March 06, 2023
Procurement opportunity there for Māori in Kaimahi Uplift
Te Puni Kōkiri is looking for more Māori to take part in its Kaimahi Uplift programme, which aims to get more Māori working in the procurement teams which buy about $52 billion a year in goods and services for more than 150 government agencies.
The Government has set a target of spending at least 5 percent of that with Māori-owned firms.
Kaimahi Uplift programme spokesperson Kellee Koia they realised the issue isn’t just getting Māori firms ready to enter the government market and win tenders, but also ensuring there are people on the government side of the ledger who know how to work with Māori businesses
“So we’ve got one-to-one targeted support, that’s helping Māori businesses to build your collateral and the understanding to be able to enter into these processes. So it’s all good to be able to get a contract out of it. It’s about being able to ensure you’ve got a profitable contract, and to be able to successfully deliver on the contract deliverables,” she says.
Ms Koia says the Uplift programme is up for renewal next year, and she hopes it can continue.