Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. What is RFP.ca all about?
2. How does RFP.ca work?
3. What is an RFP?
4. Do you list all RFPs from all governments?
5. What’s the difference between RFP.ca and MERX?
6. Who should use RFP.ca?
7. How much does it cost to use RFP.ca?
8. How do I get started?
9. Who is behind RFP.ca?
1. What is RFP.ca all about?
RFP.ca is a tool to help anyone easily find procurement opportunities (RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, Bids, Tenders, etc.) issued publicly by public sector organizations in Canada. If you’re looking to do business with the public sector, RFP.ca helps you save time and ensure you’re not missing possible opportunities.
2. How does RFP.ca work?
RFP.ca works like a vertical search engine and alert system for contract opportunities in Canada. Everyday, we compile data from the many different websites where these procurement opportunities are publicly published. The information is then filtered, sorted and made available to RFP.ca users in a searchable database and through automated e-mail alerts. We're constantly growing the number of public sector organizations we track (full list).
Diagram: How RFP.ca Works
3. What is an RFP?
"RFP" is a commonly used idiom in purchasing that refers to competitive contracts to procure goods and services based upon a set of evaluation criteria. It is used as an abbreviation for "Request for Proposal", and sometimes as a more generic abbreviation for "Request for Price". In the context of this site, the name is also used as a catch-all for various procurement methods, including: "Request for Information" ("RFI"), "Request for Quote" ("RFQ"), "Request for Tender" ("RFT"), "Bids", and "Tenders". RFP.ca is a generic tool that captures procurement opportunities published using all of these different terms.
4. What public sector organizations are included?
We are continually building our database in an attempt to include all public sector organizations in Canada. Public sector organizations comprise all levels of government (municipal, provincial, and federal) and government funded or owned institutions (e.g. universities, hospitals, crown corporations, etc.). View a list of the more than 1800 organizations we currently track. Please note that we only index procurement opportunities that are publicly accessible online. As a result, we do not provide coverage of various databases and procurement systems which are closed (including behind paywalls), sole sourced, or for opportunities that are handled through standing offers.
5. What’s the difference between RFP.ca and MERX?
MERX is a primary data source that only includes opportunities published directly by issuing organizations. RFP.ca is agnostic about the source, and lists direct opportunities from primary (partner organizations) as well as secondary sources (indexed from other publicly accessible sites across the web). This enables RFP.ca to include opportunities from public sector organizations who don't publish on MERX (in addition to results indexed from there). Also, many of the organizations listed on MERX don't post all of their opportunities there. RFP.ca helps you ensure you're not missing these opportunities, by tracking and indexing all postings, from included organizations, regardless of where they are posted online.
6. Who should use RFP.ca?
This service is of most value to individuals and organizations looking to do business with public sector organizations across Canada, but don't have the time, tools, or resources to keep track of all the 100s of different websites with opportunities that might be available to them. Additionally, we also feature exclusive opportunities from partner buyers, that are not found anywhere else.
7. How much does it cost to use RFP.ca?
Currently, the service is FREE while we're in beta.
8. How do I get started?
You can sign-up for a free subscription right now and start using the service right away.
9. Who is behind RFP.ca?
RFP.ca is owned and operated by Organized Media Inc., a Canadian web company that focuses on making fragmented information accessible.
If you have any additional questions about this service, check out our feature list, consult our terms of use, or contact us directly.
