What Is QBS?

QBS Canada is a coalition advocating for Qualifications Based Selection (QBS) when hiring professional service firms.

Better Procurement

QBS is a procurement process that excludes price as an initial evaluation criterion when hiring a professional services firm for projects.

How Firms are Selected

With QBS, firms are selected based upon their qualifications to do a project, instead of their low bid. This benefits buyers, vendors and Canadian taxpayers.

Benefits of QBS

QBS provides buyers better outcomes and greater value for their projects in architecture, engineering, consulting, IT, research, communications, design, law and more.

Since 1972, QBS has been required by law in the United States.
Hundreds of thousands of Canadian professionals think it’s about time Canada caught up. Using QBS ensures that governments and organizations in Canada will hire the best-qualified firms at fair and competitive prices, instead of lesser qualified firms at artificially low prices. The benefits of QBS to buyers, vendors, and Canadian taxpayers are significant.

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QBS Supporters

“QBS works because it sets up a collaborative team approach from the outset. Working as a team and providing the design consultant with the resources to be innovative has positive impacts on the construction and life-cycle costs of infrastructure”
Jennifer Enns, P.Eng.,
Former Manager of Corporate Engineering and Energy Services in the City of Calgary
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