By Emree Siaroff

This year, Challenge Factory set out to become a Government of Ontario Vendor of Record (VOR). If successful, we’d have the ability to bid for and/or be awarded government projects as a preferred provider of services that has already been vetted.

This might sound dull, but to us it’s quite important—as it would have a significant impact on how we see and understand ourselves as an organization. The procurement process prompted us to consider many details about who we are and what we do. Notably, it required us to consider the following:

Since the VOR application only allowed us to showcase one project, which project best exemplifies Challenge Factory’s unique abilities?

To answer this question, we needed to take a step back from the day-to-day rhythm of our work and identify what makes working with Challenge Factory different from other organizations offering seemingly similar services.

Now, procurement processes can be tough. Applications are typically extremely dense and detailed. They take time, labour, and other resources. Going through this VOR procurement process was similar to going through the process to become a Certified B Corporation. It made us reflect on and assess who we are, what we do, and how our work can have the most impact.

We are incredibly happy to announce that we were successful in our application!

Our B Corp Certification and VOR status both focus on long-term relationships, including in how we track the impact of our work. This multi-year lens further strengthens Challenge Factory’s commitment to establishing lasting relationships with clients and partners who operate in complex ecosystems, where new approaches are valued over standard templates.

Read more about our B Corp journey.

To connect about our VOR status and how Challenge Factory can help the broader Ontario Public Service shape a better Future of Work for itself and all Ontarians, or any other work we do, please email us at Consulting@ChallengeFactory.ca. We would love to hear from you.