Live directory · Verified July 2026
Every Canadian tender portal, in one place
Government contracts in Canada are scattered across dozens of separate systems: one federal portal, a different one for each province and territory, and a patchwork of private aggregators for the municipal world. This is the honest map of which portals exist, what they cost, and which ones you actually need.
Portal details verified July 2026 against each operator's own pages. Live tender counts contain data licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Jump to the full directory.
How the landscape is layered
There is no single search box for Canadian government contracts the way the United States has one federal system. Instead, opportunities sit in three layers, and each layer lives somewhere different.
Federal. Everything the federal government buys through Public Services and Procurement Canada is posted on one official portal, CanadaBuys. It is federal only. It does not carry provincial, territorial, municipal, or public-sector notices.
Provincial and territorial. Every province and territory runs its own portal (or, in a couple of cases, routes its tenders through a private aggregator). Most are free government systems. Several are mid-transition right now, which is why a directory that pretends everything is stable would be wrong.
Municipal and MASH. The MASH sector, meaning municipalities, academic institutions, school boards and hospitals, is the most fragmented. Big cities each picked a different system, and thousands of smaller bodies post through private aggregators like MERX, Biddingo and bids&tenders. This is exactly where paying for an aggregator can save you real time, because the alternative is a dozen logins across a dozen systems.
For the wider picture of registering and getting found, see our pillar guide, How to sell to the Government of Canada, and the companion How to find government contracts in Canada.
Which portals should you register on?
Tell us where you are and who you want to sell to. We will point you to the right portals, based only on which systems actually cover that work, not on who pays us (nobody does).
Find your portals
Pick one answer for each question.
Register on these
Whatever the tool suggests, you can always browse and filter live federal opportunities free on our tender browser before you register anywhere.
Every portal, filterable
Showing 17 portals. Filter by government level and by cost. Every portal here was checked against its operator's own pages in July 2026.
-
CanadaBuys
FederalThe single official front door for federal contracts, run by Public Services and Procurement Canada. Genuinely free end to end. The only friction is the SAP Business Network sign-up and questionnaire, not cost. It does not list provincial, territorial or municipal work.
- CoversFederal departments, agencies and Crown corporations that buy through PSPC
- BrowseFree, no paywall
- Bid docsFree
- RegisterFree SAP Business Network account plus a CRA business number
-
BC Bid
ProvincialBritish Columbia's clean, fully free provincial portal. The province states plainly that there is no charge to register as a supplier. The platform is on its version 2.0 and is being actively refreshed.
- CoversBC ministries plus broader public sector buyers who opt in
- BrowseFree, no login to view
- Bid docsFree
- RegisterFree, with a Business BCeID
-
Alberta Purchasing Connection
ProvincialAlberta's free provincial portal (the older purchasingconnection.ab.ca address now redirects here). Note that Alberta is moving some government buying to a new SAP-based system called 1GX, so confirm whether a given tender still sits on APC.
- CoversGovernment of Alberta plus agencies, boards and commissions
- BrowseFree, no account needed to browse
- Bid docsFree (registration needed to download)
- RegisterFree supplier account
-
SaskTenders
ProvincialWhere Saskatchewan competitions are posted, including provincial ministries, Crown corporations, health authorities and many municipalities. Bookmark it for viewing (that address is not changing), but submissions for most ministries are moving to a new portal called GEM, so you may need to register there too.
- CoversSaskatchewan ministries, Crown corporations, health authorities and municipalities
- BrowseFree
- Bid docsFree
- RegisterFree (GEM registration may be needed to submit)
-
Manitoba tenders
Provincial · via MERXManitoba does not run a separate free provincial portal. Its tenders are distributed through the private aggregator MERX, and the provincial landing page points you there. So MERX's browse and subscription model applies.
- CoversGovernment of Manitoba tenders, including Manitoba Infrastructure
- BrowseFree but limited, on MERX
- Bid docsMERX pricing applies
- RegisterThrough MERX
-
Ontario Tenders Portal
ProvincialOntario's official free portal, currently on the Jaggaer platform (older BravoSolution links still resolve to it). Supply Ontario is reorganizing provincial procurement, so treat portal details as subject to change and confirm before you rely on them.
- CoversOntario government ministries plus broader public sector buyers
- BrowseFree, view and download at no cost
- Bid docsFree
- RegisterFree
-
SEAO (Quebec)
ProvincialQuebec's official electronic tendering system, and where Quebec municipalities are legally required to post. It has an English menu toggle, but the notices and most documents stay in French, so budget for reading or translating French. Use seao.gouv.qc.ca; the old seao.ca address is now read-only.
- CoversQuebec provincial government and Quebec municipalities
- BrowseFree, no account to view daily notices
- Bid docsFree base tier, but an electronic submission fee (roughly $20 to $30 per bid) and some document fees apply. Verify on the portal.
- RegisterFree professional account
-
NBON (New Brunswick)
ProvincialThe New Brunswick Opportunities Network. Free, but you log in to see tender detail. One carve-out worth knowing: Transportation and Infrastructure building-division construction tenders route through the Construction Association of New Brunswick instead, where non-members pay for copies.
- CoversNew Brunswick government tenders (with a construction carve-out via CANB)
- BrowseLogin required (free account)
- Bid docsFree on NBON
- RegisterFree, login required
-
Nova Scotia Public Tenders
ProvincialOne of the simplest models in Canada: a single free search that covers provincial departments and the MASH sector (municipalities, academic institutions, school boards and health authorities) together, rather than splitting them across systems.
- CoversNS departments, agencies, boards and the MASH sector, combined
- BrowseFree, no login to search
- Bid docsFree
- RegisterFree (email tender-notification signup available)
-
Prince Edward Island tenders
ProvincialPEI posts through Euna Procurement, the platform formerly called Bonfire (a different product from bids&tenders). We could not independently verify PEI's current pages during this review, so treat the details here as directional and confirm on the province's tenders page.
- CoversPEI provincial tenders
- BrowseVia the province's tenders page (not independently verified)
- Bid docsFree Euna Procurement account to download documents (reported)
- RegisterFree Euna account; earlier Bonfire logins reported to still work
-
Newfoundland & Labrador tenders
Provincial · via MERXNewfoundland and Labrador's Public Procurement Agency distributes provincial opportunities through MERX. Some sources say access to NL's own notices is free, which would differ from MERX's normal paid model, so verify directly before assuming either way.
- CoversNL provincial goods, services, public works and leases
- BrowseThrough MERX
- Bid docsReported free for NL notices; this conflicts with MERX's usual pricing, so verify on the portal
- RegisterThrough MERX
-
Yukon tenders
TerritorialThe Government of Yukon posts its contract tenders on the bids&tenders platform. As of early 2026 it also posts opening bid prices for price-driven construction tenders, a transparency change.
- CoversGovernment of Yukon contract tenders
- BrowseFree to view
- Bid docsbids&tenders platform pricing may apply
- RegisterFree account
-
Northwest Territories (OpenNWT)
TerritorialThe Government of the Northwest Territories runs its own open tenders portal. Note that the NWT and Nunavut sit on a separate trade-agreement threshold track from the rest of Canada, so their dollar thresholds differ.
- CoversGNWT departments, open tenders and historical contracts
- BrowseFree
- Bid docsFree
- RegisterFree
-
Nunavut tenders
TerritorialGovernment of Nunavut opportunities. The NNI policy gives qualified Inuit-owned and Nunavut-based businesses a structured bid preference on all GN procurement, regardless of value, which an out-of-territory bidder should factor into any decision to compete.
- CoversGovernment of Nunavut procurement opportunities
- BrowseFree
- Bid docsFree
- RegisterFree (NNI preference policy applies to all bids)
-
MERX
AggregatorThe largest private aggregator, with the broadest cross-Canada and MASH coverage. For some jurisdictions (parts of Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, the City of Ottawa) it is the official system, not optional. Worth it if you bid across several provinces or sectors; overkill and needlessly costly if you only chase federal work or a single province with its own free portal.
- CoversFederal, provincial, MASH, private and international, nationwide
- BrowseFree but limited; full access needs a plan
- Bid docsPay-as-you-go per solicitation, or a subscription (regional to national plans). Check current pricing on MERX.
- RegisterFree to browse; a card is required to subscribe
-
Biddingo
AggregatorDeep, dedicated Ontario MASH coverage: school boards, hospitals, conservation authorities and small townships that are hard to find anywhere else, plus Western coverage through its BiddingoWest arm. A flat yearly membership makes it cheaper than a national MERX plan if Ontario-plus-West public sector is your actual market. Not useful for federal work.
- CoversMASH and provincial, Ontario-centric, plus BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba
- BrowseFree 30-day trial, no card required
- Bid docsFree for subscribers (buyer document fees can apply). Membership listed around $250 per year; verify current price.
- RegisterFree trial, then a paid membership
-
bids&tenders
AggregatorThe e-procurement backend for many individual municipalities, school boards and hospitals, white-labeled per agency (Ontario-heavy, also used elsewhere). Because it is licensed per agency, a subscription only pays off if you bid into several agencies on the platform; a single-agency relationship may be cheaper pay-per-bid.
- CoversMunicipal and MASH agencies that license the platform (not one unified feed)
- BrowseFree to view and search on every tier
- Bid docsPaid plans to download and submit. Pricing is not published consistently (the main site lists annual tiers while some municipal instances show a different, lower flat rate), so check the price on the actual bid you care about.
- RegisterFree account
No portals match those filters. Try widening them.
Major city tenders, quick reference
There is no single pattern for municipalities. Each big city picked a different vendor, which is itself a strong reason a paid aggregator can be worth the cost when you chase several cities at once.
| City | Where tenders live | System |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | Toronto Bids Portal, linking to SAP Business Network for the bidding | SAP Ariba |
| Montreal | Posted through Quebec's SEAO (municipalities are legally required to) | SEAO (Quebec) |
| Vancouver | The city's own dedicated supplier portal | In-house portal |
| Calgary | SAP Ariba, or via Alberta Purchasing Connection | SAP Ariba / APC |
| Ottawa | MERX for the searchable quotations portal; larger opportunities may sit on ottawa.ca or MERX | MERX |
The major portals, compared
The eight systems most businesses run into. Government portals are free to browse; the private aggregators charge for coverage and convenience, not for access to federal notices.
| Portal | Operator | What's listed | Browse cost | Alerts | When you need it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CanadaBuys | Government (PSPC) | Federal only | Free | Notification signup | Any federal work |
| MERX | Private (mdf commerce) | Federal, provincial, MASH, national | Free (limited) | Saved-search matching (paid) | Bidding across provinces, or a jurisdiction that uses MERX officially |
| Biddingo | Private | MASH and provincial, Ontario-centric plus West | Free 30-day trial | Daily matched email | Ontario public sector: school boards, hospitals, municipalities |
| bids&tenders | Private | Municipal and MASH, per agency | Free (view) | Daily bid email (paid) | Several municipalities on the same platform |
| BC Bid | Government (BC) | BC provincial and broader public sector | Free | Commodity notifications | Selling in British Columbia |
| SEAO | Government (Quebec) | Quebec provincial and municipal | Free | Email match (per-notice fee) | Selling in Quebec (in French) |
| Ontario Tenders Portal | Government (Ontario) | Ontario provincial and public sector | Free | Portal notifications | Selling to the Ontario government |
| Alberta Purchasing Connection | Government (Alberta) | Alberta government and ABC sector | Free | Personalization with account | Selling in Alberta |
Federal tenders closing soon
A sample of federal opportunities closing in the next couple of weeks, pulled from CanadaBuys open data. Anything that has since closed is dropped automatically.
Closing soon on CanadaBuys
As of Jul 20, 2026 · CanadaBuys open dataBrowse every open federal tender in one place
Search, filter and shortlist live CanadaBuys opportunities without hopping between portals.
When a tender legally has to be posted
Not every purchase becomes a public tender. Trade agreements set the dollar values above which a public body must run an open, publicly advertised competition. Below those values, work can be, and often is, awarded through lighter invitational processes or directly. Knowing the thresholds tells you which opportunities are guaranteed to appear on a portal at all.
The domestic rules come from the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA). These values are in effect from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027.
| Buyer type | Goods | Services | Construction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government departments and agencies | $34,700 | $139,000 | $139,000 |
| Municipal, academic, school, health (MASH) | $139,000 | $139,000 | $347,400 |
| Crown corporations and enterprises | $694,700 | $694,700 | $6,943,900 |
For federal work only, a second, higher set of international thresholds also opens bidding to suppliers from partner countries: broadly, around $239,200 for goods and services and $9.2 million for construction under the major agreements. Those apply mainly to federal departments and some large Crown corporations.
The Northwest Territories and Nunavut run on a separate CFTA threshold track, so their figures differ from the rest of Canada.
Tender portal FAQ
Is MERX free?
Not fully. Creating an account and browsing limited results is free, but full access and bidding require a pay-per-solicitation fee or a paid subscription. Some provinces and cities use MERX as their official system, so for those jurisdictions it is not optional.
Do I have to register on CanadaBuys to bid?
Yes. Browsing federal tenders is free, but to submit a bid you need a free SAP Business Network account and a Canada Revenue Agency business number. There is no paid CanadaBuys tier.
Where do municipalities post tenders in Canada?
There is no single place. Big cities each chose different systems: Toronto and Calgary use SAP Ariba, Vancouver runs its own supplier portal, Montreal posts through Quebec's SEAO, and Ottawa uses MERX. Many smaller municipalities, school boards and hospitals use bids&tenders or Biddingo.
Is the Ontario Tenders Portal free?
Yes. It is free to view, download and register. It currently runs on the Jaggaer platform under Supply Ontario's oversight, and Ontario is reorganizing its procurement, so confirm current details before you rely on them. Our Ontario tenders guide goes deeper.
What is SEAO and is it in English?
SEAO is Quebec's official electronic tendering system. It has an English menu toggle, but the tender notices and most documents stay in French, so an English-only bidder should budget for reading or translating French.
Do I have to pay to see a federal tender?
No. Viewing federal tenders on CanadaBuys is free, and so is registering and bidding. Paid aggregators sell convenience and coverage across provinces and the municipal sector, not access to federal notices.
Which portal should a small business start with?
If you want federal work, start with CanadaBuys, which is free. If you want one province, use that province's own portal, most of which are free. Consider a paid aggregator only when you are chasing several provinces or a lot of municipal and public-sector work. See our small business procurement guide for the programs that can help.
Are the provincial portals changing?
Several are mid-transition: Ontario is reorganizing procurement under Supply Ontario, Alberta is moving some buying to a new SAP-based system called 1GX, and Saskatchewan is shifting submissions to a new portal called GEM. The public viewing addresses mostly stay the same, but confirm the submission system before you bid.
Bidding takes capacity, and grants can fund it
Winning contracts is only half the story. The hiring, equipment and certifications that make you a credible bidder can often be funded by grants you already qualify for. If you are getting set up to sell to government, it is worth checking what funding you could stack alongside the work. Start with our overview of government grants in Canada, or take the two-minute matcher below.
Sources
Portal facts were verified in July 2026 against each operator's own pages, including: CanadaBuys, MERX pricing and FAQ, Biddingo, bids&tenders supplier plans, BC Bid, SEAO, Ontario Tenders Portal, Alberta Purchasing Connection, SaskTenders, Nova Scotia Public Tenders, NBON, OpenNWT, and the CFTA covered-procurement thresholds. A few jurisdictions (Prince Edward Island, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut) could not be independently browser-verified in this pass and are flagged as such in the directory above. Live tender data contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Always confirm requirements and closing dates on the official notice.