# Vimy Forge Connects Canadian Startups With Military Users

Vimy Forge is connecting nine Canadian defence start-ups with military users to help them understand operational requirements and procurement pathways before developing or pitching solutions. The first cohort includes firms working on uncrewed ground vehicles, textiles and drone detection. Federal and New Brunswick support helped establish the accelerator, including almost $1 million from a broader $357.7-million initiative supporting smaller companies entering defence supply chains. The Business Development Bank of Canada is supporting a second cohort planned for winter 2027. The article reports no specific RFPs or contract awards to participating firms.

- Procurement teams can use the accelerator’s early operational feedback model to surface capability needs and engage with emerging suppliers before solutions are fully developed.
- Contractors and investors can assess the cohort’s technologies—particularly uncrewed ground vehicles, textiles and drone detection—for potential relevance to defence requirements and supply chains.
- The planned winter 2027 cohort offers a future point of engagement, but no application deadline or procurement solicitation is identified.
- Treat the announcement as market development and supplier-readiness activity, not as evidence of an available contract award.

**Jurisdictions:** international
**Industries:** Defense & Military
**Topics:** Grants & Funding
**Published:** November 02, 2026

### Government Entities
- Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)
- Government of Canada
- Government of New Brunswick
- Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
- Regional Development Agencies of Canada (RDAs)

### Vendors
- Engineering Design Lab ()
- Prodigy Intelligence ()
- Vimy Forge (Defence accelerator)

### Key Quotes
> We as a nation end up with the right capabilities in the right hands at the right time.
> — Duncan McSporran, Managing Director of Vimy Forge

> Vimy Forge is the first one to do it right, as more people are trying to get into the accelerator space.
> — Adrian Bulzacki, Prodigy Intelligence

### Sources
- [How a Canadian defence accelerator is bringing industry and military closer together - The Globe and Mail](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/economy/article-vimy-forge-canadian-defence-accelerator-industry-military-closer) - The Globe and Mail