Roles and responsibilities of contractors certified by the Joint Certification Program
Certified contractors are eligible to bid and work on contracts involving unclassified military technical data in Canada and the United States (U.S.). Find out how certified contractors can request technical data and get approval for visits to work sites through the Joint Certification Program (JCP).
On this page
- Roles and responsibilities of certified contractors
- Requests for unclassified military technical data
- Requests for United States Department of Defense controlled technical data
- Responses to United States requests for proposals and quotes
- Requests for Canadian Department of National Defence controlled technical data
- Responses to Canadian requests for proposals and requests for quotes
- Unclassified visits: How to get approval
- Contact
Roles and responsibilities of certified contractors
Contractors certified in the JCP are eligible to:
- bid on U.S. contracts that require access to unclassified military technical data
- access Contract opportunities through the American system of award management (SAM)
- request access to the U.S. Defense Logistics Internet Bid Board System after receiving certification
- request unclassified military technical data controlled by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) and/or the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)
- attend restricted gatherings where technical data is presented, for example: symposia, program briefings, industry days and conferences that provide information for bidding on defence contracts
- arrange unclassified visits directly with other certified defence contractors or military facilities in Canada and the U.S.
Requests for unclassified military technical data
You are required to submit a copy of the approved Militarily critical technical data agreement (PDF) (DD2345 certificate) for all requests.
Requests for United States Department of Defense controlled technical data
Certified Canadian and American contractors may obtain technical data for legitimate business purposes by:
- requesting it from the program manager
- consulting the Defense technical information center database
Certified subcontractors may request technical data directly from the certified prime contractor.
Responses to United States requests for proposals and quotes
To make a request for unclassified technical data through SAM.gov or the U.S. Defence Logistics Agency Internet Bid Board System (DIBBS), follow the guidance procedures listed on each proposal.
To view the requests for proposals or quotes on DIBBS, you must:
- be certified in the JCP
- be registered with U.S. System for award management
- hold a Unique entity identifier, obtained through SAM
- have registered for a Defence Logistics Agency Internet Bid Board System account
- complete a U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology assessment
With those steps completed, you may request access to DIBBS. Further information, specific to your request, will then be provided to you before an assessment will be carried out by U.S. Defense trade security controls for authorization to access DIBBS.
Requests for Canadian Department of National Defence controlled technical data
Certified U.S. contractors may obtain DND-controlled technical data by submitting a request to the International and Industry Programs Division: dgiip@forces.gc.ca.
Responses to Canadian requests for proposals and requests for quotes
Certified contractors can access unclassified requests for proposals and requests for quotes that involve unclassified technical data directly from the Public Services and Procurement Canada’s procurement officer. This is done by following the instructions posted on buyandsell.gc.ca. A copy of the JCP-approved DD2345 should accompany all requests.
To request technical data required to bid on Government of Canada contracts, certified contractors should follow the guidance provided on the request for proposal as listed on buyandsell.gc.ca.
Unclassified visits: How to obtain approval
Certified contractors may request approval for unclassified visits directly with other certified defence contractors or military facilities in Canada and the U.S. These requests are referred to as “directly arranged visits” (DAV).
A DAV is used for:
- preparing to bid on a contract, such as attending unclassified pre-solicitation conferences and collecting unclassified procurement documents
- working on a contract
- conducting scientific research, in a professional capacity, in support of unclassified American or Canadian national defence initiatives
- attending restricted meetings, conferences, symposia or program briefings where technical data governed by Directive 5230.25 of the U.S. DoD or Technical Data Control Regulations of DND in Canada will be presented
- attending events in an unclassified access controlled area
The following contractors are eligible to apply for DAVs:
- Canadian government officials and certified Canadian contractors who need to visit American military installations and American contractor facilities
- U.S. government officials and certified American contractors who need to visit Canadian military installations and Canadian contractor facilities
American or Canadian contractors are not eligible to apply for DAVs unless they are certified with the JCP.
Conditions required for a directly arranged visit
Contractors must meet the following 2 conditions to get approval for a DAV related to the release of information controlled in Canada by the Technical Data Control Regulations of the Department of National Defence in the U.S. by the Directive 5230.25 of the U.S. DoD.
First condition—you must meet 1 of the following criteria:
- there is a valid licence covering the export of the data
- the export or release is permitted under the Canadian exemption in Part 126.5 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations
- the export or release is covered by the general exemptions in Part 125.4 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations
- the export or release qualifies for a general license under the Export Administration Regulations
Second condition—you must meet 1 of the following criteria:
- the distribution statement applied to the data pursuant to permits release of Directive 5230.25 of the U.S. DoD
- the originator or government controlling office authorizes release
How to request a directly arranged visit
Your registration in the JCP allows you to make arrangements directly with your point of contact at the industry or military facility you wish to visit.
To do so, send an email or letter to your point of contact. They will forward the request for the visit to the security official at the facility for review and approval. If the approval is granted, the security office will advise the point of contact by email.
Your request must include:
- the purpose for the visit
- the date and time of the visit
- the location and point of contact at the facility
- the list of visiting personnel and their personal information
- a copy of the JCP certificate
A request for a DAV may be submitted for a specific visit or for recurring visits related to a specific contract or project. Although the recurring visit may be approved, it is still the responsibility of the visitor to notify the location to be visited, in writing, at least 72 hours in advance of their arrival.
It is the responsibility of the host facility to notify potential visitors if a visit meets the conditions for a DAV as described above. If the visit does not meet these conditions, a formal unclassified request for visit may be submitted through other government channels.
Contact
For more information, contact the Joint Certification Program