Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) Procurement Inquiry

A Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT) procurement inquiry is the Tribunal's formal examination of a complaint by a potential supplier about a federal procurement process covered by trade-agreement obligations. The CITT determines whether the procurement complied with those obligations and may recommend remedies. It conducts these inquiries for covered procurements above the applicable trade-agreement thresholds, as set out in the Treasury Board Secretariat policy framework.

Suppliers usually call the process a bid challenge, a procurement complaint or a complaint to the CITT. The CITT is identified as the federal bid-challenge authority under trade-agreement procurement obligations, and the Treasury Board procurement instrument describes the complaints it hears: unfair or discriminatory practices in a solicitation, an evaluation or a contract award.

What the Tribunal examines in a bid challenge

An inquiry looks at whether the government followed the procurement rules it is bound by. A potential supplier may complain about its treatment during the solicitation, the evaluation of bids, the establishment of arrangements or the contract award. The Tribunal reviews the procurement action up to and including contract award, a scope also reflected in the Public Services and Procurement Canada materials on supplier conduct.

The Tribunal determines whether the procurement complied with the applicable trade-agreement requirements. It can also award reasonable costs tied to the complaint.

Which federal procurements fall within CITT jurisdiction

The CITT's jurisdiction covers federal procurements governed by the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-AGP) or another applicable trade agreement. PSPC assessor guidance for supply arrangements lists these agreements. Federal requests for proposals and requests for standing offers can fall within that jurisdiction when the trade-agreement conditions are met, as in this request for standing offers on CanadaBuys.

Jurisdiction is defined by legislation and the trade agreements themselves. Recent federal policy changes, including Policy Notice 2025-7 and Policy Notice 2025-5, address which suppliers have standing and exclude certain Canadian-preference or Canadian-content measures from CITT review in specified circumstances.

Filing deadlines and the objection step

Federal solicitation clauses commonly state that a complaint must generally be filed within 10 working days after the bidder knew or reasonably should have known of the ground of complaint. A bidder may first object to the contracting authority. If the authority denies the requested relief, the CITT complaint is generally due within 10 working days of that denial, and exceptional circumstances may allow 30 days. One example of this wording is a federal request for proposals on CanadaBuys.

Suppliers also have another dispute-resolution route. Federal briefing materials from PSPC state that suppliers can use either the CITT or the Office of the Procurement Ombudsman, depending on the matter and the applicable jurisdiction.

Remedies the CITT can recommend

If a complaint is upheld, the CITT may recommend one or more of these remedies:

• Postponing the contract award
• Re-evaluating offers
• Terminating the contract
• Renewing the competition with a new solicitation
• Compensating the complainant, including for lost profit

The Treasury Board instrument lists these options, and the Tribunal may also award reasonable costs for responding to the solicitation and filing the complaint.

What a CITT inquiry means for your bid team

If you believe a federal procurement breached trade-agreement requirements, the CITT is your formal route to challenge it. Read the solicitation's complaint clause as soon as you start a bid, because the 10-working-day clock starts when you knew or should have known of the issue. Decide early whether to object to the contracting authority first, and keep a dated record of every ground you identify. Before you file, confirm that the procurement is covered by a trade agreement and that recent policy changes do not exclude it from review.