November 13, 2019 – TORONTO, ON – Consulting Engineers of Ontario (CEO) in partnership with the Municipal Engineers Association (MEA) are issuing an updated version of their Client/Engineer Standard Agreement for Professional Consulting Services. The Standard Agreement is a pro forma contract for professional services between consulting engineering firms and municipal clients that establishes mutually acceptable terms and conditions. This latest version includes terms and conditions for Prompt Payment and Adjudication as required by the Construction Act.

The Standard Agreement is available in a fillable PDF version, enabling project-specific customization of the document and to easily facilitate other necessary changes through supplementary conditions. An accompanying User Guide is also available to clarify elements contained in the document.

“CEO and the MEA partnered in the development and update of this Standard Agreement so that municipalities could use a form of contract that reflects the current business landscape,” said Bruce Matthews, CEO of Consulting Engineers of Ontario. “The MEA-CEO Standard Agreement, which has been updated to reflect requirements of the new Construction Act, enables Ontario’s municipalities to engage in a balanced procurement process by setting out reasonable terms and conditions that manage risk appropriately.”

The Standard Agreement is an important tool that forms part of a suite of procurement practices that are fair and reasonable. By working together with consultants to achieve equitable and reasonable terms and conditions, clients can use the Standard Agreement to achieve transparency and reciprocal accountability into their contracts.

“MEA worked collaboratively with CEO to develop the MEA-CEO Standard Agreement. We believe this document is a useful tool for municipalities to use as a template when retaining engineering consultants for services,” said Dan Cozzi, Executive Director for the Municipal Engineers Association.

More information about the MEA-CEO Standard Agreement can be found on our website, along with the document and User Guide: https://ceo.on.ca/MEA-CEO_Standard_Agreement