The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has posted a new opportunity that builds on previous work for food production in deep space that also supports food security in the Arctic.
The CSA is looking to contract a multidisciplinary team to co-develop a conceptual design for a deployable Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) unit. The team must include an Inuit firm based in Nunavut and is not limited to businesses listed on the Inuit Firms Registry.
In the opportunity posting, the CSA said, “The objective of this contract is to co-develop a conceptual design—including technical drawings (CAD models) and a detailed report—for a deployable CEA unit that meets specific technical, environmental, and Inuit cultural requirements. This work is intended to support the potential future integration of a CEA unit prototype into an Inuit-led initiative aimed at improving local food security in Nunavut.
“Additionally, the Contractor is expected to go beyond existing solutions by advancing the design through the conceptual integration of mature and near-ready technologies into a novel deployable CEA unit. To meet the CSA space mandate, the contractor must develop new or improve components and subsystems, and tailor them to unprecedented environmental and cultural requirements.
“The resulting design will inform future CSA activities in both terrestrial and space contexts, addressing food accessibility in Northern communities on Earth while advancing food production capabilities for long-duration space missions.”
This tender also follows on the heels of the Deep Space Food Challenge, a joint initiative between the CSA, Impact Canada, and NASA. The CSA recently awarded grants to Canadian innovators—like Vancouver’s Ecoation Innovative Solutions, which built the CANGrow Modular Indoor Food Production System—to develop high-yield, low-resource food production systems.
The estimated contract duration is 23 months, with a proposed start date of May 4, 2026. The deadline to bid is April 17, 2026. The maximum funds available for this phase of the project is $745,000.