The essentials in 30 seconds
- In Québec, the most common public tender threshold is $139,000 (in effect from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027), but separate thresholds exist depending on the body and the type of contract.
- Major exception: for the purchase of goods by government departments and agencies, the threshold drops to $34,700.
- Below the applicable threshold, a contract can be awarded by mutual agreement or by invitation. That's where a lot of opportunities open up for SMEs.
The threshold is the line that decides everything. Below it, a public body can award a contract by mutual agreement or by invitation, to just a few businesses. At or above the threshold, it must launch a public call for tenders, visible to everyone on SEAO. Knowing where that line sits means knowing where your opportunities are.
The thresholds that apply in 2026 come down to a few reference points, no jargon. First thing to keep in mind: there isn't one threshold, but several, depending on the body and the type of contract.
The most common threshold: $139,000
Since January 1, 2026, the most widespread public tender threshold in Québec is $139,000. It stays in effect until December 31, 2027.
For most services and construction contracts (government departments, public bodies, the education and health networks, municipalities), as well as for procurement contracts of the networks and municipalities, a spend equal to or above $139,000 requires the body to proceed by public call for tenders, published on SEAO. Below that, it has other options (see further down).
Public tender threshold
The amount at or above which a public or municipal body is required to award a contract through a public call for tenders, rather than by mutual agreement or by invitation. In Québec, this threshold comes from the public-procurement liberalization agreements and is adjusted every two years.
The exception to know: $34,700 for government goods
This is the nuance a lot of SMEs miss. For procurement (the purchase of goods) by government departments and agencies, the threshold is much lower: $34,700 (since January 1, 2026, up from $33,400 before).
Careful: this $34,700 threshold applies only to goods purchased by the provincial government. It doesn't apply to municipalities, nor to the education and health networks, where the purchase of goods stays subject to the $139,000 threshold.
In practice, a department that wants to buy $40,000 worth of goods already has to go through a public call for tenders, whereas for services at the same amount, it stays below the $139,000 threshold. If you sell products to the government, the $34,700 threshold is the one that concerns you.
The 2026 threshold table
| Type of contract / body | Threshold and effect |
|---|---|
| Services (departments, public bodies, networks, municipalities) | $139,000: public call for tenders |
| Construction (departments, public bodies, networks, municipalities) | $139,000: public call for tenders |
| Procurement of goods (government departments and agencies) | $34,700: public call for tenders |
| Procurement of goods (education/health networks and municipalities) | $139,000: public call for tenders |
| Goods and services covered by CETA | $368,000: CETA opening |
| Construction covered by CETA | $9,200,000: CETA opening |
| CETA goods/services (public transit, public-service enterprises) | $736,000: CETA opening |
CETA thresholds are not public tender thresholds. Amounts of $368,000 and up don't determine when a call for tenders becomes mandatory: above all, they set the point where the market opens to suppliers from the territories covered by the agreement (notably the European Union) and where certain rules on timelines and territorial discrimination apply. Below these thresholds but above the public tender threshold, a body can, in some cases, restrict participation to businesses with an establishment in Canada.
Why these numbers change
The thresholds are tied to public-procurement liberalization agreements: the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between Québec and Ontario, and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union. They're readjusted every two years based on inflation and exchange rates. That's why you should always check the value in effect: the $139,000 figure applies to 2026-2027.
Below the threshold: where a lot of opportunities open up
A contract below the applicable threshold isn't necessarily awarded through a public call for tenders. The body can then proceed by mutual agreement (it negotiates directly with a business of its choice) or by written invitation (it solicits bids from a few selected businesses). These routes are part of the different types of calls for tenders that coexist in Québec.
The exact rules depend on the level of government and the body. On the municipal side, for example, contracts from $25,000 to under $139,000 must in principle go through a written invitation to at least two suppliers, unless specific rules are set out in the body's contract management by-law. Pure mutual agreement stays possible in certain cases, but don't assume it: check the contract management by-law of the body you're targeting.
One thing is certain: many small public contracts never go through an open call for tenders that you could spot on SEAO. They get decided in buyers' address books. That's why making yourself known directly to the bodies, and appearing in the Supplier Directory, counts as much as monitoring SEAO. We break down this mechanic in our analysis of contracts by mutual agreement.
The right move depends on the amount. At or above the applicable threshold ($139,000 in most cases, $34,700 for government goods): watch SEAO, that's where the notice will be published. Below it: your best lever is already being on the buyer's radar (directory, qualification, contacts). The two strategies complement each other.
What changed on the municipal side in 2026?
For municipal bodies, the $139,000 threshold applies too, and it now sits within the new framework of the Loi sur les contrats des organismes municipaux (LCOM) (Act respecting contracting by municipal bodies), in effect since April 1, 2026. The thresholds didn't move with the LCOM (they come from the trade agreements), but the framework around them was overhauled. We explain all of it in our guide on the LCOM.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor, Info-marchés publics bulletin, vol. 28 no. 1 (January 7, 2026) and summary tables of the liberalization-agreement thresholds. Ministère des Affaires municipales, Muni-Express bulletin no. 25 (December 18, 2025): adjustment of the thresholds and ceilings applicable to municipal contracts, January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027. Act respecting contracting by public bodies (CQLR, c. C-65.1) and Act respecting contracting by municipal bodies (CQLR, c. C-65.01).
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