The Government of Canada is seeking innovators who can develop rapidly deployable solutions to detect oil spills and help boost oil spill recovery rates.

It has launched a CAD$10 million (£6m) Impact Canada Oil Spill Response Challenge, which will assess technologies through two streams: detection, to improve data availability and accuracy to inform oil spill response measures; and recovery, to clean up spills in aquatic environments and expedite environmental recovery.

A review committee will select 10 semi-finalists who will each receive up to CAD$300,000 (£180,473) to develop prototypes, out of which five finalists will receive up to an additional CAD$1 million (£0.6m) for early-stage demonstrations of their technologies.

The solution with the greatest net benefit to the Canadian oil spill regime will be awarded a CAD$2 million (£1.2m) grand prize.

Applications are accepted until 1st June 2022.

Bill Blair, President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness said: “We’re supporting innovation that addresses climate challenges in Canada and around the world. The Impact Canada Oil Spill Response Challenge is a key part of our commitment to protecting the environment and bolstering our emergency readiness infrastructure.

“I look forward to seeing the work of Canada’s leading innovators and finding solutions to detect and respond to oil spills more effectively.”