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• OECM Awards Courier Services Agreements to Canpar Transport L.P. and UPS Canada Ltd. - February 02, 2012

OECM is pleased to announce that after a rigorous competitive procurement process Canpar Transport L. P. (Canpar) and UPS Canada Ltd. (UPS) have been awarded an agreement for the provision of Domestic (within Ontario and the rest of Canada), USA and International Courier Services.

The agreements are available to School Boards, Colleges and Universities and other organizations that qualify as part of the Broader Public Sector (BPS) in Ontario.

Developed in collaboration with a cross sector working group, these agreements are available for a period of three (3) years with the option to extend them for two (2) additional one-year terms.

Canpar and UPS provide a wide range of services including:

 

These new agreements bring:

 

For more information, click here.

 

• OECM Awards Agreement to Dell Canada Inc. for Desktop Technology Products and Services - JANUARY 24, 2012

 

OECM is pleased to announce that after a rigorous competitive procurement process Dell Canada Inc. has been awarded a contract for the provision of Desktop Technology Products and Services to the publicly funded Education Sector and interested Broader Public Sector (BPS) entities in the province of Ontario. 

The process was conducted in collaboration with a cross sector working group and in adherence to the Broader Public Sector (BPS) Procurement Directive.  This agreement will bring significant value for all those leveraging it, not the least of which is the time and effort saved from not replicating the procurement process for similar products and services. Additionally, this agreement provides access to a seamless ordering process which will reduce errors and improve ordering and delivery times.

The products on the agreement are EPEAT certified desktops, laptops, netbooks, and other related products (e.g. consumer netbooks, convertible laptops and tablet computing devices). A range of services including Dell’s Managed Services, managed deployments, imaging, asset labeling, and recovery services; self- service options and Dell certification of technicians program are also available.  

OECM believes the benefits this agreement will bring to clients will become a benchmark against which future OECM agreements are measured.

 

For more information, click here.

 

OECM awards SMART™ Technologies Products and Services AgreementS - JANUARY 17, 2012

OECM is pleased to announce the selection of three (3) Suppliers to provide SMART™ Technologies Products and Services to the education sector. These agreements are available to those School Boards, Colleges and Universities which have standardized on SMART™ Technologies Products and Services.

Agreements have been awarded, by region/zone, to the following suppliers: Advanced Presentation Products Inc. (All regions/zones); Evolution Presentation Technologies Ltd. (North West); and Sharp’s Audio Visual (Central, East and North East).

For information on which region/zone you fall under, please click here.

Developed in collaboration with the education sector and with adherence to the BPS Procurement Directive, these agreements are available for a period of one (1) year with a one (1) year optional extension period.

Agreement products and services include:

SMART™ Boards and Displays	Installation Services
Accessories for SMART™ Boards and Displays	Certified Technical Support
Software for SMART™ Boards and Displays	Certified Training

 

For more information, click here.

 

OECM launches Natural Gas Purchasing Program for Ontario’s education sector - November 30, 2011

OECM is pleased to announce the launch of Natural Gas Purchasing Program. The Program aims to provide educational institutions and other BPS entities with access to a process that will save institutions significant time, resources and money to purchase natural gas.

OECM collaborated with the education sector and Aegent Energy Advisors to establish a portfolio of suppliers with extensive experience and production capacity to meet the sector’s natural gas needs. The suppliers selected to the portfolio, following a diligent RFSQ process, are Direct Energy Marketing Limited, EDF Trading North America and Shell North America (Canada) Inc.

Program benefits:

• Institutions will have access to a pool of competitive natural gas suppliers which will allow you to purchase natural gas at the best available price on each transaction, through Aegent
• Program saves on energy buying and contract administration cost
• Program is executed with adherence to the BPS Procurement Directive
• Transparent and practical supplier agreements established with the assistance of OECM’s legal counsel and Aegent
• When more than one institution wishes to complete an energy transaction, Aegent can aggregate the volumes, attracting a more competitive wholesale price offer from the suppliers
• Institutions can keep their current supplier contracts, and expand their supplier options by being part of the OECM Program

 

For more information, click here.

 

OECM awards Toner Cartridges and Related Services agreements to 2 qualified Suppliers - November 07, 2011

OECM is pleased to announce the selection of 2 Suppliers to provide Toner Cartridges and Related Services to the education sector. Both Staples Advantage Canada and The Computer Media Group offer School Boards, Colleges and Universities competitive rates for over 200 products with the flexibility to add more products as needed.

Executed in collaboration with the education sector and with adherence to the BPS Procurement Directive, these agreements are available for a period of 2 years with 2 one-year optional extension periods.

To ensure that OECM agreements meet your requirements, we engaged a working group comprised of procurement experts and representatives from various institutions, to develop the RFP, business requirements and evaluation criteria, and partnered with the OECM Sourcing team during the evaluation process.

Contract benefits include:

Highly competitive rates

Environmental friendly products available

Free recycling program managed by an ISO certified third party

No delivery charges

Next day delivery available

All products backed-up by manufacturers’ and remanufacturers’ warranty

Availability of multiple ordering channels such as email, online ordering, fax and phone

Various payment mechanisms such as P cards and direct invoicing

Both suppliers’ products and services accessible across Ontario

 

Contract product categories include:

Toner Cartridges

Related products such as Drums, Repair kits, Maintenance kits, Fuser kits

Related services such as recycling program

For more information, please click here.

 

OECM ANNOUNCES ST. JOSEPH COMMUNICATIONS AS THE 4TH SUPPLIER FOR COMMERCIAL PRINT AGREEMENT - August 3, 2011

OECM is pleased to announce the finalization of a 4th Supplier to provide selected print products to Colleges, Universities and School Boards under its Commercial Print agreement. The education sector now has the opportunity to choose products from Avant Imaging & Information Management Inc. (AIIM), McLaren Press Graphics,  St. Joseph Communications and Transcontinental Printing Inc.

To meet their operational needs, institutions have the option to choose products from 2-3 suppliers in each category. These Agreements are in place for a period of 3 years with the option to extend the agreement for one additional year.

For more information, please click here.

 

OECM AWARDS AGREEMENTS TO 3 COMMERCIAL PRINT SUPPLIERS - JULY 15, 2011

OECM is pleased to announce the selection of 3 Suppliers to provide selected print products to the education sector. These agreements offer Colleges, Universities and School Boards competitive rates for 12 product categories with an option to choose products from Avant Imaging & Information Management Inc. (AIIM), McLaren Press Graphics and Transcontinental Printing Inc.

OECM is currently finalizing agreements with other suppliers and will make them available to institutions as soon as they are completed.

OECM followed a competitive procurement process that meets the rigorous requirements of the Broader Public Sector Procurement Directive.

The Commercial Print agreements are available for a period of 3 years with the option to extend the agreement for one additional year. These agreements are awarded based on Suppliers’ production capacity, evaluation score and their ability to meet peak season demand for Colleges, Universities and School Boards.

Contract benefits include:

- Qualified Suppliers with extensive experience of working for the education sector

- Highly competitive rate

- OECM User Guide to simplify onboarding and reduce contract execution time

- *Interim Buying Process for placing product orders quickly

- Fair, open and competitive procurement process with adherence to BPSProcurement Directive

- OECM is available to perform Price Comparison Analysis

- Proactive contract management committed to continuous improvements and day-to-day support

For more information, please click here.

 

New CEO Begins Duties at OECM - May 02, 2011

Educator and Strategic Sourcing Leader Chosen as CEO of the Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace

The Chair of the OECM Board of Directors, Georgina Steinsky-Schwartz, announced today the appointment of Terry Kyritsis as the incoming CEO. 

Kyritsis most recently served as the Director of Campus Services at Humber College, in Toronto, and prior to that he was at a senior management position with the Toronto District School Board.  “He is one of the founding members of OECM and we’re excited to see him come back to take it to the next level.  His breadth of experience, his knowledge and his credibility in the education sector make him an ideal candidate to lead OECM” said Steinsky-Schwartz.

OECM’s mission is to lead collaborative strategic sourcing initiatives and promote the adoption of leading integrated supply chain management practices for all of Ontario’s publicly funded School Boards, Colleges and Universities.  OECM was launched by the Broader Public Sector Supply Chain Secretariat at the Ministry of Finance, with ongoing input and support from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

"I am honoured to be selected to lead OECM. The fact that I was involved from the initial brainstorming that led to the creation of OECM a few years ago makes my return even more meaningful for me. I look forward to working with all my colleagues at the education sector and the OECM team to maximize the benefits we can achieve for our students”, said Kyritsis. 

Kyritsis cites several challenges and opportunities for the organization.  “With diminishing public dollars, we must be more creative in how we provide services.  The challenges are there, such as reduced funding, combined with a large number of clients with complex needs.  But we have the opportunity to embrace new service delivery methods.” 

Kyritsis will be joining OECM on May 30th, 2011.

For further information, please contact:
Caroline Newton
Director of Communication, OECM
Email: caroline.newton@oecm.ca I Phone: 416-847-1107

For French language version, please click here.                                   

 

OECM awards contracts to leading suppliers for Employee Uniforms & Chef Clothing - april 2011

OECM is pleased to announce the selection of four leading suppliers for Employee Uniforms & Chef Clothing contract and related services. This cost-effective, high-quality contract will provide School Boards, Colleges and Universities in Ontario with a wide variety of options to procure Employee and Chef clothing from awarded suppliers.

Mark's Work Wearhouse Ltd, Marv Holland Apparel Ltd, Season Group Corporation were awarded the Employee Uniforms and Clothing contract while Cintas Canada Ltd was selected to supply Chef clothing. Contract benefits include:

- Highly competitive rates

- OECM negotiated fixed prices for the 3-year term of the contract

- Access to products and suppliers’ services across all regions in Ontario

- Multiple ordering channels and customized client-servicing support from all suppliers

- No extra charges on oversized garments

- Meet the needs of BPS Procurement Directive and managed by an experienced team of sourcing specialists

For more information on this update, please click here.

 

New Year’s Update from the OECM’s Board of Directors - january 2011

Georgina Steinsky-Schwartz, Chair of the Board of Directors of OECM announced that a search for a new CEO to lead the organization will be undertaken by executive search firm Promeus commencing January 2011.

A new CEO is expected to join OECM by April 2011. Promeus is a well-respected executive search firm, specializing in the education and public sectors and has Vendor of Record status with the Government of Ontario.

OECM looks forward to an exciting year of continued growth as it works with its stakeholders in the transformation of the Education sector supply-chain.  

For more information, visit OECM Strategic Sourcing section

 

Three Leading Suppliers Selectecd for OECM Laboratory/Science Supplies Contract - january 2011

To manage the ever-increasing demand for cost effective, high quality laboratory instruments, equipment and science material from various School Boards, Colleges and Universities, OECM is pleased to announce the awarding of Laboratory/Science Supplies contracts to 3 leading suppliers in Ontario.

Following a rigorous RFP process, Boreal Northwest, Fisher Scientific and Prolab Scientific were awarded contracts to provide a wide variety of products to support both laboratory and classroom requirements.  These contracts are for a period of 2 years with 2 one-year optional extension periods. 

Contract benefits include:

• Highly competitive prices for core basket products
• Attractive discounts on all catalogue items
• Overall savings range from 3-10%
• Ordering and customer service support through multiple channels  including: web ordering, phone, and fax
• Rigorous delivery and packaging requirements for live specimens, chemicals and hazardous materials
• Proactive contract management by an experienced team of OECM sourcing specialists

For more information, visit OECM Strategic Sourcing section

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OECM Announces AV/Educational Equipment Contract - December 2010

Every classroom needs a wide variety of Audio Visual equipment and supplies. Some requirements are planned while others unexpected. OECM’s recently awarded AV/Educational Equipment contract is meant to manage both these requirements of School Boards, Colleges and Universities.

Awarded to Advanced Presentation Products Inc, Metafore Technologies Inc, Nationwide Audio Visual Company, Nationwide Manufacturing Ltd and Sony of Canada Ltd, the AV/Educational Equipment contract is now available to all publicly funded School Boards, Colleges and Universities in Ontario for a period of 2-years, with the provision to extend the contract for another year.

Contract benefits include:

• Discount on items outside the core basket
• All items delivered Free-on-Board (FOB), freight included
• All items come with a warranty
• All the awarded suppliers have environmental programs in place
• Product pricing available for all the five regions of Ontario

For more information, visit OECM Strategic Sourcing section

 

Custodial Supplies Contract Awarded - September 2010

Awarded to Flexo Cleaning Products, Mister Chemical Ltd and Swish Clean Maintenance Ltd for the supply and delivery of Custodial products, this contract is available to all publicly funded educational institutions in Ontario and includes 1550 product in 8 categories:

OECM has signed two-year agreements with the suppliers with a provision to extend the contract for another year. To award this contract, OECM has worked closely with a large working group and an evaluation committee made up of purchasing experts from different educational institutions.

For more information, visit OECM Strategic Sourcing section

 

Classroom Furniture - 8 Vendors Awarded Across the Province - May 2010

OECM is pleased to announce the award of OECM multi-region contract for Classroom Furniture — substantial savings annually for participating institutions.

OECM has awarded the contracts for Classroom Furniture to Alumni Classroom Furniture, Brodart Canada, Davidson Furniture Specialties Ltd, Drechsel Business Interiors, MityBilt Products Inc, Staples Advantage, Ven Rez Products Ltd, and Wintergreen for the supply and delivery of Classroom Furniture to all the publicly funded educational institutions in Ontario.

Contract highlights

These agreements will generate substantial annual savings for the participating institutions. An Evaluation Committee has worked closely with a large working group, consisting of representatives from Schools Boards, to award this contract.

For more information, visit OECM Strategic Sourcing section

 

Award Announced for Office Supplies RFP- January 2010

The Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace is pleased to announce the award of the Office Supplies Request for Proposal to Grand & Toy Limited and Staples Advantage Canada. OECM has signed 3-year term agreements with Grand & Toy & Staples Advantage for the supply and delivery of office supplies products for the publicly funded educational sector in Ontario.  It is expected that these agreements will generate substantial savings for the participating institutions.  The dual vendor award will also provide the educational institutions a choice between the two suppliers.

The agreements with Grand & Toy and Staples were established as the result of an open competitive RFP process conducted in accordance with the Broader Public Sector Procurement Directive and in collaboration with 17 School Boards, Colleges & Universities. The agreements with Grand & Toy and Staples are open to any SCUs who wish to join during the term of the contract.

The agreements with Grand & Toy and Staples are available for review on OECM’s secure website.  OECM, in conjunction with Grand & Toy and Staples, will work with the SCUs to address any questions in regard to the contracts. Please see the attached information sheet for additional information.

For more information, visit OECM Strategic Sourcing section

 

Award Announced for Xerox Fine Copy Paper RFP - October 2009

The Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace (OECM) is pleased to announce the award of the Fine Copy Paper Request for Proposal to Xerox Canada and Buntin Reid. OECM has signed 3-year term agreements with Xerox Canada and Buntin Reid for provision of bulk fine copy paper products for the publicly funded educational sector in Ontario.  It is expected that these agreements will generate substantial savings for the participating institutions. 

The agreements with Xerox Canada and Buntin Reid were established as the result of an open competitive RFP process conducted in accordance with the Government’s Supply Chain Guideline and in collaboration with 15 School Boards, Colleges & Universities. The agreements with Xerox Canada and Buntin Reid are open to any SCUs who wish to join during the term of the contract.

The agreements with Xerox Canada and Buntin Reid are available for review on OECM’s secure website.

For more information, visit OECM Strategic Sourcing section

 

Energy Audits Contract Awarded to 12 vendors of record

The Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace (OECM) has established “Vendor of Record” agreements with 12 firms who provide energy audit services.

These “Vendor of Record” agreements are the result of a competitive Request for Supplier Qualification that was posted on MERX and sponsored jointly by the Ministry of Education and OECM.

Visit our Awarded Contracts page for more information on each Vendor of Record, and more information on this contract.

For more information, visit OECM Strategic Sourcing section

 

Natural Gas Contract

OECM Natural Gas Agreement has been established to facilitate the procurement of natural gas for the publicly funded Educational sector in Ontario. The contract was awarded to Aegent Energy Advisors Incorporated.

This agreement has been established to facilitate the procurement of natural gas and provides institutions with the ability to mitigate risks and better manage fluctuations in the supply and cost of natural gas. Additionally, Aegent, in consultations with OECM, is working towards the implementation of this program by creating a portfolio of natural gas suppliers through a competitive tendering process.

This agreement is open to any other School Boards, Colleges or Universities who wish to join during the term of the contract.

These contracts are a result of the extensive tendering process that OECM undertook in collaboration with educational institutions.

For more information, visit OECM Strategic Sourcing section

 

Award for Multi-Functional Devices Announced - June 2009

The Ontario Education Collaborative Marketplace (OECM) recently signed a 3 year agreement with Xerox Canada for the provision of a wide range of multi-functional copiers and digital printers for the publicly funded educational sector in Ontario.

The agreement will generate savings of $2.5 million for its original participants. This agreement is the result of a collaborative effort involving Centennial College, George Brown College, Humber College, Seneca College, Sheridan College, Queen’s University and OECM. The agreement is open to any other school boards, colleges or universities who wish to join during the term of the contract. Additional savings will be generated for each new participant as they take advantage of this agreement.

Xerox was selected by the participants following a competitive Request for Proposal (RFP) process that was managed by OECM.

The evaluation process included product features, technical capabilities, small business dealer and service networks throughout Ontario, pricing, reference checks and environmental compliance.

This agreement is not expected to supersede any existing agreements other educational institutions may have with their current suppliers.

However, it is recommended that institutions participate in this agreement when their respective agreements expire.

Moving forward, OECM, in collaboration with the institutions, will implement a supplier governance framework.

For more information, visit OECM Strategic Sourcing section

 

OECM Secure Contract Page - October 2009

OECM is pleased to announce that its contracts webpage is now accessible to all publicly funded School Boards, Colleges and Universities (SCUs) in Ontario. This secure webpage will allow SCU staff to view OECM contracts and contract term sheets.

To access the documents click on http://www.oecm.ca/Contracts_login.html to register. The registration process is an important step in ensuring that all documents are kept confidential. You will be required to be a member of publicly funded SCUs.

The following are the steps in the approval process.

1. Register for access here All fields are mandatory, except where noted.

2. When you register, you will receive an email from info@oecm.ca with the following in the subject line “OECM Secure Area - You must verify your email address”. Click on the hyperlink to verify your email address: you will have 72 hours to activate your account, otherwise you will have to re-register.

3. After you have verified your email address, a follow-up email will let you know your account is pending. The registration system does not in and of itself grant you access to contract information.

4. Once it is confirmed you are a member of a publicly funded SCU in Ontario, an email will be sent to let you know access has been approved.

Note: Registration emails will come from info@oecm.ca. If your email system has firewalls or email junk filters, please check with your IT department to allow emails from info@oecm.ca.

Once you are logged on please take a moment to review the contracts that OECM has negotiated, and the term sheets for the pending contracts. If you would like to take advantage of the exclusive pricing, please contact the Sourcing Contact at OECM that is responsible for the corresponding Sourcing Event and ask about signing a Client Supplier Agreement (CSA).

Please write to info@oecm.ca if you have any issues with your registration.

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