Aboriginal Business Directory (ABD)

The Aboriginal Business Directory (ABD) was a Government of Canada directory and searchable database of Aboriginal businesses. Federal departments and agencies, along with other organizations, used it to identify Aboriginal suppliers of goods and services. It was associated with the former Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business (PSAB).

Current federal materials no longer use the name ABD. The directory is now called the Indigenous Business Directory (IBD), and Indigenous Services Canada describes it as an online public directory of businesses owned and controlled by Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Suppliers will still meet the ABD name in older procurement guidance and evaluation reports, so it helps to know how it connects to the current directory.

Where the Aboriginal Business Directory came from

The ABD grew out of federal Aboriginal procurement initiatives and was linked to Industry Canada's Strategis business-information system. Government guidance described it as a centralized database. Aboriginal businesses could use it to make their capabilities visible to buyers, and government departments could use it to locate potential suppliers. The federal guidance on the directory states that all departments and agencies could use it to find Aboriginal suppliers for the goods and services they required.

A related federal publication describes the Aboriginal Business Database as intended to improve the visibility of Aboriginal businesses and to help government and industry identify suppliers (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada).

How the ABD supported the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business

The directory supported PSAB procurement, including efforts to identify Aboriginal suppliers and to facilitate contracts set aside for Aboriginal businesses. According to a federal evaluation of PSAB, Public Works and Government Services Canada replaced its use of the Supplier Registration Information system with the ABD to verify Aboriginal suppliers and to improve set-asides.

Aboriginal businesses registered themselves and supplied business information for inclusion. Inclusion depended on meeting the applicable PSAB eligibility requirements.

The 51% ownership and control test

Under PSAB, an eligible Aboriginal business generally had to be at least 51% owned and controlled by Aboriginal persons. Older Treasury Board policy materials also set additional employee and Aboriginal-content requirements in certain circumstances. The Treasury Board contracting policy notice and the related policy text set out the framework in which the directory operated.

The same 51% threshold carries forward. Current federal information on the Indigenous Business Directory says a business must show that its owners are First Nations, Inuit or Métis residing in Canada and that it is at least 51% Indigenous-owned and controlled.

From the ABD to the Indigenous Business Directory

Indigenous Services Canada now maintains the IBD, and current federal materials use that name. The Treasury Board's mandatory procedures require a process involving Indigenous Services Canada's verification of an Indigenous business in accordance with the current Indigenous Business Directory for applicable contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses.

A federal solicitation published on CanadaBuys shows the directory in use. Its Indigenous participation appendix states that the consultant could refer to the IBD to identify Indigenous business capacity for contracting and subcontracting.

What the ABD and IBD mean for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

• Treat "ABD" as the historical name. The directory to use today is the IBD.
• Prepare accepted documentation showing that your business is an eligible Indigenous business, including evidence of ownership and control.
• Expect verification against the IBD when a contract is awarded under the Indigenous business procedures.
• Do not treat a listing as a guarantee. Current federal information states that IBD listing does not guarantee a business will receive a contract.
• Use the IBD to find Indigenous partners when a solicitation asks you to describe Indigenous business capacity for subcontracting.