1. ©Copyright
Doing Business with
the Government of Canada
Supplier Seminar 1
Presented by:
The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME)
Public Works and Government Services (PWGSC)

2. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Overview: Modules
SUPPLIER SEMINAR 1
• M d l 1 Understanding the Process
Module 1: U d t di th P
• Module 2: Registering Your Business
• Module 3: Promoting Yourself
• Module 4: Searching for Opportunities
SUPPLIER SEMINAR 2
• Module 5: Bidding on Opportunities
2

3. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Doing Business with
the Government of Canada
Module 1
Understanding the Process
3

4. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Overview
• Who does the buying?
• What does the government buy?
• Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME)
• How is purchasing done?
• What you need to do to become a supplier
• www.buyandsell.gc.ca
4

5. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Who does the buying?
Government of Canada
• The federal government is one of the largest buyers of
goods and services in Canada
• Purchases approximately $15 - 20 billion in goods and
services annually
y
GC in Business with 300,000 Suppliers
Other Government Departments Contracts
Volume PWGSC Contracts
415,000
60,000
OGDs
PWGSC Contracts Contract
Value $12.4B (1) $2.6B
$
Includes $6.2B in Military
Procurement 5
(1) Based on 3 year average 2005-2008

6. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Who does the buying?
Public Works and Government Services Canada
(PWGSC)
• PWGSC is the largest buyer of goods and services for the
federal government
• Responsible for approximately 80% of the dollar value of
contracts issued by the Government of Canada
• Responsible for over 13% of the contracts issued by the
Government of Canada
• Manages procurement for over 100 departments and
g
agencies 6

7. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Who does the buying?
Other Federal Departments and Agencies
p g
• Can do their own purchasing within certain dollar limits
• May have own purchasing processes that differ from
PWGSC
• Often use PWGSC even for requirements they could
purchase themselves
7

8. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
What does the Government buy?
• Over 15,000 different types of goods and services are
purchased
• Goods include: cheese, horse saddles, paper clips, printers,
sleeping bags, vehicles, etc.
• Services include: business analysts, cleaning, consulting,
instructors, systems architects, transportation, etc.
• You can be sure to find a market for your product or service
• Majority of contracts valued at under $76,600
• Commodities List:
https://www.achatsetventes-buyandsell.gc.ca/eng/commoditycodes
8

9. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Office of Small and Medi m Enterprises
Medium Ente p ises
Importance of SMEs
• There are 2.4 million SMEs in Canada (~850,000 in Ontario):
• SMEs are important to federal procurement
• SMEs are competitive and innovative
• Supporting SMEs supports the economy
• In 2005 Public Works and Government Services Canada
established the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME)
to encourage SMEs to do business with the federal government
government.
The mandate of OSME is:
• To assist Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as they
navigate the procurement system;
• To represent the views of SMEs within the procurement
system to ensure clear and transparent policies and tools 9

10. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Canadian Innovation Commercialization Program
(CICP)
• The CICP is a new, $40 million initiative, launched as part of the Government of Canada’s
commitment to promote Canada’s economic growth as announced in Budget 2010.
• Created to bolster innovation in Canada’s business sector, the CICP will help companies
bridge the pre-commercialization gap for their innovative products and services.
• Officially launched on September 24, 2010.
y p ,
• The CICP will target innovations in four priority areas: Environment; Safety and security;
Health; and Enabling technologies.
• The program will consist of four Calls for Proposals, which will include a full description of
the Priority Areas and specific criteria for selection The first Call for Proposals was posted
selection.
on October 5, 2010 on MERX TM and closed on November 16, 2010. The next Call for
Proposals is planned for Spring 2011.
• For more information:
• Visit www buyandsell gc ca/innovation
www.buyandsell.gc.ca/innovation
• Regularly visit www.merx.com to find detailed requirements for any open Call for
Proposals and to obtain details on how to submit a proposal.
• Contact OSME 10

11. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
What you need to do to become a supplier
• Register Your Business
• Proactively apply for Security Clearances
• Promote Yourself
• Search for Opportunities
• pp
Bid on Opportunities
11

12. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
www.buyandsell.gc.ca
www buyandsell gc ca
12

13. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Doing Business with
the Government of Canada
Module 2
Registering Your Business
13

14. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Overview
• Supplier Registration Information (SRI) System
• Professional Services Online (PS On-Line)
• SELECT
• Security Cl
S it Clearance
14

15. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Supplier Registration Information (SRI)
System
• Directory of businesses accessible to all federal government
buyers to identify potential suppliers
• Register using your Canada Revenue Agency Business Number
(GST/HST Number) and legal name
• Register:
• Online: https://srisupplier.contractscanada.gc.ca/
• By telephone: 1-800-811-1148
l h 800 8 8
15

16. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Why Register in SRI?
• Mandatory to do business with PWGSC
• Required to register in other PWGSC databases
• Used for low-dollar value buys
• Registration is free
• You will be issued a Procurement Business Number (PBN)
16

17. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Tips for Registering in SRI
• Registration is free and takes approximately 15 minutes if
you have your CRA Business / GST N
h B i Number
b
• Make sure you register using the exact same legal name
you have registered with CRA
• Make sure you choose all the commodities relevant to your
y y
products or services
• Keep your information up to date
17

18. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Professional Services (PS) Online
• Procurement tool for professional services in areas such
as:
• Information Technology
f
• Human Resources Management
• Organizational Management
• Project Management
• Organization and Classification Services
• Change Management / Organizational Development Services
• Form of Supply Arrangement
F fS l A t
• Pre-qualification and Mini-RFP process
• For professional services contracts up to $76,600
• Contact: Sharon Dent at
rcnspenligne.ncrpsonline@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
• Visit: www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/sp-ps/index-eng.html
www.tpsgc pwgsc.gc.ca/app acq/sp ps/index eng.html 18

19. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
SELECT
https://select.pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca
• Database of approved suppliers in
• Construction
• Architecture
• Engineering
• Related maintenance and consulting services
• Government buyers use it for contracts up to:
• $76,600 – Architecture and Engineering
• $100 000 – Construction and Trades
$100,000
19

20. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Registering in SELECT
You will need your PBN and SRI username and password to register
Construction/Maintenance Consulting Contract
Contract
• General company information • General company information
• Specific Trades for which your • The provinces your firm is currently
firm wishes to apply licensed or authorized to practice
• Licence Data (if applicable) • E l
Employee Q lifi i I f
Qualification Information
i
• Reference Project Data • Project Information and Employee
Responsibility on each project
You must verify your information every 12 months
20

21. ©Copyright
REGISTERING ON SELECT
Construction & Maintenance Contract Registration
•You will be required to p o ide
Yo ill eq i ed provide:
– General company information
– Specific Trades for which your firm wishes to apply
– Li
License D t (if you are registering for a licensed trade)
Data i t i f li dt d )
– Reference Project Data
21

22. ©Copyright
REGISTERING IN SELECT
Consulting Contract Registration
•You will be required to provide:
You
– General company information
– The provinces (corresponding to Disciplines) in which your firm
is currently licensed or authorized to practice
– Employee Qualification Information
– Project Information and Employee Responsibility on each
project
22

23. ©Copyright
HOW IS SELECT USED BY PWGSC?
•SELECT is used to identify firms for the acquisition of:
– Construction Services
– Architectural and Engineering Services as well as Services in
Services,
related disciplines, and
– Other Real Property Professional or Maintenance Services
Services.
23

24. ©Copyright
HOW IS SELECT USED BY PWGSC?
Construction Services Contracts
•For a requirement with an estimated value of up to $10K SELECT
Fo eq i ement ith al e p $10K,
will provide the names of 3 firms to the Project Manager, who will
choose one and negotiate with that firm.
– Should negotiations fail, the Project Manager selects a name
from the remaining firms and again begins negotiations.
– If none of the three firms agrees to do the work, the Project
Manager can request more names from SELECT.
24

25. ©Copyright
HOW IS SELECT USED BY PWGSC?
Construction Services Contracts (Cont’d)
•For a requirement with an estimated value of between $10K and
$100K, SELECT will provide the names of 5 qualified firms for
competitive tenders (this is the default number).
– With the current rate of response to invitations to tender, this
number allows for effective competition and yields satisfactory
results.
•Requirements with an estimated value of more than $100K are
processed through GETS (MERX) — typically through an Invitation to
Tender (ITT).
25

26. ©Copyright
HOW IS SELECT USED BY PWGSC?
General Services Contracts
•It is not mandatory that SELECT be used.
– This is because the SELECT database may not contain the
names and qualifications records of firms in the area of
services and expertise required.
– When it is known that the database does or could contain the
names and qualifications of such firms, Project Managers are
encouraged to use SELECT.
– If SELECT is not appropriate, requirements are processed
through GETS (MERX) in a manner similar to the typical
approach used in PWGSC.
26

27. ©Copyright
HOW IS SELECT USED BY PWGSC?
Architecture and Engineering Services Contracts
•For a requirement with an estimated value of up to $10K SELECT
$10K,
will provide the names of 3 qualified firms to the Project Manager,
who will choose one and enter into negotiations with that firm.
– Should negotiations be unsuccessful, the Project Manager
selects a name from the remaining firms and again undertakes
negotiations.
– If none of the three firms agrees to undertake the work, the
Project Manager can request more names.
27

28. ©Copyright
HOW IS SELECT USED BY PWGSC?
Architecture and Engineering Services Contracts
•For a requirement with an estimated value of between $10K and
$76.6K
$76 6K (currently NAFTA threshold), SELECT can provide the names
threshold)
of 5 firms for competitive proposals (called “mini-proposals”);
however, this is rarely if ever done.
– Typically, SELECT will provide one name and the Project
yp y, p j
Manager will negotiate with that firm. Should negotiations fail
or the firm be unable to accept the work, the Project Manager
can seek a new name from SELECT.
•Requirements with an estimated value of more than $76.6K are
processed through GETS (MERX)— typically a ‘Request for Proposals’
(RFP) or via existing standing offers
offers.
28

29. ©Copyright
RECAP
•You can register on SELECT for Construction and Maintenance or
Architecture, Engineering or related Real Property Consulting
services.
•You will require a Procurement Business Number to register on
SELECT.
SELECT
•Firms MUST have existed for at least three years to be eligible to
register in SELECT.
g
•Firms changing their legal status (name change, incorporation etc.)
will not be eligible to register in SELECT for three years even though
they may have personnel with many years of experience
experience.
29

30. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Security Clearances -
When are they necessary?
• Some government contracts require suppliers to have
access to PROTECTED and/or CLASSIFIED information
• You will need a reliability screening or security clearance to
bid on, or to be awarded a contract when there are
security requirements
30

31. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
What are they?
• An organization security screening/clearance determines
whether an organization is eligible to access information
and assets of the same or lower level as the
screening/clearance being granted
• Under the Government Security Policy, the Canadian
Industrial Security Directorate (CISD) is responsible
for security screening in the federal government including
screening private sector companies and personnel and
specifying security-required terms and conditions in
classified contractual documents
• ssi-iss.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
31

32. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Security Clearance - Levels
Facility
Security
Clearance
Designated
Organization
Screening
Note that
N t th t screenings are progressive - a screening at any
i i i t
particular level automatically encompasses the level(s) below
32

33. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Requesting documents for security …
• Ontario Region
John P Von Zuben
P.
Regional Chief Security & Emergency Preparedness
PWGSC - Ontario Region
4900 Yonge St., Toronto ON M2N 6A6
E-mail: john.vonzuben@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Telephone: 416-512-5968 Facsimile: 416-952-6481
• National Capital Area Region
Tower C, Room 0C1-100A
11 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0S5
E-mail: ncr.osme@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
Telephone: 1-800-811-1148 Facsimile: 819-956-6859
1 800 811 1148 819 956 6859 33

34. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Doing Business with
the Government of Canada
Module 3
Promoting Yourself
P ti Y lf
34

35. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Overview
O e ie
• Finding customers
• Who should I talk to?
• Other Resources
35

36. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Overview
• How do I find customers?
• Conduct research and gather intelligence
• Identify opportunities
• Promote yourself
• Who should I talk to?
• Commodity Managers
• Materiel Managers
• Decision Makers
• Other Resources
• Contract History database in Contracts Canada
• Canadian Awards Database in MERXTM
• Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada – Proactive Disclosure
36

37. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Delegation of Authority
PWGSC (Minister) Sample of Departments and Agencies with
– Highest Delegation for $25K delegation for goods:
g g
Goods, S i
G d Services &
Construction. • Agriculture and Agri-Food • Labour
• Canadian Food Inspection • Natural Resources
Agency • Public Safety and Emergency
Departments &
p • Canadian Heritageg p
Preparedness
Agencies • Citizenship and Immigration • Canada Border Services Agency
• Foreign Affairs and • Royal Canadian Mounted Police
– Services & Construction as
International Trade • Transport
per Treasury Board –
• Environment • Economic Development Agency of
up to $2m.
$2m • P k Canada
Parks C d Canada
C d
– Goods – $5K as per • Human Resources and • Office of the Commissioner of
PWGSC. Skills Development Official Languages
• Finance • Privy Council Office
• Health • Fisheries and Oceans
25 Ministers have a • Indian Affairs and Northern • Veterans Affairs
$25K delegation for Development • Western Economic Diversification
• Industry • National Defence
Goods.
• Justice • Treasury Board 37

38. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Contacts
38

39. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Procurement Allocations Directory (PAD)
• Searchable database of key PWGSC commodity managers
located at National Headquarters
• Directory is organized by commodity
• You can search for contacts by Goods, Services or
Construction
• Ask these contacts about how your goods or services are
A k th t t b th d i
purchased, including:
• Purchasing cycles
• Standing Offers / Supply Arrangements
• Further contacts
• Green considerations
39

40. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Searching PAD
40

41. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Departmental Materiel Managers Directory
• Directory of Materiel Managers who manage purchasing in
other departments and agencies
• Organized by region and by department
• Contact specific departments you are interested in selling
to find out:
• How they purchase
• Who the end users are
• Further contacts
• Delegated authority
41

42. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Searching for Materiel Managers
42

43. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Government Electronic Directory Services
(GEDS)
• Internet-based address book of federal government
employees
• Use i
U it to search – b d
h by department or agency – f key
for k
contacts in your area of interest
• Find th
Fi d other contacts in the same divisions as those in PAD
t t i th di i i th i
and the Materiel Managers Directory
• Identify decision makers and end users to market your
goods and services
• sage-geds.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
sage-geds tpsgc-pwgsc gc ca 43

44. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Searching GEDS
44

45. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Other Resources
• Previous Award Notices in Contract History
Database
• csi.contratscanada-contractscanada.gc.ca
• Database of contracts awarded by PWGSC over the last 3
years
• Search by Commodity, Customer, Vendor or Contract
number
• Find out:
• Which departments and agencies use PWGSC to buy
h hd d GSC b
your goods/services
• Contract value and successful bidder
45

46. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Contract History Database
46

47. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Other Resources
• Accessing Canadian Awards in MERXTM
• www.merx.com
• Database of contracts awarded by Government of Canada
over the last 3 years
• Search by Commodity, Customer, Vendor or Contract
number
b
• Find out:
• Which departments and agencies use MERX to buy
your goods/services
• Contract value and successful bidder
47

48. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Other Resources
• Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) -
Proactive Disclosure
• www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pd-dp/gr-rg/index-eng.asp
• Links to departmental websites that disclose all contracts
issued over $10,000
• Organized by year/quarter
• Find contract values and successful bidders
ont a t al es s essf l bidde s
48

49. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Doing Business with
the Government of Canada
Module 4
Searching f
S hi for O
Opportunities
t iti
49

50. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Overview
O e ie
• What is the Government Electronic Tendering Service?
• What can I do on MERXTM?
• Resources for SMEs
50

51. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
What is the
Government Electronic Tendering Service?
• Government of C
G t f Canada’s tendering system
d ’ t d i t
• Allows suppliers to search for bid opportunities online
• Service is currently hosted on MERXTM
• The only online tendering service used by federal
government
• Trade Agreements Thresholds have an impact on p
g p postings
g
• PWGSC and other government departments post most
opportunities over $25,000 on MERX™
• Federal government opportunities identified with the
Canadian flag
• www.merx.com
51

52. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Trade Ag eements Th esholds
T ade Agreements Thresholds
Agreement
g Goods Services Construction
AIT: Agreement on Internal
$25,000 $100,000 $100,000
Trade
NAFTA: North American Free
$27,300 $76,600 $9.9 million
Trade Agreement
WTO AGP:
WTO-AGP: World Trade
Organization - Agreement on $221,300 $221,300 $8.5 million
Government Procurement
Other: Canada-Chile Free
Canada Chile
Trade Agreement, Canada-
Colombia Free Trade $76,600 $76,600 $8.5 million
Agreement, Canada-Peru Free
Trade Agreement 52

53. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
What can I do on MERXTM ?
• You can register on MERXTM with your PBN
On MERX™ you can………
Action Registration Cost
Search - view bidding Not required free
opportunities
Download – tender documents y
yes free
Receive updates – on yes free
downloaded documents
View – previous awards
Vi i d yes free
f
Automatic Bid Matching – to yes Free/
your provided profile(s) cost 53

54. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Searching - MERX™ Homepage
MERX
• Opportunities sorted
by industry type.
y y yp
• Shows new tenders
published each day.
54

55. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Searching – MERXTM Opportunities Page
• Closing / Deadline date and time
• Region of d li
R i f delivery
• Preview / Order the solicitation document
Canadian Flag indicates Check the closing date to Check the region of
a federal government ensure you have enough delivery
opportunity time to prepare your
proposal
55

56. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Resources for SMEs
• www.buyandsell.gc.ca
• OSME (Ontario Region): www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/ontario/osme
• Public Works and Government Services Canada: www.pwgsc.gc.ca
• Supplier Registration Information:
https://srisupplier.contractscanada.gc.ca
• Professional Services Online (PS Online):
www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/sp-ps/index-eng.html
t / / /i d ht l
• Other professional services:
www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/sp-ps-eng.html
• Communication and Printing services:
www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/communications-eng.html
56

57. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Resources for SMEs
• SELECT: https://select.pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca
• MERX™: www.merx.com
• Procurement Allocation Directory (PAD): pad.contractscanada.gc.ca
• Departmental Materiel Managers Directory (DMMD):
https://www.achatsetventes-buyandsell.gc.ca/eng/materielmanagers
• Government Electronic Directory Services (GEDS):
y ( )
sage-geds.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
• Contract History (PWGSC) – Business Access Canada:
csi.contractscanada.gc.ca
• Find a Commodity Code (GSIN):
https://www.achatsetventes-buyandsell.gc.ca/eng/commoditycodes
57

58. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Resources for SMEs
• Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Businesses (PSAB):
www.ainc-inac.gc.ca/ecd/ab/psa/index-eng.asp
• PSAB Aboriginal Business Directory (ABD):
www.ic.gc.ca/app/ccc/sld/cmpny.do?tag=248&profileId=381&lang=eng
• Canadian Company Capabilities Database:
www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ccc-rec.nsf/eng/home
• Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) Proactive Disclosure:
www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pd-dp/gr-rg/index-eng.asp
• Industrial Security Program- PWGSC:
ssi-iss.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca
• Standard Acquisitions Clauses and Conditions Manual (SACC):
sacc.pwgsc.gc.ca/sacc/index-e.jsp
/ /i d j
• PWGSC Supply Manual:
www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app-acq/ga-sm/index-eng.html
58

59. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Resources for SMEs
• Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP): privcom.gc.ca
• Office of Procurement Ombudsman (OPO): opo-boa.gc.ca
• Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT): www.citt-tcce.gc.ca
Other sites:
• Canada Business: canadabusiness.ca
• Service Canada – For Employers: www.servicecanada.gc.ca/employers
• Canada Revenue Agency – Topics for Business:
www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/bsnss
• Ministry of Government Services (Province of Ontario):
www.doingbusiness.mgs.gov.on.ca
• MARCAN: www.marcan.net
59

60. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
Questions?
OSME Ontario Region Web Site
www.pwgsc.gc.ca/ontario/osme
OSME Ontario Region Information Line
1-800-668-5378
1 800 668 5378 or 416 512 5577
416-512-5577
OSME Ontario Region E-mail
ont.osme@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca
National Hot Line
1-800-811-1148
Thank You 60

61. Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) ©Copyright
©Copyright
Minister of Public Works and Government Services, Canada 1999.
All rights reserved. Permission is granted to electronically copy and to print in
hard copy for internal use only. No part of this information may be
reproduced, modified, or redistributed in any form or by any means, for any
purposes other than those noted above (including sales), without the prior
written permission of the Minister of Public Works and Government Services,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0S5.
61