Innovation Demonstration Program

TransLink is committed to ongoing exploration, testing, and implementation of innovative strategies to improve mobility across Metro Vancouver. By working together, we can more quickly identify and test new solutions. The Innovation Demonstration Program seeks technologies that can help us improve our work in digital services, infrastructure and fleet, and building energy management; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and develop ridership. We are specifically interested in solutions that:

Digital services and infrastructure:

  • Simplify residents’ interaction with Metro Vancouver’s transportation systems (for example, a platform that would enable customers to seamlessly use multiple transportation modes).
  • Improve equitable access to transportation systems, including analytics solutions to quantify social equity impacts.
  • Better connect customers to transportation options during peak and off-peak periods.
  • Increase transportation system operating efficiency and reduce cost.

Fleet and building energy management and greenhouse gas reduction:

  • Optimize how electric buses are charged and dispatched (see TransLink Low Carbon Fleet Strategy).
  • Optimize energy use and improve energy efficiency in TransLink operations and facilities.
  • Integrate transportation energy use with electric, liquid, and gaseous fuel supply grids in a manner that reduces both costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Help move people and goods across the region with zero emissions.

Ridership development:

  • Support ridership development and optimize how the transit system is being used. For example, this could include solutions that reduce barriers to ridership, help distribute ridership across operating hours, and attract new customer groups.
  • This also includes solutions that enable targeted, dynamic, and science-based engagement with individual ridership groups, including:
  • Businesses – to promote sustainable and healthy commutes
  • Developers – to provide optimal travel choices and amenities to residents
  • Youth – to promote active transportation options and educate families
  • Seniors – to reduce barriers to mobility and make travel more convenient

Desired Outcome

A successful demonstration project will provide both quantitative and qualitative evidence to prove the solution’s value proposition to TransLink (e.g. improved customer experience, cost reductions, improved efficiency, improved equity, reduced emissions); deliver actionable insights for the solution to be scaled across TransLink’s enterprise and operations (e.g. risk management, project phasing); and serve as a case study for the solutions provider.

Opportunity

TransLink offers funding and collaborative support to incubate, develop, pilot, and implement ideas proposed in successful submissions. Should TransLink accept your idea, the authority will work with you to hone your concept and help turn it into reality. This support might include:

  • Co-funding to further develop your idea (for pre-commercialized ideas)
  • Access to TransLink assets to test or demonstrate your ideas (for near-commercialized ideas)
  • Opportunities to pilot ideas on a large scale (for market-ready ideas)

TransLink will prioritize proponents who can demonstrate their solution’s value with low-cost and low-effort proofs of concept. The authority will determine available co-funding on a project-specific basis; amounts will depend on a proven value proposition.

Note: all inquiries and proposals must be submitted through the Project Greenlight website. If you have a question, check the FAQ for commonly asked questions; alternatively, you can submit your query using the Contact Us form. Please do not contact members directly.

Evaluation Criteria

Show all criteria

Successful proposals will address the following:

  • Proponents should be able to provide initial data on market interest (i.e. initial sales data and evidence of a customer-realized value proposition), yet still be at a stage where they can benefit from a TransLink pilot or scaled deployment.
  • Proponents should explain how their proposed solution meets the basic certifications and/or minimum standards required to deploy any product and/or service (i.e. CSA, Technical Safety BC, Health Canada, National Sanitation Foundation, WorkSafe BC).
  • Proponents must demonstrate Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) compliance for any innovation that handles personal information. Data should be hosted in Canada and encrypted in transit and while at rest.
  • If the proposal involves piloting a technology that interacts with TransLink’s system in a manner that requires either data feeds or electrical power, proponents must specify the required parameters; they should also include whether, when, and how often they would require physical access to TransLink premises.

All Project Greenlight applications must:

  • Demonstrate financial stability and ongoing operational readiness.
  • Explain their intellectual property strategy, including appropriate protections secured or in process.
  • Identify their technology’s associated risks, including those that may emerge during deployment and operation, and outline a corresponding plan to mitigate them.
  • Explain a strong business case potential for any submissions, with a return on investment that can be subjected to a sensitivity analysis based on performance metrics.
  • Explain their desired outcomes with respect to promotion of the results of any engagement.

In addition to the above, proponents should explain:

  • Desired contributions from TransLink.
  • If their solution requires exclusivity arrangements and, if so, what these would entail, including boundaries.

Please note that proposals requiring substantial changes to TransLink’s operating or revenue policy, or that conflict with existing commercial agreements, do not lend themselves to a demonstration approach and are unlikely to be considered.

Review Process

The Project Greenlight team (Vancouver Economic Commission and Foresight sector leads) undertakes a standardized review process across all challenges. Proponents should review the eligibility criteria for their specific challenges, as each has its own requirements. Proponents should also closely review the Application Handbook [PDF].

Read more about the review process

The process begins with an initial review of submissions, checking for completeness and ensuring compliance with minimum criteria. The Project Greenlight team will advise proponents of their eligibility for further consideration.

The Project Greenlight team will then pass on eligible submissions to the member, which will review them for relevance and quality. The Project Greenlight team will support this process and act as an intermediary between the member and proponent if any further clarification is required.

The Project Greenlight Team will review submissions quarterly. The next deadline is May 31, 2023. The team will endeavour to respond with initial feedback within 30 days of the deadline.

The member may invite a shortlist of proponents to directly pitch its review team. The Project Greenlight team will provide proponents with templates and clarify the format of the meeting with at least 14 days of lead time. Pitches will be followed by a Q&A.

The Project Greenlight team respects the work involved in submitting a proposal. We value the contribution that entrepreneurs make to innovation and to improving our communities. In return, our team commits to keeping proponents updated on their application’s status. In cases of rejection, we will also explain why a member passed over a given application and, where possible, offer feedback for improvement.

Proponents should not be discouraged if they are not selected for a particular challenge. We encourage multiple applications and re-applications as deficiencies are addressed.

Additional Resources

Please refer to TransLink’s plans and strategies. TransLink has also provided a list of assets and an overview of the Low Carbon Fleet Strategy.

Please read TransLink’s Terms and Conditions prior to your submission.