Cases / National Defence

Case study

How National Defence actually buys

Canada's largest buyer: massive volume, the most competitive record in government, long relationship cycles.

188,388
awards on record
$385.3B
recorded value
8.2%
awarded without competition
2000–2026
record span
Competition is the norm. Only 8.2% of contracts skip competition — among the most contestable buyers in government. Proposal craft and pricing discipline decide outcomes here; incumbency protections are thin.
Average award value is high — expect formal RFP processes, securities, and long evaluation cycles. Team depth matters more than speed.

The incumbents — top vendors by value

NameAwardsValue
Irving Shipbuilding Inc6$25.6B
SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership2$22.4B
Irving Shipbuilding Inc.2$18.8B
Lockheed Martin Canada Inc.108$18.7B
I.M.P Group Limited6$16.9B
General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada Corporation68$14.6B

Where the money goes — top categories

NameAwardsValue
676183$75.4B
4232,598$35.5B
6752,761$31.6B
4996,250$27.6B
1256968$26.3B
4201,546$23.8B

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