We have various procurement tools. We call them that. I don't want to bore you with the terminology, because it can be pretty technical, but you probably have heard of something called a standing offer. If it's a standing offer, if I just give you that as a for instance, it says so: standing offer.
So it's a group of companies. There was a pre-competition, so people were selected based on parameters and criteria. People put their names forward, the names of the companies, and they made the list for certain things--goods or services, for example. They also provided a list of prices, meaning that they have promised to give that good or that service at that amount of dollars. Normally we have a standing offer for a period of time, so it is static in time.
So you've made the list. It's a pre-competed instrument. For me, as a taxpayer and as an administrator of the public purse, I know that the value will be a fixed value for a period of time. Now, it may vary. It may be for three years or one year. We can have a price refresh if we feel that it's fair to do so.
When you are on the standing offer list, you do not have a contract with the government. You have been pre-selected. So that's good. You've made a list. And on behalf of Public Works or another department, another department can have access to the company for that purpose at that price. It's a quick, fair, transparent, and above-board way of getting an outcome or product, good, or service. I'm just giving you that as a for instance.
We have different instruments like this that exist. There are not a whole bunch, and it's always the same principle. Whether we call it a supply instrument, a standing offer, or a contract with task authorization, the principle is the same. What is the purpose and what are the selection criteria? A competition is run, people make the list, and then people can access the list for work to be done or goods to be obtained.