Indigenous Programs and 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 ensure that offenders have reasonable access to Indigenous-specific resources in the community.

A loss of culture is happening rapidly in Iqaluit with fewer and fewer people being able to maintain the traditional Inuit connection with the land, which is at the core of Inuit identity. It means that people in Iqaluit experience a disconnection with their culture in a much more significant way than in other smaller communities.

The work will involve the following:

1.1 Objectives:

To improve CSC’s ability to return Indigenous offenders to their home communities with Section 84 release plans through contracts for Reintegration Support in remote communities.

To increase CSC’s capacity to engage Indigenous communities in the section 84 process, and identify and coordinate community resources for offenders.

1.2 Tasks:

The contractor must:

1.2.1 Provide community education and information about Section 84, Section 81, and CSC’s Indigenous Continuum of Care and interventions.

1.2.2 Identify resources and community contacts that may be used by CSC personnel when preparing a release plan for an offender.

1.2.3 Work with communities and organizations to establish a process for CSC engagement on corrections.

1.2.4 Provide information that will assist CSC personnel to develop a section 84 release plan. CSC personnel, such as: Parole Officer or Aboriginal Community Development Officer (as per CSC policy CD 712-1).

1.2.5 On mutual agreement, perform additional tasks as requested by the Contract Authority.

1.2.6 Collect information and prepare quarterly reports on the following activities:

a. contacts with CSC personnel.
b. community contacts, including names and contact information.
c. an updated resource list, including, at a minimum, reintegration support services, such as addictions services, housing, Elder supports.

1.3 Expected results:

To help offenders and families to reclaim their independence and develop greater self-esteem and resiliency through programs and services that are based in traditional Inuit societal values and delivered by respected Inuit Elders. This will result in more functional and cohesive families, improved interpersonal and familial communications, improved lifestyle choices, a reduction in high risk and criminal behaviours and increased pride in the Inuit language and culture.

To reduce the frequency of both family breakdown and child apprehension. To enhance mental health, social services, justice, and children's and family service programs offered by the Governments of Nunavut and Canada

1.4 Deliverables:

1.4.1 To provide offenders with access to the following culturally relevant practical support and assistance programs and services that are based on traditional Inuit societal values:

a. One-on-one and group counselling.

b. Opportunities for those with multiple risk factors to build basic life skills such as literacy, budgeting, interpersonal communications and productive lifestyle choices.

c. Mental health services to complement the extremely limited mental health services currently available in Iqaluit from government or other sources, to help address the urgent need and high level of demand for these services in Iqaluit.

d. Individual, family and group counselling; and individual, couple and group healing sessions focusing on the areas of alcohol and drug addictions and rehabilitation, trauma, grief, anger management, parenting, and relationship and family issues.

e. Counsellors and Elder advisors who have received training in mental health first aid in order to better prepare them to assist suicidal clients.

f. Programs that provide an essential connection to culture, a therapeutic key to healing, skills development, and identity and confidence building.

The programming components listed above are inter-related and complementary. Their interaction has a synergetic effect on the healing and renewal processes that participants experience, and prolongs their involvement in the wellness programs the Contractor offers. They are firmly based on Inuit societal values and on traditional Inuit approaches to counselling and well-being. Because each of the Contractor’s facilitators, counsellors and Elder advisors work primarily in Inuktitut, communication barriers are reduced.

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 either at the Contractor's place of business or on the land, weather permitting, or by video conference to remote locations. The Contractor must occasionally travel into the wilderness via boat or skidoo.

b. Travel
i. No travel is anticipated for performance of the work under this contract.

1.5.2 Language of Work:

The contractor must perform all work in either Inuktitut or English.

1.5.3 Security Requirements:

There are no security requirements associated to this contract.

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:

• Must be an Inuit-run organization that incorporates Inuit culture into their programs and healing and who work with both community members and offenders in the community.
• Must be registered on the Indigenous Business Directory, administered by Indigenous Services Canada.
Experience:

Must have three (3) years of experience, obtained in the past five (5) years prior to the closing date of this ACAN, in facilitating programs based on traditional Inuit societal values, with the same objectives and therapeutic approaches, and targeting the same populations as the programs described under 1.4 Deliverables.

Must possess three (3) years of experience, obtained in the past five (5) years prior to the closing date of this ACAN, in providing culturally-appropriate counselling, healing support, and skill development for disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and families in Iqaluit.

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.

5. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement(s)

This procurement is subject to the Nunavut Settlement Area Land Claim Agreement.

6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier

There is a limited number of suppliers available to provide services based on traditional Inuit societal values that can meet the reintegration needs of CSC Inuit offenders.

The pre-identified supplier is an Inuit not for profit organization that provides culturally relevant practical support and assistance to Iqalimiut, including Federal offenders being supervised by the Nunavut Area Parole Office. It provides counselling, wellness, healing, and land skills programs. The primary aim of Inuit offender’s accessing the pre-identified supplier’s services would be to have them participate in the land skills programs and the one-on-one and group counselling offered by the centre.

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 July 01, 2026 to June 30, 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 $150,000.00 (GST/HST extra).

12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier

Name: Iqaluit Community Tukisigiarvik Society
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 June 24, 2026 at 2:00 PM EDT.

15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities

Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:

Monika Alexander, Regional Procurement Officer
Correctional Service Canada
Regional Headquarters, Ontario Region
E-mail: ont.rhq.bidreceiving-receptionoffres.ar.ont@csc-scc.gc.ca