Saskatchewan government says nearly 90% of its procurement contracts over the past five years have gone to Saskatchewan-based companies, with that figure rising to 95% when local firms submit bids.
The province highlighted its ongoing commitment to buying local, noting that over 99% of procurements during the same period were awarded to Canadian companies. Less than one percent went to US businesses.
“Our government will always put Saskatchewan people and Saskatchewan companies first,” said SaskBuilds and Procurement Minister David Marit. “With the vast majority of our procurement going to local businesses, we will continue to support local contractors and industries during this turbulent time.”
For major SaskBuilds projects, all general contractors have been Canadian, and most are from Saskatchewan. The Ministry of Highways also reported that more than 96% of contract value in the 2024-25 construction season went to Saskatchewan firms.
Saskatchewan’s Crown corporations have shown similar results. Between April and December of 2024, 75% of Crown procurements — totalling $1.2 billion — went to Saskatchewan suppliers. Only three percent came from the US.
The province also confirmed that none of the $43 million worth of video lottery terminals (VLTs) and slot machines being acquired by Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan in 2025-26 will be sourced from the US. So far, 720 VLTs have been ordered from a Canadian subsidiary of a multinational company, with final assembly taking place in Mexico using a mix of Canadian, Mexican, and Asian components.
In a further push to support local industries, SaskPower recently announced it would fast-track procurement of 10,000 tonnes of steel from Regina-based EVRAZ.
The government says it remains committed to transparency and taxpayer value in its procurement processes, and that work continues on developing stronger reporting systems.