Electronic Bid Submission (EBS)

Electronic Bid Submission (EBS) is the electronic delivery of a bid or proposal through a designated procurement platform or electronic channel, rather than by paper or another physical method. The supplier sends its response to the buyer digitally, and the solicitation says where and how.

In Canadian public procurement the term is used in two ways. Some solicitations use the exact label "Electronic Bid Submission (EBS)" for submission through a named electronic tendering service. More broadly, the phrase describes any electronic bid delivery used by federal buyers, whether through SAP Ariba, a tendering service or a dedicated email address.

How EBS appears in Canadian solicitations

A solicitation published on CanadaBuys refers to "Electronic Bid Submission (EBS)" by name. It requires proponents to submit an electronic copy of their proposal through the EBS channel of the tendering service it names. It also states that proposals submitted in another manner could be disqualified. You can read the notice at CanadaBuys.

The wording matters because EBS is not a general permission to send a bid however you like. It names one channel, and only a bid delivered through that channel is treated as submitted.

SAP Ariba and the federal electronic procurement solution

Government of Canada tender opportunities processed through its electronic procurement solution require bid submission through SAP Ariba. The federal guidance on preparing to bid sets out this requirement.

The federal government also states that each procurement opportunity clearly identifies the delivery method for submitting a bid. Its page on the electronic procurement transition explains that suppliers should read the opportunity itself to confirm the method, because it is not the same for every tender.

Email and e-bidding as other electronic channels

Not every electronic submission goes through a platform. Some Department of National Defence opportunities on CanadaBuys include a section titled "Electronic Submission of Bids". That section requires bids to be sent by email only, to the receiving address stated in the notice. An example is this CanadaBuys tender notice.

Defence Construction Canada (DCC) uses the term e-bidding for the electronic receipt of tenders and requests for proposals. DCC publishes its opportunities through an electronic tendering service, as described on its e-procurement page. DCC also provides electronic tendering guidance. Bidders select the solicitation, upload their files, enter pricing and select "SUBMIT BID" in the electronic system.

Bid security is a separate step

Electronic bid submission does not cover bid security. Where a DCC procurement requires security, DCC states that it can be provided as an electronic bid bond or by electronic funds transfer. A supplier needs to complete both the bid submission and the security requirement according to the solicitation.

What EBS means for a supplier

A supplier must use the submission method named in the specific solicitation. That may be SAP Ariba, a named tendering service or a stated email address. A bid sent by any other route risks disqualification.

• Read the delivery method in each opportunity before preparing the bid.
• Confirm that your account or access for the named channel is in place well before closing.
• Follow the file, timing, authorization and security instructions in the solicitation.
• Treat bid security as its own task, with its own method of delivery.