Four Canadian small businesses compete for a chance to win a $100,000 grant from TELUS

3^rd Annual The Challenge contest invites Canadians to vote for their favourite pitch at The Globe and Mail website beginning July 8

TORONTO, June 26, 2013 /CNW/ - The four semi-finalists of the 3^rd annual The Challenge were announced today, putting them one step closer to winning a $100,000 grant from TELUS. Between March and May of this year, Canadian entrepreneurs were invited to present their biggest business challenge and how they would use $100,000 to overcome that challenge. More than 1,000 small businesses from across Canada entered for the chance to take their business to the next level.

This year's four semi-finalists are:

• Forerunner Research - Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Forerunner Research produces scientific instruments that monitor soil emissions for safety and environmental purposes. The company would improve its research and development facilities, add multiple instrument calibration stations and expand its sales capabilities.
• Keystone Waste - Vancouver, British Columbia. Keystone Waste provides equipment to help companies reduce waste, increase sustainability and improve recycling while reducing operating costs. The company would use the grant to make the industry more efficient by investing in mobile bin fill sensor technology that indicates when waste and recycling bins need to be picked up to avoid pickup trucks wasting extra fuel.
• Livestock Water Recycling - Calgary, Alberta. LWR specializes in innovative manure treatment technologies for livestock operations to make the agricultural industry more sustainable. The company would use the grant to upgrade its research and development lab to expand into international markets.
• Northern Canadian Supplies Ltd. - Fort McMurray, Alberta. NCSL supplies environmentally friendly janitorial, safety and industrial products. The company would use the grant to introduce a series of green, eco-friendly products to the mining and oil sands industries that would provide significant cost-savings.

"Canadian small businesses face many unique roadblocks and The Challenge gets small business owners thinking about opportunities they can capitalize on to take their companies to the next level," said Jim Senko, vice-president of TELUS Small Business Solutions. "The four semi-finalists all demonstrated innovative thinking and we're excited to see how a $100,000 cash infusion could help them overcome their challenge and reach success."

The four semi-finalists will present their business challenges to a panel of judges at the TELUS House in downtown Toronto, and explain how they would use the business grant to overcome their key obstacle. Canadians are invited to vote for their favourite small business pitch video at The Globe and Mail website between July 8 and August 31, 2013 (limit of one vote per person).

"This is the first year we've featured live pitch sessions, and I think it's a valuable addition to the program," said Sean Stanleigh, Editor, Report on Small Business, The Globe and Mail. "Judges will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback that the businesses can benefit from regardless of the outcome."

The winner will be announced on September 26, 2013. For full details about the contest and to read the contest rules and regulations, please visit Globeandmail.com/thechallenge.

The TELUS Small Business Solutions team is committed to putting business customers first by being clear, helpful and dependable. Business communication solutions are offered to more than 500,000 small-and-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) across Canada. SMBs can count on TELUS for reliable office-based solutions, in addition to wireless solutions on Canada's largest 4G LTE network.

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $11 billion of annual revenue and 13.2 million customer connections, including 7.7 million wireless subscribers, 3.4 million wireline network access lines, 1.4 million Internet subscribers and 712,000 TELUS TV customers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services, including wireless, data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, television, entertainment and video.

In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed more than $300 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered 4.8 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Fourteen TELUS Community Boards lead TELUS' local philanthropic initiatives. TELUS was honoured to be named the most outstanding philanthropic corporation globally for 2010 by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, becoming the first Canadian company to receive this prestigious international recognition.

For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

About The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail, through its newspaper, magazine, online and mobile platforms, is Canada's foremost news media company.  Each day, The Globe leads the national discussion by engaging Canadians in its award-winning coverage and analysis of news, politics, business and lifestyle.  The Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper, founded in 1844, Report on Business, Canada's most influential business magazine, and globeandmail.com, the newspaper's online and mobile media hub, reach a combined 5.7 million readers every month.  The Globe has received numerous journalism awards, including the international 2011 prize for General Excellence in Journalism from the Online News Association, nine Michener Awards for Public Service Journalism, and more National Newspaper Awards than any other newspaper in Canada.  The Globe and Mail is 85% owned by Woodbridge, the investment arm of the Thomson family, and Bell Canada (15%).

SOURCE: TELUS Corporation