ARCHIVED - Acquisition of Goods and Services from CORCAN - (Contracting Policy Notice 1999-2)

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FILE NO: 3800-001

DATE: March 2, 1999 (updated August 21, 2009)

TO: Functional Heads, Administration/Finance of all Departments and Agencies

SUBJECT: Acquisition of Goods and Services from CORCAN

BACKGROUND

1. For many years, Correctional Service Canada has sponsored an employment and employability skills training program called CORCAN within its institutions designed to train inmates so that after their release, they have a better chance of finding and keeping a job.
2. Many procurement officials and other managers are familiar with CORCAN and its most commonly recognized products, the manufacture and repair of office and other specialized furniture. Officials may not be aware of the other products and services provided by CORCAN.
3. Over the past several years, CORCAN has moved into manufacturing textile products and providing several types of services, as well as custom manufacturing. The attachment to this notice provides an overview of the CORCAN program and a listing of the products and services offered.
4. When departments and agencies acquire goods and services from CORCAN, these acquisitions are not subject to the provisions of any of the trade agreements as they represent a transfer of goods or services between departments. These transactions are also excluded from the Treasury Board's Contracting Policy.
5. If a department or agency is satisfied that a particular good or service offered by CORCAN provides good value and funds are available, then the acquisition may take place without calling for bids, and without reference to the traditional Treasury Board contract entry levels. Acquisition of CORCAN products can be done directly by contacting a local CORCAN sales representative at 1-800-267-0354.

CORCAN ENQUIRIES

6. For further information concerning the CORCAN program, you may wish to contact:

CONTRACTING POLICY WEB SITE

7. This notice will not be incorporated into the electronic version of the Contracting Policy since it does not change any of the existing policies.
8. On-line access: All TBS publications are now available on the Treasury Board Secretariat website.
9. You will be able to access this Contracting Policy Notice on the home page via 'Policies.' Under the letter 'C', you will find a link to the Contracting Policy. Within the 'Tools and Resources' box on the right, you will find a link to 'Related Website(s)'. Once accessing this link, you will find a link to 'Contracting, Policy Notices and TB Circulars'. On this site you will find a listing of links to various contracting-related material, including the list of all Contracting Policy Notices and TB Circulars still in effect.

TREASURY BOARD ENQUIRIES

10. For further information, please contact the Investment, Project Management and Procurement Policy Division,  Assets and Acquired Services Directorate, Government Operations Sector, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat by phone at 613-957-2487; by fax at 613-957-2405; or by E-mail.

Senior Director

Investment, Project Management and Procurement Policy Division

Distribution: TB06, TB07, TB010, T009, T010, T022, T023, T024, T025, T036, T038, T041, T161

Attachments

CORCAN – EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS TRAINING PREPARES OFFENDERS FOR THE WORLD OF WORK

CORCAN is an agency of Correctional Service Canada (CSC), and one of its most important rehabilitative programs. CORCAN provides federal offenders with employability skills by operating industries within the institutions.The products and services they provide are sold in order to reduce the costs of incarceration and training.

Industrious workforce

CORCAN operations are businesslike in every sense of the word. There are no guards in the shops, and trainees have the same responsibilities as employees of a private-sector business - punctuality, politeness, and effort, to name a few. The approximately 5,000 trainees CORCAN works with each year produce nearly $70-million worth of products and services.

"First and foremost, CORCAN is a rehabilitation program," says CEO John Sargent, adding that an offender who leaves the institution and becomes a law-abiding citizen saves taxpayers up to $60,000 per year. "We also reduce the cost of training offenders by selling products and services, providing an added benefit to taxpayers."

Research shows  that offenders who had been with CORCAN more than six months were much less likely to return to prison.

Quality products

CORCAN's business lines produce hundreds of products and services that are used within institutions or sold, primarily to the public sector clients. The products and services are made to exacting standards, with most facilities ISO certified.

Fast and Easy Procurement

For federal government procurement officers, procuring from CORCAN is fast and easy.  CORCAN is part of the federal government, so an order from CORCAN is not a purchase, but a transfer of Crown assets between departments. Simply generate a call-up against CORCAN's unique Supply Arrangement E60PQ-050000/001/PQ

For more information, please visit www.corcan.gc.ca

SOME CORCAN PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Office Furniture

• Ergonomic Seating
• Workstations
• Freestanding Systems
• Boardroom/Conference Tables
• Height Adjustable Worksurfaces
• Pedestal Cabinets
• Ergonomic Accessories

Reception Furniture

• Chairs
• Loveseats
• Couches
• Tables

Storage, Shelving & Lockers

• File Cabinets (vertical)
• File Cabinets (horizontal)
• File Shelving
• Archive Shelving
• Clothing Lockers
• Storage Lockers

Dormitory Furniture

• Beds
• Bunk Beds
• Matresses/Pillows
• Night Tables
• Dressers
• Desks
• Hutches
• Wardrobes

Other Furniture

• Folding Leg Tables
• Folding Leg Benches
• Stacking Chairs

Textile Products (Clothing)

• Golf Shirts
• T-shirts
• Work Shirts
• Jeans
• Coveralls
• Jackets/Parkas
• Briefs  
• Work Pants

Textile Products (Flat Goods)

• Mattress Covers
• Blankets
• Sheets
• Pillow Cases
• Drapes

Custom Manufacturing

• Metal Fabrication
• Woodwork
• File Folders
• Construction
• Laundry
• Vehicle Refurbishment