The federal government is buying more than $700,000 in engineering solutions from two Fredericton companies through its Build in Canada Innovation Program.

Build in Canada, which buys disruptive products and services from Canadian startups, said this week it has signed a $492,000 contract with Envenio Inc. and a $231,278 contract with TotalPave Inc.

The program aims to boost startups’ revenue and validate their technology, which is especially important for companies in Atlantic Canada where there are fewer big businesses to serve as B2B clients.

Envenio received funding for its air- and fluid-flow simulation software, EXN/Aero. It allows engineers to simulate air or fluid movement around objects, like testing the aerodynamics of a car. The company’s algorithms allow basic computers to simulate the flow of these substances. Like a virtual wind tunnel, it can chart the interactions of liquids and gases in specific conditions and with certain solid shapes.

The Build in Canada contract will allow Defence Research and Development Canada, National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces to test Envenio’s simulation software.

“I’m pleased to have our innovation recognized by the Build in Canada Innovation Program and look forward to working with Defence Research and Development Canada on this project,” said Envenio CEO Ian McLeod in the statement.

“Envenio and DRDC have a long history of collaboration and a common goal of advancing CFD simulation technology. It is very exciting to have this opportunity to make Canada a leader in the CFD simulation space and to help DRDC take their work to the next level.”

Envenio presented its EXN/Aero software at Montreal’s International Aerospace Week at the Aerospace Innovation Hub in April and later received $1.3 million in venture capital in June.

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TotalPave signed a contract for its Pavement Data Collection System, which uses smartphone technology to gather and provide data on road and sidewalk conditions. This product will be tested out by Procurement Canada and Public Services.

“TotalPave is mobilizing our technology, providing Parks Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada and two provincial departments with the tools they need to make data-driven pavement management decisions,” said CEO Coady Cameron.

“The smartphone-based system provides the same standard data at a fraction of the cost of traditional equipment. The Build in Canada Innovation Program was instrumental in unlocking the doors to working with the federal government, especially for a small technical team like TotalPave.”

In the TotalPave system, the user mounts smartphones into vehicles to collect data on road surfaces as these cars and trucks drive around on their customary routes. They relay this data to a central facility that automatically assesses it and reports on what roads need repair most acutely.

Since its launch in 2010, Build in Canada has awarded 260 contracts worth more than $115 million to Canadian innovation companies of all sizes.