Government of Canada launches new coaching service to increase supplier diversity in federal procurement

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) is contributing to a more inclusive economy by helping diverse businesses get involved in federal procurement.

The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, announced the Government of Canada has launched a new coaching service designed to help bidders from diverse socio-economic groups that have had limited success bidding on federal procurement opportunities address the bidding challenges they have previously faced.

Earlier today, Minister Tassi hosted a virtual roundtable discussion with representatives from women-owned businesses who took part in a pilot of the coaching service last year. She thanked the participants for their collaboration and feedback, which was critical in refining the coaching service before its official launch.

Delivered by PSPC’s Procurement Assistance Canada, the coaching service will give businesses from diverse socio-economic priority groups (women, Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized Canadians, persons with disabilities and LGBTQ2+ Canadians) access to one introductory meeting and at least 3 personalized coaching sessions with a procurement specialist from Procurement Assistance Canada’s regional offices. These sessions will help the businesses explore the areas of the bidding journey where they may require assistance.

The launch of the coaching service is a concrete step towards enhancing economic and social opportunities for underrepresented groups and follows a pilot project launched last year. This is one of many procurement initiatives that PSPC is leading to increase supplier diversity.