January 20, 2004OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- The Honourable Stephen Owen, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, announced today a $1.5M competitive contract award to IBM Canada Ltd., of Ottawa, to provide services for the Government of Canada Marketplace (GoCM) project, a key e-Government initiative that aims to establish Canada as a world leader in electronic commerce. The project will also contribute to making government greener by reducing paper use and facilitating the purchase of environmentally friendly products.The GoCM is an important initiative for the federal government. It will move a full range of purchasing activities on-line and enable increased collaboration across departments and agencies for the efficient and economical provision of goods and services. It will save time and money by simplifying the purchasing process, reducing the costs of transactions and providing information more quickly about what the Government buys. This data will help the Government negotiate reduced overall prices of goods and services."The Government of Canada Marketplace supports the Government's commitment to fair, open and transparent procurement," said Minister Owen. "Additionally, when fully functional, the service will enable suppliers to make their products and services easily available in an open and competitive environment."The GoCM is a key project within the Electronic Supply Chain (ESC) Program of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC). The ESC Program is an initiative to provide a framework for the electronic acquisition of goods and services for the Government of Canada. It encompasses the complete life cycle of supply activities from initial selection of goods or services through ordering and receipt, asset disposal, and final settlement.IBM Canada Ltd. will provide services to help develop and implement the GoCM as well as those related to the operation, maintenance and support of the electronic marketplace.The contract covers a five-and-a-half-year period, with the option of five additional one-year extensions. The GoCM service will be piloted in collaboration with four departments (PWGSC, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Transport Canada, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada) in late 2004 to early 2005, after which it will be made available to more departments and agencies.Funding for this project was provided for in the February 2003 Federal Budget.BACKGROUND The Government of Canada Marketplace (GoCM) will facilitate the on-line exchange of goods and services between suppliers and federal government buyers. The GoCM will enable the federal government's supply chain processes such as procurement management, access to purchasing and access to payment, to be conducted within an efficient and secure electronic environment.IBM Canada Ltd. in collaboration with the Government of Canada, will fund the implementation and operations of the GoCM, including a reasonable return on investment through revenues generated by the GoCM. The definition task will be supported by funding from the Government of Canada, while subsequent tasks will be funded out of revenues generated by the GoCM service.The proposal of IBM Canada Ltd. was selected following a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) procurement process. The RFP was posted on MERX from June 3, 2003 to October 22, 2003. Two bids were received and the contract was awarded following a bid evaluation process that included the involvement of a third-party fairness monitor. The five-and-a-half-year contract includes an initial six-month service definition period, followed by five years of operation of the GoCM service.The four lead departments for the pilot of the GoCM (Public Works and Government Services Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Transport Canada, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada) represent different-sized departments and four different departmental financial systems.-30-For further information please contact:Office of the MinisterAlastair MullinDirector of Communications(819) 994-5412orPublic Works and Government Services CanadaIrene AguzziSenior Media Relations Officer(819) 956-2310PWGSC News Releases are also available on our Internet site at www.pwgsc.gc.ca/text/generic/sub_infocentre_newsrel-e.html
