Buyandsell.gc.ca

Buyandsell.gc.ca was the Government of Canada's online procurement information and tendering website. It advertised federal contracting opportunities to potential bidders, provided solicitation-related information, and allowed suppliers to register and receive procurement notices. It was associated primarily with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and supported federal departments and agencies in publishing their procurement information.

The website has since been closed. Its tender and award notice functions were migrated to CanadaBuys, which is now the official source for Government of Canada tender and award notices, as confirmed in the CanadaBuys notice on the decommissioning of the Buyandsell website. Older solicitations, procurement plans and departmental web pages still refer to Buyandsell.gc.ca, so suppliers continue to come across the name.

Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders as the official first source

The tendering service, Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders, is described in the Government of Canada Supply Manual as the official and first source for federal tenders. The same entry identifies it as the service used to satisfy Canada's trade-agreement notice obligations. The Supply Manual glossary lists the notices published through the service, including Notices of Proposed Procurement, Advance Contract Award Notices (ACANs) and Contract Award Notices.

How departments used the site

Federal organizations relied on Buyandsell.gc.ca to reach suppliers. Health Canada stated that it used the site for procurements subject to national and international trade agreements, including the CFTA, the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement and the CPTPP. Its 2019-2020 procurement plan and its 2022-2023 procurement plan both describe this practice.

Health Canada also published ACANs through the site. An ACAN announces an intended direct award and invites suppliers that believe they can meet the requirement to submit a statement of qualifications. This is described in the department's 2018-2019 procurement plan.

The Department of National Defence directed companies interested in defence and security procurements to obtain information from, and submit bids through, Buyandsell.gc.ca. According to the DND information for companies page, suppliers could register, receive procurement notices and requests for information (RFIs), and identify themselves as interested suppliers.

What tender notices told bidders

PSPC solicitations instructed suppliers to rely on Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders as the official and first source for current tender notices and amendments. A typical example is tender notice PW-PWD-010-7170. While the site operated, a bidder had to monitor the relevant notice, obtain the complete solicitation and every amendment, follow the stated bid instructions and deadlines, and submit the bid by the method the solicitation specified.

The move to CanadaBuys

The Buyandsell.gc.ca website was closed and its services were migrated. CanadaBuys now provides access to federal tender opportunities and award notices, and it is the official source for both. The tender and award-notice role that Buyandsell.gc.ca held in the Supply Manual now belongs to CanadaBuys.

What it means for suppliers

Current federal opportunities must be found through CanadaBuys, not through Buyandsell.gc.ca. When you read an older solicitation, procurement plan or departmental page that names Buyandsell.gc.ca, you are reading about the predecessor of CanadaBuys. Always follow the bid submission method and deadline stated in the solicitation you are responding to, and check CanadaBuys for the current notice and any amendments.