[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]

Following the renewal of the Task-Based Request for Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements, the Government of Canada has published the median rates established for TSPS Standing Offers by Region and Metropolitan Area, Category of Personnel, and Level of Expertise. The rates can be viewed online, or downloaded in Microsoft Excel or PDF format from TSPS SO Median Rates notice.

The data in TSPS SO Median Rates is provided for information and reference purposes, to enable government, private sector, and non-government organizations to review the current median rates. The median rates apply to TSPS Task-Based Standing Offers only. Read the rest of this entry »

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

Do you supply services to the Government of Canada through a Temporary Help Services (THS) Standing Offer or Supply Arrangement? You may be interested in serving as a member on the Temporary Help Services Advisory Committee (THSAC).

THSAC was created by Public Works and Government Services Canada Acquisitions Branch (PWGSC AB) in 2006. The Committee provides a consultative forum focused on continually improving the methods of supply for the provision of THS to federal government departments in the National Capital Region (NCR). Through the Committee’s advice and recommendations, PWGSC AB hopes to better meet the needs and objectives of the Government of Canada. Read the rest of this entry »

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

PWGSC is hosting an information session on the new Defense Procurement Information Session on April 11, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. at the Ottawa Convention Centre.  Learn about the new strategy and understand how your company may benefit from this major change in procurement practices.  You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback.

Please see the official notice below for instructions regarding registering for the event. Read the rest of this entry »

[ARCHIVED – This article has been replaced with https://blog.theproposalcentre.ca//2016/01/20/nafta-threshold-for-2016-2017/]

The Government of Canada’s contracting policies and regulations are affected by numerous trade agreements that Canada has signed with other countries and even one between the provinces (the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)). Of all the agreements, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has the most significant impact on government procurement by dictating some of the terms governing how solicitations are run.

From a services perspective, the threshold for the past two years has been $78,500.  Treasury Board has recently announced that for the period from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2015, the threshold  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]

TSPS Task-Based and TSPS Solutions-Based Requests for Supply Arrangement will be posted on the Buyandsell.gc.ca website “on or about” February 19, 2014. TBIPS Requests for Supply Arrangement are also expected be posted in “mid February”. Read the rest of this entry »

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

The Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) is an ongoing federal acquisitions program designed to help kick start businesses and support innovations designed in Canada. The program assists small and medium businesses with moving their innovations into domestic and international markets. The second week of February, the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises and Strategic Engagement – National Capital Region is hosting the BCIP Innovation Forum 2014. 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]

Late last week PWGSC updated ProServices Supply Arrangement bidders on the status of the evaluation process for bids received in response to the ProServices Request for Supply Arrangement that was due July 2013.  The process is finally nearing completion with implementation of the Supply Arrangement targeted for February 3, 2014. 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]

According to PWGSC, technical issues have delayed the Solutions-Based Informatics Professional Services (SBIPS) Request for Supply Arrangement (RFSA) until early 2014.

Very few changes are expected in the SBIPS RFSA. If you are interested in getting a head-start, or have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information and to learn what you can do to prepare.

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

Over the weekend several enhancements were implemented to http://buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders resulting in improved searching of tenders and award notices, improved information and sort capability in search results pages, and more responsive web (RSS) feeds.  For more information see:

https://buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders-enhancements-improved-search-and-sort-capabilities-and-web-feeds

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 »