What is a NATO CAGE (NCAGE) code?

If you want to sell parts to a defence customer, sooner or later someone will ask for your CAGE code. For a Canadian company, that means an NCAGE code. Here is what it is and why it matters.

What it is

NCAGE stands for NATO Commercial and Government Entity. An NCAGE code is a unique five-character identifier assigned to a company, or to a specific company location, that does business with governments and defence organizations. In the United States the same system is simply called a CAGE code; NATO and partner countries use NCAGE codes in the same format.

What it is for

Defence supply chains track millions of parts across many countries. The code ties every part, drawing, contract and shipment back to exactly one supplier and one site, with no confusion over similar company names or addresses. Buyers use it to look you up, register you as a supplier and trace where a part came from.

Who needs one

• Canadian companies that want to bid on or supply US Department of Defense work, including through the US/Canada Joint Certification Program, which requires a valid NCAGE code.
• Suppliers to NATO agencies and allied defence departments.
• Subcontractors further down the chain, when a prime contractor asks for one to register them as a supplier.

Even if you only make parts for a prime contractor, having a code ready makes it easier for them to bring you onto a defence program.

How Canadian companies get one

In Canada, NCAGE requests go through the Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC). First check whether your company already has a code using NATO’s NCAGE search tool; companies sometimes have one from a past contract without knowing it. If not, complete the CCC’s request form and send it in. Make sure the legal name and address match your business registration exactly, because the code is tied to that site.

One step among several

An NCAGE code identifies you; it doesn’t clear you to handle controlled or classified work. For that, Canadian suppliers may also need Controlled Goods Program registration, a security clearance or cyber security certification. We cover those in why defence contractors need CGP, ITAR and security clearance.

Building parts for a defence program? See our aerospace and defence work or send us your drawing.