Municipalities regularly acquire goods and services to satisfy the needs of the population. Such acquisitions are usually covered by a contract concluded between one or more municipal bodies and the parties willing to provide such goods or services pertaining to insurance, the execution of work and the supplying of equipment and services.
The awarding of such contracts is an important, strategic exercise that requires sound, rigorous management by the municipalities. Consequently, the municipalities have obligations and responsibilities stemming from legislative and regulatory provisions aimed at overseeing the award of contracts and ensuring the transparency of the processes and accountability to the public.
Organizations subject to the legal framework respecting the awarding of public contracts
- local and regional municipalities (excluding the northern villages, Cree and Naskapi villages, the Kativik Regional Government and the parishes of Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague-du-Cap-Tourmente, Saint-Benoît-du-Lac and de Notre-Dame-des-Anges);
- intermunicipal management boards;
- the metropolitan communities;
- public transit authorities;
- other bodies in respect of which the legislation expressly stipulates that provisions respecting the rules governing the awarding of municipal contracts are applicable.
All bodies that display any of the following characteristics are also subject to municipal contractual rules
- a body that is the mandatary or agent of a municipality as stipulated by legislation;
- bodies that predominantly comprise members of a municipal council or members appointed by a municipality;
- a body whose budget is adopted or approved by a municipality;
- a body more than half of whose funding is covered by funds from a municipality and whose annual income is equivalent to or greater than $1 000 000;
- a body designated by the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy as a regulated organization.
To obtain additional information, please consult the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l'habitation website.