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Glossary

Aboriginal supplier:
Check this box only if your business is aboriginal (based on the PSAB criteria) and eligible to submit bids under the Set-Aside Program for Aboriginal Business.
Important Note: All Aboriginal businesses must register with the Indigenous Business Directory to be eligible for the Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business (PSAB) set- asides. You can register at the following link: Indigenous Business Directory.
Address:
You can provide more than one address and identify which is a mailing address, delivery address, payment address and/or T1204 address.
  • Mailing Address - the location where any correspondence from the federal government will normally be sent. All correspondence will be sent to this address, including payments, if it is the only one entered.
  • Delivery Address - the location where deliveries by courier, transport, etc will be made.
  • Payment Address - the location where payments will be mailed or delivered.
  • T1204 Address - the address used on the T1204 form to report to the Canada Revenue Agency all service contracts above $500.
Business Number (BN):
Consists of 9 digits and identifies your business. It is a unique identifier that allows businesses to deal with several different government programs. If you do not have a BN, please contact the nearest Canada Revenue Agency Tax Services office or call 1-800-959-5525, or visit the Canada Revenue Agency Web site before proceeding with your registration in the Supplier Registration Information database.
Business Sector:
This refers to the sector which best suits your type of business. This is not meant to identify your clientele.
Business Size:
Number of full time, part time or temporary employees that the business and its corporate affiliates in Canada had during the last 12 months. If your business has been in existence for less than 12 months, its size therefore means the average number of employees of the business and its corporate affiliates since its establishment.
Commodity Code:
A code for goods, services and construction commodities based on the Federal Supply Classification (FSC) system.
Geographic Supply Capability:
Areas where the goods and/or services can be provided.
GSIN (Goods and Services Identification Number):
The unique commodity identifier (e.g. the GSIN for "fruits and vegetables" is N8915Z). Note: N.E.S. in a commodity description means Not Elsewhere Specified.
Legal Name:
Name of a business that appears on bank statements or other legal documents. For sole proprietors it is the individual's first and last name. For partners it is the first two partners' names (first and last). For corporations it is the name appearing on the Articles or Certificate of Incorporation. To change the legal name in SRI, send a request by email to the system administrator: SAC-PAC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca .
Official Language:
This refers to the official language (English and French) in which you prefer to communicate.
Operating Name:
Name by which the business is known to its customers or clients. It may be the same as the legal name.
Procurement Business Number (PBN):
The number consists of the first nine digits of your Business Number (BN) and a suffix of two letters (PG) and four numbers; it uniquely identifies your account in SRI.
Type of Ownership:
This refers to whether the business is a corporation; a sole proprietorship, a partnership or other. Note that Canada Revenue Agency does not assign BN to joint ventures. Generally, participants in a joint venture name a "joint venture operator"; this person accounts for the day to day operations. A PBN is created for the joint venture under the Business Number of the operator. Therefore in the case of a joint venture, the type of ownership to be entered in SRI is that of the operator as registered with the Canada Revenue Agency.

Last updated: 2020-12-02