View our Purchasing Policy and our Purchase Order Terms and Conditions for buyers and vendors.

All procurement events are subject to the following trade agreements:

• New West Partnership Trade Agreement
• Canadian Free Trade Agreement
• Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement 

The City requires it's Suppliers to act with integrity and conduct business in an ethical manner. The City may refuse to do business with any Supplier that has engaged in illegal or unethical bidding practices, has an actual or potential conflict of interest or an unfair advantage, or fails to adhere to ethical business practices.

Suppliers are responsible for ensuring that any employees, representatives, agents, or subcontractors acting on their behalf conduct themselves in accordance with this Supplier Code of Conduct. The City may require the immediate removal and replacement of any individual or entity acting on behalf of a Supplier that conducts themselves in a manner inconsistent with this Supplier Code of Conduct. The City may refuse to do business with any Supplier that is unwilling or unable to comply with such requirement.

A. Illegal or Unethical Bidding Practices

Illegal or unethical bidding practices include:

1. 1. Bid-rigging, price-fixing, bribery or collusion, or other behaviours or practices prohibited by federal or provincial statutes;
   2. Offering gifts or favours to the City’s officers, employees, appointed or elected officials, or any other representative of the City;
   3. Engaging in any prohibited communications during a Procurement process;
   4. Submitting inaccurate or misleading information in a Procurement process; and
   5. Engaging in any other activity that compromises the City’s ability to run a fair Procurement process.

The City will report any suspected cases of collusion, bid-rigging, or other offences under the *Competition Act* to the Competition Bureau or to other relevant authorities.

B. Conflicts of Interest

All Suppliers participating in a Procurement process must declare any perceived, potential, or actual conflicts of interest. A "conflict of interest," when applied to Suppliers, includes any situation or circumstance where:

In the context of a Procurement process:

The supplier has an unfair advantage or engages in conduct, directly or indirectly, that may give it an unfair advantage, including but not limited to:

1. 1. Having, or having access to, confidential information of the City that is not available to other Suppliers;
   2. Having been involved in the development of the Procurement document, including having provided advice or assistance in the development of the Procurement document;
   3. Receiving advice or assistance in the preparation of its response from any individual or entity that was involved in the development of the Procurement document;
   4. Communicating with any person with a view to influencing preferred treatment in the Procurement process (including but not limited to the lobbying of decision-makers involved in the Procurement process); or
   5. Engaging in conduct that compromises, or could be seen to compromise, the integrity of an open and competitive Procurement process or render that process non-competitive or unfair.

In the context of performance under a potential Contract:

The Supplier’s other commitments, relationships, or financial interests:

1. 1. Could, or could be seen to, exercise an improper influence over the objective, unbiased, and impartial exercise of its independent judgment; or
   2. Could, or could be seen to, compromise, impair, or be incompatible with the effective performance of its contractual obligations.

Note: Where a Supplier is retained to participate in the development of a Solicitation Document or the specifications for inclusion in a Solicitation Document, that Supplier will not be allowed to respond, directly or indirectly, to that Solicitation Document.

C. Ethical Business Practices

In providing Deliverables to the City, Suppliers are expected to adhere to ethical business practices, including:

1. 1. Performing all Contracts in a professional and competent manner and in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Contract and the duty of honest performance;
   2. Complying with all applicable laws, including safety and labour codes (both domestic and international as may be applicable); and
   3. Providing workplaces that are free from harassment and discrimination.

1. Purpose

1.1. To assist external organizations seeking to do business with the City outside of the conventional procurement process, we've provided an opportunity to provide Unsolicited Proposals.

1.2. While the Policy provides guidance for those seeking to do business with the City outside of the conventional procurement system, it does not establish a definitive process through which such proposals may receive serious consideration. With this in mind, the following sets out a framework through which potential partners have an opportunity for their ideas to be presented and evaluated. Furthermore, the framework provides a formal, transparent, and accountable method for review.

2. Definition

2.1. An unsolicited proposal involves an offer for a new or innovative idea, goods, or services submitted to the City on the initiative of a supplier for the purpose of obtaining a contract with the City, with the express intent of securing a financial return for the supplier. In addition, as per section 3.2 of this procedure, the proposal cannot be in response to a current or anticipated request for proposal or any City-initiated solicitation or program.

3. Procedure

3.1.  Unsolicited quotations or proposals should not be allowed to circumvent the City’s procurement process.

3.2. Requirements An unsolicited quotation or proposal should not be considered if:

3.2.1. It resembles a current or upcoming competitive procurement;

3.2.2. It does not require substantial assistance from the City to complete the quotation or proposal;

3.2.3. The goods or services proposed are readily available from other sources;

3.2.4. It is not deemed by the Division Head to be of sufficient value to the City of Lethbridge.

3.3. Submission Requirements  If the proposal meets the criteria in Section 3.2 and the Division Head is willing to consider it, the following minimum information must be submitted:

3.3.1. Supplier Information  

3.3.2. Proposal Overview  

3.3.3. Objectives and Outcomes  

3.3.4. Project Scope or Specifications and Timeframes  

3.3.5. Deliverables and Work Plan  

3.3.6. Project Controls and Constraints  

3.3.7. Reporting and Project Management  

3.3.8. Vendor and City Respective Responsibilities  

3.3.9. Pricing and Benefit/Risk Sharing  

3.3.10. Proposed Contractual Terms  

3.3.11. Acknowledgement of compliance with City of Lethbridge Policies and Bylaws

3.4. Evaluation Team Formation  If the proposal has merit, the Division Head will assemble an Evaluation Team with sufficient expertise to assess the submission.

3.5. Preliminary Requirements  Before evaluation, the Division Head, through the Supply Chain Department, must obtain the supplier’s written agreement acknowledging:

• No obligation by the City to accept the proposal;
• All costs are incurred at the supplier’s own risk; 
• The City will not be liable for costs or damages related to rejection or non-acceptance.

3.6. Evaluation Process  

The Evaluation Team will:

3.6.1. Assess the supplier’s capabilities (technical, commercial, managerial, financial);  
3.6.2. Determine alignment with City requirements, funding, and strategic objectives;  
3.6.3. Evaluate risk-sharing proposals for acceptability and compatibility;  
3.6.4. Decide whether to reject, amend, or proceed with the proposal;  
3.6.5. Allow supplier resubmission if modifications are recommended;  
3.6.6. If accepted, the Division Head prepares a report requesting authority to apply the “Swiss Challenge” (see 3.7).

3.7. The Swiss Challenge

If approved the City will:

3.7.1. The City ensures transparency, fair competition, and best value;
3.7.2. Competing proposals are invited via the Supply Chain Department in consultation with Legal Services;
3.7.3. The Evaluation Team assesses all submissions;
3.7.4. The original supplier has the opportunity to match or exceed counter-proposals. If matched, they are awarded the project. If not, the City may proceed with a new supplier, and the original proposal becomes City property.

4. Contact

For more information, please contact:

City of Lethbridge - Supply Chain Department  
Email: tenders@lethbridge.ca  
Phone: 311  

The City of Lethbridge Procurement Department is firmly committed to the prevention of workplace injuries, ill health, and to the continuous improvement of its employee health and safety performance. Additionally, the City of Lethbridge requires that its contractors maintain a level of safety equivalent to that of City of Lethbridge employees while at City of Lethbridge workplaces. With this in mind, we recommend you familiarize yourself with the following policies and procedures:

• Workplace Health and Safety
• Healthy Organization Continuum Tool
• Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention
• Health and Safety Management System

• Consortium Purchase Canoe
  
• Consortium Purchase Cybera
• Consortium Purchase GOA
• Consortium Purchase Kinetic
• Consortium Purchase PSPC
• Bill 37
• PO Terms and Conditions
• Exclusion of U.S. Suppliers from Procurement