Procurement of Goods and Services Policy

In Force and Effect October 1, 2025

Legislative History: Enacted December 17, 2007 (By-law No. A.-6151-17); Amended November 23, 2009 (By-law No. A.-6151(b)-347); Amended October 4, 2010 (By-law No. A.-6151(c)-264); Amended December 6, 2011 (By-law No. A.-6151(d)-4); Amended October 30, 2012 (By-law No. A.-6151(e)-307); Amended December 11, 2012 (By-law No. A.-6151(f)-2); Amended December 19, 2016 (By-law No. A.-6151(n)-25); Amended March 21, 2017 (By-law No. A.-6151(o)-96); Amended June 26, 2018 (By-law No. A.- 7742-237); Amended October 1, 2019 (By-law No. A.-6151(y)-268); Amended February 15, 2022 (By-law No. A.-6151(ae)-59); Amended May 16, 2023 (By-law No. A.-6151(ag)-103); Amended July 25, 2023 (By-law No. A.-6151(ak)-213); Amended September 24, 2024 (By-law No. A.-6151(ap)-220); Amended June 24, 2025 (By-law No. A.-6151(as)-202)

Procurement of Goods and Services Policy

Last Review Date: June 24, 2025

Service Area Lead: Senior Manager, Procurement & Supply

1. Policy Statement

This policy outlines the processes to be followed to obtain the best value when purchasing goods or contracting services for the Corporation of the City of London.

2. Definitions

Please refer to Section 4.

3. Applicability

Procurement activities shall be subject to all applicable City policies and by-laws, any specific provisions of The Municipal Act, 2001, and all other applicable Federal and Provincial legislation.

Procurement Policy

Revised: October 1, 2025

1.0 Purpose

1.1 The purpose of this Policy is to:

i) express the City's goals and objectives relating to its Procurement activities; and

ii) describe the roles and responsibilities and authority of Council and the City's officers and employees in carrying out the City's Procurement activities.

2.0 Goals and Objectives

2.1 The City's goals and objectives relating to its Procurement activities are to:

i) comply with applicable legislating, trade treaties, policies, protocols and procedures.

ii) encourage open, fair and transparent processes that ensure equal access to all qualified Suppliers.

iii) encourage innovation and the use of technology which meets City specifications and industry standards in order to ensure the utilization of the most efficient and effective procurement policies and practices.

iv) adhere to the highest standards of ethical conduct.

v) achieve the best value through consideration of the full range of Procurement methods and the adoption of commercially reasonable business practices.

vi) incorporate Sustainable Procurement practices in the Procurement process wherever possible.

3.0 Application and Scope

3.1 The policy applies to the procurement of all Goods and/or Services required by the City, other than the Procurement for Deliverables set out in Schedule B (Exclusions).

3.2 This Policy does not apply to any activity that generates revenue for the City from business activities occurring on City premises.

3.3 The following schedules are attached to and form part of this Policy.

Schedule A - Approval Authority Schedule
Schedule B - Exclusions
Schedule C - Supplier Code of Conduct
Scheduled D - Supplier Suspension Protocol
Schedule E - Sustainable Procurement Policy
Schedule F - Purchasing Cards

The Policy will be reviewed and revised every two (2) years or as required.

4.0 Definitions

For the purposes of this Policy capitalized terms are defined below:

a) "Approval Authority" means the authority delegated by this Policy to a City officer or employee to initiate a Procurement, conduct a Procurement process, approve the award of a Contract, issue a Purchase Order, or approve a Contract Amendment, subject to the requirements of this Policy

b) "Bid" means a substantive submission in response to a Solicitation Document, such as a proposal in response to an RFP, a quotation in response to an RFQ, a tender in response to an RFT, and an application in response to an RFPQ.

c) “Bid Dispute” means a formal request for review submitted by a Bidder relating to the Bidder’s concerns with a specific Procurement process.

d) “Bidder” means, with reference to a Competitive Process, any entity or person legally entitled to submit a Bid.

e) “Budget” means a budget approved by Council, in an annual budget document or by specific Council resolution to acquire a Deliverable, including pre-commitments and any subsequent change to such a budget either by Council or by delegated authority.

f) “Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or a day on which the City’s administrative offices are closed.

g) “Canadian Supplier”- is a supplier, manufacturer, or distributor of any business structure, that conducts its activities on a permanent basis in Canada. The business either

(i) has its headquarters or main office in any province or territory within Canada, or

(ii) has at least 250 full-time employees in any one province or territory within Canada at the time of the applicable procurement process.

h) “CETA” means the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between Canada and the European Union.

i) “CFTA” means the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.

j) “CFTA Threshold” means the current monetary threshold under the CFTA that applies to the Deliverables, as set out in Article 504.3(b) of the CFTA and adjusted for inflation in accordance with Annex 504.4 of the CFTA.

k) “City” means the Corporation of the City of London.

l) “City Manager” means the person appointed by Council as the City Manager, serving as the head of civic administration, or their Delegate.

m) “City Treasurer” means a person with chief responsibility for Corporate Finances at the City (Deputy City Manager, Finance Supports and City Treasurer), or their Delegate.

n) “City Solicitor’s Office” means the City’s legal services department.

o) “Committee” means the authorizing body (as amended by Council) that provides initial approval prior to seeking Council approval.

p) “Competitive Process” means a competition to award a Contract or with a view to awarding a Contract, whether by invitation or by advertisement to the public, where Suppliers are given an equal opportunity to submit a Bid, such as an RFP, RFQ, RFT or RFPQ process.

q) “Conflict of Interest” means

(i) in relation to a City employee or advisor, any circumstance in which personal, occupational or financial considerations may affect or appear to affect the objectivity or fairness of that person – including any situation or circumstance where, in relation to a Procurement, the individual’s commitments, relationships or financial interests could or may reasonably be seen to exercise an improper influence over the development of Solicitation Documents, the evaluation of Bids, or the award or administration of a Contract; and

(ii) in relation to a Bidder, any circumstance in which, in relation to the performance of its obligations under the Contract, the Proponent’s other commitments, relationships or financial interests (i) could or could be seen to exercise an improper influence over the objective, unbiased, and impartial exercise of its independent judgement; or (ii) could or could be seen to compromise, impair, or be incompatible with the effective performance of its obligations under the Contract.

r) “Construction” or “Construction Service” means a service that has as its objective the realization by whatever means of civil or building works, based on Division 51 of the United Nations Provisional Central Product Classification (CPC).

s) “Contract” means a binding written agreement between the City and a Supplier for Procurement of specific Deliverables from that Supplier.

t) “Contract Administrator” means the City employee assigned to the management of a Contract.

u) “Contract Amendment” means a change to an existing Contract, including an extension, renewal or change in scope of the Contract that is not provided for in the Contract (e.g., it does not include the exercise of a Contract Option).

v) “Contract Option” means any right that is expressly provided for in an existing Contract for the City to extend the initial term of the Contract, renew the Contract, or to purchase additional Deliverables under the Contract, or any combination thereof.

w) “Cooperative Purchasing” A procurement method whereby the City participates in joint purchasing initiatives with other public sector bodies to leverage collective purchasing power. This includes participation in Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) and other cooperative or buying group arrangements where the City is either a lead or a member. Cooperative Purchasing may be conducted in accordance with the policies and procedures of the lead entity, provided they are consistent with the objectives of this Policy and applicable trade agreements.

x) “Council” means the elected members of City council.

y) “Delegate” means an individual identified in this Policy as having certain Approval Authority and includes an individual who has been expressly delegated authority, by another individual, in writing and in the manner contemplated by this Policy, to act on that latter individual’s behalf.

z) “Deliverables” means any goods or services, including construction services, or any combination thereof.

aa) “Department” means a broad organizational unit of the City that is responsible for one or more Service Areas and is designed to group related functions to ensure efficient service delivery to the public.

bb) “Deputy City Manager” means a person who is responsible for overseeing and managing a Service Area at the City, or their Delegate.

cc) “Designated Portal” means www.london.bidsandtenders.ca.

dd) “Director” means the position as defined by the City’s organizational chart and includes their Delegate.

ee) “Dispute Committee” means the panel established by the City under this Policy for the purposes of considering and making decisions and determinations on Procurement-related matters.

ff) “Invitational Competition” means a Competitive Process in which the City issues an invitation to a limited number of Suppliers to access the Solicitation Documents and submit a Bid.

gg) “Litigation” means an action in the courts, an arbitration, or other formal dispute resolution proceeding.

hh) “Low-Value Procurement” means any Procurement with a Procurement Value that does not exceed $30,000.00 but does not include Procurements made through an existing Standing Offer or Qualified Supplier Roster.

ii) “Master Framework Agreement” An agreement entered into between the City and one or more pre-qualified Suppliers to establish a Qualified Supplier Roster, setting out the terms and conditions under which future contracts may be awarded. A Master Framework Agreement may also refer to an agreement with another entity conducting a Procurement process for the purposes of participating in Cooperative Purchasing initiatives

jj) “MFIPPA” means the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56, or otherwise amended.

kk) “Municipal Conflict of Interest Act” means the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act, 2001, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.50, or otherwise amended.

ll) “Limited Tendering” or “Limited Tendering Process” means a procurement method that is exempt from competition requirements under applicable trade agreements and whereby the City contacts a Supplier or Suppliers of its choice. See Section13.0.

mm) “Open Competition” means a Competitive Process in which the City issues an advertisement to the public, giving all Suppliers an equal opportunity to access the Solicitation Documents and submit a Bid.

nn) “Policy” means the Procurement Policy.

oo) “Procurement” means the acquisition of Deliverables by purchase, rental or lease, and “Procure” has a corresponding meaning.

pp) “Procurement Protocols” means the City’s protocols and procedures, as developed and maintained by Procurement and Supply, to direct the City’s Procurement activities in accordance with this Policy.

qq) “Procurement Value” means the estimated total value of the Contract, taking into account all forms of remuneration paid to the Supplier, including:

(i) all estimated premiums, fees, commissions and interest (excluding taxes);

(ii) all estimated costs to the City paid to the Supplier, including, if applicable, delivery, installation, training, operation, maintenance, replacement and disposal, but excluding sales taxes, and less applicable rebates or discounts; and

(iii) if the Procurement provides for the possibility of Contract Options, the total value of all such Contract Options.

The Procurement Value should reflect the best estimate available at the time of planning and may be updated as more accurate information becomes available.

rr) “Professional Consulting Services” means the services provided by individuals or firms recognized as having specialized knowledge, expertise, or professional accreditation in a particular field.

ss) “Public Body” means a government entity, a broader public sector entity, or a corporation or entity owned or controlled by the City, another government entity, or a broader public sector entity.

tt) “Purchase Order” means the City’s written document issued by a duly authorized employee of the City to a Supplier formalizing all the terms and conditions of the acquisition and supply of the Deliverables identified on the Purchase Order.

uu) “Purchase Requisition” means a written request in an approved format, issued by a duly authorized employee of the City Procurement and Supply to Procure Deliverables.

vv) “Purchasing Card” means a credit card provided by the City’s Finance Supports Service Area for sole use in accordance with this Policy.

ww) “Qualified Supplier Roster” A list of Suppliers who have been pre-qualified through an Open Competition to provide specific categories of Deliverables. No contractual obligation is created at the time of roster establishment. Suppliers on the Roster may be invited to participate in future Roster Competitions as needs arise, and contracts are awarded only upon successful completion of a Roster Competition.

xx) “Request for Expression of Interest” or “RFEOI” means a focused market research tool used to determine Supplier interest in a contemplated Procurement. An RFEOI is not a Competitive Process. See Section 12.1.

yy) “Request for Information” or “RFI” a non-binding request to Suppliers for market information or insight to support a future Procurement. An RFI is not a Competitive Process and does not result in a Contract. See Section 12.1.

zz) “Request for Proposal” or “RFP” means a request to Suppliers to submit a proposal to provide specific Deliverables, as part of a Competitive Process in accordance with this Policy. RFP may include qualitative scoring criteria and may allow for negotiations, as described in Section 12.4.3

aaa) “Request for Quotation” or “RFQ” means a request to Suppliers to submit a price quotation to provide specific Deliverables, as part of a Competitive Process in accordance with this Policy. See Section 12.4.

bbb) “Request for Pre-Qualification” or “RFPQ” means a request to Suppliers to submit an application to be pre-qualified to participate in a future Competitive Process in accordance with this Policy – usually with the intention of creating a Qualified Supplier Roster or shortlist for a subsequent Solicitation Document in a two-stage Competitive Process. See Section12.4.

ccc) “Request for Tender” or “RFT” means a request to Suppliers to submit a bid to provide specific Deliverables, typically used where requirements are clearly defined, and price is the primary factor. RFTs do not include qualitative scoring criteria. See Section 12.4.

ddd) “Roster Competition” means a competition between Suppliers that have been included on a Qualified Supplier Roster for the selection of a Supplier to perform a specific work assignment involving the supply of specific Deliverable.

eee) “Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply” means a person responsible for the Procurement and Supply section at the City, or their Delegate. For the purposes of this Policy, when “Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply” appears it does not include staff that has been delegated Approval Authority by the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply unless otherwise noted.

fff) “Service Area” means a key functional or operational segment of the City’s municipal services.

ggg) “Signature” includes an electronic signature, as defined in the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000, S.O. 2000, c.16.2, as amended, and to “Sign” includes to execute a document by way of electronic signature in a manner compliant with that Act, the City’s information technology standards, and the City’s requirements as to method and reliability of Signatures. “Signed” as a corresponding definition.

hhh) “Solicitation Document” means the document(s) issued by the City for the purpose of conducting a Competitive Process, such as an RFP, RFQ, RFT or RFPQ document.

iii) “Standing Offer Agreement” An agreement resulting from an Open Competition whereby a Supplier agrees to provide specified Deliverables to the City, upon request, during a defined period of time, at pre-determined pricing or discounts, and generally subject to specified ordering thresholds or dollar limits. A Standing Offer does not constitute a commitment by the City to purchase any minimum quantity of Deliverables

jjj) “Supplier” means a person or group of persons carrying on the business of supplying Deliverables.

kkk) “Supplier Code of Conduct” means the Supplier Code of Conduct attached as Schedule C (Supplier Code of Conduct) to this Policy.

lll) “Sustainable Procurement” means a strategic approach to procurement that integrates environmental, social, ethical and economic considerations into purchasing decisions. This policy aims to ensure that goods, services, and construction activities are procured in a way that promotes sustainability. See Schedule E.

mmm) “Trade Agreement Threshold(s)” means the applicable threshold(s) under the CFTA, CETA or the Ontario-Quebec Trade Continuity Agreement, i.e. that applies to the Procurement.

nnn) “Unfair Advantage” means any conduct, direct or indirect, by a Bidder that may result in gaining an unfair advantage over other Bidders, including but not limited to

(i) possessing, or having access to, information in the preparation of its Bid that is confidential to the City, and which is not available to other Bidders,

(ii) communicating with any person with a view to influencing, or being conferred preferred treatment in, a Competitive Process (including the offer or giving of a benefit of any kind, by or on behalf of a Bidder, to anyone employed by, or otherwise connected with, the City), or engaging in conduct that compromises or could be seen to compromise the integrity of the Competitive Process and result in any unfairness.

ooo) “Unsolicited Proposal” is a written application for a new or innovative idea submitted to the City on the initiative of the offeror for the purpose of obtaining a contract.

ppp) "Vendor of Record”- A Procurement arrangement established through an Open Competition (typically an RFP) that results in one or more Suppliers being awarded a contract to provide defined Deliverables for a specified period. A VOR Agreement includes pre-negotiated terms, conditions, and pricing, enabling the City to either directly purchase Deliverables or conduct second-stage competitions among the VOR Suppliers.

qqq) “Unbalanced bid”- is a bid submitted in a competitive procurement process—typically involving unit prices—where the Bidder assigns significantly inflated or deflated prices to one or more items, relative to the estimated quantities or reasonable market values. This pricing strategy may be intended to:

(i) Front-load payments by placing high values on items scheduled early in the project to increase early-stage cash flow; or

(ii) Maximize profits by inflating prices for items expected to exceed estimated usage, and underpricing items believed to be used less than projected.

5.0 Ethical Conduct

5.1 The City’s Procurement activities will be conducted with integrity and all individuals involved in the City’s Procurement activities, including any outside consultants or other service providers participating on behalf of the City, shall comply with this Policy and act in a manner that is consistent with the purposes, goals and objectives of this Policy and in accordance with the Corporation’s Code of Ethics.

5.2 The City’s Procurement templates shall ensure that Bidders certify, as part of their Bids, that they have conducted themselves in an ethical manner, including:

(i) That Bidders prepared and submitted their Bids independently without any connection, knowledge, comparison of figures or arrangements with any other company, firm or person making a Bid for the same work and that the Bid is in all respects fair and without collusion, bid-rigging, price-fixing, bribery, fraud or other similar behaviours or practices prohibited under the Criminal Code, R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46 or the Competition Act, R.S.C., 1985, c. C-34, in each case as amended or superseded, or other applicable law.

(ii) That Bidders have not misrepresented their qualifications and experience, or the qualifications and experience of their sub-contractors, where applicable, in relation to any Bid.

(iii) That Bidders have not misrepresented the quality, performance or technical attributes of their products or the products of the sub-contractors, where applicable, in relation to any Bid.

(iv) That Bidders have disclosed all Conflicts of Interest and Unfair Advantage.

5.3 If a Contract is awarded to a Supplier who has not, during the bidding or contracting process, disclosed the pecuniary interest of an elected official, appointed officer or employee of the City in the Contract, the Contract may be cancelled at any time by the City in its entire discretion without damages or penalty.

5.4 The City will not Procure personal items of direct benefit to officers or employees of the City or any member of Council except where permitted by policy or under the auspices of a City-sponsored employee program.

5.5 The City will not Procure from an employee or Council member of the City, or any associate or family member of an employee or Council member, unless the extent of the employee’s interest has been fully disclosed to Procurement and Supply in accordance with the bidding or contracting process, and Procurement and Supply has determined that such a Procurement is acceptable.

5.6 Council members shall separate themselves from the Procurement process and have no involvement whatsoever in specific Procurements. Council members who receive inquiries from Suppliers related to any specific Procurement shall immediately forward a copy of those inquiries (or a record describing those inquiries) to the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply. Suppliers who communicate in this fashion may be acting contrary to the requirements of a Solicitation Document, and Procurement and Supply will review the matter, accordingly, and consult with the City Solicitor’s Office to determine any consequences.

6.0 Conflict of Interest Act

6.1 Council, City Employees, Advisors and Other Service Providers

6.1.1 City employees must immediately declare in writing to their manager any actual or perceived Conflicts of Interest they may have arising from:

(i) financial or other pecuniary interests they may have with a Supplier;

(ii) interacting with, managing, supervising or overseeing the work of family members and/or former employees of the City and/or anyone with whom they have a close personal relationship or have a personal interest with, who are working for Suppliers in any capacity.

Managers that receive such a declaration shall notify the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply.

6.1.2 All participants in a Procurement process acting on behalf of the City, including any advisors or other service providers to the City, shall declare in writing to Procurement and Supply:

a) any actual or potential Conflict of Interest they may have, and

b) any actual or potential Unfair Advantage they believe a Supplier may have.

6.1.3 The Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply will review all Unfair Advantage and Conflict of Interest disclosures and will take appropriate steps to mitigate or resolve reported Conflict of Interest, as required. If a disclosure involves the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply, the matter will be referred to the City Treasurer, who will assume responsibility for the review and resolution process to ensure impartiality and integrity.

6.1.4 If a Conflict of Interest cannot be sufficiently mitigated, it may result in the person who made the declaration being excluded from any involvement in that Procurement process or working with a Supplier that is associated with the Conflict of Interest.

6.1.5 At no time shall any City employees accept, directly or indirectly, from any Bidder or Supplier to which any Contract is, or might be awarded, anything of any value, tangible or intangible including but not limited to rebates, gifts, meals, money or special privileges.

6.2 Bidders

6.2.1 Bidders must declare and fully disclose with their Bid any actual or potential Unfair Advantage related to the preparation of their Bid or any actual or potential Conflict of Interest in the performance of the Contract, should they be awarded the Contract.

6.2.2 Procurement and Supply will review all Unfair Advantage and Conflict of Interest disclosure and may take appropriate steps to mitigate, or resolve reported Unfair Advantage or Conflict of Interest, as required.

6.2.3 If an Unfair Advantage or Conflict of Interest cannot be sufficiently mitigated, it may result in the Bidder who made the declaration being disqualified from that Procurement process.

6.3 No Pecuniary Interest

6.3.1 No Council, appointed officer or employee of the City shall have any pecuniary or controlling interest either direct or indirect in any Bidder who is submitting a Bid or Signing a Contract for the supply of Deliverables to the City, unless such pecuniary interest is disclosed by the Bidder, or unless such pecuniary interest would be exempt under the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.

6.3.2 Solicitation Documents shall require Bidders to disclose any such pecuniary interest prior to submission of the Bid.

7.0 Roles and Responsibilities of Council

7.1 It is the role of Council to establish policy and approve expenditures through the City’s Budget adoption process.

7.2 Council delegates authority to the City’s officers and employees to incur expenditures through Procurements in accordance with this Policy.

8.0 Roles and Responsibilities of Officers and Employees

8.1 General roles and responsibilities delegated to the City’s officers and employees are set out below. In addition, specific responsibilities pertaining to all stages of the Procurement process are detailed in this Policy.

8.2 Failure to adhere to the requirements outlined in this Policy may lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

8.3 All Employees

8.3.1 All City employees are responsible for complying with this Policy.

8.3.2 Individual employees involved in Procurement activities shall clearly understand their obligations and responsibilities under this Policy and shall consult with Procurement and Supply in respect of any questions regarding the application or interpretation thereof.

8.4 City Manager

8.4.1 The City Manager has the authority to:

i) instruct Deputy City Managers to:

(a) not award Contracts; and

(b) submit recommendations to Committee and Council for approval; and

ii) after consultation with the City Solicitor’s Office, provide additional restrictions concerning a Procurement where such action is considered necessary and in the best interest of the City

8.5 Deputy City Managers

8.5.1 Deputy City Managers are responsible for all procurement activities within their Service Areas and are accountable for achieving best value while following this Policy.

8.5.2 Deputy City Managers may delegate Approval Authority to staff at the appropriate levels within their service as prescribed in Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule).

8.5.3 Deputy City Managers may award Contracts provided that the delegated power is exercised within the limits prescribed in Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule) and in accordance with the requirements of this Policy.

8.6 City Treasurer

8.6.1 The City Treasurer is responsible for:

i) overseeing the Procurement and Supply function;

ii) maintaining ownership over this Policy;

iii) approving corrections to minor administrative errors in Approval Authorities set out at Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule) and

iv) recommending any change, other than a change addressed in part (c), to [by-laws and] Approval Authorities set out in Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule) for approval by Council.

8.7 Procurement and Supply – Senior Manager, Manager and Staff

8.7.1 Unless otherwise provided in accordance with this Policy, the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply and authorized Procurement and Supply staff shall act for the City, for the purchase and disposal of all goods and/or services and shall be responsible for providing necessary advice and services required for City staff to execute such purchases and/or disposals in accordance with the method of purchase authorized by this Policy.

8.7.2 The Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply and authorized Procurement and Supply Staff are responsible for:

i) the integrity of the Procurement process;

ii) monitoring consistent application of this Policy;

iii) identifying and reporting any non-compliance with this Policy to the City Manager and Deputy City Managers;

iv) developing Procurement strategies and continually analyzing business requirements and spending patterns to identify opportunities for strategic sourcing;

v) reviewing and approving Solicitation Documents to ensure suitability and protection of the City’s interests;

vi) providing guidelines to the City Manager and/or Deputy City Manager on Procurement policies and procedures and on the structure, format and general content of Solicitation Documents and other documents issued to Suppliers (such as RFIs or RFEOIs).

vii) addressing any issues or concerns that arise in respect of a Procurement process and seeking guidance, support, and advice from the City Solicitor’s Office, as necessary to protect the City’s interests;

viii) rejecting any Purchase Requisitions for services where the services could result in the establishment of an employee-employer relationship between the City and the Supplier or its personnel;

ix) creating and revising administrative procedures and directions respecting:

(a) the preparation and development of specifications.

(b) the requirements and form of bid deposits;

(d) procedures for the opening and evaluation of Solicitation Documents; and

(e) such other matters of an ancillary or incidental nature to more fully carry out the intent and purpose of this Policy.

x) researching, developing, maintaining, updating and communicating Procurement Protocols and supporting documents; and

xi) providing appropriate orientation, training and tools to employees involved in Procurement activities.

8.8 Directors

8.8.1 Directors are responsible for ensuring that their Division or Section complies with this Policy, encouraging sound Procurement practices, and ensuring that appropriate education and training is provided to employees involved in Procurement activities.

8.8.2 Directors are responsible for the effective planning of Procurement requirements and for ensuring that the preparation of Solicitation Documents, including all specifications, performance requirements, and the description of the scope of work, are made in consultation with Procurement and Supply.

8.9 City Solicitor’s Office

8.9.1 The City Solicitor’s Office is responsible to provide legal support and advice on the City’s Procurement activities and relationships with Suppliers.

8.9.2 The City Solicitor’s Office is responsible for:

i) consulting with and providing advice to the City Treasurer and Procurement and Supply on legal issues arising from this Policy and the City’s Procurement activities, as requested or as necessary to protect the City’s interests;

ii) reviewing and providing advice on Solicitation Documents and other Procurement-related documents, as requested by Procurement and Supply or as necessary to protect the City’s interests;

iii) reviewing and approving proposed changes to the City’s Approved Solicitation’s documents, Purchase order terms and conditions, Contract Documents

iv) reviewing and approving all Contracts,

v) providing legal advice and representation in the event of a dispute or legal challenge arising from a Procurement process or Contract.

9.0 Procurement Planning

Procurement planning is essential in ensuring that the Procurement function services as a conduit to achieving the City's Strategic objectives. Effective planning ensures the responsible management of corporate resources and the timely delivery of Deliverables, value for money and compliance with applicable trade agreements and legislative requirements as required.

9.1 Objective of procurement planning are to:

i) Anticipate and plan for City's operational needs in timely and efficient manner

ii) Optimize resource allocation by consolidating procurements where feasible.

iii) Foster competition, fairness and transparency in the procurement process.

iv) Minimize risk and ensure compliance with legal, environmental, social and ethical requirements.

9.2 Annual Procurement Plan Development

i) Service Areas shall consult with Procurement and Supply Services annually to establish and finalize an annual procurement plan that includes both capital and operating expenses.

ii) Procurement plan must account for short term and long term requirements, funding availability and timelines for procurement processes.

9.3 Pre-Procurement Requirements

Before initiating any procurement process, the Director of the Client Service Area, in consultation with the Senior Manager of Procurement and Supply Services, shall:

i) Identify Business need,

ii) Clearly define technical specifications,

iii) Estimate the procurement value (RFI, RFEOI can be utilised), and

iv) Determine the appropriate procurement method to select the supplier.

9.4 Allocate adequate timelines for:

i) Procurement cycle time,

ii) Development, review, and finalization of solicitation documents,

iii) Execution of the competitive process, if applicable,

iv) Develop comprehensive solicitation documents for competitive processes, which include

(a) Instructions to bidders, and

(b) Requirements, evaluation criteria, and procedures.

9.5 Basis of selection and contract award process

i) Assess market capacity to deliver requirements within the proposed timelines.

ii) Ensure compatibility of procurement needs with applicable policies, programs, legislative and regulatory requirements.

iii) Incorporate accessibility requirements where necessary.

iv) Align procurement objectives with sustainable procurement practices.

v) Define reporting relationships and accountability mechanisms for the supplier.

vi) Address privacy, security, and confidentiality requirements.

vii) Clarify ownership of deliverables and intellectual property rights

viii) Identify business continuity requirements.

ix) Establish performance standards and service levels.

x) Outline performance management measures, including remedies for non-performance.

xi) Include knowledge transfer and training, if applicable.

xii) Develop a clear dispute resolution mechanism. Identify contract administrator.

xiii) Define the term of the Contract, early termination provisions, and transition requirements in case of termination.

10.0 Procurement Value

10.1 The Procurement Value must be appropriately estimated to determine the appropriate Procurement method and to ensure compliance with the requirements of this Policy.

10.2 Procurements or Contracts must not be subdivided, split or otherwise structured in order to reduce the Procurement Value or in any way circumvent the requirements of this Policy.

11.0 Non-Discrimination

11.1 The City shall not discriminate or exercise preferential treatment in the awarding of a Contract to a Supplier as a result of a Competitive Process, unless it can be justified on the basis of a legitimate business objective, public policy, or applicable law, and after consulting with the City Solicitor’s Office.

11.2 Measures that may be discriminatory include, but are not limited to:

i) imposing conditions, registration requirements or qualification procedures that are based on the location of a Supplier’s place of business, the place where the goods are produced or the services are provided, or other like criteria;

ii) biasing of technical specifications in favour of, or against, particular Deliverables;

iii) timing of events in the Competitive Process so as to prevent some Suppliers from submitting Bids;

iv) specification of quantities and delivery schedules of a scale and frequency that may reasonably be considered as deliberately designed to prevent Suppliers from meeting the requirements of the Procurement; or

v) an unjustified requirement that a construction contractor or subcontractor use workers, materials or Suppliers of materials originating from the location where the work is being carried out.

12.0 Procurement Methods

The City may only conduct a Procurement if authorized in accordance with Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule).

The City may conduct Procurement using one of the following Procurement methods depending on the Procurement Value, the type of Deliverables required, and the nature of the Procurement, including complexity, urgency, and market conditions.

Where this Policy permits the use of more than one Procurement method for a particular Procurement, the City will use the Procurement method that is in the best interests of the City, as determined by Procurement and Supply in consultation with the respective Director.

Procurement methods may include:

12.1 Information gathering through an RFI or an RFEOI;

i) Where the City is uncertain about the required Deliverables or where there is insufficient internal knowledge about the market, the City will use an RFI or an RFEOI to build Supplier interest and/or obtain information about the availability of Deliverables in the marketplace and the level of interest from Suppliers able to supply the Deliverables and a general price range. Generally, such requests to the market will be publicly posted.

ii) RFI or RFEOI will not be used to pre-qualify Suppliers and will not be used as a Competitive Process to award a Contract.

iii) An RFI or RFEOI may be used in advance of an RFPQ, RFT, RFQ or RFP to inform and develop specifications and business needs, as permitted in Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule).

12.2 Low-Value Procurements and Purchasing Cards

i) All Low-Value Procurements may be procured by obtaining one or more informal quote(s) from Suppliers, and Procuring via a Purchasing Card, Purchase Order, or Contract (Contracts being necessary for higher-risk arrangements, or where confidentiality, intellectual property or liability allocation are material concerns). Additional requirements for Purchasing Cards requirements are provided in Schedule F (Purchasing Cards)

ii) An authorized Purchase Requisition submitted to Procurement and Supply is the preferred method for approval.

iii) Service Areas will conduct Low-Value Procurements. Quotes may be obtained through several informal methods, including public advertisements, Supplier catalogs, partnering with approved GPOs or by contacting Suppliers directly.

iv) All Low-Value Procurements shall utilize existing Contracts, when available.

v) All Low-Value Procurements must be documented and filed by the Service Area that executed the procurement.

vi) Suppliers will not be rejected for refusing to accept the Purchasing Card.

vii) The City assumes liability for all authorized charges on the Purchasing Cards, not the individual cardholder.

12.3 Description of Competitive Procurement Methods

All Competitive Procurement processes must use the City’s Solicitation Document templates and, if applicable and feasible, City’s approved Contract templates. Any substantive changes to Solicitation Document templates and standard Contract templates must be reviewed and approved by the City Solicitor’s Office before being issued to Bidders.

All Competitive Processes will be conducted in accordance with the respective Solicitation Document. A Competitive Procurement process may include:

(a) Evaluation based on price only (e.g., for commodities or standardized services);

(b) Evaluation based on price and other criteria (e.g., when quality, technical expertise, or experience are critical);

(c) Negotiations with one or more Suppliers (e.g., complex or high-value procurements where value can be improved through negotiation).

All Competitive Procurement processes must be led or facilitated by Procurement and Supply, except as provided for in Sections 12.4.5 and 12.4.6 below. All evaluation methods must be consistent with Section 16 (Evaluation and Award) and reflect the requirements of the Procurement method chosen (RFT, RFQ, or RFP).

The City may cancel a Competitive Procurement at any time, after consulting with the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply, Service Area, and City Solicitor’s Office as to the risks or impact of doing so.

12.4 Description of Competitive Solicitation Documents

12.4.1 Request for Tenders

An RFT may be issued where the requirements for Deliverables can be clearly defined, and price is expected to be the primary factor in the evaluation and award. An RFT is awarded to the lowest compliant bid that meets all mandatory specifications and requirements. RFTs do not include qualitative scoring; if qualitative evaluation criteria are required to determine the successful Supplier, an RFP should be used. RFTs may include pass/fail criteria related to technical compliance or mandatory certifications. RFTs may be preceded by a Request for Prequalification (RFPQ) to prequalify bidders based on capability, experience, or other objective criteria, especially where complexity or risk warrants prequalification. This aligns with Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule), which allows RFTs to be preceded by RFPQs.

12.4.2 Request for Quotations

An RFQ may be used to obtain Deliverables (other than construction services) whenever the Service Area has pre-determined the required quantity and/or quality of the Deliverables and the evaluation criteria to determine the best value is generally the lowest cost Bid meeting technical specifications without any material contract negotiations, subject to any other provisions of City bylaws and this Policy. An RFQ may be preceded by an RFPQ process, in which only those Suppliers who were pre-qualified in that RFPQ process are invited to Bid in the RFQ.

12.4.3 Request for Proposals

An RFP shall be used to obtain Deliverables of a unique or complex nature where all or part of the requirements cannot be precisely defined, and the expectation is that Suppliers are to propose solutions to arrive at the desired result. An RFP must include qualitative scoring criteria set out in the Solicitation Document, and may include price as a scored or evaluated component The RFP may allow for consecutive or concurrent negotiations to be conducted with Suppliers on any of the Contract terms including, but not limited to, the technical specifications, commercial terms and/or prices pursuant to a process detailed in the RFP, subject to any other provisions of City bylaws and this Policy. An RFP may be preceded by an RFPQ process, in which only those Suppliers who were pre-qualified in that RFPQ process are invited to Bid in the RFP.

12.4.4 Request for Pre-Qualification

Open Competitions may include two-stage Procurement processes in which the Open Competition begins with an RFPQ. An RFPQ is an Open Competition to pre-qualify interested Supplier’s. An RFPQ solicits and evaluates Bids to establish a shortlist of pre-qualified Suppliers that may be eligible to submit a Bid in response to a future, second-stage Solicitation Document (e.g., RFQ, RFT, RFP). That second-stage Competitive Process is generally described in the RFPQ.

12.4.5 Invitational Procurement - Service Area

(a) If the Procurement Value is between $30,000 and the applicable CFTA Threshold, the city may Procure through an Invitational Competition process. The Deputy City Manager or any employee exercising delegated authority is authorized to award the Contract.

(b) An Invitational Competition by soliciting Bids from a minimum of three Suppliers; it is expected that the Invitational Competition processes will use existing Contracts, where feasible.

(c) For procurements where there are no applicable Contracts, the Invitational Competition process will request written Bids (i.e., price quotes/ proposals/tenders) from at least three (3) separate Bidders. All invited Bidders must receive the same information about the opportunity, which will be conveyed to them in writing at the same time. The Deliverables will be Procured from the highest compliant Bidder.

(d) if procuring through Cooperative Purchasing, including participation in Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs)

(e) If any invited Supplier indicates that it will not Bid, reasonable efforts will be made to invite another Supplier with a view to receive three (3) Bids, and staff will document their efforts to do so. If those efforts result in Suppliers receiving invitations to Bid at different times, the timeline for the submission of Bids will be extended so that all Bidders have at least seven (7) Business Days to prepare and submit their Bids and all Bids are due at the same time.

(f) Procurement and Supply shall assist as requested by the client Service Area, or when deemed necessary, with any process. To request Procurement and Supply to assist, the Deputy City Manager, or delegate, shall provide a completed and signed Procurement Initiation Approval Form. Procurement and Supply may also conduct reviews to ensure the requirements of this Policy have been met.

(g) Since the Invitational Competitive process is not necessarily conducted by Procurement and Supply, the City’s standard insurance form must be completed and forwarded by the Service Area to the Risk Management Division for review and entered in the insurance management program. WSIB Certificates of Clearance must be submitted to the Risk Management Division at the start of the project and shall be continuously maintained and monitored within the Service Area files throughout the project’s duration and before final payment is issued.

(h) An authorized Purchase Requisition is to be sent to Procurement and Supply and include copies of the Bids received and other related information. A Purchase Order or Contract will be issued to formalize the contract with selected Supplier.

(i) Documentation on the Invitational Competition, including written information provided to Bidders and all Bids, Bids received and awarded will be retained in the Service Area files and copies to be provided to Procurement and Supply in accordance with City Council approved by-laws for records retention.

12.4.6 Other Invitational Competitions - Conducted by Procurement and Supply

(a) If the Procurement Value exceeds the Low Dollar Procurement value and is below the applicable CFTA Threshold and the Deliverables are not covered under an existing Standing Offer or Qualified Supplier Roster, the City will Procure by an Invitational Competition, unless it is determined that an Open Competition will be conducted.

(b) An Invitational Competition may be conducted by using an RFQ (see Section 12.1) or an RFP (see Section 12.4), RFT or Stage 2 RFQ/ RFP process from established VOR List.

(c) An Invitational Competition will request written Bids from at least three (3) separate Bidders. All invited Bidders must receive identical information, including the Solicitation Documents, at the same time.

(d) Procurement and Supply will conduct and lead Invitational Competitions in accordance with the Solicitation Document.

(e) Procurement and Supply will be responsible for all communication with Bidders during Invitational Competitions.

(f) To initiate an Invitational Competition, the Deputy City Manager or their Delegate will provide Procurement and Supply with a completed and signed Procurement Initiation Approval Form containing the relevant description of the Deliverables, budget authorization, and Approval Authority for the Procurement of the Deliverables.

12.5 Open Competition

12.5.1 Conducting an Open Competition by publicly advertising and posting a Solicitation Document.

12.5.2 If the Procurement Value is equal to or greater than the applicable CFTA Threshold, the City will Procure by way of an Open Competition.

12.5.3 An Open Competition will take the form of an RFT (see Section 12.4), an RFQ (see Section 12.4), an RFP (see Section 12.4), or an RFPQ (see Section 12.4.4).

12.5.4 If an RFPQ is used, any subsequent Competitive Process may be conducted as an Invitational Competition and limited to only those Suppliers who were pre-qualified under that RFPQ. However, for Approval Authority purposes, that RFPQ will have the same Approval Authority as the subsequent Competitive Process.

12.5.5 When conducting an Open Competition, the City shall post the Solicitation Document on the Designated Portal (with the exception of an Invitational Competitive process valued at less than applicable CFTA thresholds, which may be posted on the Designated Portal, but it is not required), and otherwise publicly advertise the Open Competition as determined by Procurement and Supply.

12.5.6 Procurement and Supply will conduct and lead Open Competitions in accordance with the Solicitation Document.

12.5.7 Procurement and Supply will be responsible for all communication with Bidders during Open Competitions.

12.5.8 To initiate an Open Competition, the Deputy City Manager or their Delegate will provide Procurement and Supply with a completed and signed Procurement Initiation Approval Form containing the relevant description of the Deliverables, Scope of work, budget authorization, Contract and Approval Authority for the Procurement of the Deliverables.

12.6 Utilization of established Vendors of Record, Standing Officers & Qualified Supplier Rosters

12.6.1 The City may establish Vendors of Record (VORs), Standing Offers, or Qualified Supplier Rosters (QSRs) through an Open Competition for Deliverables that are regularly or repeatedly required. Procurement and Supply shall be responsible for leading these processes.

12.6.2 The establishment of a VOR, Standing Offer, or QSR does not obligate the City to purchase any Deliverables. However, the City may enter into a Master Framework Agreement or Standing Offer Agreement with pre-qualified Suppliers to outline the terms, conditions, and engagement protocols for future purchases.

12.6.3 City Directors are responsible for verifying whether a relevant VOR, Standing Offer, or QSR exists prior to initiating a new procurement. Where such arrangements are available and applicable, they must be used in accordance with this Policy.

12.6.4 The term of a VOR, Standing Offer, or QSR shall be specified at the time of establishment and shall comply with applicable trade agreements. The maximum term for a QSR is three (3) years, unless a longer term is approved by the City Solicitor and conforms with trade agreement requirements.

12.6.5 Existing Supply Arrangements:

(a) If a suitable VOR or Standing Offer Agreement is in place, the City shall utilize the arrangement to procure the required Deliverables. Purchases under Standing Offers are typically made by issuing a Purchase Order to the selected Supplier.

(b) If a Qualified Supplier Roster is available for the category of Deliverables required, a Roster Competition shall be conducted to select a Supplier for the specific project or purchase. Roster Competitions shall be administered by Procurement and Supply in accordance with the terms of the applicable Master Framework Agreement.

13.0 Limited Tendering Process

13.1 A Limited Tendering Process may include:

i) Procuring Deliverables directly from one Supplier when an Invitational Competition or an Open Competition would normally be required;

ii) Soliciting Bids from a limited number of Suppliers when an Open Competition would normally be required; or

iii) Soliciting Bids in an Invitational Competition from fewer Suppliers than would otherwise be required by this Policy.

13.2 The City may only conduct a Limited Tendering Process if authorized in accordance with the Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule)

13.3 A Limited Tendering Process may only be authorized in the following circumstances:

i) where an Open Competition conducted for the required Deliverables has not resulted in the receipt of any compliant Bids (and provided that the Limited Tendering Process does not result in the award of a Contract that substantially modifies the requirements of that earlier Competitive Process);

ii) the Procurement is for:

(a) goods intended for resale to the public; or

(b) goods purchased on a commodity market;

iii) where the required Deliverables can only be provided by a particular Supplier, and no alternative or substitute exists for any of the following reasons:

(a) competition is absent for technical reasons; including situations where the deliverables are Professional Consulting Services and it is determined, based on documented rational, that only one Supplier is capable of providing the required services due to their unique qualification, specific project knowledge, such that engaging another supplier would not meet project requirements or would lead to inefficiencies, incompatibility, or undue costs.

(b) the need to protect patent, copyrights or other exclusive rights; or

(d) the supply of goods or services is controlled by a supplier that is a statutory monopoly;

(e) to ensure compatibility with existing goods, or to maintain specialized goods that must be maintained by the manufacturer of those goods or its representative;

(f) work is to be performed on property by a contractor according to provisions of a warranty or guarantee held in respect of the property or the original work;

(g) work is to be performed on a leased building or related property, or portions thereof, that may be performed only by the lessor; or

iv) the Procurement is for provision of additional deliveries of goods and services by the original Supplier that were not included in the initial Procurement if a change of Supplier for such additional Deliverables:

(a) cannot be made for economic or technical reasons such as requirements of interchangeability or interoperability with existing equipment, software, services or installations procured under the initial Procurement; and

(b) would cause significant inconvenience or substantial duplication of costs for the City, as determined by Procurement and Supply

v) the Procurement is for goods or consulting services regarding matters of a confidential or privileged nature and the disclosure of those matters through a Competitive Process could reasonably be expected to compromise the confidentiality, resulting in the waiver of privilege, cause economic disruption, or be contrary to the public interest.

vi) the Procurement is for:

(a) an innovative prototype or a first good or service to be developed in the course of and for a particular Contract for research, experiment, study or original development, but not for any subsequent Procurements;

(b) for purchases made under exceptionally advantageous circumstances that only arise in the very short term, such as liquidation, bankruptcy or receivership, but not for routine purchases from regular suppliers; or

(c) a Contract to be awarded to the winner of a design contest and the design contest was organized in a fair and transparent manner and was advertised by publicly posted notice and participants were judged by an independent jury with a view to a design contract being awarded to a winner; or

(d) subject to Section 17, if strictly necessary, and for emergency reasons brought about by events unforeseeable by the procuring entity, the goods or services could not be obtained in time using open tendering.

(e) related to national security or public safety that is necessary to protect essential security interests

(f) goods or services related to cultural or heritage institutions where market alternatives are unavailable or unsuitable.

14.0 Posting Notices and Timelines

14.1 Procurement and Supply shall provide a notice of any Open Competitive Procurement Process and make associated Solicitation Documents available to Suppliers through the Designated Portal.

14.2 Procurement and Supply shall ensure that Bidders are provided with sufficient notice and time to prepare their Bids in light of the complexity of the Procurement process and the requirements of applicable trade agreements.

14.3 Procurement and Supply shall ensure that Bid submission date is clearly stated in the Solicitation Documents and is on a Business Day.

15.0 Only One Bid Received

If only one Bid is received in an Open or Invitational Competition, the City may proceed with the Procurement provided that:

i) the opportunity was publicly or appropriately posted or issued in accordance with this Policy;

ii) all potential Suppliers had equal access to the same information at the same time; and

iii) Procurement and Supply has reviewed the process and determined that it was conducted fairly and transparently, and that the sole Bidder's submission offers best value to the City.

If, in the opinion of the Deputy City Manager and the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply, additional Bids could reasonably be expected through a re-issuance, or if the sole Bid does not provide fair value, the City may choose not to open the Bid and may re-issue the Solicitation Document. The Bidder shall be notified accordingly.

16.0 Evaluation

The evaluation of Bids in any Competitive Process will involve the following sequence of activities:

16.1 An administrative review of the Bid to determine whether, on its face, it has met or appears to have met all mandatory requirements set out in the Solicitation Document. This does not preclude Procurement and Supply or evaluators from subsequently determining that those mandatory requirements were not met, after reviewing Bids in detail.

16.2 The evaluation of Bids by evaluators according to any sequence of steps set out in the Solicitation Document.

16.3 In the case of an RFPQ or an RFP, each evaluator will independently evaluate all written Bids against the criteria stated in the Solicitation Document and clearly document their evaluation using forms provided by Procurement and Supply. Thereafter, the evaluators may meet to review their evaluation and finalize results.

16.4 For RFTs, evaluation will be based solely on compliance with mandatory requirements and lowest price. RFTs shall not include qualitative evaluation criteria or scoring. Any technical or mandatory requirements will be assessed on a pass/fail basis as defined in the Solicitation Document.

16.5 Where pricing is evaluated solely by an objective formula, the Procurement and Supply representative on the evaluation team will determine the pricing score for each Bid.

16.6 If at any point in which only one Bid must advance in the evaluation process, and two (2) or more compliant Bids are tied, the tie will be broken as set out in the Solicitation Document. If no tie-break mechanism was specified in the Solicitation Document, then Procurement and Supply will consult with the City Solicitor’s Office as to options to resolve the tie, which may include an opportunity for Bidders to re-bid (depending on the circumstances).

16.7 Evaluators are to provide all evaluation records to Procurement and Supply for retention as part of the Procurement records.

16.8 Procurement and Supply shall forward to the Deputy City Manager (or delegate) the following evaluation summary of the Competitive Process:

i) the summary will include the evaluation criteria and the evaluation committee’s recommendation for award of Contract to the Bidder meeting all mandatory requirements and achieving the highest score in the Competitive Process;

ii) the summary will include the evaluation committee’s recommendation for award of Contract to the lowest-price compliant Bidder; and

iii) the summary will include the evaluation criteria and the names of the Suppliers who were pre-qualified.

17.0 Bid Irregularities, Process Irregularities

17.1 In any Competitive Process, consultation with the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply is required before executing any actions associated with Bid or process irregularities, including any instance in which:

i) a Bidder is to be disqualified or excluded from the Competitive Process;

ii) a Bidder’s compliance with a requirement of a Competitive Process is in doubt;

iii) there is to be any waiver or deviation from the process stated in the solicitation Documents; or

iv) it is discovered that any aspect of the Competitive Bid Documents is ambiguous or incorrect.

v) Bid is suspected to be materially unbalanced in its pricing structure, including instances where the Bidder places unreasonably high or low prices on specific items for the purpose of front-end loading progress payments or gaining advantage on quantities expected to vary from estimates.

17.2 The Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply may consult with the City Solicitor’s Office as to any Bid or process irregularity, including the appropriateness of disqualifying a materially unbalanced Bid. Evaluation shall include a review by technical staff and a documented rationale for rejection where applicable.

17.3 A Bidder whose submission Bid is rejected during the evaluation process must be notified about the rejection in writing within reasonable time after completion of the evaluation.

18.0 Mathematical or Transposition Errors

18.1 In any Competitive Process, and unless otherwise stated in the applicable Solicitation Documents, the City may, in its discretion, treat a mathematical or transposition discrepancy or error in the pricing submission by correcting the Bid price as follows:

18.2 if the discrepancy is in respect of extensions of unit prices, the unit price shall be taken as correct, and the extension shall be corrected accordingly;

18.3 if a mathematical error is made in applying a fixed percentage to a stated amount (e.g., a 10% contingency fee on a pricing total), the recorded total will be corrected accordingly.

18.4 if a mathematical error is made in adding line items to a total, the correct addition shall be taken as correct, and the recorded total will be corrected accordingly;

18.5 if an error has been made in transferring an amount from one part of the Proposal to another, the amount shown before transfer (i.e., source reference) shall be taken to be correct and the amount shown after the transfer and the Proposal price shall be corrected accordingly;

18.6 if the discrepancy or error is such that more than one of the foregoing provisions applies, the corrections shall be applied sequentially, in descending order (provided that, if a mathematical error is made in adding line items to a total, the above will be applied first to correct individual line items, as appropriate);

18.7 if the discrepancy or error is such that none of the foregoing provisions apply, the discrepancy or error shall be corrected by taking the lower of the inconsistent amounts as being correct, and the higher amount shall be corrected accordingly;

18.8 any objection or refusal by a Bidder to the City applying any of the foregoing shall result in either the disqualification of the Bidder, or the Bidder receiving the lowest possible score on the relevant criterion, in the City’s sole discretion; and

18.9 if the unit price is left blank but a total price is submitted for the item, the unit price will be determined by dividing the total price by the estimated quantity that was disclosed in the Competitive Process.

19.0 Emergency Procurements

19.1 Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Policy, where an emergency exists, the City Manager or a Deputy City Manager may authorize an employee to Procure required Deliverables in an expedited manner.

19.2 For the purposes of this Policy, an emergency exists when an unforeseeable situation or event occurs that is a threat to any of the following:

i) public health or safety;

ii) the maintenance of essential services;

iii) the welfare of persons and wildlife, including species at risk; or

iv) the security of the City’s interests, including public property.

19.3 Situations of urgency resulting from the failure to properly plan for a Procurement do not constitute an emergency.

19.4 After authorizing an expedited Procurement in an emergency, the City Manager or Deputy City Manager shall promptly report to Procurement and Supply, in writing, to provide the details of the expedited Procurement, including a description of how the Deliverables were Procured, the reasons the Procurement of the Deliverables were required to address the emergency, and the reason why the expedited Procurement was required.

20.0 Cooperative Purchasing and Buying Groups

20.1 The City may participate in Cooperative Purchasing where Procurement and Supply determines it is in the interests of the City to do so.

20.2 If the City participates in Cooperative Purchasing, the City may rely on the Procurement policies of the entity or other entities leading the Cooperative Purchasing, provided that such Procurement policies comply with the purposes, goals, objectives of this Policy and with the City’s obligations under applicable trade agreements.

20.3 If the City participates in Cooperative Purchasing, and the City is leading the Cooperative Purchasing, the City will follow this Policy.

20.4 Procurement and Supply, in consultation with the City Solicitor’s Office, is delegated authority to approve Master Framework Agreements for the purposes of participating in Cooperative Purchasing and, when the requirement for Deliverables arises, to approve the award of Contracts in accordance with such Master Framework Agreements.

21.0 Contract Award Notification

21.1 Promptly following a Contract award (i.e., Contract Signing), where the Procurement Value is equal to or greater than the applicable CFTA Threshold, Procurement and Supply will notify the successful Bidder and the unsuccessful Bidders of the completion of the Procurement and the Contract award.

21.2 For any Contract award (whether conducted via a Competitive Processes or Limited Tendering Process) with a Procurement Value equal to or greater than the applicable CFTA Threshold, Procurement and Supply will publish a Contract award notice on the Designated Portal within seventy-two (72) days of that Contract being Signed (and that notice will remain readily accessible for a reasonable period of time). That notice will set out:

i) a description of the goods or services procured;

ii) the name and address of the City;

iii) the name and address of the successful Bidder;

iv) the value of the successful Bid;

v) the date of the Contract award (i.e. date it was Signed); and

vi) if a Limited Tendering Process was used, the conditions and circumstances that justified its use (see Section 13.0)

22.0 Debriefings

22.1 Where the City has conducted a Competitive Process and awarded a Contract with a Procurement Value equal to or greater than the applicable CFTA Threshold, unsuccessful Suppliers who participated in the Competitive Process may request a debriefing from the City.

22.2 The City will only respond to requests for a debriefing if they are made within thirty (30) calendar days following the date of the Contract award.

22.3 The purpose of a debriefing is to provide the unsuccessful Supplier with an explanation of why the City did not select its Bid.

22.4 If a debriefing is requested by an unsuccessful Bidder, Procurement and Supply will:

i) confirm the date and time of the debriefing session in writing;

ii) conduct debriefings with only one Supplier at a time;

iii) ensure that the same City participant(s) participate(s) in every debriefing requested for a given Competitive Process;

iv) retain all correspondence and documentation relevant to the debriefing session as part of the records of the Procurement;

22.5 In conducting debriefing meetings with unsuccessful Bidders, Procurement and Supply will:

i) provide a general overview of the evaluation process set out in the Solicitation Document;

ii) discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the Bidder’s Bid in relation to the evaluation criteria and a general explanation of the reasons why the City did not select its Bid;

iii) discuss the relative advantages of the successful Bidder’s Bid;

iv) if more than price was evaluated, the City may provide the Bidder’s score and its ranking relative to other Bidders;

v) as appropriate, provide suggestions on how the Bidder may improve future bids;

vi) receive feedback from the Bidder on the Procurement process;

vii) as appropriate, respond to specific questions and issues raised by the Bidder in relation to its Bid and the Procurement process;

viii) if requested by the Bidder, provide the name of the successful Bidder; and

ix) if requested by the Bidder, inform the Bidder on the City’s process for Bid Disputes (see Section 22.0)

22.6 In conducting debriefings, the City must not disclose information concerning other Bidders or Bids other than as specified above, as it may contain confidential information.

22.7 If an unsuccessful Bidder requests information beyond the above, the Bidder is advised that a formal freedom of information request can be submitted to the City’s Freedom of Information and Privacy Department, in accordance with MFIPPA.

22.8 Questions unrelated to the matters noted above are not to be addressed during the debriefing.

23.0 Bid Disputes

23.1 The City will provide Suppliers with an opportunity to communicate concerns about Procurement processes. A Supplier that wishes to do so formally may make a Bid Dispute by submitting a request for review to the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply, provided that:

i) it has first requested and attended a debriefing related to the Procurement process, and the debriefing was requested within thirty (30) calendar days of the City publishing a Contract award notice or, where there is no resulting Contract, the City’s formal announcement of the outcome of the Procurement process;

ii) it has not commenced legal proceedings against the City related to the Procurement process;

iii) it submits a request for review of the Procurement process to Procurement and Supply within seven (7) Business Days of attending the debriefing.

iv) its request for review includes the following:

(a) a clear statement as to which Procurement process the Supplier wishes to be reviewed;

(b) a clear and specific explanation, including supporting documentation, of the Supplier’s concerns with the Procurement process and requested remedy; and

23.2 Procurement and Supply will promptly provide the Bid Dispute to the Dispute Committee, which will meet to consider the Supplier’s Bid Dispute and any relevant documents and information.

23.3 Upon making its determination, the Dispute Committee will issue a written response to the Supplier indicating its proposed resolution to the Bid Dispute, if any, and indicating any changes that will be made to the City’s policies and practices to help prevent similar issues arising in future Procurement processes. All such responses from the Dispute Committee to a Supplier will be on a “without prejudice” basis. The Dispute Committee will not disclose information about other Bids or other Suppliers in its response to a Supplier.

24.0 Dispute Committee

The Dispute Committee will, as and when required, make decisions and determinations on Supplier suspensions, Bid Disputes, and consider and provide guidance on other Procurement matters referred to it by Procurement and Supply, a Director, or the City Manager or a Deputy City Manager.

24.1 Role

24.2 Composition

The Dispute Committee will be comprised of:

i) the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply or delegate,

ii) the City Treasurer or delegate,

iii) the City Solicitor or delegate, and

iv) the Deputy City Manager, or delegate of the client Service Area involved.

24.3 Decisions

The Dispute Committee will make decisions and determinations by a simple majority. In making decisions or determinations under this Policy, the Dispute Committee may seek and consider any additional information it deems necessary and may consult with other City employees and officers, the City Solicitor’s Office, or external advisors, as appropriate. In the event of a tie vote, the matter will be referred to the City Manager for a final decision.

25.0 IT Procurements

No communication tool, phone or smartphone, end user device, managed service, technology consulting, or artificial intelligence product including internet or intranet web sites, or internet-based “cloud” Software as a Service (SaaS) applications and systems will be purchased, installed, or deployed without the completion of appropriate information security and technology reviews as determined by Information Technology Services and the express authorization, in writing, of the Director, Information Technology Services, or their delegate. As appropriate, such reviews will consider (among other matters):

a) Information security

b) Delivery, testing and acceptance requirements;

c) Design requirements and standards;

d) Contingency for anticipated changes in requirements over the life of the Contract, such as future growth or changes in business need;

e) Any applicable technical architecture;

f) Interface requirements;

g) Privacy; and

h) Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard Compliance, if applicable.

All procurements of IT-related goods and services shall proceed in accordance with Section 12- (Procurement Methods) of this Policy. Where competitive procurement is not feasible due to technical compatibility, proprietary constraints, or other valid exceptions, the procurement may be conducted under Section 13 (Limited Tendering), subject to the criteria outlined therein.

Approval to initiate any such procurement must be obtained in accordance with the Delegation of Authority in Schedule A, including the required authorization thresholds and documentation. Procurement activities shall not be initiated, nor any commitments made, until all required reviews and approvals from Information Technology Services and authorized procurement authorities have been completed and documented.

26.0 Grants and Stimulus Funding

When grants or stimulus funding are received by the City, the use of that funding for Procurements is subject to this Policy, notwithstanding any specific conditions placed by the provider.

27.0 Delegated Approval Authorities

27.1 The Approval Authority Schedule attached as Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule) sets out the authorities for:

i) initiating a Procurement;

ii) conducting a Procurement process and approving the award of a Contract;

iii) issuing Purchase Orders;

iv) signing Contracts; and

v) approving Contract Amendments.

27.2 All Procurement activities discussed in Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule) must be approved by the applicable Approval Authority set out in that Schedule.

27.3 Before the supply of the Deliverables, a Contract must be established by the signing of a Contract, as reviewed and approved by the City Solicitor’s Office, or the issuance of a Purchase Order.

27.4 Where the Procurement Value is equal to or greater than the applicable CFTA threshold, a Contract is required. If the Procurement Value is below the applicable CFTA threshold, a Contract may be required if determined by Procurement and Supply or the City Solicitor’s Office to be required in order to protect the City’s interests.

28.0 Council Approval

28.1 Formal approval of a Budget by Council constitutes financial approval to initiate Procurements, subject to the requirements of this Policy, and any scheduling or priority considerations determined necessary by Council or the City Treasurer.

28.2 A Contract may not be awarded to a Supplier without prior approval by Standing Committees of Council and Council in any of the following circumstances:

i) Committee and Council approval is required in accordance with the Approval Authority Schedule attached as Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule);

ii) any of the conditions of Approval Authority, as set out in Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule), are not met;

iii) there is applicable legislation or orders of government or granting agencies which require Committee and Council approval;

iv) there is an irregular result or unresolved challenge related to the Procurement process and, in the opinion of the City Manager, in consultation with Procurement and Supply and the City Solicitor’s Office, the award of the Contract is likely to expose the City to significant legal, financial or reputational risk;

v) any Contract requiring approval from the Ontario Land Tribunal;

vi) where a recommendation is being made to amend the total value of a Contract in excess of the total value of the original Bid (plus contingency) and,

(a) it is an amount greater than applied CFTA Thresholds above the original Contract Value, or

(b) in the opinion of the City Treasurer, funds are not available for the additional expenditure.

29.0 Contract Management

29.1 Contract Management and Supplier Performance

29.1.1 The City will manage Contracts and the performance of Suppliers and their subcontractors under such Contracts in accordance with the Supplier Code of Conduct.

29.1.2 The Contract Administrator responsible for a Contract or other Supplier engagement will:

a) periodically monitor Supplier performance under that Contract or engagement including:

(i) that payments were made in accordance with the provisions of the Contract;

(ii) the quality of Supplier’s performance, including quality of goods, and/or adherence to delivery, performance or other specifications, as applicable; and

(iii) any concern for crimes or offences, false declarations, professional misconduct or lack of commercial integrity see Schedule D (Supplier Suspension Protocol);

b) document that vendor-monitoring; and

c) advise Procurement and Supply, in writing if the performance of the Supplier has been unsatisfactory in any manner.

29.1.3 The Contract Administrator as to unsatisfactory Supplier performance, will advise that Supplier of its unsatisfactory performance with a view to giving the Supplier an opportunity to remedy its performance, if reasonably feasible and appropriate in the circumstances.

29.1.4 Serious or persistent Supplier performance issues or other concerns may merit the City considering a suspension of that Supplier. See Schedule D (Supplier Suspension Protocol).

29.1.5 This Section does not limit the City from pursuing any rights available to it under the Contract or otherwise at law.

29.2 Contract Options and Amendments

29.2.1 During the course of a Contract, work may arise that was anticipated during the Procurement planning process. Contract Options that are part of the original value of the Contract may be approved if they were clearly defined in the Solicitation Documents or Limited Tendering Process approvals which led to the Contract.

29.2.2 During the course of a Contract, additional work may arise that was not anticipated during the Procurement planning process, and Contract Amendments may be proposed to address those changes. Contract Amendments that expand the scope of work and/or the value of the Contract may be approved if:

a) the adjustment is for Deliverables that are related to the Contract’s original scope; and

b) the circumstances fit within one of the grounds which permit a Limited Tendering Process, as set out in Section 12.0 of this Policy.

29.2.3 Contract Amendments must not be used to circumvent the need to Procure additional Deliverables through a new Competitive Process or be used to expand a Contract beyond the scope contemplated as part of the original Competitive Process or Limited Tendering Process approval.

29.2.4 Contract Options and Contract Amendments must be authorized in accordance with Schedule A (Approval Authority Schedule).

30.0 Supplier Suspension

30.1 The City may suspend Suppliers from participating in its future Procurement processes for prescribed periods to protect the public or the City’s interests.

30.2 The Dispute Committee is delegated authority to suspend a Supplier from participating in the City’s future Procurement processes. A decision to suspend a Supplier will be based on evidence and will be made in accordance with the Supplier Suspension Protocol attached as Schedule D (Supplier Suspension Protocol).

31.0 Procurement Records

31.1 The Deputy City Manager, in consultation with Procurement and Supply, shall ensure that the retention, maintenance, disposal, release and management of all records relating to Procurements are in accordance with the Council bylaws for records retention, MFIPPA, and the City’s policies and procedures on document management and access to information.

31.2 Without limiting the above, the City will retain Bids and other information received in response to a Competitive Process for inspection or reference by the City’s auditors, the City Solicitor’s Office, and other City employees, as appropriate, in accordance with the City’s records retention bylaws.

32.0 Accessibility

In accordance with Ontario Regulation 191/11 under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, S.O. 2005, c. 11 (as amended), the City of London shall consider accessibility criteria and features when procuring or acquiring goods, services, or facilities, except where it is not practicable to do so. In which case, an explanation will be provided upon request.

33.0 Unsolicited Proposals or Samples

33.1 City employees and Council members are prohibited from accepting unsolicited offers or engaging in communication regarding potential unsolicited proposal. Vendors are instructed to direct all unsolicited proposals to the Senior. Manager, Procurement and Supply through the Unsolicited Proposal web channel.

33.2 Unsolicited proposals will be evaluated based on their alignment with the City of London's strategic goals, the innovative nature of the proposed solution, and the potential benefits the proposal offers. Evaluation will focus on the degree to which the proposal provides value to the city, including potential cost savings, service improvements, risk mitigation, sustainable, social and economic development opportunities. The proposal will also be assessed for its feasibility, including its proposed timeline, resource requirements, and the ability to meet the City’s needs within the scope. A key consideration will be whether the proposal represents a unique solution that cannot be obtained through the City’s regular procurement processes.

33.3 Senior Manager Procurement and Supply will determine whether the proposal warrants further consideration. If the unsolicited proposal is deemed to offer substantial benefit or innovative value, the City may decide to initiate a competitive procurement process that incorporates the proposal’s concept or directly negotiate with the vendor for the provision of goods or services. However, if the proposal does not meet the City’s needs or is not deemed to provide sufficient value, the proposal will be rejected. All decisions will be made with due consideration of the City's procurement objectives, budgetary constraints, and policy requirements to ensure transparency and accountability.

33.4 Unsolicited proposals will not be considered if they closely resemble goods or services already under active solicitation through the City’s standard procurement processes, or if they involve services or products for which a competitive bidding process is already open, underway, or being evaluated. Additionally, proposals that require significant development or customization by the City to align with its needs will not be accepted, unless such development is clearly in the best interest of the City. Proposals offering goods or services that are readily available from other sources, or that lack sufficient uniqueness or value, will also be excluded from consideration.

33.5 Unsolicited proposals shall not circumvent this, Policy.

34.0 Revenue and Disposal of Surplus Goods

34.1 Options to allow for trade-in allowance will be considered when purchasing new equipment, however any trade-in value or salvage value recoverable from a project cannot be used to offset, reduce or change the value of the Procurement for purposes of determining the appropriate Procurement process to be followed under this Policy.

34.2 Where the Deputy City Manager determines that goods owned by the City are surplus, they shall dispose of the surplus goods in accordance with the City’s best interest using methods, including:

i) general advertising to secure sealed Bids;

ii) public sale or auction;

iii) direct negotiation where proceeds will not be less than net book value of asset; or

iv) other disposition options most suitable for the equipment or material.

34.3 The revenue from the sale of surplus goods shall be credited to the appropriate account(s).

35.0 Reporting Requirements

35.1 Responsibility and Timing

35.1.1 The Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply (or delegate) shall conduct an Annual Procurement Compliance Review of all procurement activities undertaken by the City. The final report shall be submitted by May 31st of the following year to Council in the form of an information report.

35.1.2 The Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply shall be supported by Deputy City Manager (or Delegate), who are responsible for ensuring that complete and accurate procurement data, documentation, and departmental feedback are provided in a timely manner to facilitate the preparation of the report.

35.2 Scope of Review

a) The Annual Review shall include, but not be limited to, the following components:

b) Verification of adherence to procurement thresholds and competitive process requirements.

c) Analysis of awarded contracts by procurement method (e.g., Open Competition, Invitational Competition – RFPQ, RFP, RFT, Vendor of Record).

d) Analysis of contracts awarded through limited tendering procurement activities and associated justifications.

e) Analysis of contract amendments exceeding the applicable thresholds for Goods and Services and Construction.

f) Identification of any instances of non-compliance with the Procurement of Goods and Services Policy, including corrective actions taken or planned.

g) Summary of procurement audits, internal reviews, or third-party assessments conducted during the reporting year.

h) Identification of any policy updates, procedural changes, or revisions implemented in the reporting year.

i) Overview of contract extensions, renewals, and terminations.

j) Summary of vendor performance evaluations and resulting actions, if applicable.

k) Updates on sustainable procurement including environmental, social, economical, and ethical procurement initiatives aligned with Council priorities.

l) Number and type of procurement-related training sessions provided to City staff.

m) Feedback and observations received from City departments regarding procurement processes and service delivery.

35.3 Bi-Annual Reporting to Council

35.3.1 The Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply shall prepare a Bi- Annual information report to Council which details:

a) all Contract awards with a Contract Value exceeding $133,800 for Goods and Services and $334,000 for construction that were awarded pursuant to an Approval Authority; and

b) the circumstances of any emergency Procurement.

35.3.2 In addition, if, in any emergency Procurement, the aggregate payments to a single Supplier are in excess of $133,800, the emergency Procurement shall be reported by the responsible Deputy City Manager to Committee and Council (including the source of financing) at the next scheduled meeting following the event.

35.3.3 With respect to all reports initiated for a Competitive Process, a report on the sources of financing, and other financial commentary as considered appropriate, shall be prepared.

Schedule A - Approval Authority Schedule

1.0 Approval to Award

Approval Authority

Initiation of the following Competitive Processes is subject to the corresponding Approval Authority:

1.1 Low Dollar Procurement - Goods and Services and Construction

Procurement Method	Procurement Value	Procurement Method	Award Approval Service Area	Binding Document/Contract type
Low dollar purchase	$0 up to $30K	Purchase Card, call off contracts, quick quote	Director/Delegate	Purchase Order, Contract Records, Agreement City's standard form of agreement, Contract Record, VOR, Standing offer arrangements

1.2 Competitive Process - Goods and Services

Competitive Procurement	Procurement Value	Procurement Method	Approving Authority
Invitational competition and collaborative procurement	Greater than $30K up to $133,800	Min 3 quotes/ proposals RFQ/ RFP/ RFT can be preceded by RFPQ. RFPQ can be utilized to Develop VOR, QSR	Deputy City Manager / Delegate & Senior Manager, Procurement & Supply/ Delegate
Open Competition	Greater than $133,800 up to $1 million	RFQ/ RFP/ RFT can be preceded by RFPQ. RFPQ can be utilized to Develop VOR RFEOI, EOI can be used prior to RFPQ / RFP/ RFT to develop Specification. Acquisition utilizing GPO – 3 min quotes/ proposals	Deputy City Manager & Senior Manager, Procurement & Supply
Open Competition	Greater than $1 million up to $6 million	RFQ/ RFP/ RFT can be preceded by RFPQ. RFP can be utilized to Develop VOR RFEOI, EOI can be used prior to RFPQ / RFP/ RFT to develop Specification. Acquisition utilizing GPO – 3 min quotes/ proposals	City Manager or Delegate
Open Competition	Greater than $6 million	RFQ/ RFP/ RFT can be preceded by RFPQ. RFPQ can be utilized to Develop VOR RFEOI, EOI can be used prior to RFPQ / RFP/ RFT to develop Specification. Acquisition utilizing GPO – 3 min quotes/ proposals	City Council

1.3 Competitive Procurement - Construction Thresholds

Competitive Procurement	Procurement Value	Procurement Method	Approving Authority
Invitational competition and collaborative procurement	Greater than $30K up to $334,400	Min 3 quotes/proposals RFP/RFT can be preceded by RFQP. RFPQ can be utilized to Develop VOR	Deputy City Manager / Delegate & Senior Manager, Procurement & Supply/Delegate
Open Competition	Greater than $334,400 up to $6 million	RFP/ RFT can be preceded by RFPQ. RFPQ can be utilized to Develop VOR RFEOI, EOI can be used prior to RFPQ / RFP/ RFT to develop Specification. Acquisition utilizing GPO – 3 min quotes /proposals	Deputy City Manager & Senior Manager, Procurement & Supply
Open Competition	Greater than $6 million	RFQ/ RFP/ RFT can be preceded by RFPQ. RFPQ can be utilized to Develop VOR RFEOI, EOI can be used prior to RFPQ / RFP/ RFT to develop Specification. Acquisition utilizing GPO – 3 min quotes /proposals	City Council

Note: For Procurement Values between $30,000 and the applicable CFTA Threshold, an Invitational Competition may be conducted in accordance with Section 12.4.5 (Invitational Procurement – Service Area) or Section 12.4.6 (Invitational Competitions – Conducted by Procurement and Supply), provided the requirements of this Policy are met.

Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs) may be used at any procurement value threshold, provided that the GPO agreement was established through a Competitive Process compliant with applicable trade agreements and City policy. If the GPO has only one contracted supplier for the required Deliverables, and the agreement includes defined terms, the City may proceed with direct purchase under that arrangement without seeking additional quotes.

If the GPO agreement includes multiple suppliers, the City must typically seek a minimum of three quotes or proposals from those suppliers, unless the GPO agreement specifies ranked suppliers or assigns a primary vendor. The rationale for selecting a supplier must be clearly documented, especially in single-supplier scenarios, to maintain transparency and trade compliance.

For the minimum three (3) quote requirement under Invitational Procurement, the process may still be considered compliant where fewer than three written bids are received, provided that reasonable and documented efforts were made to solicit bids from at least three (3) bidders. Documentation must include records of supplier invitations, responses (or non-responses), and any follow-up efforts to engage additional bidders. If the limited response is due to suppliers declining to participate or market conditions, and not due to procedural deficiencies, the evaluation and award may proceed.

In all of the above Procurement methods, the City Manager may also exercise the Approval Authority of a Deputy City Manager.

2.0 Limited Tendering Process

2.1 Approval Authority

Initiation of a Limited Tendering Process is subject to the corresponding Approval Authority:

Procurement Value

Approval Authority

Up to $133,800

(i) Deputy City Manager, and

(ii) Senior Manager of Procurement,

With required documented rationale

Greater than $133,800

Committee and Council

Note: In all of the above Procurement methods the City Manager may also execute the Approval Authority of a Deputy City Manager.

2.2 Authorization Process

2.2.1 If the Procurement Value does not exceed $133,800 the Deputy City Manager may authorize the Limited Tendering Process and, if so approved, shall send Limited Tendering Process requests to the Senior Manager of Procurement & Supply for review and approval.

2.2.2 If the Procurement Value exceeds $133,800 the Deputy City Manager in consultation with Senior Manager of Procurement & Supply shall submit a report to Council seeking authority to proceed with the Limited Tendering Process.

2.2.3 A Limited Tendering Process may not be approved, and no Contract may be awarded, unless sufficient funding is available in a Budget.

3.0 Contract Issuance or Signature of Contract Amendment

3.1 Approval Authority

Completing Purchase / Signing	Procurement Value	Approval Authority
Low-Value Procurement – Purchase Card or Purchase Order, Contract Record	Up to $30,000	Directors / Delegate & Senior Manager of Procurement Supply/ Delegate
Goods and Services Contract award to Supplier on the Master framework agreement for VOR, Standing offer, Supplier Roster, Contract Record Construction Contract award to Supplier on the Master framework agreement for VOR, Standing offer, Supplier Roster, Contract Record - Goods and Services	Greater than $30,000 up to $133,800 Greater than $30,000 up to $334,400	Deputy City Manager/ Delegate & Senior Manager of Procurement Supply
Contract- Goods and Services Construction Other than Low-Value Procurement, Contract Record, Purchase Order.	Greater than $133,800 up to $6,000,000 Greater than $334,400 up to $6,000,000	Mayor and City Clerk unless Council has expressly delegated the authority to Sign the Contract to another officer or employee of the City.
Contract Renewals	up to $6,000,000	(i) Deputy City Manager (ii) Senior Manager, Procurement & Supply With required documented rationale
Contract Renewals	up to $6,000,000	Committee and Council
Contract Amendments- Goods and Services Contract Amendment - Construction	Increase up to $133,800 above the original Contract Value Increase up to $334,400 above the original Contract Value	Deputy City Manager
Contract Amendments- Goods and Services	Increase exceeding $133,800 above the original Contract Value or 3% of the original Contract Value Increase exceeding $334,800 above the original Contract Value or 3% of the original Contract Value	Committee and Council

Note: In all of the above Procurement methods, the City Manager may also exercise the Approval Authority of a Deputy City Manager.

3.2 Contract Review and Signing Process

3.2.1 In accordance with the delegation of Approval Authority, the authorized individual(s) shall:

i) confirm all pre-conditions of award of the Contract, including those pre-conditions set out in this Policy, relevant purchasing procedures, the Solicitation Document (if applicable), and the Contract, are met;

ii) approve the award of the Contract;

iii) assemble and provide to the City Solicitor’s Office all relevant documents; and

iv) draft and provide to the City Solicitor’s Office a written memorandum confirming the approvals required under this Policy.

3.2.2 The City Solicitor’s Office will review the Contract, and if it approves, will send the Contract to the authorized signatories for Signature. No Contract may be Signed by the City unless it has been reviewed and approved by the City Solicitor’s Office.

3.2.3 If the Contract is evidenced by a Purchase Order only, City’s Standard Terms and Conditions /City’s pre- approved contracts, Procurement and Supply will execute the contract.

3.3 Contract Options

3.3.1 Where an existing Contract includes Contract Options, the Senior Manager of Procurement & Supply may exercise a Contract Option, provided that the following is satisfied and documented:

i) the Supplier’s performance has met the requirements of the Contract;

ii) the Contract was awarded in accordance with this Policy based on the Procurement Value;

iii) exercise of the Contract Option is, in the opinion of the Senior Manager of Procurement & Supply in the best interests of the City; and

iv) sufficient funding for the exercise of the Contract Option is available in an approved Budget.

3.3.2 If the above conditions of delegated Approval Authority are not met, City Manager approval must be obtained for the authority to exercise the Contract Option.

3.4 Contract Change Orders

3.4.1 Where any Contract has been authorized pursuant to this Policy, disbursement of additional funds required to complete Deliverables that are necessary as part of the original scope of the Contract must be approved by the applicable Approval Authority noted above at Section 3.1 of this Schedule, provided that the additional funds do not expand the scope of Deliverables contemplated under the original Contract.

3.4.2 Where sufficient contingency funding is not available in a Budget, the City Treasurer approval must be obtained for the additional expenditure.

3.5 Contract Scope Changes

3.5.1 Any expansion or extension of a Contract to Procure Deliverables that were not contemplated in the original Procurement is considered a Limited Tendering Process and must be approved by the applicable Approval Authority for a Limited Tendering Process noted above at Section 2.1 of this Schedule and may only be authorized in the Limited Tendering Process circumstances set out in Section 13.0 of this Policy.

3.5.2 Where sufficient funding is not available in a Budget, the City Treasurer approval must be obtained for the additional expenditure.

4.0 Delegation of Approval Authority

4.1 Delegated Approval Authority

4.1.1 A person with Approval Authority (or delegated Approval Authority, where the delegation is in accordance with this Policy) has the authority to:

i) initiate the Procurement process in accordance with this Policy;

ii) approve the Solicitation Document(s) for a Competitive Process;

iii) approve the selection of pre-qualified Bidders in a multi-stage Open Competition; and

iv) approve the award of the Contract.

4.1.2 Approval Authority to Procure is subject to the following conditions:

i) no Procurement may be initiated unless sufficient funding for the Procurement Value is available in a Budget; and

ii) the total length of the Contract term, including any Contract Options, must not exceed five (5) years unless otherwise approved in writing by Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply.

4.1.3 No award of Contract may be approved unless:

i) sufficient funding is available in an approved Budget;

ii) the selection of the Procurement method is determined in accordance with this Policy;

iii) the Procurement process was conducted in accordance with this Policy;

iv) in the case of a Competitive Process, the Contract is awarded in accordance with the Solicitation Document.

4.1.4 If any of the applicable conditions of delegated Approval Authority are not met, City Manager approval must be obtained before proceeding with any Procurement activity.

4.2 Method of Delegation

4.2.1 Deputy City Managers may only delegate their Approval Authority as follows:

i) The Deputy City Managers shall prepare a delegated Approval Authority list of position or roles within their respective areas.

ii) The list will provide evidence that the position or roles listed have been delegated Approval Authority by the Deputy City Manager.

iii) The list will include each position title, associated approval limit and indicate whether that position may act in an acting capacity during staff absences and transition.

iv) The list will be updated immediately upon any change to the roles, responsibilities or organizational structure that impacts delegated authority

v) A copy of the updated list shall be sent to the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply each time there is a revision.

vi) The Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply will ensure the delegation of Approval Authority lists are available to all Procurement and Supply Staff.

vii) Procurement and Supply staff will review the list prior to completing tasks that require approval.

4.2.2 The Deputy City Managers and Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply shall develop a delegated Approval Authority list for the approvals and tasks they are responsible for under this Policy.

4.2.3 Only the Deputy City Managers may further delegate Approval Authority to their staff at the Procurement Values deemed appropriate by the applicable Deputy City Manager. Staff with delegated Approval Authority from the Deputy City Managers to approve Procurements shall have no authority to delegate this approval authority to any other person.

4.2.4 Council may explicitly delegate further Approval Authority as it considers necessary from time to time, including but not limited to, any extended time periods during which Council does not meet.

Schedule B - Exclusions

This Policy does not apply to certain categories of acquisitions, which may be exempt based on specific criteria. Qualification for an exemption shall be determined by the City Treasurer (or delegate) and the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply (or delegate), in consultation with the relevant Service Area. All qualified exemptions must still comply with applicable City policies, and any resulting contracts must be reviewed by the City Solicitor’s Office to ensure legal compliance and consistency.

Note: Exclusion from this Policy does not preclude the need for a formal, legally binding agreement, where appropriate.

(a) Employment-Related

i. Contracts relating to hiring City employees

ii. Employee compensation

iii. Reimbursement of City employee expenses, in accordance with the Travel and Business Expense Policy

(b) Training and Education

i. Conferences, seminars, courses, and conventions

ii. Magazines, subscriptions, periodicals

iii. Memberships

iv. Staff development and workshops

v. Staff recognition and relations

(c) Corporate General Expenses

i. Payroll and payroll deductions

ii. Employee medicals

iii. Insurance premiums, claim settlements, and adjuster services

iv. Tax remittances, GST/HST cost recovery reviews, WSIB remittances

v. Inter-governmental charges

vi. Development charges

vii. Postage

viii. Advertising required under the Municipal Act

ix. Retirement recognition awards

x. Employee group benefits, compensation programs, consulting and reviews

(d) Utilities

i. Energy (e.g., electricity, natural gas, district energy)

ii. Water and wastewateriii. Communications (e.g., telephone, fiber optics)

iv. Electrical inspection services

v. Railway companies (e.g., for grade crossing maintenance and access charges)

(e) Legislative and Election-Related

i. Goods, services, and equipment required under the Municipal Elections Act, R.S.O. 1996, as amended, as determined by the City Clerk

(f) Revenue Generation

i. Concession contracts where the primary intent is revenue generation rather than procurement of deliverables for public service

(g) Non-Binding and Non-Procurement Instruments

i. Non-legally binding agreements

ii. Grants, loans, equity infusions, guarantees, or other fiscal incentives awarded by the City

(h) Real Property Transactions

i. Acquisition or rental of land, existing buildings, or immovable property or rights thereon

ii. Planning, development, or re-development transactions involving the purchase, sale, or repurposing of real property or other City assets

(i) Intellectual Property Protections

i. Measures necessary to protect intellectual property, provided they do not circumvent applicable trade agreements

(j) Financial and Investment Services

i. Fiscal agency or depository services

ii. Liquidation and management services for regulated financial institutions

iii. Services related to the sale, redemption, and distribution of public debt instruments

iv. Investment services

v. Treasury operations and related advisory or information services

(k) Social and Health Services

i. Services delivering social, housing, healthcare, childcare, or educational support directly to individuals

ii. Food procurement in support of social feeding or agricultural programs (e.g., food for seniors, institutional food programs supporting local producers)

(l) Legal and Litigation Services

i. Services provided by licensed lawyers or notaries under applicable law

ii. Expert or factual witnesses used in litigation or hearings

(m) International and Donor-Funded Procurement

i. Contracts under international cooperation agreements with procurement conditions differing from standard trade agreements

ii. Procurements financed primarily by donations requiring non-standard procedures

iii. Procurements conducted by the City on behalf of non-trade-agreement-covered entities

iv. Procurements between City-owned/affiliated entities or with other public sector bodies

v. Procurements from philanthropic organizations, non-profits, prison labour, or individuals with disabilities

vi. Procurements under commercial agreements with non-public sector entities (e.g., sporting or convention facilities)

vii. Procurements governed by the procedures of international organizations or international assistance

(n) Software and Hardware Maintenance and Support

Maintenance and support fees for software or computer hardware previously acquired, where the ongoing services are limited to sustaining existing functionality and are provided by the original or authorized vendor. This exclusion does not apply to new modules, or functional expansions. All such arrangements must remain consistent with applicable trade agreement obligations and be documented in accordance with the City’s contract management practices.

(o) Indigenous Procurement

Any measure adopted or maintained with respect to procurement from Indigenous Businesses.

Schedule C - Supplier Code of Conduct

The Supplier Code of Conduct sets the minimum performance standards for Suppliers and their subcontractors and supports the City of London’s Sustainable Procurement. The goal of the Supplier Code of Conduct is to ensure safe and healthy workplaces for the people who make goods, services and construction for the City, where human and civil rights conditions meet internationally agreed upon standards.

The Supplier Code of Conduct will ensure that Suppliers are in compliance with the International Labour Standards (i.e., core labour conventions) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Canadian laws and other applicable environmental and ethical standards. The City will apply the Supplier Code of Conduct as one of the criteria used in its selection of Suppliers. It is a requirement that City Suppliers and their sub-contractors follow this code.

Compliance Requirements

City Suppliers and their sub-contractors must strive to comply with all national and other applicable laws of the country(ies) of operations or applicable to the manufacturing of goods or delivery of services, including, but not limited to those laws relating to working conditions, human rights, health and safety and the environment. For goods and services produced in Canada, Canadian laws will apply. For goods and services produced outside of Canada, and where foreign national laws and the Supplier Code of Conduct address the same issue, the standard that is most stringent will apply, thereby ensuring that all Suppliers, regardless of their place of operation, are meeting a consistent set of minimum performance standards related to human rights and fair workplace practices.

Minimum Performance Standards

The following nine standards are based on the ILO International Labour Standards (i.e., labour conventions) that directly support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and address the worst forms of child and forced labour. These core conventions set out reasonably achievable minimum standards for working conditions in manufacturing facilities and factories internationally. The ILO International Labour Standards are available online at: http://www.ilo.org.

a. Freely Chosen Employment

The Supplier shall employ workers who choose to be employed by the Supplier’s company. The Supplier shall not use any forced, bonded or indentured labour or involuntary prison labour. All work shall be voluntary, and workers shall be free to leave upon reasonable notice.

b. Child Labour

The Supplier shall commit to a zero-tolerance policy toward the use of child labour in any stage of manufacturing. The term “child” refers to any person under the age of 15 (or 14 where the law of the country of manufacture allows). Workers under the age of 18 shall not perform work that is likely to jeopardize the health or safety of young workers. The use of legitimate workplace apprenticeship programs, which comply with all laws and regulations, is permitted.

c. Non-discrimination and Diversity

The Supplier shall promote cooperation, individual responsibility and acceptance of diversity among its employees. The Supplier and its employees shall not engage in discrimination based on race, colour, age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, place of origin, ancestry, source of income, pregnancy, religion, political affiliation, union membership, family status or marital status in hiring and employment practices such as promotions, rewards, and access to training. In addition, workers or potential workers should not be subjected to medical tests that could be unlawfully used in a discriminatory way.

d. Health and Safety

Workers will be provided with a safe and healthy work environment. Conditions in all work and residential facilities shall be safe, clean, and consistent with all applicable laws and regulations regarding occupational health and safety. The Supplier shall adequately inform employees of their health and safety guidelines in terms of equipment, training, management, and work practices.

e. Employee Treatment, Harassment and Abuse

The Supplier’s employees shall be treated with respect and dignity and Supplier’s disciplinary policies and procedures shall be clearly defined and communicated to employees before application. There shall be no harsh and inhumane treatment, including any physical, sexual, psychological, verbal harassment or abuse, or corporal punishment; nor is there to be the threat of any such treatment.

f. Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining

The Supplier shall work directly with employees to find solutions to any outstanding legal and employment issues while at all times respecting worker rights to obtain representation, join labour unions, and/or bargain collectively. Workers shall be able to communicate openly with management regarding working conditions without fear of reprisal, intimidation or harassment.

g. Wages and Benefits

Compensation paid to workers shall comply with all applicable wage laws, including those relating to minimum wages, overtime hours and legally mandated benefits. Employees shall be compensated for overtime hours at such premium rate as is legally required in the country of manufacture or, in those countries where such laws do not exist, at a rate at least equal to their regular hourly compensation rate. Deductions from wages as a disciplinary manner is not permitted and payment shall occur in a timely manner with record of payment (e.g., pay stub).

h. Hours of Work

The Supplier shall ensure regular working hours do not exceed forty-eight (48) hours per week, and that the combination of regular hours and required overtime hours do not exceed sixty (60) hours per week except in emergency circumstances.

i. Environmental Responsibility

Suppliers shall take responsibility to reduce the environmental impact of their products and services as well as their overall operations or ‘in-house’ practices (e.g., energy conservation in their buildings). Suppliers must not be in violation of any national environmental regulations and should be striving to meet third-party standards.

Schedule D - Supplier Suspension Protocol

1.0 Purpose and Interpretation

The purpose of this protocol is to set out the process for suspending Suppliers from participating in any active or future City Procurement processes.

2.0 Application

2.1 The City seeks to ensure that it is receiving quality Deliverables and value for public money, and that its Suppliers conduct business in a professional, ethical and legally compliant manner. Where the City determines otherwise in connection with a Supplier, as set out in this protocol, the City may suspend that Supplier from participating in City Procurement processes for prescribed periods.

2.2 A decision to suspend a Supplier must be made in accordance with this protocol [and the Supplier Code of Conduct] and must be supported by evidence and based on the reasons and factors set out below.

2.3 Suppliers are responsible for any employees, representatives, agents or subcontractors that are acting on their behalf and all references to the actions or conduct of the Supplier under this protocol include the actions of any individual or entity acting on behalf of the Supplier.

3.0 Reasons for Suspension

3.1 The City may suspend a Supplier from participating in any active or future Procurement processes for the following reasons:

3.1.1 Crimes or Offences

The Supplier, or any person affiliated or associated with the Supplier, has been convicted of a serious crime or other serious offence, including bid-rigging, price-fixing or collusion, fraud or other statutory offenses;

3.1.2 False Declarations

i) The Supplier includes false or misleading information in a Bid;

ii) The Supplier failed to disclose a Conflict of Interest in connection with a Procurement process or during the performance of a Contract with the City, and the City subsequently discovered that such a Conflict of Interest existed;

3.1.3 Poor Performance

The Supplier has not performed adequately under a Contract with the City, and:

i) the deficiencies in performance were significant or persistent;

ii) the Contract was terminated for performance issues prior to expiry of its term;

iii) the deficiencies in performance resulted in extra costs to the City;

iv) the Deliverables provided were defective or deficient, and were not properly replaced or repaired, or required multiple repairs to be effective; or

v) the City initiated any legal proceeding against the Supplier in connection with performance or non-performance of the Supplier’s contractual obligations.

3.1.4 Professional Misconduct or Lack of Commercial Integrity

The Supplier has committed professional misconduct or acts or omissions that adversely affect the commercial integrity of the Supplier, including:

i) unethical bidding practices, such as inappropriate offers of gifts to City officials, officers, employees or agents, and inappropriate lobbying or prohibited communications during a Procurement process;

ii) failing to perform Contracts in a professional and competent manner in accordance with the duty of honest performance and all applicable laws, including safety and labour codes; and

iii) engaging in litigious conduct or bringing frivolous or vexatious legal proceedings related to the City’s Procurement processes or Contracts, including unreasonable cost or expense claims or unsubstantiated allegations impugning the integrity of the City, its officers, or its employees in relation to a Procurement process or Contract.

4.0 Process for Suspension

4.1 Suspension Recommendation Report

4.1.1 A recommendation for suspension must be supported by a written “Suspension Recommendation Report” which recommends the length and scope of the suspension, the reasons for the recommendation for suspension, and any supporting evidence.

4.1.2 The Suspension Recommendation Report will be prepared by the Contract Administrator with the support of Procurement and Supply and the City Solicitor's Office.

4.2 Length and Scope of Suspensions

4.2.1 The length of a suspension may not exceed ten (10) years.

4.2.2 The scope of the suspension can be either a blanket suspension for all Procurement processes or a suspension limited to Procurement processes for specific Deliverables.

4.2.3 The scope of the suspension can apply to both corporate entities as well as individuals.

4.3 Review and Recommendation by the Dispute Committee

4.3.1 The Contract Administrator is responsible for submitting the Suspension Recommendation Report to the Dispute Committee.

4.3.2 Upon receipt, the Suspension Recommendation Report will be reviewed by the Dispute Committee. All decisions to suspend a Supplier require the approval of the Dispute Committee in accordance with the [Procurement] Policy.

4.3.3 The Dispute Committee may seek any additional information it requires to make a decision, and may consult with other staff, legal counsel, or other advisors, as necessary.

4.3.4 After reviewing the Suspension Recommendation Report, and obtaining any additional information if requires, the Dispute Committee will either:

i) decline to approve the recommendation in the Suspension Recommendation Report; or

ii) approve the recommendation in the Suspension Recommendation Report (with or without variations determined by the committee), and as part of that approval, will either:

a) defer the suspension until the Supplier has an opportunity to respond (i.e., the Supplier is not suspended until a final decision is made by the Dispute Committee after considering any Supplier response); or

b) impose a temporary suspension until the Supplier has an opportunity to respond (i.e., the Supplier is suspended until a final decision is made by the Dispute Committee after considering any Supplier response);

The Dispute Committee will convey that decision to the Contract Administrator and to Procurement and Supply.

4.4 Supplier Notice and Opportunity to Respond

4.4.1 If the Dispute Committee approves a suspension of a Supplier, Procurement and Supply will send a notice of the Dispute Committee’s decision to the Supplier.

4.4.2 That notice will indicate:

i) the decision to recommend suspension;

ii) the length of the suspension period and the scope of the suspension;

iii) if a temporary suspension is in effect pending a final decision by the City;

iv) details as to the reasons for the suspension, including copies of any documents or correspondence to support such a suspension where appropriate; and

v) that the Supplier may respond to the recommendation for suspension by sending a written submission to Procurement and Supply within ten (10) Business Days of the date of the notice, after which point the City will consider any such response received by that deadline, and then make a final determination of the matter;

vi) notice of a suspended Supplier’s right to apply for reinstatement within the prescribed period and the process for requesting such a reinstatement (per Section 4.5 below); and

vii) for as long as a Supplier is suspended, any Supplier that is owned or controlled by the same person(s) that owned or controlled a suspended Supplier is also suspended.

4.5 Supplier’s Written Submission

4.5.1 The Supplier will have the ability to respond to the notice of the Dispute Committee’s decision to recommend suspension by making a written submission as set out in that notice.

4.5.2 In making a final decision on the suspension, the Dispute Committee will consider any written response that the Supplier provides by the deadline set out in the notice of the Dispute Committee’s decision.

4.6 Final Decision and Notice of the Decision to Supplier

4.6.1 After reviewing any response submitted by the Supplier, the Suspension Recommendation Report, its earlier decision, and after obtaining any additional information it requires, the Dispute Committee will:

i) approve a suspension based on its prior decision (with or without any modifications to account for the Supplier’s written response); or

ii) decline to approve a suspension (which would terminate any temporary suspension made in the Dispute Committee’s earlier decision);

and will convey that decision to the Contract Administrator and to Procurement and Supply.

4.6.2 Procurement and Supply will send a notice of the Dispute Committee’s final decision to the Supplier.

4.6.3 If no suspension is to be imposed, the notice will indicate this.

4.6.4 If any suspension is to be imposed, the notice will indicate:

i) the decision to impose a suspension,

ii) the length of the suspension period and the scope of the suspension,

iii) details as to the reasons for the suspension, including copies of any documents or correspondence to support such a suspension where appropriate (and the final decision may cross-reference that earlier notice rather than repeat those details),

iv) notice of a suspended Supplier’s right to apply for reinstatement within the prescribed period and the process for requesting such a reinstatement (per Section 5 below), and

v) for as long as a Supplier is suspended, any Supplier that is owned or controlled by the same person(s) that owned or controlled a suspended Supplier is also suspended.

5.0 Application for Reinstatement

5.1 A suspended Supplier may apply for reinstatement upon the completion of half of the original suspension period. For example, if the original suspension period was two years, the Supplier may apply for reinstatement after one year.

5.2 To apply for reinstatement, the Supplier must submit a written case for reinstatement, including supporting documentation, if necessary, that provides reasons why the original reason for the suspension would no longer prove a risk for the City.

5.3 Applications for reinstatement are to be submitted to the Dispute Committee for review. If the Dispute Committee determines that allowing the Supplier the opportunity to participate in the City’s Procurement processes would no longer expose the City to unacceptable risk, then the application for reinstatement may be approved on such terms as the Dispute Committee deems appropriate.

5.4 The Supplier must be notified, in writing, of the final reinstatement decision made by the Dispute Committee.

6.0 Suspended Supplier List

6.1 Procurement and Supply shall maintain an up-to-date list of all suspended Suppliers, including the date that the suspension will expire.

6.2 For as long as a Supplier is suspended, any Supplier that is owned or controlled by the same person(s) that owned or controlled a suspended Supplier is also suspended (and may also appear in the list of suspended Suppliers.

Schedule E - Sustainable Procurement

The City recognizes that its procurement activities provide a powerful mechanism to generate positive, impactful outcomes across Environmental, Ethical, Economic, and Social Pillars of sustainability. Through thoughtful purchasing decisions, the City can influence markets, support community wellbeing, and advance its strategic priorities.

Schedule E establishes a framework for embedding sustainability into all stages of the procurement process—planning, execution, and evaluation. It supports the City’s objective of achieving best value by factoring in the full life cycle costs of goods and services, while also ensuring that sustainability considerations are consistently and meaningfully integrated. This framework complements and aligns with the City of London Strategic Plan 2023–2027, including priorities such as Reconciliation, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion; Climate Action and Sustainable Growth; Economic Growth, Culture, and Prosperity; and Well-Run City.

Supporting strategies and evaluation criteria will be developed in collaboration with relevant City Service Areas, including those steering for the Climate Emergency Action Plan and other corporate strategies and action plans. The City remains committed to the ongoing development, implementation, and continuous improvement of sustainable procurement through coordinated efforts, cross-functional collaboration, and accountability to its broader strategic goals.

1.0 Application and Scope

Sustainable Procurement applies to Procurement by all Departments. The City’s Strategic Plan 2023-2027. are in current development and this Schedule will be revised as needed to address additions/deletions of its content.

The purpose of Sustainable Procurement is to:

a) Embed, where appropriate - an evaluation model that incorporates the Total Cost of Ownership of products and services with selection criteria based on the identified Pillars for Environmental, Ethical, Social, and Economical benefits, while advancing a corporate culture that recognizes and places a priority on sustainability.

b) Environmental Sustainability - City staff will consider environmental outcomes such as greenhouse gas emissions reduction, reduced embodied carbon in materials, protection of biodiversity, waste reduction, improved product longevity, and water and energy conservation. Environmental criteria may include whether products are durable, reusable, or reparable over single-use options; non-toxic, biodegradable, or compostable; energy-efficient (e.g., ENERGY STAR® certified); recyclable or supported by take-back programs; made from recycled or renewable content; sourced and manufactured using sustainable methods; and packaged with minimal, recyclable, or reusable materials.

c) Ethical Sustainability – The City of is committed to safe and ethical workplaces, where human and civil rights are respected. The City will endeavor to ensure that all its suppliers meet and where possible, exceed the performance standards outlined in the Schedule C (Supplier Code of Conduct) and adhere to minimum performance standards outlined in its standard contracting practices. Additional areas of focus include, ethical supply chains, living wages, gender and race equality, and improved working environments.

d) Social Sustainability – The City will implement social value considerations for procurement opportunities, providing they are consistent with the obligations outlined in applicable trade agreements. These will include reconciliation efforts and indigenous business opportunities, skills development, community inclusion, support for social enterprise, and education.

e) Economic Sustainability – Within the limits set out by the Trade Agreements, the City will seek to identify opportunities where procurement activities may serve to leverage the City’s goals related to local economic growth, opportunities for small and diverse businesses, fiscal responsibility and reduced inequalities.

2.0 Responsibilities

2.1 Service Areas shall consider and prioritize environmental and social responsibility when specifying, selecting, and procuring goods, services, and construction.

2.2 Procurement and Supply Staff shall apply this Schedule when designing solicitations and making procurement decisions, and support Service Areas in advancing sustainable procurement practices.

2.3 Client Service Areas will work collaboratively with Procurement and Supply Services by:

i) Sharing relevant sustainability-related information and goals.

ii) Assisting in developing specifications that reflect sustainable considerations.

iii) Participating in evaluations and monitoring supplier sustainability performance.

iv) Contributing to training and capacity building to advance this policy including the creating the guidance documents.

3.0 Supplier Code of Conduct

3.1 The Schedule C -Supplier Code of Conduct supports the City’s Sustainable Procurement.

Schedule F - Purchasing Cards

For the purposes of Schedule F, the Program Administrator is the individual assigned by the Deputy City Manager, Finance Supports, to oversee the City's Purchasing Card Program. The Program Administrator may delegate staff within Financial Services to perform necessary functions, including providing guidance to purchasing cardholders and liaising with the financial institution that administers the program.

1.1 No City employee shall use a Purchasing Card to purchase Deliverables unless appointed and authorized by the City employee’s Deputy City Manager. Deputy City Managers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that purchases within their Service Area comply with applicable City bylaws and policies.

1.2 The Purchasing Card shall not be used:

1.2.1 for any purchase of goods and/or services that are prohibited under this Policy or any other City by-law or policy;

1.2.2 for personal use other than incidental personal use as part of a business expense, which must be reimbursed at the time of the monthly reconciliation.

1.2.3 when the total purchase price exceeds the single purchase limit on the card;

1.2.4 when an exclusive contract with another supplier is in effect for the goods and/or service (unless pre-authorized in writing by the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply);

1.2.5 for items which are stocked at Supply Services except under extenuating circumstances or when procurement is initiated through Supply Services

1.2.6 for any computer software, hardware and/or telecommunications equipment such as telephones, cellular phones, tablets and mobile radios except by designated staff in the Information Technology Services Division as authorized by the Director, Information Technology Services (or delegate); and

1.2.7 for the purchase of services where insurance certificates are required.

1.2.8 for any items covered under the per diem allowance while travelling for business

1.3 The purchase of the following items by Purchasing Card requires the prior written approval by the cardholder’s Deputy City Manager and a copy of the written approval must be included with the monthly statement when submitted to Financial Services:

1.3.1 prepaid gift cards, prepaid gift certificates, prepaid grocery cards, or any other prepaid merchant cards; or

1.3.2 alcohol while on City business, team building, employee appreciation, or otherwise. Note: alcohol purchased for resale to the public at City facilities (e.g., golf courses) is exempted from this specific restriction.

1.4 Individual transactions are not to be subject to splitting or stringing, which is the practice of committing multiple purchasing card transactions to circumvent delegated authority levels and thus bypassing the City’s competitive bidding process, nor are Purchasing Cards to be used on a repetitive basis to circumvent prescribed approval authority limits. With the appropriate approvals, cardholder limits may be increased either temporarily or permanently based on need by contacting the Program Administrator or submitting an authorized Cardholder Maintenance Form.

1.5 All refunds and credits must be applied to the original Purchasing Card. Where Supplier return policies allow, cardholders are not to return products for refunds in the form of cash, gift cards or other prepaid cards.

1.6 Permanent full-time employment status is required to obtain a Purchasing Card. Students, contractors, consultants or seasonal employees will not be granted a card except under special circumstances and approved in writing by the Deputy City Manager.

1.7 The Purchasing Card is user-specific and therefore no employee shall attempt to purchase an item using a Purchasing Card issued to another employee. Delegation of authority is not permitted in making transactions using a Purchasing Card.

1.8 The cardholder’s supervisor/manager is responsible for notifying the Program Administrator immediately upon any change in the cardholder’s employment status. This includes, but is not limited to termination, layoff, leave of absence and long-term disability. If applicable, the plastic card should also be returned to the Program Administrator.

1.9 It is a violation of the City’s Code of Ethics to use one’s position with the City to secure advantage, benefit, favour, additional compensation and/or service for including but not limited to, oneself, relatives, friends or associates. This includes the selection of a Supplier based upon ‘air miles’ or ‘reward points’ that reward customers for purchases.

1.10 If a Purchasing Card is used to procure goods and/or services (including meals or items that would be considered personal in nature) and two (2) or more City employees are present, the most senior person present must pay for the expenditure and prepare the respective monthly cardholder statement where “senior” means the employee with the highest authority on the organizational chart’s hierarchy. If this is not feasible, the cardholder statement listing the expenditure shall be approved by the Expense Review Officer as defined in the Travel and Business Expense Policy, of the most senior person in authority present.

1.11 Cardholders must protect and maintain security on the Purchasing Card by:

1.11.1 safeguarding the Purchasing Card and PIN;

1.11.2 not sharing the Purchasing Card with another individual;

1.11.3 not leaving the Purchasing Card information with merchants unless authorized by the Senior Manager, Procurement and Supply; and

1.11.4 not referencing Purchasing Card account numbers and expiry dates in email messages.

1.12 Misuse of the Purchasing Card and/or failure to meet any of the cardholder’s responsibilities may result in cancellation of the employee’s authority to use a Purchasing Card and/or further disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

Last modified:Wednesday, June 03, 2026

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Procurement of Goods and Services Policy

In Force and Effect October 1, 2025