Primer: PWGSC Professional Audit and Support Services (PASS) Supply Arrangement
The Government of Canada purchases professional services primarily through contract vehicles such as standing offers (SO) and supply arrangements (SA). In some cases, the use of a standing offer or supply arrangement is mandatory.
For professional services contracts related to audit and accounting services, the Professional Audit and Support Services (PASS) SA is an essential contract vehicle and will be for years to come.
PWGSC PASS SA: Mandatory for Audit and Accounting Services [Open for bids indefinitely – Quarterly due dates: last business day of the month in March, June, September and December. Next due date: December 31, 2021.]
The PASS SA is the mandatory procurement tool for most purchases of professional audit and accounting services. PASS is organized into the following streams:
- Stream 1: Internal Audit
- Stream 2: Internal Audit Quality Assessments
- Stream 3: Information Technology and Systems Audit
- Stream 4: Forensic Audit
- Stream 5: External Audit
- Stream 6: Financial and Accounting Services
- Stream 7: Internal Control Training
- Stream 8: Recipient/Contribution Agreement Audit
A full listing of all the streams included in PASS (most recent RFSA) can be found in our TPC Overview – PWGSC PASS SA (2020-02).
PASS is an essential contract vehicle to hold if you wish to provide services to the Government of Canada in any of the professional services areas listed above.
To qualify for PASS, you must respond to and comply with the PASS RFSA Refresh .
Highlights of the PASS Request for Supply Arrangement (PASS RFSA)
The PASS RFSA Refresh is open for bids indefinitely. Bids are evaluated quarterly and are due on the last day of the month in March, June, September and December.
Key Requirements
- Relevant projects completed within the past five years:
- Streams 1, 3, 5, and 8 – Four projects valued at >$40,000
- Stream 4 – Four projects valued at >$50,000
- Stream 6 – Four projects valued at >$20,000
- Streams 2 and 7 – Two projects valued at >$10,000
- For Streams 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 – Five resources (including one Partner/Managing Director, one Project Manager/Leader, and three at Senior Auditor or Auditor levels) who meet the minimum mandatory requirements for each position.
- For Streams 2 and 7 – Five resources (including one Partner/Managing Director, one Project Manager/Leader, one Senior Auditor, and two additional resources at any of the Partner/Managing Director, Project Manager/Leader or Senior Auditor levels), who meet the minimum mandatory requirements for each position.
- For Stream 5 only: Corporate Profile demonstrating five years of experience in providing external audit of financial statements and/or related services, the ability to provide opinions on financial statements, and that the bidder is licensed to sign financial statements in Canada
For more details on the specific requirements for each stream, according to the most recent version of the PASS RFSA, please see our TPC Overview – PWGSC PASS SA (2020-02).
A proposal requires both an email submission (to be provided when requested) and the entry of data into the Centralized Professional Services System (CPSS)
Government of Canada Security Clearances
In addition to the requirements noted above, suppliers need to obtain a minimum of a Designated Organization Screening (DOS) security clearance. This is an organization clearance, which is separate from personal security clearances.
Suppliers may submit a bid for PASS without holding a security clearance, but will not be awarded a supply arrangement until their clearance is granted. As soon as possible (even before submitting a bid), suppliers who do not yet hold a DOS (or higher) organization clearance should request sponsorship from the PASS SA Authority to start the clearance process.
[N.B. DOS organization clearance is essential for all firms providing services under government contracts, even for organizations who are subcontractors/independent contractors working for a larger firm]
Additional Information and Support
We’re here to help! If you have any questions about the PASS Supply Arrangement, doing business with the federal government, or doing business with any public sector organization, please don’t hesitate to Contact Us. We would be very happy to answer your questions. We have even created a special package to support you with your submission. Contact Us today for more details.
