Innovation Outpost
Advancing innovation within businesses, communities, and government.
ABOUT THE OUTPOST
The Halifax Innovation Outpost is a partnership between the Halifax Regional Municipality and Halifax Partnership. We work with startups, scaleups, community organizations, and established companies to:
- Address complex social, environmental, and civic needs.
- Foster innovation within Halifax companies and municipal government.
If you’re interested in learning more about the Outpost and how you can get involved, get in touch.
Open Challenges
There are no open challenges at the moment.
Climate Action
Building on the HalifACT climate action plan, the Halifax Innovation Outpost provides opportunities for startups, scaleups, community organizations, and established companies to develop and test climate action ideas and prototypes that could help reduce carbon emissions.
Climate Action Challenge: February 2024 - April 2024 (closed)
The Halifax Innovation Outpost in collaboration with HalifACT is issuing an open call for climate solutions. Organizations or teams that have an idea that they would like to develop and test are invited to submit an application by February 7, 2024. (Applications are now closed)
Climate Action Challenge: October 2022-February 2023 (completed)
The Halifax Innovation Outpost and the HalifACT team supported six startups and community organizations in developing and testing solutions to accelerate climate action in Halifax. The challenge specifically focused on: Green & Resilient Buildings; Green Jobs; Renewable Energy; Clean Transportation; Community Resilience; and Food Security.
Climate Action Challenge: February-April 2022 (completed)
The Halifax Innovation Outpost and the HalifACT team supported seven challenge winners in developing new and innovative ideas to decarbonize the Halifax economy through green tech, green buildings, and green jobs.
Gigatonne Challenge: April-May 2021 (completed)
The Halifax Innovation Outpost partnered with Complexity University to offer the Gigatonne Challenge, an intensive, advanced-learning program building practical skills to tackle the climate crisis in Halifax. The challenge generated local prototypes to address climate change and build resiliency, one of which was Storm Kits for Newcomers.
Gigatonne Challenge: August 2020 (completed)
A team of 20 climate leaders from Halifax completed Complexity University's Gigatonne Challenge program. A Halifax prototype provided electric vehicles to local start-up delivery services, supporting the reduction of carbon emissions while delivering food and packages within Halifax.
Food Action
The Halifax Innovation Outpost supports startups, scaleups, local organizations, and communities in developing solutions that provide adequate, healthy, safe, affordable, and sustainable food for Halifax residents in alignment with the municipality’s poverty reduction strategy and community plans and initiatives like the JustFOOD Action Plan.
Circular Food Solution Challenge: November 2023-February 2024 (closed)
This challenge is supporting Nova Scotia-based businesses and not-for-profit organizations in piloting and testing circular food solutions that launch new, or deepen action on, food waste and climate change in Nova Scotia.
Food Security Action Challenge: October-December 2022 (completed)
The Halifax Innovation Outpost, in collaboration with JustFood and HalifACT, supported eight startups and community organizations in developing and piloting ideas to strengthen food security within Halifax Regional Municipality.
Food Community Challenge: February-March 2022 (completed)
The Halifax Innovation Outpost supported the development and piloting of 10 projects aimed at strengthening food security in Halifax Regional Municipality.
Food Security Innovation Challenge: November 2020-April 2021 (completed)
Through this challenge, the Halifax Innovation District and Davis Pier supported four startups and community organizations in developing and testing ideas to increase access to healthy food and create lasting change in Halifax’s food system.
Corporate Innovation
Corporate innovation is focused on developing the out-of-the-box mindset that’s critical for driving innovation within a company or industry.
It enables companies to be forward-thinking and spot opportunities that could transform their industry, business model, or the products and services required to meet current and future market needs.
The Halifax Innovation Outpost works with local corporations to support them in building their internal innovation capabilities and developing partnerships that will advance their innovation agendas.
Corporate Innovation Workshop (completed)
In June 2022, the Halifax Innovation Outpost held its first Corporate Innovation workshop with leaders from Halifax Partnership Investor companies to support them in building innovation capacity within their businesses.
Our corporate innovation partners include:
