Process
Closing Date
The deadline for bid submission, enforced strictly and specified with a time and time zone.
Bids received after the closing time are not accepted. Public procurement treats this as near-absolute, because accepting a late bid would be unfair to those who met the deadline — a late bid is normally returned unopened regardless of the reason.
The time zone is part of the deadline and is frequently misread by suppliers in other provinces. A closing time stated in Eastern Time is materially earlier for a bidder in British Columbia than the clock on the wall suggests.
Electronic submission has its own risks: portals can be slow near a deadline, and upload time counts. Plan to submit well before, not at, the closing time.
Related terms
- SolicitationThe complete package of documents inviting bids, including the requirement, terms and evaluation method.
- AddendumA formal change to a published solicitation, which bidders must acknowledge and incorporate.
- ComplianceWhether a bid meets every mandatory requirement and submission instruction. Non-compliant bids are set aside.
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.