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NOTICE OF INVITATION TO QUALIFY UPDATE #1 - 2026-10-16
This update is to:
- Extend the closing date for the first intake period to October 26, 2026 EDT.
- Publish a new version of the Invitation to Qualify (ITQ) document. All changes are flagged in the left margin of the modified document. The document is available under the "Bidding Details" tab
- Notify interested vendors that the slideshow used during the webinar held on October 8, 2026 is available under the "Bidding Details" tab
- Notify interested vendors that an initial consolidated set of Questions and Answers received during the webinar and by email is available under the "Bidding Details" tab.
Additional supplier questions have been received and are currently under review. Canada may publish further consolidated Questions and Answers, as appropriate.
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NATIONAL SECURITY EXCEPTION
In respect of all phases of the solicitation, SSC has invoked the National Security Exception (NSE). As such, this invocation exempts all phases of the procurement processes for sovereign cloud services from the application of all of Canada’s trade agreements, including the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement (Article III(1)) and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (Article 801).
1. INTRODUCTION
The Government of Canada (GC) is advancing its digital infrastructure and hosting capabilities to meet evolving operational requirements and to deliver services to Canadians that are secure, reliable, and user-centric.
Building on findings and industry feedback obtained through prior engagement activities, Shared Services Canada (SSC) is establishing a structured Sovereign Cloud Qualification Process as an initial step to support future procurements.
The Sovereign Cloud Qualification process is intended to:
- Establish a standing entry point for Canadian-owned and -controlled businesses seeking to qualify to participate in sovereign cloud procurements
- Enable Canada to collect information on available and emerging offerings to support market awareness and procurement planning
- Provide a consistent, transparent, and accessible mechanism for industry engagement
- This Notice of Planned Procurement does not constitute a commitment by Canada to issue any solicitation or to procure any services.
2. PROCESS OVERVIEW
The Sovereign Cloud Qualification Process is supported by an Invitation to Qualify (ITQ).
The ITQ defines the requirements for qualification, including:
- Eligibility conditions
- Submission requirements
- Supporting documentation
- Process instructions
The qualification process serves as the entry point and a mandatory step for vendors to participate in current and future sovereign cloud procurement processes.
Vendors that participate in the qualification process and meet the eligibility conditions defined in the ITQ will be considered as Qualified Respondents (QR) for participation in future sovereign cloud procurement opportunities.
This qualification process is not a competitive procurement process and will not result in a contract award. It is intended solely to establish a list of qualified vendors for participation in future procurement activities.
3. ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS
Eligibility conditions details are defined in the ITQ (available in tab “Bidding Details” above).
At a minimum, eligibility conditions include:
- Confirmation of Respondent’s Canadian ownership and control, including parent companies.
- Submission of a Value Proposition describing the respondent’s sovereign cloud offerings.
4. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE
4.1 Objective
The objective of the Sovereign Cloud Services procurement stream is to strengthen Canada’s cloud posture by enabling and supporting solutions that advance Canadian control over data and services, and protection from foreign legal or extraterritorial authority.
The sovereign cloud procurement stream is intended to complement, and not replace, existing cloud procurement approaches.
4.2 Scope (Indicative Only)
The service categories described below are indicative only and provided to inform respondents of the types of capabilities Canada may consider procuring in the future. Additional requirements, eligibility conditions, certifications, or evaluation criteria will be defined in future procurement stages once the procurement process is confirmed
The scope of the Sovereign Cloud Services procurement stream may include, but is not limited to:
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS):
This category may include sovereign fundamental computing resources such as processing, storage, and networking. These services allow departments to deploy and run their own software, including operating systems and applications. While the cloud provider manages the underlying infrastructure, Canada retains control over operating systems, storage, deployed applications, and certain network configuration.
Platform as a Service (PaaS):
This category may include sovereign cloud services that allow departments to deploy and run applications built using programming languages, libraries, services, and tools supported by the provider. The provider manages the underlying infrastructure, including networks, servers, operating systems, and storage, while Canada retains control over the applications it deploys and the configuration of the application hosting environment.
AI enabling services:
This category may include sovereign services that support the development, deployment, or operation of artificial intelligence solutions, such as machine learning platforms, model hosting, data processing environments, and AI infrastructure.
Managed Service Providers of Classified Cloud Solutions:
This category may include managed services for classified cloud solutions. Vendors intending to operate as infrastructure providers will be required to provide certification from a recognized classified cloud solution provider in the Five Eyes confirming their authorization and agreement to deliver classified cloud services and associated managed solutions.
Recognizing that many classified and unclassified cloud solutions are operated or owned by foreign providers, Canada may also consider managed service providers that have unique access to such cloud service solutions, even where those solutions are owned by foreign entities. In such cases, the managed service provider will need to demonstrate full control over the technology and the delivery of services.
Other cloud or cloud enabling capabilities that support sovereign digital service delivery.
This category may include other sovereign cloud or cloud-enabling capabilities not otherwise described in the indicative scopes provided above.
5. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES
To participate in the Sovereign Cloud Qualification process, respondents must complete and submit the designated submission form in accordance with the requirements set out in the ITQ.
6. PROCESS AND TIMELINES
The Sovereign Cloud Qualification process is open, ongoing, and continuously available through CanadaBuys.
The ITQ defines intake periods and closing dates.
The first intake period closing date is set to October 19, 2026.
Following the end of each intake period, or more often at SSC’s discretion, responses will be assessed and each Respondent will be notified of its qualification status within 20 working days.
SSC reserves the right to update, amend, or discontinue the Sovereign Cloud Qualification process at any time.
7. INFORMATION WEBINAR
Vendors are invited to attend an Informational Webinar to discuss any questions you may have on the ITQ. Interested vendors must register by contacting the Contracting Authority before October 6, 2026, 23:59 Pacific Time, at the following email address: P••••••••@•••••••.••.ca.
The Information Webinars will be held on the following dates and times:
The French-language webinar will be held on October 8, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. EDT
The English-language webinar will be held on October 8, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT
8. FUTURE COMMUNICATION
Vendors are responsible for monitoring CanadaBuys for updates related to this Sovereign Cloud Qualification.
SSC may communicate updates or request clarification from respondents as required.
9. PRIVACY STATEMENT
All responses will be treated as confidential, subject to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.
10. TRADE AGREEMENTS
No trade agreement applies to this requirement, as the National Security Exception has been invoked.
11. LANGUAGE
Documents may be submitted in either official language of Canada.
12. ENQUIRIES
Enquiries regarding the Sovereign Cloud Qualification Process are to be submitted to:
P••••••••@•••••••.••.ca
