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:
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is the federal government agency responsible for administering sentences of a term of two years or more, as imposed by the courts. CSC is responsible for managing institutions across Canada of various security levels and supervising offenders under conditional release in the community.
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 while allowing others to practice their beliefs and values systems. The Indigenous Elder exposes offenders to traditional Indigenous ways of life, based on their own teachings, through teachings, counselling, and traditional ceremonies and practices, individually and in groups, for the benefit of both offenders and staff.
1.1 Objectives:
As required by the CCRA and individual correctional plans, Elders are engaged to ensure the accommodation of Indigenous spiritual practices. They assist Indigenous offenders in their traditional healing journey, to further develop an understanding of traditional Indigenous culture through teachings, guidance, counselling. Further, they utilize traditional ceremonies and practices they have been given the responsibility to carry, to promote healing and balance.
1.2 Tasks:
The Indigenous Elder must provide the following services as follows:
Ceremonial and Spiritual Services:
The Elder must provide (in-group and individual) targeted spiritual services specific to a traditional Healer to Indigenous offenders, utilizing Ceremony, and other cultural practices to assist offenders in addressing traumas in connection with the offenders’ Indigenous Social History.
Advice and Guidance:
The Elder must, upon request:
Provide advice to the Institutional Head or the Project authority, or both regarding ceremonies and traditional Healing practices.
Case Management:
The Elder must:
Provide verbally to the Case Management Team, as requested, information regarding offenders’ participation in the healing sessions as part of offender progress reports.
Provide a summary report, verbally or in writing to the Indigenous Liaison Officer (ILO) regarding each offender’s level of participation and the Elder’s impression of the effectiveness of the sessions for offenders, to enable the ILO to document the impact of the Elder’s spiritual services in offenders Casework Records.
Regional and National Meetings:
The Project Authority may ask the Elder to provide advice, guidance, information, or recommendations regionally or nationally on issues of Indigenous spirituality and cultural practices.
CSC Support:
The Institutional Head will:
Provide the Elder with appropriately equipped facilities for the provision of confidential spiritual services, including the designation of private indoor and outdoor space to conduct traditional ceremonies, spiritual activities, and one on one counselling.
Ensure the availability of Indigenous Liaison Officers or Parole Officers to complete the written documentation of the verbal reports the Elder provides.
Ensure orientation to the institution is provided to the Elder, including all applicable policies and security requirements in order for the Elder to carry out their tasks.
Ensure that Elders understand the regulations surrounding their ability to carry their bundles within the institution, and to conduct ceremonies in accordance with CD-259 and the standing order for their specific institution, including the use of tobacco and ignition sources.
1.3 Expected results:
The provision of in-group and individual targeted spiritual services specific to a traditional Healer to Indigenous offenders, utilizing Ceremony, and other cultural practices to assist offenders in addressing traumas in connection with the offenders’ Indigenous Social History.
1.4 Deliverables:
The Elder must provide eight 5-day sessions, to be scheduled with a minimum 15 days advance notice to the work locations.
1.4.1. 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).
1.5 Constraints:
1.5.1 Location of Work:
a. The Elder must perform the work at provide services to the following institution(s):
William Head Institution:
6000 William Head Road, Victoria, British Columbia, V9C 0B5
Mission Institution:
Minimum: 33737 Dewdney Trunk Road, P.O. Box 50, Mission,
British Columbia, V2V 4L8
Medium: 8751 Stave Lake Street, P.O. Box 60 Mission, British Columbia, V2V 4L8
Kwìkwèxwelhp Healing Village:
16255 Morris Valley Road, P.O. Box 110, Harrison Mills, British Columbia, V0M 1L0
Matsqui Institution:
33344 King Road, P.O. Box 2500, Abbotsford, British Columbia, V2S 4P3
Pacific Institution: Regional Treatment Centre, Regional Reception and Assessment Centre and La Lem Xeyíyá:qt :
33344 King Road, Abbotsford, British Columbia, V2S 4P4
Fraser Valley Institution:
33344 King Road, PO Box 5000, Abbotsford, British Columbia, V2S 6J5
Mountain Institution:
4732 Cemetery Road, P.O. Box 1600, Agassiz, British Columbia, V0M 1A0
Kent Institution:
4732 Cemetery Road, P.O. Box 1500, Agassiz, British Columbia, V0M 1A0
b. Travel
i. Travel to the following locations will be required for the performance of the work under this contract:
• The Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island.
1.5.2 Language of Work:
The contractor must perform all work in English.
1.5.3 Institutional Access Requirements
Contractor personnel will be escorted at all times by Correctional Service Canada personnel or those authorized by CSC on its behalf. Contractor personnel must adhere to institutional requirements for the conduct of searches by Correctional Service Canada prior to admittance to the institution/site. Correctional Service Canada reserves the right to deny access to any institution/site or part thereof by any Contractor personnel, at any time.
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:
1. Must be recognized by their community as an Elder/Cultural Advisor within that community.
2. Must have a minimum of two (2) years of experience, within the last five (5) years prior to the ACAN closing date in liaising and working in partnership with Correctional Service Canada to support the unique trauma needs of Indigenous offenders.
3. Must have at least two (2) years of experience within the last five (5) years prior to the ACAN closing date in providing cultural and spiritual services to Indigenous peoples in the community.
4. Must have at least two (2) years of experience within the last five (5) years prior to the ACAN closing date working as a traditional healer with specialization in trauma work for Indigenous offenders.
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 culturally appropriate outreach, and engagement services, and work with Indigenous communities and service providers 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 1 year from July 30, 2025 to July 29, 2026, with an option to extend the contract for 1 additional one-year period.
11. Cost estimate of the proposed contract
The estimated value of the contract, including option(s), is $64,000.00 (GST/HST extra).
12. Name and address of the pre-identified supplier
Name: Tom McCallum
Address: N/A
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 29, 2025 at 2:00 PM PST.
15. Inquiries and submission of statements of capabilities
Inquiries and statement of capabilities are to be directed to:
Hersh Minhas – Contracting & Procurement Officer
33991 Gladys Avenue, PO Box 4500,
Abbotsford BC Canada V2S 2E8
Telephone: 236-380-0993
E-mail: Hersh.Minhas@csc-scc.gc.ca
