Exporting in a Shifting World: How Canadian Firms Use CCC Abroad

Can CCC support Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects?

Yes, CCC has worked on PPP projects before, but they are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The structure must allow CCC to provide its contract assurance, meaning the subcontractor must be at the top of the PPP arrangement so CCC can guarantee everything beneath it.

Does CCC offer support in the oil and gas sector?

Generally, no. CCC has environmental and sustainability commitments, including adherence to the Glasgow Convention, which limits involvement in oil and gas. Some LNG-related projects may be considered, provided they meet these obligations.

Does CCC support contracts in the education or health sectors?

CCC has occasionally worked in education when government buyers were interested, but typically only on large projects valued over $10 million. For medical devices, it’s more challenging because the sector is heavily regulated and is usually better suited to direct sales or competitive tenders rather than G2G contracting.

Does CCC work in sanctioned countries like Iran, Cuba, or North Korea?

No. CCC only contracts with countries where Canada maintains positive bilateral relations. Sanctioned markets are excluded.

How important are local partners in CCC contracts?

Local partners can be very valuable, offering on-the-ground presence, language skills, and connections. However, companies must ensure that partners comply with anti-corruption and anti-crime standards, since CCC requires projects to meet strict integrity standards.

Can smaller companies with lower revenues still work with CCC?

Yes, but typically larger contracts are prioritized (often above $10 million). Smaller businesses may start with advisory services, procurement platforms, or partnerships with larger players until they build their capacity.

Good afternoon, everyone. So it’s now 2:01 PM, so we’ll start with the webinar. So welcome. Thank you for joining us today. I’m Juliet Pleau, Export Advisor at CCC.

And I’m Jonathan McCauley, Senior Export Advisor at CCC. We work directly with Canadian businesses to onboard them and to develop international projects.

We would like to begin by acknowledging that CCC is located on the traditional and unceded territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation, which present here, which is back to time immemorial.

It’s been a busy year for the world of international trade and for Canadian businesses. We were inspired to deliver this webinar, Exporting in a Shifting World, because we wanted to share how CCC fits in this conversation.

Let’s look at CANSEC in May, for example. This year’s event was impressive. Just looking at some numbers, CANSEC hosted more than 12,000 attendees and more than 40 international delegations.

It was a live demonstration that governments around the world are looking to see what Canada has to offer.

And we’re going to dive into this more during the webinar, but first let’s go through our agenda.
We’ll start with an overview of CCC. We’ll also look at the broader context on how changes around the world are achieving demand and creating new openings for Canadian exporters.

Then we’ll dive into CCC’s expertise, selling to governments internationally, and share tips on how businesses can become export ready.

Finally, we’ll open the floor to your questions that you can leave in the Q&A box. We’ll start with the one submitted ahead of the webinar, then move to the live Q&A. If we don’t get to your question today, we can follow up after this webinar, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Today’s webinar is being recorded and will be published on CCC’s website. For those who missed it, keep your cell phones ready because we’ve included some QR codes that you can scan using your camera.
CCC is Canada’s government to government contracting agency. We sign prime contracts directly with governments around the world that we subcontract with our Canadian business customer with whom we co-developed the project.

We measure our corporate performance based on what we call the value of contracts signed or VCS. These would be total key dollars of contracts we signed for our business customers to deliver on.

So 2023-24 was a record fiscal year for us. We signed $3.2 billion worth of contracts.

And remember, we say it’s been a busy year. We topped that number with $6.1 billion worth of contracts in 2024-25.

Pretty amazing. Keep in mind that those dollars flow through CCC to our clean business customers as they deliver on the contract terms and conditions.

It does, though, represent 91% increase over the last year.

And we could boost that number even more. We’re currently working on many projects with many customers and many foreign government buyers on promising contracts. This increase shows the growing appetite of foreign governments to buy from Canada.

Now let’s dig into those numbers more. What’s the story behind this increase?

Looking at CCC’s global footprint, the green area covering the United States represents our US Department of Defense Prime Contracting program.

The light blue region shows are two other business lines, the international contractor IPC and their sourcing programs, along with active agreements with governments such as MO use.

What’s exciting is that our reach went from 63 to 77 countries in 202425.

Keep in mind that this map is Evergreen. Some countries light up as markets open and others make them as contracts or projects come to a close should new ones not replace them.

On this map you can see the total value of contracts signed by CCC over the past year, broken down by region.

Our U.S. Department of Defense brand contractor program Thrive contracts nearly doubled to 2 billion, showing the strength of Canadian innovation in supporting the United States defense.

Our highest growth came from Europe, reaching 3 billion. This reflects both some major contracts and a rising interest from Canadian businesses in pursuing opportunities in that region.

And for South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, these regions remain consistently a tip with CCC with steady demand for ongoing projects.

In Africa, activity slowed. This was one of the regions hardest hit by the pandemic. Still, we signed new MO use and have past success to build on. With strong GDP growth ahead, Africa shows real long term potential.

In West Asia, growth slowed, while Asia Pacific remained consistent, with Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines leading the way.

We’ll be talking about future prospects around the world later on, but first, let’s examine what happened around the globe that led to governments buying more from Canada.

Now, Jonathan, a lot has happened in recent history. It seems like everywhere news New Year brings something unexpected. How much are we planning to cover here?

Good point, Juliette. We’re only going to cover a few, even though there are many more that had impacts on global trade.

OK, so we’re looking at the war in Ukraine, which began in 2014 and escalated in 2022.

As a direct correlation, CCC’s rapid contracting was and continues to be the Government of Canada’s instrument for getting military aid to Ukraine.
Geopolitically, this war deepened global polar polarization and this had impacts for international trade.

So on this map, the countries in light blue highlight Canada’s closest allies, NATO, the EU, the Five Isis, as well as Japan and South Korea, – All of them play a major role in shaping today’s security and trade environment.

Countries shown in grey are those under Canadian sanctions. You can scan the details for businesses. It’s critical to check whether sanctions apply in your target markets. They can directly impact contract eligibility and financing.

As part of the Government of Canada, CCC ensures that every project complies with Canada’s international obligation and reflects our bilateral relationships.

In response to heightened security threats, NATO members are ramping up defense procurements. The target has increased well beyond the longstanding 2% of GDP benchmark, with some allies now discussing levels closer to 5%.

And we’ve also seen the rise of French during government shifting supply chains towards trusted partners to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience.

Energy has been at the heart of this shift. The urgent drive for energy independence has boosted global demand for Canadian LNG, uranium and critical minerals, positioning Canada as a key supplier to allies.

So what does this mean for Canadian businesses? Governments are prioritizing trusted partners from stable economies. Opportunities are rising in defence, aerospace, infrastructure and clean energy. So Canada is well positioned with its reputation for reliability, transparency and high quality suppliers.

These geopolitical shifts from alliances and sanctions to supply chains and energy all shape where opportunities and risks lie for Canadian exporters today. CCCS role is to help Canadian businesses turn these global trends into real contracts abroad.
As Europe seeks trusted partners in diverse and to diversify its energy supply, CCC is helping Canadian expertise lead the way. In 2024, CCC signed a government to government contract with Romania for Atkins Realis to extend the life of the country’s CANDU reactors.
This project strengthens energy security for Romania and Moldova while supporting their low carbon transition with clean, affordable and reliable power.
Canada remains firmly committed to its defence and trade partnership with the United States. Under the Defence Production Sharing Agreement in place since 1956, Canadian companies enjoy direct access to the US Department of Defence through CCC.
In 2024, the US boosted its defence budget by 5.7% and continues to turn to Canada for unique technologies and trusted suppliers. For example, in January 2025, CCC was proud to sign a contract with Kinetic to supply the Vindicator UAV.
A system used to simulate missile and aircraft threats for air defence training. It’s a clear example of how Canadian innovation strengthens strengthens US defence readiness and how CCC helps Canadian suppliers access the world’s most important procurement markets.

Turning to another global challenge, climate change and natural disasters such as wildfires are reshaping international trade. If your business is someone linked to this sector, the QR code here connects you to our rolling data where you can explore additional maps on floods, droughts and other climate impacts.

In a crisis, governments urgently procure services to mitigate and respond to disasters. Unfortunately, events like wildfires are increasing worldwide, and Canada is no stranger to this reality. Out of necessity, Canadian businesses have built world-class expertise in wildfire response and resilience.
Expertise that’s increasingly in demand globally.

That’s where CCC plays a role. When a foreign government would court support, CCC engages Canadian suppliers to rapidly deploy tailored solutions, ensuring effective and timely responses and urgent situations.

Here’s what that looks like in practice. In 2019, CCC and Coulson Air Crane deployed helicopters to Bolivia to fight devastating wildfires with a contract signed in just one week. In 2023, CCC supported Argentina during a critical fire season.
Enabled by an MOU that streamlined contracting and speed up the response. These examples show how Canadian expertise, paired with CCC’s government to government model, delivers rapid, trusted solutions when countries needed need them the most.

So now let’s take a shift to selling to government buyers. We all know governments are typically large, complex and often slow moving. We really don’t need to look far to see example of this. Depending on the sector, procurement cycles can be long with a heavy emphasis on risk management and due diligence.
Is.

That’s exactly adds value. We help Canadian exporters reduce risk, increase credibility and accelerate access through our government to government contracting model. Let’s take a closer look at CCC’s programs and how they work for Canadian businesses.
CCC helps Canadian businesses access global government markets through services and contracting programs. With gboff.ca, you can explore procurement opportunities worldwide. Our advisory services provide expert guidance for selling to governments internationally.
And we deliver government to government contracts through three core programs, our USDOD Prime Contractor program, our International Prime Contractor program and our Sourcing program.

So for those who don’t know this resource yet, we’d like to take a moment to spotlight chiba.ca CCCS free or procurement platform that gives Canadian businesses access to nearly 1,000,000 tender opportunities from governments in Canada and around the world.
Using keywords related to your business, you can find opportunities, save your searches, and have your results automatically e-mail at the pace you would like. It’s also fully bilingual and built for businesses of all sizes, making it easy to explore opportunities in English or French.
So if you haven’t registered yet, now’s the time. It only takes a minute and opens the door to many procurement opportunities.

There are different pathways that businesses can take to reach a government contract. One of the most common is through competitive solicitations. Our platform gboft.ca that Juliette just shared connects Canadian businesses to these opportunities around the world in other cases.
Governments may choose to sole source. Some businesses, usually larger ones, pursue direct sales contracts with governments, but this approach often requires significant resources and places more contracting risk on the business itself. That’s where CCC provides another pathway. We Co develop projects with Canadian businesses.
And elevate a direct sales to a government to government agreement. This model reduces risk for the supplier and the buyer, often reaches a contract quicker and is tailored to the buyer’s needs.
Government to government contracting works in situations that need it when there’s an urgent need, a national security requirement, a unique supplier capability, or when competitive processes may not be practical.
It’s more than just contracting to acquire an important capability. It is building a sincere nation to nation relationship and that needs to be part of the value add when discussing the opportunity.

And of course, there are many other pathways to government contracts. They just don’t all fit on one slide. You can store them all by scanning the QR code on your screen, and it’s a quick way to access valuable insight and resources that could open new doors for your business.

Now let’s take a closer look at CCC’s International Prime Contractor program, our solution for government contracts outside of the United States, funded through our cost recovery fee that’s built into the contract and paid by the buyer.
IPC enables Canadian businesses to deliver high impact projects globally. Our fee starts at 5% and decreases with the contract size, complexity and risk. And why use this program?
Here’s what makes it valuable. Let’s start with speed. CCC’s government-to-government contracting model enables foreign governments to move quickly on urgent needs. This means faster procurement and shorter timelines to get the projects off the ground. We will literally move as fast as our government buyer can and our Canadian business.
Customer.
Risk is managed proactively. CCC conducts early stage risk assessments and applies A comprehensive risk management framework throughout the life of the contract. This helps to identify potential issues before they arise and keeps projects on track.
And there’s a sovereign guarantee. CCC backs the contract with the Government of Canada sovereign guarantee, meaning that Canada stands behind the delivery of the contract. This gives the buyer the confidence that commitments will be met exactly as agreed.
And governments prefer it. Many foreign governments use government to government contracting because it helps to strengthen bilateral ties with Canada while offering a reliable procurement process. And finally, political assurance matters.
For high stakes strategic projects, especially when domestic capabilities are limited, G to G contracting provides the political assurance needed to move forward with confidence.

At CCC, to ensure success, we were businesses who are ready to take large complex international contracts typically valued at over $10 million for our international prime contractor program. To qualify for IPC, your solution must be fully developed, already sold to a government.
Government and the projects must be sole source, meaning the government buyer has chosen your business directly. We also look for businesses with the financial capacity to manage risk, ideally with annual revenues are three to four times the size of the contract.
So if you’re not quite there yet, that’s completely OK. Keep in mind that there are many ways to explore it and CCC’s focus on government to government contracting is quite niche. The key is to build your internal capacity, document your performance and engage CCC early when you may have an opportunity at.
The pit so we can prepare.

If this sounds like a fit, we’ve made onboarding simple. Our short due diligence questionnaire helps prequalified businesses so that so we can move fast when an opportunity arises. To help promote Canadian solutions globally, we’ve created capability guides which are free marketing tools to showcase.
Qualified capabilities to foreign government buyers. We use these guys when we engage decision makers around the world. Right now we have three of them. You can see on the slide the cover of the Aerospace Defense and Security guide and we have an emergency preparedness guide and we have a renewable energy guide.
If your business fits our program criteria and is active in these sectors, this is one way that we can help you to get in front of decision buyers globally.

So before we dive into our USDOD program, we want to acknowledge Catsy for hosting a webinar in the US market this morning. These discussions are timely with the upcoming AUSA trade show in Washington this October.
If you’re there, don’t miss your chance to meet with Suzanne Wilkinson, our Senior Director for the USDOD program at CCC. So now let’s dive deeper into this program through the Canada US Defense Production Sharing Agreement, DPSA.
Companies can sell to the USDOD as if there were domestic suppliers with no service fees. The Buy American Act is wave products enter duty free and for contracts over $250,000 USD, CCC is automatically assigned as prime contractor that makes procurement.
Faster and more secure for both sides. The USDOD is one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated buyers. They’ve they’re seeking unique solution, including dual use innovation, as well as a wide range of other products and services.
If your business has something to offer, this is a powerful way to access a high value market.

It’s also important to recognize that the DoD is modernizing its acquisition process to speed up procurement and bring in new solutions earlier. Of course, selling to the US has both advantages and challenges. There are no guaranteed contracts.
Canadian businesses must still be qualified, be competitive and proactive. Navigating this market takes preparation and persistence. That means building relationships, attending industry sessions, responding to requests for information, and submitting clear two-page white papers that highlight your unique value proposition.

So what does CCC look for in Canadian businesses under the USDOD prime contractor program? First, it’s important to understand the DoD’s current priorities. They’re increasingly focused on non-traditional solution in dual use technologies. However, not all sectors are eligible, like food commodities.
Commodities and textiles which are excluded from this program. Getting started is pretty straightforward. You’ll need to complete a few key registration, including your Sam dot Gov unique entity ID, your ncage code and form DD2345 for.
access to control technical information. Once those are in place, reach out to us for guidance or visit CCC.ca to learn more.

One of CCC’s core roles is to help connect Canadian businesses with the international government. We do this through government to government contracting, which gives your company a more secure and credible way to reach those markets.
The leads we focus on usually come from three places. First, Canadian businesses approach us with interest from a foreign government. Second, partners like embassies, trade commissioners or industry associations refer opportunities.
And third, foreign government buyers, many of them repeat customers, come directly to CCC because they trust Canadian capabilities and our contracting model.

Great. So now this map shows where our CCC assigned MOUs with governments around the world. Each MOU is designed to open doors for Canadian businesses through G2G contracting. It’s important to note that while CCC assigned MOUs focus on specific sectors or projects, these build on a wider.
Foundation, Canada’s Trace Agreement, Defense cooperation agreements, or even nuclear agreements that expand collaboration with allied countries. The green arrows highlight our most recent MOUs, including several signed this year.
For example, in Indonesia, where CCC is supporting a smart mothering infrastructure project in Cyprus, our agreement focuses on space technology and in May we signed MOU with the UK.
Export Credit Agency UK Export Finance. This one is especially exciting because it enables UK back financing for a joint UK Canadian G2G projects in sector like aerospace, defense, clean energy and ICT.
These agreements aren’t just signatures on paper, they’re strategic tools that gives businesses greater visibility, credibility, and have faster pathways into global markets.

With this slide, we wanted to share some thoughts on where we see future government to government contracting prospects emerging.
This map highlights countries where CCC expects to see more activity based both on a country’s openness to G2G contracting and on recent agreements or upcoming projects. In Brazil, for example, the signing of a defense cooperation agreement in February 2025 has opened.
The door to G2G opportunities in the defense sector. This market will be especially promising where Canada offers unique capabilities that are less available domestically.
In Mexico, Prime Minister Carney and President Shinebaum recently signed a comprehensive action plan that includes trade collaboration. CCC has delivered projects in Mexico before, and with this new momentum, we see a strong opportunity for history to repeat itself.
The UAE has shown openness to G to G agreements in defence, aerospace and infrastructure. With Canada’s reputation for high quality, reliable suppliers, this market is well positioned for future opportunities, especially where procurement requires trusted partners and strategic partnerships.
As part of the Indo-pacific strategy, the Philippines is expanding cooperation with trusted partners for their defence modernization and disaster response needs. CCC could see opportunities here through G2G channels tied to Canada’s broader regional engagement.
Before working with the CCC, it’s important to ensure that your business is export ready and that means having the right tools, the knowledge and support to succeed internationally. In this section, we’ll walk through key partners and resources that can help you build that capacity.

Starting with the Trade Commissioner Service, they’re part of the governments of Canada’s trade portfolio, just like CCC and EDC. They open doors to global markets through Canada’s diplomatic network, offering strategic insight, credible connections and practical support to all key businesses thrive in key international.
Regions. Keep in mind you know your product service better than anyone else. That’s your strength. So before connecting with the TCS, take time to prepare. Research where your capabilities are in demand and refrain your international business plan.
Using the link on this slide, businesses can consult the TCS countries or market assessment, including where they see potential opportunities by sector. So by being prepared, you can approach the TCS with clarity and purpose, ready to tap into their expertise and make.
full progress in your international journey.
So now that you’ve started shaping your international business plan, can explore SMEs is a great next step to help you act on it. With this funding program, businesses can get support to explore new international markets. This program can help cover costs like market research, travel, translation and participation to trade shows.
This is real practical support to reduce your financial risk of going global. So if you’ve done your market research and you know where you might get interest from a buyer, Canexport SMEs can help you get there. So bookmark this link and make sure to check back in the springtime as this is a once annual application process.

Now let’s talk about Export Development Canada, Canada’s official export credit agency. EDC offers financial solutions such as credit insurance, guarantees, working capital financing, and they complement CCC’s work by helping you finance or de-risk your international operations.
The link on the slide is a good way to do some market research by seeing EDC’s financial risk assessment by country.
A recent development worth noting is that following a review, EDC recently announced a new commitment to broaden their scope of support for the defense and security sector.

OK, now back to CCC. We offer free and useful training to help Canadian businesses meet compliance standards and confidence in challenging or high risk markets. Staying compliant with anti corruption or anti bribery standard isn’t just smart, it’s.
Essential If you’re pursuing pursuing G2G contracts, this training is especially invaluable because transparency and integrity are non-negotiable. So we strongly encourage you to explore this resource as a simple, effective way to boost your credibility and readiness in global markets.