Access Canada's Disabled-Owned and Veteran-Owned Business Network
Certified Suppliers
Canadian Businesses Owned and Controlled by Veterans and Canadians with Disabilities.
IWSCC represents business that are 51% or more owned, operated, and controlled by the communities we were founded to support. We guarantee their ownership, represent them with our Corporate Members, and encourage their success in Canada’s supply chains.
Associate Membership
Ally Businesses Guided by the Lived Experience of Veterans and Canadians with Disabilities.
For the first time, in 2025 IWSCC is welcoming ally organizations to join our community on an invitational basis. We’ll start by welcoming Accessibility Experts to appear on our all-new Canadian Accessibility Marketplace, launching this Fall.
Tap Into Canada's Largest Supply Chains
IWSCC Corporate Members know the value of buying diverse. Public and private companies trust IWSCC to connect them with authentic Veteran-Owned and Disabled-Owned businesses – our Certified Suppliers – and we make those connections year-round.
Expose your business
to new clients.
List your business on IWSCC’s nationally-recognized database accessed year-round by our Corporate Members.
Connect with Corporate and Government Buyers.
Network at accessible and inclusive virtual meetings with buyers who want to work with businesses owners like you.
Join a National
Business Community.
IWSCC is where Veteran-Owned and Disabled-Owned businesses and their Canadian allies build partnerships, share resources, and achieve success together.
“It totally has, we feel, enhanced our brand and what we believe in. Larger opportunities instead of small jobs being a smaller company. It definitely removed barriers for us, being a small business trying to figure out how to access these opportunities… knowing that we can discuss disability openly… is a huge, huge huge huge, and I can’t say it enough, huge piece for everyone on our team.”
Jolene MacDonald: Founder & Creative Director, Accessibrand
Become an IWSCC Certified Supplier.
Business Owners need 2 Things to qualify for Certification:
Majority Ownership
IWSCC Certified Suppliers must be 51% or more owned, operated, and controlled by Veteran(s) or Person(s) with a disability.
Canadian Operations
IWSCC Certified Suppliers must be Canadian-registered companies owned by Canadian Citizens or Permanent Residents.
Are you an active Certified Supplier looking for the Renewal Form? You can find it Here.
Why Majority Ownership?
IWSCC accomplishes our mission of supply chain inclusion with a strategy called Supplier Diversity.
We believe that unique experiences drive innovation. Our ownership requirements ensure the businesses we represent are piloted by Canadians with unique perspectives, and our Corporate Members can be sure every dollar spent with an IWSCC Certified Supplier goes back to the communities they want to support.
The Cost of Certification
IWSCC Certification is an Annual Membership. Certified Suppliers are listed in our national database – accessed by IWSCC Corporate Members – and get exclusive networking pathways, among other benefits.
Supplier Certification has an annual cost of $500 CAD, due when you first certify your business and each year after to maintain your Certification.
There’s more than one way to pay for Certification! Learn more about becoming an IWSCC Contributor here.
Veteran- or Disability-Owned. Guaranteed.
IWSCC Collects a range of Information to confirm the structure and ownership of our businesses, and the identities of their owners.
The documents you’ll need depend on the type of company you own. Learn more below.
Sole Proprietorships.
Solopreneurs who own 100% of their businesses have the shortest list:
- Master Business License*
- Photo-ID: proof of your Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residence
- Documents confirming that you are a person with a disability and/or a Veteran.
*Unregistered or “small suppliers” are not eligible for IWSCC Certification.
Incorporated Businesses.
Corporations with mixed ownership need a few more documents:
- Articles of Incorporation
- Corporate Ownership Structure – Including any parent(s), trust(s), and personal shareholder(s)
- Shareholder’s Register or Ledger (current and up-to-date)
- Photo-ID: proof of your owners’ Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residence
- Documents confirming your owner(s) are persons with a disability and/or Veterans.
Partnerships.
Businesses owned in partnership have their own documents:
- Partnership Agreement*
- Partnership Registration Document
- Photo-ID: proof of your owners’ Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residence
- Documents confirming your owners are persons with a disability and/or Veterans.
*50/50-owned businesses where only 1 owner is a person with disability or Veteran are not eligible for IWSCC Certification.
Examples of Photo ID / Confirmation of Disability - Interact to Expand
Examples of Photo ID to confirm Canadian Citizenship or Permanent Residence Include:
- Canadian Driver’s License
- Canadian Photo / Age of Majority Card
- Canadian Passport
- Permanent Resident (PR) Card
For Veterans, IWSCC recognizes the same definition of “Veteran” as the Canadian Armed Forces:
The best form of ID is the Canadian Veteran Service Card (VSC).
IWSCC does certify businesses owned by Veterans of foreign militaries. ID is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
For Persons with a disability, IWSCC recognizes the same definition as the Accessible Canada Act:
Disability means “any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment – or a functional limitation – whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”
The best form of documentation for this step is an IWSCC Physician’s Form completed by a healthcare professional. You can download a .pdf copy of this form by clicking here.
Other forms of identification or documents confirming your Veteran or disability status may still be accepted. If you aren’t sure, please contact IWSCC Operations Manager Jennifer Magee by email at JenniferM@iwscc.ca
The Canadian
Accessibility Marketplace
IWSCC Associate Members are Accessibility Experts.
Associate Members are Canadian providers of accessibility goods and services, informed by the experience of living with a disability.
Lived experience comes from a number of places:
- Disabled Ownership less than 51%
- Notable Disabled Leadership or Management
- Notable Disabled Staff or Client Base
- Notable Disabled Input on Product or Service Design
- Other significant input on your business from the lived experience of disability.
At this time, IWSCC Associate Membership is by invitation only from an existing IWSCC Certified Supplier, or direct from the IWSCC.
Haven’t received an invite? You can still apply through our regular form below and join the waitlist for General Applications, opening in Spring of 2026.
Tap into the IWSCC Community and share your expertise on the Canadian Accessibility Marketplace!
The Cost of Membership
IWSCC Associate Membership is an Annual Membership. Associate Members appear on the Canadian Accessibility Marketplace, exposing their business to some of Canada’s largest clients – IWSCC Corporate Members.
Associate Membership has an annual cost of $250 CAD, due when you first your register your business and each year after to maintain your Membership.
There’s more than one way to pay for Membership! Learn more about becoming an IWSCC Contributor here.
Become a Contributor
Get engaged, support your community, and pay for your Membership at once when you become an IWSCC Contributor!
Write for Our Blog
Calling all thought leaders! Share your perspective with the IWSCC Community when you submit articles to our blog!
Every article submitted by a Certified Supplier or Associate Member saves $125 on your next year with IWSCC.
Want to learn more? Reach out to Alex at AlexD@iwscc.ca to get started.
Host a Webinar
Educate and elevate when you host an IWSCC Webinar: Accessible and inclusive learning opportunities share for free to support more growing entrepreneurs.
Available only to Certified Suppliers, Webinars pay for your next full year of Membership; a $500 value!
Every IWSCC Webinar becomes a permanent resource available for free and open to the public. Check out some of our lessons so far on our Research and Resources Page.
IWSCC also works with our community to create other resources on a case-by-case-basis. If you have an idea for a Webinar or a Resource, contact Alex at AlexD@iwscc.ca.
Grow Our Community
When the IWSCC Community Grows, we pass the savings around with our Community Referral Bonuses!
Certified Suppliers and Associate Members save 100% of the value when their peers join IWSCC. Save $250 in membership fees when you invite a new Associate Member or save $500 in when you invite a new Certified Supplier!
IWSCC even lets you decide how to spend your bonus:
- Pay toward your next renewal
- Gift the bonus to the new business and save on their first year
- Split it 50/50 and share the savings!
When you’re ready to invite someone, get started by connecting them with Jennifer Magee by email at JenniferM@iwscc.ca!
More Ways to Get Involved
IWSCC Community Members get other benefits year-round, too! Give your business a boost by promoting your events on our Official Calendar, appearing in our Monthly E-Newsletter, shout-outs on Social Media and more – all included with your Membership.
Submit Your Events
IWSCC Community Members can appear on our Official Calendar, just submit your event with the button below!
Please Note: IWSCC recommends submitting events 30 – 60 days in advance to ensure we can help promote!
Community Spotlight
Tell us your story and share what makes IWSCC Community Businesses unique with an easy-to-submit article.
Not a writer? Sign up for an interview and IWSCC will help walk through your submission. Book your call here.
Please Note: Community Spotlight articles are not eligible for Blog Contributor Benefits.
Compare Memberships and Frequently Asked Questions
Certified Suppliers Get:
- Nationally-recognized Diverse Certification
- Listed in IWSCC’s Certified Supplier Database used by our Corporate Members
- Exclusive Networking Events with IWSCC Corporate Members
- Access to other IWSCC Programs like 1-to-1 introductions with Corporate Members, Supplier Referral Bonuses, and all future programs IWSCC develops
- Boost your business through IWSCC’s Events Calendar, Blog, and Newsletter
Cost: $500 / year
Associate Members Get:
- Listed on Canada’s first-ever national accessibility directory – the Canadian Accessibility Marketplace
- Discounted access to IWSCC Virtual Trade Shows
- Boost your business through IWSCC’s Events Calendar, Blog, and Newsletter
- Access to future programs developed by IWSCC
Cost: $250 / year
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do IWSCC Certified businesses need to be majority Veteran-Owned or Disabled-Owned?
The IWSCC’s mission is to create a more inclusive and accessible professional landscape in Canada today and into the future. By requiring businesses to have majority ownership by one or more Veteran(s) or person(s) with a disability, we can be sure we represent the interests of the communities we were founded to support. Veteran-Owned and Disabled-Owned businesses are more likely to to be accessible, more likely to hire other Veterans or persons with disabilities, and more likely to contribute their success back into their communities in other ways, which means their success creates a ripple effect that supports even more members of those communities.
How does IWSCC define "Disability?"
IWSCC uses the same two-part definition for “disability” and “barrier” as the Accessible Canada Act, which defines disability as “any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment – or a functional limitation – whether permanent, temporary or episodic in nature, or evident or not, that, in interaction with a barrier, hinders a person’s full and equal participation in society.”
And defines “barrier” as “anything – including anything physical, architectural, technological or attitudinal, anything that is based on information or communications or anything that is the result of a policy or a practice – that hinders the full and equal participation in society of persons with an impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment or a functional limitation.”
The IWSCC does not certify businesses owned by persons with disabilities that are temporary in nature, such as injury or curable illness. If you are unsure if you would qualify as a person with a disability for the purposes of Certification, please contact us at info@iwscc.ca
How does IWSCC define "Veteran?"
IWSCC defines a Veteran by the same definition as the Canadian Armed Forces: “Any former member of the Canadian Armed Forces who successfully underwent basic training and is honourably discharged.”
Does IWSCC only certify Canadian Veterans?
No. IWSCC does certify Veterans of militaries outside of Canada (provided their business meets all other requirements) and considers their application and confirmation of Veteran status on a case-by-case basis.
Can I still Certify if my business is owned by multiple persons with disability or Veterans?
Yes. As long as the collective ownership of your business is more than 51%, and all persons who make up that portion are a Veteran and/or a person with a disability, you can still certify with IWSCC. Each individual must still provide confirmation of their Veteran / disability status.