Last verified 2026-06-27
Insurance is a pass-or-fail requirement
Almost every Canadian government solicitation carries an insurance clause, and it is usually mandatory. If you cannot show the required coverage, your bid can be set aside no matter how strong your price is. The figures on this page are the limits that typically appear, gathered from standard federal, provincial, and municipal solicitation terms. Treat them as a starting checklist, not as the requirement itself.
The lines you usually see
Commercial General Liability is the backbone, typically $2M to $5M per occurrence, with the government named as an additional insured and 30 days notice of cancellation. Automobile liability, typically $2M, is added where vehicles are used to perform the work. Professional liability, or errors and omissions, typically $1M to $2M, applies to services, consulting, and IT work where you provide advice or a deliverable. Cyber liability appears where the work touches IT systems or personal data, pollution liability on environmental work, and proof of WSIB or the provincial workers' compensation board is commonly required where you employ workers.
The clause always governs
The single most important point: the limits above are typical and illustrative, not fixed. The actual limits, the additional-insured wording, the notice period, and which lines are mandatory all live in the insurance clause of the specific solicitation, and they vary widely from one buyer and contract to the next. There is no single official source to point to, because each procurement sets its own terms.
What to do before you bid
Read the insurance clause in the specific solicitation, line by line, and confirm coverage with a licensed insurance broker before you commit. A broker can tell you what you already carry, what you need to add, and how quickly a certificate naming the government as additional insured can be issued. Use this checklist to prepare that conversation, treat it as guidance rather than legal or insurance advice.