ACAN (Advance Contract Award Notice)

An ACAN is a public notice announcing that a federal department intends to award a contract for goods, services or construction to a pre-identified supplier believed to be the only one capable of doing the work — and giving every other supplier a short window to say otherwise, in writing.

What it is

Per CanadaBuys, an ACAN is posted on the Government Electronic Tendering Service (GETS, delivered today through CanadaBuys) for a minimum of 15 calendar days. Other businesses may signal interest by submitting a statement of capabilities demonstrating they can meet the set requirements. If no valid statement of capabilities is submitted within the notice period, the contract may be awarded to the pre-identified supplier. If one or more suppliers demonstrate they meet the requirements, the department must proceed to a competitive tendering process instead.

The conditions around an ACAN

Per CanadaBuys, an ACAN can only be used when there is sufficient justification for not soliciting offers under the exceptions in the Government Contracts Regulations and, where applicable, the limited-tendering reasons of the trade agreements; the notice must be published on GETS; the requirement must be defined well enough for industry to understand it; and the pre-identified supplier is assessed against the same criteria used to assess other businesses' statements of capabilities. Treasury Board policy adds a fairness safeguard: a supplier's statement of capabilities is not rejected by the same officials who decided to run the ACAN. CanadaBuys is blunt about what an ACAN is not: even a properly run ACAN is not a competitive process for trade agreement and CITT-challenge purposes (it is treated as competitive only for internal contract approval authorities).

What it means for vendors

ACANs are second chances at sole-source contracts you never got to bid on. Monitor the GETS/CanadaBuys feed, and when an ACAN touches your specialty, move fast: your statement of capabilities must be complete, in writing, and within the posted timeframe, and it must show — evidence, not assertions — that you meet the requirements and criteria set out in the notice. A valid challenge forces a full competitive process where you can actually bid; a late or thin one leaves the award standing.

Common questions

Is an ACAN the same as a contract award notice?

No — they sit at opposite ends of the process. An ACAN is published before award, to test whether a sole-source award to a pre-identified supplier should proceed. A contract award notice is published after award, announcing who won. If an ACAN produces no valid statement of capabilities, the eventual award is announced through a contract award notice.

What makes a statement of capabilities valid?

Per CanadaBuys guidance, it must be complete and in writing, submitted within the timeframe specified in the ACAN, and include documentation demonstrating the supplier meets the requirements and criteria set out in the notice. The buyer decides validity using the same criteria applied to the pre-identified supplier, with the rejection decision made by an independent official.

Can the 15-day window be longer?

Yes — 15 calendar days is the minimum. CanadaBuys guidance directs buyers to consider a longer posting period based on the complexity of the procurement.

Related definitions

Sole-source procurement · Sole-source justification · Contract award notice