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Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act (BOBIA)

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Updates to the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act (BOBIA), O.Reg. 422/23, will impact procurement requirements for purchases under the Open Competitive procurement threshold starting April 1, 2024. BOBIA applies to Laurentian University as a Broader Public Sector institution, and its purpose is to give Ontario Businesses preference when conducting procurement processes. The university will be required to demonstrate compliance with our BOBIA obligations by submitting a report on its procurement activity via Procurement Services.

BOBIA does not override the university’s requirement to engage in Competitive Procurement (ex: receiving competing quotations or engaging in Open Competitive procurement where required by the Procurement Policy).

Giving Preference to Ontario Businesses

BOBIA provides two methods for giving preference to Ontario Businesses when seeking quotes as part of the Non-competitive and Invitational Competitive Procurement requirements:

  1. Only invite Ontario Businesses to quote (HINT: Vendors which have previously represented their status as an Ontario Business will be indicated)
     
  2. Allocate a 10% evaluation preference to any Ontario Business who provides a quote.

You are required to comply with BOBIA for any purchase under the Open Competitive 
procurement threshold.

Exceptions Under BOBIA

Exceptions to the requirement to give preference to Ontario Businesses are only valid for the procurement of:

  1. Goods or services included in a Standing Offer, Vendor of Record agreement, or Qualified Supplier List,
  2. Services provided by treasury operations, lawyers, paralegals, notary publics, or expert witnesses,
  3. Goods or services required for an emergency,
  4. Goods or services procured for commercial sale or resale, or 
  5. Goods or services which are not available from an Ontario Business.

If an exemption applies to your procurement, demonstrate the exemption as required by your means of procurement. BOBIA exemptions are separate considerations from the Limited Tendering Exceptions associated with Competitive Procurement.

 

Invitational Competitive Procurements

Invitational Competitive procurements require a minimum of two or three Quotes as indicated by the Total Procurement Value. When more than one Vendor will be invited to quote on the goods or services, you are required to be fair and transparent with them regarding how the quotes will be evaluated as part of your initial outreach, and before any information is received.