EnergyCo Aboriginal Procurement & Participation Guidelines

Overview

Tika EQ partnered with the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC) to support EnergyCo in designing and delivering its Aboriginal Procurement and Participation Guidelines, a key initiative strengthening Aboriginal participation and supplier inclusion across EnergyCo’s direct procurement activities.

The project delivered a comprehensive framework of internal and external participation tools, including Aboriginal Participation Guidelines, a Participation Plan template, and a series of staff training workshops aimed at building knowledge, confidence, and cultural competence across EnergyCo’s procurement and operational teams.

Our Role and Approach

Working closely with NSWICC and EnergyCo’s corporate procurement and policy teams, Tika EQ developed a practical, outcome-focused approach to embed Aboriginal participation in all stages of EnergyCo’s direct procurement lifecycle.

Our work included:

• Co-designing internal and external Aboriginal Procurement and Participation Guidelines, aligned with the NSW Aboriginal Procurement Policy, NSW Procurement Policy Framework, and the Public Works and Procurement Act.
• Creating a standardised Aboriginal Participation Plan template, enabling consistent reporting, accountability, and measurable outcomes across EnergyCo’s suppliers.
• Delivering employee awareness and capability training, helping staff understand procurement thresholds, participation requirements, and how to engage Aboriginal businesses effectively.
• Partnering with NSWICC to connect EnergyCo with Aboriginal suppliers, share access to the NSWICC Procurement Helpdesk, and promote supplier readiness through direct business engagement.

This collaborative process ensured that EnergyCo’s internal teams and external partners had the tools and confidence to deliver culturally safe and compliant procurement outcomes.

Key Outcomes

The initiative successfully embedded Aboriginal participation principles within EnergyCo’s direct procurement operations, delivering:

• Comprehensive internal and external guidelines defining obligations, reporting standards, and engagement pathways for staff and suppliers.
• A customised Aboriginal Participation Plan template, mandating a minimum 1.5% Aboriginal participation target for contracts valued at $3M+, and direct engagement of Aboriginal businesses for contracts under $250K.
• Practical awareness training for EnergyCo employees, supporting consistent application of guidelines and improved engagement with Aboriginal businesses.
• Strong policy alignment with NSW Government’s Aboriginal Procurement Policy and Closing the Gap priorities, ensuring EnergyCo leads by example in inclusive procurement.

Legacy and Impact

Through this partnership, EnergyCo now has a clear and actionable framework for inclusive procurement and Aboriginal participation across its operations.

By combining cultural knowledge with procurement best practice, EnergyCo, supported by Tika EQ and NSWICC, has set a new benchmark for how government agencies can deliver social and economic impact through their own procurement processes, ensuring that Aboriginal suppliers and communities are recognised, respected, and meaningfully included in public sector supply chains.

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