Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge
Community co-designed approaches that address the barriers and determinants of health
Introduction
The results are in!
Transcript
Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge
Type 2 diabetes is a preventable disease but the number of diagnosed cases keeps growing.
We need new ways to help Canadians reduce the risk of developing diabetes.
That’s why the Public Health Agency of Canada has launched the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge.
The challenge is to develop methods to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Apply for prize funding to develop and implement your idea!
There are many ways to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, which includes adopting healthy behaviours.
Communities can support positive changes and address some of the barriers that lead to an elevated risk for type 2 diabetes.
Let’s rise to the challenge and reverse the trend.
The Public Health Agency of Canada needs your help.
Impact Canada
Canada
Innovative approaches to help prevent type 2 diabetes developed in partnership with communities in Canada
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases affecting Canadians. It is characterized by the body's inability to produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. Diabetes is associated with a variety of symptoms and potential complications, including increased risk of infection and chronic kidney disease. In addition, people affected by diabetes often experience stigma, depression and anxiety.
Over 3 million Canadians, or 8.9% of the population, have been diagnosed with diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90% of diabetes cases in Canadian adults. Genetic and modifiable risk factors influence the development of type 2 diabetes over time. While some risk factors cannot be changed, such as genetic factors, others risk factors related to healthy eating or physical activity can be modified. Often, these modifiable risk factors can only be addressed after accounting for the conditions in which people grow, work, live and age – they depend on the intersecting social, economic, and environmental determinants of health. This Challenge is specifically focused on type 2 diabetes, as it has the potential to be prevented by addressing these modifiable risk factors and the determinants of health that influence them.
PHAC is looking for concepts or innovative approaches that can remove the barriers to addressing the risks that lead to developing type 2 diabetes, particularly those that address the determinants of health in communities with an already higher risk.
Each community in Canada has a unique context that influences the risk of developing diabetes, and this context also influences a unique set of strengths and skills for the community. We are asking innovators and communities to partner, or for communities to lead an innovative approach, to identify and implement approaches that are bespoke to the needs and strengths of community. Through such inter-sectoral partnerships, exemplifying collaboration, compassion, and respect, we are seeking concepts that expand on the knowledge and achievements of communities in Canada to find approaches that not only help prevent type 2 diabetes but are meaningful to community members. Furthermore, such innovative approaches serve as a template to be adapted in other communities or contexts in Canada, and as a template for addressing other chronic diseases in Canada that are influenced by similar barriers and risk factors.
Whether your concept is an early idea or one that you have been developing for some time, we are looking for those that have the highest potential to impact type 2 diabetes prevention in communities that are at an elevated risk for it - successful applicants will have a chance to develop their concept before implementing it. Concepts submitted to this Challenge can be brand new for the community in which it is deployed, or a new application of a previously successful approach that may or may not have to do with diabetes (but it must not replicate existing initiatives/projects already in place in a community). To help interrupt the trajectory towards developing type 2 diabetes, we are also looking for concepts that address these barriers and risks most relevant to community members before they require entry into the medical system.
Why build on community strengths?
Canada has a diverse number of communities, each with their own unique knowledge, traditions, and expertise. These are built by the experiences of how community members live, work, and spend leisure time, as well as how community members share beliefs and collaborate towards united goals. Communities where members have a strong sense of connection to each other can have an environment of trust and genuineness, and with the right resources and conditions, can use that environment to collectively and creatively leverage their respective community’s strengths to address the most issues important issues that impact them. For communities disproportionately impacted by type 2 diabetes, this Challenge creates the structure for a strength-based approach whereby communities can use their cohesiveness and creativity, with their partners, to address type 2 diabetes. It ensures that the community is involved in continuous shaping, strategy, and implementation of an innovative approach that respects what is highest value to the community and that the approach utilizes the philosophies and practices to which community members prescribe. Through the Challenge, new mutual partnerships between communities and non-traditional partners will be catalyzed, creating new ways to use resources, supports, and ideas to better reach individuals and help prevent type 2 diabetes.
The 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 (“the Challenge”), which was announced and funded through Budget 2021. In partnership with Impact Canada, PHAC is launching this Challenge to attract innovators to develop and implement community co-designed approaches that address the barriers and determinants of health that lead to having an increased risk for Type 2 Diabetes (“T2D”). Thus, this challenge seeks innovative approaches to type 2 diabetes prevention for people before they require entry into the medical system.
Through the Challenge, PHAC is seeking concepts that use a combination of community strengths and resources from inter-sectoral partnerships to overcome the barriers to type 2 diabetes prevention for communities in Canada. By expanding on the knowledge and skills held by communities in Canada, we aim to find approaches and models that are meaningful to community members, the ways that new partnerships can develop these approaches, and the ways to adapt these approaches for a diverse number of communities in Canada.
The Challenge seeks to:
To be considered for the Challenge, a proposed concept must be:
- new for the community in which it is deployed, or a new application of a previously successful approach (it must not replicate existing initiatives/projects already in place in a community);
- specific to a community that is at an elevated risk to develop T2D;
- specific to early intervention, addressing risks and barriers most relevant to the community before community members require entry into the medical system and;
- not solely for skills development, building capacity, communications, promotions, scaling up/replicating existing activities, or commercial research and development.
Note: Provision of services that are the responsibility of other levels of governments (e.g., health care) and pure research in any discipline will not be considered.
The applicant must also demonstrate that a lead/co-lead for the design, implementation, and direction of the concept is an organization whose mission represents a community within Canada (attestation and details of community organization that is a legal entity are required on application).
Challenge Principles
The multiple interacting sets of barriers and determinants of health that hinder how people in Canada can address the risks that lead to T2D vary greatly by each community. Removing these barriers aligns to core principles that represent several of PHAC’s T2D prevention priorities. Applicants must use at least one of these principles to guide their concept and, where possible, illustrate the extent to which their approach creates meaningful outcomes related to these principles for a Canadian community.
Reduce stigma
Many people in Canada experience stigmatization for being at risk for T2D, with a common misconception that people need to simply alter diet and exercise habits to reduce risk. This perspective does not account for the realities of people’s lives. Understanding how to destigmatize T2D helps shift the conversation away from shame and blame towards less judgmental and more supportive cultures.
Increase self-efficacy
People at risk for T2D may not know what their risk factors are, what resources they have for support, and how to navigate access to resources within and beyond the medical system. As well, some people may be basing their lifestyle and health decisions on misinformation/disinformation around diet or family history. Whenever possible, helping people in Canada achieve greater self-efficacy in how they understand and respond to the risks to develop T2D helps more people in Canada make informed decisions and better navigate resources available to support them.
Increase health equity
There is a disproportionate impact of T2D on many communities in Canada due to the social, economic, and geographical determinants of health. Highlighting and beginning to remove the disparities in accessing T2D prevention supports in ways that include and respect the philosophies, practices, and traditions of a community, help respond to the unmet needs of people in Canada that allow not only a prevention of disease but a cultivation of health.
Increase human-centered care
Considering the diversity of lived experience, preferences, and setting of a community helps tailor offers of support and resources to community members with greater meaning. Considering how context influences our personal and consumer choices can help create successful human-centered approaches to implement, adapt, and engage people in T2D prevention activities.
Note: Focusing on all principles does not increase the chance of becoming a prize winner - we welcome concepts with outcomes that have a significant impact on one or two principles as well as those that touch on all principles.
Challenge Statement
The Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge has been conceptualized using a Grand Challenge design. Grand Challenges are different from Challenge Prizes, which are used to solve specifically defined problems. Grand Challenges are open and thematic competitions, designed to fund a broad range of potential innovations on a prospective basis and which focus on rigorous evaluations of effectiveness. As such, a challenge statement is not defined by PHAC for this Challenge.
Applicants are asked to define their own challenge statement to tailor their concept to the most meaningful outcomes that address type 2 diabetes prevention barriers that the community experiences and is guided by Challenge principles.
For Example:
"Our remote community will overcome access barriers to healthy food, physical activity, and type 2 diabetes stigmatization by combining a trusted and familiar location with community-led food growing, activity spaces, and places to dialogue."
Assessment Criteria
The assessment a concept/approach will be based on the following:
- Innovation: Overcoming barriers/problems to type 2 diabetes prevention in ways that existing approaches consistently cannot
- Applicability to Canadian Communities: Showing how to tailor type 2 diabetes prevention to a specific Canadian community with the potential for adaptation in additional communities and contexts
- Concept Design (Model): A concept with projects, activities, and/or ideas that address barriers to prevention of type 2 diabetes for a community in Canada, creates outcomes aligned to Challenge principles that are bespoke to the needs of that community, and has the potential continue supporting the community post-challenge
- Partnership Development and Strengths-based Approach: Showing how to combine community strengths with assets and resources from inter-sectoral partnerships to better meet the type 2 diabetes prevention needs of a community
- Community Member Engagement: Demonstrating how to design and adapt a concept based on the voices and needs of community members in a way that is inclusive and represents their diversity
- Outcome Measurement: Defining ways to measure the risk for type 2 diabetes and barrier reduction outcomes that are meaningful to community members using social, participation, or other measures
For more information on the assessment criteria, please see the Applicant Guide.
Overview of Challenge Stages:
- Stage 1: Proposed Concept – The Challenge is launched and application intake remains open until March 1, 2023. Up to 21 semi-finalists with the most promising proposed concept will receive CAD $35,000 in Summer 2023 and move automatically on to Stage 2.
- Stage 2: Concept Development – Beginning in Summer 2023, semi-finalists will develop their concept to become implementable and formalize their partnerships to demonstrate how they will work towards the outcomes they aim to achieve for their community. Up to 7 semi-finalists with the most promising developed concepts from stage 2 will receive CAD $600,000 each in Winter 2024 and will move on to become stage 3 Finalists.
Note: Participants who do not proceed to subsequent Challenge stages can consider continuing collaborating and partnering with those that do. - Stage 3: Implementation and Evidence Generation – Over an 18 - 21 months period beginning in Winter 2024, finalists in this phase will implement and generate evidence that their developed concept/approach is effective in helping address the risks and barriers that lead to being at an elevated risk for type 2 diabetes. Up to two finalists with the most impressive results from stage 3 will receive CAD $1.25M in Winter 2026 and become the Grand Prize Winners for The Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge.
Note: The number of winners and Canadian prize amounts may vary depending on the applications received. For each phase, prize amounts will not be less than the amount per winner indicated above.
Who Can Apply to the Challenge?
The Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge is open to for-profit or not-for-profit organizations and individuals registered to do business in Canada. Specifically, you can apply if you are:
- Not-for-profit organizations;
- Businesses or other for-profit organizations;
- Indigenous organizations and groups located in Canada;
- Post-secondary/academic institutions;
- Individuals, groups, societies, or coalitions (non-incorporated); and
- Municipalities or local/regional governments located in Canada.
In order to receive funding, applicants are required to be a Canadian legal entity (such as a company or a corporation or a not-for-profit organization) capable of entering into binding agreements in Canada or establish one. International organizations may submit an application provided that these requirements are met. It is recommended to begin this process upon submitting an application, if required.
The applicant must demonstrate that a lead/co-lead for the design, implementation, and direction of the concept is an organization whose mission represents a community within Canada (attestation and details of community organization that is a legal entity required on application)
Please see the Applicant Guide for detailed instructions about applying to the Challenge.
Process & Prizes
Stage 1 – Challenge Launch and Proposed Concept Application Intake
November 22, 2022
Applicants must complete an online application to describe their concept/proposed approach to address the determinants of health and modifiable risks that lead to T2D in a specific Canadian community. Applicants need to describe why they chose their particular community, why their concept will be effective, which partnerships they will need to establish, and the T2D prevention outcomes they are seeking in their community that are aligned to the Challenge principles. Applicants have approximately three months to submit their application. Once the applications period ends, a review and selection process will take place, and up to 21 semi-finalists will be selected to receive a $35,000 prize and to move to the next stage.
A high-level description of all semi-finalist concepts will be posted on the Impact Canada website.
Stage 2 – Concept Development
Summer 2023 – Up to 21 semi-finalists
In this stage, the semi-finalists selected in stage 1 will develop their concept through research on the barriers to T2D prevention relevant to their community and by creating a fully implementable plan. They will also need to formalize partnerships that will be used to expand on the resources required to respond to these barriers. As part of the development of their concept, semi-finalists will also need to develop a plan to measure and evaluate how effective their approach is in achieving outcomes for their community that are related to Challenge Principles. Semi-finalists will have approximately 4 months to fully develop their concept. Once developed concepts are submitted for review and assessment, up to 7 finalists will be selected to receive a $600,000 prize and to move to the final stage.
The Government of Canada is committed to conducting Sex and Gender-based Analysis Plus on all legislation, policies and programs. SGBA plus incorporates consideration of gender as well as other identity factors such as age, education, language, geographic area, culture, and income. Semi-finalists are expected to incorporate these considerations into their developed concept to help demonstrate how community members can realistically participate in their approach and the impact of issues like poverty, racism, language barriers, and stigmatization has on participation.
Semi-finalists are expected to share lessons learned from the activities undertaken during this stage and participate in a developmental evaluation. Summaries of fully developed concepts will be posted on the Impact Canada website.
Stage 3 – Implementation and Evidence Generation
Winter 2024 – Up to 7 finalists
In this stage, the finalists that were selected in stage 2 are expected to rigorously test and evaluate the effectiveness of their concept, as it is being implemented. They will generate evidence that their approach reduces the number of individuals who are at risk to develop T2D in their community using their method of understanding and measuring that risk. At the end of this stage, finalists are expected to show how their approach could be adapted to other communities or contexts within Canada. Finalists will be asked for a plan to continue business development and continued operation of their approach once the Challenge ends. Finalists will have 18 to 21 months to implement and generate evidence and once this has been submitted for review and assessment, up to two grand prize winners will be selected to receive $1.25M prizes each.
During this stage, finalists are expected to continue sharing lessons learned including their methods for designing and testing their approach. They may be asked to participate in a forum or event that profiles their innovation to a broad audience.
Canadian Grand Prize Winners Selected
Winter 2026 – Up to 2 grand prize winners
Up to 2 grand prize winners will be selected from among the Finalists and announced in Winter 2026.
Up to 21 prizes of CAD $35,000 open to all eligible applicants who submit a stage 1 proposed concept application.
Up to 7 prizes of CAD $600,000 open to all semi-finalists participating in stage 2.
Up to 2 grand prizes of CAD $1.25M open to all finalists participating in stage 3.
Note: The number of winners and Canadian prize amounts may vary depending on the number of applications received. For each phase, prize amounts will not be less than the amount per winner indicated above. In addition to prize funding, non-financial supports will be provided to semi-finalists and finalists to accelerate their progress towards achieving outcomes related to type 2 diabetes prevention. These supports will be tailored to the cohort of participants in stage 2 and stage 3 and may include but are not limited to:
- Networking and matchmaking opportunities
- Business development tools or supports
- Evaluation supports
- Consultation and engagement tools and resources
Please refer to the Applicant Guide for a more detailed description of the application, process, prize amounts, and challenge stages.
Judges
Doug Roth Co-Chair
CEO of Heart & Stroke Canada
Full bio
Doug Roth is the CEO of Heart & Stroke Canada. For over a decade Doug has been an integral part of the Heart & Stroke family, holding a variety of senior leadership roles throughout the organization. He leads Heart & Stroke’s fight against heart disease, stroke and related conditions. His work is driven by collaboration – with their volunteers and donors, researchers, people who have lived experience, health care professionals, governments and others – and everything they do is aimed at improving the health of people in Canada by decreasing risk factors, complications, and death from heart disease, stroke and related conditions.
Prior to joining Heart & Stroke, Doug spent 10+ years with Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm, where he worked with clients in Canada, the United States and Europe.
Doug has an honours business administration degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is a board member of the Health Charity Coalitions of Canada, Stratford Summer Music Festival and the STAR Family Health Team.
Dr. Jasmine Pawa Co-Chair
Past President, Public Health Physicians of Canada | Public Health and Preventive Medicine Physician
Full bio
Dr. Jasmine Pawa is a Public Health and Preventive Medicine specialist physician. She works as a public health physician consultant to a range of public sector organizations and is the President of the national specialty society, Public Health Physicians of Canada. She has provided coverage in the north of Canada, with public health services as a Deputy Chief Public Health Officer and with health care teams as Senior Medical Advisor. Her professional focus is on health policy and health systems, and she has additional experience in qualitative methods. She’s committed to working with teams on integrating population health and medical expertise with the insights of community members – and shifting decision-making accordingly.
Dr. Jia Hu
CEO, 19 To Zero | Public Health and Preventive Medicine Physician
Full bio
Jia Hu is a public health and preventive medicine physician and a family doctor. He is the CEO of 19 To Zero, a not-for-profit coalition aimed at promoting healthy behaviors such as vaccination and screening. He is also a physician with Cleveland Clinic Canada where he advises large companies on health and wellness issues such as COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, mental health, and chronic diseases. He was previously a Medical Officer of Health with Alberta Health Services where he helped lead different aspects of the COVID-19 response including the use of novel technologies, vaccine rollout, and population-level behaviour change campaigns.
Dr. Zayna Khayat
In House Health Futurist, Deloitte Canada, Life Sciences & Healthcare Practice | Growth Advisor, Telad
Full bio
Zayna Khayat is adjunct faculty in the Health Sector Strategy stream at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto where she instructs a course in healthcare innovation in the health MBA program. Zayna the in-house health futurist with Deloitte Canada's Life Sciences & Healthcare practice. And an advisor to Teladoc Health in Canada, the world’s largest virtual care company. Zayna previously led the Futures team with national home healthcare and aging social enterprise, SE Health, as their Future Strategist. Dr. Khayat was previously the lead of health system innovation at MaRS Discovery District, a health innovation hub in Toronto, Canada. In 2017 she was seconded to the REshape Innovation Centre at Radboud university medical centre in the Netherlands. Zayna completed her Ph.D. in diabetes research from the University of Toronto (2001), followed by a career in strategy consulting, including as a Principal in the healthcare practice of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). She currently resides in Toronto with her husband and three children and is proficient in French and Arabic languages (and a bit of Dutch!).
Dr. Leia Michelle Minaker
Director, Future Cities Initiative & Associate Professor, School of Planning, University of Waterloo
Full bio
Leia Michelle Minaker is an Associate Professor in the School of Planning at the University of Waterloo. She received a PhD in public health from the University of Alberta in 2013 and held a Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute Career Development Award in Cancer Prevention from 2016-2019, focusing on youth health and policies and environments that support cancer prevention. At the University of Waterloo, she currently serves as Director of the Future Cities Initiative as well as the Director of the Survey Research Institute. Her research broadly focuses on urban planning and public health, with a particular focus on food systems, youth mental and physical health, and health equity. She has worked with both Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada to design environmental assessment tools for Canadian communities to measure the healthfulness of their food environments for chronic disease prevention and has expertise in population health intervention research methods. Outside of her research, Leia keeps busy raising three teenage daughters and gardening. She also serves as a Board member for the Kitchener Downtown Community Health Centre/Sanctuary Refugee Health Centre.
Sophia Ikura
Founder and Executive Director, Health Commons Solutions Lab
Full bio
Sophia Ikura is the founder and executive director of Health Commons Solutions Lab, a not-for-profit health and social innovation lab at Sinai Health in Toronto. She launched the lab to dedicate space to building practical solutions that address health disparities experienced by people living in Canada. The mission and vision for the Lab is aligned to her own and is the culmination of 18+ years of learning in health and social policy. Prior to this, Sophia was the Senior Director of Strategy and Community Engagement for health services planning in Toronto. She served as Senior Policy Advisor to three Ministers of Health and as Senior Health Advisor to the Premier of Ontario.
Celeste Theriault
Executive Director, National Indigenous Diabetes Association
Full bio
Celeste Theriault is a community leader, advocate, and forever learner. She grounds her work in doing what is best for the greater good of the community. Through her work, she found a true passion for working in the health-related field and always wanted to connect her work to her roots. While she is not a lived experience person with diabetes, diabetes affects many of her family members and it is close to her heart. Celeste wants to inspire hope for the future for many First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities on their pathway to wellness through self-advocacy and empowerment. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the National Indigenous Diabetes Association.
Celeste is a member of the Red River Métis Nation. She grew up, lives, and works in Winnipeg, Manitoba on Treaty 1 Territory. Her pronouns are she/her. Outside of work, Celeste can be found adventuring with her dog, Ollie, connecting with her family and friends, and practicing her beadwork. Celeste holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Winnipeg and is currently working towards a Project Management Certificate from RRC Polytech.
Rita Koutsodimos
Executive Director, BC Alliance for Healthy Living
Full bio
Rita Koutsodimos is the Executive Director of the BC Alliance for Healthy Living. For the past twenty-four years, she has worked in the non-profit sector to make our communities healthier for all. She specializes in health promotion, chronic disease prevention, social determinants of health, health inequities and healthy built environments.
In her leadership role at the Alliance, Rita works to build consensus on collaborative action among a wide variety of partners, including NGOs, health authorities, government and researchers. Rita has been successful in bringing about numerous health-promoting policies which she happily credits to good research, persuasive communications, collaboration and persistence. An enthusiastic communicator, Rita enjoys getting people together to discuss pressing issues, proven or promising solutions and new ideas. She has authored many policy papers, organized dialogues, webinars and campaigns on policies and practices to prevent disease and improve health equity.
Andrew Robertson
Associate Director of External Affairs, Novo Nordisk
Full bio
Andrew Robertson is the Associate Director of External Affairs at Novo Nordisk Canada Inc. He joined Novo Nordisk's Canadian affiliate in October 2019 with a focus on public private partnerships including NOVAD, chronic disease prevention and reduction with Indigenous partners, and is the Canadian lead for the global Cities Changing Diabetes programme. His previous work includes 7-years in Ontario's provincial government in a variety of strategic roles including time with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Innovation, and in the Office of the Premier. He also spent 3 years at Ontario Centres of Excellence on the Communications team, assisting with the launch and promotion of innovative health, climate and autonomous vehicle-related initiatives.
Dr. Bukola Salami
Professor, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Full bio
Dr. Bukola Salami is currently Professor at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta. She will become a Professor at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary in June 2023. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Windsor and her Master of Nursing and PhD in Nursing from the University of Toronto. Her research program focuses on policies and practices shaping migrants health as well as Black peoples health. She founded and leads an African Child and Youth Migration Network, a network of 42 scholars from 4 continent. In 2020, she founded the Black Youth Mentorship and Leadership Program at the University of Alberta. She is a member of the Public Health Agency of Canada Working Group on the Mental Health of Black Canadian, Board member of Black Opportunities Fund, Board member of the Canadian Nurses Association, and advisory board member of the CIHR Institute for Human Development, Child and Youth Health. She is also an Editor for the Canadian Journal of Nursing Research, Associate Editor of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) and on the Editorial Board of Nursing Inquiry and Qualitative Health Research Journal. Dr. Salami has published more than 100 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters and has been awarded involved in more than $200 million in funded projects.
Sylvie Lauzon
President & CEO, Diabetes Quebec
Full bio
Sylvie Lauzon is the President and CEO of Diabetes Quebec. She is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in education, management, sales, and philanthropy. Prior to assuming the role of CEO, she served as the Philanthropy Director at Diabetes Quebec, where she played a critical role in fundraising and developing strategic partnerships.
Her educational background includes a degree in education and in management, which has equipped her with the skills and knowledge necessary to lead an organization like Diabetes Quebec. She has also gained over 20 years of experience in sales of software for different major companies, which has provided her with valuable expertise in business development and customer relations.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, she has also been a mentor for new charity managers, sharing her insights and experiences to help others in the non-profit sector succeed. With her extensive experience and expertise, she is well-equipped to lead Diabetes Quebec and make a positive impact on the lives of those affected by diabetes in the province of Quebec.
Results
Following three years of implementation, the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge has officially concluded. Launched by the Public Health Agency of Canada in partnership with Impact Canada, the Challenge supported innovative approaches aimed at reducing barriers to preventing type 2 diabetes—particularly in communities facing disproportionately higher risks.
Two Grand Prize winners have each been awarded $1.25 million to scale their solutions: Black Creek Community Health Centre and Kinvia (formerly Canadian Feed The Children). Their projects focus on expanding access to health coaching through digital health platforms and increasing year-round access to fresh produce through 365-day greenhouses in Black and Indigenous communities.
Announced in Budget 2021, the Challenge demonstrates how outcomes-based funding can drive measurable improvements in health outcomes while fostering innovation at the community level.
Finalists
The Challenge has reached the last stage of the three-stage approach, with the selection of 7 finalists by the panel of expert judges. Each finalist will receive a $600,000 prize, for a total of $4.2M to implement and generate evidence that their developed approach is effective in helping address the risks and barriers that lead to being at an elevated risk for type 2 diabetes.
| Finalists | Title of concept | Description of concept |
|---|---|---|
| Black Creek Community Health Centre | Digital Health Coaching Delivered by Community to Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes | The project aims to form a community/corporate partnership to co-design and train community members to deliver health coaching through a digital health platform. The focus is on improving adherence to health behaviours, with an emphasis on social determinants of health and mental health, across the Black community of Northwest Toronto. |
| Canadian Feed The Children | Creating a sustainable mechanism for nutritious food to combat T2DM in Indigenous communities | The project aims to work towards reducing the incidence of type 2 diabetes and improving overall health of indigenous youth in the community by increasing accessibility to fresh produce via 365-day greenhouses. The project will be implemented in collaboration with six Indigenous communities across Canada. |
| Centre for Black Health Université d'Ottawa/University of Ottawa | Train, Inform, Involve and Transform to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in Black communities in Canada | This bilingual project aims to train students from different disciplines as peer educators to inform religious leaders and engage Black communities in type 2 diabetes prevention activities. |
| Manitoba Food Charter Inc | Land-Based Healthy Living Youth Club | The project aims to empower healthy and sustained changes in attitudes, practices, and lifestyles among indigenous youth by establishing youth clubs in two Indigenous communities in Manitoba, which would offer community youth weekly drop-in land-based activities to promote healthy living. |
| IDEA Diabetes Incorporated | Type 2 Diabetes Prevention in the First 39 Moon Cycles of Life | The project aims to address the barriers associated with risk reduction and prevention of type 2 diabetes in the first 39 moons of life by upholding cultural safety and honouring Indigenous ways of knowing and being, and through strengths-based partnerships and networking. |
| The APPLE Schools Foundation | Applying a proven approach to reduce barriers to Type 2 Diabetes prevention | The project aims to guide four vulnerable school communities in Grande Prairie to build healthy school environments based on their unique needs, and remove barriers to prevent type 2 diabetes and chronic disease by providing the resources, capacity, partnerships and knowledge to promote healthy living. |
| University of Saskatchewan | Engaging youth in type 2 diabetes prevention: a community-led initiative with Cowessess First Nation | The project aims to overcome the barriers to a healthy lifestyle by engaging youth as change agents in decolonized, culturally informed, and co-designed health promotion and type 2 diabetes prevention initiatives that reduce stigma, and increase awareness, and self-efficacy. |
Semi-Finalists
| Semi-finalists | Title of concept | Description of concept |
|---|---|---|
| University of Guelph | University of Guelph Food Prescription Program | A food prescription program designed to improve diet quality among food insecure post secondary students at risk for Type 2 Diabetes in collaboration with an existing produce market on campus. |
| Myera Inc. | Rejuvenating Traditional food and its role in type 2 diabetes prevention through an immersive educational experience for Indigenous youth. | An immersive educational experience that connects Indigenous youth with traditional foods and knowledge to empower them in reducing their risk of type 2 diabetes. |
| Canadian Feed the Children | Creating a sustainable mechanism for nutritious food to combat T2D in Northern Saskatchewan. | Installation of an indoor growing modular hydroponic farm unit which can successfully grow more than 140 different crop varieties within a short period (5-12 weeks) in any climate. |
| TAIBU Community Health Centre | Canada's Black Health Challenge | Black Health Challenge - a culturally responsive prevention program incorporating nutrition, stress and health education together with culturally appropriate physical activity proven to modify the life style of health and wellbeing. |
| Caring Ventures INC. | New Community Designed, Health Care Recommended, Online Video Program for Type II Diabetes Prevention. | Continue to Care will launch a community and expert-designed, health care recommended, online video programs for type II diabetes prevention. |
| Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan (Health and collective well being) | Miluelimun - Feeling good in this place. | The aim of the project is to offer direct access to information sessions, sports facilities, a collective kitchen, a community garden, group activities and discussions in a non institutionalized atmosphere, in order to create a place that invites people to develop healthy lifestyle habits and thus have a positive impact on the determinants of health in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. |
| Inspiring Communities Network | Empowering youth to create healthy communities using an innovative mobile health strategy. | Youth leaders trained as health influencers catalyze changes to the built environment in order to reduce the risks of T2D. |
| Canadian Diabetes Association | Change the Conversation to Improve the Quality of Life of Those Diagnosed with Diabetes. | We will work closely with communities affected by diabetes to understand current narratives and look for ways to unlearn these narratives and create ones that support more effective prevention. |
| SciMar Ltd | Kitchen Skills for Better Nutrition. | Teaching young adults the basic skills needed to prepare healthy meals. |
| University of Ottawa | Train, inform and transform (TIT) to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in the community. | Based on an interdisciplinary approach involving research ers from different fields of medicine, health sciences, psychology, education and sociology, the FIT (to train, inform, involve and transform) project aims to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in black communities by training students from different disciplines to inform religious leaders and engage black communities in type 2 diabetes prevention activities. |
| 9018344 Canada Society (Sport for Life) | Physical Literacy for Improved T2D Management and Prevention among Northern BC Populations. | We will establish physical literacy as a holistic community strength and resource that optimizes human centered care for those predisposed to and/or living with type 2 diabetes in Northern BC. |
| Black Creek Community Health Centre | Health Coaching Delivered by Community Ambassadors to Help Prevent Type 2 Diabetes | A community/corporate partnership to co design and deliver health coaching through a digital health platform, focused on improving adherence to health behaviours with an em phasis on SDOH mental health. |
| University of Sasktachewan | Engaging youth in type 2 diabetes prevention: a community-led initiative with Cowessess First Nation. | Involving youth in the development of a diabetes prevention intervention empowers them towards self-efficacy and agency as change agents leading and influencing healthy behaviours in their community. |
| The Manitoba Métis Federation | Creating a Red River Métis Specific Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Strategy - Reviving Traditional Foodways. | A culturally informed initiative utilizing Métis 'ways of knowing' to promote healthy eating to reduce the development of Type 2 diabetes. |
| The APPLE Schools Foundation | APPLE Schools - Applying a proven approach to reduce barriers to Type 2 Diabetes prevention. | APPLE Schools will explore expanding its research-based chronic disease prevention approach to high need school communities in Grande Prairie, Alberta to reduce vulnerable children's risk of T2D. |
| IDEA Diabetes Inc. | Type 2 Diabetes Prevention in the First 39 Moon Cycles of Life. | The project will use a unique approach centred on initiating a community-led, culturally safe, and evidence-informed approach to diabetes prevention in the first 39 moons of life by upholding and honouring Indigenous ways of knowing and being during this sacred time. This will include improving access to screening, care, community supports, and fostering healthy food relationships to reduce the baby's risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future. |
| Trillium Health Partners | Family-Centred Diabetes Health Ambassador Program for Peel region. | The project aims to co-design, co-implement, and co-evaluate a Family-Centred Diabetes Health Ambassador Program for T2D prevention for South Asian and Black, African, and Caribbean communities in the Peel Region. |
| University of British Columbia | Fans in Training (FIT): A Community-Partnered Healthy Lifestyle Program for Newcomers to Canada. | Fans in Training, our proven community-based healthy lifestyle program that leverages social connections of sport, will be tailored to engage hard to reach newcomers to Canada at high risk for T2D. |
| Clinemetrica Inc. | The Push Past Diabetes Mission. | Promoting weight loss, healthy eating, and daily physical activity among Canadian Veterans will reduce the risk of developing diabetes and pre diabetes in this high-risk community. Following an online assessment of their CardiometabolicAge (a scientifically validated calculator to estimate the risk of de veloping the complications of diabetes and heart disease) participants will then follow an ehealth program proven to increase daily physical activity and support significant weight loss. |
| Manitoba Food Charter Inc. | Land Based Healthy Living Youth Club. | A youth club will be established in two different Indigenous communities in Manitoba, which would offer community youth weekly drop-in land based activities to promote healthy living. |
Stay connected
If you have a question or are seeking a clarification about the Challenge, let us know at: DT2P@phac-aspc.gc.ca
Join the conversation and get the latest updates on the Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Challenge:
Challenge details
Who can apply?
- Not-for-profit organizations;
- Businesses or other for-profit organizations;
- Indigenous organizations and groups located in Canada;
- Post-secondary/academic institutions;
- Individuals, groups, societies, or coalitions (non-incorporated); and
- Municipalities or local/regional governments located in Canada.
In order to receive funding, applicants are required to be a Canadian legal entity (such as a company or a corporation or a not-for-profit organization) capable of entering into binding agreements in Canada or establish one. International organizations may submit an application provided that these requirements are met.
Key Dates
Stage 1: Proposed Concept
- Application Deadline - March 1, 2023
- Semi-Finalists Announced - Summer 2023
Stage 2: Concept Development
- Deadline - Fall 2023
- Finalists Announced - Winter 2024
Stage 3: Implementation and Evidence Generation
- Deadline - Winter 2026
- Grand Prize Winners Announced - Winter 2026
Prizes
- Up to 21 prizes of CAD $35,000 open to all eligible applicants who submit a stage 1 proposed concept application.
- Up to 7 prizes of CAD $600,000 open to all semi-finalists participating in stage 2.
- Up to 2 grand prizes of CAD $1.25M open to all finalists participating in stage 3.
Note: The number of winners and prize amounts may vary depending on the applications received. For each phase, prize amounts will not be less than the amount per winner indicated above.
Last modified: 2026-05-29