10 Must-Have Steps to Never Miss a TBIPS/SBIPS RFP
1. Comprehensive RFP Monitoring & Alerts
Set Up Multi-Channel Monitoring:
Register and create profiles on key procurement platforms such as CanadaBuys, MERX, and Biddingo.
Ensure you subscribe to tailored email alerts and RSS feeds for TBIPS/SBIPS opportunities.
Utilize Specialized Monitoring Tools:
Consider investing in AI-powered tools or third-party subscription services that automatically scan and flag relevant federal opportunities.
2. Understand the Procurement Landscape
Know Your Vehicles:
TBIPS: Typically for individual tasks or resource-based IT services. Note that TBIPS has two tiers (with Tier 2 handling larger contracts).
SBIPS: For complete, outcome-based IT solutions often involving fixed-price contracts or milestone-based payments.
Stay Informed on Trends:
Review historical data and spending reports (e.g., quarterly usage reports) to gauge common pricing benchmarks and winning bid patterns.
Follow industry analyses and case studies that reveal how incumbents like Veritaaq, IBM, and Randstad dominate these spaces.
3. Pre-RFP Preparation and Qualification
Secure Your Status on Supply Arrangements:
Ensure your firm is pre-qualified under TBIPS/SBIPS. If not, proactively participate in “Request for Supply Arrangement” (RFSA) processes.
Consider expanding your qualification to cover multiple categories, tiers, or domains to maximize your opportunity pool.
Build a Cleared Talent Pool:
Maintain an up-to-date roster of security-cleared personnel. Know your required clearance levels (e.g., Reliability, Secret) and update them regularly.
Develop partnerships or team arrangements that cover gaps in certifications if needed.
4. Deep Dive into the RFP Document
Read Every Section Carefully:
Identify and highlight all critical details, including deadlines, Q&A cut-offs, meeting times, and mandatory documentation.
Extract Key Information:
Use AI-based document analysis tools to quickly pull out essential data: security clearances, mandatory certifications, resource requirements, and contract types.
Maintain a Compliance Matrix:
Create a table mapping each RFP requirement (both mandatory and rated) to your planned response. This helps ensure nothing is missed.
5. Evaluate Bid Requirements & Eligibility
Perform a Go/No-Go Analysis:
Quickly determine whether your firm meets every mandatory criterion.
If key requirements (like a specific certification or TBIPS/SBIPS tier qualification) are missing, consider forming partnerships or skipping the opportunity.
Review Past Performance Criteria:
Evaluate whether the RFP emphasizes past work with that department or in that domain. Use previous project successes to justify your bid.
6. Proposal Crafting & Quality Assurance
Customize Your Proposal:
Address every requirement using the same language as in the RFP.
Provide clear, measurable evidence for each technical or rated criterion (e.g., “managed 3 concurrent projects over $2M each”).
Implement a Rigorous Review Process:
Use an internal “red team” review to verify that your compliance matrix is complete and your proposal meets every single requirement.
Cross-check against sample winning proposals and debriefs from past bids for additional insights.
7. Leverage Advanced Compliance Strategies
Pre-emptive Engagement:
Attend industry days, RFIs, and stakeholder briefings to shape the eventual RFP.
Ask clarifying questions during the official Q&A period to mitigate ambiguous or overly tailored requirements.
Legal & Dispute Preparedness:
Understand your contractual rights and keep detailed documentation (emails, Q&A responses, draft versions).
Familiarize yourself with procedures for submitting a CITT or OPO complaint if you suspect non-compliance in the evaluation process.
8. Monitor Policy & Process Changes
Stay Updated on New Rules:
Follow PSPC and Shared Services Canada announcements for changes such as tighter security clearance verification, mandatory sub-contractor disclosures, and more detailed cost breakdown requirements.
Regularly review federal budgets and procurement forecasts to anticipate shifts toward SBIPS or changes in evaluation criteria.
Adapt to Digital Transformation:
Get comfortable with new e-procurement platforms (like the upgraded CanadaBuys system) and be ready for AI-assisted bid evaluations.
9. Competitor Benchmarking & Market Intelligence
Study Successful Bidders:
Analyze how top TBIPS/SBIPS vendors differentiate themselves. Focus on factors like large cleared talent pools, competitive pricing, and strong past performance records.
Leverage available case studies (e.g., GC Strategies’ success with ArriveCAN) to learn which strategies yield high technical scores and compliance.
Track Expiry and Re-Competition:
Keep an eye on expiring contracts using public procurement databases to forecast when opportunities will reappear. Use this intel to prepare timely bids.
10. Unconventional Monitoring & Continuous Improvement
Explore Hidden Opportunities:
Monitor government procurement forecasts, stakeholder committee hearings, and departmental press releases.
Use alternative channels such as industry advisory groups or FOIA requests to get early insight into upcoming RFPs.
Invest in Post-Bid Learning:
After every bid (win or lose), request a debrief and integrate the lessons learned into your next proposal.
Maintain a centralized database of feedback to fine-tune both your bid responses and your monitoring strategies over time.
Bonus Section: Case Studies & Real-World Insights
GC Strategies’ ArriveCAN Win:
GC Strategies leveraged its incumbent advantage and a meticulously prepared compliance matrix to win a $25.3 M TBIPS task during the pandemic. Their approach focused on securing a robust, cleared talent pool and tailoring every response to the specific nuances of the RFP, ensuring zero non-compliance issues.Cache Consulting Tribunal Case (2021):
A tribunal review highlighted that even a single non-compliant element—such as missing a mandatory certification—could invalidate an otherwise competitive bid. This case underscores the importance of a rigorous internal compliance review and justifies the need for a detailed compliance matrix.Pre-RFP Engagement Success:
Several top vendors have demonstrated that early engagement through RFIs and industry briefings can shape RFP language. One vendor, by participating actively in a Shared Services Canada industry day, helped nudge the evaluation criteria toward awarding technical merit rather than relying solely on résumé stacks—a change that later improved their win rates by 15%.