N.B. RECIPROCAL TREATMENT POLICY

N.B. RECIPROCAL TREATMENT POLICY
For procurements above the thresholds defined in the interprovincial procurement agreements, the province is required to treat goods, services and suppliers from other provinces in exactly the same manner as a New Brunswick supplier would be treated. Consideration of local content or economic benefits that favor New Brunswick suppliers is forbidden for these procurements.

For procurements which are not covered by those agreements, the province may apply a small preference for New Brunswick products, services or suppliers. When determining if a preference will be given, the Central Purchasing Branch will apply a policy of reciprocal treatment to bidders from other provinces. This means that the Branch will consider how New Brunswick bidders are treated in those other provinces before determining if a preference will be used and the extent to which it may be applied.

The following statement from the standard terms and conditions used in all goods and services tenders explains the use of preferences:

"Vendors are advised that, for procurements which are not subject to the provisions of one or more of the interprovincial procurement agreements, the province of New Brunswick reserves the right to apply provincial or regional preferences, consider local content in the evaluation of bids and/or refuse to consider bids from vendors from other jurisdictions when it is considered to be in the best interests of the province. When determining the use of these conditions, the province will consider, among other factors, the extent to which New Brunswick vendors have access to equivalent procurement opportunities in those jurisdictions and the treatment accorded by those jurisdictions to bids from New Brunswick vendors. The province will be the sole judge of whether these conditions will be used and the extent to which they will be applied."

NOTE:
Bidders are cautioned that such preferences will not be applied in all cases. The Branch will apply the Reciprocal Treatment Policy and will only use preferences when it is considered to be in the province's best interests. In no instance will a preference of greater than 5% of the lowest bid price be considered. When considering the amount of preference to be applied, the total provincial or regional content in the bids will be considered. The decision on the use of preferences and the amount applied will be final and non-negotiable.