[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 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.
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]

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As previously written, the Government of Canada is moving forward at replacing its outdated and under-used PS Online system which is used to purchase services under the NAFTA threshold ($78,500 in 2012).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 »

[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]

After several years of rumours regarding the replacement for the Canadian Federal Government’s PS Online system, details are starting to be released.

The ProServices Supply Arrangement (SA) is expected to be operational in the Spring of 2013. While there are not a lot of details available to date, here is what know at this time:

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]

An important consultation is being facilitated by PWGSC/Government of Canada in regards to their Acquisitions Policy on Small and Medium Enterprises. This policy seeks to reduce barriers and support fairer access to government opportunities for all suppliers and in particular small and medium enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are disproportionately affected by poor procurement practices and this policy helps to acknowledge and address barriers which exist. I encourage anyone with prior knowledge or experience (successful or otherwise) with selling to government to take a few minutes to participate in this survey.

Read the rest of this entry »

A cautionary tale of the perils and pitfalls of proposal deadline day

On the wall of my former manager’s office hung a testament to how, despite the best of intentions, a large proposal involving dozens of people and countless hours of effort can easily come down to a frantic, last-minute tear through the streets of Ottawa and Gatineau.

This testament was a photocopy of a bid receipt – the document that is issued to confirm a proposal has been received by deadline. The time stamp was 2 p.m., which, incidentally, had been the cut off time. The proposal had been delivered and accepted, literally, at the last minute.

Upon the photocopy my manager had written “Never Again.”

Which begs the question – How had it come to this?

Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to The Proposal Centre’s new blog.  Through our blog, and the resources available on our website, we openly share our knowledge in writing winning proposals.

Knowing the system goes a long way towards proposal success.  In this blog we will  help you understand the system by covering a wide range of proposal-related topics including:

• Proposal management and proposal concepts
• Proposal writing hints and tips
• Stories from the proposal management front lines
• Insights on specific government organizations or specific contracts/contract vehicles
• News on public sector procurement policies and activities, particularly in Canada

Our first post (at least the first after this intro) will resonate with many of you who have done proposals before.  As one commenter previously stated “Proposals are our corporate fitness program”. Enjoy!

We would love to hear your feedback and questions, so please don’t hesitate to add your comments or contact us directly. We wish you all the best success in your bids and hope you find the information we share helpful in your pursuits.

Kind regards,

Keith Parker
President, The Proposal Centre