Joint Certification Program (JCP)

The Joint Certification Program (JCP) is a program shared by Canada and the United States that certifies contractors who need access to unclassified military technical data. Canadian and American contractors must be certified to bid or work on contracts that require this kind of data. The Government of Canada's JCP page sets out the program and its requirements.

Certification lets qualified contractors in either country access military technical data from both countries on an equally favourable basis, subject to controls that protect the data. The program applies to contractors located in Canada or the United States, and it covers unclassified information only. It is not a general security clearance for classified information.

Origin and legal authority of the JCP

The JCP was established through a memorandum of understanding between Canada's Minister of National Defence and the U.S. Secretary of Defense. In Canada, the Technical Data Control Regulations provide the authority for implementing it. Details on the program's basis are published on the CanadaBuys page on United States defence-related procurement.

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) administers the Canadian side of the program through the U.S./Canada Joint Certification Office. The Department of National Defence is a user and stakeholder of the program, as described on the National Defence page on doing business with the United States military.

What a Canadian applicant must have in place

Applying for certification involves several steps, which are laid out in the JCP application guidance. A Canadian applicant must:

• obtain a NATO Commercial and Government Entity (NCAGE) code before applying;
• demonstrate a legitimate need for access to the technical data;
• appoint a data custodian;
• complete the certification application;
• comply with the JCP agreement and its data-handling requirements.

The data custodian is responsible for receiving and disseminating technical data transferred under the program. Certified contractors keep these duties for as long as they hold certification, and the roles and responsibilities page for certified contractors describes them.

How the JCP differs from an NCAGE code

An NCAGE code and JCP certification are separate things. The NCAGE code is an identifier for the company, and it is a prerequisite for applying. It does not certify the company to receive controlled technical data. Only JCP certification does that.

The JCP is also separate from NATO security clearance programs. It addresses access to unclassified but controlled military technical data, not classified material. Suppliers who need to handle classified information follow the separate requirements in the Contract Security Manual.

What the JCP means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

If a solicitation includes releasable technical data restricted to certified organizations, you need JCP certification to receive that data and to bid. Check the solicitation documents on CanadaBuys for this restriction early, because the application requires an NCAGE code and an appointed data custodian first.

Certification can also widen your market. It can make Canadian contractors eligible to bid on U.S. contracts that require access to unclassified military technical data, and to access related U.S. procurement systems and data. PSPC procurement officers may also provide certified contractors with unclassified Canadian requests for proposals and requests for quotes that involve unclassified technical data.