BC Bid for ministries
Last updated on February 14, 2024The BC Bid application is open for buyers to post opportunities and receive bids from suppliers.
BC Bid procurement historical data from April 1, 2015 to December 15, 2022, is available.
- The BC Bid application sends B.C. procurement information to the federal government’s CanadaBuys platform, connecting our opportunities to the global marketplace and delivering on our commitments to trade agreements. This process is automatic and only requires that you post on BC Bid in accordance with Core Policy.
- BC Bid is integrated with government’s Corporate Financial System (CFS) to support a seamless transfer of information for Goods Purchasing. Ministry buyers initiating Invitation to Quote (ITQ) solicitations can find details on the process in the ITQ Guide for Ministry Buyers.
Register for BC Bid
To access BC Bid, you will need to register for an account. Follow the steps outlined in the BC Bid Portal, login, and registration for Ministry Buyers.
If you have questions during this process, please contact the BC Bid Help Desk. The Help Desk is responding to all calls and emails in the order received.
Step 1: Review business processes
Ministries are responsible for ensuring compliance with Core Policy.
Review commodity codes lists
BC Bid uses the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC). Please note BC Bid does not utilize all UNSPSC Commodity codes. Commodity codes used in BC Bid are searchable in the application.
You can find more information about the UNSPSC classification structure at https://www.unspsc.org. To determine which UNSPSC codes you can use based on your GSIN codes, see the GSIN to UNSPSC commodity code mapping (XLSM, 331.5KB) document.
Step 2: (Optional) Review a recorded training session
Learning/demo sessions were held in February 2022 for ministry buyers. You can review the session recording on the Practice Files page for an introduction to the application.
After reviewing the session recording, ministry buyers are encouraged to complete the following activities to gain more confidence using the tool.
- Review the full suite of online learning resources and confirm your access to the Training Environment through the Ministry Buyer Guide page on the BC Procurement Resources site.
- Practice in the training environment using the Additional Resources on the Ministry Buyer Guide page.
- Connect with one of your ministry’s Super Trainers or Ministry Trainers/Coaches, if you would like additional support.
Step 3: Access application learning resources
Step by Step instructions, in web, PDF, and video formats, are available on the Ministry Buyer Guide page.
After you have learned how to use the application, Quick Reference Guides (QRGs) provide high-level reminders to help you navigate BC Bid.
Note: The lighter detailed QRGs are not designed as stand-alone learning tools and must be used in conjunction with the User Guides.
Step 4: Set up a new BC Bid account
Before you register for your new account, please review the Portal, login, and registration section of the Ministry Buyer Guide.
Once your account is registered, you can log into the application to manage your profile and post opportunities. BC Bid templates can be found on the Solicitation processes and templates page.
Step 5: Accessing historical BC Bid data
Historical data access
BC Bid procurement historical data from April 1, 2015 to December 15, 2022, is available.
Publicly posted historical data is available to all users through the public portal, including:
- Invite only RFx opportunities
- Opportunities, tender documents and attachments
- Contract Award notices without attachments
Some data will require additional access, including:
- Supplier bid responses and attachments
- Contract Award/Purchase Order details with attachments
- Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure ITT tender attachments for plan holder lists
For more information about how to access additional historical data, please see Additional data access instructions (PDF).
Note: Publicly posted historical data in BC Bid will be searchable except by region and commodity. Historical data will remain mapped to GSIN commodity codes rather than the current UNSPSC commodity codes.