Indigenous Business Directory
The Indigenous Business Directory (IBD) is an online directory that allows procurement officers and the private sector to identify Indigenous businesses.
On this page
About the directory
The IBD is designed to assist and support Indigenous businesses in the pursuit of business opportunities, including federal procurement. This is a public directory and available for use by all levels of government, as well as the private sector to identify Indigenous businesses. It is free to register.
Having a business profile in the IBD will increase your visibility and may provide additional business. Additionally, being registered in the IBD is mandatory if a business is interested in competing for federal government contracts that are set-aside for Indigenous businesses through the Indigenous business and federal procurement.
Information collected for the business registration will create a public profile. However, some of the information is collected for program administration purposes and will not be made available to the public and will be protected in accordance with the Privacy Act.
Who is eligible
An Indigenous business can be:
- a band as defined by the Indian Act
- a sole proprietorship
- a limited company
- a co-operative
- a partnership
- a not-for-profit organization
in which Indigenous persons have at least 51% ownership and control.
An Indigenous business can also be a joint venture consisting of 2 or more Indigenous businesses or an Indigenous business and a non-Indigenous business, provided that the Indigenous business or businesses have at least 51% ownership and control of the joint venture.
In instances where 1 or more Indigenous businesses, as defined under the rules of PSIB, are involved in a contract with 1 or more non-Indigenous businesses or individual contractors, 33% of the total monetary value of the work contracted for must be performed by Indigenous businesses.
The bidder must certify in its submitted bid that it is an Indigenous business or a joint venture constituted as described above.
To learn more about PSIB eligibility requirements, visit Audit information.
Register in the directory
Register in the Indigenous Business Directory.
Search the directory
Search the Indigenous Business Directory to find validated Indigenous businesses.
Information for government departments and agencies
The Government of Canada has a commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts are awarded to Indigenous businesses ('5% target') annually.
The 5% target applies to contracts as defined in the Treasury Board Policy on the Planning and Management of Investments.
For greater clarity, the 5% target is calculated as a percentage of the aggregated value of contracts awarded and not as a percentage of the value of each individual contract awarded.
Indigenous businesses for the purposes of the 5% target must either:
- be registered in the Government of Canada's Indigenous Business Directory for contracts under the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business, including subcontracting opportunities and open tenders awarded to Indigenous businesses. Elders, band and tribal councils are exempt from registration
or
- be registered in a beneficiary business list for contracts with a final delivery in a modern treaty or self-government agreement area with economic measures, including subcontracting opportunities and open tenders awarded to Indigenous businesses
For further advice and guidance, contact Indigenousprocurement@canada.ca
Contact us
Business Development
Indigenous Services Canada
10 Wellington Street
Gatineau QC K1A 0H4
Tel: 1-800-400-7677
Fax: 819-956-9837
Email: IndigenousProcurement@canada.ca
Related links
- BuyandSell.gc.ca
- Help for Small and Medium Enterprises
- Aboriginal Entrepreneurship Program: Access to Capital
- Innovation Solutions Canada
- Business Benefits Finder
- National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association
- Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business
- Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers
- Government of Canada announces federal-wide measures to increase opportunities for Indigenous businesses