The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises can help identify specific business opportunities stemming from government purchasing. Through seminars, one-on-one meetings and tradeshow outreach, OSME shows suppliers how to identify opportunities, navigate the government purchasing systems, gain access to key government contacts and learn more about the bidding process.

Contracts Canada (www.contractscanada.gc.ca) is a key component of OSME and can help you find basic information on how the purchasing is done, who the key contacts are and, most importantly, how you can find opportunities. Contracts Canada contains a database called Supplier Registration Information (SRI) which is a list of suppliers who want to do business with the federal government. SRI can be used by all federal government buyers to help identify potential suppliers. When you register in SRI you will receive a Procurement Business Number (PBN), which is necessary to sell to PWGSC, as well as to access the government electronic tendering system, MERX, for free. To register please visit: http://www.contractscanada.gc.ca/en/regist-e.htm.

MERX (www.merx.com) is a website used by the federal government, where most opportunities over $25,000 are posted. To make it easier and more affordable for small businesses to sell to the federal government, opportunities can now be downloaded from MERX for free if you have a Procurement Business Number.

OSME is here to make it easier for suppliers to access government business opportunities. We can help you understand government procurement, the bidding process and how to identify government opportunities.

For more information on selling to the federal government, the government electronic tendering (MERX) and bidding on opportunities, please attend our seminar at the SOHO SME Business Conference and Expo in Vancouver September 16th 2010. Seminars are also provided through Small Business BC (http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/seminars).

– The Office of Small and Medium Enterprises, PWGSC