Procurement Concierge Program

The Procurement Concierge Program matches suppliers with innovative ideas and potential public sector buyers by enabling the exchange of information and ideas between them.

Procurement Concierge Program overview

The Procurement Concierge Program is a new and innovative way for government to learn about and benefit from market-driven innovation and to make it easier for suppliers of all sizes to work with the Province.

Launched as part of the 2018 BC Procurement Strategy, the Concierge Program helps streamline how government plans for the procurement of goods and services by allowing government to take advantage of emerging technologies and providing a venue through which businesses can pitch cutting edge solutions that government may not be aware of through other types of pre-market engagement or market research.

Pre-market engagement

Government can face challenges when delivering programs and services intended to meet its mandates and objectives. Government buyers are not always aware of what is currently available in the marketplace to help, particularly in those industries with rapid change or new technological advances. Suppliers have an in-depth understanding of the goods and services they sell but may have little or no insight into government’s business challenges.

Pre-market engagement is intended to solve both issues. Government buyers can issue Requests for Information on BC Bid, where a problem, issue, or intended outcome is described and suppliers are asked for their ideas on how to address the need. Specific questions are included, and suppliers can suggest various or alternative approaches that may not be known to the government buyer.

Although traditional Requests for Information ask for written responses only, the Procurement Concierge Program also includes the following:

• Discovery Day Sessions: Meetings specific to one or more Request(s) for Information that anyone can attend to discuss the government’s needs and ask questions.
• Optional Private Meetings: Interested suppliers can request a Private Meeting specific to an RFI with the government buyer to explain their information and ideas in a one-on-one setting. With this option, government buyers must be willing to meet with any supplier who requests a private meeting. Private meetings are only available if offered by the government in the RFI.

Requests for Information are not intended to collect and share intellectual property or trade secrets. Participating suppliers will be advised not to share such information – including in private meetings – as any information shared in the Request for Information process may be used for a subsequent solicitation.

Once the desired market information is collected, the government buyer should be in a better position to decide what – or if – to buy. If a decision is made to buy, how to select the supplier is the next step.

Different types of solicitations are described in solicitation processes and templates.

Procurement Concierge Program web app

The Concierge Web App is where suppliers can review and respond to Requests for Information and register to participate in Discovery Day Sessions. Public sector buyers and suppliers can create profiles to identify their areas of interest for buying or selling goods and services. By creating profiles, public sector buyers and suppliers will be notified about future functionality as it becomes available. Create your profile on the Concierge Web App today!

Please note that the Concierge Web App is not supported by Internet Explorer and must be viewed using an alternate browser.