Frequently Asked Questions

  • 1. Why is the Public Health Agency of Canada launching the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge?

    The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has committed to helping prevent diabetes through several activities, one of which is the type 2 diabetes Prevention Challenge, which was announced and funded through Budget 2021. This Challenge is launching to attract innovators to develop and implement community co-designed approaches that address the risks that lead to developing type 2 diabetes for communities in Canada, before a person requires entry into the medical system.

  • 2. What does the Challenge hope to achieve?

    This Challenge seeks to:

    • Spur community and social innovation that addresses barriers to early type 2 diabetes prevention for communities in Canada that have a high risk to develop the condition
    • Find multiple different approaches to type 2 diabetes prevention representing the div ersity of communities across the country that can subsequently be adapted for use in other communities in Canada
    • Generate new inter-sectoral partnerships that expand on the strengths of communities in Canada to help prevent type 2 diabetes
    • Develop social, participation, or other measures for type 2 diabetes risk that are meaningful to members of communities in Canada
  • 3. What does an innovative approach to type 2 diabetes prevention look like?

    Approaches must be new for the community in which they are deployed, addressing persisting barriers that the community experiences in addressing the risks that lead to type 2 diabetes prevention. They do not need to be developed brand new for the Challenge and could include adapting an approach that has been successfully applied in another context or for another health priority.

  • 4. What defines a community in Canada?

    For this Challenge, a communi ty in Canada is defined by group of individuals united by shared beliefs, culture, goals, activities, or geography. Community members are connected to each other and work towards common interests. For example, a community that shares the same local geography, sociocultural beliefs, or a community of workers.

  • 5. What are the benefits of participating in the Challenge?

    Several financial prizes will be awarded to innovators who successfully become prize winners. Based on the initial concept application, up to 21 semi-finalists will receive $35,000 to support developing their concept in stage 2 of the Challenge. Based on the developed concept, up to 7 finalists will be awarded an additional $600,000 dollars to implement and generate evidence of effectiveness during Stage 3 of the Challenge. After successful implementation and evidence of effectiveness, up to 2 grant prizes of $1.25M will be awarded. Additional non-financial resources and supports will be provid ed to innovators at each stage of the Challenge to accelerate progress in helping prevent type 2 diabetes for communities in Canada. These could include but are not limited to tools and supports related to networking, business development, evaluation, and engagement.

    Participation in the Challenge also profiles innovative approaches and creates increased visibility for the innovative approach within Canada and broadly, which includes the merit of having been evaluated by a range of topical experts.

    Innovators who have approaches to prevent type 2 diabetes, as well as those that are not working in the diabetes space but have an idea or approach, have an opportunity to adapt it to help reduce the number of people living in Canada that will develop type 2 diabetes.

  • 6. How is this Challenge different from a grant?

    The Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge is an additional investment by the government that is complimentary to other diabetes related in itiatives. Participation in this Challenge is open to a broad range of innovators to attract new talent and new ideas from a wide variety of backgrounds. Innovators are rewarded for achieving and improving on outcomes at each stage of the Challenge with both prize money and additional non-financial supports to accelerate progress towards problem solving.

    The Challenge uses prize funding to reward innovators for work already completed so applicants are not required to detail anticipated expenses. This flexibility creates the ability to pivot in response to information discovered during participation in the Challenge. This helps to ensure that each participant will be able to achieve outcomes for the community where the concept is being developed and implemented.

  • 7. Is this Challenge related to the Framework for Diabetes in Canada or Bill C-237, an Act to establish a national framework for diabetes?

    This Challenge is an independent initiative that is distinct from the Framework for Diabetes in Canada but aligns to principles of the Framework.

  • 8. Who can apply?

    Eligibility criteria is kept broad in order to open up the problem-solving space to new players and create the condit ions for non-traditional innovators to participate in helping prevent type 2 diabetes. Organizations, individuals, or teams that are or can incorporate in Canada as a business or not-for-profit, are eligible to apply.

    In addition, each applicant will need to partner with a registered organization representing a community in Canada to co-lead the application, design, implementation, and strategy of the innovative approach (unless the lead applicant is a registered organization representing a community). See our Applicant Guide for full details on who is eligible to apply.

    Applications will be assessed the same regardless of the applicant type (community organization, not-for-profit, individual etc.). They are assessed based on responses to the questions in the application form not the credentials of the applicant.

  • 9. What language can I apply in?

    Applications can be submitted either in French or in English.

  • 10. Can I submit more than one application?

    One application per innovative idea/concept can be submitted. Any additional applications for the innovative idea/concept submitted by an applicant/team will be considered as a duplicate and will not be assessed.

  • 11. Can I include links to external resources (e.g., YouTube videos) in my application?

    No. Links to external content will not be reviewed as part of the initial application. Only written content submitted as part of the official application form as well as any requested PDF uploads will be reviewed and assessed.

  • 12. Who determines the winners at each stage of the Challenge?

    The Applicant Guide contains descriptions of each assessment criteria used to assess an application, and the Challenge principles used to guide the outcomes sought for communities in Canada.

    The Public Health Agency of Canada will select all prize winners upon the recommendation of a panel of judges. The panel of judges is comprised of subject matter experts in Canada who have high degree of knowledge in the Challenge assessment criteria. The evaluation committee may include individuals who are both ex ternal or internal to government.

    The Public Health Agency of Canada will ensure that any real or perceived conflict of interest for judges or others involved in the assessment process is disclosed and mitigated and will execute non-disclosure agreements for external reviewers to protect the confidential information of applicants.

  • 13. Who receives the prize money from a group of organizations or individuals working as a team?

    Grant agreements will be negotiated with the Lead Applicant only. Any arrangements between the Lead Applicant and their partners or team members are the responsibility of the Lead Applicant. PHAC is not liable for any outcome from those arrangements.

  • 14. Can innovators who receive funding from another government program apply to the Challenge?

    Yes. Provided requirements of both programs and the terms and conditions of the funding agreements are met. The concept detailed in the application must not replicate an already existing program or work in the community.

  • 15. Can innovators apply directly to Stage 2 or 3 of the Challenge? No. All applicants must submit their application at Stage 1 of the Challenge. Only those who are selected at the end of Stage 1 will be eligible to compete for Stage 2 funding. However, innovators that do not proceed to subsequent challenge stages can considering partnering with those that do proceed.
  • 16. How do innovators continue to operate their innovative approach once the Challenge ends?

    Prize money is not provided on an ongoing basis and later stages of the Challenge evaluates innovators on the ability to continue using their approach in a community after the Challenge is completed. Innovators are strongly encouraged to develop a business model that leverages their partnerships or find or generate additional resources early in the challenge process to help ensure they can continue to use their approach on a long-term basis.

  • 17. How will innovator Intellectual Property be protected?
    • Any intellectual property created by a Challenge participant will remain the property of the participant.
    • PHAC will not disclose information which the participant identifies and consistently treats as being confidential information except where required by law or with the participant’s consent. Should the information provided by the participant be subject to an access to information request, PHAC will treat the participant’s information (such as trade secrets; information of a financial, commercial, scientific or technical nature; or information for which disclosure could prevent the securing, patenting or publishing of intellectual property) in accordance with the provisions of the Access to Information Act, which includes provisions exempting the disclosure of confidential business and third party information.
    • PHAC will enter into non-disclosure agreements with any judges or others involved in the assessment process to protect the applicants’ confidential business or organizational information.
  • 18. Can I submit an application that has a concept that addresses the complications of having a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes?

    No. To align with the Challenge objectives and principles, the concept submitted must reduce the risk to develop type 2 diabetes before requiring entry into the medical system.

  • 19. Are there a set number of awards for each category of eligible applicants or based on regional representation?

    No. This challenge is designed with low barrier to entry and uses broad eligibility criteria to attract a diverse group of innovators from both traditional and non-traditional sectors.

  • 20. Can I get feedback on my application before the application deadline?

    No. As a competitive process, and to ensure transparency and fairness, individual feedback on in-progress applications will not be provided.

  • 21. Are research studies considered eligible concepts that can be submitted to the Challenge?

    No. Pure research is not within the scope of the Challenge. The proposed concepts must not be solely for skills development, building capacity, communications, promotions, scaling up/replicating existing activities, or commercial research and development. However, participation in the Challenge may require an innovator to perform some research to support the development and implementation of the concept.

Date modified: 2023-01-30