PWGSC (Public Works and Government Services Canada)

PWGSC stands for Public Works and Government Services Canada. It is the former name of the federal department now called Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), the government's central procurement service provider.

The abbreviation remains in use in legal, policy, procurement and departmental documents, because PWGSC remains the department's legal name. Suppliers still meet it in solicitations, standing offers, supply arrangements and contract clauses. Wherever it appears, it points to the same department that is now known as PSPC.

Why PWGSC and PSPC refer to the same department

The department was renamed Public Services and Procurement Canada, but the older name did not disappear from federal paperwork. The Canada Revenue Agency procurement policy treats PWGSC as the department's legal name. Procurement documents also continue to use PWGSC, particularly when they refer to legacy clauses, manuals, legal authorities or contracting documentation.

A bid team that sees either name in a document should read it as a reference to one organization. There is no separate PWGSC to track.

What PWGSC did as the federal procurement service provider

Departmental reporting describes PWGSC as the federal government's primary procurement service provider. The 2007-2008 Report on Plans and Priorities sets out its responsibilities:

• Acquiring goods and services for federal departments and agencies.
• Offering specialized contracts, standing offers, supply arrangements and electronic marketplaces.
• Managing and administering contracts.
• Managing federal real property.

Those functions now sit with PSPC, which carries out procurements for client departments in the same way.

Where the PWGSC name still appears in bid documents

The name shows up in several kinds of federal procurement material:

• SACC Manual: Federal solicitations and contracts refer to the Standard Acquisition Clauses and Conditions (SACC) Manual as issued by PWGSC, now PSPC. Its clauses form part of many bid solicitations and the contracts that follow.
• ProServices: Contracts awarded under the ProServices supply arrangement use clauses from the SACC Manual.
• Solution-based professional services: The solution-based supply arrangement states that its identified clauses and conditions are set out in the SACC Manual issued by PWGSC.
• Defence: PWGSC issues procurements on behalf of the Department of National Defence. A CanadaBuys tender notice shows PWGSC issuing a standing offer for general-contractor services for National Defence.
• Real property: PWGSC is the contracting department for real-property project-management and infrastructure work, as in this fairness monitoring report, which covers projects issued for its Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch.
• Social procurement: The Policy on Social Procurement applies to goods, services and construction contracts for which the PWGSC Acquisitions Program is responsible, including procurements conducted for client departments.

What PWGSC means for a supplier bidding on federal contracts

Treat a PWGSC reference as a reference to PSPC and read the incorporated clauses closely. When a solicitation cites the SACC Manual issued by PWGSC, those clauses become part of the bid requirements and any resulting contract.

The department's supplier conduct code sets expectations for vendors. Suppliers must respond honestly and comprehensively, accurately represent their capacity, identify factual errors in solicitations, and fulfil the obligations of any contract they enter into. Follow the instructions in each solicitation, and bid only where you can deliver what the contract will require.