Indigenous Procurement &
Accreditation
Indigenous procurement has developed considerably, however elements of accreditation and certification for businesses are still not fit for purpose.
As advocacy grows for greater support of Indigenous communities through economic means, businesses have become more conscious of their connections to First Nations people through their supply chains and partnerships.
There is no national framework for identifying Indigenous owned and operated businesses across Australia. The market relies on businesses to be self-identifying.
There are a handful of organisations operating at the national level that are leading the effort to identify and recognise businesses that are Indigenous owned. The key groups positioned to help organisations diversify their supply chains are ‘Supply Nation’ and ‘Welcome to Country’.
Supply Nation
Established in 2009 as the first supplier diversity organisation in Australia, today Supply Nation offers a database of 3,594 (as at 2021-22) verified First Nations owned businesses. This database is publicly accessible on their website.
They recognise two levels of ownership of Indigenous businesses, which enables businesses and customers to ensure they are supporting authentic partnerships.
- Supply Nation Registered –Registered businesses are 50% or more Indigenous owned, catering for equal partnership for non-Indigenous owners
- Supply Nation Certified – Certified suppliers are 51% or more Indigenous owned, managed and controlled
Supply Nation encourages and supports supply chain diversification for its 731 members, to foster First Nations economic and social prosperity in Australia. For example:
- For every $1 of revenue, Certified Suppliers generate $4.1 of social return
- First Nations businesses are 100 times more likely to employ First Nations people
- First Nations people represent around 3% of the population but only own around 0.06% of Australia’s businesses
The relevance of this platform can be seen in their recent growth and performance. In FY22, enterprises registered and certified by Supply Nation recorded total supply contracts of $3.8 billion, an increase of 65% on the previous year. Government contracts represented the biggest spend, accounting for $1.7 billion. The second biggest share of contracts came from the construction and mining sectors.
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Welcome to Country
Welcome to Country is a not-for-profit marketplace for First Nations experiences and products. They are Supply Nation Registered and are focused on delivering direct employment and economic development outcomes in First Nation communities. While Supply Nation is set up to verify Indigenous ownership for organisations’ procurement function, Welcome to Country is oriented towards platforming Indigenous commerce and supporting First Nations businesses to launch and grow.
In FY22, $1 million of revenue went to First Nations’ entrepreneurs listed on the platform. As of March 2023, there were 188 businesses on the platform with 253 experiences and more than 3000 products.[i]
Welcome to Country was engaged by the National Indigenous Australians Agency in 2022, through a tendering process, to design and administer the First Nations Tourism Mentoring Program, which is supported by the Indigenous Tourism Fund. They are delivering the program alongside PwC Indigenous Consulting and Intrepid. The purpose of the program is to connect First Nations tourism businesses with experienced First Nations mentors to offer culturally safe and industry specific mentoring.
Indigenous Tourism Businesses
Tourism Australia has created a directory of 160 quality Aboriginal tourism experiences as part of their Signature Experiences of Australia program, known as Discover Aboriginal Experiences (DAE). The experiences are selected for their authenticity and meaning and are led by Aboriginal guides.
The DAE program packages and promotes tourism products to international and interstate visitors to bring them closer to First Nations Culture and enhance their Australian experience. They are described as a curated selection of premium travel offerings. Marketing to visitors in this way will help provide reassurance of the quality of their experiences and boost the presence of First Nations Cultures in tourism distribution channels.
Other state-based organisations are also working on increasing their promotion of high quality and authentic tourism Indigenous tourism experiences. An example of this is Visit NSW’s compilation of Aboriginal Cultural Experiences & Tours in NSW. Distribution of these experiences is highly important to the success of the sector, along with increased support for capability and resources so that these businesses are set up for success.
Accreditation Programs
Ecotourism Australia’s Respecting our Culture (ROC) program certifies tourism operators who operate in ways that respect and reinforce First Nations cultural heritage and the living cultures of First Nations communities.
ROC-certified tourism operators are committed to acknowledging First Nations people’s spiritual connection to the land and water, protecting cultural authenticity and integrity, as well as developing sound business practices and environmental protection.
The ROC program is predominantly marketed to tourism operators who help visitors learn and experience Culture.
The Queensland Tourism Industry Council is also in the process of developing a First Nations Tourism Accreditation Program, having actively engaged with stakeholders on accreditation standards, whose underlying principles have been informed by the ROC program.
The benefits of this new program will include:
- Providing businesses with tools to responsibly manage Indigenous experiences
- Demonstrating a business’ respect for and inclusion of Indigenous Cultures and heritage
- Showing that a business recognises sustainable business and environmental practices
Such an accreditation will provide a layer of reassurance to organisations wishing to deliver authentic, high-quality First Nations cultural experiences. It will also be valued by visitors to help them recognise authentic offerings more easily.
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Existing accreditation schemes are helpful and expanding in use, but industry engagement in supporting the widespread implementation of accreditation programs across Australia would help strengthen the sector.