MINERVA Initiative – Uncrewed Ground System for Surveillance and Reconnaissance

*Please note that the ISC website will be available on August 13, 2026 at 10:30am EST.* This Challenge Notice is issued under the Innovative Solutions Canada Program (ISC) Call for Proposals 004 (EN578-24ISC4). For general ISC information, Offerors can visit the ISC website at: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/101.nsf/eng/home Please refer to the Solicitation Documents Innovative Solutions Canada Program Call for Proposals – 004 - Tender Notice | CanadaBuys https://canadabuys.canada.ca/en/tender-opportunities/tender-notice/cb-3… which contains the process for submitting a proposal. Here are a few things you need to know before you get started on your application to this challenge: 1. This challenge is only open to receive proposals for Phase 2 (prototype development) of our Challenge Stream. - Proposed solutions that fall within technology readiness level (TRL) 5 and 9 can be submitted to this challenge: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/innovative-solutions-canada/en/isc-tec… 2. We recently made changes to the Challenge Stream; we have outlined the new parameters: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/innovative-solutions-canada/en/challen… Steps to apply: Step 1: Read this challenge. Step 2: Read the Call for Proposals : https://canadabuys.canada.ca/en/tender-opportunities/tender-notice/cb-3… Step 3: Propose your solution here : https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/innovative-solutions-canada/en/minerva… MINERVA Initiative – Uncrewed Ground System for Surveillance and Reconnaissance The Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Army (CA) requires an uncrewed ground system (UGS) to conduct ground surveillance and reconnaissance (S&R) that is domestically produced, easy to operate and maintain, and adequately rugged to enable the Canadian soldier to successfully fight and survive on the future battlefield. MINERVA Initiative – Uncrewed Ground System for Surveillance and Reconnaissance Challenge sponsor: Department of National Defense (DND) Funding mechanism: Contract Opening date: August 13, 2026 Closing date: September 10, 2026, 14:00 Eastern time Challenge Problem statement The Canadian Army (CA) soldier is facing an increasingly complex and dangerous battlespace in the future. A major element of the complexity and danger is the proliferation of multi-spectral sensors and precision weapons that will limit the CA’s ability to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance (S&R) operations and strike enemy targets at range by using attributable ballistic trajectory weapons without the risk of being targeted and attacked. The CA presently lacks an uncrewed ground system (UGS) capable of conducting ground-based surveillance and reconnaissance. The CA requires an innovative UGS that provides an uncrewed alternative to conduct persistent surveillance and route, area, and point reconnaissance tasks. This innovation must be simple, durable, and highly survivable, providing soldiers with an effective capability for future conflicts that integrates seamlessly into operations while minimizing training and maintenance requirements, allowing soldiers to focus on their mission. Desired outcomes and considerations Essential (mandatory) outcomes The proposed solution must: • Be composed of a : o Ground Vehicle: The vehicle containing the onboard electronics, propulsion, and payload. o Sensor Payload: The equipment required for navigation and to complete a mission, such as cameras or imaging systems. o Ground Control Station (GCS): The system used by the human operator to control the vehicle and manage missions. Example of GCS components includes without limitation, laptop, tablet, handheld controller, etc. o Radio: The wireless system that connects the GCS to the UGS to transmit commands and receive telemetry/ data. o Battery with Charger: A battery for the UGS and a battery charger capable of charging multiple batteries simultaneously. o Remote antenna: An external antenna placed 100m from the GCS to enhance signal strength, reduce interference, and extend operational range. • Operate in a temperature range of -20˚C and +40˚C. • Weigh no more than 410kg in an unladen state. • Have a minimum operational radius of 3km (unladen) from the GCS while maintaining user control and live video via Radio Frequency link. • Operate at a minimum speed of 15km/hr and have a minimum endurance of 4hrs in continuous motion while in an unladen state. • Be capable of navigating paved roads, sand trails, and gravel trails during both day and night at a minimum gradient of 15 degrees (approach and lateral). • Have front-facing and rear-facing sensors that enable the operator to recognize¹ a target at a minimum distance under the following conditions: a. Day – Person (180cm) at 0.5km, Vehicle (5m x 3m x 2m) at 1km b. Night – Person (180cm) at 0.25km, Vehicle (5m x 3m x 2m) at 0.5km • Be able to look over a minimum 1m obstacle and employ a pan or swivel capability to achieve a minimum of 180-degree field of vision. • Have sustained mobility of ≥7 km/h across while carrying its rated payload across roads, trails, and cross-country terrain. The vehicle must ascend 20% grades, traverse 15% side slopes, negotiate a 250 mm vertical step, and cross a 500 mm trench” ¹. “Recognize” is defined by the Johnson Criteria: Detection, Recognition, and Identification (DRI) are all guidelines that have been set in place by The Night Vision Thermal Imaging Systems Performance Model, also referred to as the Johnson criteria. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnson%27s_criteria Additional Outcomes The proposed solution should: • Be deployable from a stowed state to a ready state in 30 minutes or less. This includes completing all tasks (i.e. unstrapping/unloading vehicle, loading/fueling the power system and loading/configuring mission set) such that the vehicle is fully prepped and ready to leave the line of departure. • Be sized such that a minimum of 2 UGS can be stowed for transport on a standard palletized loading system (PLS) deck (8 feet wide by 20 feet long). • Be capable of operating with fibre-optic wire, or an alternate non-Electromagnetic (EM) spectrum means that enables the operator to be a minimum of 100m away from the vehicle. • Be powered by electric or hybrid engines. • Incorporate front automated obstacle avoidance features. • Emit no more than 5 decibels Sound Pressure Level (dB SPL) of noise in all frequency ranges, measured at a 500m distance from the vehicle. • Be transportable by a palletized loading system (PLS). • Be recoverable by a NATO-standard tow hook. • Have a minimum endurance of 48hrs while stationary and using its sensor payload. • Have an aggregated projected production cost of $150,000 CAD or less per system. • Have a Ground Control Station (GCS) that: a. Incorporates a simulation capability for Mission Planning. b. Has a minimum remote antenna cable length of 50m. c. Enables UGS navigation via both direct operator control and autonomously using waypoint navigation via the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). d. Displays the following information: o Location of vehicle in 6 figure Military Grid Reference System (MGRS); o Orientation of vehicle (pitch/roll/yaw); o Point of aim of camera in 6 figure MGRS; o Real-time full motion video feed; and o Battery life. e. Is capable of interfacing with the Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) battle management system to push UGS Position Location Information (PLI) and target PLI. f. Is able to direct the vehicle to return to a pre-determined location in case of loss of link. • Have sufficient physical space, power, and API for a payload of up to 100lbs that draws up to 30W of power. • Demonstrate capacity in having its critical components produced and sourced in countries within the NATO alliance, NATO Partners or Major Non-NATO Allies (https://www.nato.int/en/what-we-do/partnerships-and-cooperation/natos-p…). To achieve this, Offerors are requested to provide as an attachment to their proposal, a list identifying the solution's critical components, the country of production and sourcing for each component. Critical components and requested information for each critical components are defined in the table below: Critical Components 1. Radio 2. Ground control station (GCS) 3. On-board computer 4. Any software Requested information i. Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM): Name of the original equipment manufacturer of the product that is being sourced ii. OEM URL: Provide the URL of the OEM iii. Software: Confirm if developed by Offeror or outsourced iv. Product name: Provide the OEM’s product name v. Model number: Provide the OEM’s model and/or version number of the product vi. Product URL: Provide the URL of the OEM product, model, and version. vii. Country of origin Background and context The Canadian Army is undergoing a generational modernization effort to address the evolving nature of technology, the changing character of conflict, and the unravelling of the geopolitical system. The transformative changes being made are conceptually described in the Canadian Army publication Inflection Point 2025. This document provides the broad context for modernization and directs the development and acquisition of key systems; in particular, it states: Key to this transformation is the integration of emerging technologies, including AI, machine learning, robotics, autonomous and uncrewed systems. These capabilities will support a wide range of functions, from intelligence analysis and predictive modeling to targeting and operational execution. The Canadian Army, in recognizing this need, has purchased foreign robotics and autonomous systems of varying quality and has identified challenges purchasing systems that meet operational requirements, in particular related to cold-weather operations, and that have stable supply chains. Further, purchases have, in the past, been constrained by limited manufacturing capacity of industry partners. To address this, the Government of Canada’s recently released policy Canada’s Defence Industrial Strategy, emphasizes the need to develop a strong domestic industrial capacity to produce defence materiel. This policy directs the Canadian Army to seek solutions to operational problems through Canadian industry, which will both improve the CA’s capability while providing the foundation of a strong defence industrial base able to scale production of quality defence material. To date, engagements with Canadian industry have revealed a wide variety of small/medium companies that have commercial technologies that could, with support, be tailored to military requirements. Maximum contract value and travel Phase 2 · Maximum funding: $500,000.00 CAD · Project duration: Up to 15 months · Estimated number of contracts: 5 This disclosure is made in good faith and does not commit Canada to award any contracts for the total approximate funding. Final decisions on the number of Phase 2 awards will be made by Canada based on factors such as evaluation results, departmental priorities, and availability of funds. The Government of Canada reserves the right to make partial awards and to negotiate project scope changes. Note: Selected companies are eligible to receive one contract per phase per challenge. Travel Travel to Suffield, Alberta for prototype demonstration Kick-off meeting All communication will take place by telephone or videoconference. Progress review meeting(s) Any progress review meetings will be conducted by telephone or videoconference. Final review meeting All communication will take place by telephone or videoconference.