Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-owned businesses continue to drive significant economic change, with members recording more than $5.83 billion in procurement spend with Supply Nation indigenous-owned verified businesses during the 2024–25 financial year.
The milestone highlights the growing strength and influence of the Indigenous business sector and marks a significant moment ahead of the Supply Nation Supplier Diversity Awards. The awards recognise individuals, businesses and government agencies making an outstanding contribution to supplier diversity and the growth of the Indigenous business sector across Australia.
Winners across all 11 award categories will be announced at the Connect 2026 Gala Awards Dinner on Wednesday 12 August. The gala event will conclude Australia’s largest and most influential business gathering connecting verified Indigenous suppliers with corporate, government and not-for-profit buyers. Connect 2026 will be held on the lands of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation in Boorloo (Perth) from 11–12 August at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.
This year’s theme, Journey, reflects progress, growth and resilience. It honours the enduring foundations of trade and entrepreneurship that sustain Indigenous economies while recognising the legacy being built for future generations. More than 200 exhibiting businesses are already registered, with thousands of participants expected to attend the Connect 2026 Tradeshow, Knowledge Forum and Gala Awards Dinner.
The event provides a national platform to celebrate excellence in Indigenous business while fostering new opportunities, partnerships and economic participation. View the finalists here. Supply Nation CEO Kate Russell said:
“We are very pleased to be able to bring Connect and the Supplier Diversity Awards to Perth this year. Western Australia continues to play a vital role in Indigenous procurement, particularly across the mining and resources sectors with Supply Nation members reaching a total of $2.1 billion dollars in procurement spend – that’s 36 percent of the national total. “The Indigenous business sector is not a marginal contributor to Australia’s economy; it is a force multiplier.
“Supply Nation’s members spending billions with verified Indigenous-owned businesses is not simply a symbolic figure; it represents real contracts, real jobs, and real economic momentum.”
