Village Gamer

The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, today announced the fourth Call for Proposals for the Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP), while welcoming hundreds of Canadian entrepreneurs at the inaugural Startup Canada “Day on the Hill.”

“Entrepreneurs have such an important role in driving innovation in this country, which in turn creates jobs and economic growth for Canada,” said Minister Finley, while addressing the crowd. “Our job as a government is to fuel that spirit and drive in Canada, and this new Call for Proposals will help kick-start businesses by getting their innovative products and services from the lab into the market.”

The BCIP was launched in 2010 as a pilot program to connect Canadian companies with federal departments and agencies that have a need for innovative products and services. By selling to the federal government, businesses can demonstrate the value of their products and services, and potentially generate future sales to non-government customers in Canada, and around the world.

To build on the early success of this pilot program, Economic Action Plan 2012 allocated additional funding for three years, starting in 2013. As of 2016, $40 million will be permanently dedicated to the BCIP annually. In February 2013, the Jenkins report recommended making the program permanent, in order to more effectively provide incentives for solving operational problems identified by federal departments.

The fourth Call for Proposals, which includes a military component, is currently available online. Suppliers have until January 7, 2014, to submit their proposals.