Diversity and inclusion in Government of Canada procurement processes helps build a more inclusive economy and stimulates competition and prosperity for Canadian businesses.
Today, Shared Services Canada (SSC) is making its ScaleUp social procurement initiative available to other government departments and agencies.
This program encourages small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), as well as businesses led by women, visible minorities and Indigenous Canadians, to respond to federal calls for tender. This will increase the diversity of suppliers that receive federal government contracts.
ScaleUp is part of SSC's Agile Procurement Process 3.0 initiative, which simplifies IT procurement, making it easier for businesses of all sizes to compete for Government of Canada contracts.
Thanks to ScaleUp, SSC has awarded more than 15 contracts and prequalified an additional 8 companies through the ScaleUp initiative. Among those contractors:
- 80% are first-time contractors for the Government of Canada
- 32% are micro businesses (i.e., have 4 employees or less) and 68% are small businesses
- 68% are owned or led by visible minorities
- 52% are owned or led by women
- 8% are owned or led by persons with a disability
- 12% are Indigenous businesses
These contracts range from $10,000 to $238,000 and were, for many of these suppliers, their first contracts with the Government of Canada.
By encouraging suppliers from diverse communities to respond to federal calls for tender, SSC increases innovation and creativity in order to better respond to the needs of Canadians.
