The key organization behind infrastructure projects in Ontario is renewing its list of general contractors for real estate construction projects in a bid to improve its building-related procurement practices.
Earlier this week, Infrastructure Ontario (IO) released a request for proposals (RFP) for general contractors wishing to join its Vendor of Record (VOR) – a series of lists from which IO will choose contractors for projects between $100,000 and $5 million in value, according to certain project categories and cost thresholds.
Once the list is complete, general contractors who qualify for the list will be invited to bid on projects over a three-year term. The VOR will replace IO’s current Source List for general contractors.
IO says the new VOR has been developed in consultation with the construction industry and will improve procurement processes.
It says specific changes to the VOR process include:
- Vendor caps to ensure the highest quality vendors;
- Three-year terms, with possible extension terms for continued service excellence; and
- List rotation to provide vendors equal access to projects.
The new list has been welcomed by industry leaders, with Ontario General Contractors Association president Clive Thurston describing it as a positive step that came from ongoing collaboration between IO and the industry.
“We all saw that there were areas of the province where too many bidders were arriving at pre-bid meetings, while in other areas there weren’t enough,” Thurston said. “We worked together and arrived at an innovative approach that we all believe will solve the problem.”
IO says the procurement process will be consistent across all regions within the province. The organization says the north region, due to its size, has been broken down into two regions (northeast and northwest), and will have a combined category for institutional and commercial work and one cost threshold.
