Procurement/ Purchasing

Procurement/Purchasing from Local Public Sector Institutions

Kingston has many large public sector institutions (education, healthcare, corrections, military), and they are significant contributors to our local economy through the employment they provide, and the purchasing they undertake. One of the common questions we hear local businesses ask is about how they might become a supplier of goods or services to these large customers.

In response, the Chamber has created a Procurement Working Group which consists of local businesses and the senior purchasers from many of these institutions. Their mandate is to "demystify" the procurement practices and procedures and educate local businesses to increase their potential for success at winning the work.

Below is some information compiled from a couple of our partners about their practices, and links to more information. Also, please click here to see a summary chart that explains some of their purchasing thresholds for RFP's, etc..

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Summary of Purchasing Policies – 3S0 (Shared Support Services Southeastern Ontario), Queen’s University, City of Kingston

Public procurement in general – Broader Public Sector Directives

In Ontario, The Broader Public Sector (BPS) Procurement Directives are mandated and all BPS organizations must be in compliance with them. Organizations such as Hospitals, Universities, and Colleges etc. fall into this sector., and as such, their policies and practices are largely dictated by these regulations.

HOSPITALS (3SO)

3SO was established to apply a consistent and transparent practice of material supply and to provide a cost effective solution for that supply to seven hospital organizations serving communities across Southeastern Ontario. In accordance with the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), the Ontario-Quebec Agreement and the Supply Chain Guideline principle of transparency, 3SO will conduct open competitive procurement processes where the estimated value of the goods or services is $100,000 or greater. For procurement of less than $100,000 an open competitive procurement is still recommended and as a minimum an invitational competitive bid with three or more suppliers providing submissions is strongly recommended.

Hospital 3SO PDF

QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

For purchases over $10,000, you need 3 quotes. The new legislation allows for an informal process for requesting quotes when the total value of the contract is less than $100K. You may seek quotations by inviting selected suppliers to provide you with a quote. This invitation may be sent via e-mail. For contracts at $100,000 or more, a formal process is required by issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP) and posting on BIDDINGO. For purchases between $10,000 and $99,999 Queen’s must solicit a minimum of 3 written quotes, where in some circumstances a formal public process may be warranted to increase value for money.

(Homepage) Click Here

(Policy page) Click Here

CITY OF KINGSTON

Buyers must co-ordinate each Request for Proposal over $50,000 with the Purchasing Coordinator and may coordinate each Request for Proposal under $50,000 with the Purchasing Coordinator, for: i) use of proper Forms and processes ii) completeness of documentation; iii) compliance with any advertisement arrangements; iv) identification of evaluation criteria and milestones; v) identification of Prospective Vendor contacts and maintenance of Prospective Vendor lists for specified classes of tenders; and vi) compliance with this By-law. No Offer to Procure by Single Source valued between $5,000 and $50,000 shall be issued without authorization in writing by the Director. ii) No Offer to Procure by Single Source valued over $50,000 shall be issued without resolution of Council. The City of Kingston partners with BIDDINGO.

To see the full By-law Click Here

Doing Business with the Government

The following attachments below cover:

Government of Canada

Introduction of key services
Registering your company
Building relationships
Searching for opportunities
Information on the Build in Canada Innovation Programs

Government of Ontario

The Ontario Public Service(OPS) procurement process
Ontario's Tenders Portal - BravoSolution
Tips for Writing Effective Bids
Marketing to the Ontario Government
Where to find useful information for vendors

City of Kingston

Doing business with the City of Kingston - Purchasing Rules and Guidelines
Procurement Method

Sessions fill up fast so register today!
Government presenters will be available at the end of the seminar.

Click here to learn How to Do Business with the Ontario Government

Click here to learn How to Do Business with the Government of Canada