York Region District School Board (YRDSB) tenders

One of Ontario's largest public school boards, serving Aurora, Newmarket, Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and the rest of York Region. This page explains where York Region District School Board tenders are posted and the purchasing thresholds in Policy #161.0 that decide when work is competitively bid.

How YRDSB procurement works

YRDSB purchasing is governed by Board Policy #161.0 Purchasing and Procedure #161.1, in accordance with the Broader Public Sector Procurement Directive, the Supply Chain Code of Ethics, and applicable trade agreements — the policy explicitly cites the Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), CETA, and the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative (BOBI). Purchasing decisions are based on the Total Cost of Ownership method of procurement, with purchases made openly and transparently to maximize value.

YRDSB competitive bid thresholds

Policy #161.0 sets three lanes. Below $10,000, Purchasing Services runs a quote process. For acquisitions of $10,001 up to but not including $121,200 (except Plant Services and IT Services), Purchasing Services completes a competitive bid process — Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ) or Request for Tender (RFT) — to obtain a minimum of three competitive bids. At $121,200 or more (except Plant Services and IT Services), the board completes a competitive bid process and posts the RFT/RFQ to a recognized public tendering website for a minimum of three competitive bids. Due to raw-material cost increases and supply-chain volatility, Plant Services and IT Services purchasing thresholds are increased by an additional $25,000. The board shall post all competitive procurements over $121,000 on a public tendering network.

Where YRDSB bids are posted

Consistent with the policy, the board posts bid opportunities on bids&tenders at yrdsb.bidsandtenders.ca — the York Region District School Board Bid Opportunities Website. Vendors create a Bidding System vendor account, select commodity codes for goods and services, and the Bidding System emails notifications of matching opportunities. Public tenders, bids and requests for proposals are posted on the site, with statuses from Planned through Awarded.

Non-competitive purchases and advertising rules

Before non-competitive procurement begins, a Limited Tendering form for any acquisition of goods and services exceeding $10,000 must be completed and submitted to Purchasing Services; any acquisition exceeding $25,000 requires approval by the Chief Financial Officer. Acquisitions valued at $100,000 or more are advertised on an officially recognized electronic tendering network for a minimum of 15 calendar days (unless a shorter period is required in the circumstances and permissible under trade agreements), and award notifications for awards of $100,000 or more are posted to the network. Vendors covering the Greater Toronto Area should also watch Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Peel (PDSB) postings, and our school board tenders guide has the full Ontario context.