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Collaborative Opportunities with Earth Sciences Sector

The Earth Sciences Sector is Canada’s national agency for geoscience information and research, and hosts expertise in numerous geoscience and geomatics disciplines. The sector has extensive domestic and international experience working with its stakeholder community on various collaborative and cost-recovery projects.

Our Principles and Guidelines

Principles of ethics, fairness and transparency are respected in all of the department’s business undertakings.

  • Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) does not compete with the Canadian private sector.
  • NRCan does not generate any profits from cost-recovery projects, but is obligated to recover its costs arising from this work.
  • NRCan works with its stakeholder community in an equitable and open manner, while preserving commercial confidentiality.
  • Projects in Canada need to comply with and contribute to the achievement of the sectors program objectives.
  • NRCan’s projects are fully documented using written legal agreements.
  • With collaborative projects, results and outcomes are publicly accessible. With cost-recovery projects, NRCan seeks to make results and outcomes available to the public while respecting the need for commercial confidentiality.
  • With some exceptions, NRCan cannot directly endorse the products or services of our partners in either collaborative or cost-recovery projects.  Under no circumstance will it accept any form of compensation for endorsing any project, product or service.
  • NRCan provides Canadian companies with opportunities to commercialize its Crown-owned intellectual property rather than undertaking commercialization itself.

Model for Domestic Projects

  • Domestic Projects of a collaborative nature require that all partners take an active role in delivery of the work, and sharing of costs will be determined in advance of project commencement.
  • Service projects carried out under contract will be conducted on a cost-recovery basis and the client will be informed of all relevant costs prior to the commencement of the work.
  • Intellectual property developed by government employees during the course of a project will be owned by the Government of Canada.

Model for International Projects

NRCan may become involved in international commercial projects under the following conditions:

  • without Canadian industry involvement, in which case the department possesses unique services and/or capabilities that are not available through Canadian industry, following consultation with industry (where feasible)or,
  • with Canadian industry in competition for international business if the department can provide a product or service that would result in a competitive advantage.
  • On an international commercial project, rates will be charged that are appropriate for market conditions and will recover all costs incurred by the department.
  • In cases where there is more than one Canadian bid, the department will limit its involvement to supplying unique services and capabilities. The department is obliged to supply support to all Canadian bidders under the same terms and conditions. Where possible, the formation of a single “team Canada” bid will be encouraged.

Internationally, the sector may participate in a commercial project in one of several ways:

  • As a sole contractor
  • Working with a single company, either as equal partner, sub-contractor or prime contractor
  • Working as a part of a consortium, either as equal partner, sub-contractor or prime contractor.

Contact ESSBusinessAgreements@canada.ca

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