Accessible procurement

Accessible procurement is the integration of accessibility considerations into the procurement life cycle. Buyers apply it when they define a need, develop requirements, evaluate bids, issue solicitations and manage deliverables. The goal is that the goods and services the government buys can be used by the widest range of end-users.

The Government of Canada sets out this approach in an annex to its Supply Manual titled "Accessible procurement: Factors and considerations". The annex describes accessibility factors, accessibility standards, supplier demonstrations of compliance and contractual accessibility obligations. You can read it in Chapter 2 of the Supply Manual on CanadaBuys.

Where accessibility enters the four procurement stages

Under the Supply Manual, client departments and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) are responsible for four stages: planning, acquisition, use and disposal. Accessible procurement applies across all of them. A department that treats accessibility as a planning question is more likely to carry it through to the solicitation, the contract and the delivered product.

Accessibility in requirements and best value

When a buyer defines a requirement, it can ask whether the good or service is flexible, adaptable or accessible to the widest range of end-users. Buyers may favour goods and services that have flexibility built in so they can be adapted to different users.

Accessibility can also be weighed when assessing best value. That assessment can include the future costs and benefits of accessible goods and services, not only the price on the day of purchase. A bid that meets accessibility needs well can therefore carry value that a price-only comparison would miss.

Performance standards and incentives

The way a solicitation treats accessibility depends on the supplier base. Where enough suppliers exist to support competition, buyers may establish accessibility-related performance standards. Where the supplier base is limited, a solicitation may instead include incentives for meeting additional accessibility-performance criteria. In both cases the aim is to raise accessibility without shutting out competition.

For information and communications technology (ICT) purchases, the Supply Manual directs buyers to additional Government of Canada guidance on including accessibility in ICT procurement. The same Supply Manual annex points readers to that guidance.

Proof of compliance and contract obligations

Buyers may ask suppliers how they will demonstrate that a good or service complies with accessibility requirements. They may also ask whether the good or service can be tested before purchase. Contracts can then carry accessibility obligations, expressed as mandatory accessibility criteria or standards. These obligations continue after award, so accessibility becomes part of what the supplier must deliver and not only part of what it promised in the bid.

What it means for a supplier bidding on Canadian public contracts

• Read each solicitation for accessibility requirements, standards and evaluation criteria.
• Check for testing requirements and for the form of proof of compliance the buyer expects.
• Review the draft contract for accessibility obligations that apply during delivery.
• For ICT bids, look for references to the Government of Canada's ICT accessibility guidance.
• Be ready to explain how your product or service can be adapted for a wide range of users, since that can count toward best value.

Requirements differ from one solicitation to the next, so treat the solicitation documents as the authority for what a particular buyer requires.