The City of Maple Ridge is offering rewards for business innovation.
The city’s annual Innovation Challenge is inviting nominations for Maple Ridge businesses that demonstrate innovation in their products, processes, or services to compete for $4,000. Nominations are being accepted from June 1 to Sept. 2, 2024, and businesses are welcome to self-nominate.
Now in its fourth year, the Maple Ridge Innovation Challenge raises awareness of and celebrates the innovation already happening in the business community. The initiative hopes to foster a community spirit of ingenuity and creativity for companies in all sectors and sizes – from heavy industrial to handcrafts, major corporations to home-based enterprises –encouraging friendly competition to drive growth and change.
“We want to show Maple Ridge residents and businesses that innovation isn’t confined to a laboratory or research centre,” said Tyler Westover, director of economic development. “Innovation is happening in every corner of the business community, and it’s important that we recognize innovation in all its forms and celebrate the companies and people for the efforts they’re making every day.”
Nominate a business by Sept.2 if they are located in Maple Ridge and have a current business licence.
Winners will receive $4,000 for first place, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third. The program’s returning premiere sponsor, Ridge Meadows College supports the cash prizes.
The judging panel will include MLAs Lisa Beare and Bob D’Eith, Mayor Dan Ruimy and city council, and a representative of Ridge Meadows College. The winners will be announced during Small Business Month in October.
More details, including the nomination form, are available at MapleRidge.ca/InnovationChallenge.
Previous winners include Brookfield Farm for a robotic milking system and Hyperstealth Biotechnology Corp. for a material that renders a target invisible.
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