10 Years of Impact
FR

10 Years
of Impact

Empowering people with bold ideas for big impact

Manifesto

Grand Challenges Canada believes in empowering people who face the world’s most pressing challenges. These are the innovators we support — inventive, passionate people with the knowledge to build transformative solutions that improve and save lives.

We invest where others do not. We invest in ideas that not only apply science and technology, but also integrate social and business approaches, to generate transformative impact. We provide innovators from around the world with resources they would otherwise not have access to, such as funding and access to networks. This helps to enable them to overcome barriers and to succeed. Their bold ideas may start small, but with the right mix of resources, thorough methods for testing and scaling, we support them to have a big impact.

Together with our funders and partners, Grand Challenges Canada empowers innovators to solve challenges that are far too big for any one person or organization to tackle alone. We empower others to save and improve the lives of millions of people worldwide.

Learn more about Grand Challenge Canada here.

10 Years of Impact

2005

National Post op-eds by co-founder Peter A. Singer

Peter Singer, co-founding Grand Challenges Canada CEO, writes two National Post op-eds making the argument for a Canadian Grand Challenges organization, modeled on the Grand Challenges in Global Health research initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and funded from Canada’s international development budget.

Think Small by Peter A. Singer

Dear Bono,… by Peter A. Singer

Material republished with the express permission of: National Post, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.

2008

Government announces Innovation Fund

Inspired by the two op-ed articles, the Canadian government announces the Development Innovation Fund in the 2008 Federal Budget, leading to the launch of GCC in 2010.

2010

Launch of Grand Challenges Canada

GCC is founded (with $225 million through the Development Innovation Fund) and supported by the Rotman Family Foundation.

2011

Launch of first program: Saving Lives at Birth (SL@B)

Saving Lives at Birth is launched with partners such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the U.K. Department for International Development and the Korea International Cooperation Agency.

2011

Global Mental Health Program Launch

The Global Mental Health program is launched by GCC, dedicating $20 million in funding from the Government of Canada to improve and expand access to mental health care in low- and middle-income countries

2012

Launch of Saving Brains

Saving Brains is launched as a partnership between GCC and the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, the Bernard van Leer Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The ELMA Foundation, Grand Challenges Ethiopia, the Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal Foundation, the Palix Foundation, the UBS Optimus Foundation and World Vision Canada.

2013

Over $100M in project funding committed

By May, GCC has awarded 283 peer reviewed grants and by the end of the year has committed more than $100 million in project funding.

2013

Anchor investment in the Global Health Investment Fund

GCC makes an anchor investment in the Global Health Investment Fund that catalyzes $108 million USD to help advance promising interventions to fight challenges like malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and maternal and infant mortality in low-income countries.

2015

700 innovations supported in over 80 countries

GCC supports to date more than 700 innovations in over 80 countries.

2015

Government of Canada announces $161M for Grand Challenges Canada toward maternal, newborn and child health

The Government of Canada renews its commitment to GCC with $161 million in new funding for maternal, newborn and child health.

2015

Launch of Every Women, Every Child Marketplace

The Every Woman Every Child Innovation Marketplace launches as a strategic alliance of development innovation organizations, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Grand Challenges Canada, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the United States Agency for International Development.

2016

10,000+ lives saved

GCC-funded innovations save to date the lives of over 10,000 people.

2017

Focus on sexual and reproductive health

Inspired by the Feminist International Assistance Policy, GCC shifts its focus towards sexual and reproductive health and rights projects.

2017

1 million+ lives improved

GCC-funded innovations improve to date the lives of over 1 million people.

2017

Funding for urban sanitation innovations

GCC receives $3.7 million in funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia) in support of urban sanitation.

2018

Launch of Humanitarian Grand Challenge

The U.S. Agency for International Development, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, the Government of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with support from GCC, partners to launch Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge.

2018

Launch of Indigenous Innovation Initiative

Hosted by GCC, the Indigenous Innovation Initiative is established with funding from the Government of Canada and partners Johnson & Johnson, the McConnell Foundation and the RBC Foundation. In 2019, the Government of Canada pledges $10 million to seed transformative approaches to empower Indigenous gender equality through social entrepreneurship.

2019

Launch of OPTions Initiative

The Options for Pregnancy Termination Innovation Initiative is launched by GCC. The Initiative seeks innovative and transformative approaches that enable women’s and girls’ access to safe abortion.

2019

Launch of youth-focused Global Mental Health

To scale up high impact mental health innovations, GCC, with funding from the Department of Health and Social Care UK aid through the National Institute for Health Research, is relaunched to seed innovations that help young people’s mental health.

2020

Funding for Indigenous innovators

The Indigenous Innovation Initiative Request for Proposals is launched seeking bold ideas to advance equality for Indigenous peoples across Canada. Approaches grounded in Indigenous community, culture and ways of knowing, including those led by women and gender diverse innovators, are encouraged to apply.

2020

5 million+ lives improved

GCC-funded innovations improve to date the lives of over 5 million people.

2020

Support for innovators to mobilize against COVID-19

GCC provides additional supplemental funding to 20 innovations mobilizing to assist developing countries through the global pandemic. This includes novel, affordable ways to acquire medical oxygen, ventilators, masks, and other critically needed COVID-19 supplies and services.

By the Numbers

Up to 1.78 Million

Lives Saved by 2030

Up to 64 Million

Lives Improved by 2030

37,000+

Lives Saved to Date

7.5 million+

Lives Improved to Date

17.4 million+

Beneficiaries Reached

21,800+

Jobs Created

1,300+

Innovations Supported

106

Countries

40%

Projects Led By Women

330

Canadian-based Institutions

$341 Million+

Leveraged by Innovators

Rotman Innovation of
the Year Award 2020

Hewatele

Saving Lives, One Breath at a Time

Hewatele is a Kenyan-owned and operated social enterprise. The organization has a mission to address a lack of access to medical-grade oxygen by producing, delivering, and servicing eco-friendly, low-cost, safe, and reliable oxygen solutions to local health facilities. Since receiving our support in 2017, Hewatele now provides medical oxygen to 140+ health facilities that serve over 10 million people. As a result, they have saved over 18,000 lives and improved another 18,000 more. In response to the urgent need of oxygen during the COVID-19 pandemic, Hewatele is also supplying oxygen to two of Kenya’s COVID-19 hospitals. This initiative was supported by Grand Challenges Canada, as part of its broader efforts to support the response to COVID-19 in low- and middle-income countries.

Learn more

Hewatele

The Next 10 Years
of Impact

Grand Challenges Canada is excited to continue to transform the status quo by being bold and creative, and enabling innovators to be so also. Over the next 10 years: we will accelerate the transition to scale of innovations; focus on incubating new programs and initiatives within our global health area of impact and enhancing our two newest areas of impact, Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenges and the Indigenous Innovation Initiative; boost our position as a leading global resource and source of expertise on innovation for impact; strengthen our work culture of trust, diversity, openness and empowerment; and secure additional funding for the innovations we support, by securing funding from existing funders, leveraging new funding and attracting new funders who align with our values.

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The Next 10 Years
of Impact

Grand Challenges Canada is excited to continue to transform the status quo by being bold and creative, and enabling innovators to be so also. Over the next 10 years: we will accelerate the transition to scale of innovations; focus on incubating new programs and initiatives within our global health area of impact and enhancing our two newest areas of impact, Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenges and the Indigenous Innovation Initiative; boost our position as a leading global resource and source of expertise on innovation for impact; strengthen our work culture of trust, diversity, openness and empowerment; and secure additional funding for the innovations we support, by securing funding from existing funders, leveraging new funding and attracting new funders who align with our values.

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Impact
Projections

2030
Up to 1.78 Million
Lives Saved
by GCC-supported
innovations
2030
Up to 64 Million
Lives Improved
by GCC-supported
innovations
Previous Slide
Indigenous Innovation Initiative
Innovation is an Indigenous value—our very survival has always depended upon it. It was rooted in strong, reciprocal relationships to each other and the world around us—never taking without also giving. Indigenous innovation isn’t just about something new or technological, but very often it is about taking our old ways and knowledges and bringing them forward to a new situation. As the Indigenous Innovation Initiative sets its roots, there is a vision to improve people’s lives and spark a new generation of Indigenous innovation—one where everyone has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.

Our Partners

Grand Challenges Canada’s programs are primarily undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada.