AMP (Autorité des marchés publics)

The Autorité des marchés publics (AMP) is the Quebec government body created to oversee all public contracts — provincial, municipal and network businesses included — by screening the integrity of the businesses that win them and monitoring how they perform once under contract.

What it is

The AMP was instituted by the Act mainly to promote the oversight of public contract management and to institute the Autorité des marchés publics (2017, chapter 27), sanctioned December 1, 2017, and it operates under the Loi sur les contrats des organismes publics (LCOP, chapter C-65.1). It is a legal person acting as mandatary of the State. Its mission is to oversee the entirety of public contracts, including the adjudication and award processes, and to apply the LCOP rules on inadmissibility to contract, prior authorization to obtain a public or sub-contract, and contractor performance reporting.

What the AMP does

Under the LCOP, the AMP: screens enterprises for integrity before they can win public contracts; keeps the register of non-admissible enterprises and the register of enterprises authorized to conclude a public contract or sub-contract; subjects any enterprise party to a public contract or sub-contract — authorized or not — to ongoing surveillance, including verifications at any time that integrity requirements continue to be met; can require information to determine monitoring and support measures tied to contract execution; and can examine the conformity of an entity's adjudication or award process.

What it means for vendors

Bidding on Quebec public contracts is not a one-time screening: once you hold a contract or sub-contract, you remain under AMP surveillance for its duration, and authorizations to contract are subject to prescribed fees and periodic updates under the LCOP. An enterprise's inadmissibility can result directly from an AMP decision under the LCOP, so suppliers should treat AMP registration, authorizations and register status as standing eligibility conditions — not paperwork filed once at bid time.

Common questions

Is the AMP the same as the SEAO?

No. The SEAO runs the electronic tendering system where Quebec public calls for bids are published; the AMP oversees contract integrity and compliance under the LCOP. Most bidders interact with the SEAO at bid time and with the AMP through authorization and surveillance requirements.

Does the AMP cover municipal contracts?

Yes. The establishing act covers the public contracts of public bodies including municipal organizations, which is why the AMP matters to construction and infrastructure suppliers working for Quebec municipalities.

Related definitions

LCOP · RBQ licence · SEAO · Supplier suspension and debarment