Public-Sector Procurement

Canada announced a staged equity investment of up to C$1.6 billion in Cohere, tied to commitments on Canadian jobs, computing infrastructure, corporate residency, research partnerships, and AI safety. The investment is not a procurement award or a government purchase, but may expand Cohere’s capacity as a potential supplier and signals Canada’s approach to supporting sovereign AI.

European agencies are exploring AI procurement, but regulatory uncertainty, compliance costs, and limited digital skills continue to slow adoption, especially among small and midsize businesses. AWS executive Sasha Rubel sees public-sector procurement as a potential opening for smaller European suppliers, although no specific tender, contract value, or buying timeline is identified.