TBIPS and other procurement options
Government Procurement Vehicles – More Options, Greater Flexibility
Over the past several years, Public Works and Government Services Canada has assembled a number of government-wide contracting vehicles to enable departments and agencies to contract far more effectively with the private sector. Key contracting vehicles include:
- Professional Services Online (PS Online) (for procurement of individual resources for highly defined tasks, limited to the NAFTA limit)
- Temporary Help Services (THS) (for procurement of individual resources for highly defined tasks, limited to the NAFTA limit) – usually non-technical services.
- Task Based Informatics Professional Services (TBIPS) and Solutions-Based (SBIPS) (for procurement of more technology focused task- and solutions- based work, with three different financial gates (<$250K, <$2M, >$2M) and two different procurement models: a Standing Offer (low cost compliant) and a Supply Arrangement (best value to the Crown)
- Task and Solutions Professional Services (TSPS) (for procurement of task- and solutions-based non-technical work, again with three different financial gates and two different procurement models)
These four different tools, with all of their associated facets, give government clients the flexibility they require to procure services. Each one has associated strengths and weaknesses, and the newer tools (TBIPS/SBIPS and TSPS) have been built to give clients a host of contracting possibilities. Key to the use of the new task-based contracting vehicles, clients can build requirements with option periods that contracting authorities may exercise at their discretion. This feature suits multi-phase projects that must fit within certain budget parameters.
For more information on how to do business with Systemscope using these and other contracting vehicles, email Stephen Karam (karam@systemscope.com) or call 613-230-8330 ext. 227.
