Become a vendor

Open competitive

Ministries must use an open competitive procurement process for goods valued at $30,300 or more and for all consulting services, regardless of the value.

A large or complex project may be divided into several smaller parts. Specifications for each part are provided in the individual tendering documents.

A ministry may decide to hold a competition for a large project with individual stages. It is possible for the same vendor to be successful at each stage if they are compliant with the requirements of the directive.

Invitational competitive

Ministries may use an invitational competitive procurement process for goods valued under $30,300 and services valued under $121,200. In this process, at least three qualified vendors are invited to submit a written proposal in response to the ministry’s written requirements.

Vendor of Record (VOR) arrangements

VOR arrangements are established through requests for bids posted on the Ontario Tenders Portal, and are followed by a transparent and competitive procurement process.

Bidders who successfully meet all request for bid requirements and sign a master agreement with the government are awarded VOR status.

VOR arrangements allow ministries to obtain commonly procured goods and services in a shorter timeframe than if they initiate the procurement process from scratch.

Types of VOR arrangements

• Enterprise-wide Vendor of Record arrangements reduce procurement costs by providing ministries with access to one or more contracted vendors of goods and services common to more than one ministry. Non-OPS entities have access to certain Enterprise-wide VORs to facilitate select procurements and benefit from the negotiated price.
• Multi-ministry Vendor of Record arrangements  are established when more than one ministry requires a particular good/service but there is insufficient demand for an Enterprise-wide arrangement.
• Ministry-specific Vendor of Record arrangements  are established by individual ministries for their exclusive use.

Upcoming VOR arrangements

The Three-Year Outlook for the VOR Program provides vendors with advance notice of upcoming enterprise-wide VOR arrangements by:

• Category
• Planned posting date
• Estimated start date
• Client users
• VOR number

Fees

Fees are established before the work begins and are based on the contract’s terms and conditions. Ministries do not calculate fees based on the results of a consultant’s work (e.g. a percentage of savings achieved through the introduction of a recommended system).

In some cases, the government will set and publish a ceiling price for the work required in procurement documents. The ceiling price stated in the documents cannot be exceeded.

Consultants will not be reimbursed for any hospitality, food or incidental expenses unless otherwise stated.

Supply Ontario aims to achieve the best value for money by acquiring goods and services in an effective, efficient, economical and ethical manner.

Understanding the bidding process

The bidding process for becoming a vendor is fair, open and transparent. All vendors are treated equally.

Ministries and suppliers must comply with all relevant accessibility standards and regulations.

All procurements over $30,300 require bidders to:

• Undergo contractor tax compliance verification
• Supply a 9-digit Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) number
• Potentially go through a security screening

The bidding process is done through the Ontario Tenders Portal. Registered vendors can access and bid online for government procurement opportunities and receive alerts as new procurement opportunities become available.

Tax Compliance Verification (TCV) Program

Tax Compliance Verification (TCV) ensures that businesses bidding on provincial contracts valued at $30,300 or more are compliant with their tax obligations. Before bidding on a contract, bidders must request a tax compliance verification number through the automated TCV program to ensure their tax obligations are in good standing.

The TCV portal allows businesses to verify tax compliance status online at any time. If required, users can also upload their Filing and Balance Confirmation letter confirming compliance of federally administered tax statutes directly to the TCV portal.

There are no costs to the vendor associated with the program.

Use this online tool to check your tax compliance status.

Preparing your bid

The procurement documents will explain:

• How to lay out your bid
• How it will be evaluated
• Mandatory and desirable requirements (these vary by bid)
• Weighting of the areas to be scored (e.g. experience or product performance)

Do not assume that previous interactions with the government or a client ministry mean that your organization and skills are known and you do not have to include all details. Each bid is unique and will be evaluated solely on its content.

If you have any concerns about the procurement documents, contact the request for bids officer identified in the document prior to the closing date.

Your bid may include:

• Detailed responses to each evaluation requirement showing that you understand and can meet the requirement
• Description of how the work will be completed
• How all mandatory eligibility requirements will be met
• Identifying any anticipated issues along with contingency plans
• For consulting work: an introduction to your team, including how many people will be assigned to the various tasks, their level, title, and how many hours or days they will work

You quote must contain the following:

• Detailed breakdown of your quoted price
• Full description of how the ministry’s goals and objectives will be met, checked against the priorities and requirements outlined in the procurement document

If you have an alternative solution that is allowed for, you may include it as part of your bid.

Once submitted, you will be kept informed of any changes affecting your bid, including questions we may have for clarification.

Bids are usually evaluated by a team of ministry staff, including procurement officers and potential users of the goods and services required. Contract awards are reviewed and approved by one or more senior officers, depending on the ministry.

Successful bidders will be notified to execute the contract award. Award notifications are published in the same manner and place that they were advertised, such as the Ontario Tenders Portal. Bidders must be compliant with the tax statutes of Ontario and may be required to pass security screening and reference checks.

The name of the successful bidder, term of the contract and total bid price can be provided upon request.

The contract

A successful vendor requires a contract for all procurements. The contract includes:

• Responsibilities of the vendor and the buyer
• Description of how the vendor’s performance will be evaluated
• A termination clause

Unsuccessful bids

We are committed to fairness and transparency throughout the procurement process.

At the end of a procurement, all applicants will be notified. You may then reach out to the procurement contact to request a debrief within 60 days. This debrief may include the following feedback:

• Who won the contract
• The total bid price
• How your bid ranked relative to others
• Strengths and weaknesses of your bid
• How to improve future bids

Note: we will not share any confidential information (e.g. bidders’ per-unit pricing.)

If you are not satisfied with the results of the debriefing, you may contact the manager or director responsible for that procurement opportunity.