How to register to sell to the federal government

Reading federal tenders costs nothing and needs no account. Bidding needs one or two registrations, depending on how the tender takes bids. Each notice says how; check it first.

1. A SAP Business Network account, through CanadaBuys

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), which buys on behalf of many departments, is moving its tenders to an electronic procurement system built on SAP Ariba. Tenders posted there take bids only through it. To bid:

1. Create a SAP Business Network account from CanadaBuys’ registration page: your business’s legal name, head office address, a contact, and at least one product or service category.
2. Answer the Government of Canada questionnaire. CanadaBuys says questions 3 to 8 are the ones needed to bid.
3. Submit it. From then on you can view and respond to PSPC’s electronic tenders.

Only one SAP Business Network account is allowed per Canada Revenue Agency business number, so agree inside your company on who holds it.

2. A CRA business number, before you sign

CanadaBuys says you don’t need a business number to submit a bid; it is required before a contract is awarded. If you don’t have one, the Canada Revenue Agency issues one when you register for a program account such as GST/HST.

3. A procurement business number, for bids outside SAP Ariba

Bids that don’t go through SAP Ariba currently need a procurement business number (PBN). You get it by registering in PSPC’s Supplier Registration Information (SRI) system, which also holds your business profile.

4. Other ways bids are sent

Some tenders still take bids another way: by Canada Post’s Connect service, or delivered to a bid receiving unit. If a tender uses Connect, PSPC advises creating your Connect account well before the closing date so you are ready to submit on time. Departments that buy on their own (not through PSPC) post on CanadaBuys too, and their notices say how they take bids.

5. Professional services: register in the sourcing tools

Professional services (consulting, IT professionals, temporary help) are often bought from firms that already qualified in one of PSPC’s sourcing tools, such as ProServices. If that is your line of work, registering there matters as much as any single tender. See standing offers and supply arrangements.

Help with registering

Procurement Assistance Canada answers questions about registering, free: the National InfoLine at 1-800-811-1148 (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 5 pm Eastern) or SAC-PAC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca. The CanadaBuys Service Desk handles problems with the website and SAP Ariba.