If you do business with – or want to do business with – the Government of Canada, then you should know about some pending changes to its procurement system.
Canadian government tenders are currently listed on Buyandsell.gc.ca; however, the government will soon be moving to a SAP Ariba platform referred to as CanadaBuys.
As per the CanadaBuys website, the changes will improve the government procurement experience by:
- Allowing free access to Government of Canada opportunities,
- Creating one company profile, rather than resubmitting for each bid,
- Answering questions directly in an online form,
- Enabling notifications for contract expiry dates, amendments, extensions, and cancellations,
- Eliminating the need for paper copies, and
- Ensuring a safe and secure online working environment.
Although exact transition dates haven’t yet been posted, the CanadaBuys roadmap says the platform will be rolled out in phases over the next year, with opportunities posted on both SAP Ariba and the existing system during the transition. In the interim, CanadaBuys suggests preparing for the change by registering for both SAP Ariba and the existing Supplier Registration Information (SRI) system, and ensuring your company has a Canada Revenue Agency business number (a must for doing business with the Canadian government).
The Government of Canada’s website has resources available to help with the transition, and we’ll be providing updates here as they come available. So take the first steps mentioned above – and stay tuned…