HomeMy WebLinkAboutFIN-2026-100 - Pitch Kitchener - 2025 UpdateStaff Report
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Corporate Services Department www.kitchener.ca
REPORT TO: Council Meeting
DATE OF MEETING: March 2, 2026
SUBMITTED BY: Ryan Scott, Chief Procurement Officer
PREPARED BY: Nicole Amaral, Digital Lab Director
Ryan Scott, Chief Procurement Officer
WARD(S) INVOLVED: N/A
DATE OF REPORT: January 29, 2026
REPORT NO.: FIN -2026-100
SUBJECT: Pitch Kitchener — 2025 Update
RECOMMENDATION:
That Council receive this report for information on the progress of the Pitch Kitchener program
and the outcomes of the inaugural pilot round; and,
That Council endorse the continuation of the Pitch Kitchener program as an annual initiative,
subject to confirmation of required annual funding; and further,
That staff be directed to bring forward a funding request as part of the 2027 budget process to
support future iterations of Pitch Kitchener.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS:
• The purpose of this report is to provide Council with an update on the Pitch Kitchener
program and the results of the 2025 pilot round.
• The key finding of this report is that the program pilot was successful and staff recommend
continued funding to support the program as an annual initiative.
• The financial implications are a $100,000 program allocation captured in the 2026 budget
process.
• Community engagement included consultation with industry partners, staff and the local
tech community.
• This report supports Stewarding a Better City Together: Focuses on City employees as
stewards of Kitchener; responsive, innovative, diverse & accountable public servants
working together to serve residents; removing barriers and championing a better city and
a better world.
BACKGROUND:
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994 for assistance.
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The Pitch Kitchener initiative was launched to create an accessible, transparent, and
innovation- focused procurement pathway aligned with the City's goals for modernization and
improved service delivery. The program aims to:
• Enable early and meaningful engagement with startups.
• Provide a standardized intake and evaluation process for pilot proposals.
• Support City service areas in piloting innovative technologies without drawing from limited
operational budgets.
• Strengthen Kitchener's position as a municipal innovation leader.
The inaugural program launched with $100,000 in funding and operational support from
Communitech's Fast Track Cities program.
REPORT:
Program overview and intent
Pitch Kitchener centralizes the intake of innovative vendor proposals and provides a transparent
and structured process for assessing, piloting, and scaling solutions that address municipal
needs. The program balances innovation enablement with responsible risk management and
alignment with the procurement by-law.
2025 Challenge statements and pilot outcomes
Two challenge statements were issued in 2024, and the pilots were conducted in 2025:
• Sewer System Inspection: focused on improving condition reports for large sanitary trunk
systems.
• Autonomous Technology: focused on opportunities in grass cutting, road inspection, golf
course operations, and customer service.
Three companies were shortlisted and pilots were conducted:
• ConeLabs — Engineering Division
o Purpose: AI -powered drone inspections for bridges and roadways.
o Results: Successful; deliverables met.
o Outcome: Multi- year agreement; expected to offer improved inspection data and
efficiency.
• Real Life Robotics — Sport Division - Doon Valley Golf Course
o Purpose: GPS -driven analytics to support golf course flow, customer experience,
and efficiency improvements.
o Results: Successful; deliverables met.
o Outcome: Multi- year agreement; expected ROI in operational efficiencies
• TextGenetic — Fleet Division
o Purpose: Predictive maintenance analytics using Al.
o Results: Showcased maintenance data; partial inclusion of predictive
maintenance.
o Outcome: Pilot closed.
Financial summary
• Of the $100,000 budget, $90,000 was utilized with $10,000 remaining.
Future programming requires ongoing annual funding to support pilot activities.
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Community and organizational benefits
• Simplified process for vendors to engage with the City.
• Centralized intake reduces staff burden and ensures consistent vetting processes.
• Strengthens the City's innovation culture and increases exposure for local startups.
• Supports risk- tolerant experimentation aligned with service improvement goals.
Program learnings and recommendations
• Challenge selection should focus on well- scoped, pilot- appropriate problems.
• Consideration may be given to continuous intake rather than annual cycles.
• Ongoing program ownership within the innovation lab in TIS and support from
Procurement is essential.
• Use partner and staff feedback to evolve the Pitch Kitchener program to enable:
o A transparent, low- risk way to test and learn from rapidly evolving technologies
o Use of lightweight external expert input to challenge assumptions, strengthen
decisions, and build internal capability
o Regular internal learning and reporting to improve accountability and
organizational learning
o Creation of clearer pathways for local tech businesses to engage earlier, pilot
solutions, and contribute expertise
o Support for local innovation, economic development, and visibility of successful
solutions
• A funding request for operating budget should be submitted for 2027.
STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT:
This report supports Stewarding a Better City Together: Focuses on City employees as stewards
of Kitchener; responsive, innovative, diverse & accountable public servants working together to
serve residents; removing barriers and championing a better city and a better world.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
Capital Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Capital Budget.
Operating Budget — The recommendation has no impact on the Operating Budget.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM: This report has been posted publicly with the Council agenda.
CONSULT: Industry partners, including Communitech, were consulted during the development
and execution of the pilot round.
COLLABORATE: Industry partners collaborated with staff on pilot design and evaluation.
ENTRUST: Not applicable.
PREVIOUS REPORTS/AUTHORITIES:
There are no previous reports/authorities related to this matter
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APPROVED BY:
• Jonathan Lautenbach, GM — Financial Services
• Victoria Raab, GM — Corporate Services
ATTACHMENTS:
N/A
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