Treasury Board Policy

Treasury Board policy is the collection of policy instruments that the Treasury Board of Canada establishes to direct how federal departments and agencies manage government activities. In procurement, these instruments govern how federal contracting is planned, authorized, conducted and managed. The Treasury Board is responsible for the Government of Canada's overall procurement policy and process, as set out in the Treasury Board policy framework.

The phrase is not the name of one single document. It is a general reference to the applicable Treasury Board policy instruments, directives, contracting policy notices and related requirements. The principal current instrument for procurement is the Directive on the Management of Procurement, which replaced the former Contracting Policy, as described in the directive itself. CanadaBuys presents these policies and directives as the framework that supports effective planning and management of federal procurement.

The Directive on the Management of Procurement

The Directive on the Management of Procurement replaced the Contracting Policy in 2022. It states that federal procurement must obtain the goods, services and construction needed to support government programs while ensuring best value to the Crown. It also requires federal organizations to establish, implement and maintain a procurement-management framework made up of processes, systems and controls. Departmental audits, such as the SSHRC audit of procurement, assess organizations against these requirements.

Contracting authority and approval limits

Treasury Board policy instruments establish the authorities and thresholds that govern when a federal organization may enter into a contract. Treasury Board approval is required before entering contracts or contractual arrangements whose value exceeds the limits prescribed in the Treasury Board Contracts Directive. Approval requirements therefore sit with the buying organization, and they shape how and when a contract can be awarded.

Non-competitive procurement is also covered. Federal non-competitive contracts must follow Treasury Board policy, and the context and rationale for not soliciting bids must be documented, as discussed in this Treasury Board Secretariat briefing document.

Related Treasury Board instruments

Several other instruments sit alongside the main directive, and each applies within its stated scope:

• Contracting Policy Notices: these provide updates, interpretation and guidance on federal procurement and support compliance with Treasury Board policy instruments and trade agreements. They are published on the Treasury Board Secretariat policy notice page.
• Policy on Title to Intellectual Property Arising Under Crown Procurement Contracts: this policy addresses ownership and licensing of intellectual property developed during a Crown procurement contract. See the ISED review of the policy.
• Policy on Communications and Federal Identity: Public Services and Procurement Canada identifies advertising, public opinion research and audiovisual services as subject to Treasury Board communications policies and directives on its communication services page.
• Green procurement requirements: government organizations may be required to include environmental criteria in requirements where appropriate. A federal example is the Correctional Service Canada financial directive on this subject.

What Treasury Board policy means for a supplier

Treasury Board policy binds federal organizations within the scope each instrument states. It is not automatically a set of rules for NATO or for provincial governments, so suppliers bidding outside the federal system should check the buyer's own framework.

The phrase "Treasury Board policy" by itself does not identify one universal supplier form or obligation. What a supplier must provide is set by the solicitation, the resulting contract clauses, any approval requirements and the specific policy instrument that applies. Bid teams should read the solicitation closely, note which Treasury Board instruments it cites, and use the CanadaBuys policies and directives page to find the current text of each one.