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The submission of bids for a new fleet of future warships for the Royal Canadian Navy will be delayed, the federal government has confirmed.

Companies were to submit their bids on the Canadian Surface Combatant project by April 27 but a third of the firms approved by the Liberal government to submit proposals had requested extensions.

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Bids are now due June 22, Public Services and Procurement Canada said in a news release.

“In order to meet the requirements of the Royal Canadian Navy and provide economic benefits to Canada it is important to ensure that the government receives the maximum number of bids that meet technical requirements and offer high quality economic benefits to Canada,” the department noted in its release.

“At this point, based on feedback from industry, an extension is the best course of action.”

Last week the Ottawa Citizen revealed that a third of the 12 companies involved in the project, which will cost at least $26 billion, had asked the Liberal government to delay bidding. They warned government that allowing only six months to compile bids for one of the largest procurements in Canadian history didn’t make sense. The extent of the technical data and other information the Canadian government required was overwhelming, company representatives added.