The defence department is the biggest customer for Ottawa’s startup procurement program by far, data obtained by The Logic shows.

Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC) was set up to allow small Canadian companies to bid for government contracts, following years of complaints from those firms that the procurement process favours big incumbents.

The program has an annual budget of $108.3 million, but three quarters of that comes from just three participants, according to documents obtained by The Logic through an access-to-information request.