Spark
Are you a point-of-care worker, manager, researcher, or informal caregiver?
Do you have an innovative idea for seniors’ care? Receive up to $50,000 CAD to develop, test, and/or scale your innovative solution.
Every day, point-of-care staff improvise and problem-solve to meet the growing demands of an aging demographic. Clinical staff, managers, researchers, and caregivers hold key insights into potential improvements or transformations in seniors’ care delivery.
CABHI’s Spark program empowers point-of-care staff to translate their insights into innovative and scalable solutions that can improve the lives of older adults, persons with dementia, and their care partners in Canada and worldwide.
Tailored coaching, mentorship, networking, and end-user validation, guided by CABHI’s team of experts.
Access to the Spark Learning Series to ensure your project is poised for success, sustainability, and maximum impact.
Up to $50,000 CAD to develop, test, and/or scale your innovative solution.
Program Criteria
We seek applicants who are employed at a Canadian healthcare delivery organization and are one of the following:
Point-of-care worker
- Clinical or other staff actively working at the point of care
Point-of-care manager
- Person who actively manages clinical care delivery
Point-of-care researcher
- Researcher of applied or translational research in a care setting
Informal caregiver
- A friend or family member who is or has experience as the primary caregiver for an older adult or person living with dementia
- Informal caregivers must provide a letter of support from an eligible host organization who will receive and oversee the distribution of funds
Applicants must not have previously received funding through CABHI’s MC2 program.
To be considered for funding, your proposed solution must address one or more of CABHI’s five Innovation Themes:
Caregiver Support
Support caregivers (formal and informal) in their care for older adults living with dementia.
Aging in Place
Enable older adults with dementia to maximize their independence so they can age in their desired setting.
Cognitive and Mental Health
Improve brain/cognitive health for aging adults and/or support the identification and assessment of adults at risk for dementia/cognitive impairment.
Care Coordination & Navigation
Help older adults, caregivers, and healthcare providers to better coordinate and navigate care for older adults with dementia.
Financial Health and Wellness
Help older adults remain financially independent, stay safe in the workforce longer, plan for financing care, and more.
Proposed solutions must:
- Must be pre-commercial and not be owned by a third-party company unless two criteria are met:
- The vendor/owner of the solution is not involved in the project in any way.
- The solution is being used in a novel way and/or being adapted to an older adult population.
Projects must:
- Focus on the development/testing of an innovative solution with a real-world population.
- Include a commitment of at least 20% of CABHI’s contribution in matching funds (either cash or in-kind) from the host organization and/or other partners (if applicable).
- Appears reasonable to complete in a 12-month period with $50,000 (plus any additional funds committed from other sources.
- Spark does not fund foundational research or pharmaceutical trials; projects must advance the development and implementation of innovations.
- Spark does not provide funding for incubators or capital investments for companies (see MC2 for investment opportunities).
Applications will be evaluated based on the following selection criteria:
The Solution (25%)
- How significant is the problem being addressed?
- How does this solution address the problem better than others?
Strategic Alignment (25%)
- How well aligned is the solution to CABHI’s Call for Innovation themes?
- How effectively does the solution address the identified problem?
Project Overview (25%)
- Does the project have clearly defined goals and objectives?
- Is the intended use of funds clearly linked to project goals and objectives?
Project Team (25%)
- Why will the team succeed?
- How does this project provide an opportunity for the applicant team and/or broader organization to build skills and experience working in seniors care?
Important Dates
Application Window Opens
Monday, October 17, 2022
Application Deadline
Friday, December 2, 2022 at 5 pm ET
CABHI notifies Awardees
Early February 2023
Program Agreements returned to CABHI
Friday, Feb 24, 2023
All Projects Begin
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Get Started
Additional Resources
- Eligible Expenses Guideline [pdf]
- Letter of Support Template [pdf]
- Funding Agreement [pdf]
Stay up-to-date on future CABHI program by subscribing to our newsletter.
Program Funding
CABHI gratefully acknowledges the support of its funders: the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and the Government of Canada through the Public Health Agency of Canada.