Month: March 2018

 
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Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) – 55% success rate in testing innovation

 

Government of Canada committed to supporting innovation in Canada’s business sector by launching the Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP) as a pilot program. Budget 2012 committed to make the pilot program permanent and add a military procurement component. The permanent program is known as the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP).

Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) helps companies bridge the pre-commercialization gap by procuring and testing late stage innovative goods and services within the federal government before taking them to market 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.
  • Providing information on how to do business with the Government of Canada.

 

The BCIP targets innovations in the following priority areas:

Standard Component

Environment
Safety and security
Health
Enabling technologies

Military Component

Command & Support
Cyber-Security
Protecting the Soldier
Arctic and Maritime Security
In-Service Support
Training Systems

The BCIP is managed by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), and implemented by the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME). OSME advocates on behalf of small and medium enterprises in federal procurement. The government also organizes and/or participates in regional events and trade shows (see Event Calendar) so that Canadian businesses can showcase their innovative concepts to federal representatives.

 

Five Call for Proposals were published, the first was on 2010-10-05 and closed on 2010-11-16; and the fifth  was published on 2014-06-19 and closed on 2014-09-17.

 

Out of these process over fife years the following reported 55% innovations has been tested.  as of the reported information of August 11, 2015.

the details is as follows:

120 Project Awarded

87 Technologies available for testing

17 bid expired

6 has been withdrawn

for the list of the projects visit this page on buyandsell.gc.ca

if you like to discuss this post shout me an email. badawy@badawy.ca

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Is Entrepreneurship For You?

Starting your own business can be an exciting and rewarding experience. It can offer numerous advantages such as being your own boss, setting your own schedule and making a living doing something you enjoy. But, becoming a successful entrepreneur requires thorough planning, creativity and hard work.

Consider whether you have the following characteristics and skills commonly associated with successful entrepreneurs:

  • Comfortable with taking risks: Being your own boss also means you’re the one making tough decisions. Entrepreneurship involves uncertainty. Do you avoid uncertainty in life at all costs? If yes, then entrepreneurship may not be the best fit for you. Do you enjoy the thrill of taking calculated risks? Then read on.
  • Independent: Entrepreneurs have to make a lot of decisions on their own. If you find you can trust your instincts — and you’re not afraid of rejection every now and then — you could be on your way to being an entrepreneur.
  • Persuasive: You may have the greatest idea in the world, but if you cannot persuade customers, employees and potential lenders or partners, you may find entrepreneurship to be challenging. If you enjoy public speaking, engage new people with ease and find you make compelling arguments grounded in facts, it’s likely you’re poised to make your idea succeed.
  • Able to negotiate: As a small business owner, you will need to negotiate everything from leases to contract terms to rates. Polished negotiation skills will help you save money and keep your business running smoothly.
  • Creative: Are you able to think of new ideas? Can you imagine new ways to solve problems? Entrepreneurs must be able to think creatively. If you have insights on how to take advantage of new opportunities, entrepreneurship may be a good fit.
  • Supported by others: Before you start a business, it’s important to have a strong support system in place. You’ll be forced to make many important decisions, especially in the first months of opening your business. If you do not have a support network of people to help you, consider finding a business mentor. A business mentor is someone who is experienced, successful and willing to provide advice and guidance. Read the Steps to Finding a Mentor article for help on finding and working with a mentor.

Still think you have what it takes to be an entrepreneur and start a new business? Great! Now ask yourself these 20 questions to help ensure you’ve thought about the right financial and business details.