How to register on CanadaBuys and bid on federal contracts

Federal buyers in BC hire trades for RCMP detachments, Parks Canada sites, ports, military bases, fisheries stations and federal office buildings. Their tenders are posted on CanadaBuys, the Government of Canada's official source for tender and award notices. Registering takes an afternoon if you have your business number ready, and it's free.

Do I need to register to see federal tenders?

You can search CanadaBuys tender notices and past contract awards without bidding on anything. To submit a bid electronically, though, you need a supplier account, and the government recommends registering and filling in your company profile well before you find a tender you want. Doing it under deadline pressure is how mistakes happen.

Step 1: Have your CRA business number ready

Canadian businesses use the nine-digit business number from the Canada Revenue Agency. If you charge GST/HST, it's the first nine digits of your GST/HST number. CanadaBuys encourages you to enter it when you register, because you'll need it if you win a contract.

Use your legal business name exactly as the CRA has it. For a sole proprietor, that's your own name, even if you trade under another name.

Step 2: Create a free SAP Business Network account

Most electronic federal bids now go through SAP Business Network, often still called SAP Ariba. From the CanadaBuys "how to register your business" page, follow the link to create your account. The account is free.

• Use an email address someone checks every day, not one person's personal inbox if they might leave.
• If your business already has an account, the system tells you after you submit the form. Ask whoever created it to add you as a user rather than starting a second one.
• Complete your company profile: addresses, contacts, and the goods and services you provide.

Step 3: Complete the Government of Canada questionnaire

Once you have the account and your business number, you have to fill out the government's supplier questionnaire before you can submit a bid. It's a one-time step, but it's the one people forget until the night before a closing date.

Step 4: Get a procurement business number if a tender needs one

Not every federal tender runs through SAP Business Network yet. Some still take bids through a bid receiving unit, by email, or through Canada Post's epost Connect service, and the notice says which.

For bids that don't go through SAP, the government says you currently need a procurement business number (PBN). You get one by registering in the Supplier Registration Information (SRI) system with your CRA business number and legal name. The PBN arrives by email when you finish the first step. SRI is also a database federal buyers can search when they're looking for suppliers, so it's worth doing anyway.

Step 5: Set up notifications for your trade

CanadaBuys lets you save searches and sign up for notifications. Search by keywords your buyers would actually use ("janitorial", "snow", "grounds maintenance", "HVAC") and by region. Federal notices often use formal category names, so try a few wordings and save the ones that find real tenders.

CrewBid reads CanadaBuys every day too, and sends you the BC ones that match your trade and area in plain language. See where we look.

How do I submit a federal bid?

Each tender notice includes a solicitation document that sets out how to bid. Read the "bid submission" or "instructions to bidders" section first. Common rules:

• Check the time zone. Federal closing times are often in Eastern time, even for work in BC. A 2:00 p.m. EDT close is 11:00 a.m. in Vancouver.
• The format is fixed. Federal solicitations often ask for separate technical and financial sections, and some ask you to fill in the pricing in a set table. Don't change the forms.
• Certifications are part of the bid. Federal bids often include integrity and other certifications. Read what you're certifying.

Electronic submission means the system timestamps your bid. Upload early: if the portal or your internet fails at 1:55, the deadline doesn't move.

What if registration goes wrong?

The CanadaBuys Service Desk handles the electronic procurement solution, and Procurement Assistance Canada helps small businesses with the federal process in general. Both are free. Contact details are on the CanadaBuys support pages linked below.

What next?

Read federal contracts in BC for how federal buyers buy differently from municipalities, including standing offers and Indigenous set-asides. For the provincial side, see how to register on BC Bid.