Process
Award Notice
A published record of a contract award, typically naming the supplier, buyer and value.
Award notices close the loop on a competition. They generally identify the winning supplier, the buyer, the awarded value and the reference number linking back to the original solicitation.
They are among the most underused resources available to bidders. Reviewing awards for the buyers and categories you target shows who actually wins that work, roughly what it goes for, and whether a given buyer favours incumbents. That is far better evidence for a bid or no-bid decision than an unqualified sense that a tender looks promising.
Awarded value reflects the contract as signed. Amendments, options and extensions may change what is ultimately paid, so treat it as a reference point rather than a final figure.
In practice
Before bidding on a facilities contract, a supplier reviews three years of award notices for the same department and finds the same two firms winning consistently at values well below its own cost base.
Related terms
- Proactive DisclosureThe routine publication of government contract data as an open transparency obligation.
- SubcontractorA supplier engaged by the prime contractor to deliver part of the scope, with no direct contract with the buyer.
- DebriefingA post-award explanation to an unsuccessful bidder of how its bid was evaluated.
See this term in a real tender
Search current federal opportunities and read a live notice with this definition in mind.
This definition describes general Canadian federal practice and is not legal advice. Always confirm requirements against the official solicitation.