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Indigenous Defence and Infrastructure Consortium (iDiC) and Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) received the award during the Supply Nation Connect awards for 2022, already delivering $11 million to Indigenous businesses.
First partnering in 2016, the engagement has fostered the growth of Indigenous businesses by providing additional education and employment opportunities.
The award follows confirmation of a world-first five-year agreement between the pair to further sustain growth among Indigenous businesses.
So far, the partnership between iDiC and Boeing Defence Australia has delivered $11 million for Indigenous businesses, with another $20 million committed.
The partnership has developed business for 31 First Nations businesses.
The agreement bolsters their commitment to achieving genuine and sustainable reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community in Australia, according to Scott Carpendale, vice president and managing director of Boeing Defence Australia.
“Boeing Defence Australia has been working with iDiC since 2017,” Carpendale said after the signing ceremony.
“We’ve spent more than $18.5 million with Indigenous businesses since 2012 and expect this figure to increase significantly now that all of Boeing’s Australian subsidiaries can engage Indigenous-owned businesses under the agreement.
“In addition, it further builds on our work towards boosting Indigenous education and employment prospects.”
iDiC identifies business opportunities for its Indigenous business consortium partners and provides turnkey solutions to prime contractors delivering nation-building projects in the infrastructure and defence industries.
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