Prepared by Inflection Venture Partners · Embedded Growth Capital Advisory
Non-Dilutive Funding + SR&ED
📋 July Recap
SubmittedBoth IDEaS full proposals submitted Jul 21. "Turning Urban Data into Real-time Insight through AI" at $3,475,944 (with Rimkus/Chatham-Kent, Ottawa Police and Real Digital Twin) and "Reliable AI Sensor Fusion for Real World Missions" at $4,255,700 (with Balko Technologies and ARA Robotics). These are full proposals, so both are straight go/no-go decisions on a 90-day turnaround.
SubmittedNATO DIANA — Multidomain Sensing and Advanced Data Processing submitted ($160,000) on Jul 2, plus the ALL in Canada Smart Cities Challenge on Jul 3 and the Alliance of Canadian Defence Companies registration.
Delivered2026 Hiring Strategy + Funding Map delivered Jul 30 — a funding-matched recruitment plan covering every open role, with an applicant-demographic trigger table and program profiles, so hiring decisions and subsidy eligibility are made together rather than sequentially.
Geoterra (Africa) Funding Plan finalized — a phased 12–18 month roadmap running CanExport and Eurostars Call 11 first, then NRC IRAP core and SR&ED, with GAC unsolicited proposal, EDC buyer financing (up to $25M) and FinDev Canada in 2027.
Three corrections issued to the live pipeline in the Jul 16 scan: StrongNorth is equity, not debt — it would collide with the $10M seed round, and the non-dilutive $1M debt path is BDC's Defence Platform direct lending, expanded to $6B in March 2026. Eurostars was under-scoped: the NRC IRAP ceiling is up to $500,000 CAD per Canadian SME, not $150–300K. And RAII funds only one project at a time, which may block a second application.
IRAP SOC 2 support scoped precisely — it covers up to two engagements per year of 25 consultant hours each at a $250 firm contribution, and does not cover audit fees. The consultant must be In-Sec-M vetted, so the plan is to get CompAI onto the approved list rather than switch vendors.
Ten new programs added to the tracker, including Mitacs Accelerate — Defence and Security Call ($100,000), NRC IRAP Defence Industry Assist ($250,000), Innovation Asset Collective and ElevateIP Alberta on the IP side, plus the youth and student wage subsidy stack.
NRO Open Call assessed and ruled out for a direct bid. The solicitation requires US domicile, a NOAA-licensed remote sensing satellite and all work performed in the US — software and analytics alone are non-responsive. The only viable route is joining a US prime.
🔭 August Outlook
Mitacs Accelerate Defence & Security closes Aug 17. Enhanced rates — $20K/unit for Master's and PhD (BigGeo pays $10K), $25K/unit postdoc, up to 30 units. Needs a UCalgary supervisor and your confirmation on defence-related scope. Placeholder units can go in now with students named later.
Venture for Canada fall internship employer deadline Aug 14 (50% / $5,000 per intern).
Eurostars Call 11 — IRAP-side registration Aug 19, submission Sept 10. Canada, Germany and South Africa are all eligible, which maps onto all three BigGeo markets.
In-person IRAP meeting with Lynn at end of August to move the project pipeline forward.
Recruitment scope extension awaiting signature — embedded talent function absorbed into the existing retainer at no incremental fee, with a placement fee on start date and a 90-day replacement guarantee.
IDEaS decisions expected around mid-to-late October on the 90-day clock; nothing lands in August.
NRO route via a US prime to reconvene before the ~September deadline. Touchbases Aug 7, 14, 21 and 28.