British Columbia creates COVID-19 Supply Hub

VICTORIA – The Province of British Columbia has partnered with the Digital Technology Supercluster and the Business Council of British Columbia to create the COVID-19 Supply Hub, a made-in-B.C. online platform to co-ordinate, source and expedite medical supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for provincial health authorities to support front-line health workers fighting COVID-19.

The COVID-19 Supply Hub provides a single point of entry to triage and prioritize the thousands of offers and donations for essential supplies from business and other organizations since the onset of the COVID-19 response.

“In this provincial state of emergency, partnership and co-ordination are critical to keep our front-line workers safe and support our COVID-19 response and recovery,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “Launching the COVID-19 Supply Hub is an important step in maintaining our supply chain and making sure essential goods and services are getting where they need to go, and fast.”

Premier John Horgan (pictured) said, “This made-in-B.C. innovation showcases how important it is to work together to support our front-line workers. By giving B.C. businesses a platform to help, we are enabling some of our best and brightest minds to meet the demands of this pandemic and help keep people safe.”

Developed by local B.C. tech company Traction on Demand and built on the Salesforce platform, the COVID-19 Supply Hub will make the types and specifications of critical supplies needed publicly available. From there, proposals can be quickly and efficiently managed and evaluated, so the right products get to the right workers on the front lines as efficiently as possible.

The COVID-19 Supply Hub’s initial focus is on sourcing supplies for the healthcare system and front-line workers, though government is also accepting offers for other essentials, like cleaning supplies.

The COVID-19 Supply Hub will be managed under the new Provincial Supply Coordination Unit at Emergency Management BC in partnership with the Provincial Health Services Authority as part of the Province’s cross-government approach to COVID-19 response and recovery.

“This initiative demonstrates how tech can be used quickly to make a difference in people’s lives,” said Michelle Mungall, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness. “I am incredibly proud of the leading-edge work being done by the Digital Technology Supercluster, the business community and companies like Traction on Demand. They are finding unique ways to help front-line workers meet the needs of those impacted the most by COVID-19.”

Sue Paish, CEO, Digital Technology Supercluster, said, “From concept to actualization within one week, the supply hub is illustrative of the Supercluster’s ability to harness our community’s power of collaboration. We are moving at an unprecedented pace to meet the demands of this pandemic, with innovative solutions. The supply hub will make a difference and address critical needs.”

Companies looking to offer support or supplies through the COVID-19 Supplier Hub can access it here: www.gov.bc.ca/supplyhub

Quick Facts:

• The Provincial Supply Coordination Unit was established under the provincial state of emergency to support the Province’s response and recovery to COVID-19.
• The COVID-19 Supply Hub is complementary to existing provincial procurement streams in order to expedite medical supplies under the provincial state of emergency. The supply hub will work in co-ordination with other provincial and federal initiatives to secure medical and other essential supplies.
• COVID-19 Supply Hub partners: the Business Council of British Columbia, the Digital Technology Supercluster, Salesforce, Traction on Demand, the Provincial Health Services Authority, the Ministry of Citizens’ Services, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General and the Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Competitiveness.
• The Digital Technology Supercluster is led by global companies such as MDA, Microsoft, Telus, Teck Resources Limited, Mosaic Forest Management, LifeLabs and Terramera, and B.C.’s tech industry leaders such as D-Wave Systems, Finger Food Advanced Technology Group, and LlamaZOO. Members also include the Province of British Columbia and B.C. post-secondary institutions. A full list of members can be found here: https://www.digitalsupercluster.ca/members-2/

Learn More:
For the COVID-19 pandemic preparedness and planning materials, visit https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/current-health-topics/pandemic-influenza.

For information and latest medical updates on COVID-19, follow the BC Centre for Disease Control on Twitter @CDCofBC or visit its website http://www.bccdc.ca/

For more information on non-medical issues like travel recommendations and how to manage social isolation, visit www.gov.bc.ca/COVID-19