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\t \t The program will create \u201cone of the world\u2019s most advanced public supercomputers,\u201d said Peter Wall, a spokesperson for AI Minister Evan Solomon. He added that the SCIP will ensure \u201cCanadian researchers and companies have access to world-class infrastructure, owned and operated here, so we can build the next generation of AI on our own terms.\u201d<\/p>\n The launch of the bidding process has been much anticipated among Canadian universities, compute service providers and hardware firms. Bidders have until June 1 to submit their applications, and must have the supercomputer operational within 18 months of signing the contract with the government. The federal innovation department had previously solicited<\/a> proposals for what the system could look like.<\/p>\n Groups bidding on the supercomputer contract must be led by a post-secondary institute or not-for-profit. The federal innovation department is seeking assurances that Canadian organizations will own or at least have technical control over the infrastructure, including what components go into it, who can access it, and what they can do with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bidders must also show they\u2019re planning to use Canadian hardware, software and services when they\u2019re available, and to partner with Canadian startups. The program does allow for foreign technology and participants, and requires that the groups \u201climit instances\u201d in which they can \u201cunilaterally restrict use or access\u201d to the supercomputer, according to the innovation department\u2019s bidding guide. While the innovation department asks bidders to prioritize data residency in Canada, it doesn\u2019t absolutely mandate it.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Liberal government first announced<\/a> plans for a new supercomputer in the April 2024 federal budget, initially allocating<\/a> $700 million under its $2 billion strategy to increase Canada\u2019s compute capacity. Last November\u2019s federal budget increased the SCIP to $925.6 million.<\/p>\n Ottawa plans to spend most of that on building the supercomputer. Bidding groups don\u2019t need to put all their compute clusters in one place, although they have to show they\u2019ve secured any sites they\u2019ll build on. They must also demonstrate that they\u2019ve pre-purchased power, or at least checked with the local utility to ensure there\u2019s enough spare capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the program guide does not include a specific matching requirement, Ottawa does expect applicants to solicit provincial and municipal funding, and to try and attract private-sector capital. It will allow the group running the supercomputer to sell access to industry, but it must reinvest that revenue to expand the system.\u00a0<\/p>\n The supercomputer will eventually hook into a new service layer, which Ottawa will select separately, that will allow researchers and firms to access the infrastructure and connect it to other public compute clusters.\u00a0<\/p>\n Other countries have recently built new supercomputers as they try to secure their place in the AI race. The U.K. government put up \u00a3225 million to build Isambard-AI at the University of Bristol, the 11th-fastest machine of its kind in the world when it launched<\/a> in July 2025. The U.S. Department of Energy plans<\/a> to use 100,000 of Nvidia\u2019s most advanced chips in Solstice, a new supercomputer for scientific research.\u00a0<\/p>\n As of November 2025, none of the 50 most powerful supercomputers in the world were located in Canada, according to Top500, which tracks the size and locations of the machines. Simon Fraser University\u2019s Fir system, launched in September<\/a> 2025 with $80 million in public funding, ranks 78th. <\/p>\n Some potential bidders are already lining up for SCIP. Simon Fraser and Queen\u2019s University announced<\/a> last month that they plan to jointly design and build a new \u201cnational sovereign, secure and sustainable high-performance supercomputing system.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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