Presenting a New Business Idea to the City

The City of Toronto regularly requests proposals for goods and services through its standard procurement process. For innovative, commercial ideas that will assist the City in achieving its goals, it welcomes unsolicited proposals from individuals or organizations.

Submit the Unsolicited Quotations/Proposals Application and email to unsolicitedproposal@toronto.ca. If you require more information, please contact Allan Olexson at the contact information provided.

The Unsolicited Proposal Process has evaluation steps and filters, including a possible ‘Swiss Challenge’ in which competing quotations and proposals are sought by the City. These ensure:

  • the process is not used to circumvent the City’s regular procurement process
  • proposals align with the City’s strategic goals and objectives
  • the proposal’s scale and scope aligns with the requirements and funding ability of the City
  • the proponent’s capabilities are adequate
  • proposals deliver the best value to the City

Prior to submitting an Unsolicited Proposal, please review the Unsolicited Quotations for Proposals Policy and Process for Receiving and Reviewing Unsolicited Quotations and Proposals.

Partnership proposals that are not commercial and do not produce financial returns for the proponent are not subject to these processes. In these cases, proponents are invited to contact Strategic Partnerships to learn about other ways to partner with the City.

The Unsolicited Proposal Process is governed by regulations concerning lobbying City Councillors and officials. Proponents wishing to discuss their proposal with City Councillors or officials before submitting it must pre-register with the Office of the Lobbyist Registrar.

Once an Unsolicited Proposal has been submitted, proponents do not have to register with the Lobbyist Registrar. However, proponents may not contact anyone other than the Strategic Partnerships or persons designated by that Office.

Generally, the purchase of goods and services for the City are conducted by the Purchasing and Materials Management Division through a competitive procurement process.

Here a firm can review City business opportunities. Proponents interested in working as a subcontractor can also determine who has purchased a particular call document.

The City also has a Vendor Registration System that allows companies to receive automatic notifications of new opportunities.

For more information, please register for a supplier’s briefing by emailing citybids@toronto.ca or by calling customer service at 416-392-7353.