Department of Public Works and Government Services Act

The Department of Public Works and Government Services Act is the federal statute that establishes the Department of Public Works and Government Services and sets out its legal authorities. It is cited as S.C. 1996, c. 16 and received assent on June 20, 1996. The text is published on the Justice Laws website.

Since 2016 the department has been styled Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), but the Act keeps its original name. That legal name still matters in policy instruments and contracts, as described in the PSPC legal authorities briefing material. For suppliers, the Act is the statutory foundation for much of the federal government's common-service buying.

What the Act created in 1996

The Act established the department that brought together the former Department of Public Works, the Department of Supply and Services, the Translation Bureau and Telecommunication Services. Section 3 establishes the department and provides for the Minister responsible for it.

The Act also sets out how the department operates. According to CanadaBuys, section 5 specifies that PSPC operates as a common-service agency serving federal departments.

Authorities the Act gives the minister

The Act gives the responsible minister authority to acquire goods and services. It also covers a wide range of services that PSPC delivers to the rest of government. The 2019 PSPC legal authorities briefing lists these:

• public-works and federal real property services
• accommodation
• telecommunications
• information management and information technology
• consulting services
• pay and pension administration
• translation services

The authority also extends to constructing, maintaining and repairing public works and federal real property, and to providing related architectural and engineering advice. CanadaBuys identifies the Act as the source of the minister's contracting authority in its overview of delegation of procurement authority.

The June 9, 2025 amendment on services and construction

A 2026 Treasury Board policy notice states that the Act was amended to give the minister responsible for PSPC exclusive authority over services and construction procurements for the Government of Canada. The change took effect on June 9, 2025. Suppliers selling services or construction to federal departments will see this authority reflected in procurement-policy material and contracting documents.

Legal name versus operating name

PSPC is the operating name, but the legal name "Department of Public Works and Government Services" must continue to be used in policy instruments and legal documents, including contracts. A solicitation or resulting contract may therefore name the Department of Public Works and Government Services even when the buyer presents itself as PSPC. The two names refer to the same department.

What it means for a supplier

The Act is not a technical qualification or a certification requirement, and no supplier registers under it. Its practical value is that it identifies the federal department and ministerial authority under which a procurement or contract is issued.

When you prepare a bid or sign a contract, use the legal contracting entity named in the solicitation, which is typically the Department of Public Works and Government Services. Follow the stated authority, clauses, approvals and resulting-contract terms. Bid teams should treat the Act as context for who is buying and under what authority, and should not expect it to add compliance steps of its own.