The document provides information on selling goods and services to the federal government of Canada. It outlines the role of the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) in assisting small businesses through the procurement process. It describes opportunities for small and medium enterprises, how to find and bid on procurement opportunities, and the evaluation process for bids. Key points include how to build relationships, understand procurement procedures, and best practices for submitting competitive bids for contracts over $25,000 Canadian dollars.

1. Tips on Selling to the Federal
Government

2. 2
Office of Small and Medium
Enterprises
• OSME was created to support small
and medium enterprises through the
federal procurement process.
• Role is to engage, assist and inform
SMEs on how to sell goods and
services to the Government of
Canada.
• OSME will work to reduce barriers to
ensure fairness in the process.
Engage Assist
InformReduce
Barriers

3. 3
Opportunities for SMEs
• One of the largest buyers of goods and
services in Canada.
• Buys billions of dollars of a wide range of
goods and services each year.
• Opportunities for contracts exist ranging
from hundreds to billions of dollars.
• Small and Medium Enterprises received
approximately three-quarters (more than
14,000 of the close to 18,000 contracts)
awarded annually to suppliers in Canada,
by PWGSC.

4. 4
Procurement Under $25,000
• Purchases under $25,000 are considered low-
dollar value.
• Many departments and agencies have the
authority to buy goods valued at $25,000 or less,
with higher values for services.
• Suppliers deal directly with end users. Suppliers
may be identified through networks and research
as well as various federal supplier registration
systems.
• Building relationships becomes increasingly
important
Access
Competition
Fairness

5. 5
Why Build Relationships?
• Connect with officials in departments
and agencies to learn about what
directions their department's
procurement may be heading.
• Let the PWGSC contracting authority
responsible for your particular good
or service know what you have to
offer.
• To distinguish yourself from the
crowd.

6. 6
Know Your Business and Know
Your Clients
• What does your research tell you about your end user's
needs?
• What unique features can you
emphasize?
• Who are the appropriate points of contact outside and/or
inside government?
• Do you want to be the prime or
subcontractor?

7. 7
The Government Electronic
Directory Service (GEDS)
• The Government
Electronic Directory
Services provides a
directory of all federal
public servants across
Canada, except
employees of the
Department of
National Defence,
RCMP, the Canadian
Security Intelligence
Service.

8. 8
Competitive Procurement over $25,000
• Procurement of goods and services over
$25,000 is done through the solicitation of bids
and quotes from potential suppliers using a
variety of methods.
• Tenders on the Buyandsell.gc.ca website will
show what method of procurement is being
used and will outline the solicitation documents.
• The four most commonly used are:
• An Invitation to Tender (ITT)
• A Request for Proposal (RFP)
• A Request for Standing Offer (RFSO)
• A Request for Supply Arrangement (RFSA)

9. 9
Buyandsell.gc.ca
• Created as the authoritative source for federal
government procurement information, including:
• Procurement policies and guidelines;
• Past and current procurement data;
• Key procurement contacts in departments and
agencies;
• Government of Canada procurement
programs; and
• Information related to upcoming events and
seminars.

10. 10
Finding Opportunities
• Government of Canada departments and
agencies must use Tenders on
Buyandsell.gc.ca to advertise purchasing
requirements subject to trade agreements.
• Lists all current and past notices of
procurement.
• Suppliers do not need to register, data is able
to be browsed and searched through powerful
search capabilities.
• For suppliers, this means: how can I sell and
what can I sell?

11. 11
Trade Agreements Affecting Procurement
11
$25,200 $80,400 $10,400,000
Goods Services Construction
$25,200 $100,000 $100,000
$200,900 $200,900 $7,700,000
North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA)
Agreement on Internal Trade
(AIT)
World Trade Organization
Agreement on Government
Procurement (WTO-AGP)
Agreement

12. 12
Five Steps to Bidding
12
Review the
solicitation
document
Decide
whether to
bid or not
Collect
information
about your
bid
Prepare
your bid
document
Submit
your bid

13. 13
Reviewing the Solicitation Document
• Follow the instructions and read all
the terms and conditions thoroughly.
• Ensure you address ALL of the
evaluation criteria: mandatory
requirements and point rated, as
applicable.
• Have a colleague review your
document before you submit it.
• Submit any questions to the
contracting authority prior to any
deadlines for questions.
13

14. 14
Decide Whether to Bid or Not
Is your
business
capable?
Does your
business
meet the
evaluation
criteria?
Are the
terms and
conditions
acceptable?
Is your
business
able to
accept the
pricing
method?

15. 15
Decide Whether to Bid or Not
Should you
partner with
another
supplier?
Keep on the
lookout for
red flags.
Know your
competition.
Clarify any
questions
with the
contracting
authority.

16. 16
Collect Information
• There may be times when you will need to
get hard-copy materials or samples.
• Check for bidder’s conference and site
visits.
• It is important to monitor the solicitation for
any amendments. You can bookmark the
webpage of the tender notice and return
to your bookmark to see the most current
information for the tender.
• You can also use web feeds to keep
yourself informed of amendments.
16

17. 17
Preparing Your Bid
17
• When preparing your bid, be sure
to follow the format stipulated,
including signing that you have
accepted the Terms and
Conditions.
• This signature block is usually
found on the first page.
• You may be asked to provide
your bid in various separately
bound sections such as:
• a technical section;
• management section;
• financial section;
• and certifications.

18. 18
Asking Questions During the
Procurement Process
Once a statement of work is
being prepared, for fairness, you
may only communicate with the
contracting authority indicated in
the solicitation document.

19. 19
Submitting Your Bid
19
Know when and
where your bid is
due. Check for
amendments to the
deadline.
Sign the
document and
include all
required signed
and completed
certifications.
Ensure your
proposal follows
the format
requested.
Review your bid,
then have
someone else
review it too.

20. 20
Basis of Selection
20
• Selection based on the lowest priced responsive bid
• Mandatory requirements must be met in order for the bid to be
considered responsive
Lowest
Priced
Responsive
Bid
• Selection is often based on lowest evaluated price per point
(as determined using a point-rated scale)
• Mandatory and point-rated technical criteria will be evaluated
Best Overall
Value
• Selection is based on the highest rated technical bid within a
stipulated budget
• Bidders are invited to propose a solution to a problem or a
method of achieving an objective within a stipulated budget
Highest
Technical Bid
Within a
Stipulated
Budget

21. 21
Best Practices for Bidding
• Read all terms and conditions thoroughly.
• Meet all mandatory criteria.
• Respond to all sections, regardless of point value.
• Provide the number of copies of your bid as
requested.
• Include all requested certifications.
• The contracting authority is your only point of
contact.
• Make sure to fill in and sign all required elements
within your bid.
• Follow the instructions completely and submit your
bid on time and to the right place.
21

22. 22
Best Practices for Bidding
• Organize your bid so that it is complete, concise and
precise.
• Include the following on the front page of your bid: The
reference number; Public Works and Government
Services Canada file number and the date; and the
name, address and phone number of your contact
person.
• Write an executive summary, paginate, and include a
table of contents.
• Pay attention to sections that may carry more points.
• Put your logo or business name on every page.
• Have fresh eyes do a quality review of your bid.
• After the contract has been awarded request a debrief.
22

23. 23
The Non-Competitive Approach
23
• In cases such as copyright,
licence or patent.
• For example: national
security.
• Not considered cost effective
to compete.
• Adjusted to $100,000 for
architectural, engineering
services as well as
international development
assistance projects.
• Delays could be injurious
to public interest.
• Example: boats needed
for an emergency
evacuation.
Pressing
Emergency
Cost not
Exceeding
$25,000
One Known
Supplier
Not in Public
Interest

24. 24
Build in Canada Innovation
Program (BCIP)
• Budget 2012 announcement made
the Build in Canada Innovation Program
permanent with the addition of a
military procurement component.
• Is designed to assist Canadian
businesses with innovative goods and
services move their innovations from
the laboratory to the marketplace.
• Suppliers can then use feedback
provided to further refine their
innovation as they move toward full
commercialization.
• Supporting Canadian businesses.
• Assisting in bridging the
“Pre-commercialization Gap”.
• Providing real-world evaluations of
pre-commercial goods and services.
• Improving the efficiency and
effectiveness of government
operations.

25. 25
Calls for Proposals
MILITARY
• Through a competitive process, the government will procure pre-commercial
innovative goods and services for testing and use in the federal government.
• Bidders are required to select either the Standard or Military component.
• Fully electronic submission process, supporting environment and national scope

26. 26
Include 80% Canadian content.
Obtain minimum pass marks for “Advance on State of the Art”.
Be included in one of the 4 Standard
Priority Areas.
• Calls for Proposals (CFP) tenders are posted on Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders.
• All Proposals must meet the following Mandatory Criteria and pass the Screening
Criteria of “Readiness” and “Commercialization Capacity”.
Calls for Proposals
Be included in one of the 6 Military
Priority Areas.
Be valued at $500K or less
(Applicable taxes and shipping extra).
Not have been sold commercially.
Be provided by Canadian bidders.
Show IP ownership or rights.
Be valued at $1 million or less
(Applicable taxes and shipping extra).

27. 27
How Will a Proposal Be Evaluated?
INNOVATION
Must demonstrate that the innovation is
an advance on the state of the art.
Must demonstrate that the innovation provides
financial and non-financial benefits to
Canadian society or the testing department.
BENEFITS
COMMERCIALIZATION
Must demonstrate that there is
sufficient market potential for the
innovation to sustain profitability.TEST PLAN
Must demonstrate that the test plan is
well thought out with clear objectives,
risk mitigation strategy and realistic
timelines.

28. 28
Pre-qualified Innovations
• Top ranked proposals, by score,
are pre-qualified until funding is
exhausted.
• All bidders receive debriefings
with evaluators’ comments and
scores.
Example Rankings
Funding
exhausted
Pre-qualified
Bid No. Score
Financial Cost
from Proposal
Bid 63 180 $ $
Bid 210 180 $ $
Bid 151 177 $
Bid 311 172 $ $
Bid 3 168 $ $ $ $ $
Bid 451 167 $
Bid 397 162 $ $ $ $ $
Bid 117 157 $ $
Bid 297 147 $ $

29. 29
Contracting and Testing
A Defence Validation
Committee, comprised of DND/CF
personnel, will assist in matching
innovations from the Military
component only, by helping to
identify potential testers within
DND/CF.
• An Innovation Management team connects
pre-qualified bidders with potential testing
departments.
• Departments can express interest to test and
provide feedback to suppliers.
• A contract for testing is negotiated and
awarded once match is confirmed with testing
department, and an acceptable test plan is
determined
• Pre-qualified bidders are not guaranteed
contracts.

30. 30
The BCIP Approach Multi-stage review
process, including
private sector experts
All bidders
receive
debriefings on
their evaluation
Outreach raises
awareness
Contracting
and Testing
Debriefing /
Top-ranked
Pre-qualified
Businesses
participate in a
Call for Proposals
Fair, open and
transparent
evaluationFully electronic
process, supporting
environment and
national scope
Supported by a
national outreach
strategy
Feedback from
testing is provided
to bidders
Outreach proactively
supports matchmaking

31. 31
Contact Information for Questions
OSME Pacific
osme-bpme-pac@pwgsc.gc.ca
1-866-602-0403

32. 32
Mailing list
Want to hear from OSME, join our mailing list:
http://tpsgc-pwgsc1.fluidsurveys.com/s/ContactInfo/

33. 33
BCIP Contact Information
Program E-mail
Send inquiries to:
Innovation@pwgsc.gc.ca
Update List
Subscribe to the BCIP
update mailing list
(on home page of program website)
Program Site
For more information
visit:
www.buyandsell.gc.ca/
innovation
Buy and Sell
Learn more on how
to sell to the government at
www.buyandsell.gc.ca/

34. 34
OSME Contact Information
Buyandsell.gc.ca National Infoline: 1-800-811-1148
Atlantic Region – Halifax
Telephone: 902-426-5677
Facsimile: 902-426-7969
osme-bpme-atl@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca
Ontario Region – Toronto
Telephone: 416-512-5577
Toll free: 1-800-668-5378
Facsimile: 416-512-5200
ont.bpme-osme@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca
Québec Region – Montréal
Telephone: 514-496-3525
Facsimile: 514-496-5891
QueBPME.QueOSME@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
National Capital Region – Gatineau
Telephone: 819-953-7878
Facsimile: 819-956-6123
RCNBPME.NCROSME@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Western Region – Edmonton
Telephone: 780-497-3601
Toll free: 1-855-281-6763
Facsimile: 780-497-3506
osme-bpme-wst@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca
Pacific Region – Vancouver
Toll free: 1-866-602-0403
Facsimile: 604-775-7395
osme-bpme-pac@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca