March 24, 2023
Maori procurement tops target
Maori Development Minister Willie Jackson says a target for 5 percent of relevant government procurement contracts for goods and services to be awarded to Māori businesses has been exceeded, so it’s going up to 8 percent.
He says in the first full year of reporting, Māori businesses made up 6 percent of the total of government procurement contracts for the 2021/22 financial year.
More than 3,200 contracts were awarded to Māori businesses across the public sector, worth a total value of about $930 million.
He says all businesses must still win contracts based on merit but getting agencies to consider benefits other than just price, is making a positive social impact and boosting the Māori economy.
This creates wider outcomes for Aotearoa such as government engaging with more small to medium businesses, helping regional business growth and creating jobs and training opportunities.
Te Puni Kōkiri and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have engaged with over 400 Māori businesses across 25 industries on government procurement in two years.