Procurement Process FAQs

The Procurement Act and Regulations govern the public procurement process in New Brunswick. The procurement method used, such as an open competitive bidding process (public solicitation), or a limited competitive bidding process (solicitation by invitation only) is generally determined based on the estimated dollar value of the good, service or construction service that is required. In addition to legislation, the Province of New Brunswick is also a participant in a number of trade agreements. For more information on the trade agreements please see Legislation and Agreements. View the summary table of the dollar value thresholds for public and invited tendering.
  

*Some exceptions apply per the Procurement Act and Regulations. The New Brunswick First Procurement Policy also applies in some situations when procuring goods, services or construction services for departments, agencies, school districts and regional health authorities. Click here to view this policy.

To view the permitted procurement methods for the broader public sector, please see the Procurement Thresholds Summary Table. 
 

Tenders are advertised on the New Brunswick Opportunities Network (NBON). NBON is a web-based service for advertising goods, services and construction services bidding opportunities for the New Brunswick public sector. To learn more, please see the Bidding Opportunities page.  
 

Suppliers and contractors must be registered with NBON to have access to bidding opportunities issued by the Government of New Brunswick and other public sector entities. The bidding process will then vary depending on the procuring entity. The solicitation document will describe the goods, services or construction services to be purchased and will set out the conditions and requirements that must be met in order to be the successful bidder. The solicitation document will contain the instructions on how, when and where to submit your bids. There are times when amendments are issued with additional information or changes to the submission deadline, for example. These amendments will be posted on NBON. You must ensure you have the most recent version of the solicitation document, read the entire package and respond to all the requirements. Failure to meet all requirements may eliminate your bid from consideration. Pay close attention to the submission instructions. Un-signed and late submissions will be rejected. 
 

In New Brunswick, public openings of bids are not required. However, public sector entities may choose to conduct public openings, at their discretion. Most public sector entities post bid results and/or notices of award on NBON.  
 

Some bidding opportunities are awarded based on price, while others are awarded based on the evaluation criteria specified in the solicitation documents. Only bid submissions that meet all mandatory criteria will be evaluated. The length of time for the evaluation may also vary based on the number of criteria being evaluated and the complexity of the procurement. The successful supplier or contractor will be notified and, if required, a contract will be signed. The award information, name of awarded supplier/contractor, and dollar value of purchase order will be posted on NBON.   
 

If you are not the successful bidder, you may request a debriefing by contacting the procuring entity that issued the bidding opportunity. The purpose of a debriefing is to provide you with feedback on how to improve future responses which may help improve your chances of becoming the successful bidder on future opportunities.     
  
 

Depending on the solicitation and procuring entity, you could be required to enter into a contract with the procuring entity or the contractual relationship may be defined by a purchase order.

•  For bidding opportunities issued by Strategic Procurement, the Province of New Brunswick is now using direct deposit as the standard method of government payments. To ensure you receive your payment, please follow the invoice guidelines. For more information, please see Invoicing for Goods, Services and Construction.
   

Public sector entities seeking to procure goods, services or construction services solicit bids or proposals from suppliers and contractors by advertising their opportunities on NBON. However, the Government of New Brunswick is also open to considering unsolicited proposals. More specifically, unsolicited proposals for unique and innovative products/services that could assist government with its current priorities or address significant problems or needs. For more information, see GNB’s Unsolicited Proposals Program.