Could proposed changes to Ontario’s infrastructure procurement requirements affect your work?
OACETT would like your input.
The Ontario government is consulting on changes to the Buy Ontario Procurement Directive and Municipal Buy Ontario Procurement Directive. The proposal would require design work, technical specifications and other design deliverables for public-sector capital infrastructure projects to enable the use of Ontario and Canadian goods and services.
This would include avoiding specifications that unnecessarily exclude suitable domestic options and incorporating these obligations into contracts for design services across project delivery models. The proposal states that safety, technical requirements, regulatory compliance, schedules, lifecycle performance and value for money must be maintained.
We are particularly interested in hearing from members involved in:
- Infrastructure design, specifications and tender preparation.
- Municipal infrastructure and public-sector procurement.
- Construction inspection, contract administration and project management.
- Manufacturing, materials, equipment supply and building systems.
Your feedback will help shape OACETT’s recommendations and submission.
You do not need to answer every question. Brief comments and practical examples are welcome. Where possible, distinguish between challenges you have already experienced under existing Buy Ontario requirements and impacts you anticipate from the proposed changes. Please avoid including confidential client or project information.
The province’s consultation information is available here.
PROVIDE INPUT
Please provide and responses by Friday, November 13th, 2026. Include your current role, area of practice and whether you would be available for a brief follow-up discussion.
The government’s consultation closes November 22, 2026. Our earlier deadline allows time to review member feedback and coordinate OACETT’s input.
Thank you for helping ensure that the practical experience of engineering technicians and technologists informs Ontario’s infrastructure procurement policies.
