Treasury Board Procurement Review Policy

The Treasury Board Procurement Review Policy was a Government of Canada policy that required all government procurements exceeding $2 million to go through an interdepartmental review. The review looked for opportunities to support industrial and regional development and other national objectives, including environmental, employment and equity objectives. The Treasury Board policy page sets out these requirements.

The official title of the instrument is Procurement Review Policy. The PSPC Supply Manual, now published on CanadaBuys, labelled it the Treasury Board Procurement Review Policy. The policy was rescinded on October 11, 2019, so it is a historical instrument and not a current requirement.

What the policy required for procurements over $2 million

The policy stated that Treasury Board was responsible for the Government of Canada's overall procurement policy and process, and for establishing a framework that supported the government's procurement objectives. Its principal tool was an interdepartmental procurement review process, as described in the policy text. The process applied to every procurement above the $2 million threshold.

The review was meant to identify, before procurement proceeded, where a purchase could advance industrial and regional development. It also considered other national objectives. The policy named the environment, employment and equity programs as examples.

• Scope: all government procurements exceeding $2 million.
• Purpose: identify benefits for industrial and regional development and other national objectives.
• Main mechanism: inclusion of the procurement in an annual procurement plan.

Treasury Board approval before a request for proposals

The policy also set an approval step. A proposal involving expenditures above a department's contracting or project-approval authorities required Treasury Board approval before the request for proposals was issued. The approval sat ahead of the solicitation, so it shaped what departments could release to the market. The Treasury Board policy page records this requirement.

These steps were internal to government. They governed planning, review and approval by departments and contracting authorities.

Rescission and removal from the Supply Manual

The Supply Manual carried the policy as section 1.30.20, Treasury Board Procurement Review Policy. That section was removed effective May 4, 2020, under Policy Notification 138, because the policy had been rescinded. The archived version was retained for reference. The change is recorded in Chapter 1 of the CanadaBuys Supply Manual.

If you find a reference to the policy in older documents, check its date. The October 11, 2019 rescission and the May 4, 2020 removal mark the end of its use in the Supply Manual.

Current instruments that describe federal procurement controls

Current federal procurement controls are described through other instruments, including the Directive on the Management of Procurement and the Policy on the Planning and Management of Investments. The Treasury Board Secretariat publishes the directive and related policy documents. The President of the Treasury Board also referred to these instruments in 2023 remarks to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

What it means for suppliers bidding on Canadian public contracts

The Procurement Review Policy places no submission requirement on suppliers today. Its documented obligations fell mainly on departments and contracting authorities: planning, interdepartmental review and, where applicable, Treasury Board approval before solicitation. Suppliers do not need to address the policy in a bid.

Current procurements are governed by successor instruments and by the requirements written into each solicitation. Bid teams should read the solicitation documents and the current Supply Manual for the rules that apply to a given opportunity.