Reference

Government procurement glossary

Every Canadian government contracting term, explained in plain English.

Process

RFP: Request for Proposal. A solicitation where the buyer wants a solution AND a price, scored against weighted criteria.
RFQ: Request for Quotation. A solicitation where the buyer knows exactly what they want and asks for your best price.
RFI: Request for Information. The buyer is researching — no contract awarded, but your response shapes the future RFP.
Tender: A formal sealed-bid process, typically for construction or large contracts, with public opening.
Pre-qualification: A screening process where vendors are vetted before being allowed to bid on specific opportunities.
VOR: Vendor of Record. An Ontario term for a pre-qualified roster of suppliers invited to compete for work over 2-5 years.
Standing Offer: A federal arrangement where pre-qualified suppliers are called up for work as needed.
Supply Arrangement: A federal contracting method for services below certain thresholds.
Addendum: An official change to a solicitation issued after the original posting. Can change specs, deadlines, or requirements.
Amendment: See Addendum. Changes to the original solicitation document.
Closing Date: The deadline for submitting a bid. Late submissions are rejected without exception.
Bid Deposit: A refundable deposit required with some bids, forfeited if you win and don't sign.
Debrief: A post-competition meeting where the buyer explains your scores and why the winner won.
Protest: A formal challenge to the procurement process, filed with a review body like the CITT.
BAFO: Best and Final Offer. A second round of pricing requested from shortlisted bidders.
Two-Stage Bidding: A process where technical proposals are scored first, then only qualified bidders submit pricing.
Contract Amendment: A change to the executed contract (not the solicitation). Can adjust scope, price, or timeline.
Sole Source: A contract awarded without competition, justified by unique capability or emergency.
Cooperative Procurement: Multiple buyers combining their requirements into a single solicitation.
Public Opening: The public reading of bid prices after the closing deadline, common in construction tenders.
Proposal Validity Period: How long your pricing must remain open (typically 60-90 days).
Procurement Cycle: The full timeline from posting to award to contract start. RFQ: 2-6 weeks. RFP: 3-5 months.
UNSPSC: United Nations Standard Products and Services Code. A classification system for procurement items.
GSIN: Goods and Services Identification Number. The Canadian federal government's commodity classification system.
Social Procurement: Purchasing policies that consider social value alongside price and quality.
Sustainable Procurement: Purchasing that considers environmental impact alongside traditional criteria.
Request for Bid (RFB): Similar to a tender. Used in some jurisdictions for construction.
Expression of Interest (EOI): A preliminary step where vendors indicate interest before a formal RFP.
Notice of Proposed Procurement (NPP): An advance notice that a solicitation is coming. Gives vendors time to prepare.
Advance Contract Award Notice (ACAN): A notice that the government intends to award a sole-source contract unless challenged.
Contract Award Notice: The public announcement of who won a contract, for how much.

Documents

Compliance Matrix: A table listing every RFP requirement, where you address it, and the page number. Evaluators award what they can find.
Proposal: Your formal response to an RFP, structured to address every evaluation criterion.
Bid Bond: A surety guarantee (typically 10% of contract value) that you'll sign if you win. Required on construction tenders.
Performance Bond: A surety guarantee that protects the buyer if you fail to deliver the contract.
Labour & Materials Bond: A surety guarantee that subcontractors and suppliers will be paid.
Letter of Intent: A non-binding document indicating the buyer intends to award you the contract.
Certificate of Insurance: Proof of your insurance coverage, naming the buyer as additional insured.
Security Clearance: A government background check required for certain contracts (especially defense and IT).
Technical Proposal: The non-pricing portion of your bid where you demonstrate your approach and qualifications.
Financial Proposal: The pricing portion of your bid. Sometimes submitted separately (two-envelope system).
Executive Summary: A one-page overview at the front of your proposal. Written last, read first.
Statement of Work (SOW): A detailed description of what the buyer needs delivered.
Terms of Reference (ToR): Similar to a Statement of Work. Common for consulting engagements.

Evaluation

Evaluation Grid: The published scoring criteria with point weights for each section of your proposal.
Points System: The method by which proposals are scored against evaluation criteria.
Weighted Scoring: Evaluation where different criteria carry different point values (e.g., technical 35, experience 30, price 15).
Lowest Compliant Bid: The cheapest proposal that meets all mandatory requirements. Common in construction.
Highest Combined Rating: The winner is selected based on the best combined technical and price score.
Mandatory Requirement: A pass/fail criterion. Missing one disqualifies your entire proposal before any points are scored.
Scored Criterion: A requirement that earns points. Your proposal should mirror the evaluation grid exactly.
Past Performance: Your track record on similar contracts. Often worth 20-30% of total evaluation points.
Evaluation Committee: The group of 3-5 people who score your proposal against the evaluation grid.

Financial

Contract Value: The total dollar amount of the contract over its full term.
Net 30: Payment terms where the buyer pays within 30 days of invoice. Standard for government.
Retainage: A percentage of payment held back until the contract is fully completed.
Progress Payment: Periodic payments made during contract delivery based on milestones.
Line of Credit: Essential for government contracting — you need working capital to cover the 30-60 day payment gap.
Milestone Billing: Invoicing at defined project milestones rather than monthly.

Legal

CITT: Canadian International Trade Tribunal. Handles complaints about federal procurement.
CETA: Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement. EU companies get access to Canadian procurement.
CPTPP: Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
NAFTA / USMCA / CUSMA: Trade agreements that give US and Mexican suppliers access to Canadian procurement.
PSIB: Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business. Federal set-aside program for Indigenous-owned firms.
PIPEDA: Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. Federal privacy law.
WSIB / WCB: Workers' compensation insurance. Proof of clearance is mandatory on most government contracts.
Trade Agreement Coverage: Which trade agreements apply to a procurement, affecting who can bid.
Set-Aside: A procurement reserved for a specific group (e.g., Indigenous-owned businesses).
Conflict of Interest: A situation where an evaluator or bidder has a relationship that could affect fairness.
Fairness Monitor: An independent observer who ensures the procurement process is conducted fairly.
Proactive Disclosure: The federal government's requirement to publish contract details (value, supplier, duration).

Entities

Supply Chain Canada: The federal procurement department (formerly PWGSC).
CanadaBuys: The federal government's procurement portal. All contracts over thresholds must post here.
MERX: A private tender aggregation portal covering universities, school boards, and some government work.
BC Bid: British Columbia's public sector procurement portal.
SEAO: Système électronique d'appel d'offres. Québec's French-language procurement portal.
Biddingo: An Ontario-focused procurement portal used by many municipalities.
Bonfire: A procurement platform used by many Canadian municipalities and agencies.
bidsandtenders.ca: A Canadian procurement platform used by municipalities and other public entities.
APCA: Association professionnelle des créanciers alimentaires. No wait, that's wrong. APCA is Alberta Purchasing Connection Association.
GDIN: Government Electronic Directory Services. The federal government's employee directory.
SIN: Supplier Identification Number. A unique identifier for vendors in some government systems.

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