ARCHIVED Standard Instructions - Request for Standing Offers - Goods or Services - Non-competitive Requirements

General Information

One method of supply used by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) to satisfy the requirements of departments and agencies is to arrange with suppliers to submit a standing offer to provide goods, services or both during a specified period. Specific departments and agencies are then authorized by PWGSC to make call-ups against the standing offer detailing the exact quantities of goods or level of services they wish to order at a particular time, during the effective period of the standing offer in accordance with the predetermined conditions.

The quantity of goods, level of services and estimated expenditure specified in a Request for Standing Offer (RFSO) are only an approximation of requirements given in good faith. A RFSO does not commit PWGSC to authorize the utilization of a standing offer or to procure or contract for any goods, services or both. A standing offer is not a contract. The issuance by PWGSC of a Standing Offer and Call-up Authority to successful suppliers and to departments and agencies authorized to make call-ups does not constitute an agreement by Canada to order any or all of the goods, services or both offered. Departments and agencies may make one or several call-ups against a standing offer.

01 (2012-11-09) Code of Conduct and Certifications - Offer

1. Offerors must comply with the Code of Conduct for Procurement. In addition to the Code of Conduct for Procurement, offerors must a) respond to Requests for Standing Offers (RFSO) in an honest, fair and comprehensive manner, b) accurately reflect their capacity to satisfy the requirements stipulated in the RFSOs, Standing Offers and resulting contracts, c) submit offers and enter into contracts only if they will fulfill all obligations of the Contract.
2. Offerors further understand that, to ensure fairness, openness and transparency in the procurement process, the commission of certain acts or offences will render them ineligible to be issued a Standing Offer and awarded a contract. Canada will declare non-responsive any offer in respect of which the information herein requested is missing or inaccurate, or in respect of which the information contained in the certifications specified hereinafter is found to be untrue, in any respect, by Canada. If it is determined, after issuance of a Standing Offer, that the Offeror made a false declaration, Canada will have the right to set aside the Standing Offer and to terminate for default any resulting contracts. The Offeror will be required to diligently maintain up-to-date the information herein requested. The Offeror and any of the Offeror's affiliates, will also be required to remain free and clear of any acts or convictions specified herein during the period of any Standing Offer arising from this RFSO and any call-ups made against the Standing Offer.
3. For the purpose of this section, everyone, including but not limited to organizations, bodies corporate, societies, companies, firms, partnerships, associations of persons, parent companies and subsidiaries, whether partly or wholly-owned, as well as individuals and directors, are Offeror's affiliates if:
   1. directly or indirectly either one controls or has the power to control the other, or
   2. a third party has the power to control both.
   Indicia of control, include, but are not limited to, interlocking management or ownership, identity of interests among family members, shared facilities and equipment, common use of employees, or a business entity created following the acts or convictions specified in this section which has the same or similar management, ownership, or principal employees, as the case may be.

4. Offerors who are incorporated, including those submitting offers as a joint venture, must provide with their offer or promptly thereafter a complete list of names of all individuals who are currently directors of the Offeror. Offerors submitting offers as sole proprietorship, including those submitting offers as a joint venture, must provide with their offer or promptly thereafter the name of the owner. Offerors submitting offers as societies, firms, or partnerships do not need to provide lists of names. If the required names have not been received by the time the evaluation of offers is completed, Canada will inform the Offeror of a time frame within which to provide the information. Failure to comply will render the offer non-responsive. Providing the required names is a mandatory requirement for a Standing Offer to be issued.

   Canada may, at any time, request that an Offeror provide properly completed and Signed Consent Forms (Consent to a Criminal Record Verification form - PWGSC-TPSGC 229) for any or all individuals aforementioned within the time specified. Failure to provide such Consent Forms within the time period provided will result in the offer being declared non-responsive.

5. The Offeror must diligently maintain an up-to-date list of names by informing Canada in writing of any change occurring during the validity period of the offer as well as during the period of any Standing Offer arising from this RFSO and any call-ups made against the Standing Offer. The Offeror must also, when so requested, provide Canada with the corresponding Consent Forms.
6. By submitting an offer, the Offeror certifies that it is aware, and that its affiliates are aware, that Canada may request additional information, certifications, consent forms and other evidentiary elements proving identity or eligibility. Canada may also verify the information provided by the Offeror, including the information relating to the acts or convictions specified herein, through independent research, use of any government resources or by contacting third parties.
7. By submitting an offer, the Offeror certifies that neither the Offeror nor any of the Offeror's affiliates have directly or indirectly, paid or agreed to pay, and will not, directly or indirectly, pay a contingency fee to any individual for the solicitation, negotiation or obtaining of the Standing Offer and any call-ups made against the Standing Offer if the payment of the fee would require the individual to file a return under section 5 of the Lobbying Act.
8. By submitting an offer, the Offeror certifies that no one convicted under any of the provisions under a) or b) are to receive any benefit under a Standing Offer arising from this RFSO and any call-ups made against the Standing Offer. In addition, the Offeror certifies that except for those offences where a criminal pardon or a record suspension has been obtained or capacities restored by the Governor in Council, neither the Offeror nor any of the Offeror's affiliates has ever been convicted of an offence under any of the following provisions:
   1. paragraph 80(1)(d) (False entry, certificate or return), subsection 80(2) (Fraud against Her Majesty) or section 154.01 (Fraud against Her Majesty) of the Financial Administration Act, or
   2. section 121 (Frauds on the government and Contractor subscribing to election fund), section 124 (Selling or Purchasing Office), section 380 (Fraud) for fraud committed against Her Majesty or section 418 (Selling defective stores to Her Majesty) of the Criminal Code of Canada, or
   3. section 462.31 (Laundering proceeds of crime) or sections 467.11 to 467.13 (Participation in activities of criminal organization) of the Criminal Code of Canada, or
   4. section 45 (Conspiracies, agreements or arrangements between competitors), 46 (Foreign directives) 47 (Bid rigging), 49 (Agreements or arrangements of federal financial institutions), 52 (False or misleading representation), 53 (Deceptive notice of winning a prize) under the Competition Act, or
   5. section 239 (False or deceptive statements) of the Income Tax Act, or
   6. section 327 (False or deceptive statements) of the Excise Tax Act, or
   7. section 3 (Bribing a foreign public official) of the Corruption of Foreign Public Officials Act, or
   8. section 5 (Trafficking in substance), section 6 (Importing and exporting), or section 7 (Production of substance) of the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act.
9. In circumstances where a criminal pardon or a record suspension has been obtained, or capacities have been restored by the Governor in Council, the Offeror must provide with its offer or promptly thereafter a copy of confirming documentation from an official source. If such documentation has not been received by the time the evaluation of offers is completed, Canada will inform the Offeror of a time frame within which to provide the information. Failure to comply will render the offer non-responsive
10. Offerors understand that Canada may contract outside of the present solicitation process with a supplier who has been convicted of an offense enumerated under c) to h) of the paragraph hereinabove, or who is affiliated with someone who has been convicted of an offense enumerated under c) to h) of the paragraph hereinabove, when required to do so by law or legal proceedings, or when Canada considers it necessary to the public interest for reasons which include, but are not limited to:
    • Only one person is capable of performing the contract;
    • Emergency;
    • National security;
    • Health and safety;
    • Economic harm.
    Canada reserves the right to impose additional conditions or measures to ensure the integrity of the procurement process.

02 (2012-03-02) Procurement Business Number

Suppliers are required to have a Procurement Business Number (PBN) before issuance of a standing offer. Suppliers may register for a PBN on line at Supplier Registration Information. For non-Internet registration, suppliers may contact the InfoLine at 1-800-811-1148 to obtain the telephone number of the nearest Supplier Registration Agent.

03 (2007-11-30) 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 RFSO, standing offer and resulting contract(s) by number, date and title are incorporated by reference into and form part of the RFSO, standing offer and resulting contract(s) as though expressly set out in the RFSO, the standing offer and the resulting contract(s).

04 (2007-11-30) Definition of Offeror

"Offeror" means the person or entity (or, in the case of a joint venture, the persons or entities) submitting a standing offer to provide goods, services or both under a call-up resulting from a standing offer. It does not include the parent, subsidiaries or other affiliates of the Offeror, or its subcontractors.

05 (2010-10-07) Submission of an Offer

1. Canada requires that each offer, at closing date and time or upon request from the Standing Offer Authority, be signed by the Offeror or by an authorized representative of the Offeror. If an offer is submitted by a joint venture, it must be in accordance with section 10.
2. The offer 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).

06 (2007-11-30) Legal Capacity

The Offeror must have the legal capacity to contract. If the Offeror is a sole proprietorship, a partnership or a corporate body, the Offeror must provide, if requested by the Standing Offer 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 offerors submitting an offer as a joint venture.

07 (2012-03-02) Rejection of Offer

1. Canada may reject an offer where any of the following circumstances is present:
   1. the Offeror is subject to a Vendor Performance Corrective Measure, under the Vendor Performance Corrective Measure Policy, which renders the Offeror ineligible to submit an offer for the requirement;
   2. an employee, or subcontractor included as part of the offer, is subject to a Vendor Performance Corrective Measure, under the Vendor Performance Corrective Measure Policy, which would render that employee or subcontractor ineligible to submit an offer for the requirement, or the portion of the requirement the employee or subcontractor is to perform;
   3. the Offeror 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 Offeror, any of its employees or any subcontractor included as part of the offer;
   5. evidence satisfactory to Canada that based on past conduct or behavior, the Offeror, 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 Offeror, any of its employees or any subcontractor included as part of the offer;
      2. Canada determines that the Offeror's performance on other contracts, including the efficiency and workmanship as well as the extent to which the Offeror 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 an offer pursuant to a provision of subsection 1. (f), the Standing Offer Authority will so inform the Offeror and provide the Offeror ten (10) days within which to make representations, before making a final decision on the offer rejection.

08 (2007-11-30) Price Justification

The Offeror 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.

09 (2007-11-30) Offer Costs

No payment will be made for costs incurred in the preparation and submission of an offer in response to the RFSO. Costs associated with preparing and submitting an offer are the sole responsibility of the Offeror.

10 (2007-11-30) 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 submit an offer together on a requirement. Offerors who submit an offer 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 offer, the Offeror must provide the information on request from the Standing Offer Authority.
3. The offer and any resulting standing offer 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 Standing Offer 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 RFSO and any resulting standing offer. If a standing offer is issued to a joint venture, all members of the joint venture will be jointly and severally or solidarily liable for the performance of any contract resulting from a call-up against the standing offer.

11 (2007-11-30) Further Information

For further information, the Offeror may contact the Standing Offer Authority identified in the RFSO.