The Ontario Government has announced that they will expand the number of service providers (currently 2) as of February 2025. This will give greater choice to Ontario non-profits that need a service provider. The current fees being charged seem quite high so may be this will introduce some more competition. For many transactions one does not need to use a service provider and can do the transaction directly with the Ministry.
In addition, as announced earlier, if you are making changes to the OBR, whether it is your organization or a service provider, you will need a company key from the Ontario government.
So, if you are an Ontario non-profit or another type of non-profit operating in Ontario, and you don’t have a company key, it is very important to apply for and receive a company key. Also, keep it a secret because you don’t want lots of people being able to change your corporation’s information.
Here is the text of the notice from the Ontario Government:
| Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement
December 5, 2024 Good afternoon, We are pleased to share that through the Ontario Business Registry (OBR), the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement (MPBSDP or Ministry) has made great strides to ensure there are a variety of convenient and secure service channel options available to Ontario businesses, Service Providers (1), and Intermediary Organizations (2). This notice is to inform you about our expanding service delivery options and the requirements of a Company Key to access the OBR system. As of July 2024, there are over 2,000 Intermediary Organizations, such as law firms and accounting firms, who access the OBR Partner Portal to submit registry filings on behalf of entities. The Ministry has also contracted with two Service Providers to allow them to have authorized access to the OBR and conduct business registry services on behalf of their service clients. These Intermediary and Service Provider entities play an important role in delivering business registry services within Ontario. The Path Forward Effective February 1, 2025, the Ministry will increase customer choice for business registry services by increasing the number of Service Providers. Additionally, effective February 1, 2025, all entities registered in the OBR must use a Company Key to conduct transactions whether filing directly through the OBR self-serve portal, through an Intermediary or through a Service Provider. Company Key A Company Key consists of a unique series of digits and/or characters. It is provided to the official email, or registered office or other business address, as applicable, for a sole proprietorship, corporation, or other entity under the business law statutes. If an entity plans to engage the services of an Intermediary or a Service Provider, the entity will be responsible for Delegated Authority (3) by providing their Company Key directly to the Intermediary or Service Provider to conduct registry filings and transactions on their behalf. Obtaining a Company Key for an entity is a one-time process. If an Intermediary or Service Provider has been provided with the entity’s Company Key, they do not need to request a new Company Key. If you have used a Service Provider after October 19, 2021, to register or incorporate a new entity (4), the Service Provider will continue to have Delegated Authority and it will remain in place until the entity revokes the Delegated Authority. Company Key Distribution All entities are encouraged to obtain their Company Key. The Ministry distributes Company Keys automatically to the official email address of the entity when a new business is registered or incorporated in the OBR. A Company Key can also be requested online. To better assist with requesting a Company Key, kindly consult the guide provided or the Company Key notice posted on Ontario.ca. If you have any questions related to service delivery options or the Company Key, please call the ServiceOntario Contact Centre from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m:
Contactez-nous si vous avez besoin de la version française de cette correspondance. Thank you, Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement CC: Dye & Durham Corporation
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