BRAMPTON: The City of Brampton is officially the newest Corporate Member of five non-profit Supplier Certification Organizations: Buy Social Canada; the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council; the Canadian Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce; the Inclusive Workplace Supply Council of Canada and WBE Canada, Certified Women Business Enterprises.
This means that the City is creating equitable access for small and medium businesses, including but not limited to, women, Indigenous people, visible minorities, veterans, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S-owned organizations and social purpose enterprises, to bid on City procurement projects and do more business in Brampton.
This is a milestone in the City’s new Supply Chain Diversity Program, which offers Certified Diverse Suppliers equitable access to bidding on City procurement projects valued at $25,000 to $100,000.
A diverse supplier is a business that is at least 51 per cent owned, managed and controlled by an equity-seeking community or social purpose enterprise.
Brampton is leading the way in creating opportunities for diverse businesses, as one of two municipalities, with a corporate membership with non-profit Supplier Certification Organizations and a Supply Chain Diversity Program, alongside Toronto.
Eligible diverse suppliers should be certified by one or more of the above organizations in order to bid on City procurement projects.
Starting in spring 2021, the City will access its Certified Diverse Supplier List for Invitational Procurements valued at $25,000 to $100,000. Through this program, when the City invites bids from organizations, it will include at least one business from its Certified Diverse Supplier List to bid on the given project.
Mayor Patrick Brown said: “Brampton is a Mosaic, and diversity and inclusion are embedded in all of our services, including our procurement. The new Supply Chain Diversity program is an important step towards supporting more women, Indigenous, LGBTQ2SA, and minority-owned entrepreneurs in doing business with the City. We are providing more equitable access for all suppliers to do business in our community.”