Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP)

The Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program (CICP) was a Government of Canada pilot procurement project launched in 2010 and designed to run for two years. It used federal purchasing to buy, test and evaluate innovative products and services developed by Canadian companies before those products reached the general marketplace. The program is described in the Government of Canada publication record and in Public Works and Government Services Canada reporting.

CICP was created to help Canadian businesses bridge the pre-commercialization gap, which is the stage between developing an innovation and bringing it to market. Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) administered the program through its Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME). Participating federal departments and agencies acted as test departments for the innovations that were selected.

Who ran CICP and who tested the innovations

PWGSC was the buyer and administrator, and OSME delivered the program. Federal departments and agencies took part by identifying needs, testing selected innovations and providing feedback. This made CICP a dedicated federal innovation-procurement program rather than a general procurement clause. The role of OSME is set out in a 2011 parliamentary document.

How companies entered through Calls for Proposals

Canadian businesses submitted proposals through competitive Calls for Proposals. The first call used a two-stage evaluation process, which included independent review by the National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP). A supplier had to put forward an eligible innovative product or service through this competitive process.

Government announcements describe the process as open, transparent, competitive and fair. The July 2012 announcement confirms that proposals were accepted through Calls for Proposals.

From selection to a test contract

A selected company worked with PWGSC to identify a suitable test department and then negotiated a contract. Selected firms could receive contracts for their pre-commercial innovations, which a federal department or agency then tested in operational settings. The participating department provided performance feedback on the innovation. The March 2011 announcement describes this matching of companies with test departments.

• Stage one: submit a proposal in response to a Call for Proposals.
• Stage two: take part in the evaluation, including the independent NRC-IRAP review in the first call.
• Selection: work with PWGSC to find a federal test department.
• Contract and testing: negotiate the contract, then have the department test the innovation and report on performance.

Sectors the program covered

CICP covered innovative goods and services across several sectors, including environment, safety and security, health and enabling technologies. Regional announcements by the Government of Canada, such as the British Columbia announcement, showed contracts going to companies in different parts of the country.

What CICP means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

CICP was a historical pilot launched in 2010. It was not a standing procurement policy, so suppliers will meet it mainly in older government documents and award announcements. It shows how the federal government once bought pre-commercial innovation: through competitive calls, independent evaluation, a negotiated contract and a federal department that tested the product in real conditions. A supplier reading those records should treat the program as background on how federal innovation procurement was structured, and should confirm the rules of any current innovation solicitation directly in its tender documents.