Advancing innovations through the Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN) co-produced Pathways to Impact. KBHN’s Implementation and newly launched Acceleration funding opportunities are designed to transform validated solutions into sustainable, scalable change for children and youth with neurodisabilities.

KBHN Pathways to Impact & Funding Opportunities

Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN) is committed to improving the lives of children and youth (ages 0–25) with neurodisabilities and their families by validating, implementing, and scaling evidence-informed solutions.

To achieve this, KBHN supports impact through our two co-produced Pathways to Impact: Implementation and Commercialization, developed in partnership with people with lived and living experience, researchers, innovators, clinicians, service providers, policymakers, and community partners. These pathways, alongside our Indigenous Parallel Pathway to Impact, recognize that meaningful impact can be reached through multiple routes and that innovations need different kinds of support as they mature. These co-produced pathways are made possible by KBHN and have been generously supported by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s Strategic Science Fund, Brain Canada, and One Child Every Child.

Implementation Pathway to Impact

Supports the adoption, integration, and spread of evidence-informed solutions within health, education, community, and social service systems—ensuring effective innovations reach the children, youth, and families who can benefit. Outcomes may include changes to practice, improved service delivery, policy influence, system transformation, greater access, and sustainable implementation at scale.

KBHN’s Implementation Program supports projects advancing along this pathway.

Award amount and term

  • $200,000/yr, maximum request per year, for up to two years
  • 1:1, minimum match from eligible non-federal cash and/or in-kind contributions.

Commercialization Pathway to Impact

Supports the development, scaling, and sustainability of evidence-informed products, services, technologies, and social innovations—transforming validated innovations into sustainable solutions with broad reach through commercialization, procurement, licensing, social enterprise, revenue generation, and market adoption.

KBHN’s Acceleration Program supports projects advancing along this pathway.

Award amount and term

  • $100,000/yr, maximum request per year, for up to two years
  • 1:1, minimum match from eligible non-federal cash and/or in-kind contributions, with at least 25% in cash.

Introducing KBHN’s Acceleration Program

KBHN is pleased to launch the Acceleration Program. The program supports evidence-informed products, services, technologies, interventions, and social innovations that improve outcomes for children and youth (0–25) living with neurodisabilities and their families.

Our goal is to accelerate the journey from research and innovation to sustainable market-integrated solutions across Canada and beyond. The program is built for innovations that have moved past early-stage research, development, and validation, and are ready to advance toward commercialization, procurement, market adoption, licensing, revenue generation, social enterprise development, or other routes to long-term sustainability and scale.

It addresses a critical gap in the pediatric neurodisability ecosystem: innovations that have proven effective but need targeted investment to reach their next stage of growth. These innovations may not yet fit traditional investment or commercialization funding, yet they have a clear pathway toward sustainable impact.

Overview

The Acceleration Program funds start-ups, small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), social enterprises, not-for-profit organizations, academic researchers, and multi-sector partnerships with validated innovations advancing along the Commercialization Pathway. Funding supports activities that build commercialization readiness and long-term sustainability, including:

  • Market validation and customer discovery
  • Commercialization and business model development
  • Intellectual property development and protection
  • Regulatory preparation
  • Procurement readiness
  • Licensing and partnership development
  • Scale-up of products, services, technologies, interventions, or delivery models
  • Revenue generation and sustainability planning
  • Expansion into new markets and jurisdictions
  • Adaptation and scaling of proven community-based or social innovations

Successful projects show a clear pathway to commercialization and sustainable impact and explain how their innovation will achieve broader adoption through commercialization, procurement, licensing, social enterprise, or other sustainable scaling mechanisms. The project team must include at least one person with lived experience in the area of focus.

Implementation Program

The Implementation Program will support large-scale Implementation Projects positioned to bridge the gap between scientific innovation to uptake on a national scale. Successful projects are expected to achieve measurable advances in social solutions, changes to practice or policy, digital or biomedical innovations, or new public-sector advancements to improve the quality of life for children with neurodisabilities and their families.

 

Overview

  • Proposals must demonstrate rigorous scientific evidence and are expected to contribute to strengthening evidence-based decision-making, innovation skills development, and building a solutions-focused science culture.
  • Projects must be national in scope.
  • Proposals must demonstrate potential to increase accessibility of solutions to diverse, vulnerable, and/or underserved populations.
  • Proposals must include consideration for overcoming the physical, geographic and/or language barriers that currently limit accessibility to evidence-based early identification, interventions, and family support.
  • The project team must include at least one person with lived experience in the area of focus.
  • Teams must include individuals with training in implementation science and/or previous experience in implementation, with the expertise required to carry out the proposed project.

Not sure which program fits?

Projects whose primary objective is the implementation and adoption of innovations within health, education, community, or social service systems may align better with the Implementation Program.

Projects whose primary objective is the creation of a new company, filing patents, licensing, or scaling from validation to early revenue may align better with the Acceleration Program.

Application

We welcome applications from Canadian-based organizations and teams advancing evidence-informed innovations with real potential for scale, sustainability, and broad impact for children and youth living with neurodisabilities (0–25) and their families.

Acceleration Program – Eligible Applicants:

  • Canadian-incorporated SMEs
  • Canadian start-ups
  • Social enterprises
  • Not-for-profit organizations
  • Academic researchers and teams with validated innovations and a clear commercialization, procurement, scaling, or sustainability pathway
  • Multi-sector partnerships

Implementation Program – Eligible Applicants:

  • Academics at a Canadian University or College
  • Research institutes and healthcare organizations
  • Non-profit organizations and community groups
  • Multi-sector partnerships

All applications and projects from both streams must include people with lived and living experience as equal team members and show how their perspectives have shaped and will continue to shape the innovation’s development, scaling, evaluation, and impact.

Use the templates below to structure your proposal and supporting materials.

For the Project Team template, please indicate each member’s time contribution.

Questions? Contact Corey Fortier at cfortier@kidsbrainhealth.ca.

 

Request for Proposals launches – July 8, 2026

Application submission deadline – November 9, 2026

Anticipated award start date – April 2027

Applications can be submitted online: KBHN – Pathways to Impact funding opportunities

Late applications will not be considered.

Applications are evaluated against the published review criteria, including:

  • Alignment with KBHN priorities: Timely access to evidence-based interventions; support for families
  • Strength of evidence supporting the innovation
  • Meaningful engagement of people with lived and living experience
  • Commercialization and/or sustainability readiness
  • Potential for scale and impact
  • Strength of partnerships
  • Feasibility of the proposed work plan
  • Likelihood of achieving sustainable outcomes beyond the funding period

Full Application Review Criteria: KBHN Reviewer Template 2026

KBHN’s Programs Advisory Committee will recommend the most promising, transformative proposals—those that address challenges in early identification, access to evidence-based interventions, family support, and other priorities aligned with KBHN’s mandate.

The Nominated Project Lead or Principal Investigator must be eligible to receive operating funds from the Strategic Science Fund.

Funding must remain in Canada, however international partnerships and activities are welcome.

All proposal expenditures must be eligible according to the Strategic Science Fund Program Guide.

KBHN shall be designated as a Preferred Partner in respect to any future commercialization activities arising from funded Projects.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

KBHN-funded projects should aim to increase accessibility of solutions to under-served populations, with a special emphasis on under-represented groups (e.g., Indigenous peoples, racialized individuals, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals). Projects with this focus are highly encouraged.

Contact Information

For questions, contact Corey Fortier, Director of Implementation and Programs, at cfortier@kidsbrainhealth.ca.

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