It's Time for Canada to Buy Canadian: Avanti CEO Calls for Procurement Reform to Fuel Innovation in Canada
CALGARY, AB, May 27, 2025 /CNW/ - In the face of global economic uncertainty, David Owen Cord, CEO of Avanti Software, is urging Canadian government agencies to prioritize home-grown technology in their procurement policies. "Canada pours billions into R&D incentives like SR&ED—$4.5 billion in 2024 alone1," Owen Cord explains. "But without adoption, that investment stops short of making an impact. Public institutions should be our industry's first customers, not its last."
Closing the Innovation Loop
Despite generous funding, government entities continue to procure foreign software, breaking the cycle of domestic investment and reinvestment.
Avanti's solution is simple: Canada's innovation cycle begins with government R&D funding through programs like SR&ED. Canadian companies turn that support into real solutions. When public agencies adopt these technologies, they help keep jobs and revenue in Canada—generating tax dollars that fund future innovation and growth.
Mandating that a portion of public funding be reinvested in Canadian tech creates a multiplier effect, where each reinvested dollar fuels a new cycle of economic activity here at home.
But when government agencies purchase foreign solutions, they disrupt that cycle, leaking potential tax revenue and job growth out of the country. In the long run, Canadians pay the price.
The United States recognized this long ago. Enacted in 1933, the Buy American Act (BAA) requires the U.S. government to prioritize the purchase of goods and services made in the United States over foreign-made alternatives. Canada should be no less ambitious when it comes to supporting its own innovators.
A National Opportunity, Starting Locally
Just recently, Mayor Olivia Chow announced that the City of Toronto is launching a "Love Local" campaign, committing to put Canadian industry first when it comes to procurement. She called on all three levels of government to unite as Team Canada.
And yet, Avanti has lost business to U.S. vendors in four Canadian municipalities in just the past few months: Country of Oxford, Thompson Nicola Regional District, Municipality of the County of Kings, and Lac La Biche County.
If a major city like Toronto can take this kind of stand, why can't smaller levels of government follow suit?
"When government agencies buy Canadian," Owen Cord emphasizes, "we create jobs, secure our data, and ensure that R&D dollars generate real economic growth right here at home."
About Avanti Software
Avanti Software is a proudly Canadian-owned and operated company, with all employees based in Canada. Avanti is a leading Canadian HCM provider, offering highly configurable Canadian payroll and people management software, serving clients from coast to coast. With over four decades of experience, Avanti understands the unique challenges Canadian businesses face. For more information, visit Avanti.ca.
SOURCE Avanti Software
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