Directive on the Management of Procurement

The Directive on the Management of Procurement is a Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat policy instrument. Its purpose is to make sure that procurement of goods, services and construction obtains the assets and services needed to support federal programs and services, while achieving best value for the Crown. The full text is published on the Treasury Board policy suite.

The directive applies to Government of Canada procurements as defined in the Policy on the Planning and Management of Investments. That means it reaches federal departments and agencies, and it sets the mandatory procedures they follow when they buy. It is a federal directive, so it is aimed at the government's own procurement officers rather than at suppliers directly.

Scope of the directive

The directive covers three categories of procurement: goods, services and construction. Its stated objective ties purchasing to the delivery of programs and services to Canadians. Best value to the Crown is the standard against which procurement outcomes are measured. Federal publications that describe the directive, including this Government of Canada publication record, confirm that goods, services and construction all fall within its reach.

Effective date and the instruments it replaced

The directive took effect on May 13, 2021. It replaced the federal Contracting Policy, which had previously set the rules for government contracting. It also replaced the Policy on Decision Making in Limiting Contractor Liability in Crown Procurement Contracts. A 2025 Treasury Board publication records both replacements and the effective date.

Bid teams who worked under the older Contracting Policy should treat the directive as the current source for federal procurement rules.

Disclosure and reporting procedures

The directive establishes mandatory procedures, and these include requirements related to the disclosure of contracts and to reporting. The detail sits in the directive's procedures, including the procedure covering contract disclosure and reporting. These procedures govern what federal organizations must make known about the contracts they award.

Procedures for Indigenous businesses

A later amendment added procedures for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses. These procedures support the federal requirement that at least 5% of the total value of contracts be awarded annually to Indigenous businesses. The amendment and the 5% minimum target are described in the Treasury Board publication that records the amended directive.

What it means for a supplier

The directive is not a certification that a supplier applies for or holds. Its requirements reach suppliers through the conditions written into federal solicitations and contracts. When you bid, you comply with the particular requirements in the solicitation and the resulting contract.

• Read each solicitation closely, because the directive's procedures shape the terms federal buyers use.
• Expect contracts to be subject to the disclosure and reporting procedures that federal organizations follow.
• If you are an Indigenous business, note that the directive includes procedures for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses, tied to the 5% annual target.

Understanding the directive helps your team read the intent behind federal buying rules. It does not replace the requirements in any individual tender notice.