Enabling large-scale sovereign AI data centres: Intake form

To submit a proposal, please email a completed form to ai-infrastructure-ia@ised-isde.gc.ca

Completing this form will provide information for the purposes of being considered for a potential non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of Canada to explore mechanisms to enable the establishment of a large-scale sovereign AI data centre in Canada.

Projects outside of the scope of this initiative may be referred to federal partners including ISED's AI Compute Challenge and the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

1. Project lead applicant
A. Please provide the legal and operating name of the lead project proponent.
B. Type of organization.
C. Is the Applicant organization a subsidiary?

☐ Yes ☐ No

  • If yes, please identify the parent entity and its location (city/country).

D. Provide a brief description of your company, which must include:

  • Objectives, mandate, core activities, primary market and/or key products and services;
  • Total Number of Employees and number of employees in Canada
  • Company history, financial position, years in operation and major growth achievements; and
  • Details on your company's organizational structure, governance and names and percentage ownership of shareholders.
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
E. Applicant Address: Street, Unit Number, etc.:

City

Province

Country

Postal Code
F. Please provide the location of your company's headquarters and other operations in Canada and abroad.
G. Please provide the name and contact information for the lead contact for this project.
H. In which official language do you wish to communicate?

☐ English ☐ French
2. Project readiness assessment

A. Please answer the following to the best of your knowledge and awareness:

  • Will your project be majority controlled by a Canadian-controlled organization?
    ☐ Yes ☐ No
  • Will all of the data processed by your project be domiciled in Canada?
    ☐ Yes ☐ No
  • Do you have electricity supply agreements either in place or being negotiated?
    ☐ Yes ☐ No
  • Do you have water supply agreements either in place or being negotiated?
    ☐ Yes ☐ No
  • Is your site zoned and permitted, or is the zoning and permitting process underway?
    ☐Yes ☐ No
  • Have you identified Canadian vendors for elements of the technology stack necessary for your project?
    ☐Yes ☐ No
  • Have you identified tenants for your project?
    ☐Yes ☐ No
B. [Optional] If you answered 'no' to any of the questions above, you may justify your response below.
  • Maximum 1,500 characters including blank spaces.
3. Project overview and timelines
A. Please provide a short description of your proposed project, its overall project objectives and intended use.
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
B. Please provide the location(s) of your proposed project and/or the physical address where the largest portion of the project will occur (i.e., street, unit number).
C. Please describe your proposed project's timeline, including:
  • Project stage (e.g., concept, early development, site secured, design advanced, under construction etc.); and
  • Start dates, completion dates, and milestones.
  • Have you accounted for supply chain delays (e.g., lead time for equipment, including gas turbines)?
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
4. Project specifications
A. Describe the full technology stack that will be included in the project, including any Canadian providers of infrastructure, software, hardware, and equipment. Provide details on the timeline and status of securing this stack, and whether the project will own its own GPUs or contract with tenants that will bring their own GPUs (e.g., co-location).
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
B. Describe how your project aligns with the Government of Canada's objective to create sovereign AI infrastructure in Canada. In your response, please include details on the ownership of the facility, what entities will have control over/ access to the facility and its data, and its intended clients/tenants.
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
C. Describe the total energy requirements of your project, including sources (hydro, natural gas, renewable, etc.), whether it is on-grid, or off-grid, the carbon intensity of the energy source(s), and the steps you have taken to secure power (e.g. interconnection) to implement your project. Include if applicable any power purchase agreements and related details for renewable energy.
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
D. Describe the environmental sustainability elements of your project, from procurement of equipment to operation to end-of-life disposal of IT equipment, including measures to reduce potential environmental (e.gs., biodiversity, water) and societal (e.g. noise) impacts. Please also include relevant performance metrics (e.g., Carbon Usage Effectiveness (CUE), Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) and Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE), Renewable Energy Fraction (REF), Energy Reuse Factor (ERF))
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
5. Key it workloads details

A. Provide details on key IT workloads

  • Maximum 1,500 characters including blank spaces per answer.
  • IT Load
  • Facility Size in Megawatts (MW)
  • GPU Count and Specification
  • Network Throughput
  • Tier rating
6. Project financing
A. What is the project's total capital cost?
B. What is the expected capital cost for IT equipment needed to undertake this project?
C. What support are you seeking from the Federal Government, or what role do you foresee the Federal Government playing, to make your project viable or to otherwise facilitate its completion?
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
D. Justify your project's need for Federal support. Describe how Federal assistance will help advance your project, and your strategy for advancing the project in the event Federal funding does not materialize.
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
E. Please provide information on provincial/territorial support, whether financial or non-financial, for the project.
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
F. List any key financial partners or collaborators and their role(s) in the project (e.g., lenders, investors, Canada Infrastructure Bank).
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
G. List engagements with Federal funding organizations and programs, which include the Strategic Response Fund (SRF), Sovereign Compute Infrastructure Program (SCIP), and Energy Innovation Program (EIP).
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
7. Project benefits to canada
A. Please describe the economic and innovation benefits to Canada resultant from the realization of your project (e.g. creating temporary/permanent jobs,; ecosystem building; exports; intellectual property retention, serving Canadian clients).
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
B. How will your project benefit Indigenous communities in Canada (e.g., ownership, co-development, economic opportunities)? Describe what steps you have taken and/or plan to take to consult with Indigenous people and/or communities who may be implicated in and/or impacted by your project.
  • Maximum 3,000 characters including blank spaces.
8. Additional documentation

Additional documents may be required as part of the review of your proposal.
9. Certification

On behalf of the Applicant, I hereby acknowledge and certify that:

  1. I have authority to submit this application on behalf of the Applicant and evidence of this authority will be provided upon request.
  2. I have read and understood this intake form and will submit all the required information with this proposal.
  3. The information provided herein is complete, true and accurate and covenant that any other information given in the future in connection with the carrying out of the project will also be complete, true and accurate.
  4. Cooperation with the Government of Canada is a significant factor in a decision to proceed with a project and I authorize ISED to make the inquiries it deems necessary to evaluate this proposal. I agree to provide any further information that may be required by ISED to make a decision.
  5. Project costs incurred by the Applicant are incurred at the sole risk of the Applicant.
  6. ISED, its officials, employees, agents or contractors may share this intake form and other related project information with, and/or make enquiries of such persons, firms, corporations, federal, provincial and municipal government organizations, crown corporations, and not-for-profit, economic development and other organizations as may be appropriate and may collect and share information with them, as ISED deems necessary to assess this proposal, refer the proposal, administer and monitor the implementation of the project and evaluate the results of the project. ISED will use Artificial Intelligence to help summarize submitted proposals, to improve efficiency and support the review process.
  7. Information provided to ISED will be treated in accordance with the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. These laws govern the use, protection and disclosure of personal, financial and technical information by federal government departments and agencies. Information provided to ISED is secured from unauthorized access.
  8. The Applicant has not engaged a person to solicit financial assistance for a commission, contingency fee or other form of consideration dependant upon the approval of this Application to take part in a MOU with the Government of Canada.
  9. Any person who has been lobbying on behalf of the Applicant to obtain funding or supports as a result of this application is registered pursuant to the Lobbying Act and was registered pursuant to the Act at the time the lobbying occurred. Where the lobbying duties of the employees of the Applicant constitute a significant part of the employee's duties, the Applicant is in compliance with the Lobbying Act.
  10. Any former public office holder or public servant employed by the Applicant is in compliance with the provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act, the Values of Ethics Code for the Public Sector and the Directive on Conflict of Interest.
  11. The Applicant is not in default under any funding agreement with the federal government.
  12. You recognize that you may be contacted to provide additional information.

☐ I agree

Name

Title

Signature of officer with signing authority for the organization

Date
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