Phase II of the OCAP® Standards and Certification Exploration project

The contract supports Phase II of the OCAP® Standards and Certification Exploration project under the leadership of the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC), with funding of $250,000 allocated over two fiscal years, 2026–2027 to 2027–2028, and a performance period of 18 months from award. The project focuses exclusively on advancing ethical First Nations data governance and data sovereignty by developing and piloting sector-specific, OCAP®-enabling standards and wise practices in two priority areas: Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) data, and Lands and Waters/Environmental data. The work involves deep collaboration with First Nations partners and sector-specific communities of practice, including scoping outcomes, convening advisory sessions, and co-developing implementation materials such as Workshop Agreements, infographics, and a comprehensive report that outlines pathways for future standards development, implementation, and certification in partnership with the Standards Council of Canada. The effort is designed to create practical, rights-based models that inform both public and private sector data stewardship while affirming First Nations authority over their data. This procurement is structured as a non-competitive, sole-source award under Government Contracts Regulation 6(d), justified by the unique and exclusive stewardship of the OCAP® framework by FNIGC, which no other entity holds or can replicate. It is set aside under the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business, requiring the contractor to be an Indigenous organization—FNIGC is the only eligible offeror. The contract does not involve physical goods or logistics, and no standard FAR clauses or line-item pricing are applied; instead, it operates under special contractual provisions that affirm FNIGC’s ownership of all foreground intellectual property generated during execution, deviating from typical federal IP policies. The submission process requires a Statement of Capabilities demonstrating proven experience with First Nations data governance, deep understanding of OCAP® principles, and capacity to facilitate collaborative, community-led processes, with no numerical scoring applied—all criteria are pass/fail. Deliverables will be accepted by the Standards Council of Canada upon review, and funding will be disbursed in two installments over the project lifespan, with no defined inspection location or security clearance requirement. The contract is issued as an Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN-2026-03), with submissions due by June 12, 2026, and all communication directed to the SCC in Ottawa.