Becoming a testing department through the Build in Canada Innovation Program

Find out if your department is eligible

To qualify as a testing department, your department must be listed in one of the following schedules of the Financial Administration Act:

• Schedule I
• Schedule I.1
• Schedule II

If your department is unlisted

Contact the Build in Canada Innovation Program to check whether your department may be eligible.

Find a pre-qualified innovation

The BCIP places the innovation of a successful bidder into a pre-qualified pool. You can browse the list of pre-qualified innovations to find a product or service that may suit your department's needs.

Consult the list of pre-qualified innovations currently available.

When to contact the Build in Canada Innovation Program

Any government employee can contact the BCIP. Whether you are a sector representative or a public service employee, the BCIP is available to answer any questions you may have about the program.

Confirm your department's interest

Contact the Build in Canada Innovation Program to advise the BCIP that your department is interested in becoming a testing partner

Understand how testing departments are selected

The BCIP helps match companies with pre-qualified innovations with a testing department. In its proposal, a bidder may identify a target testing department that it believes would be best suited to host their innovation.

Learn how the BCIP encourages innovators to reach out to departments.

Understand the contracting process

Once your department has confirmed interest, the BCIP will begin work to connect you with the supplier of the innovation.

There are three stages in the contracting process:

• statement of work
• innovation transfer and evaluation agreement
• contract

Statement of work

The statement of work (SOW) is a formal document that will form part of the contract. It outlines the phases of testing, environment and finalized testing plan. The type, scale and complexity of the work determine the level of detail in the SOW.

Learn what you will find in a statement of work.

Once your department confirms interest to the BCIP in an innovation, you will be connected with the supplier to develop the testing plan. The BCIP will provide a SOW template for the testing plan.

After everyone approves of the SOW, the BCIP and Public Services and Procurement Canada's (PSPC) contracting officers will review it. They will make sure that the SOW contains all the required information as it is the basis for describing the work in the contract that is awarded to the supplier.

Innovation transfer and evaluation agreement

The innovation transfer and evaluation agreement (ITEA) is a signed agreement between your department and PSPC. Some departments refer to the ITEA as a memorandum of understanding. 

The ITEA is not a contract, it is an administrative document that formally designates your department's commitment to test the innovation. The ITEA also transfers the ownership, management and control of the innovation from PSPC to your department. It spells out the roles and responsibilities of PSPC and the testing department.

Coordinate the signing of the ITEA by a director general or an equivalent.  As well, identify as early as possible, any security requirements so they can be accounted for when developing the SOW.

Important: More than one department can test a single innovation. Only one department serves as the lead, coordinating testing with others and retaining ownership of the innovation for the duration of testing. The lead testing department can, by its own discretion, transfer ownership of the innovation to the associate testing departments. The BCIP can approve participation by other departments before the ITEA is signed.

Contract

Other than collaboration in developing the SOW and identifying security requirements, your department is not involved in this process. PSPC's contracting officer will consult with the supplier to develop the terms and conditions of the contract based on the finalized SOW.

More information

• Learn about the responsibilities of a testing department
• Find out why departments participate in the Build in Canada Innovation Program