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Professional services firms in Ottawa seeing uptick in activity with new federal defence policies

March 30, 2026

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Marcia Mills has spent 30 years counselling clients in the defence sector, but now, with the federal government upping defence spending and local stakeholders pushing to make the capital a hub for sector innovation, she said her firm is seeing an increase in activity. Mills is a partner at Ottawa-based law firm Fasken and co-leader of its national security and defence group. She recently told OBJ that new and existing clients are looking for support as they search for ways to take advantage of an unprecedented opportunity in the defence space. “In my 30 years, this is the most optimistic I have been that we're actually moving defence forward in a meaningful way,” she said in an interview. The current focus on defence and security isn’t only benefiting companies in that sector. A number of professional services firms say they’ve seen an increase in interest since the federal government released its 2025 budget, which includes an $81-billion funding package to reinvest in the Canadian Armed Forces and a Buy Canadian procurement plan. Firms such as Fasken say existing clients, particularly in tech and defence-adjacent sectors, are seeking support as they look to better compete for federal dollars, while inquiries from new clients are also increasing. Compass Rose, an Ottawa-based government relations firm, is an example. “The bump in interest is real,” said Marci Surkes, managing director and chief strategy officer. “It’s already happening and we are scaling accordingly, based on the requests for information we’re getting from potential clients and existing clients.” For professional services firms like Compass Rose, which has been working with clients in the defence space for years, Surkes said the current policies of the federal government have had a knock-on effect. “We’re seeing that suddenly — and some would say finally — procurement in this space is not being treated as episodic,” she told OBJ. “It is being framed as longer-term industrial policy and that creates significant opportunity for everybody, particularly in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, and it raises the bar.” The firm recently marked its 10th anniversary with the launch of two new practice areas — campaign and creative, and communications — which Surkes said will be an asset in work with defence clients. “It really increases our in-house capacity to lead a national grassroots-style digital campaign on behalf of clients,” she said. “It certainly applies to the work we’ll be doing in this space. Being able to meet decision-makers where they are online and being able to galvanize the support of Canadians is a big part of how advocacy works nowadays. It’s not just about old-school lobbying.” Surkes added that this new approach to defence has the potential to create “generational” change, not just for defence companies, but for all local sectors and especially in Ottawa. “It’s going to require contractors and vendors to really recognize an integrated strategy,” she said. “Everybody is sharpening their pencils in terms of what they believe they can contribute … This is excitement, the likes of which we probably haven’t seen in this town since the 1990s. There is a lot of opportunity to seize on right now.” At Fasken, Mills said the city is well-positioned to support an influx of defence activity. “In Ottawa, we have a really robust consulting environment because of the federal government,” she said. “Ottawa is so well-positioned (to become a defence hub) because we’ve already got a base of law firms who have been working in defence or federal procurement generally. Supply companies or IT consulting companies are here in Ottawa; they’re ready to go. We also have government relations firms that are ready to go.” At the same time, Mills said professional services firms that aren’t already working with defence clients may have difficulty breaking into the space. “The defence industry is very astute and when they are working with professional service providers they aren’t swayed by the name and the brand,” she said. “They are swayed by what you know and how you know it. (In defence), they very much need to know if you know what you’re talking about. And they will test that. For any company looking to enter, they will need to ensure they have experience in that area.” Alessandro D’Angelo, a partner at accounting firm Welch LLP who works with defence companies, believes his team has the core knowledge and experience to support defence clients, new and old. “When we work with a defence company, it’s very well within our standard core capabilities,” D’Angelo said. “The way we service a defence company is no different. They’re facing the same types of issues. They need, at the end of the day, help to enable them to raise capital. From that perspective, we have that core capability in-house to provide the things our clients need help with.” While the work itself remains much the same, D’Angelo said that Welch sees defence as “a high-growth industry opportunity,” requiring some adjustments to be made. Networking, for example, has become a top priority. D’Angelo said Welch employees are not only attending more defence events, but hosting events of their own to expand their connections within the industry. Branding is also something under consideration. D’Angelo said the firm is considering updating its website to include a separate industry page highlighting its defence expertise. “It gets us in front of the companies and it provides us a chance to network with each other,” he said. “That often can lead to opportunities. All these companies often need to work together to provide a solution. We’re (looking into ways) to showcase our abilities in the space.” Bruce Raganold, director of business development at Welch, added that international interest in the city is also starting to increase and there could be an uptick in global firms looking to acquire Ottawa-based startups. “We have a team that helps inbound businesses coming here, helps them with all the accounting,” he said. “But we also have M&A (expertise). Sometimes companies, if they’re based in the U.K. and they’re going to come to Canada, they might hire an employee or two and grow organically. Or they sometimes want to find a small company they can acquire. That’s a space we can play in as well.”