Chapter 11: Joint Certification Program
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11.1 Overview
The United States (U.S.)/Canada Joint Certification Program (JCP) was established in 1985 to allow contractors of each country to apply for access to Department of Defense/Department of National Defence (DOD/DND) unclassified militarily critical technical data (MCTD), on an equally favorable basis, in accordance with the U.S. DOD Directive 5320.25 “Withholding of Unclassified Technical Data and Technology from Public Disclosure”, and Canadian Technical Data Control Regulations (TDCR) pursuant to the Defence Production Act.
Contractors must be certified under the JCP to be eligible to bid on or receive a contract involving access to unclassified MCTD under the control of DOD or DND. Participation in the JCP is limited to contractors who are located in Canada or the U.S.
The JCP is managed by the U.S./Canada Joint Certification Program Office (JCPO) located at Battle Creek, Michigan under the administration of Defense Logistics Agency. The JCP certification establishes the eligibility of Canadian or U.S. contractors to:
- receive unclassified MCTD, under the control of DOD or DND
- bid on defence-related contract opportunities whose specifications involve unclassified militarily critical technical data that are releasable only to certified organizations
- attend gatherings restricted to certified JCP contractors, such as:
- symposia
- program briefings
- meetings designed to publicize advance requirements of contracting agencies
- pre-solicitation, pre-bid, pre-proposal and pre-award conferences and workshops
- arrange unclassified visits directly with:
- other JCP certified Canadian and U.S. contractors
- DOD and DND military facilities
11.2 Joint certification process
To become a certified contractor, an organization must agree to abide by the terms and conditions listed on the militarily critical technical data agreement—DD form 2345 (PDF), complete and submit the DD form 2345 along with all supporting documentation to the U.S./Canada JCPO for verification.
Once accepted by the JCPO, the DD form 2345 constitutes an agreement with the organization and the JCP that unclassified MCTD will not be further distributed to unauthorized individuals. If a contractor violates the provisions of the agreement, its certification for access to unclassified militarily critical technical data may be revoked.
11.3 Unclassified visits
Once certified through the JCP, Canadian contractors can request unclassified directly arranged visits with other certified defence contractors or military facilities in Canada and the U.S. They must make arrangements directly with the point of contact at the industry facility or the military installation under valid certification. The security official at the facility or the commander of the installation retains final approval authority for any visit and may deny it for security or operational reasons.
More information about how to request a directly arranged visit is available on the Joint Certification Program website.
Find out more information on the Government of Canada’s Joint Certification Program webpage or contact the U.S./Canada Joint Certification Program.