The federal government uses Goods and Services Identification Number (GSIN) codes to identify generic product descriptions for its procurement activities. On Buyandsell.gc.ca, GSIN codes connect all of the procurement information, including Tenders, Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements, and Contract History.
Coming in 2019, the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) will replace GSIN codes. There is no immediate impact to businesses or government buyers.
Businesses use GSIN codes to identify the goods and/or services they provide when signing up to get a Procurement Business Number (PBN) in the Supplier Registration Information (SRI).
Government buyers search by GSIN codes to find suppliers in SRI for procurement purposes, such as seeking bids or information.
This page will explain:
Table of Contents
- How to use GSIN codes
- For businesses - why use GSIN codes
- For government - why use GSIN codes
- The GSIN codes for mandatory standing offers and supply arrangements
- Get help with GSIN codes
How to use GSIN codes
Find GSIN code(s) related to your good or service and use them to find procurement information and contacts. GSIN codes connect all of the procurement data on Buyandsell.gc.ca, including Tenders, Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements, and Contract History. As well, every active GSIN code is connected to a division responsible for the procurement of that good or service.
UNSPSC replacing GSIN codes
Coming in 2019, the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) will replace GSIN codes. All of the GSIN codes will be mapped to UNSPSC. This mapping between the GSIN and UNSPSC will be shared by PWGSC on Buyandsell.gc.ca as open data.
Over the course of the transition to UNSPSC, Tenders, Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements, and Contract History, will be connected using UNSPSC.
There is no immediate impact to businesses or government buyers. As the transition to UNSPSC is implemented, PWGSC will inform businesses and government buyers of changes that may impact them. Visit the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) web page to learn more.
Find GSIN codes for your good or service
Follow any one of the below steps to find the right codes related to your good or service:
- Browse GSIN Codes on Buyandsell.gc.ca to find codes. (Access Steps to Find and Use GSIN Codes instructions on browsing codes).
- Search for GSIN codes with the Goods and Services Identification Number procurement data search facet selected.
- Use varied keywords related to your good or service to search Contract History, Standing Offers or Supply Arrangements (SOSA) or Tenders to find procurement documents aligned to your industry to see what GSIN codes were used.
Cannot find your GSIN? Contact the national Infoline: 1-800-811-1148. A member of the Infoline team will answer your question, or direct you to the appropriate individual.
Find procurement information on Buyandsell.gc.ca using GSIN codes
There are several ways to find procurement information - Tenders, Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements, and Contract History - using GSIN codes.
- Search using GSIN filter: Select the Goods and Service facet related to your good or service of interest on the search results page and then select they type of procurement information you are looking for, such as the Tender Notices facet. Use the below quick search links to get started and then keep filtering:
- Browse GSIN Codes: Browse GSIN Codes related to your good or service and access related procurement information on the right-hand side of the page.
- Search using Keywords: Search using GSIN code keywords to find procurement results. You can include several GSIN codes in a search result by typing the GSIN codes directly into the search box -- use "OR" to separate each entry. For example entering the GSIN terms "K102B OR N8920ZC" provides results for both "102B: Food Catering Services" and "N8920ZC: Groceries, Miscellaneous".
Find Contacts for GSIN codes
There are three ways to find procurement contacts for GSIN codes:
- Browse divisions: Select a division on the Contacts for GSIN Codes page. You can then further sort your result in alphabetical order by "GSIN Code" or by "Title".
- Search directly: Search Contacts for GSIN Codes directly, or search all Goods and Services Identification Numbers (GSINs) to find which division is responsible for your good or service using plain language terms.
- Download as open data: Download the CSV version of Contacts for GSIN Codes as part of the GSIN dataset on the Download GSIN Data page.
For businesses - Why use GSIN codes
- Find Opportunities: Access Tenders in your industry using GSIN Codes
- Register to supply: When registering to obtain a Procurement Business Number (PBN) and as a potential supplier to the federal government in the Supplier Registration Information (SRI) system, you select GSIN codes to identify the goods and/or services you provide. Register as a Supplier: Supplier Accounts (SRI)
- Understand your competition: Find out what the value of a contract was by looking up the Contract History of GSIN codes related to your industry
- Partners: Find possible pre-qualified bid partners related to your GSIN code of interest holding Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements (SOSA)
- Find a contact: Use Contacts for GSIN Codes to find contact information for the division responsible for the procurement of your good or service.
For government - Why use GSIN codes
Procurement professionals use GSIN codes to:
- Find a supplier: Government buyers search by the goods and/or services described in the GSIN to find suppliers in the Supplier Information (SI) client. Find a supplier.
- Complete a requisition form: When a procurement officer needs to Define the Requirements for a requisition (Form 9200 Requisition for Goods and Services and Construction) to request PWGSC to purchase on their behalf, they must include relevant GSIN codes.
- Allocate a requisition: PWGSC uses GSIN codes to allocate requisitions. The Central Allocations Unit at PWGSC will assign the correct GSIN codes to a requisition form so that the requisition is sent to the proper contracting division at PWGSC.
- Find a contact: Use Contacts for GSIN Codes to find contact information for the division responsible for the procurement of goods or services.
The GSIN Codes for mandatory standing offers and supply arrangements
PWGSC has put in place a number of standing offers and supply arrangements that must be used before any new procurement is considered. The mandatory goods and services categories include the following:
- N84
- Clothing, Individual Equipment and Insignia
- N91
- Fuels, Lubricants, Oils and Waxes
- N71
- Furniture
- N23
- Ground Effect Vehicles, Motor Vehicles, Trailers and Cycles
- N74
- Office Machines, Text Processing Systems and Visible Record Equipment
- N75
- Office Supplies and Devices
- R
- Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Sub-categories of R: Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services include:
- RO
- Professional Services
- R1
- Administrative and Management Support Services
- R2
- Personnel Recruitment
You can search Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements (SOSA) using a GSIN to find pre-qualified suppliers.
Read more about Mandatory Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements.
Get help with GSIN codes
Cannot find your GSIN? Contact the national InfoLine: 1-800-811-1148. A member of the InfoLine team will answer your question, or direct you to the appropriate individual.