Overview
For more than 70 years, CCC, a Crown corporation wholly-owned by the Government of Canada, has been promoting and facilitating trade between Canadian industry and governments of other nations. CCC acts as Canada’s government-to-government contracting organization, providing foreign governments and Canadian exporters with the assurance that the contract will be performed as agreed to by the parties, thus reducing transaction risk for all parties.
CCC signs the contract with the foreign government, thus taking on the role of prime contractor, and signs a reciprocal contract with a Canadian exporter to supply the goods or services. For the foreign government buyer, the benefits of this arrangement are:
- a Government of Canada guarantee that the contract will be performed per the terms and conditions;
- comfort that the Canadian Government has vetted the Canadian supplier to confirm their ability to deliver;
- often a faster procurement timeline as contracts are negotiated on a directed basis;
- assurances of an ethical and transparent engagement;
- a direct bilateral trade relationship with Canada; and,
- in some cases, improved access to financing.
For the Canadian exporter the benefits are similar and include:
- additional confidence that the foreign government buyer will respect the terms and conditions of the contract, including payment terms;
- support from the Canadian government to resolve any challenges that may be encountered during execution;
- a higher profile contract, often meaning better access to senior government stakeholders;
- a faster and lower risk procurement due to the directed nature of the contract;
- avoidance of potential unethical procurement practices;
- in some cases, improved access to financing options; and,
- in some cases, the removal of onerous contractual provisions due to the increased confidence of the buyer.
CCC deals with all levels of foreign government buyers, including State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) such as many electrical utilities.
CCC agrees with the SMR Statement of Principles and believes that a G2G contracting approach may be well suited for future SMR transactions. CCC is committed to working with partners in the ecosystem to facilitate the eventual export of SMRs to foreign governments. While the role for CCC in the ecosystem will become more active in the years to come it is willing to engage with stakeholders and contribute its unique knowledge in government procurement, contracting, and sourcing to the benefit of the SMR Roadmap deliverables.
ACTIONS
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS AND MARKETS
Facilitate the Export of SMRs to foreign governments
STATUS: UPCOMING
CCC01
Responds to SMR Roadmap recommendation(s): 15
ACTION
Negotiate Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with select foreign governments to facilitate the government-to-government sales of SMRs.
EXPECTED RESULTS
The MOUs will establish policy and a pathway for the eventual exporting of SMRs to selected foreign governments. The government guarantee on the delivery of SMR contracts demonstrates full government support of the SMR ecosystem to foreign partners.
ACTION
Negotiate and sign government-to-government contracts with select foreign governments for the delivery of SMRs (with or without an MOU).
EXPECTED RESULTS
Successful export of Canadian SMRs to select foreign governments, bolstering economic activity in SMRs in Canada and enhancing bilateral relationships.