City updates procurement policy under new municipal law

Summary#

City council unanimously adopted a position in favour of adopting the Politique d’approvisionnement responsable et équitable de la Ville de Montréal (Montréal’s Responsible and Equitable Procurement Policy). It does not itself adopt the revised policy: the agglomeration council makes the final decision at a later meeting. City staff say the update is intended to align the policy with the new Loi sur les contrats des organismes municipaux (law on municipal contracts), which takes effect April 1, 2026.

  • The policy already exists; staff say it has applied across Montréal since 2011 and was updated in 2021. The proposed revision would update that city-wide procurement guidance.
  • The policy guides city purchasing, stock management, staff responsibilities and relations with suppliers.
  • Under the revised policy, the City may use measures favouring suppliers that meet responsible-purchasing criteria in low-value contracts, where rules and conditions allow.
  • The policy would encourage responsible-purchasing goals in tender documents or contracts. The summary does not say these goals must appear in every contract.
  • Staff say the update would make the policy’s criteria more measurable and account for how supplier markets develop.

What it means for you#

  • City departments: The revised policy would guide their purchasing and related work if adopted. The detailed policy text was not included in the supplied materials.
  • Suppliers: Some low-value contracts may include measures favouring suppliers that meet responsible-purchasing criteria. The policy summary does not give the criteria or explain how such measures would work.
  • Residents: The decision does not directly change residents’ rights, taxes, fees or access to city services.

Money#

City staff mark financial impacts as not applicable; no cost estimate is provided.

  • The materials do not give a budget for staff time or policy implementation.

What is unclear#

  • The revised policy text is not included in the supplied materials, so its exact rules and criteria cannot be checked.
  • No publicly available information in the supplied materials explains which suppliers could qualify for measures in low-value contracts, or how the City would apply them.
  • The materials do not set out how responsible-purchasing goals would be used in tender documents or contracts, or when the City would decide conditions allow them.
  • The materials do not explain how the revised policy would interact with detailed administrative rules on topics such as local purchasing, diversity, equity and inclusion.

Case for#

  • City staff say the update is needed to align the policy with the new municipal-contract law before it takes effect.
  • A shared policy could help coordinate purchasing across city departments.
  • Allowing responsible-purchasing measures where conditions permit could let the City adapt its approach as supplier markets change.

Case against#

  • The policy summary describes some measures as optional and leaves important details to other rules. That makes it difficult to assess how much the policy would change actual purchasing.
  • Without the revised policy text and detailed criteria, suppliers and the public cannot readily tell how preferences would be applied or measured.
  • The materials provide no estimate of the staff time or other costs needed to put the update into practice.