Defence and cybersecurity B2B marketing in Canada: what changes with the Defence Industrial Strategy and CPCSC

Canada committed in June 2025 to reach NATO's 2% target in the 2025-26 fiscal year, with an investment of over $9 billion that year. In February 2026 the Prime Minister launched Canada's first Defence Industrial Strategy, describing $180 billion in defence procurement opportunities in Canada over 10 years and $290 billion in defence-related capital investment opportunities over the same period.

The targets matter more to marketers than the totals: raise the share of defence acquisitions awarded to Canadian firms to 70%, increase defence exports by 50%, and make "Buy Canadian" the guiding principle for defence acquisitions. A new Defence Investment Agency is meant to streamline procurement and lead a permanent Defence Advisory Forum with industry. For many Ottawa suppliers this is the first time in years that domestic demand is growing faster than their marketing.

Most SMEs will not sell directly to the Crown first. The buying map below is the one we start from.

A prime's supplier development team is a buying group like any other: engineering, supply chain, quality, security and a program lead. We build account lists for primes the same way we build them for enterprise software, and run account-based marketing against each role.

The Canadian Program for Cyber Security Certification is Canada's official cyber security certification for defence suppliers. According to PSPC, Level 1 became available on April 1, 2026 and will be introduced in select defence contracts beginning in summer 2026. It requires an annual self-assessment of 13 security requirements. Level 2 requires an external assessment every three years by an accredited certification body and will be added to select contracts beginning in spring 2027. Level 3, for the highest-risk work, is assessed by National Defence.

PSPC also states that the Canadian standard behind the program matches the 172 controls in NIST SP 800-171 and 800-172, which underpin the US CMMC program. For suppliers selling on both sides of the border, that alignment is worth explaining clearly.

Marketing should treat certification status the way SaaS companies treat SOC 2: a fact buyers need to find in seconds. Publish your current level and the date, name a security contact, and keep it current. Never round up. A supplier who says "CPCSC ready" without a completed assessment creates a problem for the prime's security team and for you.

Controlled goods are items, components and technical data with military or national security significance, listed in the Schedule to the Defence Production Act. PSPC's examples of technology include blueprints and technical specifications in paper or electronic format, and anyone who examines, possesses or transfers controlled goods must register with the Controlled Goods Program or qualify for an exemption.

This is where defence marketing differs most from commercial B2B. Detailed datasheets, CAD files, test results and architecture diagrams that would be normal on a software site may be restricted. Our rule: product marketing describes capability and outcomes; anything technical goes through your Designated Official before publication, and gated content is not a substitute for that review. Registration status itself, when you hold it, is a credibility signal worth stating.

CPCSC also creates demand for cybersecurity vendors. Defence suppliers will need to understand the 13 Level 1 controls and, for some, prepare for Level 2 external assessments. If you sell security services or products, the opportunity is content that maps your offer to specific requirements and timelines, aimed at the IT and security leads in defence supply chains.

Keep claims precise. Do not promise certification outcomes, and label any interpretation of the standard as yours. Buyers in this market are security professionals; they discount vague content quickly.

Use this before any campaign. If an item is missing, fix it first.

• A capability page per product line with outcomes, not restricted technical detail, reviewed by your Designated Official.
• Current certifications and registrations with dates: CPCSC level, controlled goods registration, quality standards.
• Canadian content facts: where you design, build, support and own the IP.
• A target list of primes, program offices and allied buyers, each with mapped roles.
• Bilingual versions of core pages for federal audiences.
• A CRM view that shows accounts engaged and meetings by prime and program, not leads.
• If you plan export projects, CanExport SMEs asks defence projects to include "Defence" in the project title; check the current intake before planning on it.

We work with clients in Ottawa and across Canada on ABM programs for long, committee-led sales. Our Ottawa ABM page explains how we plan by role for engineering, security and procurement buyers.

If you sell security products or services, our cybersecurity industry page covers how we market to technical buyers who discount vague claims.

For companies also selling to the US, our guide to selling to the US Department of Defense from Canada covers the CCC route and CMMC.

To plan your 2027 defence accounts, talk to our team.