The 2021 CATAPULT 5.0 Pitch Competition was won by a WBE!
We are also excited to share that Robin Miller, COO of ARTiculate Real&Clear, a WBENC-Certified women-owned business, won the CATAPULT 5.0 pitch competition this year! This is the second year in a row a WBE has won the competition and we’re not surprised – the women business owners always come ready to work hard and invest time to make the most of the Catapult opportunity.
– Julie Rakes, Senior Manager, Supplier DiversityCapital One
Applications open through April 9, 2021, for CATAPULT 2021.
WBENC and Capital One’s Supplier Diversity team are pleased to invite you to apply to Capital One’s innovative business development program for diverse suppliers – CATAPULT.
CATAPULT is an intensive, seven-month transformational learning journey designed to enable businesses to innovate and disrupt within their business and ultimately industry – by developing a new solution to a business challenge while leveraging learnings from the program.
Learn
Delivered using 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 technology driven and innovative solution to your business challenge.
Pitch
The Catapult program culminates with a PITCH SESSION, to be held virtually, in December 2021. Program participants will deliver a pitch of their solution to a significant business challenge before a panel of judges. The winner will be awarded a sizable cash grant to assist in developing the proposed solution.
See CATAPULT in action! Also, if you’d like references from previous Catapult participants, please email us at catapult@capitalone.com.
Is this for me?
Open for applications at this time, the program’s instructional courses and mentoring sessions are two-day sessions, scheduled monthly between June and December 2021. The sessions will be held virtually over Zoom, until it is safe to meet in person.
The program will be limited to 10 businesses who will be selected through a competitive application process.
Program applicants from any industry can apply and must:
- Be certified as a diverse-owned business by WBENC, NMSDC, NaVOBA, NGLCC, Disability:IN, or a member of USPAACC
- Have been operational for three or more years
- Have a minimum annual revenue of $500,000 but less than $20,000,000
- Be in need of 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 from your company at each session. The additional employee may vary from session to session depending on the subject matter.
Technology or Innovative Experience
Business owners should be committed to creating a technological or innovative solution. For example, Capital One uses an online banking app for business transactions which is a technological solution for customers. They should also be interested in, or have used, social media or online channels for marketing.
I’m in! How can I apply?
Apply for this dynamic, innovative program here.
Entry is FREE and only requires you to:
- Complete the online application
- Create a 60-second video describing your business challenge, proposed technological/innovative solution and why your company might benefit from this program
Applications are due by 11:59 PM EST on April 9, 2021. Additional program inquiries should be directed to: catapult@capitalone.com
Should you need further assistance, we will hold Q&A conference calls for CATAPULT applicants on March 24 at 4:00 p.m. EST. Please email us at the above email address if you’d like to join and we’ll send you an invite.
