SPARK Expression of Interest 2026

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2026 SPARK Expression of Interest

Welcome!

Thank you for your interest in the HHS DRIVE SPARK Funding Competition. This Expression of Interest ("EOI") form is your first step towards bringing your innovative healthcare idea to life! We encourage applicants from all backgrounds and experience levels.

As part of the process, all EOI applicants will have a 15-minute virtual meeting with the DRIVE team to explore their health innovation vision. EOI meetings will take place during the weeks of April 27- May 1, May 4-8, and May 19-20, 2026.

Application Process:

This form is the first step in a three-phase application process:

Expression of Interest (EOI) Submission - Complete this form and participate in a 15-minute virtual meeting with the DRIVE team to discuss your health innovation vision. This initial step helps us understand your idea and its potential impact.
Full Application (by invitation only) - Selected EOI applicants will be invited to fill and submit a comprehensive application, including details outlining their innovation, feasibility, and real-world potential.
- To support this stage, participants will be required to attend the DRIVE Masterclass series focused on Value Creation and Pitch Preparation to strengthen their proposals, from June-August.
- Please ensure your manager is aware, and approves, of the dates & times you will be asked to attend the DRIVE Masterclass sessions; if you have any questions/concerns around this, please don't hesitate to reach out.
In-Person Pitch Competition - Selected finalists will present their innovation to the DRIVE Board, highlighting their concept, strategy, and expected outcomes. This final stage, taking place on September 9, 2026, from 10pm-12pm, will determine funding decisions.

Successful EOI applicants will be registered to attend:

DRIVE Masterclasses - Focused on Value Creation and Pitch Preparation to support your full application submission.

All other EOI applicants will be invited to and are strongly encouraged to attend:

Health Innovation Bootcamp - Hosted by McMaster University's The Clinic, providing foundational training in health innovation.

If you have any questions, such as your eligibility, stage of ideation/development, etc., please reach out to HHS DRIVE lead, Zofia Sosnowski, sosnowskiz@hhsc.ca .

Expression of Interest (EOI) Submission Deadline: Friday, April 17, 2026, 11:59 PM

Key Notes:

You can save your progress and return before the deadline:
- Below you can select "Save & Return Later' where you will be prompted to provide your email and be sent a link to return to your incomplete EOI for submission.
Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email
All applicants will be notified of their status by end of day on June 2nd, 2026.

First Name

* must provide value

Last Name

* must provide value

Your Email Address

* must provide value

Your Role at HHS (Select all that Apply)

* must provide value

Researcher

Physician/Clinical Practitioner

Staff

Volunteer

Other

If Other, please specifiy

Which HHS site do you work from and/or report to?

Please select all that apply.

* must provide value

Hamilton General Hospital (HGH)

McMaster University Medical Centre (MUMC) / McMaster Children's Hospital (MCH)

Juravinski Cancer Centre (JCC)

Juravinski Hospital (JH)

Regional Rehabilitation Centre

Ron Joyce Children's Health Centre (RJCHC)

Satellite Health Facility

St. Peter's Hospital

West End Clinic/Urgent Care Centre

West Lincoln Memorial Hospital

Other

If Other, please specify

Describe your health related innovative solution in 1-2 sentences.

(i.e., What is it?)

* must provide value

Expand

What specific healthcare related challenge does your innovation address?

(i.e., what problem is it solving? why is it needed?)

* must provide value

Expand

How is your healthcare related solution different from what already exists?

(i.e., How is it unique?)

* must provide value

Expand

Who is this solution meant to benefit the most? What group is this solution meant to support?

Select all that apply.

* must provide value

Patients

Healthcare Workers

Operations

Administration

Innovators

Other

If Other, please specify

How would you use HHS DRIVE's SPARK funding (up to $50,000) towards your health related innovative solution?

Note: funds are exclusively awarded towards commercialization development purposes.

* must provide value

All EOI applicants will participate in a 15-minute virtual meeting with the DRIVE team to discuss their health innovation vision. These meetings will be held during the week of May 12-16, 2025. Please select all available time slots that work for you.

**Please check ALL that apply - Week of April 27-31

* must provide value

Monday April 27, 9:00am - 9:30am

Monday April 27, 10:00am - 11:00am

Monday April 27, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Monday April 27, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Monday April 27, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Tuesday April 28, 9:00am - 10:00am

Tuesday April 28, 10:00am - 11:00am

Tuesday April 28, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Thursday April 30, 9:00am - 10:00am

Thursday April 30, 10:00am - 11:00am

Thursday April 30, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Thursday April 30, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Thursday April 30, 2:00pm - 2:30pm

Friday May 1, 9:00am - 10:00am

Friday May 1, 10:00am - 11:00am

Friday May 1, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Friday May 1, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Friday May 1, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

**Please check ALL that apply - Week of May 4-8

* must provide value

Monday May 4, 9:00am - 9:30am

Monday May 4, 10:00am - 11:00am

Monday May 4, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Monday May 4, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Monday May 4, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Tuesday May 5, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Tuesday May 5, 2:30pm - 3:00pm

Wednesday May 6, 9:00am - 10:00am

Wednesday May 6, 10:00am - 11:00am

Wednesday May 6, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Wednesday May 6, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Wednesday May 6, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Thursday May 7, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Thursday May 7, 2:00pm - 2:30pm

Friday May 8, 9:00am - 10:00am

Friday May 8, 10:00am - 11:00am

Friday May 8, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Friday May 8, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Friday May 8, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

* must provide value

Tuesday May 19, 9:00am - 10:00am

Tuesday May 19, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Wednesday May 20, 9:00am - 10:00am

Wednesday May 20, 10:00am - 11:00am

Wednesday May 20, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Wednesday May 20, 1:00pm - 2:00pm

Wednesday May 20, 2:00pm - 3:00pm

Voluntary Disclosure of Equity Data

Achieving a more equitable, diverse and inclusive environment is essential to creating the excellent, innovative and impactful research necessary to advance knowledge and understanding, and to respond to local, national and global challenges. The aim of this self-identiﬁcation data collection is to increase equitable and inclusive access to funding opportunities, as outlined in the Best Practices in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Research Practice and Design.

The personal information you provide in this questionnaire will only be used or disclosed for the following purposes:

Implementing funding equalization measures designed to ensure that underrepresented groups have access to HHS funding proportional to other groups;
Future program design and delivery, results measurement and reporting purposes.

What is your gender identity (select all that apply)

Genderfluid or genderqueer

Man

Nonbinary

Two-Spirit

Woman

Questioning or unsure

Do not know

Gender not speciﬁed above

I prefer not to answer

reset

Do you identify as transgender?

Yes

Do not know

Prefer not to answer

reset

Do you identify as Indigenous, that is, First Nation, Métis, or Inuk (Inuit)?

Yes

Prefer not to answer

reset

Which of the following best describes your racial group?
Note: if you answered "Yes" to question 4 (i.e., you are an Indigenous person), select "Another Population Group" for this question. You can also select from the list any other population group that applies to you

Black (African, Afro-Caribbean, African-Canadian descent)

Asian (Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese descent)

Latino (Latin American, Hispanic descent)

Middle Eastern (Arab, Persian, West Asian descent, e.g. Afghan, Egyptian, Iranian, etc.)

South Asian (East Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Indo-Caribbean, etc.)

Southeast Asian (Filipino, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, other)

White (European descent)

Another Population Group

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