Ontario Construction News
The Canadian Construction Association (CCA) says it is launching the 2020/21 CONtact Innovator Mentorship program, its third consecutive year.
The CONtact mentorship initiative aims to match aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs creating new solutions for the construction industry with experienced industry leaders to help refine their products and services, be it from start-up to scale-up for fast-track adoption.
“As the current COVID-19 pandemic continues, the construction industry has a renewed interest and desire to fast-track innovation,” CCA president Mary Van Buren said in a statement. “The CONtact Innovator Mentorship program provides the perfect first step to identifying new innovative solutions.”
Last year the program received more than 30 applications from across Canada, of which 15 promising innovators and entrepreneurs were selected by an independent advisory panel. The selected mentees had the opportunity to meet with industry experts, with some even receiving pilot orders from the mentor organizations.
This year, the top three selected mentees will also receive an opportunity to travel to CCA’s 2021 annual conference to pitch their solutions to industry experts, a “Contractors Den”.
Innovators and entrepreneurs interested in participating in the 2020/21 CONtact Innovator Mentorship program can submit their online applications by Aug. 30 at cca-acc.com/contact.
CCA invites construction experts with five-plus years of industry practice or who have experience helping to bring innovative solutions to market to apply online as mentors at cca-acc.com/contact.
The CONtact Innovator Mentorship program is supported by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).