Cybersecurity Incident Retainer Service

The government authority located in Alberta is seeking proposals from qualified and experienced proponents to provide a Cybersecurity Incident Response retainer. This service must ensure rapid, reliable access to qualified incident response professionals during cybersecurity events, including ransomware, data breaches, and denial-of-service attacks. The agency requires a retainer model with clear activation procedures, service levels, escalation paths, and predictable pricing to guarantee contractually secured, immediate availability when required. The scope of work covers incident response readiness, incident triage and response support, and post-incident activities. Readiness requirements include guaranteed availability of qualified personnel and priority response for agency incidents over non-retainer clients. Proponents must also provide ongoing value in non-incident years through readiness activities such as tabletop exercises and incident response plan maintenance. The scope of work excludes managed security services, ongoing monitoring, technology implementations, IT operations, helpdesk functions, communication, public relations services, and penetration testing. The agency requires all storage and processing of incident-related data to occur within Canada, unless otherwise approved in writing. Eligible proponents must perform the work offsite and must be located onshore within Canada. The contract period will span six years. The agency is looking for proposals to define the budget and pricing structure. Bidders must submit all questions regarding this opportunity no later than July 3, 2026.