Tools and guides for selling to government in Canada
The practical side of public procurement: which portals to register on, which codes to use, and which rules apply to a contract. Checked against official sources and free to use.
Procurement tools
Which bid portals do I need?
Pick your provinces and buyers. Get a registration checklist with costs, setup times and the business numbers each portal expects.
UNSPSC & GSIN code finder
Search every commodity code in English or French, see which categories actually get tendered, and map legacy GSINs to UNSPSC.
Trade agreement threshold checker
Enter the buyer and contract value. See which agreements apply, who can bid and how long the tender must stay open, with 2026–2027 values.
Bid prep utilities
Everyday file and deadline tools. They run in your browser, so your documents never leave your computer.
Merge PDF
Combine PDFs and images into one file for a bid envelope. Nothing is uploaded.
Compress PDF
Get under portal and email size limits while keeping text searchable.
Split PDF
Pull the forms you need out of a long RFP, or split it into sections.
GST/HST & PST calculator
Add or remove sales tax for any province, with 2026 rates.
Registration guides
- 017 min read
How to Register to Bid on Government Contracts in Canada (2026)
There is no single portal. Here is the order to do things in, what each step costs, and which ones take weeks.
- 029 min read
How to Register on CanadaBuys in 2026: SAP Business Network Step by Step
The Supplier Registration Information system and the Procurement Business Number were retired in July 2026. This is the process that replaced them.
- 039 min read
How to Register on SEAO: Quebec Public Tenders Step by Step (2026)
The account is free and takes under an hour. The Quebec requirements around it take longer, so start them first.
- 047 min read
Ontario Bid Portals Explained: Ontario Tenders Portal, bids&tenders, Biddingo and MERX
Ontario ministries, cities and hospitals use four different systems. Here is which buyer is where, and what each one costs.
- 056 min read
How to Register on BC Bid (and Get Your Business BCeID First)
BC Bid itself is quick. The Business BCeID it depends on is the slow part, especially from outside the province.
- 065 min read
How to Register on Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC)
Registration is quick. The step most suppliers miss is Express Interest, which is how you get addenda.
Latest analysis
All insights →How Much Do Losing Bids Lose By? 62,370 Quebec Public Tenders, Analyzed
What Is Government Procurement Intelligence? A Canadian Guide for 2026
CanadaBuys Data: What It Covers, What It Misses, and Where Else to Look
Find the tenders, not just the codes
Cothon watches CanadaBuys, SEAO, BC Bid, Alberta, Ontario and municipal portals in one place, in English and French, and shows who wins and at what price.