Microsoft + Canada hosting + SEAO. No misunderstandings.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions from the public sector.

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• Are you registered on SEAO and do you have public RFP experience?

  Yes. io4 has won several Quebec public RFPs since 2020, including mandates requiring an AMP (authorization to contract for contracts ≥ $1M). We're fluent in Treasury Board general terms, bid-security requirements, the Revenu Québec attestation and the SEAO response format. We publish a dedicated white paper on the topic.

• Where is the data hosted? Is Quebec residency guaranteed?

  For public-sector mandates, we systematically operate in the Microsoft Canada Central (Toronto) or Canada East (Quebec) regions. For health information and especially sensitive data, Canada East is preferred. Transfer assessments (Law 25, Article 17) are documented in each PIA. Microsoft 365 defaults to Canada Central.

• Do you cover web accessibility requirements (WCAG)?

  Yes. Any interface delivered under a public-sector mandate meets WCAG 2.1 level AA minimum, in line with Quebec's accessibility legislation (in preparation) and SCT directives. We run accessibility audits before delivery and train internal editors to maintain compliance.

• What do you do differently from a large integrator for the public sector?

  Three main differences: (1) a senior architect knows your mandate end to end, not an interchangeable team; (2) we refuse the over-commitments that lead to overruns (strict scoping before firm pricing); (3) our human scale allows real adaptation to your organization's culture — not a standardized process deliverable recycled from one client to the next.

• What experience do you have with the healthcare network and non-profits?

  Since 2019 we've supported several healthcare non-profits (250 to 500 employees) with specific expertise in managing personal health information, partnership agreements with MSSS / CIUSSS, and the specific requirements of public funders. Our PIAs account for the specifics of the sector.

• Do you accept Treasury Board general terms without modification?

  Yes, in the vast majority of cases. We have an external legal team that reviews each RFP, and we sign SCT general terms without modification for nearly all contracts. The rare adjustments requested typically concern intellectual-property clauses on pre-existing methodologies.