Site Visit

A site visit is an organized gathering at the location where work will be performed. Offerors attend to view and assess aspects of the work that cannot be fully described in the solicitation documents. In Canadian federal procurement, a site visit may be optional or mandatory, and the solicitation states which applies.

CanadaBuys buyer guidance tells federal buyers to use site visits when suppliers need to inspect or assess a work location. The guidance covers cases where the worksite, facilities, equipment, security conditions or other physical circumstances cannot be adequately conveyed in writing. Details are in the CanadaBuys guidance on engaging businesses.

What a solicitation must say about the visit

A federal solicitation that includes a site visit must identify the location, the date and the time. It must also state whether attendance is optional or mandatory. Suppliers should treat these details as fixed instructions. Site visits can appear in tenders, notices of proposed procurement and other solicitations, including construction and other physical-work procurements where the buyer wants offerors to assess work that cannot be fully described in the procurement documents.

Mandatory and optional visits compared

The two types carry very different consequences for a bidder.

• Mandatory visit: Only bidders that attend are eligible to submit an offer. Failure to attend results in the offer being declared non-responsive. A mandatory visit applies to all offerors, including those already familiar with the site.
• Optional visit: A supplier may submit an offer without attending.

Both points are set out in the CanadaBuys guidance and in the standard instructions for procurement documents shared on CanadaBuys.

Security clearances and attendance records

Some sites are security-restricted. Where that is the case, the solicitation must state the required security-clearance level. Before the visit, the buyer must ensure that a Security Requirements Check List has been completed and submitted to the Contract Security Program. The buyer must also confirm that visiting representatives hold the required clearance.

The shared CanadaBuys standard instructions, which apply to Communications Security Establishment procurements, add two further points. Bidders may be required to identify their representatives in advance, and they may be asked to sign an attendance form.

After the visit: minutes, amendments and accessibility

After the visit, the buyer should distribute minutes. Where necessary, the buyer should also update the solicitation through clarifications or amendments. Anything said at the visit that changes the requirement should reach all bidders in writing this way.

Accessibility is also part of the process. Canadian accessibility procurement guidance requires buyers to ask proactively about accommodation needs. When a required site visit is not accessible, buyers must work toward accessible solutions. The requirement appears in the bidding and contract award section of the accessible procurement standard.

What a site visit means for your bid

The solicitation controls your obligations, so read the site visit clause first. Work through this checklist:

• Confirm whether the visit is optional or mandatory.
• Attend a mandatory visit at the stated time and location.
• Meet any stated security-clearance requirement before the visit.
• Provide the names of attending representatives and any issues you want discussed, if requested.
• Complete any attendance record or sign-in sheet.
• Review the visit minutes and any resulting amendment before you submit your offer.

Missing a mandatory visit ends your eligibility, however strong your offer is. Skipping an optional visit does not bar you, but you give up the chance to see conditions the documents cannot describe.