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Federal Contractors Program

The Federal Contractors Program (FCP) helps to ensure that organizations working with the Government of Canada implement employment equity measures.

Â鶹´«Ã½ the program

Under the initial Federal Contractors Program, all organizations with 100 employees or more who wish to bid on federal contracts in excess of $200,000 are required to implement an employment equity program and to be in compliance with Federal Contractors’ Program requirements.

Effective June 2013, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada announced a redesigned Federal Contractors Program which increased the contract threshold to $1,000,000 from $200,000.Ìý Â鶹´«Ã½ remains subject to the redesigned Program. Failure to meet our obligations under the FCP could jeopardize our ability to bid on large federal contracts.Ìý

The FCP has had a significant social impact by fostering inclusivity, diversity, and equitable opportunities within the federal procurement process. The program's emphasis on outcomes, rather than solely compliance, has been instrumental in driving positive change. By requiring federal service contractors (not research contracts) to demonstrate efforts in achieving employment equity goals, such as hiring and promoting equity-deserving groups, the FCP has played a vital role in creating a more inclusive workforce.This has led to increased representation of women, racialized persons Indigenous peoples, and persons with disabilities contributing to a more diverse and representative public sector.

The FCP's focus on outcomes underscores the government's commitment to ensuring equal access to opportunities, promoting social cohesion, and building a more equitable society.

Federal Contractors Program requirements

Under the redesigned Federal Contractors Program, our compliance with the following requirements will be assessed every three years.

  • ÌýCollection of workforce informationÌý

  • ÌýComplete a workforce analysis

  • ÌýEstablish short- and long-term numeric goalsÌý

  • ÌýMake reasonable progress and reasonable efforts

For more detailed information on these requirements and our obligations under the Federal Contractors Program, please visit the Labour Program’s .

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Employment Equity and the FCP at Â鶹´«Ã½Ìý

Â鶹´«Ã½ first began exploring Employment Equity issues in 1981 and an Affirmative Action program was introduced in 1984 directed towards the appointment of female academics. In 1987, Â鶹´«Ã½ signed the Certificate of Commitment to participate in the Federal Contractors Program and introduced the University's Employment Equity through Affirmative Action Policy in 1989.

In 2017, Â鶹´«Ã½ introduced the University's Employment Equity PolicyÌý[PDF-154KB].