For immediate release
Ottawa, Ontario – October 6, 2010 – The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women today announced the first Call for Proposals for the recently launched Kickstart initiative, which can be found under www.buyandsell.gc.ca under the Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP).
This program is a new $40 million program created 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 enabling technologies.
"Just over a week ago, I launched the new Kickstart initiative, and today, I am pleased to tell you that the first Call for Proposals is now available to businesses," said Minister Ambrose. "There is no question that in Canada we have enormous talent and that with this new program, our Government will be giving our talent a chance to see their innovative products and services get off the ground and into the marketplace."
Brett Wilson, Canadian entrepreneur and panelist on CBC's Dragons' Den, praised the program as a boost to Canadian businesses, giving them an opportunity to get their idea from a pre-commercial stage to market, a gap recognized by government.
The first Call for Proposals is now available on MERX, the Government of Canada's electronic tendering service. Successful bidders will see their products and services tested within government departments, and will be given relevant feedback from users participating in the program. This is the first of four planned Calls for Proposals, with a new one anticipated every six months, in each spring and fall for the next two years.
For more information, please visit buyandsell.gc.ca/innovation or look for this great opportunity on www.merx.ca.
You can also contact the CICP team by email at innovation@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca or through one of the Offices of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) listed at www.buyandsell.gc.ca. You can also call the toll free line at 1-800-811-1148.
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Ce texte est également disponible en français.
For more information, media may contact:
Rebecca Thompson
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Rona Ambrose
Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada
819-997-5421
Email: Rebecca.Thompson@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Media Relations
Public Works and Government Services Canada
819-956-2315
PWGSC news releases are also available on our Internet site at http://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/medias-media/index-eng.html.
