Standards Council of Canada

What Standards Council of Canada does

Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is a federal Crown corporation established in 1970 and headquartered in Ottawa. As Canada's national standards body, SCC oversees the development and publication of national and international standards — including National Standards of Canada, National Technical Specifications, Publicly Available Specifications, Workshop Agreements, and Community-Sourced Guidance documents. It also operates accreditation programs for laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection bodies, delivers conformity assessment services, and offers training courses in standards development and conformity assessment. SCC is the Canadian member body of ISO and IEC and participates in IAF, ILAC, and regional standardization bodies (CENELEC, COPANT, PASC, FINCA, APAC, RNF, NAAF), enabling it to channel Canadian standards drafts into international frameworks.

SCC's product portfolio is organized into specialized areas of work including AI and data governance standardization (with an AI accreditation pilot aligned to ISO/IEC 42001), climate and sustainability (including the Northern Infrastructure Standardization Initiative, resilient building materials, and nature-based solutions), digital credentials, energy, health and well-being, and trade and global market access (supporting CETA, TCA, and Canadian Free Trade frameworks). Recent product launches include the CAN-ASC-3.1:2025 Plain Language Standard, developed with Accessibility Standards Canada, and a climate resilience framework for shoreline management produced with the University of Waterloo's Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation.

SCC generates revenue through three streams: (1) standards sales and publication licensing via its digital storefront, (2) accreditation services for labs, certification bodies, and inspection bodies on a quote-based fee model, and (3) training and course delivery including conformity assessment, standards development courses, and private workshops. As a non-profit federal Crown corporation, it is also funded through Government of Canada appropriations. Its customer base spans federal and provincial government, private-sector industry across healthcare, manufacturing, digital technology, energy, and transportation, plus standards development participants engaged through mirror committees, membership, and governance work. Distribution is direct via the SCC website storefront, membership portal, accreditation quote process, and a public directory of accredited organizations.

Name

Standards Council of Canada

Legal name

Standards Council of Canada

Website

https://scc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Standards Council of Canada is a federal Crown corporation that develops and publishes national standards, operates accreditation programs for laboratories and certification bodies, and represents Canada in international standards bodies including ISO and IEC, serving government, industry, and standards development participants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Standards Development and Accreditation Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

International Standards Development & Standardization Bodies (BPADANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Standards, Metrology & Accreditation Bodies (BPAIAOAC), Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD), International Standards, Norms & Technical Regulatory Bodies (BPADAAAJ)

Keywords

• National standardization
• Conformity assessment
• Accreditation services
• Standards development
• Regulatory compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Standards sales and publication licensing: SCC sells published standards through its digital storefront, generating revenue from the distribution of Canadian and international standards documents to organizations and individuals.
2. Accreditation services: SCC provides accreditation programs for laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection bodies. Organizations seeking accreditation engage through a quote-based process, generating fee revenue for the council.
3. Training and course delivery: SCC offers conformity assessment courses, international standards development courses, national standards development courses, and private workshops for a fee.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Standards Council of Canada develops and publishes National Standards of Canada and adopted international standards, sells them through its digital storefront, and runs accreditation programs that certify laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection bodies across health, climate, digital technology, energy, and transportation verticals. It complements these core activities with paid conformity assessment training courses and participation pathways such as mirror committees and governance memberships that allow organizations to shape Canadian and international standards.

Product overview

The Standards Council of Canada operates as a non-profit federal Crown corporation overseeing Canada's standardization system. The organization functions as a unified platform offering standards development and publication, accreditation programs, and conformity assessment services. The core portfolio includes Standards Development and Publication (national and international standards, technical specifications, and workshop agreements), Accreditation Programs (for laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection bodies), Conformity Assessment services, Training and Education courses, and specialized vertical programs in AI and Data Governance, Climate and Sustainability, and Digital Credentials. The organization also maintains the National Standards Strategy to guide Canada's standardization priorities internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standards Development and Publication Oversees the development and publication of national and international standards, including National Standards of Canada, National Technical Specifications, Publicly Available Specifications, Workshop Agreements, and Community-Sourced Guidance documents. Sold to organizations and individuals through the SCC digital storefront.
• Accreditation Programs Provides accreditation services for laboratories, certification bodies, and inspection bodies, including programs for conformity assessment, calibration, and testing facilities. Procured through a quote-based process.
• Conformity Assessment Offers conformity assessment services including registration and maintenance authorities to verify compliance with standards.
• Training and Education Courses Provides paid educational courses including conformity assessment training, international standards development courses, national standards development courses, and private workshops for standards professionals.
• CAN-ASC-3.1:2025 Plain Language Standard Canada's first national standard on plain language, providing practical requirements and principles for organizations to remove communication barriers and aligned with international best practices.
• AI and Data Governance Standardization Collaborative initiative supporting AI governance standardization, including AI accreditation pilot programs and alignment with ISO/IEC 42001 standards for AI management systems.
• Climate Resilience Framework for Shoreline Management Climate resilience framework for shoreline management in Canada providing practical guidance for regional shoreline management plans and emphasizing Indigenous community collaboration along with integration of science and policy.
• Digital Credentials Standardization Supports standardization for digital credentials and digital identity frameworks.

Quantifiable outcome

• A 1% increase in ISO 14001 certifications is associated with a 0.14% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per unit of GDP (preliminary SCC research)

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Korea Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026SCC signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding with KATS (Republic of Korea) alongside Singapore, the United Kingdom, and Australia to establish a cooperation framework for shaping international AI regulations. The agreement focuses on pre-standardization activities including joint workshops, expert seminars, and pilot projects in advanced manufacturing and healthcare, funneling joint drafts into ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42 on global AI standardization.
• Singapore Standards CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026SCC signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding with Singapore's standards body alongside KATS (Korea), the U.K., and Australia to establish a cooperation framework for shaping international AI regulations. Focus areas include joint workshops, expert seminars, and pilot projects in advanced manufacturing and healthcare, with joint drafts funnelled into ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42.
• United Kingdom (BSI - British Standards Institution)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026SCC signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding with the U.K.'s standards body alongside Korea, Singapore, and Australia to establish a cooperation framework for shaping international AI regulations. The agreement focuses on pre-standardization activities including joint workshops, expert seminars, and pilot projects in advanced manufacturing and healthcare, funneling joint drafts into ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42.
• Australia (Standards Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026SCC signed a multilateral memorandum of understanding with Australia's standards body alongside Korea, Singapore, and the U.K. to establish a cooperation framework for shaping international AI regulations. Focus areas include joint workshops, expert seminars, and pilot projects in advanced manufacturing and healthcare, with joint drafts funnelled into ISO/IEC JTC 1/SC 42.
• University of Waterloo's Intact Centre on Climate AdaptationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2025SCC and the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation jointly released a climate resilience framework for shoreline management in Canada, developed in response to increasing flooding and erosion risks. The framework provides practical guidance for regional shoreline management plans, emphasizing Indigenous community collaboration and integration of science and policy.
• Accessibility Standards CanadamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 October 2025Accessibility Standards Canada, a subsidiary/partner body, published Canada's first national plain language standard (CAN-ASC-3.1:2025) to promote accessibility and inclusion, providing practical requirements and principles aligned with international best practices for removing communication barriers.
• ISO (International Organization for Standardization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCC is the Canadian member body of ISO, participating in international standards development and contributing Canadian expertise to ISO technical committees.
• IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCC is the Canadian member body of IEC, enabling Canadian participation in international electrotechnical standardization.
• IAF (International Accreditation Forum)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCC participates in IAF as a member, supporting global harmonization of accreditation and conformity assessment practices.
• ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCC participates in ILAC as a member, contributing to the global network of laboratory and inspection body accreditation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Underwriters Laboratories (UL) / UL Standards & Engagement: UL develops standards and provides testing, certification, and accreditation-adjacent services globally. Comparable in conformity assessment and standards development, though focused on safety certification rather than national coordination.
• ASTM International: ASTM International is a global standards developer across industries with strong presence in technical and engineering standards. It overlaps with SCC's standards development role but operates as a private, member-driven organization rather than a national coordinating body.
• CEN-CENELEC: CEN-CENELEC is the European regional standards body for non-electrotechnical and electrotechnical standards. SCC participates as a member in some of its activities; CEN-CENELEC represents the regional tier above national bodies like SCC.

Direct peers

• Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC): JISC is Japan's national standards body under METI, performing an analogous governmental-coordinating role for standardization. Comparable in mandate, international membership, and accreditation oversight.
• BSI Group (British Standards Institution): BSI is the U.K.'s national standards body and operates commercially in standards publishing, training, and certification. It is the most direct international peer of SCC, with whom it shares the 2026 multilateral AI standardization MoU.
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI): ANSI is the U.S. national standards body coordinating standards development and accreditation, mirroring SCC's role for Canada. Both serve as their country's representative to ISO and IEC and operate member-based governance over conformity assessment.
• Standards Australia: Standards Australia is Australia's national standards body and one of the signatories to the 2026 multilateral AI MoU with SCC. Comparable mandate across standards development, accreditation support, and international representation.
• Singapore Standards Council: Singapore Standards Council, part of Enterprise Singapore, performs national standards coordination with active international partnership focus. It is a co-signatory to the 2026 multilateral AI MoU with SCC, BSI, KATS, and Standards Australia.
• DIN (German Institute for Standardization): DIN is Germany's national standards body overseeing standards development, conformity assessment, and accreditation coordination. It functions as a structural analog to SCC, serving as Germany's member of ISO and IEC.
• AFNOR (Association française de normalisation): AFNOR is France's national standards body coordinating standards development and certification across industries. Direct international counterpart with overlapping accreditation, training, and publishing functions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/NormesCanada
• Facebookfacebook.com/standardscanada
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/standards-council-of-canada
• Xx.com/StandardsCanada

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Standards Council of Canada