QUESTION PERIOD — Public Services and Procurement
Procurement Process
October 2, 2025
My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. I read with great interest about the Carney government’s proposal to implement a new “Buy Canadian” policy aimed at ensuring that the federal government prioritizes procurement from Canadian suppliers.
This is a welcome development, one that is critically needed to strengthen our domestic ecosystem of small- and medium-sized enterprises, or SMEs. Designed to build a more resilient economy better shielded from global disruptions, this policy will create clear obligations for the public sector to support Canadian industries.
Could you confirm whether it is still the government’s intention to implement these measures by November?
Thank you, Senator Loffreda.
I understand that the government is still on track, and the implementation is expected to begin in November with the launch of the policy on prioritizing Canadian materials. This is in addition to a policy on prioritizing Canadian materials in federal procurement that will require suppliers working on defence and construction contracts exceeding a certain value to use Canadian steel and softwood lumber where these inputs are necessary.
Thank you for the answer.
In conjunction with the Buy Canadian policy, the government also announced the creation of a new small- and medium-sized business procurement program aimed at establishing tailored procurement streams for SMEs and providing dedicated support to help them navigate the federal system.
Can you clarify when this program is expected to be implemented and what specific steps are being taken to streamline and simplify the federal procurement process and address long-standing barriers and bureaucratic inefficiencies?
Public Services and Procurement Canada plans to launch the small- and medium-sized business procurement program to expedite and simplify access to federal procurement and begin the phased implementation of measures to prioritize Canadian suppliers and content by December 2025.
