Purchasing Governance
TMU’s purchasing activity is governed foremost by the university’s Purchasing Policy and Purchasing Procedure.
We also adhere by a number of directives and agreements, including the:
The Broader Public Sector Procurement Directive (external link) was created to ensure that all BPS organizations follow a standardized process for procurement. The directive is based on five key principles and 25 mandatory procurement requirements.
TMU also follows directives of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) (external link) , which commits governments to a comprehensive set of rules that help achieve a modern and competitive economic union for all Canadians. This domestic, inter-provincial trade agreement promotes open procurement practices among public sector organizations.
As an international trade agreement, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) (external link) expands opportunities for suppliers in both Canada and the European Union to bid on public procurements. The rules apply only in certain circumstances, namely:
- Procurements by a “covered entity”
- That are in respect of specified goods, services or construction, which
- Exceed certain minimum value thresholds.
The Ontario-Quebec Trade and Cooperation Agreement (OQTCA) (external link) is a bilateral trade agreement between Ontario and Quebec. It has been recently revised to align with the CFTA.
In compliance with Chapter 5, Article 516 of the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), Chapter 19, Article 19.15 of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and Chapter 9, Article 9.17 of the Ontario-Quebec Trade and Economic Agreement (OQTCA), Toronto Metropolitan University is releasing a (google doc) limited tendering exceptions report (external link) regarding procurements covered by the above trade agreements.
Bid disputes and vendor debriefs
Once a competitive bidding process concludes, we can meet with prospective vendors for a debrief of the process and decision, by request. If a supplier wishes to dispute TMU’s competitive bidding process, they are invited to submit concerns in writing to the director, strategic procurement and payment services, within five business days of the debriefing.
Document retention
TMU’s Records Management Policy requires all purchasing-related documents, including requests for proposals, purchase orders and other purchasing records, until the end of the seventh fiscal year-end. While Financial Services keeps all purchasing documents we receive, any purchasing-related documents not shared with us must be retained by your department.
For more on the retention periods for financial documents, visit the records retention schedule.