Canada opens AI compute funding round for supercomputer
The Canadian government has opened applications for its AI Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program, backed by about CAD $890 million for the infrastructure build component over seven fiscal years.
The program will support the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a large-scale public AI supercomputing system in Canada. The aim is to give researchers, innovators and institutions domestic access to computing resources for artificial intelligence work.
The call is part of the Canadian Sovereign AI Compute Strategy, which focuses on three areas: private sector investment, public supercomputing infrastructure and an AI Compute Access Fund. This application round covers the Infrastructure Build Layer.
Eligible applicants include not-for-profit organisations incorporated in Canada, post-secondary institutions incorporated in Canada and consortia led by either a not-for-profit or post-secondary institution. Consortia may include academic institutions, research organisations and industry partners, as long as the lead applicant meets the ownership and incorporation requirements.
Applications will be reviewed through a multi-stage assessment process that combines official due diligence with advice from domestic and international experts. The framework will weigh technical feasibility against policy priorities such as delivery speed, future expansion, Canadian governance and economic impact.
Those priorities reflect Ottawa's broader concern over control of critical digital infrastructure as AI development becomes increasingly dependent on costly computing assets. The system is intended to keep data residency, operational control and decision-making authority in Canada.
Canada has long sought to position itself as a centre for AI research, with universities and institutes producing widely cited work and helping launch a range of companies in the field. The government says that, meanwhile, access to large computing systems has become a constraint for many research groups and businesses as training and deploying models requires more specialised hardware and bigger budgets.
The new infrastructure is expected to support work in sectors including health care, energy, advanced manufacturing and scientific research. It is also intended to help retain intellectual property and skilled workers in Canada while reducing reliance on foreign supply chains.
The program guide emphasises both rapid deployment and long-term expansion. Applicants are expected to show how they would deliver meaningful computing capacity quickly while designing a system that can scale over time.
The full application process follows an earlier call for statements of interest that closed in 2025. Prospective applicants are now being asked to request the formal application documents and submit completed forms with supporting material before the deadline.
Ministers presented the move as a step towards expanding domestic AI infrastructure at a time when countries are competing to secure computing resources, data control and technical talent. In Canada, the debate has increasingly focused on whether public infrastructure is needed to complement private investment and university research networks.
"Canada is already at the forefront of artificial intelligence. What we need now is access to large-scale computing power. This initiative is about building that capacity here in Canada so our researchers, institutions and innovators can move faster, go further and turn leading ideas into real-world impact," said Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation.