Canada’s Indigenous contracting program funnels billions to Ottawa-area firms -- Businesses in western provinces with large Indigenous populations largely shut out

This story is a collaboration between the IJF and APTN News, with assistance from students at First Nations University of Canada and University of Regina.


Billions of dollars in federal contracts meant to support Indigenous businesses across the country are flowing to two dozen firms in the Ottawa region, a joint IJF investigation has found.

Over the last few years, more than 60 per cent of roughly $1 billion in contracts annually intended to boost Indigenous entrepreneurs and their communities have stayed in the capital. Provinces with large Indigenous populations, including Manitoba, BC, Saskatchewan and Alberta, are largely shut out, according to an IJF analysis of federal data. 

Indigenous leaders and researchers said the imbalance stems from weak design of the program, the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB), which is meant to ensure at least five per cent of most federal contracts go to Indigenous-owned companies nationwide, in line with the Indigenous population share of five per cent. They said the PSIB does little to help firms outside Ottawa compete with established suppliers ...

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