Strategic Innovation Fund — COVID-19 Countermeasures ### 📋 Eligible Entities - Biopharmaceutical companies (domestic and foreign-owned operating in Canada) - Contract Research Organizations (CROs) actively engaged in vaccine or therapy development - Biotechnology firms with clinical trial infrastructure - Domestic biomanufacturing companies and contract manufacturers - Organizations with existing or planned manufacturing facilities in Canada - Key requirement: Must be actively developing COVID-19 vaccines/therapies OR expanding domestic bio-manufacturing capacity specifically for COVID-19 countermeasures ### 💰 Funding Details - Grant Type: Non-repayable contribution (grant-based funding) - Funding Structure: Direct financial support to advance project development - Eligible Cost Coverage: Varies by project stage and scope - Matching Requirements: Not explicitly stated; verify with program administrator - Repayability: Non-repayable (grant, not loan) - Payment Model: Funding distributed based on project milestones and deliverables ### 🛠️ Approved Expenses - Clinical trial development and execution costs - Vaccine development research and formulation - Therapeutic development and testing - Domestic biomanufacturing capacity expansion - Manufacturing facility setup and equipment - Production scale-up and process optimization - Quality assurance and regulatory compliance activities - Supply chain development for COVID-19 countermeasures - Personnel costs directly tied to project delivery ### ⚠️ Conditions & Milestones - Project Scope Requirement: Organization must be actively developing a vaccine/therapy clinical trial OR actively expanding domestic bio-manufacturing capacity - Domestic Focus: Priority on expanding Canada's domestic manufacturing capability - Reporting & Accountability: Recipients must report progress against defined project milestones - Milestone-Based Disbursement: Funds released upon achievement of pre-agreed deliverables and targets - Regulatory Compliance: Projects must align with Health Canada and international regulatory standards - Intellectual Property: Terms regarding IP ownership and licensing to be negotiated - Timeline: Subject to project phase and clinical trial stage