Secure Transatlantic Quantum Communications demonstration

3.1 Eligible Recipients

Eligible recipients are limited to for-profit organizations established and operating in Canada.

Eligible recipients must have more than 100 employees in Canada at the time of applying. This minimum number of employees is applicable to the legal entity applying.

Eligible recipients must demonstrate over than $5M/year in annual revenue during the past 3 years.

3.2 Eligible Projects

The project must aim to advance towards QKD system by demonstrating a wide-scale, end-to-end secure quantum communication network as a means to strengthen industrial capabilities (new concepts, products and/or know-how) related to basic R&D of quantum technologies.

Eligible projects must include at least 3 other Canadian technologies that enable quantum communication applications, from 3 different organizations in the demonstration. These organizations exclude academic institutions.

Projects aiming at TRLs higher than TRL-6 are not eligible. There is no restriction on starting TRL.

Applications must be unique to this AO. An applicant cannot summit the same project to another open CSA AO. If multiple applications of the same project are detected, CSA will declare the application ineligible, and it will not be evaluated.

An applicant can only submit one application form.

3.3 Links to CSA Priorities

This AO focuses on the CSA's priority of building capabilities and positioning Canada's private space sector to help grow the economy and create the jobs of the future. It will support a project that aims 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 Space Capacity Development Program objective to increase space and market readiness for both science and technologies to be flight-ready for space missions. This AO also contributes to the following objectives of the CSA Class G&C Program: To support the development of technologies relevant to Canada; and to foster the continuing development of a critical mass of highly qualified personnel (HQP) in Canada.

3.5 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Applicants should strive for a balanced representation in the group HQPs participating in the project. For instance, applicants are encouraged to propose projects that increase the representativeness of the four designated groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, members of visible minorities, and persons with disabilities).

3.6 Basic R&D definition

Eligible projects supported under this AO must comply with the following definition for basic R&D:

"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:

• Are the technical objectives clearly quantified?
• Is there a description of how the expected results will be measured?
• Are the technological unknowns to be answered clearly stated?
• Are the working hypotheses used to solve the technological unknowns clearly stated?
• Is the anticipated plausibility of solving the technological unknowns clearly stated?
• Is it clearly demonstrated that the proposed solution consists of more than ordinary engineering or current operations?
• Are the current TRL and the proposed TRL expected to be reached (up to TRL-6) clearly substantiated?

The following 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 a 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 must be undertaken in Canada unless it is essential to the success of the project.

4.1 Registering the intent to submit with CSA (deadline is June 25, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. [ET].)

• Interested for-profit organizations must register their intent to submit an application by using the Registration Portal. Supported browsers are Google Chrome and MS Edge.
• The registration request must be submitted no later than June 25, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. (ET).
• Registration requests submitted after June 25, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) will be rejected and organizations will not be permitted to submit an application.
• In the "Proposal title" field of the Registration Portal, use the following formatting standard: AOTransatlanticQuantumDemo_Name Of Organization (e.g. AOTransatlanticQuantumDemo_SpaceCompanyA).
• The "Applicant" section must contain the information of the contact person that will be referred in the application form.
• After the request has been submitted, the applicant will receive an email confirming registration to the AO as well as credentials to be used for the document submission. This email will also include instructions (user guide [PDF, 1,027 KB ]) on how to access the platform. Applicants should expect to receive a confirmation within three business days.

4.2 Preparing the required documentation

Interested organizations must complete all sections of the application form.

The application must include the following:

• A completed original Application form (Word, 113 KB) signed by the duly authorized representative
• The résumés of each team member responsible for managing the project and key technical personnel. Each résumé must be limited to two pages with only the information that is relevant to the application
• Proof of incorporation or registration and a copy of the document(s) confirming the legal name of the applicant
• The applicant's financial statements (unconsolidated financial statements) for the previous three fiscal years prior to the submission of this application and the most recent interim results.
• Letters of support from other organizations with a major participation in project execution
• Letters of interest, demonstrating interest in the outcomes of the project, if applicable
• The Declaration on Confidentiality, Access to Information Act and Privacy Act form signed by the duly authorized representative (refer to the Applicant Declaration on Confidentiality, Access to Information Act and Privacy Act section included in the application form)
• For organizations in Quebec, M-30 Supporting Documentation form completed and signed by the duly authorized representative (refer to the M-30 form for organizations in Quebec included in the application form)
• For organizations in Alberta, Bill-18 Supporting Documentation form completed and signed by the duly authorized representative (refer to the Bill-18 form for organizations in Alberta included in the application form).

The documents must be combined in a single PDF formatted file, in the same order as presented above with all security features disabled. The application form and supporting documents must be included in the file as a searchable PDF formatted document (PDF/A-1a format preferred). If there are any accessibility issues with the submitted PDF file, the CSA may, at its sole discretion, reject the application.

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

Additional documents might be requested in a later phase of the evaluation process.

4.3 Submitting the application (deadline July 15, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. (ET))

Using the credentials and link communicated upon registration, the applicant must log in to the secured document portal to upload the application documents. Please refer to the user guide (PDF, 1,027 KB) for instructions on how to securely upload documents. The document must be uploaded to the folder (aka community) matching the “Proposal title” created upon registration.

Please note:

• Applications must be submitted (successfully uploaded) by the applicants no later than July 15, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. (ET).
• The onus is on the applicant to ensure that their application is complete and that all documents are uploaded on the Electronic Proposal Portal before the prescribed deadline
• The CSA is not responsible for any delays under any circumstances, and will reject any applications that are uploaded after the stipulated deadline
• Applications sent by mail or courier will be rejected
• Applications hand-delivered to CSA will be rejected
• Applications sent by e-mail will be rejected
• Incomplete applications will be rejected
• Ensure the text in the reserved spaces is aerated and not pasted in one large paragraph
• Do not modify the length of the document space reserved for answering the questions. Each section has a predetermined length to be respected. Failure to respect this directive can lead to the automatic rejection of the application.

4.4 How to report issues with electronic submissions

The applicant must submit their application electronically following the instructions provided in Section 4.3 of the AO. However, if the applicant is unable to submit their application electronically, please communicate with pdts-stdp@asc-csa.gc.ca as soon as possible.

The onus is on the applicant to ensure that their application is complete and that all required documents are received by the CSA before the prescribed deadline. The CSA is not responsible for any delays under any circumstances and will reject any applications that are received after the stipulated deadline.

Questions and answers related to this AO are generally posted on the CSA website in the Frequently asked questions (Section 9).

4.5 Service standards

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

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

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

Payment: The CSA's goal is to issue payment within six (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.

5.1 Eligibility Criteria

• Represents an eligible recipient as defined in Section 3.1;
• Represents an eligible project as defined in Sections 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4;
• Meets the basic R&D definition in Section 3.5; and
• Meets program funding provisions in Section 6.

An evaluation committee will screen applications according to the eligibility criteria described in Table 4 in ANNEX 1.

5.2 Point-rated evaluation criteria

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

1. Project Strategy
   1. Breadth of the demonstration
   2. Project Implementation
   3. Advancement of Canadian Capabilities
2. Post-project Strategy
   1. Roadmap to seamless quantum secure network operations in Canada
   2. Commitment towards Canadian supply chain

The page count limit for supporting each of the above criteria is implemented in the Application form. The definitions of the criteria and the scoring grid are 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 evaluation of the screened applications will be performed according to the criteria listed in Section 5.2. Evaluators will be experts in the field relevant to the applications and may include representatives of other Canadian government departments as well as external consultants. A review committee will then make an overall selection based on the priorities of the Government of Canada and the CSA.

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.

An application must receive an overall minimum score of 70% as well as the minimum specified thresholds for each criterion to be considered further for funding.

6.1 Available Funding and Duration

The maximum CSA contribution for the project is $5,000,000. The target duration for the project is 24 to 36 months. Please see section 7 for details.

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. The following examples are acceptable cases:

The following example is not an acceptable case:

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 eligible costs, and the other confirmed sources of funds provided by other stakeholders and the applicant.

Applicants must identify all sources of funding in their application and confirm this information in a funding agreement if the project is selected for funding. The applicant must confirm it has direct access to its 25% financial contribution. It is the applicant's responsibility to plan for and make the necessary arrangements regarding loans and other financing sources. Upon completion of a project, the recipient must also disclose all sources of funding.

The CSA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to:

• terminate this AO or cancel the entire initiative at any time and for any reason
• reject any or all proposals
• reduce the total amount of the contribution

6.2 Eligible Costs

Eligible costs are costs that are essential to carry out the Project, reasonable and directly related to the project to achieve the expected results of the project. The costs are to be incurred directly by the applicant. “Incurred Costs” means any expense made to carry out the project related to an eligible cost which is due and payable. CSA will not contribute to costs Incurred prior to the coming into force of a Funding Agreement and after the Project Completion Date.

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

• Acquisition or rental of equipment including software (not to exceed 20% of the total project eligible costs);
• Consulting services;
• Data acquisition;
• Laboratory analysis services;
• Materials and supplies;
• Overhead (administrative) costs (not to exceed 15% of the total project eligible costs);
• Salaries and benefits ^{Footnote *} (only the real salary rates are authorized as admissible costs which can include benefits of up to 20% of the admissible salary);
• Travel expenses including accommodation and related meal allowances;
• Access fees;
• License and permit fees;
• Taxes for goods and services acquired in a foreign country, net of any rebate or reimbursement received in the foreign country.

7.1 Agreement

Upon favorable review of the applications, the CSA will send a Contribution agreement to the successful applicant. The Contribution agreement will outline the rights, roles, and obligations of each respective party. In the event of any discrepancies between this AO and a Contribution agreement between the CSA and the recipient, the latter document will take precedence.

For greater clarity, no liability and no commitment or obligation exist on the part of the CSA to issue a Contribution payment to the applicant until a Contribution agreement is signed by both parties. Furthermore, any costs or expenses incurred or paid by the recipient prior to the execution of a written Contribution agreement by both parties are the sole responsibility of the applicant, and no liability exists on the part of the CSA.

7.2 Payments

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.

7.3 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 three (3) years after the completion date of the project, in the event of an audit. This documentation shall be available upon request.

7.4 Intellectual Property

All intellectual property developed by the recipient in the course of the project shall vest in the recipient. The recipient will undertake to protect all intellectual property he will possess, acquire or develop during the project.

7.5 Organizations in Quebec

7.6 Organizations in Alberta

An organization located in Alberta may be subject to the Provincial Priorities Act (Chapter P-35.5) (the Act) and its Provincial Priorities Regulation (Alberta Regulation 21/2025) (the Regulation).

As per section 2 of the Act, provincial entities listed in the Act and Regulations must obtain prior approval from the Government of Alberta in accordance with the process set out in the Act and in the Regulation before entering into an agreement with the Government of Canada.

Therefore, any entity that falls under the application of the Act or the Regulation must obtain such authorization prior to entering into an agreement with the CSA.

Applicants having activities in Alberta must complete the Bill-18 supporting documentation.

7.7 Performance Measurement

The recipient will have obligations to report on various performance measurement indicators throughout the execution of the project. Examples include but are not limited to the number of HQP involved in the project, return on investment and growth of the organization.

1 Project Strategy (50% of the overall score)

• Maximum: 50 points
• Minimum: 30 points (60.0%)

2 Post-Project Strategy (50% of the overall score)

• Maximum: 50 points
• Minimum: 30 points (60.0%)