Australian Government awards AUS$188mn to indigenous SMEs

As part of its Indigenous Procurement Policy, the Australian Government is investing AUS$188mn via its Digital Transformation Agency (DTA)’s marketplace into supporting and creating increased opportunities for indigenous small to medium enterprises (SMEs). 

The policy, introduced in 2015, was launched with the ideology of improving the number and variety of opportunities available to the indigenous people of Australia, hoping to stimulate growth in economic contribution and encourage increased procurement from indigenous businesses. 

Indigenous SMEs supported by Australian procurement investment

With ease bolstered by the use of the DTA’s marketplaces, the policy is expanding upon the number of contracts it awards, delivering on its promise to support indigenous Australians. And it’s evident the policy is paying off, with nearly 600 contracts being awarded through the DTA’s marketplaces to indigenous companies since 2018. To place this into perspective, this is a whopping 1300% rise from 2018-2019’s value of AUS$13mn, a figure which now presently sits at around AUS$188mn. 

“The DTA’s marketplaces are making it easier for Indigenous sellers to showcase their services, and in turn, assist government agencies in delivering better government services for Australians,” says Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Stuart Robert. 

Encouraging increased awareness and growth of the Indigenous SME industry

Currently, the DTA holds close working ties with the National Indigenous Australians Agency, sharing the similar object of aiming to raise awareness, increase participation, and encourage growth in the Indigenous SME industry. 

The process of acquiring and selling digital commodities and services for the government is streamlined through the use of the DTA’s marketplaces, which offers to supply customer demand in telecommunications, data centres, hardware, and software. 

Ken Wyatt, Minister for Indigenous Australians, acknowledges that economic advancement for the indigenous people of Australia required a financial boost from the government.

“The increased contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses through the DTA’s marketplaces demonstrates the success the IPP has had.

“These contracts embed Indigenous businesses into our supply chains and will help them grow and prosper, leading to more jobs and increased opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.”