March 2026 Government Tender Report: Canada & US Market Overview
TL;DR: As of March 2026, there are 26,000+ open government tenders across Canada and the US. Manufacturing leads with 3,878 opportunities, followed by Heavy Equipment and Construction. 1,849 tenders are reserved for small businesses. Browse all tenders or see your matches.
The North American government procurement market is active heading into March 2026. Across Canada and the United States, there are currently 26,000+ open government tenders — and the pace isn't slowing down. In March alone, over 51,000 new tenders have been posted (including those that have already closed), with 48,999 from US federal and municipal sources and 2,094 from Canadian portals.
Here's a data-driven snapshot of the market based on GovBid's live tracking of 8 procurement sources.
Total Open Opportunities
| Country | Open Tenders | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 23,000+ | SAM.gov, LA County, NYC |
| Canada | 2,500+ | CanadaBuys, SEAO, BidsAndTenders, SaskTenders |
| Total | 26,000+ | 8 sources |
The US federal market dominates the volume, driven primarily by the Department of Defense's procurement pipeline. Canadian federal tenders represent a smaller but highly accessible market for Canadian small businesses, with less competition per opportunity.
Browse live government tender volume now
Use the monthly market report as context, then search current opportunities across Canada and the US for free.
Browse All TendersTop Industries by Open Tender Count
The table below shows which industries have the most open government contracts right now.
| Rank | Industry | Open Tenders |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing | 3,878 |
| 2 | Heavy Equipment | 1,848 |
| 3 | Construction | 1,605 |
| 4 | Electrical | 1,500 |
| 5 | Aerospace & Defence | 1,182 |
| 6 | Transportation & Logistics | 730 |
| 7 | Professional Services | 592 |
| 8 | Healthcare & Medical | 482 |
| 9 | Architecture & Engineering | 420 |
| 10 | Marine & Shipbuilding | 417 |
Manufacturing leads overwhelmingly, driven by the US military's continuous need for parts, components, and supplies. Construction holds steady at third with 1,605 open tenders — a strong number for contractors of all sizes.
For IT businesses, the picture looks different when you drill into sub-categories. There are 257 IT General tenders, 203 IT & Software, 81 Cloud & Infrastructure, 42 Web & Mobile Development, and 25 Cybersecurity — totaling over 600 IT-related opportunities.
Canadian Market Breakdown
Canada's 2,500+ open tenders are spread across all provinces and territories:
| Province | Open Tenders |
|---|---|
| Ontario | 168 |
| Quebec | 81 |
| Nova Scotia | 39 |
| British Columbia | 31 |
| Alberta | 21 |
| New Brunswick | 18 |
| Saskatchewan | 15 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | 13 |
| Manitoba | 11 |
| Nunavut | 6 |
| PEI | 5 |
| Northwest Territories | 5 |
| Yukon | 3 |
| National (no province specified) | 352 |
Ontario leads provincial procurement, which makes sense given population and government infrastructure. The 352 "national" tenders are federal contracts with no specific provincial requirement — meaning businesses from any province can bid.
Top Canadian Buyers
| Department | Open Tenders |
|---|---|
| Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) | 240 |
| Department of National Defence (DND) | 81 |
| Shared Services Canada | 27 |
| Defence Construction Canada — Western | 25 |
| Government of the Northwest Territories | 24 |
| Correctional Service of Canada | 21 |
| Department of Fisheries and Oceans | 15 |
| Parks Canada | 13 |
PSPC remains the largest buyer, acting as the procurement arm for most federal departments. DND is second, particularly active in construction and maintenance contracts through Defence Construction Canada.
US Market Breakdown
The US market has 23,000+ open tenders spread across all 50 states plus territories. The top states by volume:
| State | Open Tenders |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 1,246 |
| California | 833 |
| Virginia | 454 |
| Maryland | 372 |
| New York | 357 |
| Texas | 294 |
| Washington, DC | 254 |
| Washington State | 230 |
| Florida | 227 |
| North Carolina | 171 |
Pennsylvania leads because of the massive DLA (Defense Logistics Agency) and NAVSUP (Naval Supply Systems Command) operations in Mechanicsburg and Philadelphia. Virginia and Maryland rank high due to their proximity to Washington, DC and the Pentagon.
Top US Buyers
The Department of Defense dominates US federal procurement:
- NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support — 1,988 tenders (parts and maintenance for Navy systems)
- DLA Land and Maritime — 1,845 tenders (logistics and supply chain)
- DLA Aviation — 1,089 tenders (aircraft parts and maintenance)
- DLA Troop Support — 229 tenders (food, clothing, medical supplies)
- Los Angeles County — 305 tenders (municipal procurement)
For small businesses, DLA contracts are some of the most accessible. Many are small-quantity purchases of specific parts or materials — ideal for manufacturers and distributors.
Small Business Set-Asides
The US federal government reserves a significant portion of contracts for small businesses. Currently:
| Set-Aside Type | Open Tenders |
|---|---|
| Total with set-asides | 1,849 |
| Small business (general) | 1,022 |
| Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned (SDVOSB) | 168 |
| HUBZone | 35 |
| Women-Owned (WOSB) | 25 |
| 8(a) | 4 |
That's 1,849 tenders where the federal government is specifically looking for small business suppliers. If you're a certified small business, veteran-owned business, or women-owned business, these tenders have less competition.
For more on how set-asides work, read our guide to government contracts for small businesses.
Contract Awards This Month
GovBid tracks contract awards to help businesses understand who's winning and at what price points. So far:
- 11,565 total contract awards tracked in our database
- 820 awards posted in March 2026 so far
- 6,826 unique winning companies across all tracked awards
The top award winners include companies like Kampi Components Co., Jamaica Bearings Co., and ECI Defense Group — small-to-mid-size manufacturers that win dozens of contracts per year through consistent bidding on DLA opportunities.
For a deeper analysis, see our Government Contract Awards guide.
What This Means for Your Business
Three takeaways from the March 2026 data:
1. Volume is strong. 26,000+ open tenders across 8 sources means there's no shortage of opportunities. If you're not finding contracts, the problem isn't supply — it's search.
2. Small business set-asides are real. 1,849 tenders are specifically reserved for small businesses. If you haven't looked into certifications (SDVOSB, HUBZone, WOSB, 8(a)), now is the time.
3. The Canadian market is concentrated. With PSPC and DND accounting for over 40% of Canadian federal tenders, understanding how these departments buy is essential for Canadian businesses.
Further Reading
- Browse all 26,000+ open tenders — Search by industry, location, and value
- Government Contract Awards Analysis — Who's winning and for how much
- April 2026 Government Tender Report — Next month's data and trends