Inquiry into RCMP IT contract award

Summary#

The Canadian International Trade Tribunal has decided to hold an inquiry after receiving a complaint from PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) about a federal IT services procurement. The complaint says Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC), acting for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, improperly named Deloitte Inc. the winning bidder; the Tribunal made the decision to inquire on December 20, 2023.

What it does#

• Opens an inquiry into complaint File PR-2023-046 about solicitation WS3974445941.
• The procurement in question was for information technology professional services for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and was run by PWGSC.
• The complaint from PwC alleges that PWGSC wrongly found Deloitte Inc. to be the winning bidder.
• The decision to conduct the inquiry was taken by the Canadian International Trade Tribunal on December 20, 2023.

Who's affected#

• PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) and Deloitte Inc., as the complainant and the alleged winning bidder.
• Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) and procurement staff who ran the competition.
• The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which was the client for the services.
• Other companies that bid on the same solicitation or that watch federal IT contracting fairness.
• The general public indirectly, because this relates to how government contracts are awarded.

Why it matters#

• An inquiry could change the outcome of the procurement or lead to corrective action if problems are found.
• It affects business opportunities for bidders in federal IT contracting.
• It speaks to transparency and fairness in government purchasing, which matters for trust in public spending.
• This is an inquiry stage only; it is not a final decision on the complaint.