Frequently Asked Questions - Suppliers

To obtain work in official, Aboriginal and foreign languages from the Translation Bureau, you first have to be registered in its directory of suppliers. However, as noted in the letter confirming registration in the Directory, registration is not a guarantee of work by the Bureau to suppliers. Our volume of work is what determines whether we will turn to service providers in the private sector.

For further information on registering in the Directory or obtaining contracts, please call Acquisitions and Directory Services at the toll-free number, 1-855-997-3300 (Canada and United States), or 819-997-3300, or e-mail them at BTRepertoire.TBDirectory@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca. You can also consult the Suppliers Info section of the Bureau's Internet site.

You may also wish to check the Buyandsell.gc.ca site regularly. All high-volume contracts are posted there.

To register in the Bureau's Directory of Linguistic Services Suppliers, certain criteria must be satisfied, as clearly explained on the How to register in the Directory page in the Suppliers Info section of the Bureau's Internet site.

The Bureau holds an annual accreditation exam in the spring for conference interpreters who work in Canada's official languages. Exams for certain foreign languages (e.g., Russian) are also held. If no exam is offered, accreditation is based on references from international institutions that have been satisfied by the candidates' performance at equivalent events.

Additional useful information is available in the Suppliers Info section of the Bureau's Web site.

To become one of the Bureau's linguistic service suppliers, including for Aboriginal and foreign languages, you need to register in its directory.

For further information on registering in the Directory or obtaining contracts, please call Acquisitions and Directory Services at the toll-free number, 1-855-997-3300 (Canada and United States), or 819-997-3300, or e-mail them at BTRepertoire.TBDirectory@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca. You can also consult the Suppliers Info section of the Bureau's Web site.

You may also wish to check the Buyandsell.gc.ca site regularly. All high-volume contracts are posted there.

Suppliers cannot request a security clearance of their own accord. They must be sponsored by a federal department or a private company that has a valid contract with a federal department.

The Translation Bureau does not establish the rules and procedures governing the issuance of security clearances under the Industrial Security Program. PWGSC's Canadian and International Industrial Security Directorate (CIISD) is responsible for this. Contracts that contain clauses on security must go through CIISD. For further details on security clearances under the Industrial Security Program, contact the call centre at 1-800-368-4646.

In the case of contracts containing a clause on security, a security clearance is one of the criteria looked at when drawing up a pre-selection list of suppliers who will be invited to bid on contracts.

Except in special cases, the Bureau's policy is to translate classified texts internally.

It should be noted that obtaining a security clearance entails costs (secure filing cabinet, approved premises, etc.).

The security clearance required depends on the event and the client. "Secret" clearance is required for the Prime Minister.

The Translation Bureau is not in competition with the private sector. According to the Translation Bureau Act, the Bureau is the sole supplier of translation, interpretation and terminology services within the federal government. It is not even allowed to bid on calls for submissions and requests for proposals issued by federal departments. Therefore, as the federal government's internal translation service, the Bureau is not in competition with the private sector. In fact, it refers a significant part of its work to the private sector.

Inter-billing is common practice in large public or private organizations.

The Translation Bureau is also in charge of ensuring terminological standardization for the federal government.