Make your move with confidence. A well-structured resource assessment ensures that Canadian businesses are financially stable, technically prepared, and strategically positioned for success in the United States Department of Defense (U.S. DoD) market. Take the readiness quiz below to assess your company’s readiness to enter the U.S. DoD market.
By addressing gaps in funding, compliance, expertise, relationships, product/service fit, experience and resources Canadian companies can enhance their competitiveness and increase their chances of securing long-term U.S. DoD contracts.
U.S. DoD Market Readiness Assessment
| Criteria | Qualities of Successful Contractors | Score (1=low to 5=high) |
|---|---|---|
| Established, profitable business | > 5 years in business (>10 has most success), export experience in the USA, and strong financials reflecting growth, revenue, and profit. | |
| Defined core competence | You can state clearly, “We specialize in…” (solving what problem?). | |
| Past performance | You can show your track record solving that problem and provide 3–5 relevant referral clients with quantifiable results. | |
| U.S. military need | You have found 1–3 program offices that have the problems you solve. You have ideas for an initial project worth between $15,000 and $350,000. | |
| Relationships | You have identified multiple contacts across diverse roles in your chosen U.S. DoD agencies, large primes, and small business partners. | |
| Federal market knowledge | You’ve completed U.S. DoD market education, participated in program office outreach, and are familiar with DFARS, contract vehicles, agency forecasts, and competitive market intelligence. | |
| Capacity | You have current documentation, availability of qualified staff, space, components, and subcontractors needed to perform the full contract. | |
| Finance | You know and can meet your needs for working capital to develop the business, perform the work, pay staff and material, and await payment. | |
| Corporate commitment | You have allocated funds and personnel for business development, proposals, expert resources, and contract performance. You have a 2-year horizon for ROI on the market. You’ve assigned responsibility for all aspects of U.S. DoD marketing, capture, and contract performance. | |
| Registrations, certifications, and compliance | You have researched, completed, and confirmed current compliance with all registrations, clearances, and certifications required for contract pursuit and performance. |
Source: Government Contracting Made Easier by Judy Bradt founder of Summit Insight, and a former Canadian Trade Commissioner who now specializes in helping companies sell to the U.S. government.
Readiness Score Interpretation
1-19: Weak readiness level – Ask yourself: Do I need to build my business before pursuing U.S. DoD contracts?
20-29: Moderate readiness level – Ask yourself: Where do I need to strengthen to be a more confident DoD contractor?
30-39: Good readiness level – Ask yourself: What can I do now to start building my DoD pipeline and refine my offering and position?
40-50: Strong readiness level – Ask yourself: What is my DoD pipeline and how do I grow it?
Personnel Readiness Check
As part of your readiness check, it is essential to identify and align the right people, tools, and resources that will support each stage of contracting with the U.S. DoD. The following chart is designed to help you determine what resources are needed and any gaps in critical business activities.
| Critical Activity | Person Responsible | Resources (People, Time, Money) Available |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | ||
| Forecasting | ||
| Client care, follow-up and referral development | ||
| Contact relationship management | ||
| Product/service development | ||
| Human resources | ||
| Financing | ||
| Legal | ||
| Outside technical support | ||
| Production | ||
| Partner relationships | ||
| Proposal writing | ||
| Contract administration | ||
| Delivery service/product | ||
| Marketing | ||
| Sales/business development |