The Procurement Division is responsible for determining sources of material, supplies, equipment and services to provide the City departments with the best overall value. The City maintains a competitive bidding process in accordance with municipal and provincial laws, and issue Purchase Orders and administer contracts.
The Procurement Division is responsible for:
- purchasing materials, equipment and services for the City;
- obtaining quotes and issuing RFQs, RFPs and tenders;
- controlling and maintaining adequate inventory levels for stocked products;
- disposing of surplus and/or obsolete materials and equipment; and
- developing and administering Procurement and Inventory Services policies, procedures and protocols.
Read on to learn more on becoming a supplier to the City of Kamloops.
How the City conducts Procurement Business
The procurement process complies with the 
requirements of regional, national, and international trade agreements along with all applicable legislation. All purchases will be made with the objectives of meeting operational requirements, maximizing value for each dollar disbursed, and providing contractors, vendors and service providers with an open, transparent, and fair opportunity.
Agreements (executed contract or approved purchase order) will be in place before a vendor delivers goods or commences working on the delivery of services.
The City advertises competitive bid opportunities through the provincial government site BC Bid and the eProcurement platform Bonfire. While both sites provide current competitive bid information submission from interested parties must be completed through Bonfire.
All suppliers are now required to register for a Bonfire account in order to bid on City of Kamloops contracts.
Visit BC Bid to view our bid opportunities and unverified bid results.
When the City is disposing of surplus goods, these items are posted and available for purchase through the provincial government website BC Auction.
Visit BC Auction to view our surplus assets for sale.
Procurement
Can I request to see more information and documentation related to a bid process and its results?
Please see this guidance document for a description of the timelines and restrictions around information that may be released upon request in relation to a competitive procurement process. The City is subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) to protect information harmful to the business interests of a third-party and personal information. To access some records a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) Request is required at which point the Privacy Officer would determine what, if any, of the records are releasable in accordance with the FOIPPA. For more information about the FOI request process, including fees and timelines, please visit Kamloops.ca/FOI.
How do I become a City of Kamloops Supplier?
The Procurement Division maintains a list of qualified potential suppliers or contractors for goods and services; to be included as part of this listing, please email purchasing@kamloops.ca and a team member will follow up requesting additional information.
We encourage local businesses to compete for the City’s business. Given the amount of activity delivered by the Procurement Division, we are unable to notify vendors when competitions are available. By creating an account in Bonfire, when opportunities arise, you will be notified to those that fit your businesses criteria along with what the City is seeking.
The Purchasing and Inventory Manager reserves the right to remove any supplier from the records at any time.
How does the City conduct procurement business?
All acquisition of goods and services by the City of Kamloops are undertaken in compliance with the City’s Purchasing Policy in an open, fair and transparent manner.
What happens with old stuff (surplus) the City no longer uses?
Depending on the overall condition one of two options can occur:
- Option 1—If item(s) are not working or determined to be damaged beyond repair, the items are disposed of in the most appropriate manner.
- Option 2—If the item(s) are working and has value they are either donated to a not-for-profit group, school, or posted for sale on BC Auction
What terms and conditions does the City have for the procurement process?
The following Terms and Conditions shall govern the applicable Agreements entered into with the City, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the City.
Why do out of town businesses get to bid on City business?
Specific language contained in the trade treaties prevents the City from providing a program that provides a preference for Kamloops based companies. This language states that the government entity cannot place a geographic restriction (barriers) of who can bid on their business. As a result, businesses across BC, Canada or from anywhere in the world are eligible to bid, and if successful, perform work for the City.
Why does the City not tell unsuccessful bidders the winning price?
As a government organization we are held to a standard that requires us to follow the laws of the province. In matters where interested proponents submit a response to a city solicitation, The BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) outlines the City's responsibility in treating and handling information that is shared with us. This information is provided to the City to make an informed decision, it is not our information to share.
