Presenting a New Business Ideas to the City of Lethbridge

The Unsolicited Proposal Process includes several evaluation steps and filters to ensure fairness and alignment with City goals. In some cases, a “Swiss Challenge” process may be used, in which competing proposals are sought by the City. These safeguards ensure that:

• The process is not used to circumvent the City’s regular procurement practices
• The proposal aligns with the City of Lethbridge’s strategic goals and objectives
• The scale and scope of the proposal is appropriate and financially feasible
• The proponent’s capabilities and experience are sufficient
• The proposal provides best value to the City

Before submitting an unsolicited proposal, please review the following documents:

• Unsolicited Quotations for Proposals Procedure

1. Purpose

1.1. To assist external organizations seeking to do business with the City outside of the conventional procurement process, we've provided an opportunity to provide Unsolicited Proposals.

1.2. While the Policy provides guidance for those seeking to do business with the City outside of the conventional procurement system, it does not establish a definitive process through which such proposals may receive serious consideration. With this in mind, the following sets out a framework through which potential partners have an opportunity for their ideas to be presented and evaluated. Furthermore, the framework provides a formal, transparent, and accountable method for review.

2. Definition

2.1. An unsolicited proposal involves an offer for a new or innovative idea, goods, or services submitted to the City on the initiative of a supplier for the purpose of obtaining a contract with the City, with the express intent of securing a financial return for the supplier. In addition, as per section 3.2 of this procedure, the proposal cannot be in response to a current or anticipated request for proposal or any City-initiated solicitation or program.

3. Procedure

3.1.  Unsolicited quotations or proposals should not be allowed to circumvent the City’s procurement process.

3.2. Requirements An unsolicited quotation or proposal should not be considered if:

3.2.1. It resembles a current or upcoming competitive procurement;

3.2.2. It does not require substantial assistance from the City to complete the quotation or proposal;

3.2.3. The goods or services proposed are readily available from other sources;

3.2.4. It is not deemed by the Division Head to be of sufficient value to the City of Lethbridge.

3.3. Submission Requirements  If the proposal meets the criteria in Section 3.2 and the Division Head is willing to consider it, the following minimum information must be submitted:

3.3.1. Supplier Information  

3.3.2. Proposal Overview  

3.3.3. Objectives and Outcomes  

3.3.4. Project Scope or Specifications and Timeframes  

3.3.5. Deliverables and Work Plan  

3.3.6. Project Controls and Constraints  

3.3.7. Reporting and Project Management  

3.3.8. Vendor and City Respective Responsibilities  

3.3.9. Pricing and Benefit/Risk Sharing  

3.3.10. Proposed Contractual Terms  

3.3.11. Acknowledgement of compliance with City of Lethbridge Policies and Bylaws

3.4. Evaluation Team Formation  If the proposal has merit, the Division Head will assemble an Evaluation Team with sufficient expertise to assess the submission.

3.5. Preliminary Requirements  Before evaluation, the Division Head, through the Supply Chain Department, must obtain the supplier’s written agreement acknowledging:

• No obligation by the City to accept the proposal;
• All costs are incurred at the supplier’s own risk; 
• The City will not be liable for costs or damages related to rejection or non-acceptance.

3.6. Evaluation Process  

The Evaluation Team will:

3.6.1. Assess the supplier’s capabilities (technical, commercial, managerial, financial);  
3.6.2. Determine alignment with City requirements, funding, and strategic objectives;  
3.6.3. Evaluate risk-sharing proposals for acceptability and compatibility;  
3.6.4. Decide whether to reject, amend, or proceed with the proposal;  
3.6.5. Allow supplier resubmission if modifications are recommended;  
3.6.6. If accepted, the Division Head prepares a report requesting authority to apply the “Swiss Challenge” (see 3.7).

3.7. The Swiss Challenge

If approved the City will:

3.7.1. The City ensures transparency, fair competition, and best value;
3.7.2. Competing proposals are invited via the Supply Chain Department in consultation with Legal Services;
3.7.3. The Evaluation Team assesses all submissions;
3.7.4. The original supplier has the opportunity to match or exceed counter-proposals. If matched, they are awarded the project. If not, the City may proceed with a new supplier, and the original proposal becomes City property.

4. Contact

For more information, please contact:

City of Lethbridge - Supply Chain Department  
Email: tenders@lethbridge.ca  
Phone: 311  

If your proposal is not commercial and does not generate financial returns (e.g., a community partnership), it is not subject to this process.

Instead, please contact the Supply Chain Department by calling 311 to learn about other partnership opportunities with the City.

The City requires its suppliers to act with integrity and conduct business in an ethical manner.

All Suppliers participating in a Procurement process or providing Deliverables to the City must declare any perceived, potential, or actual Conflicts of Interest and must conduct themselves in accordance with the Supplier Code of Conduct.

In most cases, the City of Lethbridge acquires goods and services through formal, competitive procurement led by the Purchasing and Materials Management Division.

To view current opportunities or to register as a supplier:

• Vendor Registration Portal

If you are interested in working as a subcontractor, you can also view awarded contracts to find out who won specific bids.

To receive automatic notifications of new procurement opportunities, please register with bids and tenders as linked above in the Vendor Registration Portal.