Nadia uses SEAO the way most beginners do: she types a word into the simple search, scrolls through a long list of unrelated notices, gets discouraged, and ends up checking only once in a while. The result: she misses relevant contracts and wastes time on the rest.
The problem isn't SEAO. It's the tool she's using. The advanced search exists for exactly this, and most SMEs never open it.
Simple search vs advanced search
The simple search looks for a keyword, a notice number or a reference number in the notices. Handy for a quick check, useless for serious monitoring: you get hundreds of results, most of which don't concern you.
The advanced search (accessible from seao.gouv.qc.ca) lets you combine several criteria so you see only what matters. It's the difference between "digging" and "targeting".
The filters that matter
On the advanced search page, the most useful filters for an SME:
- Notice type: limit yourself to "Call for Tenders notices" (or include notices of intention, invitation-only notices, even contracts by mutual agreement already concluded, depending on your goal).
- Buyer: target a specific organization (a municipality, a school service centre, a CISSS) if you work with certain buyers.
- Region: essential for services and works contracts, where proximity counts.
- Categories and UNSPSC codes: the most powerful filter. By selecting the codes for your activity, you see only the notices classified in your field. (If you haven't chosen your codes yet, start with our complete SEAO guide.)
- Keywords: to refine within a category. Type them in French: the notices are written in French, whatever language the interface is set to.
- Date range: publication and closing dates, useful to handle only recent notices.
Search in French. The interface can be switched to English (button at the top right of seao.gouv.qc.ca), but the notices themselves are published in French. Searching "snow removal" returns nothing; searching « déneigement » finds the contracts. Build a short list of French keywords for your sector: déneigement (snow removal), entretien ménager (janitorial services), gardiennage or sécurité (security services), pavage (paving), collecte des matières résiduelles (waste collection).
Combine at least two filters. "UNSPSC codes + region" cuts out most of the noise in one move. You go from a list of hundreds of notices to a handful of genuinely relevant contracts.
The use no one shows you: browsing past results
SEAO isn't just a bulletin board of open notices. The results of already-awarded calls for tenders are public too, and they're a free intelligence goldmine.
Results of a call for tenders
Once the process reaches the opening of results or the conclusion of the contract, SEAO displays the published information: buyer, retained supplier, contract amount and relevant dates. How much detail appears depends on the body's regime: for provincial calls for tenders, the list of tenderers and their submitted amounts is published; at the municipal level, it is generally the retained bidder's price. For bodies that are subject to the rules, contracts of $25,000 or more must be published on SEAO under the applicable regime, including contracts concluded by mutual agreement or by invitation.
Concretely, by browsing past results in your sector, you can find out:
- Who wins in your region and category, your real competitors.
- At what price similar contracts were awarded, so you can calibrate your own bids.
- Which bodies buy your services, and how often, so you can target your business development.
- Which UNSPSC codes are actually used on these contracts, so you can adjust yours.
That's exactly the raw material for a clear-eyed bidding strategy: study who wins, and at what price, before you invest hours in a bid.
This habit also reveals something many SMEs don't realize: by number of contracts, most aren't awarded through an open call for tenders, the majority go through mutual agreement (gré à gré). Open public tendering still captures the largest share of the value in dollars, though. Browsing the results helps you understand the paths contracts actually take, and lets you adapt your approach accordingly.
From one-off search to automatic alert
Running a good search once is fine. Repeating it automatically is better. SEAO offers jumelage (matching): you save your criteria (UNSPSC codes, regions, keywords) in a profile, and the system emails you as soon as a new notice matches. No more checking manually every morning, the monitoring runs for you.
Jumelage requires a subscription to SEAO's services; setting up the profiles follows the same logic as the advanced search. We explain registration and the plans in the complete SEAO guide.
Immediate action
- Open the advanced search on seao.gouv.qc.ca.
- Combine your UNSPSC codes + your region, and see what comes up. Adjust until you get a short, relevant list.
- Open "Opening result and awarded contracts": spot 3 recent comparable contracts, note the winner and the amount.
- If the list is useful, turn it into an alert (jumelage) so you never miss anything again.
In 20 minutes, you'll have gone from random monitoring to a radar aimed at your real market.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- SEAO, Advanced search and Help centre (seao.gouv.qc.ca, consulted on 2026-05-31).
- SEAO, Glossary and documentation on the publication of contract results.
- Act respecting contracting by municipal bodies, CQLR, c. C-65.01, s. 99, in force since April 1, 2026: publication on SEAO of the list of concluded contracts involving an expenditure of at least $25,000, and a minimum publication period of three years from the publication of the total amount of the expenditure. The procedures and contracts covered by the transitional rule in section 257 remain subject to the former framework (Cities and Towns Act, s. 477.6, and Municipal Code, art. 961.3). Act respecting contracting by public bodies, CQLR, c. C-65.1, for the public-bodies regime.
- Secrétariat du Conseil du trésor, statistics on public bodies' contracts 2023-2024 (mutual agreement vs call-for-tenders split, by number and by value).
Adjudica
Bidding on a tender right now? The match report shows who usually bids with this buyer, how close comparable contracts were decided, and who else bids in this category. $490 plus taxes, delivered within one business day.
See the match reportNo open notice right now? The assessment covers your last 18 months: $150 CAD + taxes, credited toward your first match report.