COSPAS-SARSAT Secretariat Contribution Program
Funds Canada's annual support for the global Cospas-Sarsat satellite search and rescue system's Secretariat, ensuring international coordination and technical management of emergency beacon detection.
Funder: Public Safety Canada
Due Dates (Anticipated): May 2026 (COSPAS-SARSAT workplan due; projected)
Funding Amounts: Typically around $272,000/year (Canada’s assessed share); actual amount set annually by international council.
Summary: Supports Canada’s annual share of operational costs for the international Cospas-Sarsat satellite-based search and rescue system’s Secretariat.
Key Information: Only the International COSPAS-SARSAT Programme is eligible to receive funding.
Description
The program provides Canada’s annual assessed contribution to the International Cospas-Sarsat Programme, a global satellite-based system for search and rescue (SAR) that detects and locates emergency beacons from aircraft, ships, and individuals in distress. The funding supports the Secretariat, which manages administrative and technical operations, ensuring timely and accurate distress alerting and coordination among member states. This contribution fulfills Canada’s treaty obligations as one of the four founding parties of the Programme, alongside France, the USA, and the Russian Federation.
