The Ontario government has announced a new way of approaching infrastructure construction.

On October 15, Infrastructure Minster Laurie Scott indicated that the province will now accept infrastructure-development proposals from the private sector. Unsolicited proposals (USPs) are proposal to the government that were not otherwise requested through existing procurement channels.

Through this new-to-the-province approach, private-sector ideas with the potential to improve public infrastructure and related services will be considered using a consistent and fair process.

"An unsolicited proposal framework is a leading global practice to leverage the expertise of the private sector to develop innovative infrastructure solutions to benefit the people of Ontario and make government open for business," said Scott. "It provides a clear path for industry to share proposals we might otherwise not have developed on our own."

Other Canadian and international jurisdictions—including Toronto, Nova Scotia, the United Kingdom, United States and Australia—have established USP processes and guidelines to promote private-sector participation and innovation.

"We will always work hard for the people, but we must acknowledge that government doesn't always have all the answers," added Scott. "Our new USP framework will ensure we are listening to the people and businesses that build and operate infrastructure in Ontario to find the best ideas and make them a reality."

Open to all proposals

The program is open for all infrastructure proposals. There are no limitations on the project size, asset class, delivery model or type of proposal that can be submitted. The province has indicated it is particularly interested in proposals relating to core types of infrastructure, including transit projects (such as new transit infrastructure, station improvements and transit-oriented development opportunities), health care facilities, highways, energy projects, law enforcement facilities and housing.

It is also interested in innovative proposals that relate to any other type of infrastructure (including “digital infrastructure,” such as the province’s broadband and cellular communications networks).

In evaluating each, the government will focus on those projects that provide the greatest benefit to the people of Ontario, are feasible from a technical and commercial perspective, align with the government's priorities, and provide the greatest value for money for any investment of public dollars.

The USP approach allows the government to receive and consider ideas it may not have generated on its own. Innovative ideas from the private sector can bring significant benefits to the people of Ontario through the construction of new infrastructure or improvement of existing assets.

“The engineering and contractor sectors are involved with infrastructure projects around the world and have ideas for incorporating more innovative approaches,” said Andy Manahan, executive director of the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario. “These ideas cannot be effectively generated through traditional procurement processes. Encouraging unsolicited bids will therefore have significant positive implications for infrastructure delivery throughout the province.”

Assessing and awarding projects

Under the framework, submitted infrastructure projects will be assessed using such criteria as whether the proposal aligns with government priorities, whether it demonstrates a clear benefit to the people of Ontario, whether it is commercially, financially and technically viable, and, should government funding be required, the proposal demonstrates value for money.

Participants can submit proposals through the government’s new online portal. A web form will ask for high-level information so government can understand and evaluate whether the project should be advanced for further evaluation.

If a proposal is selected to move to the second stage of evaluation, additional information will be required from the participants, including a business case. If after evaluation, the government elects to proceed with a proposal, it will design a transaction and procurement structure that is best suited to delivering the project and protecting the public interest. In most cases, procurements will be competitively tendered.