Joint purchasing is an arrangement to procure goods and services with other provinces when it will result in overall best value and it is deemed to be in the best interest of the Government. Public bodies can participate when such an agreement will benefit both the organization and Government. However, there may be situations where it is not applicable to all public bodies and may be sector based (i.e., school buses) thus limiting the participation to specific bodies.

• Where a public body wishes to enter into a joint purchasing agreement, the public body shall send a request to the CPO outlining the details of the commodity to be purchased and the benefits of utilizing this approach. The CPO shall review the information regarding the joint procurement and determine whether this type of procurement method will create best value for Government. The joint purchasing process shall be administered through the Agency to ensure adherence to the applicable legislation, regulations and policies and procedures.
• Under the authority of subsection 5(2) of the Act, where the province enters into a joint purchasing agreement, the province may, notwithstanding this Act, acquire commodities under the agreement and the provisions of the agreement with respect to the acquisition of commodities shall apply to the acquisition instead of the provisions of this Act.
• The Agency shall assume the lead role on behalf of the Province in any joint procurement activity with other provinces. The public body shall partner with the Agency in this process in providing commodity detail, special requirements, participation in the evaluation process and any negotiations, if applicable. The Agency will maintain responsibility for supplier debriefs and complaints with involvement from the public body where required.
• In its role to assure procurement is carried out in the best interest of the province the Agency will review joint purchasing agreements to ensure best value is being received.
• The CPO may require that public bodies coordinate the joint purchasing of commodities and in this instance delegation in writing to the Agency is not required. A public body, however, may apply to be exempt from a requirement for joint purchasing. Such exemption is subject to the approval of the Minister.