Council of Canadian Academies

What Council of Canadian Academies does

The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) is an independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, that produces expert-led, multidisciplinary assessments of evidence on complex scientific topics of public interest. Its core product is the convening, management, and publication of expert panel assessments — currently more than 20 major reports spanning health, environment, public safety, innovation, and the economy — sponsored by federal government departments (e.g., DRDC, PHAC, NRC, NRCan, ISED, ECCC, AAFC, PSPC), foundations, NGOs, and the private sector. The assessment methodology — expert selection, in-camera proceedings, formal peer review, and a Scientific Advisory Committee — is proprietary and codifies the organization's strict independence from sponsors, who cannot review drafts or alter content. Reports are published free of charge in both English and French and distributed via the cca-reports.ca website, email newsletter ("The Advance"), media relations, and direct parliamentary engagement.

The CCA is funded through project-by-project sponsorship and grant funding rather than commercial revenue. The most material disclosed funding is a $17.7 million envelope from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's Strategic Science Fund. The organization operates with a lean permanent staff of roughly 20-30, supported by a network of over 1,500 volunteer experts, a Board of Directors (chaired by Soheil Asgarpour, including Nobel laureate Donna Strickland), and a Scientific Advisory Committee. Leadership was refreshed in July 2024 when Tijs Creutzberg was appointed President and CEO, and the new Strategic Plan 2024-2029 emphasizes expanding visibility, connections, and accessibility of assessments.

Name

Council of Canadian Academies

Legal name

Council of Canadian Academies

Website

https://cca-reports.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Council of Canadian Academies is an Ottawa-based non-profit that convenes expert panels to produce independent, peer-reviewed assessments of evidence on complex scientific topics, informing Canadian public policy through reports published free of charge in English and French.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Grant Funding: Projects (assessments) are referred to and funded by sponsors including foundations, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and government at all levels. The organization's work is also supported by the Government of Canada's Strategic Science Fund. Sponsors do not participate in the production of assessments, review drafts, or propose changes — preserving independence.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Council of Canadian Academies convenes multidisciplinary expert panels to assess the best available evidence on complex scientific topics of public interest and publishes authoritative, peer-reviewed assessment reports. Each assessment is commissioned (sponsored) by foundations, NGOs, the private sector, or any level of government; sponsors do not participate in production. All completed reports are made publicly available free of charge in both English and French.

Product overview

The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) operates as a not-for-profit organization that convenes expert-led multidisciplinary assessments to evaluate evidence on complex scientific topics for policy decisions. The organization produces a portfolio of expert panel reports covering health, environment, public safety, innovation, and the economy. Key products include the flagship State of Science, Technology, and Innovation in Canada assessment series, topic-specific reports like Balancing Research Security and Open Science and Mobilizing Ocean Research for Canada, in-progress assessments on citizen science, aging technologies, Indigenous science, and geodetic infrastructure, and The Advance newsletter. All reports are made available to the public free of charge in both official languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Expert Panel Assessments Sponsored, expert-led multidisciplinary assessments that evaluate the best available evidence on complex scientific topics of public interest and produce authoritative, peer-reviewed reports. Sold/commissioned to sponsors including federal departments, agencies, NGOs, foundations, and private-sector organizations to inform Canadian public policy.
• Mobilizing Ocean Research for Canada Completed assessment report examining how to better harness ocean research to support Canada's prosperity, security, and sustainability; sponsored by MEOPAR and produced through a CCA expert panel.
• The State of Science, Technology, and Innovation in Canada 2025 Flagship assessment tracking Canada's performance in science, technology, and innovation over time, benchmarking strengths and weaknesses internationally.
• Balancing Research Security and Open Science Assessment examining measures to identify sensitive research, determine when it is of concern, and how to safeguard it throughout research phases while balancing open science.
• The Future of Hydrological and Meteorological Services in Canada Assessment examining essential functions of Canada's public meteorological service in context of AI, climate change, and technological trends.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 major assessment reports produced on topics spanning health, environment, public safety, innovation, and the economy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEOPAR sponsored the CCA to convene an expert panel examining ways to improve the impacts of ocean research in Canada, resulting in the report 'Mobilizing Ocean Research for Canada'. The partnership leveraged MEOPAR's domain expertise and CCA's convening and assessment methodology to address barriers to ocean research impact in Canada.
• Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDRDC co-sponsored (with PHAC) the CCA's Expert Panel on Sensitive Research of Concern, requesting an assessment on identifying and protecting dual-use research of concern while balancing open science and innovation. Supported by the Government of Canada through the Strategic Science Fund.
• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPHAC co-sponsored (with DRDC) the CCA's Expert Panel on Sensitive Research of Concern, examining dual-use research of concern. The assessment addresses research security risks and resilience in Canada's research enterprise.
• National Research Council Canada (NRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NRC requested the CCA to form an expert panel to examine effective ways to increase the adoption and use of technologies that support aging in place for older adults, addressing fragmented regulation, digital divide, and accessibility challenges.
• Natural Resources CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRCan sponsored the assessment on Enhancing Canada's Geodetic Infrastructure, examining how geodetic infrastructure impacts Canada's economy, sovereignty, and national security, and whether Canada has sufficient infrastructure to meet current and future needs.
• Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISED sponsored the assessment on Enhancing Canada's National-Scale Research Infrastructure, evaluating strategies for optimizing Canada's large-scale facilities, digital platforms, and collaborative networks. Supported by the Strategic Science Fund.
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (Meteorological Service of Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Meteorological Service of Canada sponsored the CCA's assessment on the future of hydrological and meteorological services in Canada, examining essential functions of Canada's public weather service amid AI, climate change, and geopolitical shifts.
• Public Services and Procurement CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPSPC requested the CCA to assess the state of citizen science in Canada and how it compares internationally, exploring how citizen science can address data gaps and strengthen Canada's research and innovation capacity.
• Indigenous Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (I-STEM) Cluster / Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe I-STEM Cluster (hosted by AAFC) is the primary sponsor of the CCA's assessment on Indigenous Science and Food Sovereignty, which examines how policy and governance can support Indigenous science to achieve reciprocal benefits. Supported by the Strategic Science Fund, with additional contributions from multiple federal departments and agencies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: The U.S. analog to the CCA, convening expert committees to produce consensus reports on scientific topics of public interest for government and society. Operates the same sponsor-funded, independence-preserving assessment model that defines the CCA.
• Australian Council of Learned Academies (ACOLA): Australia's peak body for the humanities, social sciences, and sciences, convening expert panels to produce evidence-based reports for Australian government on topics similar in scope to the CCA's mandate.
• Science Advice for Policy by European Academies (SAPEA): Part of the European Commission's Scientific Advice Mechanism, SAPEA convenes expert panels from across European academies to deliver evidence-based science policy reports — a near-structural twin of the CCA model operating in Europe.

Broad incumbents

• International Science Council (ISC): Global umbrella organization for national and international scientific bodies, coordinating cross-border science policy advice and convening experts on global issues. Broader mandate and international focus than CCA but overlapping advisory function.
• Royal Society of Canada: Canada's national academy of distinguished scholars, artists, and scientists. While its core mission is electing fellows rather than producing policy assessments, it operates in the same Canadian scientific advisory ecosystem and competes for expert attention.
• Royal Society (UK): The UK's national academy of sciences, with a much broader research funding and policy portfolio than the CCA, but overlapping in its science-policy advisory function to government.
• Canadian Academy of Engineering: One of three constituent Canadian academies (alongside RSC and Canadian Academy of Health Sciences), with a narrower engineering focus. Shares the governance model and provides discipline-specific advice to government that could otherwise route to CCA.
• Canadian Academy of Health Sciences: The third member of Canada's tri-council of academies, providing health-specific expert advice to government. A potential partner or competitor for health-related assessments depending on CCA's project pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/council-of-canadian-academies
• Xx.com/cca_reports
• Facebookfacebook.com/councilofcanadianacademies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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