GETS (Government Electronic Tendering Service)

The Government Electronic Tendering Service (GETS) is the Government of Canada's official online tendering system. Federal departments and agencies use it to advertise contracting opportunities. Suppliers use it to search for bid solicitations, notices and related procurement documents. The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman describes it as the place where the Government of Canada posts bid solicitations, and notes that suppliers can search it free of charge and without registering.

GETS is both a system and a publication channel. Today it is delivered through the Tender Opportunities page on CanadaBuys, and Procurement Assistance Canada identifies it as the central access point for federal procurement information. When a tender document tells you to obtain documents from the Government Electronic Tendering Service, this is the service it means.

Where GETS sits: CanadaBuys, the Tenders mini-site and Buyandsell.gc.ca

GETS is the underlying federal tendering service rather than a single website, so the address you use to reach it has changed over time. The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman has pointed suppliers to Buyandsell.gc.ca/tenders as the Government Electronic Tendering Service. A federal procurement training roadmap on the Public Services and Procurement Canada site describes GETS as the Government of Canada's tendering system, available on the Tenders mini-site, which lets suppliers search for bid opportunities online.

In the current setup, users reach GETS through CanadaBuys. The same Procurement Assistance Canada page explains that users can search tender opportunities, access procurement information built on open data principles, and use the Tender Management Application (TMA). The Canada.ca guide on searching for opportunities shows suppliers how to find tenders, contract history, standing offers and supply arrangements, and how to follow opportunities to stay informed about new notices and amendments.

When federal buyers must publish on GETS

Trade agreements drive much of GETS use. The Treasury Board Contracting Policy Notice on trade agreement thresholds states that notices of intended procurement, also called tender notices, must be published for procurements subject to the free trade agreements to which Canada is a party. The notice specifies that these are published through GETS via the Tender Opportunities page on CanadaBuys.

The training roadmap adds that federal departments and agencies must use the Tenders mini-site to advertise requirements subject to trade agreements, and may use it for other requirements as well. It also sets out how GETS fits into solicitation methods. Buyers can solicit through public advertisement, invite selected suppliers from a source list, or invite a single source when the conditions for a non-competitive procurement are met.

What GETS carries: tenders, ACANs and supply arrangement notices

GETS handles more than open competitive bids. It carries notices of proposed procurement, bid solicitations, amendments and advance contract award notices (ACANs). An ACAN tells the supplier community that the government intends to direct a contract to a named supplier and gives others a chance to show they can meet the requirement. The Office of the Procurement Ombudsman's review of ACAN practices states that the posting period must not be less than fifteen calendar days, with a longer period used for complex requirements.

Tender notices on CanadaBuys also show how buyers rely on the service. Notices state that bid solicitations and related documents are available for download through GETS, and that amendments, including significant enquiries and replies, will be posted there. Some notices are reserved for holders of a specific supply arrangement. Others say that a full tendering process may follow an ACAN if another supplier demonstrates it meets the requirement.

GETS and the New Zealand service with the same acronym

The acronym GETS is not unique to Canada. New Zealand runs the Government Electronic Tenders Service at gets.govt.nz, a free service for New Zealand government contract opportunities. Its name uses "Tenders" rather than "Tendering", and it is a separate system with its own terms. Canadian suppliers who see GETS in international material should check which country's service is meant. In Canadian federal documents, it always refers to the Government of Canada's tendering service.

What GETS means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

For a supplier, GETS is the authoritative source for federal solicitations. Documents, amendments and answers to significant enquiries are issued there, so a bid team that relies on secondhand copies risks missing a change. Searching is free and does not require registration. Supply arrangement holders should also watch for notices reserved for their arrangement.

Treat the posting period on each notice as a firm schedule. Check GETS regularly through the CanadaBuys Tender Opportunities page, and monitor ACANs as well as open tenders. An ACAN is an opening to submit a statement of capabilities before a contract is directed to another supplier.