WINNIPEG – The City of Winnipeg’s public works department is working on internal processes to speed up tendering of construction projects for 2024 and 2025, according to the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA).
The steps result from discussions with the MHCA, following the release of the 2024 tender ad schedule from Public Works mid-February, a release said, which indicated a lag in tendering with 50 per cent of the program value estimated to be awarded between May 2024 and the end of July 2024.
At a meeting between the MHCA and the public works department, the mayor’s office, Coun. Janice Lukes who is chair of the city’s public works committee and Coun. Markus Chambers from public works, officials noted the award process might take longer than estimated.
The City of Winnipeg also committed outside of the meeting to accelerating the tendering and award process through:
- raising the chief administrative offices’ authority to approve projects, without council approval;
- speeding up the tendering process after a project has been returned from engineering design; and
- shifting in late 2024 to RFQs to create a list of pre-approved design engineering firms, to allow the use of qualification-based selection in assigning contracts
The MHCA board of directors was also told similar discussions are being held between MHCA and Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure, which released its spring update to the 2024 tender ad schedule for highways construction and water structures on March 1.
The City of Winnipeg to date has released three construction tenders that include pilot social procurement clauses – requirements to hire individuals from equity groups.
The city will use data and experience of those contractors awarded contracts to refine the procurement rules, the release said. The three tenders were for a park drinking water station, a watermain renewal and the Renfrew outfall gate chamber upgrade.
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