If you are a vendor or contractor selling to governments, the NWPTA establishes low thresholds above which government entities are obligated to have open and non-discriminatory procurement. This provides additional bid opportunities to vendors looking to supply governments in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The NWPTA requires open and non-discriminatory procurement where the anticipated costs are at or above the established threshold amounts.

The NWPTA applies at or above the thresholds indicated below for procurements by:

1. Provincial government departments, ministries, agencies, boards, councils, committees, or commissions:
  • $10,000 or greater for goods
  • $75,000 or greater for services
  • $100,000 or greater for construction.

2. Provincial Crown corporations, government owned commercial enterprises and other entities that are owned or controlled by a NWPTA provincial government:

  • $25,000 or greater for goods
  • $100,000 or greater for services
  • $100,000 or greater for construction.

3. Municipalities, school boards, health regions and publicly-funded post-secondary institutions (the MASH sector) as well as corporations or entities owned or controlled by one of the preceding:

  • $75,000 or greater for goods
  • $75,000 or greater for services
  • $200,000 or greater for construction.

Procurement Exceptions

There are certain exceptions to procurement under the NWPTA, including the following:

  • Procurement of health and social services, and services provided by lawyers and notaries
  • Purchases from philanthropic institutions, prison labour or persons with disabilities
  • Purchases from a public body or non-profit organization
  • Goods required to respond to an unforeseeable situation of urgency
  • Goods intended for resale to the public

For the complete list, refer to Part V (Exceptions)  of the NWPTA.

How to Access Procurement Opportunities
Vendors can access these procurement opportunities through the procurement websites of each Party:

Bid Protest Mechanism

A bid protest mechanism (BPM) is available for procurements covered by several trade agreements, including the NWPTA. A BPM is an administrative review process which provides suppliers with an independent arbitral process to resolve complaints that a specific procurement by a government entity was not conducted in compliance with the rules of one or more agreements.

Frequently Asked Questions
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