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Competitive Procurement

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What is an Open Competitive Procurement?

A transparent and legally compliant process for soliciting goods or services through a public tender. An open competitive procurement provides all qualified suppliers or contractors in the market the opportunity to submit their proposals.

 

Types of Open Competitive Procurements (RFx)

Procurement Services will advise you on which RFx is most appropriate for your needs when you submit a request form.

  • Request for Proposal (RFP)
  • Request for Supplier Qualifications (RFSQ)
  • Request for Tender (RFT)

     

What other types of competitive procurement are there?

Refer to our How to Buy main page to learn more about the requirements for purchases valued under the Open Competitive procurement threshold. Procurement Services also offers internal Approved Suppliers and Standing Offers, and options for second stage selection processes from an approved Supplier of Record source (e.g. OECM, MGCS, etc.). Contracts for the goods and services listed here have already been through an open competitive process. If you think your purchase is a special circumstance where open competition is not possible, please refer to the Limited Tendering Exceptions process.

 

RFx Overview

As a Broader Public Sector institution, Laurentian University is legally required to engage in competitive procurement. This requirement is outlined in the university’s procurement policy, Ontario’s Broader Public Sector (BPS) Procurement Directive, and other relevant trade agreements. All purchases anticipated to be above the Open Competitive procurement threshold over the life of the contract, including any options for extensions, must be completed through an open competitive procurement. It is important to contact Procurement Services early to ensure your timelines can be met.

 

Initiate your competitive procurement

To initiate your competitive procurement, Email us at purchasing@laurentian.ca.

Open Competitive Procurement

Open competitive procurements can take a minimum of three months to complete from when you are assigned a Procurement Officer. This timeline can increase substantially with project complexity, and assignment to a Procurement Officer may not be immediate. It is important to contact Procurement Services early to ensure your timelines can be met.

You have a key role to play in this process and should expect to commit a significant amount of time from planning to awarding to maintaining your timeline. Don’t worry – Procurement Services is here to support you from beginning to end!

 

Start the Process

Ready to start the process, Email us at purchasing@laurentian.ca.

 

Open Competitive Procurement Request

RFx Process Overview

Phrase Timeline Your Role Procurement Service's Role
Planning 3+ weeks Provide relevant information about your purchase - Seek out Subject Matter Experts to support you - Review and provide feedback on RFx drafts - Confirm who will evaluate the suppliers’ submissions (this team should also be part of document review) - Determine whether you will engage advisors - Ensure proper approvals are in place for proceeding with the RFx. Provide a “Scope of Work” worksheet (SOWW) to help you gather all relevant information - Assign a Procurement Officer to your project - Draft RFx documentation based on your requirements - Initiate the process(es) for Data Protection Risk Assessment (software procurement) and/or Privacy Impact Assessment (if applicable) - Provide guidance regarding the process, expectations, timelines, and requirements.
RFx Execution 4+ weeks Adhere to the blackout period (once the final RFx documents have been publicly posted, all communications from any potential supplier are prohibited) - Provide answers to any supplier questions directly to your Procurement Officer. Post the RFx documents publicly on Bonfire and MERX - Provide a project-specific evaluation guide and relevant training on the evaluation process - Monitor for supplier questions - Post addenda (if applicable) - Organize any site visits, presentations, or interviews (if applicable).
Evaluation 2+ weeks Following the guide provided, complete evaluations independently using Bonfire (price is not visible until evaluations are complete) - Attend consensus meetings, site visits, presentations, and/or interviews (if required).

Review submissions for compliance.

Release appropriate documents to the evaluation team - Complete price evaluation based on the formula posted in the RFx - Notify evaluators of the successful supplier(s).
Award 2+ weeks Review the contract Scope of Work and enter negotiations (if required) with the successful supplier(s) - After the agreement is signed, submit a Purchase Order in eShop - Monitor your contract and the supplier’s performance to ensure success! Provide you and your successful supplier(s) with all relevant documents to enter negotiations - Facilitate a Data Protection Risk Assessment (DPRA) and/or Privacy Impact Assessment (if required) - Monitor contract changes submitted by the successful supplier - Facilitate the signature process as outlined in the Signing Authorities policy - Notify all participants that the successful supplier(s) were selected - Post a formal Award Notice - Complete supplier debrief(s) (if required).

 

Questions?

For further assistance or inquiries, please reach out to our Procurement and Contracts Department at purchasing@laurentian.ca.

Contact Purchasing