Procurement (Purchasing) Guidelines

The following Guidelines are available to Buyers and Tender Administrators in Manitoba Government departments to help meet the objective of the Aboriginal Procurement Initiative (API).

1. Aboriginal Business

An Aboriginal Business must be at lest 51% owned and controlled and, if it has six or more full-time employees, at least one-third of its employees must be Aboriginal persons.

2. API Criteria

On all procurement, an assessment must be undertaken by the Administrator to determine if the requirement meets any of the following API Criteria:

• The requirement is culturally specific to Aboriginal people (ex: Aboriginal art, cross-cultural awareness workshops), or
• The requirement is primarily designated for Aboriginal people (ex: a study on diabetes within the Aboriginal community, an Aboriginal event planner for an Aboriginal event, an Aboriginal conference or event, focus of the requirement is Aboriginal in nature).
• Exception: goods or services already on established contracts holding a legal requirement to use the contract or facilities serving the general population.

3. Aboriginal Business Set-Aside

Aboriginal Business Set-Asides may be used when API Criteria is met.

A Set-Aside must be supported by an assessment conducted by the Administrator of competition and capacity which must be sufficient to be able to reserve the entire requirement for competition amongst Aboriginal business only.

To qualify as an Aboriginal Business Set-Aside the prime contractor and any subcontractors must always be an Aboriginal business.

4. Aboriginal Business Mandatory Participation

Aboriginal Business Mandatory Participation may be used when API Criteria is met but the Administrator believes that Aboriginal business capacity is unknown or is known to be insufficient to provide the entire requirement without the participation of non-Aboriginal business.

To achieve Aboriginal business participation, the use of partnerships, and/or contractors and subcontractors is expected and encouraged.

5. Aboriginal Business Voluntary Participation

Voluntary Participation is used when the requirement does not meet API criteria but the Administrator believes that the requirement may provide an opportunity to encourage Aboriginal business participation.

Inquiries

Mark Freedman
Vendor Relations Coordinator
204-945-0826
email: Mark.Freedman@gov.mb.ca

Ruth Sawatzky
Business Consultant
204-945-2415
email: Ruth.Sawatzky@gov.mb.ca