What Bluesky Strategy Group does

Bluesky Strategy Group is an Ottawa-based public affairs, government relations and strategic communications firm founded in 2003 by Tim Barber and Susan Smith. The firm is privately held, founder-owned and operates from a single office at 50 O'Connor Street in Ottawa, with a small team of 11–50 employees that includes principals, multiple vice-presidents, senior consultants and consultants. Bluesky serves clients that need to navigate the Canadian federal, provincial and municipal governments, including enterprises in natural resources and energy, defence and security, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, and sport, as well as Indigenous organizations and educational institutions. Its four core service lines are Government Relations & Lobbying, Media & Public Relations, Digital Communications, and Event Design, delivered as integrated engagements through a team-based model.

The firm builds no proprietary software platform or technology product; its capabilities are entirely human-expertise-driven, anchored by team members who are former Prime Minister's Office staff, Principal Secretaries to federal Ministers, Chiefs of Staff in provincial government, opposition policy advisors, former military leadership, and Hill Times Top 100 Lobbyists. Digital Communications is executed in-house and includes campaign development from messaging through ad placement, plus social media management. The firm also produces original thought leadership content (the Ballot Brief newsletter, multiple podcast series including Behind the Ballot and CdnPolicast, and topical webinars) and has appeared on CPAC, CBC News and other national outlets.

Revenue is generated exclusively through professional services fees structured as project-based engagements or retainers, with no public pricing disclosed. Named long-tenured clients include Agnico Eagle Mines (since 2019), Canadore College (nearly a decade), Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (Inuit Nunangat University), Leonardo, Pembina Pipeline, Lutron and Egg Farmers of Canada. Since 2015 Bluesky has been a founding member of the Global Communications Alliance, a 17-firm independent agency network providing cross-border referral and collaboration capacity.

Name

Bluesky Strategy Group

Legal name

Bluesky Strategy Group

Website

https://blueskystrategygroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bluesky Strategy Group is an Ottawa-based public affairs and government relations firm founded in 2003 that provides government relations, media relations, digital communications, and event design services to enterprise, non-profit, and Indigenous clients across multiple Canadian verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ottawa

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Relations & Lobbying Advisory: Bluesky provides strategic counsel to clients navigating government at the federal, provincial, or municipal levels. Engagements involve developing government relations strategies, stakeholder engagement planning, and advocacy support. Revenue is generated through professional service fees, typically structured as retainers or project-based engagements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bluesky Strategy Group is a boutique Ottawa-based public affairs and strategic communications firm that helps organizations navigate federal, provincial, and municipal government, traditional and digital media, and public stakeholder environments. It sells four integrated service lines — Government Relations & Lobbying, Media & Public Relations, Digital Communications, and Event Design — delivered as custom advisory engagements and retainers to enterprise, nonprofit, and institutional clients.

Product overview

Bluesky Strategy Group is a public affairs and strategic communications consulting firm offering four integrated core service lines: Government Relations & Lobbying, Media & Public Relations, Digital Communications, and Event Design. These services work together as a comprehensive suite enabling clients to navigate government, media, and digital advocacy. The firm operates entirely as a professional services organization with no software products, platforms, or APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Government Relations & Lobbying Strategic government relations services helping clients navigate federal, provincial, and municipal government, including policy change advocacy, government procurement bidding, and engaging decision-makers in political offices, ministries, and departments.
• Media & Public Relations Media relations and public affairs communications services leveraging relationships with traditional media outlets and online networks to shape stories, optimize media reach, and provide rapid response to issues.
• Digital Communications Digital advocacy and campaign services including government relations campaign development from messaging to ad placement, social media management, and digital communications strategy delivered entirely in-house.
• Event Design Event planning and execution services for lobby days, conferences, business tours, cocktail parties, red carpet events, and elite gatherings, leveraging extensive networks to deliver maximum impact.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sustained government relations support for clients for nearly a decade (e.g., Canadore College)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Global Communications Alliance (GCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Bluesky Strategy Group is a founding member of the Global Communications Alliance (GCA), established in 2015. GCA is a network of like-minded independent agencies providing integrated communications services worldwide. Member firms have geographic or service exclusivity, enabling open collaboration without competitive concerns. GCA provides education, strategic insight, client partnering, referrals, monthly group calls, annual in-person meetings, and employee exchange programs. GCA currently has 17 member firms across North America, UK, Europe, South America, Australia, and India, with recent focus on energy and alternative energy practice area specialization.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Edelman Canada: Edelman is a global communications marketing firm with a major Canadian practice offering public affairs, public relations, and integrated communications. It competes with Bluesky for large multinational mandates but with a broader portfolio and greater scale than the boutique Bluesky model.
• Hill+Knowlton Strategies Canada: Hill+Knowlton is a global communications agency with a substantial Canadian practice offering public affairs, public relations, and government relations. It competes with Bluesky for large enterprise and multinational mandates but operates as a much broader portfolio player rather than a federal-focused boutique.

Direct peers

• Global Public Affairs: Global Public Affairs is a Canadian-owned government relations and strategic communications firm with offices across Canada, offering federal and provincial GR, media relations, and public engagement. It is directly comparable to Bluesky in service mix and target verticals including energy, infrastructure, and Indigenous affairs.
• Navigator Ltd. Navigator is a strategic communications and public affairs firm with offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver. It is one of Canada's largest independent GR practices, offering media relations, government relations, and digital strategy that overlaps directly with Bluesky's integrated service portfolio.
• Counsel Public Affairs: Counsel Public Affairs is one of Canada's leading federal government relations and public affairs firms based in Ottawa, offering lobbying, communications, and digital advocacy services that directly overlap Bluesky's core service lines. Both serve enterprise, association, and nonprofit clients navigating federal decision-makers.
• Earnscliffe Strategy Group: Earnscliffe is a premier Ottawa-based government relations and public affairs firm serving corporate, nonprofit, and association clients. It mirrors Bluesky's integrated GR/PR/communications model and competes head-to-head on federal mandates, particularly in natural resources, healthcare, and defence.
• Sussex Strategy Group: Sussex Strategy Group is an Ottawa-headquartered firm specializing in government relations, public affairs, and strategic communications. It offers integrated GR, media relations, and digital advocacy comparable to Bluesky, serving corporate, nonprofit, and association clients at the federal level.
• FGS Strategy: FGS Strategy is a Canadian government relations and public affairs firm with strong federal expertise in Ottawa and presence in Ontario and Quebec. It competes with Bluesky on federal advocacy, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communications across similar client verticals.
• Impact Public Affairs: Impact Public Affairs is a Toronto- and Ottawa-based government relations and strategic communications consultancy serving corporations, associations, and nonprofits. It mirrors Bluesky's integrated approach to GR, communications, and digital advocacy with comparable client verticals.

Regional players

• Prairie Powers Strategies: Prairie Powers Strategies is a Calgary-based government relations and strategic advisory firm focused on Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Western Canadian energy and resources clients. It shares Bluesky's natural-resources and energy vertical focus but primarily serves a different provincial geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@blueskystrategygroup
• Xx.com/blueskygroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Bluesky Strategy Group