Canadian Blood Services

What Canadian Blood Services does

Canadian Blood Services is a federally mandated, government-funded not-for-profit charitable organization that manages the national supply of blood, plasma, stem cells, cord blood, and organs/tissues for all Canadian provinces and territories outside Quebec (which is served by Héma-Québec). Headquartered in Ottawa and employing 1,001-5,000 staff plus 17,000 volunteers contributing 225,000 hours annually, the organization operates a national network of donor centres (with dedicated plasma centres in Abbotsford, St. Catharines, and Vaughan), a two-site national contact centre, hospital services, laboratory services, a public cord blood bank, and the national adult stem cell registry. Core product lines include whole blood and source plasma collection, the Kidney Paired Donation program (which has facilitated 1,000+ transplants), plasma protein and related products, the Partners for Life corporate program, the GiveBlood mobile app, and a Rare Blood Program for complex transfusion needs.

The organization's revenue model is dominated by appropriations from federal, provincial, and territorial governments under multi-year funding agreements, supplemented by financial donations from individuals and corporate partners, and by procurement activity that includes multi-million-dollar supply tenders (e.g., the $10-14M two-year Kamada Ltd. tender for plasma-derived products). Pricing is non-commercial: blood and blood products are provided at no direct charge to patients or hospitals. Distribution is via a direct hospital services network, the physical donor centre footprint, and digital self-serve channels (myaccount.blood.ca, iOS/Android apps). Customers span individual donors, the corporate Partners for Life partners, hospitals and healthcare providers across the country, and ultimately Canadian patients, with the most ambitious recruitment goal in the organization's history: 1 million new donors by 2030.

Name

Canadian Blood Services

Legal name

Canadian Blood Services

Website

https://blood.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Canadian Blood Services is a federally mandated, government-funded not-for-profit that manages the national supply of blood, plasma, stem cells, cord blood, and organs/tissues for all Canadian provinces and territories except Quebec, serving individual donors, hospitals, and patients across Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blood and Plasma Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGACAJ

Blood, Organ & Tissue Donation Organizations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Health & Medical Nonprofits

SECONDARYHLAIAHAH

Plasma Collection & Donor Services (Plasmapheresis Centers)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals/Plasma-Derived Therapies

SECONDARYHLAAAGAE

Cell & Tissue Banking (biobanking, cord blood/tissue)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Biotechnology & Biologics/Regenerative Medicine & Tissue Engineering

SECONDARYHLAHAAAH

Blood Bank, Transfusion Medicine & Immunohematology

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Medical Devices & Diagnostics/In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) & Laboratory Diagnostics

Keywords

• Blood donation services
• Plasma collection services
• Stem cell registry
• Organ tissue donation
• Hospital blood supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Canadian Blood Services acknowledges funding of provincial, territorial and federal governments as its primary funding source. The organization manages the national supply of blood products for all provinces and territories except Quebec (where Héma-Québec operates).
2. Supply Tender (Plasma Protein Products): Canadian Blood Services issues supply tenders for plasma-derived products. A two-year supply tender extension with Kamada Ltd. was valued at $10-14 million.
3. Financial Donations: Individual and corporate financial donations through the website (give.blood.ca), Partners for Life program, and legacy giving/estate donations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Canadian Blood Services collects, tests, manufactures, and distributes blood, plasma, platelets, stem cells, cord blood, and organ/tissue products to Canadian hospitals and patients. It operates a national stem cell registry, a public cord blood bank, the Kidney Paired Donation program, hospital ordering and inventory services, and donor recruitment through a network of donor centres, a mobile app, and a national contact centre. The organization is funded primarily by provincial, territorial, and federal governments and operates as a not-for-profit charitable organization.

Product overview

Canadian Blood Services operates as a national blood system managing the collection, manufacturing, testing, and distribution of blood products and related services. The organization offers a unified platform of healthcare services encompassing blood donation, plasma collection, stem cell registry (adult and cord blood), and organ/tissue donation programs. Core products include blood and plasma donation services, the stem cell registry, and the public cord blood bank, supported by hospital services (inventory ordering and distribution), laboratory services (testing and quality control), and plasma protein product manufacturing. Additional offerings include the Partners for Life corporate program, research services through the Center for Innovation, professional education for healthcare providers, and the GiveBlood mobile application for donor engagement. The portfolio is unified by a shared mission to manage Canada's lifeline of blood products and related biological therapies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Partners for Life: A corporate partnership program enabling organizations to commit to regular blood donations as a group.
• Canada's Lifeline

Products and services

• Blood Donation Services
• Plasma Donation Services
• Stem Cell Registry
• Public Cord Blood Bank
• Organ and Tissue Donation Programs
• Kidney Paired Donation Program
• Hospital Services
• Plasma Protein and Related Products
• GiveBlood Mobile Application
• Rare Blood Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,000+ kidney transplants facilitated through the Kidney Paired Donation program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered core, national and local.

• Kamada Ltd.coreOthers · 7 January 2026Kamada Ltd., an Israeli biopharmaceutical company specializing in plasma-derived therapies, secured a two-year supply tender extension with Canadian Blood Services valued at $10-14 million. The tender covers supply of plasma-collected products including KAMRAB, GLASSIA, HEPAGAM, and VARIZIG for the Canadian market.
• Héma-QuébeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHéma-Québec is the parallel organization operating in Quebec, analogous to Canadian Blood Services. Canadian Blood Services lends support to Héma-Québec as a partner in healthcare, particularly during holiday seasons and emergency situations.
• Toyota CanadanationalGTM or Marketing PartnerToyota Canada is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services through the Partners for Life program, supporting blood donation campaigns and corporate giving initiatives.
• TELUSnationalGTM or Marketing PartnerTELUS is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services through the Partners for Life program.
• AccenturenationalGTM or Marketing PartnerAccenture is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services through the Partners for Life program.
• Canada LifenationalGTM or Marketing PartnerCanada Life is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services, participating in national campaigns to recruit blood, plasma, and stem cell donors.
• CIBCnationalGTM or Marketing PartnerCIBC is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services through the Partners for Life program, with employees participating in national blood donor week celebrations.
• KPMGnationalGTM or Marketing PartnerKPMG Foundation provides financial donations to Canadian Blood Services to fund research for plasma innovation. KPMG is also a Partner for Life participant.
• Department of National Defence - Canadian Forces Health ServicesnationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian Blood Services has partnered with the Department of National Defence and Veterans Affairs Canada to support soldiers in the field with blood products and services.
• Hockey Gives Blood (Stu and Amy Middleton)nationalGTM or Marketing PartnerHockey Gives Blood is a national partner engaging professional hockey players and teams to inspire stem cell registration and blood donation across Canada.
• Kin CanadanationalGTM or Marketing PartnerKin Canada is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services and won the National Partnership Award at the National Honouring our Lifeblood event. They have supported blood donation for over 20 years.
• RCMPnationalGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Royal Canadian Mounted Police is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services participating in Partners for Life and Sirens for Life campaigns.
• Canadian Federation of Medical StudentsnationalGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Canadian Federation of Medical Students is a national partner engaged in blood donation recruitment among medical students and future healthcare professionals.
• Canadian Ismaili Muslim CommunitynationalGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Canadian Ismaili Muslim Community is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services, contributing to donor recruitment within the Muslim community.
• Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA)nationalGTM or Marketing PartnerAMYA is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services, working to save lives through their 'In the Joy of Others' campaign. The partnership has been celebrated for over a decade.
• Sikh NationnationalGTM or Marketing PartnerSikh Nation is a long-standing national partner of Canadian Blood Services, having supported blood donation with volunteers and donors for over 20 years.
• Sickle Cell Disease Association of CanadanationalGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Sickle Cell Disease Association of Canada partners with Canadian Blood Services to address the need for blood donations from African, Caribbean, and Black communities to support patients with sickle cell disease.
• Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS)nationalGTM or Marketing PartnerCSMLS is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services, with members supporting blood donation campaigns and professional education.
• Sant Nirankari MissionlocalGTM or Marketing PartnerSant Nirankari Mission is a community partner supporting blood donation initiatives.
• Nepalese Blood Donors Association CanadalocalGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Nepalese Blood Donors Association Canada is a community partner supporting blood donation within the Nepalese-Canadian community.
• Felix Y. Manalo FoundationlocalGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Felix Y. Manalo Foundation is a community partner supporting Canadian Blood Services' donation programs.
• PANDASlocalGTM or Marketing PartnerPANDAS is a community partner supporting Canadian Blood Services' initiatives.
• WoodnationalGTM or Marketing PartnerWood (engineering and consulting firm) is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services through the Partners for Life program.
• Canadian Transplant AssociationnationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Canadian Transplant Association is a national partner supporting organ and tissue donation awareness and transplant recipient engagement with Canadian Blood Services.
• Edmonton ElkslocalGTM or Marketing PartnerEdmonton Elks football team partnered with Canadian Blood Services to save lives through stem cell and blood donation campaigns.
• BAPS CharitiesnationalGTM or Marketing PartnerBAPS Charities is a national partner of Canadian Blood Services working to save lives through their 'In the Joy of Others' campaign.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross Biomedical Services: The American Red Cross is the largest U.S. blood collector and operates the national apheresis and whole-blood program under a humanitarian/charitable mandate analogous to CBS. Comparable in product breadth (whole blood, platelets, plasma, stem cells) and donor-recruitment model.

Direct peers

• NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT): UK's national health authority for blood, organ, and stem cell donation/transplantation. Direct operational peer to CBS across blood components, plasma, cord blood, and organ allocation.
• Australian Red Cross Lifeblood: Australia's national blood, plasma, and organ/tissue service run in partnership with the Australian Red Cross. Equivalent model: government-funded, non-profit, national-mandate blood operator with donor recruitment and hospital supply arms.
• OneBlood: Large nonprofit U.S. blood center operating across the southeastern United States with full-service donor collection, testing, and hospital delivery. Comparable scale and operating model to CBS outside Quebec.
• Bloodworks Northwest: Pacific Northwest U.S. nonprofit blood collection, testing, and distribution organization serving hospitals and trauma centers. Comparable donor recruitment and hospital supply operations.
• Vitalant: One of the largest U.S. community blood collection organizations, operating donor centres and hospital supply nationwide. Comparable in plasma and blood product collection, testing, and distribution to hospitals.
• Sanquin Blood Supply Foundation: Dutch national blood bank operator responsible for blood collection, plasma products, and transfusion medicine research in the Netherlands. Closest European analogue to CBS in mandate and product mix.
• Héma-Québec: Héma-Québec is the parallel national blood, plasma, stem cell, and tissue service operator for Quebec, explicitly recognized by Canadian Blood Services as its counterpart organization. Operates the same regulated mandate and product portfolio on a provincial basis.
• New York Blood Center: Large U.S. nonprofit blood collection and distribution organization serving the greater New York region. Comparable product scope including rare blood programs, cellular therapy, and cord blood services.

Emerging players

• Grifols (Canadian plasma operations): Spanish biopharmaceutical company operating for-profit paid plasma centres in Canada, including the Winnipeg sites at the center of Health Canada investigations. Represents the for-profit plasma model directly competing with CBS's plasma supply chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/canadianbloodservices
• Instagraminstagram.com/srcbloodservices
• Xx.com/itsinyoutogive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/canadian-blood-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Canadian Blood Services