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Public Services and Procurement Canada launches new Small Business Procurement Program measures to modernize federal contracting and boost access for Canadian businesses

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Reducing barriers, simplifying processes and increasing access to opportunities under the Buy Canadian Policy

TORONTO, July 6, 2026 /CNW/ – Small businesses are the backbone of Canada’s economy, driving innovation, creating good jobs, and strengthening communities across the country. That’s why the Government of Canada is taking concrete steps to ensure they have better access to federal opportunities.

Today, the Honourable Joël Lightbound, Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, and the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, announced a new set of targeted simplification measures that respond directly to concerns raised by small businesses about the complexity, cost and time required to participate in federal procurement.

In launching the first series of measures under the new Small Business Procurement Program (SBPP), the Government of Canada will work to remove long-standing barriers that have made federal contracting difficult for smaller firms, and to ensure they are better positioned to compete for and win government work. These changes will modernize procurement processes, improve access to opportunities for small businesses, and ensure they can play a stronger role in delivering federal priorities while supporting jobs, innovation, and a more resilient Canadian economy.

In concert with the SBBP, Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) will leverage the Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) program, which will help connect federal departments to Canadian firms to develop, test and commercialize their innovative technologies.

The ISC program will create an innovation pathway into federal procurement to support innovation-focused procurement opportunities for Canadian small businesses and help the government meet its operational needs.  Bolstered by $79.9 million funding over five years, the ISC will help Canadian innovators develop, test and validate new technologies by providing opportunities to work directly with the federal government as a first customer. It will also expand support for Canadian small businesses to participate in federal procurement, making it easier for them to secure contracts, demonstrate their products at scale and build the track record needed to access new domestic and international markets.

Measures announced today respond to feedback from small businesses seeking to work with the Federal Government, and are designed to remove barriers and create a more accessible, predictable, and efficient procurement experience.

Building on PSPC’s procurement modernization initiatives that have been introduced since 2017, the SBPP and ISC programs will reduce complexity, shorten bid preparation times, and improve the ability of Canadian small businesses to compete successfully for federal contracts, and support the Government’s Buy Canadian Policy.

By giving more Canadian small businesses a fair shot at federal contracts, these measures will help unlock growth and create good jobs across the country. They will strengthen Canada’s industrial base by building more resilient domestic supply chains and ensuring that government purchasing power is working harder to support Canadian businesses and communities. At a time when Canada is focused on building a stronger economy, these measures will help more entrepreneurs turn opportunity into growth and success.

Quotes

“Small businesses are central to Canada’s economy, and today’s launch of the first measures under the Buy Canadian Small Business Procurement Program is a real turning point. We are simplifying procurement, reducing barriers, and expanding access so more Canadian firms can compete for and deliver federal contracts. This is about using government purchasing power to actively support Canadian growth and Canadian jobs.”

The Honourable Joël Lightbound
Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant

 “Canadian small businesses are the engine of our economy, creating good-paying jobs and supporting critical industries across the country. By expanding Buy Canadian measures and investing through Innovative Solutions Canada, we are helping Canadian SMEs compete for federal contracts, create good-paying jobs, and grow here at home. As we build a stronger, more resilient economy, we are ensuring taxpayer dollars are invested strategically to support Canadian workers, businesses, and industries.”

The Honourable Mélanie Joly
Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions

“The launch of the Small Business Procurement Program is an important step for Canadian entrepreneurs and small businesses. By reducing barriers and making it easier to compete for federal contracts, these new measures will help more businesses access opportunities to grow, create good jobs, and strengthen their communities. At the same time, they will help build stronger domestic supply chains and ensure more federal procurement supports Canadian businesses and Canadian workers.” 

The Honourable Rechie Valdez 
Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism) 

Quick facts

The Prime Minister announced the Buy Canadian Policy in September 2025 to protect and strengthen Canadian industriesThe Government of Canada began implementing the Buy Canadian Policy in December 2025 to prioritize Canadian suppliers, materials and content in federal procurement.The federal government purchases more than $37 billion in goods, services and construction each year. As of June 2, 2026, just a couple of months after its implementation, the Buy Canadian policy has already applied to a portfolio of solicitations valued at over $3 billion with $721 million worth of contracts awarded to date.Small and medium-sized businesses represent about 47.2% of private-sector Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employ 63.6% of the private-sector workforce. The Small Business Procurement Program aims to increase their participation in federal procurement and make it easier to navigate the federal procurement system.The Procura AI Chatbot was launched in April 2026 to help suppliers locate general information about the procurement process and how to do business with the Government of Canada. Today’s launch of the enhanced chatbot provides a larger information database while simplifying access to basic procurement information.Budget 2025 announced $9.4 million over five years, starting in 2026-27, and $2 million ongoing, for Public Services and Procurement Canada to develop and continuously improve the digital tools that will support the implementation of the Small Business Procurement Program under the Buy Canadian Procurement Policy Framework.Budget 2025 also announced $79.9 million over five years, starting in 2026-27, for Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) to position Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) to support the SBPP by awarding pilot contracts to small businesses, including for emerging technologies, and awarding scaled procurement contracts for successful innovations through the program’s existing processes, including its Pathway to Commercialization.ISC is an existing government-wide innovation program led by ISED that connects federal departments and agencies with Canadian companies, including small and medium sized enterprises, and their innovative technologies. ISC supports Buy Canadian objectives by increasing the availability and maturity of Canadian-developed solutions and connecting these innovations with public sector organizations for validation and procurement. 

Related products

Backgrounder: Simplifying federal procurement for Canadian small businesses

Associated links

Buy Canadian Policy
Selling to the Federal Government – Buy Canadian
News Release: Government of Canada implements Buy Canadian Policy to strengthen Canada’s economy and support homegrown industries
Buy Canadian – Backgrounder
Spring Economic Update 2026

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TransPerfect Legal Recognizes Its 2026 Pro Bono Partners

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Translation and interpretation services for partner firm Fenwick and legal aid organizations.Helps immigrants, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable populations access the US legal system.Language support remains critical to ensuring equal access to justice.

NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2026
/PRNewswire/ — TransPerfect Legal, the global leader in legal technology, AI, and advisory services, today announced that in honor of the 2026 National Celebration of Pro Bono, it is recognizing the legal aid organizations and partner firms it has supported this year with translation and interpretation services. These partnerships extend legal access to immigrants, asylum seekers, and other vulnerable populations who depend on accurate language support to navigate the US legal system.

The National Celebration of Pro Bono, sponsored by the American Bar Association October 25–31, brings attention to the importance of pro bono legal services and honors the lawyers and organizations working to expand access to justice.

This year, TransPerfect provided translation and interpretation services at reduced rates to Fenwick in support of the following pro bono efforts:

Fenwick — Immigration clinics and mattersCommunity Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) — U Visa Project with attorneys (full-scope work); passport and asylum clinicsCo-Counsel NYC — Naturalization clinicsImmigration Institute of the Bay Area (IIBA) — Naturalization clinicsLawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area (LCCRSF) — Asylum clinicsNew York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) — Asylum, naturalization, and TPS clinicsTahirih Justice Center — Immigration intake and U visa clinics

The need for pro bono legal support remains significant. The Pro Bono Declaration of the Americas states that “members of the legal profession have a responsibility to provide pro bono legal services”—a responsibility the Declaration links to the profession’s broader role in society and its commitment to a fair and equitable legal system.

“Access to justice depends on access to language,” said Eric Elting, Regional Director. “When someone can’t understand the proceeding that will decide their asylum claim or their immigration status, the legal system isn’t actually open to them. That’s the gap our pro bono partners work to close every day, and we’re proud to support that work.”

TransPerfect President and Co-CEO Phil Shawe commented, “Since our humble beginnings in NYC, we are proud to have performed pro bono legal work, including work to eliminate language barriers in legal processes. These efforts continue to this day.”

About TransPerfect Legal
TransPerfect Legal is the global leader in legal technology, AI, and advisory services for Am Law 200 and Global 100 law firms as well as corporate legal departments. With offices in more than 150 cities worldwide, solutions include forensic technology and consulting, eDiscovery and early data assessment, managed review and legal staffing, language services, deposition and trial support, and paper discovery, all offered alongside the Reef Technology ecosystem, TransPerfect Legal’s suite of proprietary applications that address the needs of legal and regulatory practitioners around the world. For more information, please visit www.transperfectlegal.com.

About TransPerfect
TransPerfect is the world’s largest provider of language and AI solutions for global business. From offices in over 150 cities on six continents, TransPerfect offers a full range of services in 200+ languages to clients worldwide. More than 6,000 global organizations employ TransPerfect’s GlobalLink® technology to simplify the management of multilingual content. With an unparalleled commitment to quality and client service, TransPerfect is fully ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified. TransPerfect has global headquarters in New York, with regional headquarters in London and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit our website at www.transperfect.com.

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Forum Edge AI Announces $94.4 Million Definitive AI Cloud Services Compute Agreement with Fireworks

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PALM BEACH, Fla., Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Forum Markets, Incorporated (“Forum” or “the Company”) (Nasdaq: FRMM), an innovator in sourcing and operating cash-generating assets in AI infrastructure, commercial aerospace and AI-powered consumer finance, today announced that Forum Edge AI LLC (“Forum Edge”), the Company’s joint venture with Edge Node Inc., has entered into a definitive agreement with Fireworks, the specialized intelligence platform, for a 36-month reservation of Nvidia B300 GPU capacity at its existing, powered data center facility in Dallas.

The agreement carries a combined total contract value of approximately $94.4 million, reflecting GPU capacity and associated CPU management node fees payable over the 36-month term. Fireworks has provided a substantial prepayment deposit, which will be credited against fees due across the term.

The GPUs are expected to be deployed at Forum Edge’s Dallas data center in late December or early January. The Dallas facility is one of the sites included in Forum’s initial AI infrastructure investment and features existing permits, power access and physical infrastructure.

“This agreement is an important proof point for our AI infrastructure strategy and reflects our focus on bringing revenue generating GPUs to market quickly in a modular manner,” said McAndrew Rudisill, chairman and chief executive officer of Forum Markets, Incorporated. “We have a strong partnership with Fireworks and are excited about our growth trajectory as we scale our AI infrastructure business. This is the first finalized contract Forum Edge is executing against and the first of several exciting partnerships we expect to deploy into our unique footprint.”

Fireworks provides inference, training, and routing that help enterprises deploy and scale generative AI applications in production. The company was most recently valued at approximately $17.5 billion, with backers including Nvidia, Atreides Management, Index Ventures and TCV. Fireworks’ scale and the caliber of its financial backers reflect the type of high-quality counterparty Forum has identified in its off-take partnerships.

Hosted AI, Inc., through its AI commercialization network/mesh and platform, facilitated the relationship between Forum Edge AI and Fireworks.

The agreement represents Forum Edge’s first contracted customer commitment and supports Forum’s broader strategy of deploying disciplined, risk-adjusted capital into cash-generating AI infrastructure assets.

About Forum Markets, Incorporated

Forum Markets, Incorporated (Nasdaq: FRMM) is an innovative company that sources and structures cash-generating assets with attractive risk-adjusted returns in aerospace, AI, and AI-powered consumer finance. The company draws on proprietary origination pipelines and strategic co-investment partnerships to scale its portfolio and generate durable operating income. Forum integrates traditional asset management principles with hands-on operational execution as it builds a new framework for how real-world assets are owned, managed, and monetized. For more information, please visit forum-markets.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the future performance and growth of the Company; the ability of the Company to execute its plans, the assets to be held by the Company, the Company’s current and anticipated yield strategies, and future performance. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control, and actual results may differ materially. Applicable risks and uncertainties include, among others, the risk that the proposed transactions described herein may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, including the risk that the parties do not execute definitive documentation for the joint venture or any individual project; the risk that anticipated site capacity, power availability, permitting, equipment delivery or customer contracts are delayed or not obtained; the risk that equipment financing is not available on the terms or in the amounts assumed, or at all; risks relating to the Company’s recently completed offering, including dilution to existing stockholders and the risk that the net proceeds are insufficient to fund the initial projects as contemplated or are applied to uses other than those described herein; risks associated with the Company’s guarantee obligations in support of project-level financing; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the stock repurchase program, previously announced private placements, sale of convertible notes, and related transactions, including the Company’s ability to achieve profitable operations; the Company’s ability to repurchase shares of common stock, the timing thereof, purchase price thereof, and the fact that repurchases may not be undertaken under the stock repurchase program; fluctuations in the market price of ETH that will impact the Company’s accounting and financial reporting; government regulation of tokenized securities; risks relating to the treatment of assets for U.S. and foreign tax purposes; changes in securities laws or regulations; changes in business, market, financial, political and regulatory conditions; risks relating to the Company’s OTC transaction, including the Company’s ability to repay such facility, covenants associated therewith and security interests associated therewith; risks relating to the Company’s previously announced ATM offering, including potential downward pressure on the Company’s stock price associated therewith; risks relating to the Company’s operations and businesses; risks related to increased competition in the industries in which the Company does and will operate; risks relating to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding digital assets generally; expectations with respect to future performance, growth and anticipated acquisitions; potential litigation involving the Company; global economic conditions; geopolitical events and regulatory changes; access to additional financing, and the potential lack of such financing; and the Company’s ability to raise funding in the future and the terms of such funding, including dilution caused thereby, as well as those risks and uncertainties identified and those identified under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, as well as the supplemental risk factors and other information the Company has or may file with the SEC, including those disclosed under Item 8.01 of the Current Reports on Form 8-K filed by the Company with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements. Investors should also be aware that under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), certain crypto assets must be measured at fair value, with changes recognized in net income for each reporting period. These fair value adjustments may cause significant fluctuations in the Company’s balance sheet and income statement from period-to-period. In addition, for certain crypto assets, including ETH, which the Company holds as collateral against a loan, impairment charges may be required to be reported in net income if the market price of such assets falls below the cost basis at which those assets are carried on the balance sheet. Readers are encouraged to read the Company’s filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov, for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this document, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law. The Company’s business is subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, including those referenced above. Investors, potential investors, and others should give careful consideration to these risks and uncertainties.

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SOURCE Forum Markets, Incorporated

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Perhaps Agency Expands Network Relationships for Emerging Brands

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Perhaps Agency’s new FuseTwo partnership and AvantLink certification give emerging brands broader access to networks, partnerships and expertise as rising paid-media costs push advertisers toward new acquisition channels.

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Perhaps Agency, a full-funnel partner marketing agency specializing in affiliate and influencer marketing, announced the continued expansion of its strategic relationships with networks across the partner marketing industry, including FuseTwo, a recently launched partner marketing platform, and AvantLink, an affiliate marketing platform. These relationships give Perhaps Agency’s clients broader access to networks, technology and partnership opportunities as emerging brands seek growth channels beyond paid media.

“Every network relationship we add gives our clients another route to find the right partners. Our partnerships with FuseTwo and AvantLink build on that, and we’ll keep expanding our list of strategic partners that serve emerging brands.” — Jen Root, Managing Director, Perhaps

Rising costs across paid social and search have pushed many brands to look for acquisition channels they can scale without expanding an internal team or committing to a large retainer. Partner marketing is one route: it brings affiliate, influencer, creator and media partnerships together in one performance-based program. For growing brands, the right network relationships can determine whether an affiliate or influencer program gets off the ground. Perhaps builds and maintains those relationships on its clients’ behalf, while strengthening its ability to identify strategic opportunities and connect brands with the partners that support their growth.

Perhaps Agency’s partnership with FuseTwo, a partner marketing platform built for growing brands, offers Perhaps clients additional opportunities, resources and expertise. These brands gain access to the FuseTwo platform, which brings affiliate, influencer, creator and media partners into a single system with unified attribution. FuseTwo’s cookieless affiliate attribution and tracking, real-time reporting and AI-assisted automation give the Perhaps team faster data across every program the agency manages, supporting publisher recruitment and partner program optimization.

This approach pairs human expertise with accelerated technology. The Perhaps team, with more than two decades of combined partner marketing experience, continues to make the strategic calls, while the FuseTwo platform speeds up the analysis behind them.

As part of the partnership, Perhaps Agency is able to offer certain promotional features through the Perhaps + FuseTwo Growth Launch Offer, available to brands that register with FuseTwo through Perhaps. The features include FuseTwo covering a brand’s first month of Perhaps partner marketing management services, including strategy, recruitment and hands-on support, and Perhaps covering the brand’s FuseTwo platform setup fee. FuseTwo also offers qualifying migrating advertisers 0% transaction fees when they bring a qualifying group of active publishers to the platform. Subsequent management services are subject to the applicable service agreement, and additional terms and eligibility requirements may apply.

Beyond its partnership with FuseTwo, Perhaps is now an AvantLink Certified Agency Partner, demonstrating the company’s expertise and commitment to building network relationships for clients. AvantLink, an affiliate marketing platform, offers an agency certification program for agencies within its ecosystem. The program validates practical expertise in affiliate strategy, partner management, attribution and technology capabilities.

The certification signifies three areas: credibility, capability and visibility. Credibility reflects demonstrated knowledge of affiliate marketing strategy and program management. Capability reflects an understanding of partner relationships, attribution models, reporting and optimization. Visibility reflects opportunities for agency recommendations, preferred partner listings and co-marketing collaboration.

For Perhaps Agency, this status reinforces its expertise in affiliate marketing strategy and publisher partnerships. For growing brands, it means working with an agency that combines experienced program management with access to established affiliate marketing technology, which can help reduce the complexity of launching, managing and scaling a partner program.

About Perhaps: Perhaps Agency is a full-funnel U.S. partner marketing agency, serving as an affiliate marketing agency and influencer marketing agency for emerging and mid-market brands across Apparel, Beauty, Health & Wellness, Home Goods, CPG, DTC and more, including affiliate marketing for Shopify brands, WooCommerce affiliate marketing and affiliate marketing for CPG brands. Perhaps combines affiliate network management, influencer and creator management and Performance PR into a single, integrated partner marketing program. The Perhaps team brings more than two decades of combined affiliate and influencer marketing experience. Learn more at Perhaps.com.

Media Contact

Jen Root, Perhaps, 1 (786) 396-9863, pr@perhaps.com, www.perhaps.com

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