An Article published in the Canadian Government Executive magazine and written by Procurement Ombudsman Frank Brunetta provides some solid guidance on how government buyers can execute a sole-source contract while remaining onside with government regulations and practices.

Vendors who are dealing with government employees anxious over using sole-sourcing, despite being a perfectly legitimate option, may want to share this article with them so they better understand the system.

The article can be found at: Read the rest of this entry »

[ARCHIVED August 2, 2016 – This page will no longer be updated.]

The Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman have come together to host “Town Hall” style discussions about suppliers’ experiences with Government Canada procurements.  Businesses will be able to meet Lorenzo Ieraci, the Deputy Procurement Ombudsman, to find out more about the services provided by the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman and to discuss their concerns and experiences with selling goods and services to the federal government.

Meetings are scheduled for Wednesday, November 27, 2013. Suppliers are invited to participate in one of three sessions: Read the rest of this entry »

[ARCHIVED August 2, 2016 – This page will no longer be updated. Please see https://blog.theproposalcentre.ca//list-of-primers/ for current information on key Government of Canada and Government of Ontario contract vehicles]

In an effort to reduce the costs and impacts of failed procurements, the federal government is undertaking consultations on a two-step bid evaluation process which would provide a one-time opportunity for bidders to remedy certain areas of non-compliance in their bids. Background information is provided in the following slide show: TSBEP – Backgrounder – English (2). Read the rest of this entry »

[ARCHIVED August 2, 2016 – This page will no longer be updated. Please see https://blog.theproposalcentre.ca//list-of-primers/ for current information on key Government of Canada and Government of Ontario contract vehicles]

Whether you are new to doing business with government, or have many years of experience in doing business with government, there is a good chance you’ll come out learning something new at a session the City of Ottawa is hosting on March 13, 2013.

In this session the City of Ottawa, the Province of Ontario, and the Government of Canada will each make a presentation on how you can sell your products or services to them. While most of the presentations will focus on the basics for those just getting started, we at The Proposal Centre still find it helpful to get an update on any changes being made or future plans being considered by each government.

The topics Read the rest of this entry »

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Posted this morning to MERX is a call for comments on a draft RFP to provide electronic tendering services.  It is of course ironic that MERX and all its competitors will need to download the RFP from MERX in order to view it and eventually bid on it.

Here’s hoping that this will lead to usability improvements and client-friendly features like free receipt of amendments by email, better search capabilities, and social media share features.  Will MERX improve or is this a chance for someone to come in an put a chink in MERX’ armour?

With the Federal Government itself going to tender on a new electronic tendering service in the next year or two, big changes could be underway, or at least we can hope!

[ARCHIVED August 2, 2016 – This page will no longer be updated. Please see https://blog.theproposalcentre.ca//list-of-primers/ for current information on key Government of Canada and Government of Ontario contract vehicles]

Based on feedback received during consultations, PWGSC is re-organizing its release dates for its major Professional Services Supply Arrangements and Standing Offers. Read the rest of this entry »

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In this post I try to hone in on the key items that vendors need to know about the Professional Services National Procurement Strategy (the “Strategy”) and the resulting impacts to how they do business with the government in the future.
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[ARCHIVED August 2, 2016 – This page will no longer be updated. Please see https://blog.theproposalcentre.ca//list-of-primers/ for current information on key Government of Canada and Government of Ontario contract vehicles]

The following attachments are the official slides from Public Works and Government Services Canada that were used during the ProServices Consultations in August and September 2012:

• ProServices Consultation Slides – English (September 2012)
• ProServices Consultation Slides – French (September 2012)

[ARCHIVED August 2, 2016 – This page will no longer be updated. Please see https://blog.theproposalcentre.ca//list-of-primers/ for current information on key Government of Canada and Government of Ontario contract vehicles]

In last week’s presentation on ProServices, PS Online’s replacement for Professional Services purchases under $78,500, Public Works and Government Services Canada representatives spent a fair amount of time discussing their “new” strategy for purchasing professional services. Several aspects of this strategy should have a meaningful impact on small and medium-sized vendors, and vendors new to selling to the federal government. Read the rest of this entry »

[ARCHIVED August 2, 2016 – This page will no longer be updated. Please see https://blog.theproposalcentre.ca//list-of-primers/ for current information on key Government of Canada and Government of Ontario contract vehicles]

As previously written, the Government of Canada is moving forward at replacing its outdated and under-used PS Online system which is used to purchase services under the NAFTA threshold ($78,500 in 2012). On September 18th, 2012, I attended the National Capital Region information and consultation session regarding ProServices. This post talks about what I heard from both PWGSC representatives and from vendors, along with some thoughts of my own.

Read the rest of this entry »