Buy Canadian

The Canadian Shield Institute recommends defining a Canadian company by Canadian headquarters and the absence of majority foreign control, initially for defence procurement. This is not a change to current rules: qualifying foreign-owned firms can still receive a 10% bid-evaluation advantage on designated-sector contracts of $5 million or more, subject to existing eligibility requirements and trade agreements.

A November 2, 2026, parliamentary supply motion is examining how the Buy Canadian policy applies to the Canada Revenue Agency’s approximately $11.9 million security-services award to Universal Protection Service of Canada Corporation, a subsidiary of U.S.-owned Allied Universal. Procurement Ombud Alexander Jeglic said foreign ownership alone does not disqualify a supplier that meets Canadian business-presence criteria; he has not reviewed the procurement or found the rules were misapplied.

Canada’s November 5 federal budget is expected to address major projects, infrastructure, strategic industries, productivity, AI, and “Buy Canadian” procurement amid economic and trade uncertainty. These are prospective policy priorities—not confirmed funding or solicitations—so contractors should monitor the budget for measures that could later generate specific programs and opportunities.

The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) highlights that 78% of surveyed architectural firms source over half their materials domestically. However, product-category gaps hinder further domestic sourcing. RAIC is advocating for equitable access to federal procurement and better visibility of Canadian products to bolster domestic sourcing efforts.