Glossary term
Price and Availability Enquiries (P&A)
TERM SUMMARY
A Price and Availability (P&A) enquiry is a request to suppliers for information that PSPC or a client department needs for program planning or budgeting.
- Why it matters
- A Price and Availability enquiry, usually shortened to P&A, is a request that the Government of Canada sends to suppliers, often called "the trade", to gather information about specific goods or services.
- Category
- Canadian government procurement terminology
- Reference role
- This term page is designed to be linkable, crawlable, and easy to quote or summarize.
A Price and Availability enquiry, usually shortened to P&A, is a request that the Government of Canada sends to suppliers, often called "the trade", to gather information about specific goods or services. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC, formerly PWGSC) or one of its client departments uses the answers for program planning or budgetary purposes.
A P&A enquiry is not a bid solicitation, and the CanadaBuys Supply Manual glossary says it must be identified as such. Suppliers who receive one are being asked for planning information, not for a binding offer.
What a P&A enquiry asks suppliers to provide
The enquiry asks for information about particular items, such as indicative pricing, availability and delivery details. Historical PWGSC guidance in the Supply Manual describes these requests as a way to obtain information from suppliers for planning, budgeting or similar purposes.
That guidance also says the request should, wherever possible, include estimated quantities and a definite time period. Suppliers can price against a stated volume and timeframe rather than guessing at the buyer's needs.
How a P&A enquiry differs from a bid solicitation
A P&A enquiry comes before a procurement. It informs planning, requirements development or budgeting, and it is not a request for bids or an offer to enter into a contract. CanadaBuys buyer guidance states that the enquiry must clearly say it is not a solicitation of offers and does not commit the government to a future purchase or contract.
It is also a separate tool from a Request for Information (RFI) and a Solicitation of Interest and Qualification (SOIQ). CanadaBuys lists P&A enquiries among the ways buyers obtain early industry information, including when planning an urgent acquisition.
Who issues P&A enquiries and where they appear
PSPC and its client departments issue P&A enquiries. CanadaBuys guidance says an enquiry may be directed to selected businesses or posted publicly on the Tender opportunities page. A supplier may therefore receive one directly or find it among public notices.
The tool is used in defence procurement. A CanadaBuys tender opportunity listing shows the Department of National Defence issuing an "RFI /Price and Availability Request".
Historical editions of the Supply Manual, including this volume and this one, identify a Price and Availability Request as an annexed procurement form. They also say PWGSC requisition documentation and standard requisition numbers were to be used for these enquiries.
What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts
A P&A enquiry is an early signal that a department is planning a purchase and wants to understand the market. Respond in the form and by the deadline stated in the enquiry, and give the information requested, such as indicative price and availability or delivery information.
- Treat it as planning input. Your response is not a bid, and the government is not committed to buy.
- Be accurate. Buyers may use your figures for budgets and requirements, so give realistic pricing and delivery information.
- Watch for the follow-on. Any later solicitation is a separate document with its own requirements, and only that document asks for an offer.
- Monitor CanadaBuys. Public enquiries are posted on the Tender opportunities page, so regular checks help you find them.