The Coordinated Accessible National (CAN) Health Network is a federally funded organization that works with Canadian health care operators (called Edges), to identify their biggest challenges and match them with Canadian-made technology solutions.
The CAN Health Network creates an Integrated Marketplace that enables Canadian companies and their solutions to be rapidly validated, procured, and scaled across the Network and beyond. This model supports the commercialization of Canadian companies by de-risking the procurement process and making it easier for health care providers to adopt innovative technological solutions that solve real-world problems in the Canadian health care system.
The CAN Health Network does not distribute grants under CIHR and does not fund clinical trials.
Edges are public or private health care organizations, such as hospitals, home care organizations, health authorities, and private clinics. CAN Health works directly with the Edges to identify their biggest challenges and match them with Canadian-made technology solutions. Together, the Edges make up the purchasing arm of the CAN Health Network’s Integrated Marketplace.
We use the term Edge as CAN Health works directly with the most innovative parts of the health care providers in our Network—who are typically on the leading “edge” of the health care innovation landscape in Canada. Edges are committed to being early adopters of innovative Canadian health care solutions. The ultimate goal is to allow Canadian companies to be rapidly validated, procured and scaled across the country and beyond.
No. The CAN Health Network does not fund Canadian companies.
The CAN Health Network funds commercialization projects. Once a company is selected to work with an Edge on a project, CAN Health provides funding directly to the Edge to cover costs associated with validating and further developing the company’s solution/product.
As a result of working with the CAN Health Network, companies gain exposure to multiple health care organizations across Canada and insights that may be leveraged to optimize their product’s offering and enhance its market-fit, providing increased scaling and procurement opportunities.
A CAN Health Network commercialization project embeds a Canadian company within a CAN Health Edge, providing them access to a real-world environment to apply their solution.
Commercialization projects typically run from three months to one year. During that time, the company receives mentorship from coaches and subject matter experts, marketing and communications opportunities, and guidance on navigating the health care marketplace to increase the chance of a successful procurement.
- Edges identify problem statements and pressing issues within their organizations that they are actively pursuing a solution for and are looking to procure.
- The CAN Health team works with the Edge to formalize the problem statement, highlighting the details of the market-ready challenge the Edge is looking to solve and prepared to purchase, as well as the solution’s desired outcome(s).
- This problem statement becomes the “Call for Innovation” (CFI), posted to the CAN Health website for a selected period of time, during which Canadian companies who believe their product addresses the needs of the posted challenge are welcomed to apply.
- Applicant companies are then graded on their solution by the Edge and the CAN Health team, and one final company is selected to proceed with the project and work together with the host Edge – this initiates a CAN Health commercialization project.
One of CAN Health’s key differentiators is that all projects are expected to end in a procurement process, led by the Edge, with budgets pre-allocated prior to project launch. Additionally, at project close, other CAN Health Edges have the ability to purchase what is now a proven solution, tested by a trusted partner in the Network.
To qualify for a CAN Health project, the company must meet ALL the following criteria:
- Headquartered in Canada (additional criteria apply for companies not headquartered in Canada)
- Majority ownership of both the company and the solution by Canadians
- Solution at Technology Readiness Level (TRL)>7, indicating actual technology completed and qualified through tests and demonstrations
- All the data and AI models (if applicable) must be hosted in Canada and comply with all the Canadian privacy regulations
- Possess all regulatory approvals required for commercialization, such as Health Canada approval
Completion of all required clinical validity/unity studies - No need for policy changes to be widely adopted
- Strong use cases in the Canadian health care system
If the company is not headquartered in Canada or the solution is not majority owned by Canadians, additional criteria apply:
- Independent autonomy over business operations and product development (for subsidiaries, affiliates or distributors)
- High Canadian job creation potential, especially in executive and senior management positions
- Commitment of over 70% of contract value to Canada
During the company selection process, preference is given to companies/solutions fully owned by Canadians, followed by those majority owned by Canadians, and finally international companies with a significant presence and economic impact in Canada.
Please fill out the intake form on the following page: https://canhealthnetwork.ca/contact-us/
