Pop Up City Contest Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Contestant submit a solution for more than one technical domain (i.e. energy, water or waste) in Round 1 of the Contest?

Yes, Contestants can submit more than one proposal to the Contest. However, each solution must be submitted with its own complete application package. Contestants may not submit more than one solution proposal per technical domain.

Can I submit a proposal describing a solution that already exists?

Yes, Contestants may submit proposals describing solutions that are already at a high solution readiness level, with the caveat that Contestants must hold the Intellectual Property (IP) rights or have the necessary authorization from the owner of the IP rights to submit an application for the purpose of this Contest for any existing technologies submitted.

How do I apply for this Contest?

You must apply online through a Canada Post epost Connect™ service account. Before submitting your application materials (including a completed Application Form and a Declaration Form, and with documentation to demonstrate your eligibility), you must have a Canada Post epost Connect™ service account. It will take some time to register for an account, so it is strongly recommended that you initiate the registration process at least 2 weeks before you plan to submit your application materials. Instructions for creating an account are provided in Section 2.12 of the Contest Program guide.

What type of monetary awards will be given to contestants who are screened into Round 1 and Round 2 of the Contest?

If a Contestant is successful in Round 1, they will receive an award of $10, 000. If a Contestant is successful in Round 2, they will receive an award of $50,000.

Is the Contest a call for proposal process that will be awarding contracts to fund work based on project milestones?

No, there is no procurement related activity or contracting process associated with this Contest. Proposals submitted by Contestants may be awarded a monetary prize based on the overall ranking of their technical proposal and eligibility to participate within a specific Round of the Contest. DND will not be entering into a contract for work undertaken by Contestants should they be selected to advance within each Round of the Contest. However should a Contestant be offered a Contribution Agreement to build a prototype in Round 3 they will be reimbursed for eligible costs as stipulated in the Contribution Agreement based on project milestones.

If a Contestant has been selected to receive awards in Round 1 or 2, how will the money be disbursed?

Contestants will receive their award in a single payment via a grant agreement.

If a contestant has been selected to build their prototype in Round 3, how will funding be disbursed?

Should a Contestant be offered a Contribution Agreement (CA) to build their prototype, the CA will have clearly defined parameters based on milestone deliverables that will be used to reimburse eligible expenditures. If milestone deliverables demonstrate that progress in building and testing the prototype are not being met as per the CA, funding for the next stage of the project will not be approved and the CA will be terminated. Contestants will be removed from the Contest in these cases.

How will milestone deliverables be determined?

The milestone deliverables will be specified by the Contestant should they be selected to enter into a CA with DND in Round 3 of the Contest.

Do Contestants need to be a legal entity in Canada to participate in the Contest?

Yes, Contestants need to constitute an eligible recipient as listed in the Contest Program Guide, and be located in Canada to receive a grant payment or enter into a CA with DND on behalf of the Crown.

I am an Academic Institution located in Quebec. Must I abide by the M-30 law? What do I need to do to ensure that I am able to receive funds from the Government of Canada if I am selected in any Round within this Contest?

The Contest Program Guide (Annex C) provides some instructions and a form that must be completed by entities located in Quebec, to whom M-30 applies, and signed by the appropriate authority. You will not be able to receive any prize money or funding from the Government of Canada through this Contest until the appropriate authorization has been received by the IDEaS Program Office.

Will the winner of the Grand Prize of the Contest ($2.0M) be awarded a contract?

A grant agreement, not a contract, will be awarded to the Grand Prize winner at the end of this Contest.

Are there any terms and conditions associated with the Grand Prize?

It is expected that the Contestant who wins the $2.0M Grand Prize in Round 4 will use it to further develop the winning solution along the path to commercialization. Additional requirements will be stipulated in a grant agreement which will be used to disburse funding.

Who will sit on DND’s Technical Review Committee (TRC)?

The TRC will consist of Department of National Defence (DND) scientific personnel as well as members of the Canadian Armed Forces. In addition, select subject matter experts from other Government Departments may be invited to support activities associated with the TRC.

Who will sit on DND Senior Management Funding Oversite Committee?

The Senior Management Funding Oversight Committee (SMFOC), is comprised of the Director General responsible for the IDEaS Program, and the Directors General responsible for DND and/or Canadian Armed Forces organization(s) associated with the Contest.

How will submissions be selected to move on from Rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 and who will select the Grand prize winner?

The TRC, along with the SMFOC will assess Round 1, 2, 3 and 4 submissions including the Grand Prize winner.

What can the $1.5M in Contribution Agreement for Round 3 winners be used for?

The Contribution Agreement will support the development of a prototype system proposed in Round 2. A list of eligible costs will be provided to Contestants. Recipients may be required to leverage additional funding to build their prototype depending on the cost of their proposal.

What will the Department of National Defence use the information from the prototype for?

This information will help inform the state of the current capabilities of the innovation community in these domains.

Can Contestants submit solutions that have already been integrated in 2 or 3 technical domains in Round 1 of the Contest?

Yes, however each solution must be submitted individually for assessment to determine if it will be screened into Round 2 of the Contest.
Questions from Information Session

The following questions were posed in the English information session held September 11, 2019 for the Pop up City contest. If you did not receive a response to your question, please contact the program directly at: IDEaSContests.IDEeSConcours@forces.gc.ca.

Waste

What's in scope for solid waste? Food waste? Human waste? Non-organic waste? Does 'solid waste' include non-organic solid waste? Can a solution address organic waste only, as opposed to organic and non-organic waste?

Human waste is included in the black water volumes provided. Wet waste can be assumed to be organic kitchen waste. Dry waste is a mixture of various materials "shipping, office, plastic, metal and textile" in origin. Assumptions on composition of dry solid waste can be made based on total energy content provided of 15 MJ/kg. Organic and inorganic waste can be managed separately, however all solid waste output from the RTC will be measured.

Are solid waste generation numbers segregated from gray water and black water effluents?

Yes. Per capita volumes of grey and black water are provided and do not overlap with per capita weights of dry and wet solid waste provided.

Do waste management systems need to handle both solid and liquid waste, or just one stream such as grey or black water?

Solutions must propose management for both solid and liquid waste.

Would grey water be acceptable for reuse in some capacity?

Yes, strategies for grey water recycling can be proposed.

Partnerships

Is a partnership with a university in Australia eligible? What if I'm a Canadian entity already partnered with Australian educational institution?

Eligible Contestants are defined in section 2.8 of the Contest program guide. Should a Contestant who is eligible to apply chose to partner up with another entity that is not defined in this section of the program guide they may do so, however all awards will be issued in the name of the eligible Contestant.

Can an international firm participate in a consortium as long as it partners with a Canadian firm? Can a Canadian Firm Partner with an international Firm? 

Yes Canadian firms may partner with international firms to participate in this Contest. However, all prizes will be issued to the eligible Canadian firm which has submitted an application to this Contest should their solution be selected in any of the Rounds of the Contest.

Is there any requirement for the proposed technologies to be made in Canada vs imported?

There are no requirements that the proposed technology be made in Canada.

Communications

Can we have access to what you are using now in the camp? 

The Contest is looking for new and innovative ways to integrate the three technical domains associated with this Contest. As a result, we will not be providing access to what is currently used within these three technical domains to support an RTC.

Will you share solutions proposals on your website, so future participants get a better idea of proposals and processes?

The department may share the names of the winning Contestants for each of the Rounds of the Contest, but we will not be sharing solutions provided by Contestants for any Round of this Contest. Interested parties may contact winning Contestants directly for more information regarding these solutions.

Are we allowed to approach and liaise with colleagues actively serving in CAF/DND to inquire further about current practices in RTCs? 

No, As the Contest was developed in close collaboration with CAF/DND members Contestants should focus on developing a solution that addresses the performance metrics associated with each technical domain and refrain from inquiring about current practices in regards to RTCs.

Should the proposal be written with a technical audience in mind?

Yes. Proposals will be evaluated by an assessment panel comprised of experts within the technical domain for which the solution is submitted.

Application Process

Question: What is the difference between a contestant and an innovator?

A contestant is the eligible legal entity (e.g. a company or a university) participating in the contest, whose name is entered in Section 1.1 of the Application Form. An innovator is the primary point of contact identified in Section 1.3 of the Application Form. An innovator may only submit one proposal per technical domain in Round 1 of the contest. 

Can you please confirm, for the Pop Up City IDEaS Contest, if a university can only submit one single application for each of the three technical domains (waste, water, energy)?   They cannot, for example, submit multiple applications for energy?

An innovator from a contestant organization (in this case a university) may only submit one proposal per technical domain, however other innovators from the same contestant organization may also submit one solution each per technical domain. Multiple submissions from a contestant organization must however be sufficiently distinct from one another to be admissible.

In Round 2, is it necessary to address the 3 challenges (fuel, water and waste) or can we come up with one system that can handle electricity only?

Round 2 proposals must provide a solution that integrates solutions from each of the technical domains that are derived from successful Round 1 submissions.

Is there a preference for applications from consortia vs a unique applicant?

There is no preference for applications from consortia vs a unique applicant.

Our consortia solution offers an integrated power, water and wastewater solution. Do we pick one or apply to all three challenge areas? Can a single team submit a proposal to address some or all aspects of the challenge on its own?

For Round 1, one contestant can submit solutions for any or all of the three technical domains of the Contest.

Is round 1 and 2 design/logical systems only? And round 3 focused on the prototyping?

How long do you anticipate it will take from initial proposal submission to notification of award?

The first question is unclear. Round 3 of the Contest is focused on prototype development. We anticipate that award notification for Round 1 of the Contests will occur within 7 weeks of the closing of Round 1 of the Contest. 

Are we required to create a consortium to address all aspects of the required solution? Or can we provide a solution that focuses on one subset, i.e., water consumption?

There is no requirement to form a consortium to submit a solution to Round 1 or Round 2 of the Contest. Contestants in Round 1 may submit applications to any or all of the technical domains.

Should companies go through all the 4 steps? Can we skip the first two steps, given the small size of initial grants? 

Contestants are required to submit an application for each of the Rounds of the Contest.

First round is only to provide a solution in a proposal?

The first Round of the Contest is seeking solution proposals for each of the three technical domains of the Contest. The Second Round of the Contest is seeking solution proposals that integrate solutions from each of the three technical domains articulated in the Challenge statement of the Contest.

Since the application form doesn't allow more than 3 consortium members, are we limited by that number of co-applicants?

No, applicants can have more than 3 consortium members for Round 1 of the Contest.

Eligibility

Can High School students/Garage Innovators/individuals participate in this Challenge? Or do they need to partner or incorporate/register as a for profit entity? Are other Federal Organizations (e.g., National Research Council) eligible? 

Federal organizations are not eligible to apply to this Contest. High school students, garage innovators/individuals must incorporate or register as a not-for-profit or for-profit entity to apply to this Contest.

Technical Considerations

Can the tent be solid or just fabric? Will the tent fabric accept Velcro fasteners? Any restriction on materials used for construction?

Modification of the tent materials is out of scope for this contest; the focus is on utilities systems only. There is no restriction on materials used for construction of solutions.

Aren't the systems dependant on the efficiencies of the structures? Can redesign of whole camp be submitted?

Modifications to the RTC structure efficiencies (e.g. insulation of tents) is out of scope for this Contest, as is modification of personnel behaviours. Submissions must provide for and manage the per capita energy and water consumption and waste production data provided.

Can an area be set aside for a solar array?

Yes, RTC area is not a consideration for the purposes of this contest.

Are IoT remote SCADA and data monitoring and control of the overall solution via mobile or Satcom part of the scope of the competition?

As per desired outcome #3, Section 1.4.2 of the Program Guide, "[Integrated systems must be] designed with secure centralized control, capable at a minimum of monitoring energy and water consumption".

Can renewable energy generation be used and sustainable waste management be used?

Yes, Contestants are free to propose any type of technology to achieve the Contest objectives.

When it comes to gas emissions, can you provide a Canadian standard to be followed?

As indicated in the Program Guide, "...emissions from all on-site RTC combustion must meet or surpass current Canadian standards in accordance with the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (S.C. 1999, c. 33)"

Can new vehicles be created to suit this purpose?

The context of this question is unclear, Contestants are free to propose any type of technology to achieve the Contest objectives.

Are we able to incorporate energy management technology for microgrids that will dynamically and programmatically manage energy and water use?

Any solution that will reduce energy and water inputs and waste outputs to the RTC would be acceptable.

Is the solution expected to work as a standalone solution, or if the solution can say, cover 20-30% of the energy requirements?

The integrated solutions must be standalone, providing the total energy, water and waste management requirements for the RTC.

Do the cooking / WCs / shower facilities need to be integrated into the shelter or are they separate?

RTC building locations are out of scope for this Contest, proposed solutions need to provide an integrated utilities system for the RTC.

Will there be excavation for septic fields or will this be tanked away?

As part of the RTC, proposed wastewater solutions need to be relocatable. Current practices are to transport wastewater out of the RTC.

Are you looking for on add-on system to existing utility units at the campsite?

The integrated solutions must be standalone, providing the total energy, water and waste management requirements for the RTC.

Can we introduce complete replacement of each component?

Assuming you are referring to existing components, yes, proposed solutions must provide the total energy, water and waste management requirements for the RTC.

What are the provisions for using renewable like solar and wind and energy storage?

Contestants are free to propose any type of technology to achieve the Contest objectives.

Is local water available on-site? Would a well be possible to drill?

As stated in Section 1.4.5 of the Program Guide: “Supplementing water supplied to the RTC via collection from the environment (e.g. rain, snow and ice collection, or from local waterways) is out of scope for the current Contest.”

Could you talk a little about the PKI smart card to protect pdf file?

The PKI smart card is an internal requirement for DND/CAF personnel only.                                               

Can the same system can handle 150 people in one site and 1500 in other site? Or I can design a one system to handle 150 people and I scale it up to process 1500 people?

Contestants must propose a solution that can manage the energy, water and waste needs of RTCs from 150 to 1500 personnel. Prototype testing will be done for the requirements of a 150-person RTC.

Round 3, prototype definition: is it necessary to provide the actual size that can handle the challenge or small scale (not bench top) size?

A full working prototype integrated solution, capable of providing the energy, water and waste management needs of a 150 person RTC is required to be eligible for Round 4.

Current Specifications of an RTC

Is a RTC the same as a FOB (Forward Operating Base)?

The Canadian Armed Forces deploys RTCs for all operations in Canada and internationally. A description of the RTC is provided in the Program Guide.

Is the heating in the RTC electric? Forced air? AC?

RTCs currently use individual diesel-fired forced air heaters and electric AC units attached to each tent.

What is the average power kilowatt (kW) and energy kilowatt hour (kWh) requirements for 150 people per year?

As indicated in Section 1.4.5 of the Program Guide, "Camp electric power capacity must be sized for 1.5 kW/person. Generators must be sized with a 10% overload and a further 10% expansion capability factor. For the purposes of the energy management calculations, the electrical load profiles provided must be taken into consideration." Also note that for the purposes of the design process for submissions to the Contest, the same per capita data can be used for all camp sizes. That is, it can be assumed that RTC size does not affect the per capita consumption of energy or water. Load profile tables are provided in the Reference documents (https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/defence-ideas/current-opportunities/contest-pop-up-city.html).

What is the average area of the protected RTC?

RTC area is not a consideration for the purposes of this contest.

Will we get access to information on the existing systems as a starting point to address the integration?

All information has been provided in the Program Guide Contest Challenge Statement and accompanying reference documents (https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/defence-ideas/current-opportunities/contest-pop-up-city.html)

Shipping

Prior to shipping a container to a site, can configuration and packaging be done in a staging area? For instance, some sites may be better suited to solar, while others may be run of river for energy generation and hence package different micro generators.

A single integrated solution must be provided which will be suitable for all climatic conditions, however not all components of such a system need be deployed at all sites.

Does the 20' container need to hold all of components for the system?

Yes. All components of the solution must be transportable in standard 20-foot (6.1 m) intermodal containers.

Can the scalable solution take up more than one shipping container? Can the system be shipped in multiple containers as part of the scale up?

Yes, multiple shipping containers are permitted.

Can we design and build our own container (similar to an intermodal container) which can house the proposed technology?

Yes, provided the design is indistinguishable from a transport perspective (i.e. in terms of dimensions, strength, stackability, etc.) from standard 20-foot intermodal containers.

Can the 20' intermodal shipping containers have outside modifications or does everything need to be contained inside?

Yes, shipping containers can have outside modifications provided the design is indistinguishable from a transport perspective (i.e. in terms of dimensions, strength, stackability, etc.) from standard 20-foot intermodal containers.

Environmental Standards/Effects

When you leave a site, does the pop up site need to be returned to its original stage?

Yes.

How important is sustainable design in the assessment of the proposed solution?  

Evaluation criteria are provided in Annex B of the Program Guide.

Will the military adopt an EV or hybrid vehicle as part of the solution?

This is out of scope for this contest.

What standard is to be met for potable water requirements? At present, regulations in Canada prohibit the re-use of black water for potable use. Is this still the case?

Yes, all existing Canadian regulations regarding the recycling of water for potable water use must be respected.

Will there need to be 3rd party certifications such as NSF 61 - Health Effects of Drinking Water components as requirements for potable water systems or will systems just need to challenge to prove they meet Health Canada Guidelines for Drinking Water?

Standards requirements will be fully described prior to Round 3.

If the technology is new how do we know if it will meet present standards?

The onus will be on the Contestant to demonstrate this in Round 4.

Testing

 

Will the prototype we produce be tested by our company or by your team?

Depending on the availability of resources, either DND, the CAF or an independent and accredited third party contractor, selected by DND/CAF, will perform the testing.

Regarding water and waste water management, what standard testing condition are you looking for?

From the Program Guide, "Treated wastewater can be discharged from the RTC into the environment provided it meets or surpasses the minimum effluent quality standards for secondary wastewater treatment as defined in the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations Footnote 2 under the Canadian Fisheries Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. F-14). Any wastewater effluent discharge from the RTC that does not meet or surpass these minimum standards must be collected for transport and disposal (and will be measured as waste output for the purposes of this contest)."

Can waste volume reduction be considered a solution?

The per capita production of wastewater cannot be changed, however recycling or treatment to reduce the volume of wastewater transported out of the RTC can be proposed as part of the waste management solution.

How will winter conditions be tested?

Testing conditions for Round 4 will be made available to contestants prior to the launch of Round 3. 

What are the expected climate conditions?

All submissions must at a minimum be able to operate in temperate climate conditions. For the purposes of this Contest, temperature, precipitation, daylight and wind data provided in the reference documents https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/defence-ideas/current-opportunities/contest-pop-up-city.html should be used for all design considerations and calculations.

Is the time to set up the RTC, i.e., to make it operational a critical factor?

Set-up time is not a consideration for this Contest.

Judging

Does reduction in diesel usage for hauling water in & hauling waste out count towards objective 1?

No. Diesel consumption for transport is out of scope for this contest.

Is the metric of diesel usage for the whole camp the only one that matters?

Only diesel usage for electricity generation and heating for the RTC will be considered.

Are there energy metrics for water and waste available?

Only water volumes and waste masses provided in the Program Guide need to be considered.

Is there a consideration and weighting for solution cost?

Cost is not a consideration for this contest, however the IDEaS program will contribute a maximum of $1.5 M to each Round 3 finalist team to build their prototypes.

Funding Mechanism

Is the contribution agreement 1:1 or 50 cents on the dollar, or some other ratio?

The contribution agreement ratio for the reimbursement of eligible expenses is up to 100% with a maximum of $1.5M.

Are there ways to help start-ups get funding through the rounds?

There is no direct link between participating in this Contest and accessing start-up funding through this Contest.

Off ramping

How will this contest lead into supply of systems for Defence? What is the expected price range for an integrated system?  What are the projected volume of orders? Will the winners have insight and opportunity for military contracts going forward?

There is no procurement related activity associated with this Contest however all IDEaS challenges are informed by the Defence Investment Plan. 

Can you please confirm, for the Pop Up City IDEaS Contest, a university can only submit one single application for each of the three technical domains (waste, water, energy)?

They cannot, for example, submit multiple applications for energy?

Please be advised that we will allow one organization to submit multiple proposals within the same technical domain with a different project lead as long as each submission is sufficiently distinct from one another. Should for example we receive multiple submissions from the same organization that provide solutions for one technical domain that are not sufficiently distinct from each other we will be screening based on the order on which we receive each application. I hope this answers your question and we apologize for any confusion in regards to providing a clear response to your inquiry.

Regarding the power consumption stated per person of 1.5 kW.  Is the assumption that this number is based on a continuous power consumption for the entire year?  If so that would equate to 13,140 kWh per year and give you a generator set efficiency of 6.57 kWh per litre, per year.  The typical efficiency from a prime power diesel genset unit is 4 Kwh per liter, giving total electrical production of 8,000 kWh per year at best.  Table 2 data is assuming a much higher than normal generator set efficiency (around 60-70%) 

Is there a load or demand factor that should be applied here to give a more realistic fuel consumption?

Please Reference to Section 1.4.5 of the Challenge Statement, in particular the sentence highlighted below, may help with your calculation:

“Energy Generation and Management

Camp electric power capacity must be sized for 1.5 kW/person. Generators must be sized with a 10% overload and a further 10% expansion capability factor. For the purposes of the energy management calculations, the electrical load profiles provided must be taken into consideration. Provision for fuel storage must take into consideration ambient temperatures. Typical current fuel consumption for a 1.5 kW/person load provision is approximately 2,000 litres (L) of diesel per person per year. In addition, for the purposes of this Contest, it can be assumed that 500 L of diesel fuel per person per year is used for direct combustion, which after accounting for an 80% efficiency provides 15 gigajoules (GJ) of energy for space heating. This energy can be derived from alternative sources. Contestant designs must achieve at least a 33% reduction in overall fuel consumption (i.e. 1650 L/person/year or less) for the same per capita power provision and space heating requirement.”

The “Electrical load profile data” file (and other useful data related to this contest) can be found at the bottom of this web page:

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/defence-ideas/current-opportunities/contest-pop-up-city.html  under the “Reference documents” link. This file lists hourly and seasonal (Power Draw)/(Peak Power Draw) ratios.

So basic power load is 1.5kW/person that translates to 2000L diesel/year so I guess this is the basic diesel requirement for 1 person. Space heating requires 500L/person/year that provides 15GJ. If my technology can convert flue gas from 2000L diesel to methane to support space heating up to 2 people and to provide hot water for up to 3 people, can I deduct the 2000L from the 2 people space heating (1000L) to 1000L to exceed the target requirement of 1650L/person/year because RTC doesn't have to burn 1000L of additional diesel for space heating?

Also, is the single speed generator information such as 300kW, 350 kW, 500 kW for finding target requirement per year per person? what about climate information?

Can the generators be using combination of diesel/methane or methane alone?

If your technology can reduce the amount of diesel required to be supplied to the RTC for both electricity generation and space heating, then yes, your solution would be acceptable.

Current generator sizes (300 kW, 350 kW, 500 kW) used in RTCs are for information only, your solution may propose generator(s) of your choosing. See also response to question 3 below regarding load profile data.

Climate other useful data related to this contest can be found at the bottom of this web page:

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/defence-ideas/current-opportunities/contest-pop-up-city.html  under the “Reference documents” link. The “Electrical load profile data” in the same location will also be useful to calculate generator target requirements.

The fuel source for electricity generation does not need to be diesel, you may propose alternate fuel types

What are the units used in the Normalized Load Profile for Temperate Climate over 24 hour cycle? For example on the spreadsheet provided electrical load profile data it is stated for hour one in June is stated as 0.6.  What is this unit of measure percentage? Is it 60% of the 1.5 kW peak person demand or other?

This file lists hourly and seasonal (Power Draw)/(Peak Power Draw) ratios, and as such, the values are unitless. 0.6 does refer to 60% of the peak demand as you have indicated.

The contest materials invite proposals on integrated energy, water and waste management systems for RTCs.  We would like to submit an application for the use of Arctic Panel as the building material for the floors, walls and roofs of the RTC structures.  Arctic Panel will have no relevance to waste management systems and limited application in water management other than rainwater collection.  Arctic Panel will offer critical support to all possible energy systems in that its insulation capability will reduce energy use by at least 80% over any other building material.  As such, Arctic Panel will enable the effectiveness of any energy system.  In addition, Arctic Panel will accommodate radiant heating systems and direct heating through rooftop reflection.  In short, we would propose that no energy system should be considered without the benefit of Arctic Panel as the structure building material.  Put another way, we claim that no energy system will achieve its maximum potential unless the envelope of the structure serviced by the system is constructed with Arctic Panel.  As such, we believe that Arctic Panel must be considered a vital component of any energy system.

Not only will Arctic Panel be highly insulative, it will be fireproof, waterproof, mold resistant, lightweight and easily transported.  It will be easily and quickly erected and dismantled with few tools, by unskilled labour.  It will be available in individual panels or in pre-fabricated sections, modules or complete units.  It could be pre-fabricated to serve the additional purpose as the container for transport of the systems, equipment, appliances and furniture intended for each unit.  Alternatively, Arctic Panel could be manufactured remotely, at the site of installation.  It will be comprised of recycled and organic materials and will require no maintenance and be virtually indestructible.  With the appropriate gage of steel, Arctic Panel could be bullet-proof and resistant to explosives.

Please confirm that an application for the consideration of Arctic Panel as a part of an energy system will qualify within the parameters of this contest.

Unfortunately this contest is focussed solely on energy, water and waste management systems for RTCs. As indicated in the challenge statement:

“Contestants should note that reducing per capita consumption, for example by improving accommodation insulation or by changing personnel behaviours, while important, is outside the scope of the Contest.”

In the program guide is reported: "_1.4.2 DESIRED OUTCOMES_:

_Contestants should note that reducing per capita consumption, for example by improving accommodation insulation or by changing personnel behaviours, while important, is outside the scope of the Contest."_ So also the application of materials such as aerogel and/or or phase change materials on the shelters is outside of the scope of the contest?

Yes you are correct, modifications to improve the efficiency of the RTC dwellings (such as insulation) are out of scope for this contest, which is focusing exclusively on RTC utilities systems.  

Thank you for your interest in IDEaS.

My team and I also have a follow-up question about the requirement to completely manage all types of waste streams.  Specifically, we have developed sanitation technology (we are part of the Gates Foundation Reinvent the Toilet Initiative) that destroys all pathogens and treats

liquids such that it is safe for immediate discharge.   However, in its current configuration we do not process food waste, non-human solid waste.  Given this situation, are we still eligible?

For your Round 1 submission you will be required to propose a solution that deals with all types of waste within scope, (i.e. all wet/dry solid and liquid waste that is not hazardous waste or nor contaminated runoff from vehicle washing).  If your technology does not cover this, you may need to partner with another entity who is able to provide this.

Just to confirm, we can assume that the camp is supplied with potable water (e.g. 150 L/person/day) and objective is to lessen this (if we can recover water for reuse) OR do we also include a submission that we can provide an integrated potable water treatment plant (not reverse osmosis but of similar quality) that can take water from the environment (e.g. lake, river, deep water well) and make it potable.... or is this out of scope?

As mentioned in Section 1.4.5 of the Challenge Statement “Supplementing water supplied to the RTC via collection from the environment (e.g. rain, snow and ice collection, or from local waterways) is out of scope for the current Contest.” So your first statement on recovery/reuse of the supplied potable water is allowed, whereas collection from other sources is out of scope.

Does the application in Round 1 and the prototype in Round 3 for each category have to describe and demonstrate the full capacity (or reduction) required for 1,500 people or simply demonstrate a per capita performance that is scalable? I.E. Is it acceptable to propose a module that demonstrates the per capita performance at a smaller scale than the 150 persons minimum requirement, but is scalable? If our application states that we can meet the requirements for 150-1500 persons, based on a modular design, in Round 3, do we have to build and demonstrate just one module and evaluate its performance or do we have to build and submit the proposed full system capacity (multiple modules)?

A full working prototype integrated solution, capable of providing the energy, water and waste management needs of a 150 person RTC is required to be eligible for Round 4.

Do the influent and effluent tanks for the liquid wastewater streams have to be included in the containers or are they assumed to already be on site?

Tanks should be part of your proposal, as they cannot be assumed to be on site already. Submissions must be designed to be transportable in 20-foot intermodal containers, but there is no limit to the number of containers that can be used.

Is the $50,000 grant award in Round 2 given to each member of the 3-part team, or is it supposed to be split in some to-be-determined way based on negotiation between team members?

The award is to be split amount each member of the team therefore the total amount of the award is $50 000.

The 3-part team in Round 3 is awarded 1.5 million dollars. Is the implication here that each sub-group is awarded $500,000 or is this also supposed to be some sort of internal negotiation between newly formed team member organizations? Or, is each team member awarded up to $1.5 million dollars to build their prototypes?

Please keep in mind the “award” is in the form a refund of eligible expenses incurred based on costs associated with building a prototype.

Same goes for the 2 million dollar prize at the end. Is this prize to be split between up to three organizations in a to-be-negotiated way? Or is each winning team awarded 2 million?

The total amount of the award is $2.0M.

I am from a Toronto based startup that has developed a new unique cooling technology. With our innovative cooling technology, we have built a cold storage battery that store food and medicines in cold temperatures for 8 times longer than regular cold storage boxes. This allows food and medicines to be transported and stored in places that do not have electricity for up to around 3 weeks. This can help army troops with their food and medicine supplies while they travel and stay in RTCs through tough conditions. Would this application of our technology be a good fit for the pop up city contest? 

From what I am reading, your technology would only respond to part of the energy management piece we are looking for. To be considered for this contest, Round 1 applicants must propose a system that handles all of the energy, or water, or waste management needs of an RTC. One suggestion would be for you to find partners that could cover off the other aspects of energy management for the RTC, and submit a joint proposal.

Per the IDEaS Call for Proposals document available on buyandsell.gc.ca, Our Company would like to engage DND.IDEaS_IDEeS.MDN@forces.gc.ca to open an epost Connect conversation for the Pop Up City contest. However, we would need both a bid solicitation number and a reference number as part of the correspondence.

Can you please provide us with this information?

In response to your inquiry the Pop up City Contest is not using buy and sell to solicit bids.  We suggest that you review the Contest program guide and application requirements should you wish to submit a solution to this Contest.  All relevant information can be found at https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/defence-ideas/current-opportunities/program-guide.html

I have a general question regarding the preparation and submission of documents for the Pop Up City Contest. If a company and a public university professor are working together as one unit for the contest, and the application will be made through a for-profit Canadian company, is the professor still required to submit the written authorization from the Quebec's Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs? As for the private company, would documents showing the registration number of the business with Revenue Quebec suffice?

If the proposal is originating from a for profit Canadian company then there is no need for written authorization from Quebec’s Minster of Intergovernmental Affairs.

In terms of verifying eligibility an questionnaire will be send out immediately after the close of the Contest with a set of questions and documents that will need to be submitted to substantiate eligibility.

My name is XXX and I am writing on behalf of the XXX in Calgary Alberta. We are preparing an application for the pop up city as a consortium and after looking at your form it appears that we are only able to apply with three additional parties in our consortium.  We would like to apply with 4 additional partners as we feel that the waste portion of the solution needs to be delineated into solid waste and liquid waste. Is it possible to apply with 4 partners in addition to ourselves as the consortium leader?

Yes you can apply with as many additional partners as you deem necessary to submit a proposal. Please be aware however that each of the partners must be ones listed in section 2.8.1 of the Contest Program guide (applicant guide section).  In addition each of the partners will be sent an eligibility screening questionnaire in December that needs to be filled out in order for the application to be considered for Round 2 of the Contest.

Further to your response, on top of the 150 L/cap/day of potable water supply, where is the non-potable water supply of 50 L/person/day for toilet systems from typically? From the local contractor or nearby surface water or ground water source?

As mentioned in the guide: “Supplementing water supplied to the RTC via collection from the environment (e.g. rain, snow and ice collection, or from local waterways) is out of scope for the current Contest.” So, for the purposes of this contest, you must assume that only potable water is being supplied to the RTC, and that in the absence of any reuse or recycling, this single source serves both the potable and non-potable water needs for the RTC.  

I looked at the load profile for electricity and there are no units on the spreadsheet. I am assuming that the loads are in MegaWatts, is this correct?

The numbers are ratios of power draw over peak power draw, and thus unitless.

Is it expected that we fill in all the information at once, print, scan, create a pdf and submit through the Canada e-post system?

Yes you are correct. All information should be send as one package to the Canada Post Epost account.  Please be aware that the downloadable PDF forms that are filled out should be able to save your information.

The web site said that only One Proposal per Technical Domain. I have technologies for flue gas conversion and electrochemical wastewater treatment technology to be integrated together for methane production but I checked both domains in "Technical Domain Identification" section. Do I need to submit separate applications for each technology? Also, I am collaborating with a professor for his facility to develop my prototype, do I need to include him in consortium members section?

To answer your first question you must submit separate applications for each technology.

For your second question you do not need to submit a consortium application however if only one single submission is submitted the Intellectual property rights will rest with the project lead. As well should this application be selected for advancement into one or more rounds of the Contest the prize will be issued to the individual project lead as listed in the application.

Are we able to propose utilizing and integrating technologies which utilize technologies which are in collaboration with a US corporation? We are owned and controlled 100% in Canada by Canadians (myself) but there are technologies from some of our commercial customers which we would like to propose using from the US. Also if the Solution Readiness Level is already commercial with the technology but the integration between our systems is the novel aspect is this acceptable?

Yes you are able to submit an application so long as the applicant meets the criteria for eligibility listed in the Contest program guide. And yes from what it appears you solution would be eligible.

 In the Applicant Guide and Contest Challenge Statement, it says that Canadian standards have to be used. However, in Canada, Currently there are no national guidelines or regulations for water reclamation and reuse for direct potable water use, with the exception of the "Canadian Guidelines for Domestic Reclaimed Water for Use in Toilet and Urinal Flushing" (Health Canada, 2009). In that case when we propose a solution for water reclamation and reuse to direct potable water use, can we reference draft wastewater reuse guidelines that are in development in Canada, or established wastewater reuse guidelines in other developed countries or regions?

So long as you are compliant with the Wastewater Systems Effluent Regulations cited in the guide, your proposal will be considered. If you feel citing additional published or draft national or international regulations will strengthen your proposal then you are free to do so.

If we propose wastewater reuse in both water and waste submission in order to meet objectives in water conservation and liquid waste reduction, would it be considered acceptable for the Contest?

 Any solutions within the guidelines that reduce the potable water supply to the RTC, and/or reduce the liquid waste output of the RTC are acceptable.

Do the application form and declaration form need to be submitted in the original format (ie. as form-fillable PDFs)? Or can they printed to PDF and/or scans? In particular, does the Declaration Form need to bear an Adobe electronic signature, or can it be printed, signed and scanned?

We would need the application form to be submitted in its original format (as form fillable PDFs) however the declaration form can be printed, signed and scanned

With the deadline for Round 1 of Pop Up City extended to December 13, will IDEaS accept additional technical questions for the contest? If so, what is the deadline for additional questions to be received?

Please feel free to forward any technical questions to us for a response. We don’t have deadline for receiving them however we would suggest sending them 2 weeks before the deadline so as we may publish them in a timely manner for Contestants to be able to assess the information and modify their application before submission.

once we submit the application, can we add supporting documents later, but before the deadline?

Ideally any additional information should be combined into one file. For example if you have additional technical  information to support what you referenced in your project proposal it should be attached in one file along that includes your application form and your declaration form. If you are located in Quebec you may need to submit additional information as per the stipulation in the Contest program guide (Annex C).

As stated in program guidelines, baseline demand for potable water is 150 L/person/day (which should be reduced to 100 L.person/day with the proposed solution) and for non-potable water is 50 L/person/day. If the proposed solution uses this non-potable water (all or part of it) to treat and produce potable water, is it mandatory for the proposed solution to compensate the amount of used non-potable water to keep it 50 L/person/day constant at all times?

You can assume that only potable water is supplied to the RTC and the ultimate goal of this contest is to reduce the amount of potable water being supplied. So if your solution can recycle different types of water for all uses (potable and non-potable), and thus reduce the volume of water supplied to the RTC, then this is acceptable. We would however remind you that, as stated in the guide, “Supplementing water supplied to the RTC via collection from the environment (e.g. rain, snow and ice collection, or from local waterways) is out of scope for the current Contest.”

Would you please provide more detailed information about the composition of solid waste? For example, percentage of plastic, metal, textile, etc.

The only information we can provide is the following assumption from the guide:  “For the purposes of this Contest, the total energy content of dry solid waste can be assumed to be 15 mega joules (MJ) per kilogram (kg). Likewise, the water content of the wet solid waste can be assumed to be 70%.

I am a Canadian citizen and we have solution that provides fresh water, Green Energy and wastewater handling that is integrated. I would be in Ottawa to incorporate our global HQ in February -March 2020.Can I send in our solution to this competition though we are yet to incorporate?

Thanks you for your interest in the IDEaS Program. Unfortunately, based on the information you have given me, you would not be eligible by the Round 1 application deadline of Dec 13^th, 2019.

Please clarify what the wet solid is referring to? Is it mainly the organics from food processing and garbage can in the kitchen?

From the guide: “RTCs also generate solid waste in the form of organic waste from food preparation, as well as shipping, office, plastic, metal and textile wastes.” So wet solid waste being mainly kitchen waste as you put it would be correct.

Is sludge from black water and greywater be considered wet solid?

Sludge from black/grey water is not counted as the wet solid waste indicated in Tables 1&2, however if your solution can make use of this sludge this would lower the waste output of the RTC.

Is 150L/person/day the overall water supply to the RTC?

150L/person/day is the amount of potable water supplied to the RTC, i.e. being trucked in, and being used by personnel in the RTC. Solutions would need to meet this daily per capita consumption requirement, while reducing the amount of potable water being trucked in to the RTC.

Is laundry handled onsite through centralized washing machines? What range of water consumption is expected in terms of laundry?

The per capita water requirements given cover all needs, including laundry, however no specific volumes can be provided. Your solution design will need to make reasonable assumptions for these.

Does the solution need to be scalable for separate deployments that vary in population size? Or for a single 12 month deployment is the solution expected to serve varying populations varying from 150 to 1500?

Utility systems for a single RTC must be designed to accommodate varying populations of between 150 to 1500 personnel. However from the guide note that: “For the purposes of the design process for submissions to the Contest, the same per capita data can be used for all camp sizes. That is, it can be assumed that RTC size does not affect the per capita consumption of energy or water.” 

When will the IDEaS team post questions received from all the bidders, and subsequent responses, on the IDEaS website? How often will questions received from bidders, and subsequent responses, be posted on the IDEaS website between now and the submission deadline?

We don’t have a fixed timeline for posting questions and answers from prospective Contestants.  As a result we suggest reviewing our website often for the latest updates in regards to this Contest.

As mentioned in the guide: Supplementing water supplied to the RTC via collection from the environment (e.g. rain, snow and ice collection, or from local waterways) is out of scope for the current Contest. However, would potable water treatment and supply from the local waterways or groundwater source be considered out of scope for the contest?

Yes this would be considered out of scope for the purposes of this Contest. The point is that we want to be able to measure the water being supplied to the RTC, so contestants must assume that all water is trucked in, and that no other external sources of water are available. See also our response to you on Oct 16.

If the Contestant is a consortium, in Round 2 can individual member of the consortium join other teams for the integrated solution? Or the members of the consortium in Round 1 will have to stay together in Round 2?

There is no requirement that Contestants who are part of a Consortium in Round 1 remain in that Consortium to submit a proposal in Round 2 however all Consortium members must be eligible to apply to this Contest. This requirement is located in section 2.8 of the Contest program guide. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/programs/defence-ideas/current-opportunities/program-guide/applicant-guide.html#two-eight