The Ontario government is launching a new centralized procurement agency for bulk-purchasing goods and services in an effort to provide the public sector with cost-effective and efficient access to vital supplies and equipment.
The new agency, Supply Ontario, will use bulk-buying strategy to work to save taxpayers money when purchasing goods and services on behalf of the province.
“When people go shopping, they often buy in bulk to save money. We need to do the same thing in government, so we can deliver more value for taxpayer dollars and secure critical supplies for our frontline health care heroes and others in the public sector,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
The new agency is part of Ontario Onwards: Ontario’s COVID-19 Action Plan for a People-Focused Government and builds on previous initiatives, such as the Ontario Made program, in an effort to improve the way people interact with the government, create opportunities for Ontario manufacturers and set the province on its path to economic recovery.
“By creating a centralized, streamlined supply chain agency, we are not only leveraging the immense bulk-buying power of Canada’s most populous province, we are also supporting Ontario businesses of all sizes, creating jobs and promoting long-term economic growth,” said Ontario Minister Peter Bethlenfalv, President of the Treasury Board and Minister Responsible for Digital and Data Transformation.
The government also announced its new contract with PRIMED Medical Products to produce 50 million masks annually over the next five years. This will help ensure health care and essential service providers have a reliable, local source for necessary PPE.
More info:
Original news release
Press conference video
Ontario Made program