Page 81 - Procurement guidelines for smart sustainable cities - A U4SSC deliverable

What it means

Sharing information early can include:

• issuing a “request for information” (RFI), a document alerting suppliers about potential
opportunities and requesting information about their capabilities;

• inviting suppliers to an open meeting or event to discuss procurement goals; and

• visiting communities’ public officials and stakeholders wishing to become more involved in
procurement.

The publication of an RFI does not oblige public officials and stakeholders to buy anything or enter
into any type of contract with suppliers.

Open meetings should provide an opportunity to discuss requirements and answer questions from
suppliers in the presence of their competitors.

One-on-one meetings with suppliers should be used only after holding open events.

If public officials and stakeholders do meet one-to-one with suppliers, they should:

• ensure that they meet a diverse range of suppliers;

• ask each supplier the same questions and give them the same opportunity to respond; and

• have a clear scope of the things they will be discussing – this will help protect the fairness of
the process.

The advice public officials and stakeholders receive from suppliers may be used in the planning
and other stages of their procurement provided that:

• it does not distort competition by giving any supplier an unfair advantage;

• they share the advice with the other suppliers; and

• they don’t exclude any suppliers involved in pre-market engagement later in the process.

Procurement guidelines for smart sustainable cities | May 2023 67