Business Opportunities with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board Becoming a WSIB Supplier
Business Opportunities with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board If you are interested in becoming a WSIB Supplier, the information provided below will help you understand how to attain business opportunities from us. It provides a general overview of our procurement policies and processes, in order to ensure fair, open and transparent competition for all who are interested. Understanding our Procurement Policy To best understand how the WSIB Procurement team conducts business, it s good to start by reading our Procurement Policy. November 2014 Mission Our mission is to improve levels of quality, service and technology while excelling at meeting WSIB organizational objectives within a fully auditable process. The function and responsibility of sourcing, pricing and acquiring Goods and Services (including General, Consulting and Professional services) and approving financial contractual commitments of WSIB funds to a Supplier belongs solely to the Procurement Services team which is centralized at the Head Office location in Toronto. Our team uses structured, disciplined systematic tools and processes in order to ensure the needs of internal line-of-business owners are successfully met. The purpose of the procurement policy is to ensure that the acquisition of all Goods and/ or Services for WSIB are made under sound, ethical, transparent and best total economic merit principles, and are subject to appropriate management and control methodologies. Procurement Principles & Scope Procurement services will be carried out in an open, fair and transparent manner in compliance with all applicable legislation, directives, the Institute of the Purchasing Management Association of Canada, government, and WSIB policies. All members of WSIB involved in any element of procurement activities will carry out their role adhering to the following principles: n Ethical behaviour acting honestly while upholding the highest ethical standards in performing their roles with integrity, objectiveness, impartiality with respect to all Supplier interactions and considerations. n Fairness and Equity processes will be used to allow fair and reasonable access to all Suppliers and impartiality to administer the processes, evaluations and programs. n Openness and Transparency using processes which recognize the need to provide full disclosure of publicly accessible information and equal access to information for all Suppliers while respecting the confidentiality of the acquisition process. n Maximize Total Value to WSIB to obtain Goods and Services by adhering to the overall business and legal requirements while negotiating the lowest possible total cost to the WSIB and ensuring high standards are maintained for service, quality, safety, health, maintenance and delivery expectations. Our policy applies to the acquisition of all Goods and/or Services by WSIB and complies with the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT), Annex 502.3 and the principles of the Ministry of Government Services (MGS) Procurement Directives. 2
Understanding our procurement processes Procurement Methods and Dollar Value Thresholds Consulting Services PROCUREMENT METHOD VALUE Invitational Competitive (Minimum of 3 written quotes) $0 up to and including $25,000 Open Competitive (Minimum Electronic Tendering System) Greater than $25,000 Non Competitive Non Competitive Additional External Approval by the Deputy Head and Minister Non Competitive Additional External Approval by the TB/ MBC submitted by the Deputy Head and Minister Rare exceptions managed by Procurement Services $100,000 up to but not including $1M $1M or more Professional Services PROCUREMENT METHOD VALUE Invitational Competitive (Minimum of 3 written quotes) Greater than $5,000 up to and including $25,000 Open Competitive (Minimum Electronic Tendering System) Greater than $25,000 Non Competitive Rare exceptions managed by Procurement Services Goods and/or General Services Corporate Credit Card* PROCUREMENT METHOD VALUE $0 up to and including $5,000 (unless otherwise directed) Invitational Competitive (Minimum of 3 written quotes) Greater than $5,000 up to and including $25,000 Open Competitive (Minimum Electronic Tendering System) Non Competitive Greater than $25,000 Rare exceptions managed by Procurement Services * Suppliers accepting the WSIB Corporate Credit Card for purchases of goods and services from authorized WSIB employees, either in person or over the phone, can expect to receive prompt payment from Scotiabank VISA. WSIB Corporate Credit cards are embossed with the employee name and card expiry date. Cards have restrictions on merchant category codes, as well as dollar limits per transaction and monthly credit/transaction limits. Vendor of Record (VOR) arrangements When a number of Suppliers have been awarded a contract and are placed on a Vendor of Record (VOR) list, a second stage selection process may take place, depending on the estimated value of the assignment. This process means a number of Suppliers on the VOR list will be invited to 3
submit a proposal for a specific deliverable. The successful Suppliers will be notified about how the second stage selection process will be conducted. We may make exceptions to our procurement rules, such as when we urgently need a service, or cases in which only one supplier can meet a very specialized need. Other arrangements When considering the appropriate procurement method for a procurement opportunity, our Procurement team may review any current Standing Agreements (SA) or Vendor of Record (VOR) lists for similar goods or services which have been negotiated by the Provincial Government, in order to determine whether it would be appropriate to acquire those goods or services under those agreements. Evaluation Depending on the acquisition method we use, the evaluation process could consist of up to seven stages. STAGE 1 - Mandatory Screening (if applicable) STAGE 2 - Evaluation of Written Submissions STAGE 3 - Consensus Session STAGE 4 - Clarification/Presentations STAGE 5 - Due Diligence STAGE 6 - Recommendation STAGE 7 - Contract Negotiations Communicating decisions to award contracts All successful bidders are notified in writing when we have selected our preferred Supplier(s). When each contract has been signed by both parties, WSIB will notify all unsuccessful bidders in writing and will post the contract award information on the WSIB s website. This page on our site is regularly updated. Understanding our competitive processes There are two types of competitive processes: Invitational The invitational competitive process requires a minimum of three (3) qualified Suppliers to be invited to submit a written proposal in response to our requirements. We do not have a sourcing or suppliers list detailing which firms can register. All quotes should meet the following criteria: n Quote is on Supplier s letterhead (faxed or e-mailed quotations are acceptable); n Quote is valid and received within the last 60 days; and n Pricing is not lump-sum but lists specific details as required. 4
Open In an open competitive process we issue procurement documents using Ontario s electronic tendering system. WSIB Procurement uses Biddingo to post all open competitions. This internetbased electronic bulletin board provides information on bid opportunities for several government organizations and others across Canada. There is a cost associated with downloading competitive bid documents from these sites. For more information about Biddingo call 416-756-0955 or visit their website: www.biddingo.com. We will post a notice on the WSIB website on available competitive bid opportunities and indicate where they can be downloaded. We may also post procurement opportunities in local newspapers, journals and other media. Distinguishing between types of competitive bid documents We release the following competitive bid documents: Request for Information (RFI) Issuing an RFI helps us determine and qualify our specification requirements from the marketplace. The feasibility and availability of Goods and/or Services in the marketplace will determine if we will seek additional qualified Suppliers in a competitive bid process going forward. Request for Quotation (RFQ) An RFQ is used where specific, well-defined needs have been identified. Usually this in the case of a low-risk, straightforward purchase of Goods and/or Services, and is solely based on pricing and delivery requirements. No Evaluation Committee Team is required. Request for Information and Quotation (RFIQ) We use an RFIQ when specific, well-defined needs have been identified. Usually we use RFIQs for low-risk purchases of Goods and/or Services. An Evaluation Committee team is established and a matrix to score evaluation criteria is used to evaluate Supplier submissions. Request for Proposal (RFP) Non-Binding An RFP is a procurement document in which we ask Suppliers to provide solutions for the delivery of complex products or services or to provide alternative options or solutions. It is a process that uses predefined evaluation criteria in which price is not the only factor. An Evaluation Committee team is established and a matrix to score evaluation criteria is used to evaluate Supplier submissions. 5
Submitting a proposal Organize your proposal so that it matches the sequence of the competitive bid document. Make your proposal complete, concise and precise. Identify your proposal on the outside of your package such as your legal company name and the competitive bid number. Make sure you provide the required number of submission copies and a CD. Sign the Respondent s Acknowledgment form provided in the competitive bid document and submit it along with your submission. Make sure you submit your proposal prior to the closing date and time. Follow all directions! If there is a requirement, adhere to it. Resolving disputes All unsuccessful bidders are offered the opportunity to receive a debriefing on why their bid was unsuccessful and how they could make improvements that could help in future submissions. Bidder disputes must be submitted in writing to the Procurement Representative responsible for the competitive bid. Bidders must formalize any dispute in writing within (60) business days of the date of the WSIB Letter of Notification. Failure to dispute within this time period shall be deemed a waiver of all bidder rights. Written disputes shall include the following: n Name, address, telephone and fax number of complainant, n Complainant s (or representative s) signature, n A reference to the competitive bid number, n Detailed documentation of the legal and factual grounds of the dispute, complete with copies of relevant documents, and n Statement of expectations around dispute resolution. Our decision will be final in all disputes. Getting more information For more information about business opportunities from the WSIB, please contact WSIB Strategic Procurement n Kathy Panagiotidis, Manager, Procurement Quality Tel: 416-344-4723 n Alison Huzul, A. Director, Strategic Procurement Tel: 416-344-4354 6