Photo: Greg Rickford, Canada’s Minister of State for Science and Technology, shown here at the Communitech Hub last month.
The Canadian government has launched a new Concierge Service to help connect entrepreneurs with information, advice and support programs for small and mid-sized businesses.
The service, announced Monday by Greg Rickford, Minister of State for Science and Technology, will make it easier for businesses to find their way to research support that can help them accelerate.
It was among recommendations made during extensive government consultations led by Tom Jenkins, chairman of Waterloo-based OpenText, who chaired the Federal R&D Panel in 2011.
“Small and medium-sized enterprises are drivers of Canada’s economic growth and this new service will help businesses make effective use of federal innovation programs,” Minister Rickford said. “This initiative promotes business innovation by giving firms access to the research support they need, so they can grow and create high-quality jobs for Canadians.”
The Concierge Service will combine online, phone and in-person assistance in a single point of contact. It will be delivered by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP).
Entrepreneurs can take advantage of this assistance on the Concierge Service website.
