Capital One’s Supplier Diversity team, in conjunction with NMSDC, is pleased to invite you to apply for its innovative new business development program, CATAPULT.

CATAPULT is designed to be an intensive seven-month transformational journey that will assist diverse business owners in developing solutions to a critical business challenge – whether it is solving a complex business problem or creating a new product or service – by leveraging learnings from the program.

LEARN

Delivered through the use of instructional courses, collaborative thinking workshops, one-on-one meetings with Subject Matter Experts, and dedicated advisors for each participating company, the program will provide you with the building blocks needed to develop a solution to your business challenge.

The program will be limited to 10 companies who will be selected through a competitive application process. Businesses selected for this seven-month journey will have the distinction of being a member of CATAPULT’s inaugural class.

Open for applications at this time, the program’s instructional courses and mentoring interactions are two-day sessions, scheduled monthly between March and July 2017. The sessions will be held in The Shop, Capital One’s Digital Lab location in downtown Chicago.

PITCH

The Catapult program culminates with a COMPETITIVE EVENT, to be held in the Washington, D.C area, in September 2017. Program participants will deliver a 15-minute pitch of the solution to their complex business problem to a panel of judges. The winner will be provided

• One year of business coaching
• A cash grant to implement the proposed solution
• Branding consultation
• Tuition for an advanced minority supplier education program
• Registration to the 2017 Annual NMSDC Conference

IS THIS FOR ME?

Program applicants from any industry must:

• Be a diversity-owned and operated business
• Have been operational for three or more years
• Have a minimum annual revenue of $500,000 but less than $3,000,000
• Be solving a complex business problem or creating a new product or service

Commitment

• The business owner must commit to completing the entire 7- month program and personally attending every session. We welcome one additional employee at each session. The additional employee may vary from session to session.
• Participants will be responsible for travel-related expenses to and from the sessions.

Digital or Online Experience

• Committed to use of digital solutions. For example, uses an online banking app for business transactions.
• Interested in, or has used, social media or online channels for marketing or recruiting
• Has little or no experience with Design Thinking or Agile principles

Entry is FREE and only requires you to:

• Complete the online application
• Create a 60-second video describing your business challenge or new product/service and why your business challenge is a great candidate for the Capital One Catapult program

Applications are now closed. Program inquiries should be directed to: supplierdiversity@capitalone.com.

Offered in collaboration with NMSDC