- What is an Ontario Business?
- Giving Preference to Ontario Businesses
- How to Comply with BOBIA
- How to Demonstrate Compliance
- BOBIA Forms
- Frequently Asked Questions
Procurement Services is offering BOBIA Information Sessions through May 23, 2024! Register Now
Updates to the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act (BOBIA), O.Reg. 422/23, will impact procurement requirements for purchases under the Open Competitive procurement threshold starting April 1, 2024. BOBIA applies to Carleton as a Broader Public Sector institution, and its purpose is to give Ontario Businesses preference when conducting procurement processes. The university will be required to demonstrate compliance with our BOBIA obligations by submitting a report on its procurement activity via Procurement Services.
BOBIA does not override the university’s requirement to engage in Competitive Procurement (ex: receiving competing quotations or engaging in Open Competitive procurement where required by the Procurement Policy).
Questions? Email us at ProcurementServices@carleton.ca.
What is an Ontario Business?
An Ontario Business is defined as any supplier, manufacturer or distributor that:
- Conducts its activities on a permanent basis in Ontario, AND
- At the time of a procurement, either:
- Has its headquarters or main office in Ontario, OR
- Has a minimum of 250 full-time employees in Ontario.
The university may rely on a representation by the Vendor regarding their status as an Ontario Business as defined by BOBIA. HINT: Vendors which have previously represented their status as an Ontario Business will be indicated with 
in eShop.
Giving Preference to Ontario Businesses
BOBIA provides two methods for giving preference to Ontario Businesses when seeking quotes as part of the Non-competitive and Invitational Competitive Procurement requirements:
- Only invite Ontario Businesses to quote (HINT: Vendors which have previously represented their status as an Ontario Business will be indicated with in eShop), OR
- Allocate a 10% evaluation preference to any Ontario Business who provides a quote.
You are required to comply with BOBIA for any purchase under the Open Competitive procurement threshold.
Exemptions under BOBIA
Exceptions to the requirement to give preference to Ontario Businesses are only valid for the procurement of:
- Goods or services included in a Standing Offer, Vendor of Record agreement, or Qualified Supplier List,
- Services provided by treasury operations, lawyers, paralegals, notary publics, or expert witnesses,
- Goods or services required for an emergency,
- Goods or services procured for commercial sale or resale, or
- Goods or services which are not available from an Ontario Business.
If an exemption applies to your procurement, demonstrate the exemption as required by your means of procurement. BOBIA exemptions are separate considerations from the Limited Tendering Exceptions associated with Competitive Procurement.
How to Comply with BOBIA
Non-competitive Procurements
Non-competitive procurements must be made from an Ontario Business unless:
- A valid exemption applies, OR
- You choose to complete an Invitation to Quote process with at least two Vendors (not required).
If you don’t know whether your Vendor is an Ontario Business (look for the in eShop), you may choose to have them complete an Ontario Business Representation form (must be logged onto the VPN). Remember, if your Vendor doesn’t have the trillium symbol that may mean they haven’t had the opportunity to represent their status yet and does not necessarily confirm they are not an Ontario Business.
Invitational Competitive Procurements
Invitational Competitive procurements require a minimum of two or three Quotes as indicated by the Total Procurement Value. When more than one Vendor will be invited to quote on the goods or services, you are required to be fair and transparent with them regarding how the quotes will be evaluated as part of your initial outreach, and before any information is received.
Complete the following Invitation to Quote process before committing to a Vendor.
- Complete the Invitation to Quote (ITQ) Cover Sheet (must be logged onto the VPN) Sections 3 to 5 and send to the Vendors you will invite to submit a Quote. Vendors will complete Sections 6 and 7.
- Once all completed ITQ Cover Sheets, including Quotes, have been received or the Response By date has passed, evaluate the Quotes according to the method disclosed to the Vendor (ITQ Cover Sheet, Section 5).
- Complete and submit an eShop Purchase Requisition, attaching the relevant quotes and supporting documentation.
If you are able to confirm that all Vendors who will be invited to quote already represented their status as an Ontario Business (look for the in eShop), you are able to comply with BOBIA through only inviting Ontario Businesses to quote.
How to Demonstrate Compliance
There are different expectations for demonstrating compliance depending on your means of procurement (i.e. how you are making your purchase).
| Means of Procurement | Demonstrate Compliance |
| eCard | All on-campus Vendors comply with BOBIA. |
| Corporate Card (Pcard) (up to $10,000.00) | If you purchase a good or service from a non-Ontario Business, keep the justification for that decision in your records. |
| Travel and Expense System | If you purchase a good or service from a non-Ontario Business, keep the justification for that decision in your records. |
| eShop Catalogues | Look for one of the following symbols in eShop:
|
| eShop Cheque Requisition* | Complete the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act questions included in the Cheque Requisition form. |
| eShop Purchase Requisition | Complete the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act questions included in the Purchase Requisition form. |
the *With some exceptions, a Cheque Requisition form can be used to request payment to a Vendor for Non-competitive procurements only. Please do not use this form if a Purchase Requisition form has already been processed, or the payment is for personal reimbursement of business expenses.
BOBIA Forms
Note that you must be logged onto the VPN to access the following forms, even if you are on campus. For a full explanation of how to use these forms, see above.
- Non-competitive Procurements: Ontario Business Representation form
- Invitational Competitive Procurements: Invitation to Quote (ITQ) Cover Sheet
Frequently Asked Questions
Procurement Services is committed to supporting your BOBIA compliance efforts by sharing tools, templates and maintaining an up-to-date online database of suppliers categorized as Ontario Businesses under BOBIA as they are developed. Don’t see your question? Have a suggestion? Email us at ProcurementServices@carleton.ca.