Certification Program List (CPL)

The Certification Program List (CPL) is a list maintained within the Canadian General Standards Board (CGSB) system. It identifies the certification programs that apply to specified products or services, and the programs under which those products or services can be certified and listed.

In Government of Canada procurement terminology, the CPL is distinct from the Qualification Program List (QPL). The federal Supply Manual uses the exact form "Certification Program List (CPL)" and groups it with other CGSB lists and listing programs. Suppliers meet the term most often in material and product solicitations that call for conformity with a CGSB certification program.

Where the CPL sits among CGSB listing programs

The CPL comes from the conformity-assessment work of the Canadian General Standards Board. CGSB runs certification and qualification programs for products and services. In the former Public Works and Government Services Canada Supply Manual, the CPL appears in the section on CGSB lists and listing programs. That section separates it from two other items:

• the Qualification Program List (QPL); and
• the Laboratory Acceptance Program.

The distinction matters when you read a solicitation. A CPL reference points to a certification program. A QPL reference points to a qualification program. They are different lists, and the program named in the solicitation sets what you need to show.

Product categories on the CPL

The Supply Manual names five categories on the CPL:

• polyethylene vapour barriers;
• surgical and patient examination rubber gloves;
• breather-type sheathing membrane;
• firefighter's protective clothing that protects against heat and flame; and
• fireline workwear for forest firefighters.

These are mostly construction materials, medical supplies and protective clothing. The same manual also describes a Department of Fisheries and Oceans application under the related QPL system, covering dockside monitoring companies. That example shows CGSB listing programs can support requirements for services as well as physical products.

What the CGSB listing data contains

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) publishes the current federal record on the Open Government portal. It describes the dataset as the CGSB list of certification and qualification programs. Each entry carries:

• the company name and location;
• a description of the product or service;
• the listing date and status; and
• the product or service listing number.

The status and listing number are the fields most useful to a bid team. They let you confirm whether a product is currently listed and quote the number a solicitation may ask for.

What a CPL reference means for a bidder

When a solicitation or specification refers to a CPL, work through four questions:

• Does the product or service you plan to offer fall within the named CGSB certification program?
• Must certification be in place before bid submission, or only before delivery?
• Must the supplier or product appear on the applicable CGSB list?
• Does the solicitation require proof of certification, listing status or a listing number?

The solicitation and the specific CGSB program control the answers. Read the mandatory requirements closely, check the listing record for your product, and allow time for certification if you are not yet listed. Certification and listing take time, so a bid team that confirms listing status early avoids a late scramble over a mandatory criterion.