OTTAWA, Ontario — The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women, and Jacques Gourde, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Works and Government Services, for Official Languages and for the Economic Development Agency for the Regions of Quebec, are pleased to announce that the Government of Canada has pre-qualified 36 innovations that it may buy and test as part of the second round of the Kickstart program, also known as the Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP).
“Our Government is focused on creating conditions to promote jobs and economic growth,” said Minister Ambrose. “That is why we’re committed to supporting Canadian entrepreneurs who help to keep the Canadian economy moving.”
“The Kickstart program is ensuring that Canadian small and medium-sized businesses can grow and prosper,” said Parliamentary Secretary Gourde. “We are proud to continue our encouragement of Canada's tremendous entrepreneurial spirit through this successful program.”
Successful businesses will see their pre-commercial innovative products and services tested within government departments, and will be given valuable feedback from users participating in the pilot program.
Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) will work with government departments to match innovations with the right test departments, and will be entering into negotiations with the selected companies to put contracts in place to test their innovations, should a suitable department be found. This will facilitate Canadian companies in moving their innovations into domestic and international markets.
In March 2011, 19 innovations were announced as part of the first round of the CICP. An additional eight innovations were subsequently announced in July for a total of 27 innovations selected in the first round.
“Twenty-one of the innovations from the first round have been successfully matched with government departments which brings these Canadian companies one step closer in moving their innovations into domestic and international markets,” said Minister Ambrose. “We’re committed to building the jobs and the industries of the future by creating the conditions for continued success of industries that are the foundation of Canada’s prosperity.”
Launched in 2010 as part of the Economic Action Plan, the CICP is a $40-million pilot 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.
For further information on the program, please refer to the CICP backgrounder
