Market Readiness Project Potential Firm Participants Potential Mentor Participants
The Market Readiness Pilot Project
What is the pilot project? 
The pilot program provides Manitoba ICT companies with access to highly customized online learning materials to meet their unique learning needs and work with a hand-picked set of mentors that enhance and build employee skills as they relate to trade, technology partnering and export activities.
Why is this pilot project being done?
- Access new markets
- Close export readiness gap
- Provide specialized and systematic learning for mature SMEs
- Encourage companies to develop internal knowledge and skills development
- Support Manitoba ICT firms’ plans for increasing exports and their need for developing their own international marketing capacity.
How does it work?
The pilot program is an online integrated learning system aimed at helping more mature SMEs enhance their market readiness capabilities through a systematic program of assessment, learning and skills development, and application in all of those business areas that contribute to a firm’s marketplace success. There are four steps:
- Assess skills
- Targeted online learning at work
- Link to mentors and peers through a Community of Practice
- Apply new skills
Who is this pilot project for?
- Mature ICT SMEs
- 6-8 firms in the pilot phase , ICT firms only to start
What are the unique features of the pilot?
- Coordinated learning over time
- Develop in house capabilities
- Unique to each firm
What are the expected results – why is it being done?
- ROI in export initiatives
- New way to learn
- High-quality continuous learning materials
- Integrates with firms unique planning process
- Experiment on learning
What happens at the end of the pilot?
- Evaluation determines future of program in 2010
- Program continues past 2010 if it meets the needs of Manitoba ICT companies and financing is put in place
- Repeatable model, that other sectors and provinces can replicate.
Q & A's for Potential Firm Participants
What’s in it for my firm?
- Improve in-house business competencies
- Don’t waste time or money
- Marketplace success - Return on Investment in future export initiatives
- Higher level of export readiness
- Learn more about your business strengths and weaknesses
- Increase profile of your firm
How do firms get selected?
- 6-8 firms will participate in the pilot phase
- ICTAM member firms who requested the program will be invited by ICTAM to participate, and others may apply to fill the pilot seats.
- Minimum requirements – mature SME, successful track record, interest and commitment to improving marketing and market positioning, sound business model, solid client base
What is expected from my firm?
- Firms agree to undertake an agreed program of skills development and learning efforts
- Involve a wide range of staff in the program
- Report staff time spent on participating in the pilot
- Participate in ICTAM trade missions and special events if applicable, at your cost to attend.
- Participate in independent evaluations of the program
How does the assessment work?
There are a number of entry steps which are all geared towards understanding the firms’ capacities, current strengths and marketplace orientation.
- Diagnostics based on firm information, self-assessment, discussion and meetings with pilot project staff, consultants and assessment panel, measured against a set of globally benchmarked best practices in export
- Continuous assessment at each stage
How long will I be in the pilot program?
- The duration of the pilot program varies for each company. Duration is based on preliminary discussions/agreement and company needs
- Firms can withdraw from pilot if periodic assessments indicate firm should withdraw
Guarantee of confidentiality?
- Signed agreements will define confidentiality requirements for all participants
How do mentors get selected for my firm?
- Mentors selected based on firm diagnostics results
- Nature and timing of mentor use will be determined in consultation with firm
What happens at the end of the pilot?
- Evaluation to determine future in 2010
- Ongoing program may be launched if pilot successful
Q & A’s for Potential Mentor Participants in the Community of Practice
What is a Community of Practice?
The concept of a community of practice (often abbreviated as CoP) refers to the process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest in some subject or problem and collaborate over an extended period to share ideas, find solutions and build innovations. The CoP for this pilot project will include learners, peers and mentors linking both online and in person. The set up will be determined in consultation with the pilot project participants and mentors.
What do mentors do, and who are they?
- Mentors are people with experience who invest their time to assist an individual or firm to learn and develop
- People with skill sets and experience required by ICT SMEs looking to enhance their staff knowledge and skills for successful trade and export initiatives
Why should I get involved?
- Gain new insight and knowledge from other experts and mentors from within Manitoba, across Canada or around the world
- Expand personal network and develop new contact and relationships that may translate into business opportunities
- Learn more about the growing ICT sector
- Participate in a Community of Practice
- Opportunity to give back to the Manitoba ICT community and the next generation of ICT firms and entrepreneurs
How are mentors selected?
- ICTAM will approach mentors who have the business skills, knowledge and experience needed as defined by participating firms
- Mentors to describe experiences and expertise for appropriate matching with other mentors and firms
What exactly will I be doing for firms?
- Mentors will provide a range of advisory and counseling services, depending on what each firm requires.
- Mentors will maintain contact with designated firm participants
- Terms and conditions of the mentorship agreement will outline the roles and responsibilities between firms and mentors. It will also outline how the firms and mentors are structured in the Community of Practice.
How is the mentor network structured?
- A Mentorship Network will be created consisting of a comprehensive listing of mentors in Manitoba mentors in various sectors, plus national and international experts on firm growth in various marketplaces
- The mentorship network may be organized into “panels” of individuals which will be assigned to a firm
What are the financial obligations/compensation?
- Mentors will not be paid for their time although there is an honoraria available
- Pilot pays for travel and communication costs as outlined in the mentor contract
For more information, email Jeff Ryzner at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
