Knowledge Transfer

Knowledge transfer is the planned passing of knowledge, skills, expertise, information and know-how from a contractor or other knowledge holder to an organization. The goal is that the organization can retain and apply the capability after the work is finished. The term is used in professional-services contracting, organizational capability development, defence cooperation, and NATO education and technical-support activities.

In Canadian federal procurement, knowledge transfer is a possible contract requirement. Project authorities consider what knowledge should move from the contractor to the department. Where it applies, they include the requirement in the statement of work, the contract or the task authorization. It is not a universal clause in every contract. It appears where the buyer needs to build its own skills in the area being procured.

How Treasury Board guidance treats knowledge transfer

The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat addresses the topic in its Manager's Guide: Key Considerations When Procuring Professional Services. The guide asks managers whether a contractor should transfer knowledge to the organization when the organization needs to develop skills or expertise in the procured area.

The guide also says the client should state what the contractor and any subcontractors must do for knowledge transfer to happen. It gives one example: an employee gains experience and skills by working alongside a subcontractor. The organization is expected to make sure its employees and other resources can take part. Knowledge transfer therefore depends on the buyer's own staff as well as on the supplier.

What the Canada Revenue Agency audit recommended

A 2025 internal audit of contract administration at the Canada Revenue Agency shows how a department can apply the concept. The report describes a Directive for Consultant Knowledge Transfer in the agency's Information Technology Branch. The directive covers objectives, outcomes, requirements and responsibilities.

The audit recommended integrating knowledge-transfer requirements into contract administration. It called for knowledge-transfer plans and clauses in contracts and task authorizations where applicable. Suppliers working with the agency on consulting or IT work should expect the topic to be raised during contract management as well as in the solicitation.

A NATO example: cyberspace operations support

Knowledge transfer also appears in defence procurement. A NATO Allied Command Transformation invitation for bid sought strategic-level knowledge-transfer support in cyberspace operations. It required continuous and stable information exchange between HQ SACT and the bidder.

The work included reusing, adapting and tailoring existing national and multinational products for NATO. In some cases it included creating new NATO-tailored products. In this solicitation, knowledge transfer was the core deliverable, not a side benefit of other work.

What suppliers may be asked to deliver

The exact obligations come from the solicitation or contract in question. Where knowledge transfer is included, a supplier can be asked to:

• document and communicate its knowledge
• provide training or structured information exchange
• work directly with the client's personnel
• transfer relevant know-how to the client's team
• support handover or continued use of the deliverables

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

Read the statement of work and any task authorization for knowledge-transfer wording. Where it appears, your proposal should say what you will transfer, to whom and by what method, and how your staff will work with the client's employees. Price that effort into your bid. If the solicitation is silent on how transfer will happen, ask through the question period so your approach matches what the buyer expects.