Advisory Notice – Procurement Impacts During the Combat of COVID-19
March 19, 2020 – Ottawa – In support of the Government of Canada’s Call to Help Canada combat Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), PSPC is taking measures to ensure continued operations of our procurement activities.
Tender Notices:
In light of the current state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Goverment Service Canada will extend numerous active bid solicitations that are currently set to close on or before March 31, 2020 for a minimum period of two weeks from the current closing date. Amendments will be posted shortly. To stay up to date on the latest status of active procurements, please consult Buyandsell.gc.ca. Goverment Service Canada also encourage you to take advantage of the Electronic Notification Service (ENS) as well as RSS Feeds. Find out more on how to stay up to date on opportunities by visiting the Follow Opportunities page on Buyandsell.gc.ca.
Bid Submissions:
There are also changes to bid receiving operations, further details can be found in the following advisory notice on the PSPC service continuity page. Where possible, suppliers are strongly encouraged to submit their bids electronically using the Fax or by epost Connect online service provided by Canada Post Corporation if available (indicated in the Bidder Instructions of the solicitation document).
For assistance with this service, please refer to the help document on ePost Connect guide or email the National Capital Region Bid Receiving Unit at: TPSGC.D[email protected]
Extension to Bid Validity Periods:
PSPC will also treat numerous bids that would otherwise expire on or before March 31, 2020 deemed extended for a minimum of one (1) month from the current bid validity date. However, if Canada proposes to award a contract or other instrument to a bidder who did not wish for its bid validity to be extended, then Canada will permit it to withdraw its bid.
Goverment Service Canada appreciate your patience and understanding as they are actively working with the departments in mitigating these delays as much as possible. Should you have questions relating to a specific Tender Notice, we encourage you to contact the Contract Authority listed in the Tender Notice under Contact Information. Please note that Canada is doing its best to reply responsively to all questions but delays should be expected.