Optional Site Visit

When you're reviewing a solicitation and see "site visit" listed as optional, that's exactly what it means—you can attend if you want, but skipping it won't disqualify your bid. Unlike mandatory site visits, which can get you rejected if you don't show up, optional visits give you flexibility to assess the work location without penalty. They're common in construction, facilities management, and IT installation contracts where seeing the actual site might help you prepare a better proposal.

How It Works

The solicitation documents will specify the date, time, and location for the site visit, along with any registration requirements. You might need to confirm attendance in advance or just show up. While the Supply Manual doesn't contain a specific section on optional site visits, the general guidance in Chapter 3 on the solicitation process establishes that these details should be clear in the tender documents.

Here's the thing: even though attendance is optional, smart bidders usually go. You get to see conditions that aren't fully captured in drawings or specifications—tight access points, existing equipment configurations, security protocols you'll need to follow. For PSPC and other federal entities, these visits also give you a chance to ask questions directly to the project team. Just know that any answers affecting the bid will be formalized through an amendment later.

The distinction between optional and mandatory matters most when something goes wrong. If you bid on a renovation project without attending the site visit and later claim you didn't realize the workspace was occupied 24/7, that's on you. The contracting authority will point to the optional visit you declined. The General Conditions for Higher Complexity Goods make clear that contractors must provide Canada access to work locations during performance—but pre-award, the burden is on you to gather the information you need.

Key Considerations

• Optional doesn't mean unimportant. You're accepting responsibility for any site conditions that would have been obvious during a visit. If dimensions, access, or existing conditions affect your pricing, go see them yourself.

• Amendments trump site visits. Even if someone tells you something during the visit, only information issued through formal amendments to the solicitation counts. Document what you see, but don't rely on verbal answers.

• Some programs use site visits differently. As noted in the Procurement Ombudsman's guidance on set-aside programs, site visits can be part of certification verification for Indigenous business eligibility—that's a different context than pre-bid site assessments.

• Regional variations exist. Individual departments and contracting authorities may handle optional visits differently in their solicitation documents, even though federal policy doesn't mandate specific approaches.

Related Terms

Mandatory Site Visit, Solicitation Documents, Bid Closing, Request for Proposal (RFP), Amendment

Sources

• Supply Manual - Public Services and Procurement Canada

• General Conditions - Higher Complexity - Goods (Part I)

• Procurement Set-Aside Programs - Office of the Procurement Ombudsman

Bottom line: treat optional site visits as optional attendance but essential due diligence. You won't be disqualified for skipping one, but you might regret it when you're pricing blind.