This publication is intended to provide interested bidders with general guidelines on the process for submitting bids to Public Services and Procurement Canada’s Bid Receiving Unit (BRU) in the region indicated in the Bid Solicitation Document through Canada Post’s Connect Service. It is not intended to provide technical support for using the product. For instructions on your role as a user of the Connect service, you may contact Canada Post’s Connect Service and/or refer to the Supplier’s Guide provided by the Bid Receiving Unit when requesting the opening of a conversation as described below.
Step 1 ‒ In order to ensure a response, notify the BRU via email that you intend to submit your bid using Connect as early as possible, and at least six business days prior to the bid solicitation closing date.
Email addresses of the various regional offices of the Bid Receiving Unit:
National Capital Region (NCR): tpsgc.pareceptiondessoumissions-apbidreceiving.pwgsc@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Pacific Region: TPSGC.RPReceptiondessoumissions-PRBidReceiving.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Western Region: TPSGC.ROReceptionSoumissions.WRBidReceiving.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Ontario Region: TPSGC.ORreceptiondessoumissions-ORbidreceiving.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Quebec Region: TPSGC.RQReceptionSoumissions-QRSupplyTendersReception.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Atlantic Region: TPSGC.RAReceptionSoumissionsTNL-ARBidReceivingNL.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
In your email request, please indicate that you intend to submit your bid through Connect. This does not mean that the bid is ready to be sent; rather, sending this email will allow the BRU to initiate a “conversation” on your behalf through the Connect service, so that you can prepare the submission of your bid when it is ready to be sent. Should you send your email after this cut-off date, but before bid closing time, the BRU will still attempt to accommodate your request whenever possible.
Important: Bids will not be accepted if emailed directly to this email address. This email address is to be used only to request the opening of a Connect conversation, as detailed in Standard Instructions 2003, 2006 or 2008, or to send bids through a Connect conversation created by the bidder, if the latter are using its own Canada Post licensing agreement for Connect.
The request for opening a Connect conversation that you send by email must contain the complete solicitation number, which includes the forward slash and the letter if applicable. If no alternative email address is indicated in your request, the BRU will send you the information for the next steps, as well as a detailed guide in both official languages, to the email address you used to send your email. You should also include the names of your company and a contact person.
It is not necessary to request the opening of a new conversation when you wish to resubmit the modified documents of a bid you have already submitted (revision). You can use the same conversation that you used to submit your original documents.
Step 2 ‒ Check your email for a Connect notification
After the BRU has received your email request, a Connect conversation will be opened using the email address you have provided. The opening of this conversation will generate an email with a notice indicating that the generic BRU email has sent you a message. The first time you receive a Connect message, you must click on the “Access the Message” green button within the email. This action will bring you to the Connect service online portal where you will create, at no cost, a profile with a username and password, if you have not already created a profile (please refer to the guide provided by the BRU for the detailed steps of the process).
Important: If you do not see a Connect message in your regular email in-box, it is recommended that you check your junk email folder, in case it may have been diverted there by your system settings. You may also wish to discuss these settings with your organization’s IT department.
A note from Canada Post regarding a Connect account security functionality:
When you receive the Connect email invitation and click on the “Access the Message” button to open a session in this application, the username and password that you will use are the only credentials that will now work for all Connect messages sent to your email address.
Please do not forward the invitation email to another individual with the expectation that they can click on the “Access the Message” button, create a Canada Post account (profile), and log in to see the messages that are intended for you. This will not work.
Only the username and password that were used at the first login will enable you to access the messages intended for your email address.
If you choose to delegate the responsibility of managing the Connect account linked to your email, then only the username and password used by your delegate will be able to access your Connect messages.
Step 3 ‒ To submit your proposal documents to the BRU
In order to send your proposal documents to the BRU, please follow the steps below:
Step 1
You will see a message from the BRU generic email in the Connect inbox. To access the message from the BRU, click on the name of the conversation that corresponds to the solicitation on which you wish to bid. Attention: To prevent your submission documents from being disregarded, make sure you use the right conversation, with the right solicitation bid number since electronic documents submitted to and received by the BRU will be opened only after the closing date and time of the solicitation corresponding to the title of the conversation.
Step 2
To view the contents of the message, click on the Open button.
Step 3
The envelope will open and the message sent by the BRU will appear. To send your bid to the BRU, click on the ‟Post Message” button.
Step 4
Enter a text to indicate that you are attaching your bid documents related to the bid solicitation specifying the number of the bid solicitation. Attach your bid documents. Click on the ‟Submit” button.
Once you have submitted your bid, and to ensure that the transmission is completed, reopen the conversation and check whether the time and date of the transmission (mailing) are clearly indicated at the top right of the message.
Step 4 ‒ A message acknowledging receipt of your bid documents will be provided by the Bid Receiving Unit through the Connect service within 24 business hours following receipt of your documents, at the latest.
There is no point in contacting the Bid Receiving Unit to find out whether they have received your documents or to enquire about their status, since they will be opened only after the closing date and time of the bid solicitation.
IMPORTANT: You must send an email to the BRU to indicate your intent to use the Connect product for each bid solicitation.
This will enable the BRU to initiate conversations specific to the bid solicitation and ensure that your bid is received and processed in an organized and timely manner. Once your bid is received on time, the BRU transfers a copy of your bid to the Contracting Authority after the closing date. The BRU closes each conversation approximately 120 days after all bids have been processed following the closing date, and destroys all bids received after the closing date and time, and after a late letter has been sent by email to the bidder.
If you experience any technical difficulties that prevent you from accessing the Connect service, please contact the Connect Customer Service at 1-877-376-1212 (regardless of the date and time).