Artificial intelligence source list

Establish an artificial intelligence (AI) method of supply to enable government departments and agencies to acquire AI products, services and solutions.

Description

Following consultations and an initial pre-qualification round of vendors, a new AI source list was established in winter 2018. This procurement vehicle incorporates streamlined approaches, including client-hosted webinar presentations to address vendor questions during the solicitation process and an innovative method to select eligible vendors to submit bids. 74 eligible AI vendors initially qualified in 3 bands for AI requirements up to $9 million and that number has now reached a total of 145 suppliers.

The AI source list includes the following categories and business outcomes that were informed from consultations with industry, academia and civil society:

• insights and predictive modelling
• machine interactions
• cognitive automation

Status

Ongoing. The first contract using the AI source list was awarded in July 2019. Public Services and Procurement Canada is continuing to develop various support tools, including user guides and process maps, to assist client departments through the AI procurement process.

Multiple client departments have used the source list to acquire AI goods and services, including:

• Health Canada
• Natural Resources Canada
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
• Employment and Social Development Canada
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Canada School of Public Service
• Transport Canada
• Public Service and Procurement Canada

Getting started

The Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) AI team has setup a GCcollab webpage to share the draft guidance tools to assist client departments in starting the AI procurement process. The webpage also provides an opportunity to provide feedback to assist the PSPC AI procurement team in making the documents easier for client departments to use.

If you do not have access to the GCcollab environment, please contact the PSPC AI procurement team at ia-ai@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca , and we will provide you a link to access the webpage.

For more information, please refer to the list of qualified AI suppliers and the open Invitation to Qualify to Artificial Intelligence Source List on CanadaBuys.