Posting Threshold Guidelines
Note: The information on this page and any linked reference page has not yet been updated to reflect changes that may be required by the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (effective July 1, 2017, replacing the Agreement on Internal Trade) and the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (expected effective date in September, 2017). This work is ongoing, and will be made available as soon as it is complete. In the meantime, government staff are advised to contact their ministry procurement specialist, Procurement Services Branch, Procurement Governance Office, Ministry of International Trade, and/or Legal Services Branch for advice on how to ensure compliance on specific procurement projects.
When to Post (Dollar Thresholds)
Following is a table identifying the dollar thresholds where each of the trade agreements apply. This table addresses the Province, including ministries, Crown corporations and the MASH sector which consists of municipalities, academic institutions, social services, and health sector entities. Other broader public sector entities may have differing thresholds.
When determining the overall value of a contract, include the value of all options to renew or extend, if they apply. For example, a one year contract valued at $50,000 with four one-year options to renew should be valued at $250,000 (50,000 x 5) for the purposes of applying thresholds.
| Procurement of | Ministries | Crown Corporations |
MASH |
| NWPTA 1 | |||
| Goods | $10,000 | $25,000 | $75,000 |
| Services | $75,000 | $100,000 | $75,000 |
| Construction | $100,000 | $100,000 | $200,000 |
| CFTA 2 (replaces AIT 3 as of July 1, 2017; adjusted annually) | |||
| Goods | $25,000 | $500,000 | $100,000 |
| Services | $100,000 | $500,000 | $100,000 |
| Construction | $100,000 | $5,000,000 | $250,000 |
| CUSPA/WTO-GPA 4 (updated every two years) | |||
| Goods | $604,700 | Not covered | |
| Services | $604,700 | ||
| Construction | $8,500,000 | ||
For more information, please visit Trade Agreements.
1 New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA)
2 Canada Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)
3 Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT)
4 Canada-United States Partnership Agreement (CUSPA) and World Trade Organization – Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO-GPA)
How Long to Post (Posting Period by Solicitation Type)
The following table provides some general guidance on how long opportunities should be posted; ministries may have developed internal policies or practices that recommend different posting periods for their specific requirements.
| SOLICITATION TYPE | RECOMMENDED MINIMUM POSTED PERIOD |
| Invitation to Quote for Goods (ITQ) | 8 calendar days |
| Invitation to Quote for Services (ITQS) | 10 business days (i.e. 2 weeks) |
| Invitation to Tender (ITT) * |
Uncomplicated construction projects, minimum:
Complex construction projects, minimum:
Non-construction services: Varies, can be as low as 10 business days (i.e. 2 weeks), depending on the project. |
| Request for Standing Offer (RSO) – price based | 10 business days (i.e. 2 weeks) |
| Request for Corporate Supply Arrangement (RCSA) – price based | 10 business days (i.e. 2 weeks) |
| Requests for Proposal (RFP) * | 20 business days (i.e. 4 weeks) |
| Short-form Requests for Proposal (SRFP) | 20 business days (i.e. 4 weeks) |
| Request for Standing Offer (RSO) – award to highest scoring | 20 business days (i.e. 4 weeks) |
| Request for Corporate Supply Arrangement (RCSA) – award to highest scoring | 20 business days (i.e. 4 weeks) |
| Joint Solutions Requests for Proposal (JSRFP) and Negotiated Requests for Proposal (NRFP) | As recommended by Procurement Services Branch |
| Request for Qualifications (RFQ) | 20 business days (i.e. 4 weeks) |
| Request for Information (RFI) | 15 business days (i.e. 3 weeks) |
| Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI) | 10 business days (i.e. 2 weeks) |
| Notice of Intent (NOI) see NOI FAQs for more information | 10 calendar days |
* times may vary depending on requirements, complexity and trade agreement thresholds.
Please visit Sufficient Time Posting Guidelines for guidance provided to government staff, and Timelines for information provided to vendors on what they can expect.
