Aboriginal Procurement Policy’s third year performance achieves more than double target

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Nearly $500 million in goods, services, and work contracts has been awarded to Aboriginal businesses over three years through the Aboriginal Procurement Policy.
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The Aboriginal Procurement Policy Third Year Performance Report shows the proportion of Western Australian Government contracts awarded to Aboriginal businesses has grown for the third year in a row.

The Aboriginal Procurement Policy (APP) mandates progressive targets for the award of contracts to Aboriginal businesses, with the 2020-21 financial year targeting 3 per cent, seeking to challenge WA Government agencies’ buying behaviours.

In the 2020-21 financial year, the WA Government awarded 6.5 per cent of its contracts to Aboriginal businesses—more than double the target.

Since its introduction in July 2018, the APP has awarded 697 contracts to 209 Aboriginal businesses, with a combined value of more than $476 million.

Additionally, 97 per cent of these Aboriginal businesses are Western Australian.

This period demonstrates a further increase to the number of contracts awarded to Aboriginal businesses and meaningful contract values. Of the 284 contracts awarded throughout WA, 217 contracts are valued at more than $100,000 (76 per cent).

The Minister for Finance, Hon Dr Tony Buti MLA said growing the sector creates better financial outcomes for Aboriginal Western Australians.

"I'm proud of the Aboriginal Procurement Policy's outcomes, which have seen consistent year-on-year growth in WA Government contracting with Aboriginal businesses,” he said. 

"The policy's strong performance in its first term provided a solid foundation for its expansion into employment and subcontracting targets, which came into effect at the start of 2022."

Read on at Aboriginal procurement targets eclipsed for third year in a row.