Welcome to Purchasing Services

City of Welland Purchasing Services Division is responsible for co-ordinating the acquisition of goods and services for the City of Welland.  Our primary objective is to seek and provide the best value for the taxpayers' dollar in the most cost effective way. This mandate will be achieved through coordinated teamwork with representatives from Client division coupled with a commitment to participate in and be involved with the procurement process at an early level to assist with the identification, selection, and timely acquisition of required goods and services.

Our goal is to continually strive for best in class cost and quality to meet or exceed our Clients expectations and our involvement in the early stages of the acquisition cycle maximizes purchasing power through integrity, equality, efficiency and effectiveness.

These goals will be accomplished by;

• Awarding contracts to highly qualified vendors who have satisfied bid and proposal specifications.
• Instilling the highest ethical standards and best business practices while maintaining the highest quality in services, goods, and relations with the local business and community.

The Purchasing Services Division is a centralized operation servicing all client divisions within City of Welland whose primary responsibilities include:

• Review and approval of purchase requisitions for tangible items and services;
• Conduct bid solicitations in accordance with the City By-Law and Purchasing Policy
• Ensure procedural compliance and adherence of the City’s Purchasing Policy
• Reallocate usable surplus assets within the City or dispose of it by auction or suitable means.
• Research and evaluate bid specifications, products, services, and vendors.

Purchasing will also actively participate in the Niagara Public Purchasing Committee’s cooperative purchasing agreements with other tax supported agencies as a way to maximize the use of our tax dollars.

Click on the following links to access:

• Current Opportunities
• Bid Registration Form (pdf~27kb)  
• No Bid Notice Form (pdf~15kb)
• Purchase Order Terms and Conditions (pdf~26kb)  
• Purchasing By-law 2009-181 and Policy (pdf~305kb)
• Vendor Survey (pdf~30kb)

Terms and Conditions of Purchase
All goods and services over $25,000 are purchased by means of a formal Purchase Order. The Purchase Order number must appear on all shipping documents, packing slips and invoices. Orders are to be shipped F.O.B. destination to the location specified on the Purchase Order. The Purchase Order is a legal contract between the City and its suppliers/contractors. By shipping goods as stated on the Purchase Order, the vendor agrees to the Terms and Conditions on the Purchase Order and/or the contract and will fulfill their obligations according to our Purchase Order or contract. For more information, please download the Purchase Order Terms and Conditions PDF from the listing above.

Deliveries and Completion Dates
It is important that goods/services and construction be delivered promptly and project schedules met according to the date agreed upon when the purchase order or contract was established.

Invoices
Invoices are paid based on the Purchase Order, unless otherwise specified in the contract document, following the receipt of goods or services. No orders can be paid without a supporting invoice that must refer to a Purchase Order number. Prompt payment discounts are taken from the date of receipt of invoice, or date of receipt of the material, whichever is later. All invoices are to be directed to the attention of Accounts Payable.

Catalogues and Price Lists
The supplier's interest and assistance is needed to ensure the accuracy of product and service literature. Please submit catalogues, literature and price structures as they are updated.

Workplace Safety Insurance Board
The City requires all contractors who provide labour and installation services at any City of Welland facility or on any City owned property to be in full compliance with all requirements imposed upon them by the Workplace Safety Insurance Board. All certificates of training must be available for presentation upon request.

Supplier Performance
Purchasing Services expects the highest possible performance from all our suppliers. Suppliers are evaluated on actual performance in service/delivery and completion schedules, ability to respond to urgent requests, quality of workmanship, quality of goods and services, adherence to specifications, terms and conditions and contract compliance. The supplier is expected to act in partnership with Purchasing Services to maintain price competitiveness, efficient, cost effective delivery of goods and services and be innovative in generating new ideas and introducing new products to serve the residents of the City of Welland.

When Bidding Process is Required
Bids are called for projects, goods, services, equipment and construction as required. All bids close no later than 02:15:00 p.m. local time.

Method of Bidding/Advertising
Bids called for projects, goods and services, and equipment are either publicly advertised or by invitation. Bids are classified as formal or informal depending on the estimated value or complexity of the required item(s). There are four major categories of bid calls: telephone/electronic submissions, formal/informal quotations, public tenders and request for proposal (RFP). All public bid documents are advertised through the "City Projects" section of the City’s website in accordance with the City's policies. Bid information may also be located on the following websites:

• Biddingo 
• Ontario Public Buyers Association

Note: Biddingo and Daily Commercial News pick up bid documents and information from the City’s website; however, only documents found on the City’s site are to be considered "official." The City of Welland accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of information found on other websites. The onus is on the bidder to check this site to verify they have received all relevant bid information