Northern Controlled Environment Agriculture Unit: Co-Design Study

Summary

The CSA seeks to contract a multidisciplinary team that brings together a Canadian Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) specialized organization and an Inuit firm based in Nunavut. The objective of this contract is to co-develop a conceptual design—including technical drawings (CAD models) and a detailed report—for a deployable CEA unit that meets specific technical, environmental, and Inuit cultural requirements. This work is intended to support the potential future integration of a CEA unit prototype into an Inuit-led initiative aimed at improving local food security in Nunavut. Additionally, the Contractor is expected to go beyond existing solutions by advancing the design through the conceptual integration of mature and near-ready technologies into a novel deployable CEA unit. To meet the CSA space mandate, the contractor must develop new or improve components and subsystems, and tailor them to unprecedented environmental and cultural requirements. The resulting design will inform future CSA activities in both terrestrial and space contexts, addressing food accessibility in Northern communities on Earth while advancing food production capabilities for long-duration space missions. This solicitation has an Inuit Benefits Plan component to it that is included in the basis of selection for contract award. This solicitation is NOT limited to businesses listed on the Inuit Firms Registry.