Electronic Tendering System (APC)


Welcome to the Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) information website.

Business Information

Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) is Alberta's official electronic tendering system to advertise and distribute related solicitation documents from Government of Alberta and Alberta MASH sector purchasing opportunities. Alberta Purchasing Connection provides a single point of access for both vendors and purchasers to do business efficiently in a convenient and user-friendly way - both purchasers and vendors can access APC without cost. APC fulfills the Government of Alberta's ongoing obligation to the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) and the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA).

For those in the Government of Alberta who work with construction opportunities, COOLNet (external site) will continue to host construction purchasing opportunities from the Government of Alberta.

Where to Find APC 

Access the Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) website.

Role of the Service Alberta, Procurement Services

Procurement Services is responsible for the administration and implementation of the procurement provisions of the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT) and the British Columbia - Alberta Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA) (external site).  As part of its AIT and TILMA responsibilities, Procurement Services - on behalf of the Government of Alberta and the Alberta MASH sector - is responsible for making available an electronic tendering system that provides vendors with equal access to Alberta public purchasing opportunities. Procurement Services is committed to implementing a system that balances the needs of the Government of Alberta, the Alberta MASH sector, and the vendor community, while meeting the Province of Alberta's commitment to the AIT.

In addition, a primary objective of the APC project is to work with the federal government, as well as other provincial and territorial governments, to have their purchasing abstracts available on APC for vendors to access.

APC Advantage

The Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC) provides purchasers from the Government of Alberta and the Alberta MASH sector a user-friendly interface to post opportunity abstracts (notices) and distribute associated solicitation documents.

Key System Features for Purchasers

No Fees

Alberta Purchasing Connection does not charge usage fees to the purchasing community for core system services such as posting purchasing opportunities and registration.

Secure Access

The Alberta Purchasing Connection employs strict online security protocols consistent with those in place with the Government of Alberta. All purchasers are pre-screened and validated before receiving access privileges to the system.

Over-and Under-AIT Threshold Opportunity Posting (Optional)

APC is the required posting site for over-AIT and TILMA threshold opportunities, but it is also able to host purchasing information for under-AIT threshold opportunities.

Simplified Goods and Services Identification Number (GSIN) Commodity Coding

An effort is underway to provide a condensed and simplified GSIN coding set that is specific to each major stakeholder group. Based on stakeholder input, the simplified coding sets and user-friendly GSIN search/selection interface will make the application of GSIN codes a simpler process.

Tracking of Interested Vendors

APC can track, display and provide details to purchasers on vendors that have downloaded specific procurement opportunities.

Automatic Amendment Notification

Any amendments to a purchasing opportunity in the system will result in an automatic e-mail notification to vendors who have downloaded the opportunity.

Procurement Document Library

Purchasers have access to a document library in the system where they can search for items (such as terms and conditions documents) related to purchasing opportunities or policies.

Award Posting and Notification

Purchasers can post opportunity award information to the system and automatically notify interested vendors of the opportunity award.

Key System Features for Vendors

No Fees

No fees are charged for core services offered by APC, such as viewing the purchasing opportunity abstract (notice) and downloading of associated opportunity documents.

Advanced Search Engine

Vendors may search for purchasing opportunities in the system based on a variety of criteria such as keyword, commodity type, location and Goods and Services Identification Number (GSIN) commodity code.

Self-Registration and Administration

Vendors self-register in APC the first time they want to download a purchasing opportunity document. Vendors receive a user name/password via e-mail - administration tools are available for users to maintain their ids in the system. Vendors who choose not to register can still search for and view the notices (abstracts) of opportunities.

System Help and Training

Vendors have access to a variety of help and information tools to aid in using the system. These tools include a Help system, frequently asked questions (FAQ) section, training documentation and a multimedia training application. 

Tracking of Interested Vendors

Alberta Purchasing Connection can track, display and provide a report on vendors who have downloaded a particular purchasing opportunity.

Historical Use Reporting

Vendors can view their historical use of APC as a report (for example, opportunities downloaded and opportunities awarded).

Canadian Tendering Systems

Most federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions from across Canada are now posting their procurement opportunities on one or more websites. The following list details where opportunities from each jurisdiction can be found.

For construction: Government Purchasing Agency - Newfoundland (external site)

For goods and services:

Opportunities may be posted on one of the following websites: