# Why Alberta is open to BC crews: the New West Partnership > The New West Partnership Trade Agreement between BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba requires covered public buyers to openly compete contracts above set thresholds and not to discriminate against suppliers from partner provinces. For a BC crew, that means Alberta municipalities, school boards, health entities and the province must treat your bid like a local one. By James DeGreef. Updated 2026-10-24. Facts checked 2026-10-24. Source page: https://crewbid.tech/articles/alberta-new-west-partnership For a BC contractor in Fort St. John, Golden or Cranbrook, the nearest big public buyer might be across the Alberta border. Can you bid? Will they take you seriously? Thanks to a trade agreement most contractors have never heard of, the answer is yes, on the same terms as an Alberta firm. ## What is the New West Partnership? The **New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA)** is an agreement between BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to reduce barriers to trade, investment and labour mobility among the four provinces. Public procurement is a big part of it. ## What does it say about public contracts? For covered public buyers, it does two main things: 1. **Requires open competition above thresholds.** For municipalities, school boards, health entities, and publicly funded academic institutions (the MASH sector), the thresholds are $75,000 for goods, $75,000 for services and $200,000 for construction. Provincial ministries and agencies, and Crown corporations, have their own thresholds. [When BC buyers have to post a tender](https://crewbid.tech/guides/public-tender-thresholds-bc) lists them. 2. **Prohibits discrimination against suppliers from partner provinces.** A covered Alberta buyer can't favour Alberta suppliers over BC ones, for example by giving points simply for being an Alberta company. The same applies in reverse: an Alberta firm can bid on BC public work on equal terms. Competition runs both ways. ## How does it fit with the national agreement? The **Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA)** covers every province with similar rules, but higher thresholds. Because the New West Partnership thresholds are lower, it's usually the agreement that decides whether a western Canadian public contract must be openly posted. ## What it doesn't do - **It doesn't make Alberta rules go away.** You still need to register your business to carry on business in Alberta, carry Alberta WCB coverage for work there, and meet any Alberta licensing for your trade. [How to bid on Alberta tenders from BC](https://crewbid.tech/guides/alberta-public-tenders) walks through it. - **It doesn't cover everything.** Agreements list exceptions, such as emergencies and some specialized services, and contracts below the thresholds follow each buyer's own policy. Many small Alberta jobs still go to invited local quotes. - **It doesn't remove practical advantages.** A buyer can still score response times or experience with similar sites, which a local firm may do better on. It just can't score where you're from. ## Why it matters right now There's been a strong push across Canada to reduce interprovincial trade barriers. For contractors, the practical effect is simple: the border isn't a reason to skip a tender. If you're near Alberta, your market is bigger than you might think. ## What about Saskatchewan and Manitoba? The same agreement covers them, so in principle a BC crew can bid on their public work on equal terms too. In practice, distance makes most service contracts there impractical for BC crews, except for specialist work where few firms compete. Alberta is the realistic next step for most. ## Practical things to price in Equal treatment on paper doesn't make the work cheaper to deliver. Before bidding across the border, think through: - **Travel and accommodation** for crews, especially on multi-site or call-out contracts with response times. - **Equipment** you'll need to base in Alberta or haul back and forth. - **Taxes and invoicing.** Alberta has no provincial sales tax, and GST applies as usual. Ask your accountant how working in Alberta changes your pricing, invoicing and records. - **Local rules** such as business licences in Alberta municipalities, which work like BC's. ## Where Alberta tenders are posted Most Alberta public tenders are on **Alberta Purchasing Connection (APC)**, where the Government of Alberta, municipalities, school boards and health entities post. Viewing is open to everyone; registration is required to bid. CrewBid covers BC today, and Alberta is next. ## Where to go next Start with [how to find and bid on public tenders in Alberta from BC](https://crewbid.tech/guides/alberta-public-tenders). ## Sources - [New West Partnership Trade Agreement: MASH sector](https://www.newwestpartnershiptrade.ca/government_mash_sector.HTM) - [New West Partnership Trade Agreement: government procurement](https://www.newwestpartnershiptrade.ca/government_procurement.HTM) - [New West Partnership Trade Agreement (Province of BC)](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/managing-a-business/permits-licences/businesses-incorporated-companies/new-west-partnership-trade-agreement) - [Find and compete for government contracts (Government of Alberta)](https://www.alberta.ca/find-and-compete-for-government-contracts)