OFA comments on regulatory registry #23-TBS002: Proposed Approach for Regulations under the Building Ontario Businesses Initiative Act. OFA welcomes the Ontario government’s initiative to provide Ontario businesses with preference as the providers of goods and services to public sector entities. OFA requests that Ontario-grown food products be included within the prescribed types of goods and services in the regulation. Additionally, OFA requests provisions within the regulations under the BOBI Act that Ontario wholesale businesses must source Ontario grown food to fulfill their public procurement contracts. OFA recommends the government allocate funding for public sector entities to purchase Ontario-grown foods which may sell at a higher price but offer more value compared to imported foods. OFA recommends the government monitor the value of all government procurement contracts to determine whether the prescribed threshold amounts remain appropriate. With public sector entities only required to give preference to Ontario suppliers when procurement contracts are for an amount under a specified threshold, some public sector entities may be inclined to consolidate tenders to purposely surpass threshold totals to circumvent the need to provide preference to Ontario businesses. OFA highlights how the BOBI Act’s potential increase in public sector procurement of Ontario-grown food will contribute toward meeting the stated purposes of the Local Food Act, 2013 and the Made-in-Ontario Environmental Plan. OFA would welcome a guidance document to help connect local Ontario-grown food sellers to public sector entities seeking to procure their products.