Indigenous Procurement

Indigenous Procurement at the City of Courtenay

In January 2023, the City of Courtenay adopted a procurement policy that includes language to support Indigenous and K’ó­­­­moks First Nation (KFN) businesses with procurement opportunities.

The City of Courtenay incorporates Indigenous economic considerations in its procurement activities by allowing departments to set aside portions of procurements for eligible KFN businesses.

When there is no opportunity to set the entire procurement aside for Indigenous businesses, the City may consider including Indigenous participation in the procurement process, which may include Indigenous subcontracting, hiring, training, skills development or other forms of indirect benefits.

Information on the City’s procurement policy can be found at the following link. Note sections 8.3 and 9.0 include the language regarding Indigenous Procurement at the City: Procurement Policy [PDF - 554 KB]

Interested in Becoming a KFN Designated Business?

Any interested vendors who are not currently a KFN Designated Business are encouraged to reach out to the K’ó­­­­moks Economic Development Corporation (KEDC) to explore potential opportunities.  Information on becoming a KFN Designated Business is available at the following website: https://komoks.ca/department/economic-development-department/

How the City Evaluates Indigenous Procurement Submissions

The City evaluates quotes and proposals received by bidders with consideration to fairness and the amount of detail provided.  When bidding on a City procurement, bidders are encouraged to provide as much detail as possible given suggested page counts.  Simply stating your firm is an Indigenous business may not be enough to receive full consideration when the City evaluates proposals. 

In all situations, the Request for Proposal or bid document will detail the information to be provided to the City. The City will generally look for the following during an evaluation of Indigenous procurement submissions:

  • Whether or not the business is an indigenous business. The City may confirm any and all claims of a vendor being an indigenous business directly with a First Nation.
  • Any programs the vendor has to support the employment of indigenous persons. Include details of the program and quantifiable data such as the number of persons employed, or the hours of work provided to indigenous persons.
  • Any partnerships with First Nations or indigenous businesses.  Include the names and contact information of references to support any content in the proposal.
  • Policies and procedures a bidder has in place to support Indigenous Reconciliation.  Include or append any such policies or procedures to the proposal for review