OTTAWA, Dec. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RRP Canada, supported by Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), announces the relaunch of the Trusted PPE Marketplace, enabling Canadian businesses to source quality-certified protective personal equipment (PPE) and other medical products to defend against COVID-19.
Platform upgrades include product manufacturing origins, enhanced quality control, and new accessibility features in both official languages. It also features products that are manufactured in Canada, highlighting the important role that Canadian manufacturers have played in responding to the pandemic and providing them new opportunities to connect with customers across the country.
Upgrades were supported by Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster.
About RRP
RRPCanada.com was created through contributions from Canadian industry, to create a marketplace for businesses in need of products to protect employees and customers against COVID-19 to connect with manufacturers of PPE including hand sanitizer, surgical masks, N95s, surface sanitizer, face shields, gloves, gowns, and much more. Sourcing these products often proves challenging, given strong global demand and disrupted supply networks. RRP offers a ready solution.
RRP Canada enables users to purchase PPE directly from suppliers through automated match-making or by browsing a complete list of products. The platform also enables suppliers to manage their own catalogue of final products and input materials.
Canada’s RRP marketplace now hosts an array of new features including:
- Product Origin. Users can quickly identify products that are manufactured in Canada and in which province.
- Quality Assurance. RRP administrators ensure all suppliers and products are vetted through regulatory approval pathways reviewed by Health Canada.
- Improved Transaction Times. Users can access the revamped match-making tool to power-rank top suppliers for direct-buying.
- Accessibility Improvements. 100% accessibility score for individuals who may have learning, reaching, perceptual, physical or visual disabilities. Services now available in both official languages.
- Provincial Safety Guidelines. Users have access to an evolving repository of provincial safety and PPE guidelines.
Quotes
“Canadian businesses need a PPE marketplace they can trust,” says Nathan Myer, CEO of RRP Canada. “And Canadian manufacturers, who have contributed so much to fight the pandemic, need a platform that allows them to serve organizations across the country. That is what our Platform aims to do. We are especially pleased that the Government of Canada and NGen share our vision.”
“This has been a Team Canada effort from the start, and small businesses across the country have stepped up in the fight against COVID-19 – finding innovative ways to retool their businesses to produce PPE and support Canadians through this challenging time. I am thrilled to see that NGen and Bulky have worked together to upgrade this PPE marketplace to make it easier for small businesses across the country to connect with certified, high quality, and made-in-Canada PPE,” said the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, export Promotion and International Trade.
“Since the beginning of this pandemic, Canadian businesses of all sizes have helped us in the fight against COVID-19 by creating leading-edge innovations and initiatives to keep Canadians safe,” said the Honourable Navdeep Bains, minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. “I am particularly proud of how Canada’s Supercluster model has been able to pivot and deliver in this time of crisis. With the relaunch of the Rapid Response Platform, Canadian businesses will have access to the high-quality PPE they need from trusted manufacturers.”
“NGen is proud to support the development of Canada’s Trusted PPE Marketplace,” says Jayson Myers, CEO of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada. “Canadian manufacturers have played a critical role in fighting the pandemic. Now organizations across Canada know where they can source high quality products. They can be especially confident when those products are made in Canada.”
About RRP Canada
RRP designs, develops, and markets platforms across industry verticals. RRPCanada.org is the second vertical implementation of an open innovation platform, match-making supply and demand of PPE. Bulky.io, the first RRP vertical implementation is a match-maker for chemical tanker trucks. Based in Alberta Canada, RRP implements customized platforms for all industry verticals.
About Next Generation Manufacturing Canada
NGen leads Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster and is committed to building world-leading advanced manufacturing capabilities in Canada for the benefit of Canadians. NGen works to strengthen collaboration among its membership of approximately 3,000 manufacturers, technology companies, innovation centres, and researchers, and provides funding and business support to collaborative, industry-led initiatives that aim to develop, apply, or scale-up transformative manufacturing solutions in Canada for commercialization in global markets.
Associated links:
Next Generation Manufacturing Canada
Innovation Superclusters Initiative
RRP Canada
Media contact:
Robbie MacLeod
Next Generation Manufacturing Canada
robbie.macleod@ngen.ca
+1-613-297-3578