The Ocean Startup Project has opened applications for the 2026 Ocean Idea Challenge, a national early-stage three-month sprint that helps Canadians turn bold ocean ideas into validated startup opportunities. Selected teams can receive up to $8,000 and hands-on support from Ocean Ecosystem Navigators to pressure-test assumptions through real customer conversations, build evidence, and make smart decisions early on so they can move forward - or pivot - with confidence.

We hear about ocean health all of the time—rising sea levels, microplastics, pollution and debris—but what does cleaning the ocean actually involve? Ocean AID, supported by the Ocean Startup Project, is leading the way in turning these big ideas into real action, by tackling one of the ocean's most stubborn and costly problems: removing ghost gear.