About the Defence Procurement Strategy

Industry Engagement

Early and Continuous Engagement

One of the three key objectives of the Defence Procurement Strategy (DPS) is delivering the right equipment to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the Canadian Coast Guard in a timely manner. This objective can more effectively be achieved through early industry and client engagement as part of the defence procurement process. Early engagement will be an important element in improving economic outcomes of defence procurement, and in streamlining defence procurement processes. In fact, it was a key success factor of the National Shipbuilding Strategy and, a driving principle of the work of the National Fighter Procurement Secretariat.

Engagement establishes a two-way conversation between industry and government to better understand needs and available solutions; it promotes a transparent approach to public procurement, and has many benefits, including:

• Helping government understand what industry solutions are available—this is important in shaping requirements and identifying innovative solutions to government needs;
• Allowing for an open, fair and transparent process and facilitating more frequent and comprehensive information-sharing between industry and government;
• Providing industry with an early and better understanding of capability requirements and the desired outcomes of benefit to Canada, which limits the risk of problems that can emerge later in a defence procurement process, ensuring cost-effective and timely delivery of the right equipment for the CAF; and,
• Facilitating more timely and informed decision-making by government.

The Government of Canada hosts industry sessions to ensure continuous engagement.

Value Propositions

Industry will be engaged on a procurement-specific basis throughout the entire procurement process, starting early in the planning stage—at the options analysis phase—of a given procurement. This helps government better identify the objectives of a given procurement that are of benefit to Canada, which will drive the development of Value Propositions that can maximize desired outcomes of benefit to Canada.

When the government is better informed about options associated with capability, cost and “benefit to Canada” elements of a particular procurement, it is able to make timely and appropriate decisions on procurements. This will lead to more timely delivery of equipment to the CAF and Canadian Coast Guard.

Value Proposition Guide

The Government of Canada's Value Proposition Guide outlines the Government's approach to assessing defence and Coast Guard procurements. The guide will serve as a reference for companies that want to successfully bid on future defence procurement contracts.

The Value Proposition Guide is a new tool for fostering investment in the Canadian defence industry. The guide will ensure that the Government of Canada's Defence Procurement Strategy will result in the creation of high-skilled jobs and economic growth across the Canadian economy.

The guide was developed after months of extensive consultations with industry leaders. The Value Proposition Guide is supported by large contractors, small and medium-sized businesses, and industry associations, including the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries and the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada.

Defence Acquisition Guide

The Defence Acquisition Guide (DAG) is designed to provide industry with the information they need to make informed research and development investments decisions based on potential requirements. This document fulfills a key component of the Government of Canada's Defence Procurement Strategy and will ensure purchases of defence equipment strengthen Canadian industry while supporting Canadian jobs and meeting the requirements of Canada's men and women in uniform in a timely and responsive way.

National Defence produces an annual Defence Acquisitions Guide (DAG). The DAG will reflect the future operational requirements of the Canadian Armed Forces over a period of 5 to 20 years. This information and the government's related engagement with industry will enable Canadian firms and potential bidders to make informed research and development investments and strategic partnering decisions. This helps Canadian firms to be better positioned to compete for future Government of Canada and international defence procurement opportunities.

Independent Review Panel

The Defence Procurement Strategy incorporates a new challenge function within National Defence that will support the review of projects and associated resource allocation.

This will result in greater up-front clarity in the procurement process and help validate military requirements, enabling more timely resolution of contract letting.

It will be implemented in the first phase of the Defence Procurement Strategy and will include expert third party reviews of High Level Mandatory Requirements for all projects valued over $100 million, and for other select projects below this value.

An Independent Review Panel will provide recommendations to the Deputy Minister of the Department of National Defence bringing together the necessary expertise from military, scientific and policy communities to coordinate third-party reviews. The Panel will have full access to all available information used in the development of the project documentation, including cost estimates.

News Releases

• Archived - Minister of National Defence Announces First Refresh to the Defence Acquisition Guide – May 27, 2015
• Archived - Industry Canada announced today the release of their Value Proposition Guide – December 19, 2014
• Minister Finley speaks at the 2014 Canadian Aerospace Summit in Ottawa – November 18, 2014
• Archived - Minister Finley Highlights Harper Government's Commitments to Defence at DEFSEC – September 4, 2014
• Archived - Defence Minister Announces the Publication of the Defence Acquisition Guide – June 16, 2014
• Archived - Minister Finley Updates CANSEC 2014 on Harper Government's Job Creation and Economic Growth Agenda Through Procurement – May 29, 2014 – Ottawa, Ontario
• Archived - Leveraging Defence Procurement to Create Jobs and Economic Growth in Canada (April 17) – April 17, 2014 – Vancouver, British Columbia
• Archived - Leveraging Defence Procurement to Create Jobs and Economic Growth in Canada (March 17) – March 17, 2014 – Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Archived - Leveraging Defence Procurement to Create Jobs and Economic Growth in Canada (March 13) – March 13, 2014 – Vancouver, British Columbia
• Archived - Minister Finley Announces the Establishment of an Interim Defence Analytics Institute – February 19, 2014 - Ottawa, Ontario
• Archived - Leveraging Defence Procurement to Create Jobs and Economic Growth in Canada (Feb 7) – February 7, 2014 - Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Archived - Leveraging Defence Procurement to Create Jobs and Benefit the Economy – February 5, 2014 - Ottawa, Ontario

Frequently Asked Questions

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more about the Defence Procurement Strategy.