Our portfolio
Grand Challenges Canada is one of the world’s largest impact-first investors. Our innovation platform supports bold ideas that drive better health, equity, and resilience around the globe. With support from the Government of Canada and other partners, we focus on funding bold ideas that have the potential to save and improve lives in underserved communities.
Being Initiative
Being is a global mental health initiative that envisions a world where young people feel well and thrive
Creating Hope in Conflict: A Humanitarian Grand Challenge
Humanitarian grand challenge that focuses on life-saving interventions in crisis and conflict settings
Global Mental Health
Community-driven solutions to promote mental health and well-being
Indigenous Innovation Initiative
Investing in First Nations, Inuit and Métis innovators in Canada to advance community-led solutions
Maternal and newborn health
Innovations to improve care, outcomes, and survival for mothers and newborns.
OPTions Initiative
Expanding access and the creation of next generation methods for pregnancy termination, where there are legal grounds to support it
Play Learn Thrive
Supporting early childhood development and education for children in crisis settings
Sanitation
Innovations that improve access to safe, sustainable sanitation for all
Saving Brains
Early childhood innovations that protect and nurture brain development in the first critical years of life.
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Investing in community-led solutions to end sexual and gender-based violence
Stars in Global Health
Seed funding for bold, early-stage ideas to address pressing global health challenges
Cross cutting themes
Across our portfolios, we focus on cross-cutting solutions that strengthen health systems and expand access to care. We invest in innovations that leverage community health worker models, digital tools, and medical products and technologies to reach people faster, more efficiently, and more equitably.
Community health worker models
Community health workers are often the first—and sometimes only—source of care in underserved and remote communities.
Digital health
Digital technologies are transforming health care—and we’re helping to lead the way.
Medical products and technologies
In many parts of the world, essential medical products are still out of reach. We’re changing that.
Climate & health
Climate and health is an emerging focus of our work, where we’re exploring bold, locally driven solutions to address the growing health impacts of our changing climate. From early investments in heat-resilient care to climate-smart disease prevention, we’re testing what works to protect vulnerable communities and build resilience where it’s needed most.