Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC)

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) is the former name of the federal department now called Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). The department was established under the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act and acts as the Government of Canada's central purchasing agent and common service provider.

The department was established effective June 20, 1996. It began operating as PSPC in 2015, and the current name has been used since 2016. The underlying legislation still carries the older name, so the PWGSC label remains in circulation in legal and procurement references.

From PWGSC to PSPC: the name change and the legal basis

The legal name of the department comes from the Department of Public Works and Government Services Act. The March 2025 ministerial transition briefing confirms that the department has been named Public Services and Procurement Canada since 2016. The change of name did not change the statute that creates the department.

The department's statutory authorities include acquiring goods and services, and constructing, maintaining and repairing public works and federal real property. These authorities are set out in the department's legal authorities briefing. The mandate also covers related architectural and engineering services.

The central purchasing role

PSPC describes itself as the Government of Canada's central purchasing agent and a common service provider, as stated in its 2022-23 departmental results report. It purchases goods and services on behalf of the Government of Canada. According to the core responsibility briefing on purchasing goods and services, it provides procurement services to more than 100 federal departments and agencies.

Within the department, the Defence and Marine Procurement Branch focuses on military procurement. Other acquisitions sit under the Procurement Branch, and both branches are part of the Acquisitions Program.

Treasury Board policy reinforces this role. The Directive on the Management of Procurement identifies PSPC as responsible for planning and organizing federal acquisitions. Subject to delegated authority, PSPC exercises exclusive federal authority for procuring goods and services, including construction services.

Where the PWGSC name still appears

Suppliers will still meet the PWGSC name in several places:

• Older procurement documents and archived solicitations.
• Legacy systems and contract references.
• Older federal instruments such as requests for standing offers and professional-services supply arrangements, which name PWGSC or PSPC as the contracting authority or issuing organization.
• Archived Treasury Board policy. The archived Policy on Green Procurement assigned PWGSC responsibility for developing procurement standards, tools and guidance, and described its procurement services as a government-wide common-service function.

Current federal procurement documents and departmental materials use PSPC. For standard terminology used in federal purchasing, the CanadaBuys Supply Manual glossary is a useful reference.

What PWGSC means for a supplier bidding on federal contracts

PWGSC and PSPC are the same department, and the term applies to federal procurement, not provincial or municipal buying. When you read a solicitation or a legacy contract, check whether it names PWGSC, PSPC or a particular federal department as the contracting authority. Then follow that document's stated submission method, mandatory requirements, security or technical conditions, contract clauses and invoicing arrangements. Obligations depend on the individual solicitation and contract, not on the department's name alone.