Task-Based Informatics Professional Services (TBIPS)
A Public Services and Procurement Canada supply arrangement and standing offer method used to procure federal information technology professional services on a task basis across defined IT service streams.
Definition
Task-Based Informatics Professional Services, abbreviated TBIPS, is a federal procurement method operated by Public Services and Procurement Canada for buying information technology professional services. TBIPS organizes IT work into defined service categories and streams, such as application services, project management, and security, and pre-qualifies vendors and their proposed resources to deliver work on a task-authorization basis. It exists alongside its non-IT counterpart, TSPS, and both run on the supply-arrangement model that PSPC uses for professional services.
How it works in Canadian procurement
Vendors first qualify onto the TBIPS supply arrangement (or related standing offers) by responding to the periodic refresh solicitations and demonstrating that they and their proposed personnel meet the criteria for the relevant streams and tiers. Once on the arrangement, a vendor can bid on individual task-based requirements that federal departments issue against TBIPS, each of which competes the qualified roster on the specific need, the resource categories required, and price. Award produces a task authorization that functions as the contract for that engagement. For Wonable's purposes, TBIPS is most relevant to vendors in the IT and consulting verticals rather than cleaning, but it is one of the most-referenced acronyms in Canadian federal services procurement and is a frequent search query among new suppliers.
Common confusions
TBIPS is sometimes assumed to be a contract in itself; it is a procurement method and supply arrangement, and actual work comes through individual task authorizations. A second confusion is between TBIPS and TSPS: TBIPS covers informatics and IT services, while TSPS covers non-IT professional services such as business consulting and project management support. The two are administered similarly but cover different work.
Frequently asked questions
Procuring federal information technology professional services on a task basis, organized into defined IT service categories and streams, through a PSPC supply arrangement and related standing offers.
TBIPS covers informatics and IT professional services. TSPS covers non-IT professional services such as business consulting and project management. Both use the supply-arrangement model.
No. TBIPS qualification makes a vendor eligible to bid on task-based requirements. Each awarded task authorization is the actual contract for that engagement.
Related terms
- Task and Solutions Professional Services (TSPS): A Public Services and Procurement Canada supply arrangement and standing offer method for procuring federal non-IT professional services, such as business consulting and project management, on a task basis.
- Request for Supply Arrangement (RFSA): The federal Canadian solicitation that establishes a supply arrangement: it pre-qualifies a roster of vendors to compete for future call-ups, without locking in pricing at the pre-qualification stage.
- Supply Arrangement: A federal Canadian procurement vehicle that pre-qualifies vendors for future competitive call-ups, without committing to fixed pricing up front.
- Standing Offer: A pre-arranged Canadian government procurement vehicle that lets buyers issue call-ups for goods or services on demand, at pre-negotiated rates, without re-running a full RFP each time.
See Task-Based Informatics Professional Services (TBIPS) terms in real Canadian government contracts
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