What to know about the ‘Buy Ontario’ Policy

Beginning in May, members are likely to notice new questions, forms, declarations, and attestation requirements appearing in municipal procurement documents across Ontario. These changes are being driven by the Province’s new Municipal “Buy Ontario” Procurement Directive (attached), which is directing public buyers to prioritize Ontario and Canadian goods and services in capital infrastructure projects.

For construction-related procurements, municipalities are now required to incorporate measures that assess or encourage the use of Ontario-made and Canadian-made goods, as well as Ontario and Canadian services (i.e. labour hours).

As a result, contractors should expect to see tender calls requiring the submission of a Domestic Supply Chain Plan, bidder declarations, or attestations identifying the origin of key materials, equipment, and services proposed for the project. Municipal owners are being required to collect this information as part of bid evaluations, compliance reporting, and documentation obligations under the provincial Directive.

In many cases, municipalities now have the option to provide bid scoring advantages or weighted evaluation points to companies demonstrating stronger Ontario or Canadian supply chain participation. Some owners may also establish minimum domestic content commitments depending on the procurement model selected. In general, we support the MTO’s proposed approach (attached) as it provide ample flexibility while still meeting the objectives of this policy. We are encouraging other public buyers to adopt this, rather than creating their own model.

Contractors should be prepared for increased due diligence during the bidding process, including coordination with suppliers, subcontractors, manufacturers, and distributors to verify country or provincial origin claims. Accurate and supportable information will be important, as municipalities are required to retain procurement records and may rely on bidder submissions for compliance purposes. Because implementation is expected to vary by municipality, members may encounter inconsistent submission requirements.

OSWCA will continue monitoring rollout of the Directive and advocating for consistent implementation that supports competitive bidding.

If you are interested, or have any questions, please contact Patrick McManus (905-629-7766 or patrick.mcmanus@oswca.org).