Sovereign Cloud Invitation to Qualify

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Tender brief & compliance checklist

AI-generated on 2026-10-16 from the notice and 1 document(s). It can miss or misread details — always check the official documents before bidding.

• Shared Services Canada (SSC) is establishing a Sovereign Cloud Qualification Process via an Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) for Canadian-owned and -controlled businesses.
• The ITQ is a non-competitive, non-contractual qualification step; it does not result in a contract award.
• Qualified Respondents (QRs) will be placed on a multiple-use qualification list and may participate in future sovereign cloud solicitations.
• Indicative future scope includes IaaS, PaaS, AI enabling services, and Managed Service Providers of Classified Cloud Solutions.
• The ITQ remains open until further notice with cyclical intake closing dates; the initial intake closing date is October 19, 2026.
• The National Security Exception (NSE) is invoked, exempting the procurement from all Canadian trade agreements.

Compliance checklist (mandatory requirements)

• Canadian Ownership and Control (M1)
  ✓ Quote found in sovereign-cloud-invitation-to-qualify-itq_2.pdf

  “The Respondent must be a Canadian Owned and Controlled Business.”

• Canadian Headquarters Address
  ✓ Quote found in sovereign-cloud-invitation-to-qualify-itq_2.pdf

  “Provide the address of the Respondent’s headquarters in Canada and the address(es) of its place(s) of business in Canada”

• CRA Business Number
  ✓ Quote found in sovereign-cloud-invitation-to-qualify-itq_2.pdf

  “Provide its Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Business Number (BN).”

• Corporation or Business Registration Number
  ✓ Quote found in sovereign-cloud-invitation-to-qualify-itq_2.pdf

  “Provide its: a. Corporation number, or b. Jurisdictional Business Registration number.”

• Declaration of No Foreign Legal Compulsion
  ✓ Quote found in sovereign-cloud-invitation-to-qualify-itq_2.pdf

  “Provide a declaration attesting that neither the Respondent, nor any of its parent entities, up to and including the ultimate parent, are subject to any foreign law, regulation, or legal framework”

• Ownership Structure Description
  ✓ Quote found in sovereign-cloud-invitation-to-qualify-itq_2.pdf

  “Provide a written description of the respondent’s ownership structure, up to and including the ultimate parent company.”

• Value Proposition (M2)
  ⚠ Supporting quote not found in the source text — check this manually.
• Value Proposition Content Requirements
  ⚠ Supporting quote not found in the source text — check this manually.
• Submission via Online Response Submission Form
  ✓ Quote found in sovereign-cloud-invitation-to-qualify-itq_2.pdf

  “Respondents must submit their responses to this ITQ in writing using the online response submission form”

Risks and unusual terms

• The National Security Exception (NSE) is invoked, exempting all phases of the procurement from all of Canada's trade agreements, including the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.
• This ITQ is not a solicitation and no contract will be awarded as a result of the activities during the ITQ phase.
• Only Qualified Respondents (QRs) will be permitted to participate in subsequent solicitation(s).
• SSC reserves the right to modify the evaluation approach or timelines at any time, as required.
• Canada may proceed to additional ITQs or solicitations as needed for specific requirements.
• The scope of the Sovereign Cloud Services procurement stream is indicative only and non-binding; additional requirements, eligibility conditions, certifications, or evaluation criteria will be defined in future procurement stages.
• Pricing is not a requirement of this ITQ and should not be included in the response.
• Responses submitted after an ITQ closing date and time may not be considered until the next intake cycle and closing date.
• Failure to direct questions and communications only to the Contracting Authority may result in the Response being declared non-compliant.
• Canada has retained private sector contractors to help in the preparation of this ITQ; the following companies would therefore conflict with interest or unfair advantage: Adirondack (Sub-Contractor: CloudWise Consulting Ltd.), The Lightning Tree Inc., TekSystems (Sub-Contractor: 16171508 Canada Inc.).

Not stated in the available text: Specific evaluation criteria beyond the mandatory pass/fail criteria; Number of Qualified Respondents expected or maximum; Detailed technical requirements for future sovereign cloud services; Contract terms, conditions, or duration for future solicitations; Insurance requirements; Bid bond or security deposit requirements; Site visit requirements; Minimum experience requirements beyond Canadian ownership and control; Specific security clearance level required at ITQ stage (not required); Budget or estimated contract value; Specific procurement timeline beyond ITQ phase; Details on how the multiple-use qualification list will be used; Specific requirements for the Value Proposition format or length; Contact email address for the Contracting Authority (redacted in document); Link to the online Response Submission Form (redacted in document)

Solicitation documents (1)

• sovereign-cloud-invitation-to-qualify-itq_2.pdf PDF · Text searchable

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