Deciding to Export

Bidding on Foreign Government Contracts

In many markets, government contracts are reserved for local firms. Generally speaking, services trade agreements exclude government procurement.

You should ask Canadian trade officers about what kinds of contracts you could realistically acquire. The easiest way to get such a contract is as a subcontractor to a local strategic partner. You may also wish to check various online bidding sites like WorldBid where governments post requests for proposal that are open to firms from foreign markets (e.g.,).

You can also check RFPSource, which also matches Canadian products and services with bid opportunities posted by foreign governments.

For leads on selling products and services to the U.S. government, see Sell2USGOV.

The Canadian Commercial Corporation may also be able to assist you as their specialty is government contracting. Normally, CCC acts as the prime contractor, signing a contract with the foreign government agency and a matching contract with the exporter. In doing so, CCC adds the Government of Canada’s credibility to the transaction and makes Canadian companies, SMEs in particular, more competitive internationally.

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