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Report
Octacom's Government Procurement Credentials
Pre-qualified at the federal and provincial levels, Octacom gives public sector teams a clear, low-risk path to digitization.
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4 min read
Written by
Magdalena Brandt
For public sector organizations modernizing their record-keeping, the challenge is not just finding a capable digitization partner - it’s finding one who can be engaged quickly and without procurement risk. Octacom has spent more than a decade serving government clients at every level. We hold pre-qualified procurement designations at both the provincial and federal levels, meaning the vetting is done and the path to engagement is clear.
Federal National Master Standing Offer for Digital Scanning
At the federal level, Octacom holds a National Master Standing Offer (NMSO) for digital scanning services through Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). This standing offer covers federal departments and agencies across the country.
The NMSO allows federal buyers to issue call-ups against the standing offer to engage Octacom’s services, bypassing the traditional RFP process while maintaining full procurement compliance.
Ontario Provincial Vendor of Record for Digitization Services
At the provincial level, Octacom is a designated Vendor of Record (VOR) for Digitization Services through Ontario’s Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery (MPBSD). This designation places us on the province’s pre-approved supplier list for document scanning and digitization projects.
In practice, Ontario government ministries, agencies, and broader public sector organizations can engage Octacom directly without running a full competitive procurement. The qualification work has already been done.
Municipal Procurement
At the municipal level, Octacom works with city governments and regional bodies through competitive RFx processes and, where applicable, through federal NMSO call-up authority. Municipal procurement teams benefit from Octacom’s track record with provincial and federal counterparts, certified security posture, and experience handling the volume and sensitivity that government work demands.
Healthcare Organizations
Canada’s healthcare sector manages some of the most sensitive and voluminous records of any industry and federally-funded healthcare organizations can engage Octacom directly through the NMSO, without a competitive RFP.
Healthcare organizations come to us with two distinct but often overlapping needs:
Day-forward scanning and data capture: Ongoing digitization of incoming records at point of receipt, ensuring new documents enter structured digital workflows from day one. This supports faster physical access, cleaner patient records, and downstream integration with EMR and document management systems.
Back-file conversion: Large-scale digitization of existing paper records, enabling organizations to unlock data that has historically been inaccessible - improving patient care continuity, supporting clinical decision-making, and reducing the cost and risk of physical storage.
For health records specifically, security and compliance are non-negotiable. Octacom’s HITRUST certification is directly relevant here: it was designed for organizations handling health information and demonstrates that the controls, processes, and infrastructure meet the standard government and healthcare buyers expect.
What Pre-Qualification Actually Requires
These designations reflect substantive vetting, not a box-checking exercise. Both the Ontario VOR and federal NMSO processes involve rigorous evaluation of a vendor’s capabilities, security posture, and operational maturity.
To earn and maintain these credentials, Octacom has demonstrated compliance across multiple dimensions:
SOC 2 Type II certification: Independent audit verification of security controls, availability, and confidentiality practices
HITRUST certification: Recognized framework for managing information risk, particularly relevant for health-related records
Physical and personnel security: Secure facilities, background-checked staff, and chain-of-custody protocols aligned with government requirements
Proven delivery capacity: A track record of executing large-scale digitization projects on time and to specification, across all three levels of government
The Benefits to Public Sector Buyers
For procurement teams, these designations translate to concrete advantages:
Speed to Engagement
Skip the months-long RFP cycle. When a digitization need arises, you can move directly to scoping and contracting.
Reduced Procurement Risk
The vetting has been done by central procurement authorities. You are not taking a chance on an unknown vendor.
Compliance by Design
Engaging a VOR or NMSO vendor means your procurement is defensible. The process is built for audit readiness.
Operational Confidence
You are working with a vendor who has already demonstrated the security controls and delivery capabilities that government work demands.
Domain Expertise
More than a decade of government digitization experience at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.
Audit-Ready Security
SOC 2 Type II and HITRUST certifications, background-checked staff, and chain-of-custody protocols aligned with government requirements.
Related reading: The Importance of Confidential Data Destruction
Ready to Start a Conversation?
Whether you are a municipal government digitizing legacy records, a provincial ministry modernizing paper-based workflows, or a federal department with a backlog of physical files, Octacom is ready to engage through the procurement channels you already have in place.
Ontario public sector organizations: can engage through the Digitization Services VOR.
Federal departments and agencies: can issue call-ups against Octacom’s NMSO for digital scanning services.
Municipal governments: can leverage these frameworks or engage Octacom directly through a competitive process.
Healthcare organizations: with federal funding can issue call-ups against Octacom’s NMSO for day-forward scanning, data capture, or back-file conversion programs.
Reach out to our public sector team to discuss your project scope and procurement pathway. Whether you are working under a standing offer, an active VOR, or building a competitive brief, we can help you move forward.
