Why work with CCC when pursuing deals with global governments

Contracts with non-U.S. governments

CCC uses an approach called government to government (G2G) contracting to connect Canadian companies with governments around the world. The model is ideal when a foreign government buyer has a need but no RFP has been issued yet, specifications may not be defined — and there’s a Canadian company ready to meet it. This creates an opening for an unsolicited proposal. So how does it work, exactly, when you have CCC on your team?

Canada’s G2G procurement approach

Explaining the benefits of Canada’s G2G to government buyers 

Once an opportunity is identified, the first step is to familiarize the foreign government buyer with the G2G procurement option — and Canada’s unique approach to reduce procurement contract risk.

When the Canadian business has a relationship with the buyer, they can introduce CCC who can provide details about G2G contracting approach. In other cases, we might work directly with local contacts or through the Canadian embassy to set up meetings and introduce the option of contracting on a government to government basis to meet the foreign government’s project needs.

Rizk explains that outside of specific opportunities, the CCC team and its partners in Canadian embassies abroad also engage in ongoing advocacy to raise the profile of Canadian businesses and the G2G option.

“We’ll work with Global Affairs Canada to keep track of foreign dignitaries visiting Canada and Canadian ministers’ trips abroad, and where and when it’s appropriate, build political advocacy for pursuits into their meeting agendas.”

Careful preparation

While every deal is different, Rizk says there are some steps that CCC will take with the Canadian business to prepare for the engagement in order to increase the chances of success. First CCC will verify if the Canadian firm’s technical, managerial and financial capacity to undertake the contract successfully.

“We do extensive scoping to understand the contractual options for the opportunity, the exporter’s technical solution and how it meets the buyer’s needs,” Rizk explains. He notes that if an exporter has a record of success as a vendor to the Canadian government or another government that can go a long way toward building credibility with the buyer.

Once it confirms that the project is within the capabilities of the Canadian business, it will then look at the project opportunity.

“We work with the Canadian business and make sure we understand the prospective buyer’s technical needs and budget, who the competition might be, and who are the decision makers and influencers for procurement decisions,” Rizk advises. After that? “Be ready to work with CCC to prove your expertise.”

Four ways to validate sales opportunities with government buyers

Risk management

The Government of Canada believes in the importance of responsible business conduct. CCC, as a Canadian crown corporation, upholds these values and invests in many risk management practices that benefit both the Canadian supplier and the foreign government buyer. These include (but not limited to):

• Identifying human rights risks and sensitive transactions
• Performing ethical risk assessments and due diligence reviews
• Including provisions in contracts to address bribery and corruption
• Monitoring contracts for ethical compliance
• Implementing procedures and reporting to deal with violations and alleged violations.

These steps often increase the buying government’s comfort level in working with the Canadian supplier and CCC as it ensures that public funds are being invested in the project and not wasted.

Rizk says it’s important for every exporter to be clear about their risk comfort level. While all business carries risk, international deals carry risk due to distance, differing legal and governance structures, and, in some markets, political and economic instability.

“We have our own risk thresholds at CCC, but we want to make sure that we’re respecting — and representing — our exporters’ risk comfort at every stage as well,” Rizk says. “We do nothing unilaterally: every deal is a partnership, and we make sure our exporter partners are comfortable.”

What CCC’s Code for Exporters means for Canadian businesses

Strengthening the proposal

Once all the groundwork is laid, the due diligence is done and the buyer’s need is defined, CCC works with you to optimize your proposal. This stage can take some time and patience, Rizk notes.

“There can be a lot of back and forth with the buyer to get the proposal right, which is important because it’s the foundation for the contract that will be signed,” he says. “And when we get to the end of the proposal process and it’s time to negotiate the contract, the exporter is right there with us at the table.”

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