Effective Date: July 31, 2025
Bid Dispute Resolution

Purpose

To establish a standard bid dispute resolution process that complies with applicable trade agreements and ensures that any bid dispute is handled in an ethical, fair, reasonable and timely manner. 

Scope

This procedure applies when a supplier wishes to dispute the outcome of a bid process, subsequent to a debriefing process with the Purchasing Services department.

Responsibility

Purchasing Services is responsible to maintain and update this procedure, and to manage the dispute resolution process.

All parties involved in the bid dispute process are responsible for following this procedure.

Procedure

Suppliers wishing to challenge a procurement decision must submit written details to the Manager of Purchasing Services at purchasing.helpdesk@uoguelph.ca within 10 business days of the applicable debrief session. 

The submission should include:

• The name and address of the supplier

• Name and number of the contract or competitive procurement 

• Detailed and factual statement of the grounds for protest

• Supporting documentation

• Desired relief, action or ruling

• Designated contact during the bid dispute process

The Manager of Purchasing Services will respond to the supplier with a decision within 15 business days of receiving the bid dispute notice.

If the supplier disagrees with the decision by the Purchasing Manager they must contact the Director of Procurement Operations and copy the Manager of Purchasing Services within 15 business days of receiving the response from the Manager of Purchasing Services.

The Director of Procurement Operations will respond to the supplier with a decision within 15 business days of receiving the secondary bid dispute notice.

If the supplier disagrees with the secondary determinatino, they must contact the AVP Finance & Administration with a copy to both the Director of Procurement Operations and the Manager of Purchasing Services within 15 business days of receiving the secondary response from the Director of Procurement Operations.

The AVP Finance & Administration will provide a final decision to the supplier within 15 business days of receiving the bid dispute notice. This decision will be the final outcome of this process.

Delegation of Authority

During any level of the bid dispute process, if the specified contact is not available, they may assign a delegate. 

If no delegate has been assigned or the assigned delegate is not available at the time of bid dispute request, the process will proceed with the next level of authority according to this procedure.

If the AVP Finance & Administration or the delegate is not available at the time of bid dispute request, VP Finance & Administration will respond with final decision.

Contact Information

The following information can be used to contact the individuals listed in the above procedure:

Manager, Purchasing Services
University of Guelph
Level 5, University Centre South Tower
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario
N1G 2W1

purchasing.helpdesk@uoguelph.ca

Director, Procurement Operations
University of Guelph
Level 5, University Centre South Tower
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario
N1G 2W1

purchasing.helpdesk@uoguelph.ca

Associate Vice-President, Finance & Services
University of Guelph
Level 5, University Centre South Tower
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario
N1G 2W1

purchasing.helpdesk@uoguelph.ca

If at any point in this above described process, the supplier brings a legal claim or suit against the University, the bid dispute process with immediately stop.