CCI's 2026 Pre-Budget Recommendations for the British Columbia Government

B.C.’s economy is facing mounting pressure. Rising tariffs, demographic shifts, and growing debt are colliding with global competition, forcing the province to rethink how it drives growth and productivity. In this environment, stronger collaboration between government and industry is essential if British Columbia is to seize its opportunities and secure long-term prosperity.

For decades, B.C. has benefitted from its natural wealth and its position as a Pacific gateway. British Columbia’s resource industries, world-class ports, and highly educated workforce have given the province a competitive edge in both domestic and international markets. Policymakers have long been adept at leveraging these advantages to expand trade and build prosperity.

But today’s economy looks different. Value creation is no longer rooted in what we pull out of the ground or ship across the ocean. In the 21st century economy, intangible assets like intellectual property, artificial intelligence, and data determine competitiveness. Jurisdictions around the world are deliberately investing in innovation policies that scale local champions and embed domestic technology into every corner of their economies. If B.C. is to stay competitive, it must do the same.

As part of the 2026 pre-budget consultations, the Council of Canadian Innovators has presented a series of recommendations designed to position innovation as a central pillar of the provincial budget and ensure B.C. remains a leader in Canada’s innovation ecosystem.

1. Reform Strategic Procurement
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2. Add Value-Add Strategies to Major Projects
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3. Simplify the Acquisition of Talent

You can read the full submission HERE:

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About the Council of Canadian Innovators

The Council of Canadian Innovators is a national member-based business council, working to reshape how governments across Canada think about innovation policy, and supporting homegrown scale-ups to drive prosperity. Established in 2015, CCI represents over 150 of Canada’s fastest-growing technology companies. Our members are the CEOs, founders, and top executives behind some of Canada’s most successful ‘scale-up’ companies. All our members are job and wealth creators, investors, philanthropists, and experts in their fields of health tech, cleantech, fintech, cybersecurity, AI and digital transformation. Companies in our portfolio are market leaders in their verticals, commercialize their technologies in over 190 countries, and generate between $10M-$750M in annual recurring revenue. We advocate on their behalf for government strategies that increase their access to skilled talent, strategic capital, and new customers, as well as expanded freedom to operate for their global pursuits of scale.