Procurement Assistance Canada - Service Guide

New! CanadaBuys is the new official source for Government of Canada tender and award notices. This means you can now search for and bid on tender opportunities posted on CanadaBuys.

Suppliers register in SAP Ariba today!

Register now to ensure you transition to doing business with the new Government of Canada procurement service. Find out how to get started.

On this page

This guide lists the resources and services offered by Procurement Assistance Canada. These include self-serve reference sheets, seminars and seminar notes, workshops, and one-on-one assistance.

For upcoming seminar and workshop dates, visit the Event Calendar.

Learn about the federal procurement process

New to procurement? Looking for information to help decide if this is an avenue you may want to pursue? The following resources and services provide a basic overview of procurement and the steps involved.

  • Getting started selling to the Government of Canada (Reference sheet) – The basics of procurement, how to find opportunities, becoming a supplier, bidding on opportunities, following opportunities.
  • Mythbusting government procurement (Seminar; see Mythbusting seminar notes) – Join us to dispel some myths about selling to government and find out what the government buys, who the government buys from, how the government buys, where to find resources and free support for small businesses.
  • Introduction to federal procurement (Seminar; see Introduction to federal procurement seminar notes) – Learn about the federal procurement process to help you decide if selling to the Government of Canada is right for your business.
  • Doing business with the Government of Canada (Seminar; see Doing business seminar notes) – Find out whether the government buys your goods or services, understand the contracting process, register in supplier databases, build networks and promote your business, search for opportunities, take advantage of the procurement information on BuyAndSell.gc.ca, understand the security clearance process, learn about bidding on opportunities.

Prepare your business to sell to the government

  • Doing business with the Government of Canada (Seminar; see Doing business seminar notes) – Find out whether the government buys your goods or services, understand the contracting process, register in supplier databases, build networks and promote your business, search for opportunities, take advantage of the procurement information on BuyAndSell.gc.ca, understand the security clearance process, learn about bidding on opportunities.
  • Doing business with the Government of Canada, half-day all-in-one (Seminar) – A detailed half-day seminar covering doing business with the government, finding opportunities on BuyAndSell.gc.ca and bidding on opportunities.
  • Transition to electronic procurement (Web page) – 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.
  • Info Café (Q&A) – Drop in to ask questions on how to sell goods and services to the government; learn about tools, resources and funding programs; pick up tips on finding opportunities, bidding best-practices, and more. This event is not offered on a regular basis. Check the Event Calendar for upcoming dates.
  • Ask us Anything (Q&A) - Drop in for information nuggets related to procurement, ask questions on how to sell goods and services to the government, learn about tools, resources and funding programs, pick up tips on finding opportunities, bidding best-practices, and more. This event is not offered on a regular basis. Check the Event Calendar for upcoming dates.

Register as a supplier

  • Registering in the Supplier Registration Information system (Reference sheet) – Step-by-step instructions with screenshots to guide you through the process of registering in the Supplier Registration Information (SRI) database, completing your business profile and managing your SRI account.
  • Get help:
    • For assistance with SRI, contact the National InfoLine 1-800-811-1148.
    • For assistance registering in SAP Ariba, contact the CanadaBuys Help Desk.

Search for opportunities

  • Finding opportunities on the Government Electronic Tendering Service (Seminar; see Finding opportunities seminar notes) – Search for tenders, contract history, standing offers and supply arrangements; follow opportunities to keep informed about new notices and amendments; find additional sources of information for suppliers.
  • Transition to electronic procurement (Web page) – 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.
  • Supplying professional services to the Government of Canada (Seminar; see Professional services seminar notes) – Procurement tools for professional services, how to register in professional services supplier databases, key contact persons.
  • Defence and security procurement (Reference sheet) – Opportunities for smaller businesses, how defence and security procurement works at the federal level, finding opportunities in defence and security procurement.

Bid on opportunities

  • Preparing to bid on an opportunity (Reference sheet) – The basic process for bidding, understanding an opportunity, deciding to bid, obtaining security clearance, preparing bid documents, submitting a bid, post-bid debrief.
  • Bidding on opportunities (Seminar; see Bidding seminar notes) – Different types of solicitation documents, the main elements of a solicitation document and how to respond to them, how bids are evaluated and suppliers are selected, how to follow-up after receipt of the bidding process results, best practices, tips and suggestions.
  • Bid evaluation workshop (Workshop) – A facilitated activity to examine a simulated bid solicitation and corresponding bids and discuss how bids are evaluated, identify what makes a good bid, and examine strategies to demonstrate competitive advantage.
  • Obtaining security clearance (Seminar) - Security requirements identified in the tender, registration process to obtain a security clearance with the Industrial Security Program, different levels of organization clearances and personnel clearances, your responsibilities as a supplier
  • Transition to electronic procurement (Web page) – 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.

Get help

If you need help understanding the federal procurement process or registering for a procurement business number:

Coaching service for equity-deserving businesses

  • Coaching service for experienced bidders: Procurement Assistance Canada’s coaching service provides personalized assistance to businesses owned or led by diverse groups who have had limited success bidding on federal government opportunities. Learn more about the coaching service.
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