Seen & Heard: Buy Ontario Innovation Day

With the recent passage of Ontario’s Buy Ontario Act, which we’ve blogged about here, government procurement has taken centre stage as a powerful tool to support homegrown companies and one of the most powerful tools Ontario has to shape its innovation economy. This moment invites a closer look at the opportunities created by the legislation, and how Ontario can act as a buyer of Canadian innovation to accelerate adoption and scale province-wide.

That’s why on March 9, the Council of Canadian Innovators joined leaders from the Province of Ontario including the Hon. Stephen Crawford, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement, James Wallace, CEO of Supply Ontario, and Mohammad Qureshi, Chief Corporate Information Officer/ Associate Deputy, alongside public sector buyers, procurement agencies, and innovation leaders for a Buy Ontario Innovation Day.

Hosted in collaboration with HATCH, the day focused on how procurement policy can better support Canadian-controlled firms that are building, growing, and staying rooted in Ontario.

Patrick Searle, CEO of the Council of Canadian Innovators, opened the day with a clear message:

“A real Buy Ontario strategy has to look beyond where a company’s office is. It should account for the broader value that Ontario-based Canadian companies bring to the province and to the country. That includes creating intellectual property here, developing domestic talent, and keeping strategic data and key decisions under Canadian control. Procurement policy should reflect that long-term value.”

Skaidra Puodziunas, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Council of Canadian Innovators, emphasized the importance of modernizing how value is assessed in procurement:

“If Ontario wants procurement to work as an innovation tool, bid assessments need to capture more than price and short-term job counts. Canadian-controlled firms generate value through the intangible assets they build and retain here: intellectual property, highly skilled teams, stronger innovation spillovers, and strategic control over data and capabilities. A strong Buy Ontario initiative should consistently reward companies that innovate in Canada, are embedded in Canadian supply chains, and strengthen domestic ownership in sectors that matter.”

John Bianchini, Chair and CEO of Hatch, spoke to the opportunity in designing procurement systems that better support homegrown companies:

“Ontario has an opportunity to set a higher standard for what domestic economic value really means in procurement. That means prioritizing companies that are truly headquartered here and helping buyers benefit from local expertise. We at Hatch believe that a better Buy Ontario model can help homegrown companies earn that first major contract, prove themselves in-market, and grow from Ontario into global leaders.”

Ontario’s procurement system can be a much stronger force for domestic growth if it is designed to recognize the real economic value created by Canadian-controlled firms.

That means rewarding firms that perform innovation activities in Canada, are integrated into Canadian supply chains, and maintain Canadian control over strategic data where relevant. A stronger approach would reward firms that perform innovation activities in Canada, are integrated into Canadian supply chains, and maintain Canadian control over strategic data where relevant. It would also ensure that when local suppliers are unavailable, Canadian-controlled firms are prioritized over foreign multinationals with branch-plant operations in Canada.

The conversation made clear that a credible Buy Ontario approach should not stop at local preference alone. It should help establish and scale genuinely Canadian companies headquartered in Ontario, while reinforcing broader national economic objectives.

This event was made possible through collaboration between the Province of Ontario, public sector procurement leaders through the Public Sector Buyer’s Association and ecosystem partners committed to strengthening Ontario’s innovation economy.

‍

About the Council of Canadian Innovators

‍The Council of Canadian Innovators represents more than 180 of Canada’s fastest-growing technology companies. Founded in 2015, CCI advocates for policies that help Canadian innovators scale globally, create prosperity at home, and strengthen Canada’s economic sovereignty.