Procurement is the act of acquiring and sourcing goods and services through various processes and other strategic activities. The City of Toronto procures most of its goods and services on behalf of the 44 divisions, and designated agencies and corporations through an open, fair, and transparent competitive processes to ensure the best possible value for the taxpayers of the City of Toronto.
A solicitation is the process of seeking information, proposals and quotes from suppliers. The City of Toronto issues solicitations when requesting bids for services, goods and/or construction.
A Request for Quotation (RFQ) is a type of solicitation that focuses on gathering information on price and quality level per item, payment terms, contract length, etc.
A Request for Proposal (RFP) is a type of solicitation that presents service requirements or project needs to the supplier community to trigger a response from suppliers proposing solutions or delivery methods to arrive at the desired result.
A Request for Tender (RFT) is a type of solicitation that focuses on the request for bids for the purchase of construction supplies and/or services. RFTs are issued with and without blueprint drawings.
There are several important details on policy and legislation governing the procurement process at the City of Toronto. These can be reviewed here: Purchasing Policies & Legislation.
Suppliers are also expected to conform to the City of Toronto’s Fair Wage Policy.
Lastly, suppliers must not communicate with members of Council and their staff about a procurement. You may contact a City of Toronto employee who is named as the point of contact in the procurement document. You must not contact any other City of Toronto staff or officials about a procurement. For more information, see the Lobbyist Registrar’s Interpretation Bulletin, Lobbying and Procurements or contact the Toronto Lobbyist Registrar at 416-338-5858, lobbyistregistrar@toronto.ca.
Information sessions are available to understand how to do business with the City of Toronto, covering:
Supplier information sessions are available every month:
Please register for an information session by contacting supplychain@toronto.ca or call 416-397-4141 and signing up for an available date.
As part of its construction contract management and construction tendering process, as well as its ongoing commitment to health and safety, the City of Toronto is endorsing and adopting the Certificate of Recognition Program (COR™) to reaffirm and demonstrate the commitment to safety and the provision of safe working environments for contractors, employees and residents.
For more information on COR, please visit Infrastructure Health and Safety Association – Certificate of Recognition (COR™).
Effective November 1, 2023, the City of Toronto recognizes Labourers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) as the bargaining agent of construction labourers for projects awarded through City-issued procurements in the Institutional, Commercial and Industrial (ICI) sector of the construction industry.
Learn more about what this means for contractors bidding on City construction projects in the ICI sector – and the exemptions to this agreement.
The Broader Construction Association Consultation Group (BCACG) brings together the City of Toronto and various construction associations to discuss general issues concerning the procurement, administration and execution of construction-related contracts. The BCACG meetings, facilitated by the Purchasing Materials and Management Division (PMMD), are held three times a year. See the Broader Construction Association Consultation Group page for details on how to participate in the consultation process.
Suppliers should review the Complaints Handling Procedure in order to report any problems with services provided by the City of Toronto. These complaints may involve the following: PMMD staff; charges or fees; service timeliness, quality standards or access. Please see the Complaints Handling Procedure page for more information.
* Please note: the Complaints Handling Procedure does NOT cover the following: Bid disputes, inquiries, feedback, compliments or suggestions. If a supplier has a dispute with respect to a procurement process, please refer to the Pre-Award and Post-Award Bid Dispute process document.