Doing Business with the Government of Canada

Transcription

1 Doing Business with the Government of Canada 1

2 The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises OSME will assist you in navigating the procurement process OSME will provide you with suggestions about where you may find opportunities OSME works to reduce barriers on your behalf in an effort to ensure fairness OSME guides you in your relationship building as you seek out new opportunities 2

3 Contracting with the Government of Canada New Contracts Awarded to Small and Medium Enterprises 30% Less than $75,000 70% More than $75,000 3

4 Understanding the Procurement Process 4

5 Why is it useful to understand the P t P? Procurement Process? Different ways that the federal government will be able to do business with you Rules to follow as a result of various laws and international trade agreements. Procedures and practices may vary from one department to another Having a general awareness of the process will help you to promote your business, build relationships and access opportunities 5

6 What can Departments and Agencies Spend? Federal laws and regulations and Treasury Board policies guide the procurement process Departments and agencies have the authority to buy up to $25,000 worth of goods. For services, this authority can be up to $2 million Departments and Agencies Goods Up to $25,000 Services Up to $2,000,000 Requirements over the authorities must be purchased through PWGSC 6

7 Competitive Procurement Under $25,000 Close to 70% of contracts under $25,000 are awarded to small and medium enterprises using a competitive process Aims to provide best value for Canadians, while enhancing access, competition and fairness Buyers use the Request for Quotations (RFQ) process to solicit bids Potential suppliers may be identified through networks, research, as well as supplier registration systems and databases 7

8 Competitive Procurement Over $25,000 Requirements above $25,000 for goods, $78,500 for services and $100, for construction services are posted on the Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders website when one or a combination of trade agreements apply Departments and agencies may choose to post their bid opportunities with an anticipated dollar value under these amounts. 8

9 Competitive Procurement Over $25,000 Solicitation of bids and quotes from suppliers Invitation to Tender (ITT) lowest priced, responsive bid Request for Proposals (RFPs) combination of best price while meeting pre-determined technical criteria Request for Standing Offers (RFSOs) pre-qualified list of suppliers for goods or services as required at firm prices Request for Supply Arrangements (RFSAs) prequalified list of suppliers for goods or services as required without firm prices Standing offers and supply arrangements are not contracts 9

10 Requests for Information Requests for Information (RFI) are an opportunity to provide input and advice to the procurement community Posted on the Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders website 10

11 Non-competitive Procurement 25% of all contracts are awarded non-competitively; also referred to as sole source requirement. Non-competitive contracts may be issued in the case where there is: A pressing emergency in which delays would be injurious to the public interest A total estimated cost for a good or service does not exceed $25,000 and it would not be cost-effective to compete It would not be in the public interest to solicit bids Only one known supplier Must be fully justified in writing 11

12 Advance Contract Award Notice Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN) when there is only one known supplier for a requirement a buyer may choose to post an ACAN to the Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders website 12

13 Register as a Supplier 13

14 Why Register my Business? In order to do business with Public Works and Government Services Canada and many other federal departments and agencies you will require a Procurement Business Number (PBN) A PBN will be supplied to you once you have completed the registration process in the Supplier Registration Information (SRI) system SRI and various other databases can serve as tools to inform government buyers about the specific goods and/or services you may have to sell 14

15 What do I need to Register in SRI? Time - registration will take approximately 15 minutes for part 1. Part 2 may take between 20 and 30 minutes as you will need to identify your goods and services in the system CRA Number Canada Revenue Agency Business Number or GST/HST number Business Legal Name you must enter your business name exactly as it appears on your CRA registration 15

16 Where do I Register? Once you have your Canada Revenue Agency business number, you can start the registration process This can be done by following the link to the SRI registration page on the Buyandsell.gc.ca website. 16

17 Other Databases in which to Register SELECT - Construction, architectural, engineering and consulting services related to real property opportunities SELECT PS Online - Professional services below $78,500. Your company must have been in business for one year PS ONLINE Aboriginal Business Directory - Assists Aboriginal i businesses to gain access to government opportunities 17

18 Security Screening 18

19 Why get a Security Clearance or Screening? A security clearance or screening may be required q to bid on a contract at the time of bid closing, bid award, or even to bid on a contract When the bid package contains information that is Protected or Classified, firms will require the clearances necessary to view, handle and sometimes store the data 19

20 Areas of Concern and Delay The onus is on you to respond expeditiously to requested information to advance the process Delays in the screening process could result in your bid being declared non-compliant Have a plan to replace those who cannot be screened Identify sub-contractors and have them screened as well If someone has a criminal record encourage them to self- declare Incorrect / incomplete information or being out of the country are causes for delays 20

21 Building Relationships 21

22 Why Build Relationships? If you are interested in selling your goods and services to federal government departments, then you must promote your business Let them know what goods and services you have and how you can respond to their purchasing needs Distinguish yourself from the crowd Being proactive in promoting yourself to key industry and government players can help you get known 22

23 Know Your End User s Needs Understanding what goods or services departments are buying will allow you to market accordingly End users will decline to speak with individual suppliers once a statement of work is being prepared. Once you are engaged in the bidding process you must only contact the procurement officer responsible for the bid solicitation 23

24 Finding Key Government Contacts 24

25 Finding Key Government Contacts 25

26 Watching for Opportunities 26

27 Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders Website Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders allows users to: Search for opportunities using plain language Find related procurement information for any tender Save searches to include in s, tweets, or other social media Stay on top of new tenders or amendments Departments and agencies must use the Buyandsell gc ca/tenders website to advertise their Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders requirements subject to any trade agreements 27

28 Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements (SOSA) Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements (SOSA) is open data about active standing offers and supply arrangements for goods and/or services held by pre-qualified suppliers PWGSC issues standing offers (SO) and supply arrangements (SA)on behalf of all federal government departments and agencies Depending on the nature of the good or service, they may also exist in individual departments or agencies If you are not on an existing SO or SA, contact the PWGSC procurement officer to see if it will be re-tendered after it expires, find out if there is a perpetual notice on the Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders website, and consider partnering with someone who is on an SO or SA. 28

29 Proactive Disclosure Know what buyers have bought in the past and which companies have been successful selling to them The Government of Canada provides a link to information about past contracts valued p over $10,000 in each department and agency 29

30 Contract History y Database The Contract History database contains information on contracts awarded by PWGSC on behalf of all federal departments and agencies for the past three years 30

31 Build in Canada Innovation Program (BCIP) Assist Canadian businesses in the later stages of R&D It is a procurement program Government of Canada is buying goods and services for testing ti and use Goods or services in the areas of environment, health, safety and security or enabling technologies Stimulate innovation and R&D and provide feedback on innovation performance To participate: watch the Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders website 31

32 Bidding on Opportunities 32

33 Why would I need to Bid? The purpose of a competitive approach is to find the best value for Canadians Many Government of Canada contracts are awarded through a competitive process, which requires that you submit a bid Make sure that t your bid responds to all requirements and that you offer the best value for cost 33

34 To Bid or Not to Bid? You must be capable of offering the service or good requested, meeting the evaluation criteria and be willing to accept all terms and conditions Consider partnering with another supplier if you don t meet all the requirements Be aware of time constraints and your competition Investigate whether or not there are any site visits or bidders conferences Always make sure to clarify any questions you may have with the procurement officer prior to the deadline Read notification of amendments to the solicitation document 34

35 Prepare your Bid Follow the format stipulated in the bid solicitation document, including signing the first page Submit your technical and financial bid Review all clauses, conditions and standard instructions Ensure you comply with security requirements 35

36 Prepare your Bid Describe your understanding of the need and your proposed solution Provide all requested information. Include supporting documents such as spec sheets, certifications, resumes or a list of prior projects Differentiate i your bid by highlighting hli h i your strengths The financial portion serves to ensure you are compliant with the pricing format Make sure that you complete and sign all of the certifications required 36

37 Evaluation Criteria Evaluation criteria are established in advance taking into consideration such details as quality and cost To ensure fairness, financial information is assessed separately from the technical information Technical merit, as defined in the solicitation, combined with price, equals best value. For a given solicitation, best value is defined in the Basis of Selection. 37

38 Technical Evaluation Criteria Mandatory Requirements Point-Rated Technical Criteria Mandatory criteria will use words such as must, will and shall Evaluated on a simple pass/fail basis To be responsive and considered further, a bid must meet mandatory criteria Used to determine the relative technical merit of each bid Used to evaluate the value added factors, over and above those that meet the minimum mandatory criteria of the bid solicitation The maximum point that can be achieved for each criterion are identified in the bid solicitation Combination of Mandatory and Point-Rated Criteria 38

39 Submit the Bid Know how and when your bid is due. Bids will NOT be accepted after the date and time indicated You will need to include and sign the bid solicitation document as well as all necessary information that shows you meet the required criteria Ensure your bid follows the format outlined in the instructions to bidders Review your bid to ensure all required elements are addressed. Have someone else review your bid Respond to follow-up requests for information by the deadlinedli 39

40 How Can I Follow Up? Follow up to understand how the contract award decision was made, and gain useful information to help you develop your bid writing skills This kind of follow up is referred to as a debriefing and must be requested from the procurement officer Debriefs can be useful even if you win the contract A debrief should be requested within 15 days of receiving the results of the procurement process If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your debrief, complaints can be referred to the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman or the Canadian International Trade Tribunal 40

41 To Summarize Who does the buying: Departments: $25,000 (Goods); $2M (Services). PWGSC purchases above these thresholds. Requirements exceeding $25,000 are advertised on BuyandSell.gc.ca/tenders. Become familiar with the website and check it often. Register in SRI and other databases (PS Online, SELECT) Market yourself. When bidding, read the solicitation documents closely and never be afraid to ask questions! 41

42 Office of Small and Medium Enterprises National InfoLine (press option #1 after greeting) Atlantic ti Region (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island) Telephone: Quebec Region (Quebec, excluding Gatineau) Telephone: pwgsc.gc.ca National Capital Region (Gatineau and Ottawa) Telephone: Ontario Region (Ontario, excluding the National Capital Region) Telephone: Toll free: Western Region (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Northwest Territories) Telephone: Toll free: Pacific Region (British Columbia and Yukon) Telephone: Toll free:

43 Questions?