Standard Instructions - Goods or Services - Competitive Requirements

01 (2016-04-04) Integrity provisions—bid

1. The Ineligibility and Suspension Policy (the “Policy”) in effect on the date the bid solicitation is issued, and all related Directives in effect on that date, are incorporated by reference into, and form a binding part of the bid solicitation. The Bidder must comply with the Policy and Directives, which can be found at Ineligibility and Suspension Policy.
2. Under the Policy, charges and convictions of certain offences against a Supplier, its affiliates or first tier subcontractors, and other circumstances, will or may result in a determination by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) that the Supplier is ineligible to enter, or is suspended from entering into a contract with Canada. The list of ineligible and suspended Suppliers is contained in PWGSC’s Integrity Database. The Policy describes how enquiries can be made regarding the ineligibility or suspension of Suppliers.
3. In addition to all other information required in the bid solicitation, the Bidder must provide the following:
   1. by the time stated in the Policy, all information required by the Policy described under the heading “Information to be Provided when Bidding, Contracting or Entering into a Real Property Agreement”; and
   2. with its bid, a complete list of all foreign criminal charges and convictions pertaining to itself, its affiliates and its proposed first tier subcontractors that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, may be similar to one of the listed offences in the Policy. The list of foreign criminal charges and convictions must be submitted using an Integrity Declaration Form, which can be found at Declaration form for procurement.
4. Subject to subsection 5, by submitting a bid in response to this bid solicitation, the Bidder certifies that:
   1. it has read and understands the Ineligibility and Suspension Policy;
   2. it understands that certain domestic and foreign criminal charges and convictions, and other circumstances, as described in the Policy, will or may result in a determination of ineligibility or suspension under the Policy;
   3. it is aware that Canada may request additional information, certifications, and validations from the Bidder or a third party for purposes of making a determination of ineligibility or suspension;
   4. it has provided with its bid a complete list of all foreign criminal charges and convictions pertaining to itself, its affiliates and its proposed first tier subcontractors that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, may be similar to one of the listed offences in the Policy;
   5. none of the domestic criminal offences, and other circumstances, described in the Policy that will or may result in a determination of ineligibility or suspension, apply to it, its affiliates and its proposed first tier subcontractors; and
   6. it is not aware of a determination of ineligibility or suspension issued by PWGSC that applies to it.
5. Where a Bidder is unable to provide any of the certifications required by subsection 4, it must submit with its bid a completed Integrity Declaration Form, which can be found at Declaration form for procurement.
6. Canada will declare non-responsive any bid in respect of which the information requested is incomplete or inaccurate, or in respect of which the information contained in a certification or declaration is found by Canada to be false or misleading in any respect. If Canada establishes after award of the Contract that the Bidder provided a false or misleading certification or declaration, Canada may terminate the Contract for default. Pursuant to the Policy, Canada may also determine the Bidder to be ineligible for award of a contract for providing a false or misleading certification or declaration.

02 (2020-05-28) Procurement Business Number

Suppliers are required to have a Procurement Business Number (PBN) before contract award. Suppliers may register for a PBN online at Supplier Registration Information.

03 (2007-05-25) Standard instructions, clauses and conditions

Pursuant to the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act ( S.C. 1996, c.16), the instructions, clauses and conditions identified in the bid solicitation and resulting contract by number, date, and title are incorporated by reference into and form part of the bid solicitation and resulting contract as though expressly set out in the bid solicitation and resulting contract.

04 (2007-11-30) Definition of Bidder

"Bidder" means the person or entity (or, in the case of a joint venture, the persons or entities) submitting a bid to perform a contract for goods, services or both. It does not include the parent, subsidiaries or other affiliates of the Bidder, or its subcontractors.

05 (2018-05-22) Submission of bids

1. Canada requires that each bid, at solicitation closing date and time or upon request from the Contracting Authority, be signed by the Bidder or by an authorized representative of the Bidder. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture, it must be in accordance with section 17.
2. It is the Bidder's responsibility to:
   1. obtain clarification of the requirements contained in the bid solicitation, if necessary, before submitting a bid;
   2. prepare its bid in accordance with the instructions contained in the bid solicitation;
   3. submit by solicitation closing date and time a complete bid;
   4. send its bid only to the specified Bid Receiving Unit of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) specified in the bid solicitation or, to the address specified in the bid solicitation, as applicable;
   5. ensure that the Bidder's name, return address, bid solicitation number, and solicitation closing date and time are clearly visible on the bid; and,
   6. provide a comprehensible and sufficiently detailed bid, including all requested pricing details, that will permit a complete evaluation in accordance with the criteria set out in the bid solicitation.
3. Canada will make available Notices of Proposed Procurement (NPP), bid solicitations and related documents for download through the Government Electronic Tendering Service (GETS). Canada is not responsible and will not assume any liabilities whatsoever for the information found on websites of third parties. In the event an NPP, bid solicitation or related documentation would be amended, Canada will not be sending notifications. Canada will post all amendments, including significant enquiries received and their replies, using GETS. It is the sole responsibility of the Bidder to regularly consult GETS for the most up-to-date information. Canada will not be liable for any oversight on the Bidder's part nor for notification services offered by a third party.
4. Bids will remain open for acceptance for a period of not less than 60 days from the closing date of the bid solicitation, unless specified otherwise in the bid solicitation. Canada reserves the right to seek an extension of the bid validity period from all responsive bidders in writing, within a minimum of 3 days before the end of the bid validity period. If the extension is accepted by all responsive bidders, Canada will continue with the evaluation of the bids. If the extension is not accepted by all responsive bidders, Canada will, at its sole discretion, either continue with the evaluation of the bids of those who have accepted the extension or cancel the solicitation.
5. Bid documents and supporting information may be submitted in either English or French.
6. Bids received on or before the stipulated bid solicitation closing date and time will become the property of Canada and will not be returned. All bids will be treated as confidential, subject to the provisions of the Access to Information Act ( R.S. 1985, c. A-1) and the Privacy Act ( R.S., 1985, c. P-21).
7. Unless specified otherwise in the bid solicitation, Canada will evaluate only the documentation provided with a bidder's bid. Canada will not evaluate information such as references to Web site addresses where additional information can be found, or technical manuals or brochures not submitted with the bid.
8. A bid cannot be assigned or transferred in whole or in part.

06 (2022-03-29) Late bids

PWGSC will return or delete bids delivered after the stipulated solicitation closing date and time, unless they qualify as a delayed bid as described in section 07.

For late bids submitted using means other than the Canada Post Corporation's Connect service, the paper bid will be returned.

For bids submitted electronically, the late bids will be deleted. As an example, bids submitted using Canada Post Corporation's Connect service, conversations initiated by the Bid Receiving Unit via the CPC Connect service pertaining to a late bid, will be deleted. Records will be kept documenting the transaction history of all late bids submitted using CPC Connect service.

07 (2022-03-29) Delayed bids

1. A bid delivered to the specified Bid Receiving Unit after the solicitation closing date and time but before the contract award date may be considered, provided the bidder can prove the delay is due solely to a delay in delivery that can be attributed to the Canada Post Corporation (CPC) (or national equivalent of a foreign country). Private courier (Purolator Inc., Fedex Inc., etc.) is not considered to be part of CPC for the purposes of delayed bids.
   1. The only pieces of evidence relating to a delay in the CPC system that are acceptable to PWGSC are:
      1. a CPC cancellation date stamp;
      2. a CPC Priority Courier bill of lading;
      3. a CPC Xpresspost label;

      that clearly indicates that the bid was sent before the solicitation closing date.

   2. The only piece of evidence relating to a delay in the CPC Connect service provided by CPC system that is acceptable to PWGSC is a CPC Connect service date and time record indicated in the CPC Connect conversation history that clearly indicates that the bid was sent before the solicitation closing date and time.
2. Misrouting, traffic volume, weather disturbances, labour disputes or any other causes for the late delivery of bids are not acceptable reasons for the bid to be accepted by PWGSC.
3. Postage meter imprints, whether imprinted by the Bidder, the CPC or the postal authority outside Canada, are not acceptable as proof of timely mailing.

08 (2023-06-08) Transmission by facsimile or by Canada Post Corporation's (CPC) Connect service

1. Facsimile
   1. Unless specified otherwise in the bid solicitation, bids may be submitted by facsimile.
      1. PWGSC, National Capital Region: The only acceptable facsimile number for responses to bid solicitations issued by PWGSC headquarters is 819-997-9776 or, if applicable, the facsimile number identified in the bid solicitation.
      2. PWGSC regional offices: The facsimile number for responses to bid solicitations issued by PWGSC regional offices is identified in the bid solicitation.
   2. For bids transmitted by facsimile, Canada will not be responsible for any failure attributable to the transmission or receipt of the faxed bid including, but not limited to, the following:
      1. receipt of garbled, corrupted or incomplete bid;
      2. availability or condition of the receiving facsimile equipment;
      3. incompatibility between the sending and receiving equipment;
      4. delay in transmission or receipt of the bid;
      5. failure of the Bidder to properly identify the bid;
      6. illegibility of the bid; or
      7. security of bid data.
   3. A bid transmitted by facsimile constitutes the formal bid of the Bidder and must be submitted in accordance with section 05.
2. Canada Post Corporation's Connect service
   1. Unless specified otherwise in the bid solicitation, bids may be submitted by using the Connect service provided by Canada Post Corporation.
      1. PWGSC, National Capital Region: The only acceptable email address to use with CPC Connect for responses to bid solicitations issued by PWGSC headquarters is: tpsgc.pareceptiondessoumissions-apbidReceiving.pwgsc@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca, or, if applicable, the email address identified in the bid solicitation.
      2. PWGSC regional offices: The only acceptable email address to use with CPC Connect for responses to bid solicitations issued by PWGSC regional offices is identified in the bid solicitation.
   2. To submit a bid using CPC Connect service, the Bidder must either:
      1. send directly its bid only to the specified PWGSC Bid Receiving Unit, using its own licensing agreement for CPC Connect provided by Canada Post Corporation; or
      2. send as early as possible, and in any case, at least six business days prior to the solicitation closing date and time, (in order to ensure a response), an email that includes the bid solicitation number to the specified PWGSC Bid Receiving Unit requesting to open a CPC Connect conversation. Requests to open a CPC Connect conversation received after that time may not be answered.
   3. If the Bidder sends an email requesting CPC Connect service to the specified Bid Receiving Unit in the bid solicitation, an officer of the Bid Receiving Unit will then initiate a CPC Connect conversation. The CPC Connect conversation will create an email notification from Canada Post Corporation prompting the Bidder to access and action the message within the conversation. The Bidder will then be able to transmit its bid afterward at any time prior to the solicitation closing date and time.
   4. If the Bidder is using its own licensing agreement to send its bid, the Bidder must keep the CPC Connect conversation open until at least 30 business days after the solicitation closing date and time.
   5. The bid solicitation number should be identified in the CPC Connect message field of all electronic transfers.
   6. It should be noted that the use of CPC Connect service requires a Canadian mailing address. Should a bidder not have a Canadian mailing address, they may use the Bid Receiving Unit address specified in the solicitation in order to register for the CPC Connect service.
   7. For bids transmitted by CPC Connect service, Canada will not be responsible for any failure attributable to the transmission or receipt of the bid including, but not limited to, the following:
      1. receipt of a garbled, corrupted or incomplete bid;
      2. availability or condition of the CPC Connect service;
      3. incompatibility between the sending and receiving equipment;
      4. delay in transmission or receipt of the bid;
      5. failure of the Bidder to properly identify the bid;
      6. illegibility of the bid;
      7. security of bid data; or,
      8. inability to create an electronic conversation through the CPC Connect service.
   8. The Bid Receiving Unit will send an acknowledgement of the receipt of bid document(s) via the CPC Connect conversation, regardless of whether the conversation was initiated by the supplier using its own license or the Bid Receiving Unit. This acknowledgement will confirm only the receipt of bid document(s) and will not confirm if the attachments may be opened nor if the content is readable.
   9. Bidders must ensure that that they are using the correct email address for the Bid Receiving Unit when initiating a conversation in CPC Connect or communicating with the Bid Receiving Unit and should not rely on the accuracy of copying and pasting the email address into the CPC Connect system.
   10. A bid transmitted by CPC Connect service constitutes the formal bid of the Bidder and must be submitted in accordance with section 05.

09 (2010-10-07) Customs clearance

It is the responsibility of the Bidder to allow sufficient time to obtain Customs clearance, where required, before the bid closing date and time. Delays related to the obtaining of Customs clearance cannot be construed as "undue delay in the mail" and will not be accepted as a delayed bid under section 07.

10 (2007-05-25) Legal capacity

The Bidder must have the legal capacity to contract. If the Bidder is a sole proprietorship, a partnership or a corporate body, the Bidder must provide, if requested by the Contracting Authority, a statement and any requested supporting documentation indicating the laws under which it is registered or incorporated together with the registered or corporate name and place of business. This also applies to bidders submitting a bid as a joint venture.

11 (2007-11-30) Rights of Canada

Canada reserves the right to:

1. reject any or all bids received in response to the bid solicitation;
2. enter into negotiations with bidders on any or all aspects of their bids;
3. accept any bid in whole or in part without negotiations;
4. cancel the bid solicitation at any time;
5. reissue the bid solicitation;
6. if no responsive bids are received and the requirement is not substantially modified, reissue the bid solicitation by inviting only the bidders who bid to resubmit bids within a period designated by Canada; and,
7. negotiate with the sole responsive Bidder to ensure best value to Canada.

12 (2014-09-25) Rejection of bid

1. Canada may reject a bid where any of the following circumstances is present:
   1. the Bidder is subject to a Vendor Performance Corrective Measure, under the Vendor Performance Corrective Measure Policy, which renders the Bidder ineligible to bid on the requirement;
   2. an employee, or subcontractor included as part of the bid, is subject to a Vendor Performance Corrective Measure, under the Vendor Performance Corrective Measure Policy, which would render that employee or subcontractor ineligible to bid on the requirement, or the portion of the requirement the employee or subcontractor is to perform;
   3. the Bidder is bankrupt or where, for whatever reason, its activities are rendered inoperable for an extended period;
   4. evidence, satisfactory to Canada, of fraud, bribery, fraudulent misrepresentation or failure to comply with any law protecting individuals against any manner of discrimination, has been received with respect to the Bidder, any of its employees or any subcontractor included as part of the bid;
   5. evidence satisfactory to Canada that based on past conduct or behavior, the Bidder, a subcontractor or a person who is to perform the Work is unsuitable or has conducted himself/herself improperly;
   6. with respect to current or prior transactions with the Government of Canada:
      1. Canada has exercised its contractual remedies of suspension or termination for default with respect to a contract with the Bidder, any of its employees or any subcontractor included as part of the bid;
      2. Canada determines that the Bidder's performance on other contracts, including the efficiency and workmanship as well as the extent to which the Bidder performed the Work in accordance with contractual clauses and conditions, is sufficiently poor to jeopardize the successful completion of the requirement being bid on.
2. Where Canada intends to reject a bid pursuant to a provision of subsection 1. (f), the Contracting Authority will so inform the Bidder and provide the Bidder 10 days within which to make representations, before making a final decision on the bid rejection.
3. Canada reserves the right to apply additional scrutiny, in particular, when multiple bids are received in response to a bid solicitation from a single bidder or a joint venture. Canada reserves the right to:
   1. reject any or all of the bids submitted by a single bidder or joint venture if their inclusion in the evaluation has the effect of prejudicing the integrity and fairness of the process, or;
   2. reject any or all of the bids submitted by a single bidder or joint venture if their inclusion in the procurement process would distort the solicitation evaluation, and would cause a result that would not reasonably have been expected under prevailing market conditions and/or would not provide good value to Canada.

13 (2014-03-01) Communications—solicitation period

To ensure the integrity of the competitive bid process, enquiries and other communications regarding the bid solicitation must be directed only to the Contracting Authority identified in the bid solicitation. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in the bid being declared non-responsive.

To ensure consistency and quality of information provided to bidders, significant enquiries received and their replies will be posted on the Government Electronic Tendering Service (GETS). For further information, consult subsection 3 of the Submission of bids section.

14 (2007-11-30) Price justification

In the event that the Bidder's bid is the sole responsive bid received, the Bidder must provide, on Canada's request, one or more of the following price justification:

1. a current published price list indicating the percentage discount available to Canada; or
2. a copy of paid invoices for the like quality and quantity of the goods, services or both sold to other customers; or
3. a price breakdown showing the cost of direct labour, direct materials, purchased items, engineering and plant overheads, general and administrative overhead, transportation, etc., and profit; or
4. price or rate certifications; or
5. any other supporting documentation as requested by Canada.

15 (2007-05-25) Bid costs

No payment will be made for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of a bid in response to the bid solicitation. Costs associated with preparing and submitting a bid, as well as any costs incurred by the Bidder associated with the evaluation of the bid, are the sole responsibility of the Bidder.

16 (2008-05-12) Conduct of evaluation

1. In conducting its evaluation of the bids, Canada may, but will have no obligation to, do the following:
   1. seek clarification or verification from bidders regarding any or all information provided by them with respect to the bid solicitation;
   2. contact any or all references supplied by bidders to verify and validate any information submitted by them;
   3. request, before award of any contract, specific information with respect to bidders' legal status;
   4. conduct a survey of bidders' facilities and/or examine their technical, managerial, and financial capabilities to determine if they are adequate to meet the requirements of the bid solicitation;
   5. correct any error in the extended pricing of bids by using unit pricing and any error in quantities in bids to reflect the quantities stated in the bid solicitation; in the case of error in the extension of prices, the unit price will govern.
   6. verify any information provided by bidders through independent research, use of any government resources or by contacting third parties;
   7. interview, at the sole costs of bidders, any bidder and/or any or all of the resources proposed by bidders to fulfill the requirement of the bid solicitation.
2. Bidders will have the number of days specified in the request by the Contracting Authority to comply with any request related to any of the above items. Failure to comply with the request may result in the bid being declared non-responsive.

17 (2010-01-11) Joint venture

1. A joint venture is an association of two or more parties who combine their money, property, knowledge, expertise or other resources in a single joint business enterprise, sometimes referred as a consortium, to bid together on a requirement. Bidders who bid as a joint venture must indicate clearly that it is a joint venture and provide the following information:
   1. the name of each member of the joint venture;
   2. the Procurement Business Number of each member of the joint venture;
   3. the name of the representative of the joint venture, i.e. the member chosen by the other members to act on their behalf, if applicable;
   4. the name of the joint venture, if applicable.
2. If the information is not clearly provided in the bid, the Bidder must provide the information on request from the Contracting Authority.
3. The bid and any resulting contract must be signed by all the members of the joint venture unless one member has been appointed to act on behalf of all members of the joint venture. The Contracting Authority may, at any time, require each member of the joint venture to confirm that the representative has been appointed with full authority to act as its representative for the purposes of the bid solicitation and any resulting contract. If a contract is awarded to a joint venture, all members of the joint venture will be jointly and severally or solidarily liable for the performance of any resulting contract.

18 (2012-03-02) Conflict of interest—unfair advantage

1. In order to protect the integrity of the procurement process, bidders are advised that Canada may reject a bid in the following circumstances:
   1. if the Bidder, any of its subcontractors, any of their respective employees or former employees was involved in any manner in the preparation of the bid solicitation or in any situation of conflict of interest or appearance of conflict of interest;
   2. if the Bidder, any of its subcontractors, any of their respective employees or former employees had access to information related to the bid solicitation that was not available to other bidders and that would, in Canada's opinion, give or appear to give the Bidder an unfair advantage.
2. The experience acquired by a bidder who is providing or has provided the goods and services described in the bid solicitation (or similar goods or services) will not, in itself, be considered by Canada as conferring an unfair advantage or creating a conflict of interest. This bidder remains however subject to the criteria established above.
3. Where Canada intends to reject a bid under this section, the Contracting Authority will inform the Bidder and provide the Bidder an opportunity to make representations before making a final decision. Bidders who are in doubt about a particular situation should contact the Contracting Authority before bid closing. By submitting a bid, the Bidder represents that it does not consider itself to be in conflict of interest nor to have an unfair advantage. The Bidder acknowledges that it is within Canada's sole discretion to determine whether a conflict of interest, unfair advantage or an appearance of conflict of interest or unfair advantage exists.

19 (2007-11-30) Entire requirement

The bid solicitation documents contain all the requirements relating to the bid solicitation. Any other information or documentation provided to or obtained by a bidder from any source are not relevant. Bidders should not assume that practices used under previous contracts will continue, unless they are described in the bid solicitation. Bidders should also not assume that their existing capabilities meet the requirements of the bid solicitation simply because they have met previous requirements.

20 (2017-04-27) Further information

1. For further information, bidders may contact the Contracting Authority identified in the bid solicitation.
2. For bid solicitations issued out of PWGSC headquarters, enquiries concerning receipt of bids may be addressed to the Bid Receiving Unit, Procurement Operational Support Division, telephone 819-420-7200. For bid solicitations issued out of PWGSC regional offices, enquiries concerning receipt of bids may be addressed to the Contracting Authority identified in the bid solicitation.

21 (2022-01-28) Code of Conduct for Procurement—bid

The Code of Conduct for Procurement provides that Bidders must respond to bid solicitations in an honest, fair and comprehensive manner, accurately reflect their capacity to satisfy the requirements set out in the bid solicitation and resulting contract, submit bids and enter into contracts only if they will fulfill all obligations of the Contract. By submitting a bid, the Bidder is certifying that it is complying with the Code of Conduct for Procurement. Failure to comply with the Code of Conduct for Procurement may render the bid non-responsive.