Highways and Public Works

Selling to the Government - Frequently Asked Questions

How are contracting and purchasing organized?

The Yukon government has a decentralized contracting system.  Advice and support is provided by the Contract Services section but individual departments are accountable for developing specifications, evaluating bids, awarding and managing service contracts.

The acquisition of commodities is centralized in the central purchasing section.

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How can we be made aware of contracting requirements?

Goods and services are acquired by publicly advertised tenders, invitations to bid or by sole sourced contracts.

Publicly advertised tenders are published in local newspapers and listed on our Public Tenders page.  To receive invitational tenders, introduce yourself to potential customers within the government and register your services on the Source List or Commodities Vendor Index ( 19KB).

Contracting directly with businesses in specific cases is allowed under the Contract Regulations and Contracting Directive.  For such contracts, the departments must use the Source List to identify various contractors.   it is even more important to ensure you are registered on the Source List and entered on the Commodities Guide.

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Is there more than one source list within the government?

Yes. Besides the Yukon Government Source List and the Commodities Vendor Index,   there are qualified source lists. These are used when a department decides to pre-qualify individuals or companies for a contract that will be tendered in the future. To get on a qualified source list you must respond to a public invitation to bid (normally published in the newspaper) and meet the evaluation criteria specified in the tender. Also, departments that have very specialized needs may keep lists of contractors with whom they normally work.

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Does being on the source list mean that I will always be invited to bid for contracts?

Not necessarily. Whether you are invited to bid on a particular contract depends a lot on its size. For value driven and price driven contracts with an estimated value of $50,000 or more, or for goods contracts with an estimated value of $25,000 or more, contracting authorities must publicly advertise the invitation to bid. Or they must invite everyone registered on the open source list or qualified source list which applies to the type of contract in question. If you are on a qualified source list, you and everyone else on the list must be invited to bid for that particular contract. For contracts under $50,000, only three bidders on the list have to be invited.

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Can I respond to an advertised invitation to bid if my name is not on the source list?

Anyone may bid on a public tender. Being on the source list also makes you eligible to receive invitational tenders.

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I have just learned of an invitational tender on which I was not invited to bid. What can I do?

You can request an invitation to bid for any contract or standing offer agreement for which you feel qualified. The contracting authority must give you the invitation to bid without delay.

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If an invitation to bid asks for a specific trade name or brand, can I substitute another product?

Sometimes. If the contracting authority has asked for a particular brand in order to set a standard of quality or performance, you can offer an item similar to the one specified. Be sure to identify your alternative and provide information to show that your substitute is as good as the product requested. In some cases the contracting authority cannot accept a substitute. If substitutes are not acceptable, the invitation to bid will state this.

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What happen to my bid if I don't comply with all the requirements of the invitation to bid?

It will be rejected.

About five percent of all bids received are rejected - the most common reasons are:

  • requested information was not provided,
  • requested bid security was not submitted,
  • the bid was not signed,
  • the bid was received late.

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    Can I change my bid after I have submitted it?

    Yes. You may amend or withdraw your bid at any time before the closing date.

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    If my bid price is the lowest does that mean that I win the contract?

    Not necessarily. Sometimes your bid price is only one of a number of criteria that may be used to evaluate and rank your bid.

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    What can I do if I disagree with the way my bid was treated?

    First, contact the contracting authority responsible for the contract and state your case. If you still feel that the regulations have not been applied properly, or that you have been treated unfairly, you can register a complaint with the chair of the Bid Challenge Committee. Complaints, in writing, may be dropped at the Contract Services Office in Whitehorse, or at one of the Department of Highways and Public Works's regional offices within 60 days following the closing time of the invitation to bid, or within 15 days of the award of the contract, whichever is later.

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