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 of Canada (CSC), as part of the criminal justice system and respecting the rule of law, contributes to public safety by actively encouraging and assisting offenders to become law-abiding citizens, while exercising reasonable, safe, secure and humane control.
CSC is committed to providing programs and opportunities to meet the needs of Indigenous offenders.
CSC is legislated to provide Indigenous offenders with the opportunity to further develop their understanding of traditional Indigenous culture and beliefs. The Elder exposes Indigenous offenders to traditional Indigenous ways of life, based on their own teachings, through teachings, counselling and traditional ceremonies and practices, individually and/or in groups, for the benefit of both offenders and staff.
The term “Elder” means any person recognized by the Indigenous community as having knowledge and understanding of the traditional culture of the community, including the ceremonies, protocols, teachings and healing techniques, according to the beliefs and social traditions of their communities.
1.1 Objectives:
Assist Indigenous offenders, in their traditional healing journey, to further develop an understanding of traditional Indigenous culture through teachings, guidance, counselling, and use traditional ceremonies and practices to promote healing and balance.
1.2 Tasks:
The Elder must provide the following services:
1.2.1 Ceremonial and Spiritual Services:
The Elder must provide (in-group or individual) counseling, teachings and ceremonial services to Indigenous offenders. This includes the following:
Providing guidance and teachings through group sessions (circles) and individual discussions to offenders in the institution.
Conducting spiritual services and various traditional ceremonies based on the Elder's teachings.
Assisting offenders following a healing path in support of their correctional plan.
Elders may be requested, by agreement, to escort offenders on Escorted Temporary Absences (ETAs) for ceremonial and other spiritual purposes.
1.2.2 Advice and Guidance:
The Elder must, upon request:
Provide advice/information to staff and management, locally, regionally and nationally on issues of Indigenous spirituality and cultural practices.
Introduce institutional staff to various elements of traditional spirituality as deemed appropriate based on their teachings.
Provide advice to the Institutional Head regarding ceremonies, ceremonial objects, traditional practices and protocols, traditional medicines, or sacred ground within the institution including the collection and storage of ceremonial objects and traditional and ceremonial medicines.
1.2.3 Case Management:
The Elder must:
Participate in case conferences as requested.
Provide verbally to the Case Management Team, as requested, information regarding the offender's participation in a healing path as requested as part of the offender's progress report. This may include progress on an offender's participation in Pathways, in Indigenous Correctional Programs, or in other cultural and spiritual activities as appropriate.
Upon receiving a referral/request from the Case Management team, the Elder must provide initial information and updates verbally or in writing to the Indigenous Liaison Officer or Parole Officer for documentation which may include initial observations; whether the offender has agreed to continue working with the Elder through Indigenous Specific interventions; the offender’s progress in addressing their needs as well as information about an offender's readiness for the possible transition into the community.
1.2.4 Regional and National Meetings:
The Elder may be asked to provide advice, guidance, information, or recommendations regionally or nationally on issues of Indigenous spirituality and cultural practices.
If applicable, this may also include participation, by agreement, on regional or national advisory bodies, such as the National Elders Working Group, or the National Indigenous Advisory Committee.
1.3 Expected results:
Provision of Indigenous programs and Elder services to the offender population.
1.4 Reporting and communications:
The Elder, with the assistance and coordination of the Indigenous Liaison Officer or Parole Officer, must report to the Technical Authority on a monthly basis by providing a summary of the tasks and hours completed on the Elder Tasks – Weekly Summary and Elder Tasks – Bi-weekly Summary/Invoice provided by the Technical Authority.
1.5 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).
1.6 Constraints:
1.6.1 Location of work:
a. The Contractor must perform the work at Kent Institution in Agassiz, BC.
b. Travel
i. Travel to the following locations will be required for performance of the work under this
contract:
Abbotsford
Fraser Valley Institution 33344 King Road
Matsqui Institution 33344 King Road
Pacific Institution 33344 King Road
Regional Headquarters 33991 Gladys Avenue
Agassiz
Mountain Institution 4732 Cemetery Road
Harrison Mills
Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village 16255 Morris Valley Road
Mission
Mission Medium Institution 8751 Stave Lake Street
Mission Minimum Institution 33737 Dewdney Trunk Rd
Vancouver
Vancouver Parole 401 – 877 Expo Boulevard
Victoria
William Head Institution 6000 William Head Road
1.6.2 Language of Work:
The contractor must perform all work in English.
1.6.3 Security Requirements:
This contract includes the following security requirements:
1. The Contractor personnel requiring access to PROTECTED information, assets or sensitive work site(s) must EACH hold a valid RELIABILITY STATUS, granted or approved by Correctional Services Canada (CSC).
2. The Contractor MUST NOT remove any PROTECTED information or assets from the identified work site(s), and the Contractor must ensure that its personnel are made aware of and comply with this restriction.
3. Subcontracts which contain security requirements are NOT to be awarded without the prior written permission of CSC Departmental Security.
4. The Contractor must comply with the provisions of the:
a. Security Requirements Check List, described in Annex C;
b. Directive on Security Management: Appending F “Mandatory Procedures for Security in Contracts and Other Arrangements Control.”
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:
The supplier must be recognized by their community as an Elder/Cultural Advisor within that community.
The supplier must have a minimum of five (5) years of experience obtained in the past 10 years prior to the ACAN closing date in delivering spiritual and cultural services and teachings to Indigenous people.
This experience must include:
• providing counselling and guidance according to the traditions and teachings of their own community; and
• being familiar with and able to conduct a variety of ceremonies with a focus on healing according to their own teachings.
The supplier must be familiar with and able to provide guidance to staff and offenders regarding the protocols surrounding the use, disposition, and searching of traditional medicines and spiritual effects.
The supplier must meet with a circle of Elders already under contract with CSC where they will be able to share their experiences and where the Elders will be able to determine the validity of the statement of capabilities.
CSC reserves the right, at its own discretion, to request that suppliers 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.
This restriction does not apply to contracts with individuals who are Elders.
5. Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement(s)
This procurement is not subject to a Comprehensive Land Claims Agreement.
6. Justification for the Pre-Identified Supplier
There is a limited number of suppliers available to provide Elder services to meet the reintegration needs of CSC Indigenous offenders.
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 2 years, from July 09, 2026 to March 31, 2028, with an option to extend the contract for 1 additional 1 -year period.
11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract
The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $282,041.00 (GST/HST extra).
12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
Name: THUNDER, Cecile
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 July 08, 2026 at 2:00 PM PST.
15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities
Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:
Carlie Skotynski – A/Procurement & Contracting Specialist
33991 Gladys Avenue, PO Box 4500,
Abbotsford, BC Canada V2S 2E8
Telephone: 604-756-4761
Facsimile: 604-870-2444
Email: PAC.RegContractingBidMSS-MSSRegDeSoumissionsDeContrats.PAC@csc-scc.gc.ca
