COMPANY REGISTRATION
All Engineering and Geoscience work performed in Manitoba requires a Certificate of Authorization (CofA) from Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba. However, whether you or your company require a CofA depends on the kind of legal entity you are.
When a Certificate of Authorization IS REQUIRED
Practising Entity
- A Corporation or Partnership, offering professional engineering or professional geoscience services
- With P.Eng. or P.Geo. to provide and take responsibility for direct and indirect professional services
These are referred to as Practising Entity and require a CofA.
Sole Practitioner
- A Corporation or Partnership, offering professional engineering or professional geoscience services where a single professional engineer or professional geoscientist has an ownership position in the partnership or corporation, and exercises 100 percent control over the entity and assumes sole responsibility for the professional work done.
These are referred to as Sole Practitioner and require a CofA.
Operating Entity - With Services
- A partnership, corporation, agency, or other entity; who provides professional engineering or professional geoscientific services as a selling feature to the consumer of a manufactured item, piece of equipment, product, or facility is REQUIRED to hold a Certificate of Authorization.
- For example, energy companies, pipeline manufactures, temporary structure rental companies, grain terminal design builders, sign manufacturers, etc. Any company offering to design, manufacture, install, commission, measure, and maintain, or provide similar advice for their product MUST hold a Certificate of Authorization.
- NOTE: Oil companies have a responsibility to show that they have the public of Manitoba's interests protected and insured against loss from any claim of poor engineering. As a result, all oil companies operating in Manitoba must have a Certificate of Authorization.
These are referred to as Practising Entity and require a CofA.
When a Certificate of Authorization IS NOT Required
Operating Entity
- An operating entity is a partnership, corporation, agency, or other entity; where a manufacturer uses engineering to make a product. For example, an electric motor, manufactured and listed in a catalog. The consumer picks a product from a company's catalog of items for sale. In this case companies are NOT required to hold a Certificate of Authorization.
These are referred to as Operating Entity and do not require a CofA.
Sole Proprietorship
- Not a legal entity
- If the sole proprietorship does not have professional liability insurance coverage equivalent to CofA terms and conditions, must notify clients and obtain written authorization to provide services
These are referred to as Sole Proprietorship and do not require a CofA.
Use of Title in Company Name
As per section 58(2)(b) of the The Engineering and Geoscientific Professions Act any company wishing to register a business name in Manitoba with "engineering" in their business title, shall seek approval from Engineers Geoscientists Manitoba.
Please submit in writing to the Certificate of Authorization Coordinator the full title of the company to be registered, along with a brief description of the types of services the company will be providing.