OTTAWA, Oct. 11, 2017– BCIP, a procurement program that helps Canadian innovators bridge the commercialization gap by becoming their first customer, will join Startup Canada on Oct. 19 as a presenting partner of the fourth annual Startup Canada Day on the Hill.
Startup Canada Day on the Hill is the largest annual gathering of entrepreneurs, innovators, anchor companies, investors, industry leaders, media and government decision makers to raise the bar in building Canada as an innovative, entrepreneurial nation.
Expected to draw over 1,000 attendees to the Shaw Centre in downtown Ottawa, Startup Canada Day on the Hill will bring together some of Canada’s top entrepreneurs, innovators, investors, and government officials to discuss and promote policies to support startup and small business growth.
Up-and-coming entrepreneurs will also be inspired to grow and innovate with cutting-edge insights from world-class speakers; have a voice to government on the future of entrepreneurship and innovation in Canada; and be plugged into national and global networks to find mentors, investors, customers, and support to grow their business.
Some of the keynote speakers attending this year’s Startup Canada Day on the Hill are Bruce Croxon, former Dragon and Partner at Round 13 Capital; Nicole Verkindt, Founder and CEO of OMX; Dax Dasilva, Founder and CEO of Lightspeed; Jeff Cates, President of Intuit Quickbooks; Eli Fathi, Founder and CEO of MindBridge Ai; and many more.
“BCIP is excited to collaborate with Startup Canada in order to educate and reach more Canadian innovators within the ecosystem. Our goals is to work with key organizations across Canada to help innovators get their products to market by offering them a first reference sale and an opportunity to test their innovations in real-life settings. We look forward to growing our relationship with Startup Canada in order to help more Canadian innovators” – Christopher Baird Senior Director for the Build in Canada Innovation Program.
“Startup Canada is thrilled to be working alongside BCIP at this year’s Startup Canada Day on the Hill,” said Startup Canada CEO Victoria Lennox. “Programs like BCIP are so important to the development of the Canadian entrepreneurship ecosystem by providing entrepreneurs with the necessary access to government contracts and funding that are so rare to find these days.”
At Startup Canada Day on the Hill, BCIP is working with Startup Canada to provide a platform for all entrepreneurs with the ability to meet with Members of Parliament, Parliamentary Standing Committees and Ministers to discuss the future of Canada as an entrepreneurial nation. They will also be providing entrepreneurs with the ability to participate in insightful policy hackathons and meet with with leading officials to find new ways to support entrepreneurs in Canada.
Startup Canada Day on the Hill will conclude with the national Startup Canada Awards Ceremony, a celebratory event to reward outstanding individuals and businesses in advancing Canadian entrepreneurship.
For more information, please contact:
Lindsay Bright
Marketing, Communications and Digital Production Administrator, Startup Canada
1-613-627-0787 ext. 101
lindsay.bright@startupcan.ca
About BCIP
Companies often have difficulty moving their innovative goods and services from the final stages of research and development into the market.
BCIP helps bridge this pre-commercial gap by helping innovators:
- land a first major reference sale
- sell their innovation, but keep the intellectual property
- get their innovation tested in a real-life setting
- gain feedback to help get products to market faster
The program pays up to $500,000 for non-military innovations and up to $1,000,000 for military innovations. Find out more at: www.canada.ca/sell-your- innovation
About Startup Canada
Startup Canada is the leading national social enterprise supporting and giving a voice to entrepreneurs through online programs, national awards, flagship events, partnerships with private sector and government to foster a community for startup and small business success across the country. Learn more at www.startupcan.ca.