# Canada Expands Ottawa Drone Procurement

Canada’s planned defence build-up and stated goal of directing 70% of contracts to Canadian firms within a decade are prompting Ottawa-area drone manufacturers to expand production. Through the Defence Drone Initiative marketplace, AVSS reports winning a contract in September (the year was not specified), while Robotics Centre has qualified but reports no Canadian contract for its own drones. For procurement teams, the distinction between marketplace qualification and an award is important when assessing supplier readiness and near-term demand.

- The Defence Drone Initiative marketplace is a channel for suppliers seeking Canadian defence drone work; qualification alone does not indicate that a company has received a contract.
- AVSS’s reported award provides evidence of an active procurement opportunity, but the source gives no contract value, number, or specific award date.
- Canadian suppliers and prospective contractors can use the stated domestic-contracting goal and planned defence expansion to inform production planning, while treating future demand as prospective rather than guaranteed.

**Jurisdictions:** international
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Contracting Vehicles
**Published:** October 26, 2026

### Government Entities
- Government of Canada
- Department of National Defence (DND)
- Canadian Armed Forces
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

### Vendors
- Aerial Vehicle Safety Solutions Inc. (AVSS) (Awardee through the Defence Drone Initiative marketplace)
- Robotics Centre (Drone manufacturer qualified for the Defence Drone Initiative marketplace; no Canadian contract for its own drones was reported)

### Key Quotes
> I see our region doubling down and collaborating where there's a new opportunity here in our country, where DND and the [Canadian Armed] Forces are, of course, the end customer, but also the NATO allied countries.
> — Sonya Shorey, Chief Executive Officer, Invest Ottawa

> We're not building a better platform, we're building a platform that's more easily stored, more easily shipped, more easily assembled and is resilient when all the other pieces of the supply chain fall apart.
> — Bill Dickie, Chief Operating Officer, Robotics Centre

### Sources
- [Ottawa drone makers tool up for increased defence budget | CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-drone-makers-tool-up-increased-defence-budget-9.7392233) - CBC