As a supplier, you have two ways of finding out about business opportunities with the Federal Government. You can keep track of opportunities that are posted on the electronic tendering service, MERX or you can register with government databases that buyers use to identify sources of supply for the products and services they buy.
For the most part, federal government buyers use MERX for higher dollar value requirements and purchases that are subject to any of the trade agreements. For low-dollar value buys they use telephone and trade directories as well as databases developed by their departments. However, Business Access Canada has a database of registered suppliers that can be used by all federal government buyers.
This database is a directory of vendors who want to do business with the federal government. With SRI, registration can be done via the Internet without having to contact a Business Access Canada representative. However, if you do not have Internet access, you can still contact Business Access Canada to arrange for registration.
SRI is a government-wide database accessible to all federal government buyers and administrative officers so you only have to register once for buyers to be able to access your information.
Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is now using SRI as the link to its own databases. When you register in SRI, the information becomes available to the various databases that are used by the department depending on the type of products and services you sell:
PWGSC regional offices use these databases the most for low-dollar value requirements while the department's headquarters purchasing organizations are using them less and less. Instead, these groups are depending more on MERX.
There are several things you should be aware of when registering as a supplier with the federal government:
Ontario Contact(s):
South-Central - Borden
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Room 239
16 Ramillies Road
Borden, Ontario
L0M 1C0
Telephone: 705-424-1200 ext. 3027
Fax: 705-423-3032
E-mail: Questions@pwgsc.gc.ca
Web site:
http://contractscanada.gc.ca/en/index.html