Community Reintegration Cultural Support Services

An advanced contract award notice (ACAN) is a public notice indicating to the supplier community that a department or agency intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier, thereby allowing other suppliers to signal their interest in bidding, by submitting a statement of capabilities. If no supplier submits a statement of capabilities that meets the requirements set out in the ACAN, on or before the closing date and time stated in the ACAN, the contracting officer may then proceed with the award to the pre-identified supplier.

1. Definition of the requirement:

Policy on Reciprocal Procurement: the Policy on Reciprocal Procurement does not apply to this procurement.

The Correctional Service Canada has a requirement to fulfill its mandate in proactively ensuring public safety in the community via facilitating culturally sensitive interventions in support of Indigenous offenders in Newfoundland and Labrador. The work will involve the following:

1.1 Objectives:

To provide specialized, culturally specific interventions by having Indigenous offenders on conditional release participate in Cultural Support Services. The cultural interventions will provide them the opportunity to gain traditional and spiritual guidance through ceremonies. This will allow Indigenous Offenders on conditional release to work with cultural reintegration supports and community members who support cultural teachings.

1.2 Tasks:

The Contractor must provide culturally specific Indigenous spiritual and therapeutic interventions, including but not limited to, talking circles, Sunrise Ceremonies, sweats, sacred fire, storytelling, and drum circles. The Contractor must also provide, sharing of medicines, songs, teaching, prayers and other various Indigenous specific focused sessions to Indigenous offenders on conditional release in Newfoundland and Labrador.

1.3 Expected results:

The Contractor must provide up to a maximum of 134 hours per year of specialized, culturally specific interventions to Indigenous offenders in the St. John’s, NL area.

1.4 Deliverables:

1.4.1 The Contractor must provide an analysis to assess the effectiveness of the cultural interventions along with supporting successful participation in, and completion of, the ceremonies and gatherings.

1.4.2 Paper consumption:

a. Should printed material be required, double sided printing in black and white format is the default unless otherwise specified by the Project Authority.

b. The Contractor must ensure printed material is on paper with a minimum recycled content of 30% and/or certified as originating from a sustainably managed forest.

c. The Contractor must recycle unneeded printed documents (in accordance with Security Requirements).

1.5 Constraints:

1.5.1 Location of work:

a. The Contractor must perform the work at:

St. John’s Parole Office
86 Charter Ave.
St. John’s, NL A1A 1P7

b. Travel

i. Travel to the following location will be required for performance of the work under this contract:

St. John’s, Newfoundland

1.5.2 Language of Work:

The contractor must perform all work in English or Innu-aimun.

1.5.3 Institutional Access Requirements

Contractor personnel will be escorted at all times by Correctional Service Canada personnel or those authorized by CSC on its behalf. Contractor personnel must adhere to institutional requirements for the conduct of searches by Correctional Service Canada prior to admittance to the institution/site. Correctional Service Canada reserves the right to deny access to any institution/site or part thereof by any Contractor personnel, at any time.

2. Criteria for assessment of the statement of capabilities (minimum essential requirements):

Any interested supplier must demonstrate by way of a statement of capabilities that it meets the following requirements:

The supplier must be recognized by their community as an Elder/Cultural Advisor within that community.

Experience:

The supplier must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience obtained in the past 10 years prior to the ACAN closing date in delivering spiritual and cultural services and teachings to Indigenous people.
This experience must include:

 providing counselling and guidance according to the traditions and teachings of their own community; and

 being familiar with and able to conduct a variety of ceremonies with a focus on healing according to their own teachings.

The supplier must be familiar with and able to provide guidance to staff and offenders regarding the protocols surrounding the use, disposition, and searching of traditional medicines and spiritual effects.

The supplier must meet with a circle of Elders already under contract with CSC where they will be able to share their experiences and where the Elders will be able to determine the validity of the statement of capabilities.

CSC reserves the right, at its own discretion, to request that supplier provide a reference letter and/or resume, in addition to their statement of capabilities, to support the knowledge and experience claimed.

3. Applicability of the trade agreement(s) to the procurement

This procurement is not subject to any trade agreement.

4. Set-aside under the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business

This procurement is set-aside for an Indigenous Supplier in accordance with the government Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB). Therefore, only suppliers who meet the definition of an Indigenous business, as defined in the PSIB, may submit a statement of capabilities.

This restriction does not apply to contracts with individuals who are Elders.

5. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement(s)

This procurement is not subject to a Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement.

6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

There is a limited number of suppliers available to provide Elder services to meet the reintegration needs of CSC Indigenous offenders on parole.

The pre-identified supplier meets all of the minimum essential requirements described in this ACAN.

7. Government Contracts Regulations Exception(s)

The following exception to the Government Contracts Regulations is invoked for this procurement under subsection:

(d) only one person is capable of performing the contract.

8. Exclusions and/or Limited Tendering Reasons

This procurement is not subject to any trade agreement.

9. Ownership of Intellectual Property

There are no intellectual property terms in the contract.

10. Period of the proposed contract or delivery date

The proposed contract is for a period of one (1) year, from April 1st, 2026 to March 31st, 2027 with an option to extend the contract for two (2) additional one (1) year periods.

11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract

The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $38,104.28 (GST/HST extra).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: Max Penashue
Address: Contractor’s place of business

13. Suppliers' right to submit a statement of capabilities

Suppliers who consider themselves fully qualified and available to provide the goods, services or construction services described in the ACAN, may submit a statement of capabilities in writing to the contact person identified in this notice on or before the closing date and time of this notice. The statement of capabilities must clearly demonstrate how the supplier meets the advertised requirements.

14. Closing date and time for a submission of a statement of capabilities

The closing date and time for accepting statements of capabilities is March 18th, 2026 at 2:00 PM (ADT).

15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Claudia Landry
1045 Main Street
Moncton, NB E1C 1H1
Telephone: 506-378-8722
E-mail: claudia.landry@csc-scc.gc.ca