Minister’s message
Through the unsolicited proposals (USP) framework, our government is respecting tax dollars while investing in infrastructure priorities. By listening to people and businesses, Ontario is harnessing their expertise, innovation and creativity to build critical public infrastructure. Our government’s rigorous, competitive and fair USP process requires proponents to demonstrate the benefit of their proposals for the people of Ontario and make a business case that shows value for money. We want to hear the best infrastructure ideas and turn them into reality.
Hon. Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure
Overview
Our government is open to considering new and innovative infrastructure proposals.
If you have a proposal you would like us to consider, you can submit it through the unsolicited proposals intake form. There are no limitations on the project size, asset class, delivery model or type of proposal you can submit.
We are interested in proposals that relate to Ontario’s core types of infrastructure, including new transit infrastructure, health care facilities, highways, law enforcement facilities and housing. We are also interested in innovative proposals that relate to any other type of infrastructure (including “digital infrastructure,” such as the province’s broadband and cellular communications networks).
There are two key standards that your proposal must meet to be considered – your proposal must:
- clearly demonstrate a value or benefit for the people of Ontario
- relate to the development or improvement of an infrastructure asset
This portal is only for “unsolicited proposals,” which are proposals to the government that we have not requested through an existing government procurement. We will not consider any proposal submitted to this portal that constitutes a response to an existing, pending or announced RFP (request for proposals) under any government procurement.
Learn more about the government’s standard procurement processes.
About the process
The unsolicited proposals program provides a clear framework for individuals and companies to submit innovative infrastructure proposals to the Ontario government. This is not a grant-funding opportunity.
The key objectives of the unsolicited proposals program are to:
- generate new and innovative infrastructure proposals
- make government open for business and jobs
- harness the creativity and innovation of the private sector
- create a clear and fair process for receiving and evaluating proposals
The process involves three stages:
- Initial proposal. This is the proposal that you can submit using the unsolicited proposals portal on this website (see "How to submit a proposal" below). We will ask you to provide high-level information about your proposal so that we can understand and evaluate whether we wish to consider it further. We do not ask for (nor can you submit) a detailed business case or any supplemental materials at this stage.
- Detailed proposal. If we have selected your proposal to move to the second stage of evaluation, you will receive an email from us setting out next steps. The additional information required at this stage may vary, but in most cases we will require a detailed business case. During this stage of evaluation you should also expect to be invited to meetings to discuss your proposal.
- Procurement and transaction. If, based on our detailed evaluation, we elect to proceed with your proposal we will design a transaction and procurement structure that is best suited to delivering the project and protecting the public interest. You should be aware that, other than in exceptional circumstances, we will seek to ensure any procurement arising through the unsolicited proposals program features competitive tension.
Please review the unsolicited proposals guidelines for more details on the three stages.
Who can submit
Any individual, business or organization may submit a proposal.
How to submit a proposal
Follow these steps to submit an initial proposal:
- Read and understand the guidelines.
- Click the ‘Submit a proposal’ button below to begin the submission process.
- Read and understand the terms and conditions that are presented to you at the start of the submission process.
- Digitally sign and accept the terms and conditions.
- Complete and submit the intake form.
There is no fee to submit a proposal.
As a participant, you are expected to cover your own costs as the proposal progresses through the various stages of the process.
Please note: you must fill out the form in one sitting. It takes approximately 60 minutes to complete.
After you submit
We’ll send you an acknowledgment email confirming we’ve received your proposal.
While we appreciate and will carefully consider all submissions, we will only follow up on proposals that have been selected to proceed to the detailed proposal stage (as discussed in the “About the Process” section above).
How the proposals are assessed
We will carefully consider your proposal before making a decision. We will assess submissions according to the following criteria:
- is a genuine “unsolicited proposal” – in other words, it does not constitute a response to an existing, pending or announced request for proposals (RFP) under any government procurement
- demonstrates a clear value or benefit for the people of Ontario
- relates to the development or improvement of an infrastructure asset
- aligns with government priorities
- commercial, financial and technical viability
- if government funding is required, the proposal must demonstrate a clear value for money with respect to the government’s investment
Contact us
If you have any questions or feedback, you can email us at usp-pns@ontario.ca.
Please note that we will not respond to any emails that:
- request the status of any submitted proposal
- attempt to provide any information (including attachments) at the initial proposal stage (as discussed in the “About the Process” section above) beyond what is requested through the intake form