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There has been a lot of buzz lately about the federal government’s plan to buy new fighter jets at a cost of $9 billion.  As large and well-known as this contract is, it’s just one example of government procurement.  Every year, the various levels of government spend billions of dollars to buy a wide variety of goods and services.  Federal and provincial are the ones that may come to mind, but the members of the MUSH sector (Municipalities, Universities, Schools, Hospitals) also have purchasing budgets.

Are there opportunities here for your business?  Canada Business Ontario’s Government Procurement Info Guide provides a detailed outline of the basics.  Public Works and Government Services Canada has launched a new Buy and Sell to government website to try and reach out to small and medium-sized businesses.

A lot of government purchasing is done through tenders and requests for proposal (RFP).  You can access tenders from a wide variety of websites.  Some list the tenders and basic tender details for free, and provide value-added services for a fee.  You can usually browse by type of goods and services required.  Check out these sites:

• MERX lists tenders and RFPs from across Canada and is the place to go for federal government contracts.  The Ontario government also lists many of their tenders there as well, although the province also uses its RAQS system for highway construction and maintenance.
• Municipal bid requests from across Ontario can be found at the Ontario Public Buyers Association website.
• Locally, Durham Region provides information and bids for interested suppliers and the Town of Whitby Purchasing Department lists opportunities on their website.
• Many other local and cross-Ontario sites are listed at the Canadian Public Tenders Gateway.

As an aside, governments sell surplus equipment too.  Often, the tenders / RFPs can be found on the tender sites listed above.  The Federal Government sells a wide variety of used goods from locations across the country at the Crown Assets Distribution division of Public Works & Government Services Canada.  Check out the bargains!

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