Supply Arrangement Holder

A Supply Arrangement Holder is a supplier that has met the evaluation requirements of a Government of Canada Request for Supply Arrangement (RFSA) and has been issued a supply arrangement. The Government of Canada describes these suppliers as pre-qualified and as holders of supply arrangements. The term is used mainly by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and the client departments it buys for. PSPC's guidance on supplying services sets out this process.

The status is a place in a pool, not a purchase. Signing a supply arrangement does not create a contract and does not legally bind either party. Supply arrangements let client departments solicit bids from a group of pre-qualified suppliers for specific requirements, as explained on the How the government buys page.

How a supplier becomes a holder

An RFSA establishes the pool. Suppliers respond, and PSPC evaluates each response against the criteria in the RFSA. Suppliers that meet those criteria become pre-qualified and are issued a supply arrangement. They must also accept the terms and conditions of the RFSA.

Many arrangements are divided into streams, categories, tiers or regions. A holder is therefore qualified for a defined scope, not for everything the arrangement covers. In practice, a supplier needs to:

• qualify through the applicable RFSA;
• accept the RFSA's terms and conditions;
• obtain and maintain the relevant supply arrangement, including the required streams, categories, tiers, regions or other qualifications; and
• submit bids when an eligible client department issues a later solicitation.

What holding an arrangement does not guarantee

Holding a supply arrangement does not guarantee work. The holder must still compete for, and be selected for, each specific requirement. The arrangement only gives the supplier the right to be invited into that competition.

This is why supply arrangements suit recurring goods or services where the requirements and the resulting call-ups vary. A standing offer is less suitable in that situation. The pool is set up once, and departments run competitive bids from it as needs arise.

How holder-only solicitations work

Departments restrict many solicitations to holders of a named arrangement. A supplier outside the pool cannot bid. Several current examples show the pattern:

• Professional services: Task and Solutions Professional Services (TSPS) lets client departments solicit competitive bids from pre-qualified holders for non-informatics professional services requirements. See the TSPS page.
• Informatics services: A CanadaBuys tender notice named TBIPS Supply Arrangement Holders under arrangement EN578-170432, in specified categories, as the eligible bidders.
• Specialized goods: A solicitation for electrical and electronic calibration and testing instruments stated that suppliers without arrangement E60HN-16ELEC could not submit a bid.
• Contact centre services: A notice of proposed procurement was open only to holders of the Government Contact Centre Services Supply Arrangement who qualified in the specified stream.
• Software as a service: Suppliers first qualify through the RFSA. A contract may then be awarded to a holder through the applicable selection process, as described on the SaaS supply arrangement page.

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

For many federal requirements, holder status is the entry ticket. If a solicitation is limited to holders of a particular arrangement, a supplier without it is shut out, however strong its offer. Check which arrangements your target departments use, and confirm that your qualifications cover the stream, category, tier and region in each solicitation.

Once you hold an arrangement, treat it as a licence to compete, not a revenue source. Monitor CanadaBuys for solicitations issued under your arrangement and respond to each one on its merits. The Government of Canada also publishes data identifying businesses holding PSPC standing offers and supply arrangements. Suppliers can use it to see who is already in a pool.