Are you registered federally as an aboriginal business? As part of the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Businesses (PSAB) the federal government maintains a registrar of Aboriginal businesses. Since 1996, PSAB has been working to create and strengthen strategic partnerships between Aboriginal business owners, industry sectors and the Government of Canada.

The registrar is used by all government departments and agencies when procuring services and supplies. Size and scale is not as important as one might think. A regional office using local caterers for an event or a local service center for fleet repairs can help the department meet the goals of PSAB.

The registrar is also used by government as a way and means of promoting aboriginal businesses to contractors who have landed major federal contracts and are looking for sub-contractors.

If you are interested in registering your business then there is a process. Below are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Before beginning the registration process, check out the criteria for eligibility explained here : http://bit.ly/1nnoeMy

Step 2: In order to register as an Aboriginal business, you must first create an Industry Canada account. To do this, click on this link: http://bit.ly/1sT1lWC.

You will need your email address and company contact information to complete the process.

Step 3: Once an Industry Canada account is created, you can use this information to register an Aboriginal business. To begin the process, click on this link: http://bit.ly/1mAYCQQ.

To complete the process you will need to provide information on the company ownership, product and service offerings and contact information.

Step 4: Once you’ve filled out your online information, someone from Industry Canada will likely call you to confirm your information has been entered correctly before your company information is posted online.

Step 5: You can check to see if your business has been registered correctly by searching the Aboriginal Business Directory found here: http://bit.ly/1kUNny9

Best of luck with your registration!