Coalition of First Nations Sign Strategic Agreement with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems to Support Canada’s Submarine Program

Updated: 3 hours ago

KIEL, Germany; February 24, 2026 – The investment arms of Glooscap First Nation, Songhees

Nation and English River First Nation have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with ThyssenKrupp

Marine Systems (TKMS), establishing a Pan-Canadian framework for Indigenous participation in

support of TEAM 212CD and the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP). The LOI outlines the

basis for collaboration should TKMS be selected by the Government of Canada.

The Indigenous partners bring together Nation-owned enterprises from across Canada, aligning

regional capabilities with the national scale and strategic significance of the CPSP. The

collaboration is intended to strengthen industrial, economic and workforce participation

connected to Canada’s future submarine capability, while creating direct economic

opportunities for Glooscap First Nation’s portfolio companies over the life of the project,

including potential work in construction, security and industrial services. Participation at this

scale could represent millions of dollars in contracts for Nation-owned businesses.

While the federal Request for Proposal requires a minimum five per cent Indigenous

procurement target, the partnership has a shared ambition to meaningfully exceed this

participation target over the life of the project, reflecting a commitment to long-term

Indigenous economic growth within a program that may reach as high as $100 billion.

“This agreement demonstrates that First Nations are ready to lead on one of the largest

industrial projects in Canadian history,” said Chief Sidney Peters of Glooscap First Nation. “We

are not focused on meeting minimum requirements. We are building a long-term industrial

partnership that delivers real investment returns on projects of national scale and strategic

importance.”

The agreement provides TKMS with a defined industrial framework to meet and exceed

Canada’s Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business and Industrial and Technological

Benefits (ITB) obligations. Under the ITB policy, investments with qualified Indigenous

enterprises generate high-value credits within the federal procurement system. Through the

LOI, the parties intend to work together to define mechanisms that enable meaningful

Indigenous participation across industrial activity, workforce development, and long-term

sustainment initiatives.

The signing took place in Kiel at the largest shipyard in Germany, where delegation members

toured facilities constructing one of the most advanced conventional submarine platforms in

the world. A key objective of the partnership is the transfer of shipbuilding and sustainment

expertise to Canadian facilities to ensure domestic industrial capacity for the long-term support

of the fleet.

“This is about securing generational opportunity,” said Chief Peters. “Our Nations intend to be

central partners in building and sustaining critical defence infrastructure for Canada. We want

our young people to see a future in projects like this - as engineers, tradespeople, leaders and

business owners. That is what long-term opportunity looks like.”

Media Contact:

Rachel Strong, Texture Communications

(416) 735-9255