Background
The Icebreaker Collaboration Effort (ICE Pact) is a trilateral agreement between Canada, Finland, and the United States (US) to promote peace and prosperity in polar regions through economic and security cooperation. The goals include strengthening shipbuilding, sharing expertise, and workforce development. The ICE Pact involves trilateral working groups on technical exchange, partnerships, innovation, and joint workforce initiatives.
The ICE Pact Working Group on Workforce Development aims to address shared labour shortages and workforce challenges, including the need to develop talent in skilled trades, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, and leadership positions essential for designing and building advanced, ice-capable vessels. The group is working toward mutual objectives, such as a standardized training curriculum, a common micro-credential system, and expertise-exchange programs to strengthen and grow a skilled workforce.
RFI Purpose
The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to inform industry about the proposed scope of work for an upcoming requirement, and to solicit feedback, including comments, concerns, and alternative recommendations on the capacity of the North American and international markets to design, develop, and deliver specialized training that meets shipbuilding and ship repair industry needs. This includes input on training delivery models, facilities, instructor qualifications, and scalability.
Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is seeking to identify qualified contractors capable of developing standardized training curricula, a common micro-credential system, and expertise-exchange programs to help strengthen and expand the skilled workforce in the shipbuilding industry.
Disclaimer
This RFI is issued for information gathering and planning purposes only. It does not constitute a solicitation, a commitment to procure, or a commitment to fund any initiative. Responses to this RFI will not be used to pre-qualify respondents or limit participation in any future Request for Proposal (RFP). Submissions will not be formally evaluated. However, elements of the feedback received may be used to refine draft documents should Canada proceed with a future procurement. Canada will not reimburse any costs incurred in preparing a response to this RFI.
RFI Key Objectives
The objectives of this request for information are the following:
1. Identify the depth and breadth of the North American and International market’s ability to design, develop, and deliver specialized training programs tailored to the skills required in shipbuilding and ship repair—particularly in support of advanced, ice-capable vessel construction.
2. Gather information on existing training curricula, micro-credential systems, certification frameworks, and hands-on learning approaches that could be adapted or integrated into a trilateral, standardized workforce development model.
3. Understand the market’s capability to deliver training through various modalities (e.g., in-person, virtual, blended, simulation-based), and assess the availability of training facilities, equipment, and technology.
4. Determine the availability of qualified instructors, subject matter experts, and training organizations with experience in skilled trades, STEM fields, and/or leadership development specific to shipbuilding and ship repair environments.
5. Examine the ability to scale existing training programs to support national and trilateral workforce needs, and to adapt content to different learner groups, geographic contexts, and evolving workforce requirements.
6. Identify challenges, risks, and considerations related to implementing a common training curriculum, such as certification standards, labour mobility, intellectual property, and regulatory requirements, and gather recommendations for mitigation.
7. Inform future procurement options and strategies: collect market insights to help determine whether further procurement is feasible or desirable, and if so, which procurement approaches, scopes, or partnership models may be most effective.
Scope of Information Requested
Respondents are asked to complete Annex A, ‘Response Questionnaire,’ and submit it either in MS Word or PDF format. The questionnaire is organized into nine sections. Responses should focus on:
1. Icebreaker specific skilled trades and STEM occupations.
2. Required technical competencies, laboratories, and learning environments.
3. Alignment with national training and accreditation frameworks in each country.
4. Work-integrated learning models relevant to icebreaker programs.
5. Anticipated future skills driven by polar operations, new technologies, and regulatory requirements.
6. Security: No classified or controlled information is requested. Do not include sensitive or proprietary data.
Instructions for respondents
1. Respondents must submit all responses by email to the address identified in the Contact Information section of this RFI. Responses sent to any other address or by any other method may not be accepted.
2. All responses must be received by June 30, 2026. Late submissions may not be considered.
3. Respondents must identify a primary point of contact in their response and include their name, title, organization, email address, and telephone number.
4. Any changes or amendments to this RFI will be communicated through CanadaBuys. Respondents are responsible for monitoring the posting regularly for updates.
5. All enquiries must be submitted by email to the address identified in the Contact Information section. Only questions seeking clarification of the RFI content or the feedback being requested will be addressed.
