OTTAWA (Aug 3, 2011) – Leon Benoit, Member of Parliament for Vegreville-Wainwright, is pleased to announce that applications from local businesses to help kickstart their innovative ideas by moving their products and services from the lab to the marketplace, are now being accepted.
The latest call for proposals under the Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program/Kickstart initiative was recently launched by the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women.
“I am pleased to tell you that the second call for proposals is now available to local businesses. Our Conservative Government is putting its support behind local innovations designed right here in Vegreville-Wainwright,” said Benoit. “The Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program was introduced because it’s an important way to initiate innovative Canadian business ideas by helping them move from late-stage research and development into commercialization.”
This $40-million program was created through the 2010 Budget to help Canadian businesses by testing their innovative products and services within the Government of Canada before taking them to the marketplace. Federal departments will test innovations that fall within four key areas: environment; health; safety and security; and technology.
The CICP will help companies bridge the pre-commercialization gap for their innovative goods and services by:
- awarding contracts to entrepreneurs with pre-commercial innovations through an open, transparent, competitive and fair procurement process;
- testing and providing feedback to these entrepreneurs on the performance of their goods or services;
- providing innovators with the opportunity to enter the marketplace with a successful application of their new goods and services; and
- providing information on how to do business with the Government of Canada.
For more information, please visit buyandsell.gc.ca/innovation or look for this opportunity on www.merx.ca.
