Québec Government Procurement Strategy 2026–2030
Quebec's 2024 Budget provides an overview over the various services and plans the province has over 2024 and into 2025. across the areas of health, education, industry, and the overall economy.
The new strategy places significantly greater emphasis on digital sovereignty, local economic benefits, partnerships with Québec-based organizations, and long-term value creation beyond price alone. Companies that demonstrate a sustained presence in Québec, actively engage with the local business ecosystem, and contribute to the province’s economic development will be better positioned in future government procurement processes.
Québec has released a new Government Procurement Strategy that fundamentally changes how public-sector technology procurement will be conducted over the next five years.
This is not simply a procurement reform it is an economic development strategy.
Technology is becoming a strategic sector
Technology is now officially recognized as one of Québec’s four strategic sectors, alongside construction, healthcare and agri-food.
The Government intends to use its purchasing power to strengthen Québec’s digital economy, improve supply-chain resilience and increase digital sovereignty.
IT procurement alone represents approximately C$4.46 billion annually, accounting for 18% of all public contracts. Of these, approximately 66% are currently awarded to Québec-based companies.
What this means
The traditional “lowest compliant bid” model will gradually give way to procurement approaches emphasizing:
- value;
- innovation;
- quality;
- collaboration;
- lifecycle cost;
- long-term outcomes.
Technology vendors will increasingly be evaluated on their ability to demonstrate business value rather than simply offering the lowest price.
Digital sovereignty
The Strategy explicitly promotes digital sovereignty.
Government organizations are encouraged to reduce dependency on foreign technologies whenever competitive Québec or Canadian alternatives exist.
Software, cloud infrastructure and IT hardware have been identified as strategic supply chains requiring closer attention.
Buyers are expected to better understand:
- software ownership;
- intellectual property;
- hosting location;
- technical support capabilities;
- supply-chain resilience;
- cybersecurity risks.
Procurement modernization
Québec will modernize its electronic procurement platform (SEAO), including:
- electronic submissions;
- supplier visibility tools;
- procurement forecasting;
- AI-assisted procurement processes.
This should improve transparency while increasing competition among qualified suppliers.
Local procurement targets
For the first time, every public organization will receive Québec procurement targets.
Major organizations will publicly report their progress toward increasing purchases from Québec-based businesses.
Although this target applies primarily to goods procurement, it will influence technology purchasing strategies across government.
However, success will increasingly depend on demonstrating alignment with Québec’s strategic priorities.
Recommended actions include:
- strengthen your Québec presence;
- build partnerships with Québec-based firms;
- emphasize local support capabilities;
- demonstrate compliance with digital sovereignty expectations;
- highlight Québec investments and innovation activities;
- clearly articulate long-term value not only pricing.
Companies that position themselves as long-term partners contributing to Québec’s digital ecosystem will be better aligned with the direction of the new procurement strategy.
In conclusion
Québec is entering a new phase in the evolution of its public procurement ecosystem. Organizations that understand these policy shifts, invest in local partnerships, and align their strategies with government priorities will be better positioned to compete and succeed in the years ahead.
At Capital Hill Group, we continue to monitor these developments closely and work with organizations to better understand the evolving policy landscape, strengthen their market presence, and identify strategic opportunities in Québec.
If you would like to discuss how these changes may affect your organization or explore opportunities within Québec’s public sector, we would be pleased to connect with you.