What is a standing offer?
A standing offer is a contractual arrangement between the Province and a pre-approved supplier. Under the terms and conditions of a standing offer, the supplier agrees to provide certain goods or services on an "as required" basis, during a particular period of time and at a predetermined price or discount. The terms and conditions are set up in advance and vary depending on the type of goods or services to be provided.
What types of standing offers exist between the Province and its suppliers?
Several different types of standing offers are established on an ongoing basis. Standing offers for goods include items such as fuel oil, office equipment, building supplies, shop material and road maintenance. Standing offers for services include consultants for communications, business, information technology, training, Human Resources and temporary staffing Services.
When are your tenders for standing offers issued?
The table below gives a tentative schedule for several of our Standing Offers. These dates serve only as a guide and may not necessarily be the actual issue date for a particular RSO:
How can my company or I become pre-approved as a standing offer supplier?
In most cases, standing offers are issued as regular tenders and are posted on our Procurement website. You must respond during the specified timeframe in order to be evaluated for potential acceptance for a standing offer. Any supplier who replies to these tenders meets the published requirements as determined during the evaluation will be accepted.
Where can I find more details about your standing offers for services?
Further details about our services standing offers are provided online in our Reference Manual for Suppliers. This short document provides important information about (i) our processes for establishing services standing offers and (ii) the procedures for client and suppliers to follow in a call-up for services. It also outlines (iii) supplier responsibilities and (iv) important constraints that prevail during the contract period. If you are accepted for a services standing offer or are responding to an open "Request for Standing Offer" (RSO) tender, we recommend that you ensure you are familiar with this Manual.
Now that I'm approved as a standing offer supplier, how and when am I contacted to provide goods or services?
Standing Offers are communicated to provincial departments through internal information systems and interfaces. When a department needs a particular good or service, they will access these systems and interfaces in order to review the standing offer that exists for that type of good or service and then select a supplier based on their departmental requirements. The department will then issue a 'Purchase Order" that is sent directly to you. Upon receipt, you are then authorized to provide the goods or services reflected in the Purchase Order, and after delivery is complete, you can then invoice the client department for payment. Further details about these processes are provided in the Reference Manual for Suppliers. described above.
As an approved supplier, you are eligible for consideration when a client need arises. However, this in itself is not a guarantee of business, but rather the 1st step in a 2-step process. The 2nd step rests with each approved supplier to market their services to clients and thereby increase their chances of doing business with the provincial government.