ISED & CADSI Release the State of Canada's Defence Industry Report

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  October 4, 2018 | Local, Aerospace, Naval, C4ISR, Security

  Government challenges small businesses to innovate

  Invites Canadian small businesses to develop innovative solutions to nine new challenges October 3, 2018 – Ottawa, Ontario Small businesses and their ability to innovate make Canada's economy run. At the same time, the federal government is Canada's largest purchaser of goods. How can the government use these purchases to help small businesses innovate and grow? The answer is Innovative Solutions Canada. Through this program, government departments are inviting small businesses to come up with a new innovative product, service or solution in answer to specific challenges they face. Winning small businesses may receive up to $150,000 to refine their research and development and, if accepted into Phase 2, receive up to $1 million to develop a working prototype. The Government will then act as a first customer, helping small businesses to commercialize their innovations, scale up their business and create good jobs. The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, and the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion, today announced nine challenges on behalf of the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is challenging small businesses to: 1. Improve soil sample collection to make it easier, and make testing more accurate 2. Make “smart farming” technology cheaper so that smaller farms can use it Canadian Coast Guard is challenging small businesses to: 3. Harness the movement of ships in ocean waves to reduce fuel consumption and the need for external power sources Correctional Service Canada is challenging small businesses to: 4. Find new technology to stop inmates from performing illegal activities using wireless devices 5. Monitor the life signs of inmates and identify critical conditions so that staff can respond more quickly in emergencies 6. Create an innovative and cost-effective way to stop contraband items from getting into prisons via drone or being thrown over the fence Public Services and Procurement Canada is challenging small businesses to: 7. Improve the sound quality for remote interpretation services so that service isn't interrupted because the interpreters can't hear Shared Services Canada is challenging small businesses to: 8. Deliver high-speed broadband Internet access to citizens and Government of Canada employees who work or live in remote areas of the country Transport Canada is challenging small businesses to: 9. Accelerate the adoption of low-cost yet effective technologies that improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety around commercial vehicles, preventing injuries and saving lives Innovative Solutions Canada is a key component of the government's Innovation and Skills Plan, a multi-year plan to make Canada a global innovation leader and prepare Canadians to succeed in tomorrow's economy. Quotes “In the Economic Strategy Tables reports, we heard it clearly from Canada's industry and innovation leaders: the Government must use its purchasing power to help small businesses innovate and be more competitive. That's exactly what we're doing through Innovative Solutions Canada. Government gets access to quality products, while businesses grow and create good middle-class jobs for Canadians.” – The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and employ over 8 million hard-working Canadians. That's why our government is committed to helping small businesses start up, scale up and access new markets. Innovative Solutions Canada is a fantastic program that uses government procurement to help small and medium-sized businesses innovate and then commercialize their innovations. These are worthy new challenges, and I can't wait to see what our innovative Canadian small businesses come up with.” – The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion “Through the Innovative Solutions Canada program, we are challenging small businesses to help us provide Canadians and federal employees with access to the services they need, whether it is accurate translation of proceedings or improved efficiency of high-speed Internet access in remote locations.” – The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility and Minister responsible for Shared Services Canada Innovation is a driving force of Canada's agricultural sector. Through these challenges, small business innovators can help agriculture researchers, smaller-scale farms and processing plants access the tools and technologies they need to be environmentally sustainable and economically prosperous. We look forward to seeing their creative solutions to help drive the sector forward and create good middle-class jobs for Canadians.” – The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food “The Canadian Coast Guard is a leader in environmental stewardship and marine safety. By partnering with innovative small businesses to find ways to reduce fuel consumption, we are supporting our government's commitment to reduce emissions and protect our marine environment.” – The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard “Partnering with Innovative Solutions Canada is a great opportunity to share new ideas that contribute to public safety for all Canadians. I welcome innovative ideas that support Correctional Service Canada's mandate of actively encouraging and assisting federal offenders in becoming law-abiding citizens.” – The Honourable Ralph Goodale, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness “I'm pleased to see this initiative being used to explore new ways to protect vulnerable road users. This program is an excellent opportunity to encourage small businesses to be new partners in road safety by advancing technologies that improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists.” – The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport Quick facts Program funding will come from the 20 departments and agencies participating in Innovative Solutions Canada. Each department will set aside funding for this initiative that amounts to one percent of its 2015–16 combined procurement and internal research and development expenditures. Together, the funding from the departments and agencies represents a more than $100-million investment over the course of five years. Small businesses make up 98 percent of Canadian businesses and employ over 8 million hard-working Canadians. Innovative Solutions Canada is encouraging submissions from businesses owned and led by women, Indigenous peoples, youth and members of visible minorities by ensuring those groups are included in the program's outreach plans and activities. There are hundreds of programs and services that offer everything from funding to expert advice to help businesses innovate, create jobs and grow Canada's economy. With a simple, story-based user interface, the new Innovation Canada platform can match businesses with the most fitting programs and services in about two minutes. Associated links Innovative Solutions Canada challenges News release: Government helping small businesses innovate News release: Government helping small businesses develop sustainable solutions Contacts Follow Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada on Twitter: @ISED_CA Nilani Logeswaran Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development 343-291-2849 613-668-1794 Sandra Aubé Director of Communications Office of the Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion 343-998-5328 Media Relations Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 343-291-1777 ic.mediarelations-mediasrelations.ic@canada.ca https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2018/10/government-challenges-small-businesses-to-innovate.html

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  January 31, 2020 | Local, Aerospace, Naval

  Transport Canada adds Dash 8 to surveillance program fleet

  Canada's National Aerial Surveillance Program (NASP) is getting a boost through a new addition to its aircraft fleet. On Jan. 30, Minister of Transport Marc Garneau announced that Transport Canada has acquired a lower-time de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100. This aircraft will undergo modifications over the next two years to equip it for maritime patrol operations. Currently, NASP aircraft carry cameras that can covertly monitor vessels from five miles away and at 20,000 feet altitude. They are also equipped with technology that can live stream video from the aircraft to personnel on the ground, in offices and to people's phones. Through the Government of Canada's Oceans Protection Plan and the Whales Initiative, NASP aircraft detect oil spills and other marine pollution, monitor ships and track endangered whale movements. Aerial surveillance is a vital tool to monitor the designated shipping zones for endangered North Atlantic right whales, located in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and in Arctic operations such as verifying vessel pollution detected by satellites. “Transport Canada's National Aerial Surveillance Program is an essential piece of our government's efforts to keep Canada's coasts and inland waters safe and clean. I am pleased to support this work through the procurement of a new Dash 8 aircraft to enhance surveillance capacity under the program, leading to a cleaner environment and a safer shipping industry,” said Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement. Transport Canada is also building a new NASP complex in Iqaluit, Nunavut, to support northern operations. In 2018-2019, the National Aerial Surveillance Program set a record for the number of hours flown, with a total of 4,152 hours of surveillance over 27,520 vessels for an average of 6.63 vessel over- flights per hour. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/transport-canada-adds-dash-8-to-surveillance-program-fleet

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  July 24, 2019 | Local, Aerospace

  Fighter jet RFP released

  Posted on July 24, 2019 by Chris Thatcher A formal request for proposals (RFP) to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) fleet of CF-188 Hornets was released on July 23, launching the final phase of an intense competition for what will be the largest acquisition in recent Air Force history. The much-anticipated RFP had been expected in May, but was pushed back several months to allow procurement officials to asses changes to a draft version requested by several of the likely bidders. Valued at up to $19 billion, the future fighter project is seeking proposals for 88 advanced aircraft to replace an RCAF fleet of 76 Hornets that began entering service in the mid-1980s. Four suppliers have been qualified to submit bids: Sweden's Saab Aeronautics with the Gripen E; Airbus Defense and Space, under the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, with the Eurofighter Typhoon; Boeing with the F/A-18 Super Hornet; and Lockheed Martin with the F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. The latter two both have the support of the United States government. Proposals must be submitted by spring 2020–no date was provided in the government press release–but bidders will have at least two opportunities to confirm critical elements of their submission meet Canada's security and interoperability requirements. During industry engagements over the past two years, senior officers with the Fighter Capability Office have stressed the importance of Two Eyes (Canada-U.S.) and Five Eyes (Canada, U.S., United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand) interoperability. The fighter fleet is integral to both Canadian sovereignty and U.S. defence through the NORAD mission. French manufacturer Dassault Aviation withdrew from the competition in November 2018, citing the Two Eyes requirements as a restricting factor to any proposal. Bidders can provide their security offer for feedback by fall 2019, and then revise. They will also have an opportunity after the full proposals are delivered to address deficiencies “related to mandatory criteria,” Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) said in a statement. “[Bidders] will receive feedback from Canada so that they can address non-compliance. This approach has already been used for other large federal procurements and has proven to be successful in maintaining a high level of competition.” Though technical capability will account for 60 per cent of the evaluation, economic benefit to Canada will be worth 20 per cent, the highest weighting for economic return on any procurement to date. The final 20 per cent will be attributed to overall program cost. One reason for the delayed RFP was concern raised by Lockheed Martin over how the government's Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) policy would apply. Though 110 Canadian companies have received around US$1.5 billion in contracts for the F-35 program to date, the company is unable to offer the type of industrial offsets required by the ITB policy and believed it would be at a disadvantage. The government was reminded that, as a signatory of the Joint Strike Fighter Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development Memorandum of Understanding in 2006, it had agreed not to impose “work sharing or other industrial or commercial compensation ... that is not in accordance with the MOU.” Carla Qualtrough, minister of Public Services and Procurement and Accessibility, told defence executives at a trade show in May that changes had been made to the statement of requirements that would “ensure a level playing field” while “maintaining our government's policy objectives. “Every bid must still include a plan for ITBs equal to 100 per cent or more of the contract value. That doesn't change,” she said. “This procurement is a generational opportunity for the Canadian aerospace industry that will generate good middle-class jobs across the country. What will change is that it will be up to each supplier to decide whether they will also provide a contractual obligation for their ITBs.” Bidders will score higher if their ITB plan is backed with a contractual obligation, added Qualtrough. “This is a complex process. As complex as any the federal government has ever conducted. The field is comprised of very different entities – and dynamics. Conducting a truly open and fair competition among them is indeed a challenge,” she said. Mitch Davies, a senior assistant deputy minister at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, told CBC on July 23 that the ITB requirement had been structured so that companies could “make a compliant ITB offer that suits their circumstances,” but that Lockheed Martin could still be penalized for failure to meet certain contractual commitments. The competition is being monitored by an independent fairness monitor. In public statements, Lockheed Martin said it looks forward to participating in the competition, while other companies said they will review the RFP documents. The U.S. Air Force has been touring the F-35 in Canada this summer; it performed at the Bagotville Airshow in June and will be at the Ottawa-Gatineau airshow in early September. A spokesperson told Skies the fighter is “the most survivable aircraft and a generational leap ahead of any other fighter in production today. From a cost perspective, we've reduced production cost below $80 million,” which would be on par, if not below, other legacy aircraft. Over 400 aircraft have now been built, accumulating 200,000 flight hours. When the government re-launched the Future Fighter Capability project in late 2017, it also said the eventual evaluation would include an assessment of a bidder's “impact on Canada's economic interests,” a clause directed at Boeing for its then trade complaint against Montreal-based Bombardier. With the trade complaint since dismissed by U.S. International Trade Commission, Jim Barnes, Boeing's team lead for the Canada, told Skies in May the clause would not have “an impact on our competitiveness.” Boeing will likely bid the Block 3 variant of the Super Hornet, “the next evolution” that features advanced networking and data processing capabilities in a distributed targeting processor network with cockpit touch panel displays, and in an airframe that has been enhanced from 6,000 to 10,000 flight hours. “The baseline Super Hornet attributes, with the capability increases of the Block 3, is an ideally suited aircraft for NORAD and NATO operations,” said Barnes. “At this point in time, we think we have a very compelling offer to put on the table.” That offer could be bolstered by the continued interest in the aircraft by the U.S. Navy. Boeing has signed a multi-year contract for 110 Block 3 aircraft out to 2026, and is expected to convert as many as 442 Block 2 variants to the Block 3 configuration by 2033. “It is the perfect time for an international customer to procure the Super Hornet,” he said, noting that the ongoing U.S. Navy program will help maintain acquisition and lifecycle costs. Airbus Defence & Space has said from start of the competition that it would decide whether to submit a proposal once the final statement of requirements in the RFP was released. The Typhoon serves in a similar role to NORAD duty with the Royal Air Force, and has participated in numerous missions with U.S. aircraft. It is unclear how easily it could be incorporated into NORAD mission systems. However, Airbus has continued to strengthen its position in Canada, winning the fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft competition in 2016 and partnering with Bombardier on the C Series, now known as the Airbus A220. It now calls Canada it's fifth home country. “We are proud of our history as a longstanding partner to Canada, serving the country's aerospace priorities for over three decades. We welcome the new opportunities to support the Canadian Armed Forces, to provide skilled aerospace jobs across our country and to help safeguard Canadian sovereignty,” Simon Jacques, president of Airbus Defence and Space Canada, told CBC. While the Gripen E might be the dark horse in the competition, Patrick Palmer, Saab Canada's executive vice-president, told defence reporters in May the aircraft was designed to be easily upgradeable as technology changes–the avionics software is split so that flight-critical and tactical modules can be upgraded separately “without having to have a full aircraft recertified.” The jet has also evolved to ensure NATO interoperability and meet “the threats beyond 2025 – the threats we know today, the threats we don't know today ... in any contested airspace environment,” he said. More important for the NORAD mission, the Gripen was designed from the outset for Arctic operations, requiring minimal ground crew support and featuring the ability to operate from austere airstrips. PSPC expects to award a contract in 2022. The first aircraft will be delivered starting in 2025. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/fighter-jet-rfp-released/