• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• Canada Revenue Agency
• Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CEDRQ)
• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
• Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Canadian Heritage
• Parks Canada
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
• Canadian International Development Agency
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
• Correctional Service Canada
• CORCAN
• Department of Justice
• Environment Canada
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Foreign Affairs
• Health Canada
• Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
• Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
• Industry Canada
• National Defence
• National Energy Board
• National Research Council
• Natural Resources Canada
• Public Service Commission
• Public Works and Government Services Canada
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Statistics Canada
• Transport Canada
• Transportation Safety Board of Canada
• Treasury Board Secretariat
• Western Economic Diversification Canada

National Research Council

The National Research Council Canada (NRC) is a knowledge and innovation organization. Its primary business is scientific and technological research and development.

Procurement Process
NRC designated officials carry out the contracting and purchasing functions in Ottawa and the regional offices across Canada (see Key Contacts below). Purchases of professional services and construction are centralized at its headquarters in Ottawa. Purchases of goods up to $5,000 and call-ups against PWGSC Standing Offers are decentralized to each regional office.

What we buy
NRC buys a wide range of goods and services in support of its research and development activities including:

• Scientific and technical equipment, laboratory supplies and instruments, chemicals and related products, furniture, books and periodicals, computer equipment, software, and office supplies.
• Services such as scientific and technical consulting, training, informatics, temporary help, audit and evaluation, translation, management consulting, job description and classification, printing, rental of photocopiers, and maintenance and repair.
• Construction and acquisition of buildings and related engineering and architectural services.

How we buy
NRC follows Treasury Board Secretariat procurement policies and procedures when buying goods, services and construction.

Goods
NRC uses Local Purchase Orders, acquisition cards, petty cash, and call-ups against Standing Offers to purchase goods directly from the supplier when the requirement is valued at $5,000 or less. We take advantage of PWGSC Standing Offer agreements to purchase goods higher than $5,000 up to the Standing Offer call-up limitation. For goods requirements valued greater than its goods delegation or call-up authority, NRC uses the services of the local PWGSC contracting office. NRC purchases most of its office supplies through a systems contract it establishes competitively.

Services
NRC can enter into competitive service contracts worth up to $2 million. It obtains services valued at less than $25,000 on a non-competitive basis from a supplier selected by an NRC Program Manager or invites bids if it is cost effective to do so. We obtain services valued at more than $25,000 on a competitive basis either by inviting bids up to the NAFTA threshold or by advertising on the electronic tendering system MERX™.

NRC also uses PWGSC Supply Arrangements for services and establishes its own Supply Arrangements for audit and program evaluation services. We invite quotations from three firms for printing services requirements up to $10,000 and advertise requests above $10,000 on MERX.

Construction
NRC can enter into competitive construction contracts worth up to $6 million. It obtains most construction requirements valued at less than $25,000 through an existing Standing Offer NRC established on a competitive basis. However, it may direct these requirements to one supplier or invite bids. We invite bids for requirements valued between $25,000 and $60,000 and advertise constructions projects valued at more than $60,000 on the electronic tendering system MERX. NRC forwards copies of the specifications and drawings to the local Construction Association for requirements advertised on MERX.

Key Contacts:

Public Service Commission

Contracting and Procurement

What We Buy
The Public Service Commission's (PSC) activities are decentralized. Standing Offers established by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) are used extensively for the purchase of goods, such as: computer equipment and software, office furniture, maintenance renewal, office supplies, rental of photocopiers as well as services, such as: human resources support services and language training. In addition, service contracts are awarded for informatics services, communications services (i.e.: writing, graphic arts and audio-visual services), management consulting services, advertising services and Temporary Help Services.

The PSC also uses "as and when required" service contracts that are awarded for services such as Appeal and Deployment Investigations in the Recourse Branch and Actors/Assessors, Executive Counselling and Test Scoring for the Personnel Psychology Centre or Course Delivery for Training and Development Canada.

How We Buy

Goods below $ 5,000
The PSC purchases goods directly from suppliers when the requirement is valued at $5,000 or less, in most cases, using acquisition cards, Purchase Orders or call-ups against Standing Offers.

Goods over $5,000
Acquired with call-ups against Standing Offers or through PWGSC.

Services - below $25,000
For services less than $25,000, PSC managers may choose to invite firms to bid on a Request for Proposal or direct the contract to one supplier.

Services - $25,000 to $89,000
For services requirements of $25,000 or higher but under the NAFTA threshold ($80,900), PSC may use two methods of procurement. The first is by invitation (to approx. 5 firms). The second is advertising the requirement using MERX™ through PSC's Materiel Management Section.

Services - $89,000 or higher
All requirements subject to trade agreements (NAFTA, WTO-AGP, AIT) are advertised on MERX™.

Printing services requirements between $5,000 and $10,000 are handled by the Materiel Management Section. Requests above $10,000 are either processed through St Joseph's Printing Inc. or are advertised on the MERX™.

Key Contact:

Public Service Commission

Lynn Thibert

Chief, Contracts and Materiel Management

300 Laurier Ave. West, West Tower, Room B1548

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0M7

Tel.: (613) 992-8683

Fax: (613) 992-3289

E-mail: lynn.thibert@psc-cfp.gc.ca

Public Works and Government Services Canada

Who We Are and What We Buy
Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) provides a variety of programs and service s to meet the needs of federal government departments. Some of PWGSC's major responsibilities include: acting as Canada's accountant and chief banker; federal infrastructure expertise, Translation services (including TERMIUM™); communications coordination; standards development; surplus assets and property; consulting and audit services; telecommunications and informatics and purchasing opportunities for Canadian businesses. In addition to providing common services contracting for federal departments and agencies, PWGSC buys goods and services in support of its own activities.

Major Commodities Bought by PWGSC

Goods:

• Office supplies
• EDP Equipment; Software
• Telecommunications
• Equipment
• Printing
  
  

Services:

• Temporary Help Services
• Training Courses
• Informatics Services
• Consultant Services
• Maintenance and Repair Services

Building Maintenance:

• Electrical
• Plumbing
• Hardware and Janitorial Supplies

How We Buy
PWGSC is decentralized and the Materiel Management Division has delegated low dollar value (LDV) procurement to Responsibility Centre Managers across Canada. In accepting this delegation these managers have agreed to exercise their LDV delegation by using Standing Offer Call-Ups (up to the limitation shown in the Standing Offer), Acquisition Cards (up to $5,000), and within the National Capital Area, the Informatics Professional Services On-Line Marketplace for Informatics Call-Ups (up to $89,000).

Key Contact

Public Works and Government Services Canada

M. Jacques LaBonté

Manager

Materiel Management Division

Core 3B3, Portage III

11 Laurier Street

Gatineau, Que. K1A 0S5

Tel: 819 956-3171

Fax: 819 956-9846

e-mail: jacques.labonte@pwgsc.gc.ca

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)

Background
The Canada Revenue Agency has been delegated full contracting authority for the procurement of its goods, services, leases, and construction requirements. The bulk of its contracting and procurement activities take place in the National Capital Region and at the Centre of Professional Services for Regional Contracting located at Laval, Quebec. Procurement using acquisition cards and WBRO, an in-house end-to end e-purchasing tool through which strategically sourced commodities are purchased, is decentralized to all Agency budget holders. The functional authority for all CRA procurement is the Headquarters Administration Directorate (HQ AD) of the Finance and Administration Branch. The CRA issues and manages contracts in the range of $300-400M annually.

How we buy goods and services:

Goods and Services - below $5,000
Acquisition cards, local purchase orders, and call-ups against standing offers and supply arrangements are most commonly used. Quotations are obtained whenever possible.

Goods or Services - $5,000 to $25,000
A minimum of three firms are invited to bid unless it is not cost-effective to do so. In exceptional circumstances, the contract may be directed to one supplier. Call-ups against standing offers and supply arrangements are also used.

Goods - $25,000 or higher
All requirements for goods over $25,000 are advertised on the Government Electronic Tendering System GETS (presently MERX™). In exceptional circumstances the contract may be directed to one supplier in accordance with the procedures of the various trade agreements. Call-ups against standing offers are also used.

Services - $25,000 to $89,000
The Agency may use two methods of procurement. The first is by invitation only to a minimum of three bidders. The second is advertising the requirement using the government electronic tendering service, MERX™. Call-ups against standing offers and supply arrangements are also used. In exceptional circumstances, the contract may be directed to one supplier.

Services - $89,000 or higher
All requirements subject to trade agreements [the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Trade Organization - Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP), and the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)] are advertised on the GETS (MERX™). Call-ups against standing offers and supply arrangements are also used. In exceptional circumstances, the contract may be directed to one supplier.

For more information, contact the:

Canada Revenue Agency

Director, Contracting Division

Headquarters Administration Directorate

Telephone: (613) 688-9269

E-mail: roger.houde@cra-arc.gc.ca

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) operates across Canada in regional divisions with procurement authority delegated up to a certain threshold. Above this threshold requisitions are forwarded to Headquarters. RCMP follows standard procurement policies and procedures when buying goods, services or construction.

Some of RCMP’s requirements are bought through Bulk Buys which are handled centrally from Headquarters. RCMP uses PWGSC’s services to buy bulk orders of goods. Items ordered through bulk buys have rigid specifications and must meet quality control requirements.

RCMP requirements are varied and include clothing and kits (equipment), vehicles, boats, ammunition and weaponry, operational equipment, construction of buildings and dwellings, forensic accounting services, printing services, telecommunication services and consulting services.

RCMP uses the electronic tendering service, MERX, to advertise competitive requirements, those subject to NAFTA or set-asides for Aboriginal business.

The Force uses National Master Standing Offers for such items as sunblock, signage, and low order quantities of informatics equipment. National Individual Standing Offers are used for common items including decal kits for vehicles, breathalyser supplies, firearms cleaning equipment, batteries, flashlights, flares, tape or consulting services. Fleet vehicles are purchased using Departmental Individual Standing Offers where PWGSC makes the call-up against the Standing Offer.

RCMP has established Supply Arrangements for consulting services in the area of i) strategic planning; ii) change management; iii) communication; and iv) human resource management. These were established for a two year basis starting June 1, 1997. If the usage warrants, then a new tender will appear on MERX to replace these Supply Arrangements at the appropriate time.

RCMP has issued approximately 2000 acquisition cards within the Force. The credit limit per card is $10,000. The cards are mainly used to purchase stationery supplies.

Statistics Canada

What we buy
Statistics Canada conducts surveys and research and publishes in fields such as demography, trade, business, education and health. The Agency purchases specialized professional services such as social science research; scholarly writing; survey and methodology design; and translation services.

Statistics Canada also purchases computer equipment; informatics services; ergonomic office furniture; office supplies; printing services; and writing services.

How we buy goods and services

• Below $5,000
  
  Each branch, division, section or program purchases goods or services using purchase orders, acquisition cards or call-ups against standing offers arranged through PWGSC. Procurements in this value range are done by a competitive process, with some exceptions.
  
  For computer equipment, computer services and ergonomic furniture, Statistics Canada establishes its own standing offers or contracts, either every year or every two years.
  
  For translation services, Statistics Canada uses the Translation On-line Marketplace.
  
  
• Between $5,000 and $25,000
  
  Financial Responsibility Centres may conduct traditional tendering for professional services only. They may also ask the Materiel and Contracts Services Section to conduct traditional tendering or electronic tendering using MERX. All requests for goods not available from a standing offer are forwarded to PWGSC for processing.
  
  
• Above $25,000
  
  For services, the Materiel and Contract Services Section conducts electronic tendering, using MERX. All requests for the acquisition of goods not available from a standing offer are forwarded to PWGSC for processing.

For more information on our headquarters and regional purchasing, contact:

Statistics Canada

Materiel and Contracts Services Section

Telephone: (613) 951-5352, 951-8296

Transport Canada

An overview of procurement
The acquisition process is decentralized at Transport Canada. The department has contracting offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Montréal, Toronto, Moncton, Halifax and Ottawa (headquarters). Managers across the country can also directly procure goods and services up to $5,000, mostly using acquisition cards.

For goods requirements, Transport Canada is restricted to $5,000 for direct purchases. The department also uses Standing Offers put in place by Public Works & Government Services Canada (PWGSC). All other requirements for goods over $5,000 are procured through the local PWGSC contracting office on Transport Canada's behalf.

For services requirements, Transport Canada can enter into competitive contracts worth up to $4 million. The acquisition of more than $4 million in services must either receive advance approval from Treasury Board before a contract is awarded, or be forwarded to PWGSC for contracting action on Transport Canada's behalf. Some service requirements, such as video production, advertising and public opinion research, are forwarded to PWGSC regardless of dollar value.

How bids are solicited
It starts when a manager within Transport Canada has a requirement to acquire goods or services. Depending on the dollar value of the requirement, managers may contract for their own requirement; send their requirement to a Transport Canada contracting office; or call upon the services of PWGSC.

At Transport Canada, all opportunities estimated at more than $25,000 are advertised on MERX. Occasionally, some requirements may be publicly advertised in one or more newspapers due to the nature of the requirement or the practice common to the industry.

Requirements less than $25,000 may be either directed (to one supplier) or tendered subject to the Government Contract Regulations. The most frequent bid solicitation methods for requirements under $25,000 are telephone quotations or requests for quotation by facsimile. Depending on the complexity of the requirement, a formal tender process or MERX may be used for such requirements.

Commodities

Listed below are the top 10 commodities procured across the department based on an analysis of contracts awarded by the department under its own authorities between April 1, 1997 and February 9, 1998.

Where to promote your services
Because Transport Canada's procurement process is decentralized, you should market your goods and services to the appropriate Transport Canada Office. Here are the contact names and phone numbers for each area where Transport Canada has a regional office.

Contracting and Procurement

Procurement Overview

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) purchasing is decentralized in respect to small dollar value procurements for goods and services ($5,000 or less) but centralized for purchases exceeding that amount. Our regional offices are located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Sillery and Dorval, Quebec; Richmond Hill, Ontario; Richmond, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta and an Engineering Laboratory in Ottawa, Ontario. The TSB Head Office is located in Hull, Quebec.

Purchases of goods below $5,000 are decentralized to Responsibility Centre Managers (RCM) and are made utilizing acquisition cards; Local Purchase Orders. Services are obtained using acquisition cards or special, small-value Service Contracts prepared centrally. In all cases, the TSB encourages RCM and procurement staff to obtain more than one quotation.

Goods valued at over $5,000 are purchased through Public Works and Government Services (PWGSC) and processed centrally at Headquarters by the Materiel Management division. Call-Ups against Standing Offers are decentralized to RCM.

Services over $5,000 are processed centrally by the Materiel Management division. Requirements above $25,000 are generally posted on the MERX as either a fully, competitive opportunity or an ACAN. In a few cases (if less than the NAFTA threshold), an opportunity may be competed by invitation to a minimum of three suppliers. For services subject to the various trade agreements (NAFTA, WTO-AGP), the department advertises the requirement on the MERX.

In some cases, the TSB will process the requirements through PWGSC especially if the requirement is complex in nature or in cases where PWGSC has specific and necessary delegation (e.g. indemnification or public opinion research or advertising).

The TSB strongly supports the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business and will occasionally set-aside opportunities for Aboriginal suppliers and encourages joint venturing projects involving Aboriginal business.

TSB Purchases

The TSB purchases a wide range of goods including office equipment; computer hardware/software; office furniture; office supplies; clothing and laboratory equipment. Service contracts may include technical consulting in respect to transportation safety issues or investigations; management consulting; informatics services; training and temporary help services.

Key Contacts:

Overview

The department is mandated to "promote the development and diversification of the economy of Western Canada and to advance the interests of Western Canada in national economic policy, program and project development and implementation."

The department's Head Office is located in Edmonton, Alberta, co-located with the Regional Office for Alberta. There are regional offices located in each of the other western provinces, in Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Vancouver, and a Liaison Office located in Ottawa. Regional satellite offices have also been opened in Calgary, Victoria and Regina. The department's Deputy Minister is located in Edmonton, and Assistant Deputy Ministers are located in Vancouver, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Ottawa.

Each of the western Assistant Deputy Ministers are responsible for the delivery of programs and services in their region which support the department's business line, as well as corporate responsibilities. The Ottawa-based Assistant Deputy Minister plays the lead role in the department's advocacy activities.

Contracting and Procurement

What WD Buys

Western Economic Diversification's activities are decentralized. Standing Offers established by Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) are used extensively for the purchase of goods, such as: computer equipment and software, equipment maintenance agreements, office supplies and equipment, office furniture, rental of photocopiers as well as services (e.g., human resources support services and language training).

In addition, service contracts are awarded for informatics, communications (e.g., writing, graphic arts and audio-visual services), management consulting, advertising and temporary help.

How WD Buys

Goods below $ 5,000
WD purchases goods directly from suppliers when the requirement is valued at $5,000 or less, in most cases, using acquisition cards, purchase orders or call-ups against Standing Offers.

Goods over $5,000
Acquired with call-ups against Standing Offers or through PWGSC.

Services - below $25,000
For services less than $25,000, WD managers may choose to invite firms to bid on a Request for Proposal or direct the contract to one supplier.

Services - $25,000 to $89,000
For services requirements of $25,000 or higher but under the NAFTA threshold ($89,000), WD may use two methods of procurement. The first is by invitation (to approx. 5 firms). The second is advertising the requirement using MERX™ through the Corporate Administrative Services Section.

Services - $89,000 or higher
All requirements subject to trade agreements (NAFTA, WTO-AGP, AIT) are advertised on MERX™.

Printing Services
Printing services requirements between $5,000 and $10,000 are handled by the Materiel Management Section. Requests above $10,000 are either processed through e-Print It or are advertised on the MERX™.

Key Contacts: