Getting started
Procurement Assistance Canada
- Supports smaller and diverse businesses through the federal procurement process
- Engages, assists and informs businesses on how to sell goods and services to the Government of Canada
- Works to reduce barriers to ensure fairness in the process
- Looks for opportunities to advance supplier diversity through targeted outreach and advocacy
Opportunities for smaller and diverse businesses
- Government of Canada is one of the largest buyers of goods and services in Canada
- Buys a wide range of goods and services each year, with contract values ranging from hundreds to billions of dollars
- On average, smaller businesses in Canada win the majority of the total value of contracts awarded each year
How much does the government buy?
- Government of Canada is one of the largest buyers of goods and services in Canada
- The government spends approximately $24B annually on goods, services, construction and maintenance projects
- Awards over 500K contracts and processes close to 2M credit card transactions each year
Contracting with the Government of Canada
- Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is the main procurement arm of the federal government.
- It is important that all procurement activities be conducted in an open, fair and transparent manner, and that all suppliers have an equal chance at doing business with us.
- Federal laws and regulations as well as Treasury Board of Canada policies guide the Government of Canada’s procurement process.
Increasing the diversity of bidders
- Initiatives to increase the diversity of bidders and help build a more inclusive economy by boosting the competitiveness and prosperity of Canadian businesses.
- Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB) set-aside opportunities for Indigenous businesses, requirements for all government departments and agencies to offer a minimum of 5% of the total value of their contracts to Indigenous businesses.
- Better Buying modernizing procurement with a simpler and more accessible procurement system, advancing socio-economic goals by creating more opportunities for equity-deserving groups.
- Three pillars of Better Buying:
- building a modern procurement foundation;
- delivering a simpler, more responsive and more accessible procurement system;
- advancing socio-economic goals, increasing competition and fostering innovation
- Using the Government’s purchasing power for the greater good, to help social objectives such as:
- accessibility
- increased opportunities for businesses run by equity-deserving groups, such as women, visible minorities and persons with disabilities
- increased opportunities for Indigenous businesses
- environmentally friendly purchasing
- Green procurement focuses on integrating environmental considerations into the procurement decision-making process, for example by setting specific targets for vehicle emissions, reducing plastic waste and improving energy efficiency in federal buildings.
- Procurement Assistance Canada, supports these initiatives by working with the procurement community inside government, and by providing support to businesses to help you find, understand and respond to contracting opportunities.
Finding opportunities
Building networks
- For purchases under competitive procurement threshold levels, connect with officials in departments and agencies to learn about what directions their department's procurement may be heading.
- Most purchases over these threshold amounts are managed by PSPC through the National Goods and Services Procurement Strategy, so you should connect with the PSPC contracting authority responsible for your particular good or service.
- Promote your business, and share information regarding your capabilities and areas of delivery.
Low dollar value procurement
- Although the majority of contracts below $25K for goods and below $40K for services are awarded using a competitive process, non-competitive approaches are used in some circumstances.
- The aim is to get best value for Canadians while enhancing access, competition and fairness to businesses.
- A familiar way of working, but an exhaustive list of potential clients can make it challenging to identify the best fit.
- Suppliers may be identified through networks and research as well as various federal supplier registration systems.
The non-competitive approach
- According to Canadian Government Contract Regulations, sole source purchasing can only be undertaken under the following four circumstances.
- Pressing Emergency: delays could be injurious to public interest.
- Example: boats needed for an emergency evacuation
- Cost not exceeding $25,000: not considered cost effective to compete.
- Adjusting to $100,000 for architectural, engineering services as well as international development assistance projects
- Not in Public Interest:
- Example: national security
- One Known Supplier:
- Examples: copyright, license or patent
Competitive procurement
- Procurement over $25,000 for goods and $40,000 for services is done through the solicitation of bids and quotes from potential suppliers using a variety of methods.
- The most common types are:
- A Request for Proposal (RFP)
- A Request for Standing Offer (RFSO)
- A Request for Supply Arrangement (RFSA)
- The tender notice will indicate the method of procurement being used and will outline the solicitation documents.
Methods of supply
- ProServices: Informatics professional services and professional (IT and non-IT) services
- Task-Based Informatics Professional Services: specific information technology services
- Task and Solutions Professional Services: Human Resources, business consulting, change and project management
- SELECT: Construction, Architectural and Engineering, and related Maintenance and Consulting services
- Directory of Linguistic Service Providers: Translation, interpretation, terminology and word processes
- Temporary Help Services
- Depending on the nature of your business and the goods and services you provide, you may find it appropriate to apply to more than one method of supply of competitive supplier database.
Government Electronic Tendering Service (GETS)
- The official source suppliers should rely on to find Government of Canada tenders.
- Easy to navigate and search for new contract opportunities as well as past contract awards.
- Federal departments and agencies use GETS to advertise their requirements.
CanadaBuys.Canada.ca
- Search for government tenders and contract history using plain language and filters.
- Find data for any tenders, previous contracts, or current standing offers and supply arrangements.
- Save your search and subscribe for updates by email or web feeds.
- Register in the electronic procurement solution.
BuyAndSell.gc.ca
- Your source for detailed procurement information, including:
- How to register as a supplier
- Procurement policies and guidelines
- Key procurement contacts in departments and agencies
- Procurement initiatives and programs
- Upcoming events and seminars
- Procurement applications
Registering as a supplier
- There are two types of registration for suppliers:
- Register in Supplier Registration Information (SRI) to obtain your procurement business number. This number is currently required for bids that are not processed through SAP Ariba.
- Register in SAP Ariba to view and respond to opportunities posted to the electronic procurement solution.
- For more information about how to register, visit Register as a Supplier.
Electronic procurement solution
The Government is moving federal procurement online. During this transition, you may be able to bid on some tender opportunities through the electronic procurement solution. Find out more.
Learn more about the procurement process
Next steps
- Visit the Register as a supplier web page.
- Download reference sheets:
- Consult our service guide to see how we can help
- Register for your next seminar:
- Doing business with the government
- Finding opportunities on the Government Electronic Tendering Service (GETS)
- Bidding on opportunities
Procurement Assistance Canada Services
- Seminars to help you understand the procurement process and find opportunities
- One-on-one meetings to provide more personalized support for your business
- InfoLine 1-800 number for questions related to procurement or the Buyandsell.gc.ca website
- Self-service tools with instructions and information to help you get started