Federal Procurement Ombud Alexander Jeglic released his 2025-26 Annual Report[KR1] , which was tabled in Parliament by the Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, the Honourable Joël Lightbound on September 22, 2026.
The report, covering the period from April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026, highlights the increasingly important role the Office of the Procurement Ombud (OPO) plays in promoting fairness, openness, transparency, and accountability in federal procurement.
Building on previous reports focused on actions and solutions, this year's theme, Time for Results, emphasizes the need to move beyond identifying problems toward delivering measurable outcomes for suppliers, federal departments, and Canadian taxpayers.
Demand for OPO's services continued to grow in 2025-26, with a record 851 procurement-related cases, and 16 requests for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), reflecting the increasing reliance of suppliers and federal organizations on OPO for guidance, complaint reviews, dispute resolution services, and independent oversight.
During the year, OPO launched 6 Reviews of Complaints and completed 4 others regarding the award and administration of federal contracts. These reviews identified important lessons related to fairness, openness, and transparency while helping departments strengthen procurement practices and supplier confidence in the procurement system.
The report also highlights the Procurement Ombud's Procurement Practice Review of Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses which identified significant weaknesses in the governance, oversight, and accountability of the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB), and called for urgent action to strengthen the program and provide Indigenous suppliers with access to fair recourse mechanisms.
In 2025-26, the Procurement Ombud continued to advance dialogue on his Time for Solutions: Top 5 Foundational Changes Needed in Federal Procurement study, through stakeholder engagement and Procurement Solutions Forums. While progress has been made in areas such as vendor performance management and procurement rule harmonization, further work is required to strengthen accountability, governance, and procurement data across government.
Looking ahead, OPO will continue to work with procurement stakeholders across Canada to advance reforms, strengthen confidence in the federal procurement system, and ensure that the principles of fairness, openness, transparency, and accountability translate into tangible results.
