Questions, answered
What small tech firms ask about public tenders, each answered in a sentence or two, then explained.
Finding and qualifying tenders
- Can I ask questions during a government tender? Yes.
- How do I find out who won a government tender? Look for the contract award notice, which public buyers publish on the same portal as the tender and which usually names the winning supplier and the contract value.
- How long do I have to respond to a government tender? It depends mainly on the contract's value and the type of request.
- What is the difference between an RFP, an RFQ and an RFI? An RFI (request for information) asks suppliers for information before a tender and leads to no contract.
Writing bids and proposals
- How are government IT bids scored? Bids are first checked against pass-or-fail mandatory requirements, then scored against the evaluation criteria published in the tender.
- What happens if I miss a tender deadline? In almost all public tenders, a late bid is rejected without being opened, and many portals stop accepting uploads automatically at the closing time.
Pricing, contracts and getting paid
- How do I get paid on a government contract? You invoice the buyer as the contract requires, usually in arrears for work done or milestones accepted, and most governments aim to pay within 30 days of a correct invoice.
- What insurance do government IT contracts require? Most government IT contracts require professional liability (also called errors and omissions or professional indemnity) and commercial general or public liability, increasingly cyber liability, and workers' compensation or employer's liability where the law requires it.
Security, privacy and compliance
- Do I need a security clearance for federal IT work in Canada? Only for contracts with security requirements, but many federal IT contracts have them.
- Do I need ISO 27001 to win government IT contracts? Not for most tenders.
Growing a public sector business
- Can a sole proprietor bid on government contracts? Yes.
- Can two small firms bid together on a government contract? Yes.
- Do small firms actually win government IT contracts? Yes.
- What is a set-aside in US government contracting? A set-aside is a federal contract that only small businesses, or a group of them such as 8(a), HUBZone, women-owned or service-disabled veteran-owned firms, may bid on.
Selling IT to government, country by country
- Can a Canadian company bid on US federal government contracts? Yes, in some cases.
- Can a Canadian firm bid on Australian government tenders? Yes, usually.
- Can a Canadian firm bid on UK public tenders? Yes, in most cases.
- Can EU companies bid on Canadian government tenders? Yes, often.
- Do I need to register on SAM.gov to bid on US state or city contracts? Usually not.
Supplier lists, frameworks and panels
- How do I get on G-Cloud, and how long does it take? You can only join G-Cloud when Crown Commercial Service opens a new version of the framework for applications, which has happened roughly every year or two.
- What is a framework agreement in EU public procurement? A framework agreement is an umbrella agreement between a public buyer and one or more suppliers that sets the terms for contracts awarded over a period, usually up to four years under the EU public sector directive.
- What is the difference between a standing offer and a supply arrangement in Canada? A standing offer is a supplier's offer to provide goods or services at set prices and terms when asked, for a set period, and it becomes a contract only when the buyer issues a call-up.