Invitation to Canadian Black-owned or -led businesses to provide information about their businesses and experiences with federal procurement

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) invites Canadian Black-owned or -led businesses to complete an online questionnaire to provide information about their businesses and their experience with federal procurement.

The results of the questionnaire will help PSPC develop initiatives to increase the participation of Black-owned or -led businesses in federal procurement opportunities.

Important: This is not a bid solicitation process and no contract will result from this request. Participation in this Request for Information (RFI) is not a condition or prerequisite for the participation in any potential subsequent solicitation. Please note that respondents will not be reimbursed for any cost incurred by participating in this RFI.

How to participate

As part of this RFI, Black-owned or -led businesses are invited to respond to an online questionnaire: https://questionnaire.simplesurvey.com/f/s.aspx?s=450b9ac0-00a4-466b-bb49-b34ab70c2034.

The questionnaire takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

You may also download the Word version of this questionnaire, attached to this RFI (see the document list below) to complete and submit your responses by email. Please read the Word version for submission details.

For any questions regarding the questionnaire or the accessibility of the questionnaire, or if you need assistance, please contact TPSGC.PAPiloteSocioEconomique-APSocioEconomicPilot.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Deadline for submission

The deadline to submit responses to the questionnaire is 14:00 EDT, July 30, 2021. The summary report of the RFI results will be published on the Consultations and Reports page of Buyandsell.gc.ca. To be notified when an announcement is posted about the release of the report, subscribe to the Email notification service for Buyandsell.gc.ca news.

Background
PSPC is committed to enhancing the participation of diverse suppliers in government procurement through initiatives such as the simplification of its procurement documents and the implementation of the electronic procurement solution. In addition, PSPC is seeking to enhance the participation of diverse suppliers through targeted initiatives relating to individual procurements, such as small business set-asides reserved for diverse suppliers.

The Government of Canada is committed to increasing diversity in federal procurement, and to pursuing economic empowerment for Black entrepreneurs. In support of this mandate, PSPC is undertaking initiatives to increase the participation of Black-owned or -led businesses in federal procurement. To ensure that initiatives reflect the realities and needs of Black-owned or -led businesses, PSPC is working closely with Black-led organizations and Black entrepreneurs from across Canada to learn about their experiences with federal procurement. Through this questionnaire, PSPC is seeking feedback directly from Black-owned or -led businesses regarding federal procurement.

To support Black-owned or -led businesses and gather information about their experience with the federal procurement process, PSPC launched the Black Businesses Procurement Pilot on January 12, 2021, to open Tender opportunities for Canadian Black-owned or -led small businesses. The department is drawing on successes and lessons learned from the results of the pilot to inform additional targeted initiatives to support opportunities for Black Canadians.

For more information

For more information about the questionnaire, please see the Frequently Asked Questions document attached to this RFI (see the document list below).

Stay informed

You are encouraged to subscribe to this RFI to receive email notifications for updates related to this questionnaire process. Use the email icon at the top of this tender notice to subscribe.