, laboratories, field sites, specialized equipment, etc.) availability and allocation as well as risk identification and mitigation." We would like to include a set of "detailed WPDs" in a separate "supplementary information" section of the proposal, and reference them from Section 2.2. Section 2.2 will thus provide a summary of the WPDs and WBS as well as the schedule, milestones, etc. within the specified limit of 1500 words. Is the provision of such supplementary information allowed?

Answer 16: Yes. The word limit for each criterion are guidelines provided to standardize the applications as much as possible.

Appendix A Point-Rated Evaluation Criteria

Application must receive an overall minimum score of 65% as well as minimum specified thresholds to be considered for funding. Obtaining the highest score possible maximizes your chance of being selected to obtain financial support (see Section 6). The following point-rated criteria will be evaluated using 4 benchmark statements. Each benchmark statement will receive the following percentage of maximum points according to the following scale:

  1. Poor: 25%
  2. Average: 50%
  3. Good: 75%
  4. Excellent: 100%

1. Innovation and Market Need (30% of overall score)

Maximum: 30 points
Minimum: 15 points (50%)

1.1 Degree of Innovation

(Please limit the proposal pertaining to this criterion to 500 words)

Maximum: 15 points

This criterion evaluates the novelty associated with the new concepts, products and/or know-how to be developed. Innovation can range from sustaining innovations that improve the performance of existing products (but do not create new markets) to disruptive innovations that offer an entirely different value proposition leading to the creation of new markets. This criterion seeks answers to the following:

Poor: There is little or no innovation being applied to the development of the proposed concepts, products or know-how.

Average: A moderate level of innovation is being applied that will lead to improved performance of existing concepts, products and/or know-how.

Good: A high level of innovation is being applied that will lead to the development of leading-edge concepts, products and/or know-how.

Excellent: The level of innovation is transformative and will lead to the development of new concepts, products and/or know-how for new markets.

1.2 Market Assessment

(Please limit the proposal pertaining to this criterion to 1500 words)

Maximum: 15 points

This criterion evaluates the applicant's understanding of the market needs associated with the proposed technology. It includes a thorough analysis of market demand. Incidentally, this criterion also evaluates whether the proposal addresses the existence and number of competing alternatives on the market. This criterion seeks answers to the following:

Poor: The applicant is not aware of the current market share pertaining to the technology being developed and the many competitive alternatives already existing on the market. The proposal does not identify the factors that drive demand for this technology or the relevant customers and competitors. The proposal does not present a strategy for competing with the alternatives.

Average: The proposal somewhat identifies the factors that drive demand for this technology, but does not identify the relevant customers and competitors. Some competitive alternatives exist on the market but the proposal provides an incomplete plan for competing with the alternatives. The proposal does not contain any supporting market research/data. The applicant is not clearly aware of the current market share pertaining to the technology to be developed.

Good: The proposal identifies the factors that drive demand for this technology and the relevant customers and competitors, but this is supported by limited market research/data. A limited number of competitive alternatives exist on the market, and the proposal provides a detailed plan for competing with those alternatives. The applicant is aware of the current market share pertaining to the technology to be developed.

Excellent: The proposal clearly identifies the factors that drive demand for this technology and the relevant customers and competitors, and is well supported by market research/data. Very few or no competitive alternatives exist on the market. The applicant is aware of the current market share pertaining to the technology to be developed. The proposal provides a comprehensive plan for competing with any alternatives.

2. Project Feasibility, Resources and Risk Assessment (20% of overall score)

Maximum: 20 points
Minimum: 10 points (50%)

2.1 Team Technical Expertise

(Please limit the proposal pertaining to this criterion to 500 words)

Maximum: 10 points

This criterion evaluates the combined technical qualifications and experience of the team assembled to carry out the proposed work. Résumés appended to the proposal will be assessed for this criterion.

Poor: The technical team has demonstrated limited or no qualifications and experience with closely related technologies.

Average: The technical team has demonstrated some qualifications and experience with closely related technologies and/or the team has a moderate track record of successfully developing related technologies. Key qualifications are missing to form a comprehensive team.

Good: The technical team has worked actively with closely related technologies and has a track record of successfully developing technologies of comparable scope and complexity. The proposed technical team possesses all the qualifications and experience required to perform the proposed work.

Excellent: The technical team is highly experienced and has a proven track record of successfully developing closely related technologies of comparable scope and complexity. The proposed team possesses all the qualifications and experience required to perform the proposed work.

2.2 Project Clarity, Completeness, Feasibility and Risk Assessment

(Please limit the proposal pertaining to this criterion to 1500 words)

Maximum: 10 points

This criterion evaluates the completeness and effectiveness of the proposed implementation plan in directing the project to successful completion. This criterion seeks answers to the following:

Poor: The implementation plan is poorly defined, incomplete or difficult to understand. There is a high likelihood that the objectives will not be met due to inappropriate methodology, budget, schedule, key risks or availability of resources.

Average: The implementation plan is somewhat defined but lacks details or clarity. Doubts remain regarding the technical methodology of the proposed work or the likelihood that the objectives will be met.

Good: The implementation plan is complete and well defined. The proposed methodology seems adequately suited for the proposed work to be carried out. The expectation that the proposed work will meet the set objectives and be completed on schedule and within budget is credible.

Excellent: The implementation plan is complete, very well defined and coherent. The methodology described is logical and well suited for the proposed work to be carried out. The likelihood that the proposed work will meet the set objectives and be completed on schedule and within budget is high.

3. Outcomes and Benefits to Canada (50% of overall score)

Maximum: 50 points
Minimum: 32.5 points (65%)

3.1 Development of Industrial Core Capabilities

(Please limit the proposal pertaining to this criterion to 500 words)

Maximum: 5 points

This criterion evaluates the potential of increasing industrial capabilities through the advancement of knowledge (know-how) or improvement of the state-of-the-art. It also assesses how the proposed project will contribute to enhancing Canadian industry's ability to meet national space needs. This readiness is reflected by the breadth and depth of the technological domains in which the Canadian industry is active. This criterion seeks answers to the following:

Poor: The proposal does not substantiate a valuable enhancement of Canadian industry's core capabilities that would enable the applicant to respond to space needs.

Average: The proposal provides a limited and/or vague description of the benefits to be gained by the Canadian industry. Industry's readiness to respond to space needs is only somewhat improved by this enhancement to core capabilities.

Good: The proposal clearly substantiates how the enhancement of the applicant's core industrial capabilities will enable it to better respond to space needs.

Excellent: The proposed project would significantly enhance Canadian industry's capabilities and would clearly increase the breadth and/or depth of the Canadian space industrial capabilities as a whole, enabling it to better respond to national space needs.

3.2 Competitive Advantage

(Please limit the proposal pertaining to this criterion to 1500 words)

Maximum: 30 points

This criterion assesses the merit and potential of the proposed project to positively affect the company's competitive advantage and/or overall market share. It is recognized that an improvement in the company's overall market share (or competitive advantage) can be achieved through creating a new market, penetrating for the first time an existing one and/or increasing one's position in an already accessed market.

Poor: The proposed project is unlikely to impact the company's competitive advantage.

Average: The proposed project is likely to improve the company's competitive advantage and/or overall market share, and a strategy/plan to market has been identified.

Good: The proposed project will improve the company's competitive advantage and/or overall market share. A credible strategy/plan to market is included along with interest of partners/clients and their requirements are known.

Excellent: The proposed project will substantially improve the company's competitive advantage and overall market share. A detailed and credible strategy/plan to market is included along with formally expressed interest of clients (Letters of Intent, MOUs, MOAs, etc.) indicative of potentially significant sales, and the clients' requirements have already been provided.

3.3 HQP and Students Developing STEM Skills

(Please limit the proposal pertaining to this criterion to 500 words)

Maximum: 5 points

This criterion evaluates the degree to which this project will help retain and enhance the number of HQP as well as their knowledge and expertise through their involvement in this project. The criterion also evaluates the degree to which the project encourages Canadians to develop STEM skills in order to prepare them for the jobs of tomorrow.

This criterion seeks answers to the following:

Poor: HQP provide minimal value to the project or HQP roles; responsibilities and accountability are poorly defined. Less than 35% of the level of effort is provided by HQP.

Average: HQP provide reasonable value to the project and HQP roles; responsibilities and accountability are reasonably defined. HQP provide between 35% and 50% of the level of effort required to successfully complete the project.

Good: HQP provide high value to the project and HQP roles; responsibilities and accountability are well defined. HQP provide between 50% and 80% of the level of effort required to successfully complete the project.

Excellent: HQP provide very high value to the project and HQP roles; responsibilities and accountability are very well defined. HQP provide over 80% of the level of effort required to successfully complete the project. The project provides students and post-doc fellows with opportunities to develop their STEM skills.

3.4 Path to Commercial Potential

(Please limit the proposal pertaining to this criterion to 1500 words)

Maximum: 10 points

This criterion evaluates the applicant's roadmap for implementing the technology in space. This criterion seeks answers to the following:

Poor: No relevant future space missions have been identified for this technology. The proposal provides a poor or no post-project strategy to further develop the technology in order to achieve commercial potential.

Average: The proposal somewhat identifies relevant future space missions targeted for this technology. The proposal provides an average post-project strategy with limited information on budget and schedule to further develop the technology in order to achieve commercial potential.

Good: The proposal identifies relevant future space missions targeted for this technology. The proposal provides a good post-project strategy with information on budget and schedule to further develop the technology in order to achieve commercial potential.

Excellent: The proposal clearly identifies relevant future space missions targeted for this technology. The proposal provides an excellent post-project strategy with clear information on budget and schedule to further develop the technology in order to achieve commercial potential.

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