About Us

The Ontario Public Buyers Association is a non-profit professional association dedicated to representing public procurement professionals throughout Ontario. We promote the ethical and effective expenditure of public funds and encourage excellence in public procurement through our professional development opportunities, the promotion and support of certification programs, networking, and advocacy. 
 
Our members work in publicly funded agencies, including local, regional, and provincial governments, school boards, post-secondary institutions, public safety and transit entities, and more. They all are entrusted with the prudent and responsible spending of public funds. 

Governed by a volunteer board of directors, OPBA welcomes the contributions of all our members through the sharing of experience and expertise with colleagues or through volunteering on a committee or the board of directors. 

We invite you to join the vast network of public procurement professionals across the province. Click here to learn more about membership in OPBA.

For more information about the Ontario Public Buyers Association, please contact any board members or officers or e-mail us at members@opba.ca.

OPBA HISTORY

Founded in 1958 as the Ontario Municipal Purchasing Agents Association, an arm of the Ontario Municipal Association, the organization became a chapter of the Canadian Purchasing Agents Association in 1969 and was known as the Municipal Purchasers.

In November 1974, at the group's conference in Hamilton, the name was changed to the Ontario Public Buyers Association (OPBA) and became an independent professional organization. Three years later, OPBA affiliated with the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing (NIGP) becoming NIGP's first Canadian chapter.

On February 18, 1982, OPBA received its letters of patent, incorporating the association. 

As the world of public sector procurement has evolved, so has the association enabling our members to achieve excellence in their profession.