RFSO (Request for Standing Offer)

An RFSO is the competitive solicitation a federal buyer — typically Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) — publishes to establish standing offers. It is not itself a contract: it is the competition that decides who becomes a standing offer holder, and on what prices and terms.

What it is

Per CanadaBuys, a Request for Standing Offers is the method used to solicit offers for the standing offer method of supply. RFSOs can be advertised publicly (historically on GETS, now on CanadaBuys), issued by direct invitation from a source list where permitted, or — only where the conditions for a non-competitive process are met — sent to a single source. Suppliers who meet the evaluation criteria in the RFSO become holders of standing offers.

What an RFSO contains

CanadaBuys requires, at minimum: a clear definition of the requirement and the period during which call-ups may be made; the anticipated number of standing offers to be authorized; offer-preparation instructions; evaluation criteria, procedures and basis of selection; how offerors will be notified of results; a ranking methodology where applicable; precise call-up procedures, including how work is allocated among multiple standing offer holders; notice that unit prices will be disclosed; and the contract clauses that will apply to resulting call-ups.

What it means for vendors

Bidding on an RFSO works like any other bid solicitation — you respond through the tender platform by the closing time, and your offer is evaluated against the stated criteria. Winning does not guarantee revenue: a standing offer is only an offer from your firm to supply at pre-arranged prices, and the government has no obligation to buy until it issues a call-up. Each call-up is an individual contract, subject to Treasury Board contracting limits, and the buyer sets maximum call-up limits for identified users in the standing offer document.

Common questions

How is an RFSO different from an RFP?

An RFP solicits bids for a specific requirement that will result in a contract. An RFSO solicits offers to supply on set terms over a period; contracts (call-ups) only arise later, as recurring needs materialize.

When are RFSOs published?

There is no fixed schedule. Standing offers often take effect at the start of the federal fiscal year (April 1 to March 31), but the underlying RFSO can be published months earlier, so monitoring opportunities regularly matters.

Related definitions

Standing offer · Supply arrangement vs. standing offer · Pre-qualified supplier list