Community Employment Benefits

The City is applying Community Employment Benefits to our Coastal Flood Adaptation Projects.

The City is committed to being an inclusive city that supports diversity and social and economic inclusion.

In 2019, Surrey received funding from the Government of Canada's Disaster and Mitigation Adaptation Fund for 13 Coastal Flood Adaptation Projects.

The funding includes a requirement to target, measure and report on Community Employment Benefits.

What are Community Employment Benefits?

Community Employment Benefits (CEB) are a form of social procurement that leverage existing purchasing needs. They contribute to stronger communities by addressing underlying social and economic challenges.

The Government of Canada developed the CEB initiative in 2018 to support its commitment to:

  • providing sustained economic growth;
  • building stronger, more inclusive communities; and
  • creating meaningful jobs for more Canadians.

Surrey's CEB Goals for 2021

  • 20-30% of employment hours carried out by individuals who are a part of at least one of the CEB target groups; and
  • 50% of purchasing from target enterprise types (small, medium or social enterprises).

CEB Target Groups

The following CEB target groups for individuals and enterprises have been selected by the City of Surrey to target, measure and report on for the Coastal Flood Adaptation Projects.

The list comes from Infrastructure Canada, with the addition of LGBTQ+ by Surrey Council:

Individuals

  • Apprentices (Employment Social Development Canada definition: An apprentice is a paid employee, registered with the regional apprenticeship authority, who works under the supervision of a certified journeyperson to learn their skilled trade and fulfill all requirements established by their province or territory.)
  • Indigenous Peoples (self-identified)
  • Women (self-identified)
  • Person with a disability (self-identified)
  • Veterans (Veterans Affairs Canada definition: Any former member of the Canadian Armed Forces who successfully underwent basic training and is honourably released.)
  • Youth (Youth Policy - Privy Council Office definition: young workers up to age 29)
  • Recent Immigrants (self-identified; Statistic Canada definition: a person who obtained a landed immigrant or permanent resident status up to five years prior to a given census year.)
  • LGBTQ+ (self-identified)

Enterprises

  • Small enterprise (1 to 99 employees)
  • Medium enterprise (100 to 499 employees)
  • Social enterprise (Employment and Social Development Canada, Recommendations of the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Co-Creation Steering Group definition: a business, whether not-for-profit or for-profit, that pursues a social, cultural or environmental mission through the sale of goods and services, with the majority of net profits directed back to its mission, and with limited distribution to shareholders and owners.)

CEB Process in Surrey

The CEB process in Surrey will be based on project scope. For smaller project procurements, achieving the CEB Outcome Goals will be optional.

For the larger projects listed below, an enhanced pre-qualification process will be used to identify contractors who meet current target levels:

  1. Colebrook Dyke Construction View list of pre-qualified contractors
  2. Serpentine Water Control Structure (Pre-qualification process to follow)
  3. Nicomekl Water Control Structure (Pre-qualification process to follow)
  4. Mud Bay Foreshore Enhancements View list of pre-qualified contractors
  5. Campbell River Pedestrian Bridge (Procurement will be managed by Semiahmoo First Nation)

The work on these projects is being done in phases between 2020 and 2027.

Procurement Opportunities

Procurement opportunities not included in the pre-qualification process will be listed on our tenders page. They will also be communicated through our Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy Newsletter. Please subscribe below.

Resources

Contact

For more information, contact John Rhee at john.rhee@surrey.ca or 604-591-4027.