The United States Department of War (U.S. DoW) is not a single customer, but rather a network of branches, commands, program offices, and contracting centers, each with unique missions and cultures but a shared set of acquisition rules. For a Canadian company, this means the first step is to research where your capabilities are relevant so you can identify the right contacts and build the relationships that lead to contracts. This page covers how to identify the offices and/or programs, contacts and contract types are relevant to your Canadian business.
Pick your 3-5 target buyers
In an earlier step, Is the U.S. DoW market right for my business?, you mined the U.S. DoW contract data to identify if any contracts were issued for your product or service type.
Now you’ll have to dig a little deeper into the data to find the End Users (the programs or offices you want to target) and Contracting Officers responsible for past contracts. Based on the data, pick 3-5 high potential prospect program offices to focus your business development efforts on.
This information is not posted in the summary contract award, you’ll need to find the detailed award record. Here’s how:
- Log in into SAM.gov
- Select Search
- Select Contracting Domains
- Select Contract Opportunities
- Select Solicitation as Notice Type
- Enter your filtering criteria such as NAICS or Product and Service Code
- Select Inactive for Status. This will provide a list of past solicitations (i.e. RFPs, RFQs, etc.) that match your criteria.
- Select a Solicitation title and you will find a Primary Point of Contact, Alternative Point of Contact and Contracting Office Address that you can add to your prospect list.
Finding the right program office to target
Once you’ve identified your potential prospects, research what they’ve been buying and what Pre-Solicitation and Sources Sought notices they have out on SAM.gov. These can give you insight into who might be looking to put a new contract in place.
To find Pre-Solicitations and Sources Sought Notices
- Log in into SAM.gov
- Select Search
- Select Contracting Domains
- Select Contract Opportunities
- Select Pre-solicitation and Sources Sought as Notice Type
- Enter your filtering criteria such as NAICS or Product and Service Code
- Select Active for Status. This will provide a list of current requests for information that match your criteria.
- [Optional] Use the Zip Code or State/Territory to narrow down by procurement office
If the procurement office has a posted RFI, Sources Sought, or pre-solicitation notice: contact the Primary Point of Contact or Alternative Point of Contact named in the posting. They are the gatekeepers.
If the requirement is not yet public: Here’s a few pathways to contact the Program Office for early-stage technical discussions.
Program-Level Industry Liaison Offices
Program-Level Industry Liaison Offices are the fastest way to get a meeting with the actual program stakeholders. They have dedicated staff who manage industry outreach and help industry understand upcoming programs, where requirements live, and how to schedule capability briefings.
They are publicly listed on program office sites: PEO websites (Army, Navy, Air Force, Space), major command acquisition sites, as well as on Broad Agency Announcements and Program Industry Day announcements.
Here is a list of sites that may be helpful for your search:
| Organization / Office | Role in DoW Acquisition | Official URL |
|---|---|---|
| Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)) | Senior DoW acquisition authority responsible for acquisition policy, defense procurement, and sustainment oversight across the department. | https://www.acq.osd.mil |
| Department of the Army – Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ASA(ALT)) | Army acquisition executive responsible for procurement of Army systems, R&D, logistics, and technology development. | https://www.army.mil/asaalt |
| Department of the Navy – Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN(RDA)) | Oversees acquisition for both the Navy and Marine Corps, including shipbuilding, aviation systems, and weapons procurement. | https://www.secnav.navy.mil/rda |
| Department of the Air Force – Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (SAF/AQ) | Acquisition executive for the Air Force and Space Force responsible for research, development, procurement, and sustainment. | https://www.safaq.hq.af.mil |
| Missile Defense Agency (MDA) | Manages development and procurement of ballistic missile defense systems. | https://www.mda.mil |
| Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) | Central DoW research and development organization driving advanced technology programs. | https://www.darpa.mil |
| Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) | Procures and manages global logistics, supply chains, and materiel for the military services. | https://www.dla.mil |
| Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) | Responsible for contract administration and oversight of DoW contractors. | https://www.dcma.mil |
| Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) | Provides audit and financial advisory services for DoW contracts and acquisitions. | https://www.dcaa.mil |
| Defense Acquisition University (DAU) | Provides training and certification for the DoW acquisition workforce. | https://www.dau.edu |
| Organization / Office | Role in DoW Acquisition | Official URL |
|---|---|---|
| DARPA – Broad Agency Announcements & Opportunities | DARPA’s primary page for R&D BAAs and program solicitations across its technology offices. | https://www.darpa.mil/research/opportunities/baa |
| DARPA – Research Opportunities Portal | Searchable list of DARPA BAAs, programs, and funding opportunities. | https://www.darpa.mil/work-with-us/opportunities |
| Office of Naval Research (ONR) – Funding Announcements | Navy & Marine Corps science and technology BAAs, including the Long Range BAA. | https://www.onr.navy.mil/work-with-us/funding-opportunities/announcements |
| Army DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory – BAA | Open BAA for Army foundational science and technology research topics. | https://arl.devcom.army.mil/collaborate-with-us/opportunity/arl-baa/ |
| Army Medical Research & Development Command – BAA | Solicits biomedical and health-related research proposals for military medicine. | https://usamraa.health.mil/BAA/ |
| Defense Logistics Agency – BAA (Strategic Materials) | Research solicitations related to critical materials, supply chains, and metallurgy. | https://www.dla.mil/Strategic-Materials/Business/Broad-Agency-Announcement/ |
| USSOCOM – BAA / CSO / RFI Submissions | Technology and capability BAAs for U.S. Special Operations Command. | https://www.socom.mil/sof-atl/pages/baa.aspx |
| SAM.gov – Contract Opportunities (BAA Search) | Central federal portal where U.S. DoW BAAs are officially posted. | https://sam.gov Under Search, enter “broad agency announcement” in the Simple Search word/phrase search |
| Organization / Portal | What You’ll Find There | URL |
|---|---|---|
| DoW Office of Industrial Base Growth | Central DoW calendar listing conferences, outreach events, and opportunities to learn about U.S. DoW requirements and contracting. | https://business.defense.gov/Engage/Events-Calendar/ |
| Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) – Industry Engagement & Events | Lists DLA industry days, forecasting briefings, and collaboration events with vendors. | https://www.dla.mil/Acquisition/Industry-Engagement-and-Analysis/ |
| NAVFAC (Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command) – Industry Days & Outreach | Upcoming Navy construction, infrastructure, and engineering industry days and outreach events. | https://www.navfac.navy.mil/Divisions/Office-of-Small-Business-Programs/Upcoming-Industry-Days-Outreach-Events/ |
| SAM.gov | Many U.S. DoW industry days are announced through special notices and event announcements tied to specific procurements. | https://sam.gov Under Search, enter “industry day” in the Simple Search word/phrase search |
You can also search “Industry Liaison” + the program to find them.
Suggested approach:
“We would appreciate guidance on the appropriate technical or program representatives for early market discussions related to [capability area]. Could we schedule a 15-minute overview?”
Technical Directorates
These are technical teams involved in defining requirements — often before contracting offices get involved. Most Technical Directorates like Naval Research Lab (NRL), DARPA technical offices, or Army DEVCOM centers all list technology leads, portfolio managers, opportunity announcements and email addresses to request “technical exchange meetings.”
Suggested approach:
“We are exploring potential alignment with your [directorate/lab] technology priorities. Would your team be open to a brief technical interchange meeting?”
Office of Small Business Programs
Knows who owns the requirement, but they are only there to advise U.S. businesses. If you are lucky, some kind person may be helpful enough to connect you to a program office.
Suggested approach:
“I’m seeking guidance on which program office is responsible for [technology/need]. We support government customers in [brief capability]. Could you advise who within [Army/Navy/Air Force/etc.] would be appropriate to engage for early market research?”
Know your target agency priorities
Before you move forward, take time to dive deep into each office or program on your target list. Understand the bigger picture—review their mission statements, strategic plans, ongoing programs, leadership updates, and any key initiatives outlined on their websites.
This research gives you a clear picture of where your solution fits and how you can add value. If you need a refresher, check out the types of contracts used across U.S. DoW.
Don’t skip this step. If you don’t take the time to learn about them, they will not take the time to learn about you.
Position for long-term success
Market entry into the U.S. DoW is not fast — it typically takes 18–36 months to secure meaningful contracts. Patience, persistence, and relationship building are essential.
Success for Canadian companies depends on:
- Building trust — Translating your performance for Canadian and allied governments into credibility for U.S. buyers.
- Demonstrating mission understanding — Demonstrating understanding of U.S. defence priorities and the context your prospective buyers are navigating for procurements.
- Investing in compliance — Complying with applicable regulations such as ITAR, CMMC (cybersecurity), as well as Canadian export controls that impact your operations.
- Engaging early and often — Networking with Program Executive Offices (PEOs) and acquisition officers and attending U.S. DoW industry days, defense expos, and association events
- Leveraging partnerships — Team with prime contractors to pursue subcontracting opportunities.
- Investing in long-term relationship building — Maintaining consistent communication with contracting officers and end users, even between solicitations.
- Diversifying across multiple U.S. DoW organizations with similar needs — Once you have an anchor customer, use that to open the door to larger, more sustained revenue streams.