Why So Few Commonwealth Government Contracts Awarded to First Nations Companies in Northern Australia?
Tracks
Concurrent Room 1
| Thursday, August 6, 2026 |
| 2:25 PM - 2:45 PM |
| Concurrent Room 1 |
Overview
Rod Reeve, Samantha Turk, Ninti One Limited
Details
1. Winning the work: Business success depends on clients and partners understanding and valuing the value-add of First Nations firms for each particular contract.
2. Implementing the work: it is essential to respect and accommodate a diverse range of world views: First Nation’s values (including those of the end-user communities, the First Nations consultants in your own team and in the client); married up with the full range of western commercial demands. Being able to work in two worlds.
3. Governing the work: have a strong First Nations board and management team that oversees governance, finance, relationships, quality and risk.
Speaker
Mr Rod Reeve
MD
Ninti One Limited
Why so few Commonwealth government contracts awarded to First Nations companies in northern Australia?
Presentation Overview
A recent ANU article (1) analysed Commonwealth government contracts awarded to First Nations companies in the 9 years since the Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP) commenced in 2015. The top 50 First Nations companies (by $ value) were awarded $7.4 billion of contracts in this period. Only 5 companies are based in northern Australia, and 4 of them are construction companies in the NT.
The other company is Ninti One Limited, based in Alice Springs.
Ninti is happy to share case studies in this presentation, with the objective of raising economic participation by First Nations Australians in the north. The presentation addresses elements of all of the 7 categories that are listed as areas that the DNAC26 Committee ‘ … is particularly interested in’; and to share learnings:
1. First Nations Economic Leadership: describes key success factors that have contributed to Ninti becoming Australia’s most active First Nations consulting and advisory company.
2. Growing Northern Talent – Building workforce capability and future-ready skills for industry: Case study #1 – Ninti Training Limited has operated as an Indigenous RTO, based in Alice Springs for 25 years.
3. Infrastructure, Connectivity and Strategic Capability: Case study #2 – Northen Territory /Timor Leste renewable energy knowledge exchanges.
4. Economic Development – Pathways for investment, partnerships: Case study #3 – The 7-year $120M CRC for Remote Economic Participation was based in Alice Springs, and was the only CRC based in the north at that time.
5. Innovation, Technology and Sector Transformation: included in above
6. Environment, Climate and Natural Resource Transition: Case Study #4 – Indigenous Protected Areas evaluation
7. Health, Community and Cultural Resilience – Building thriving, connected, culturally strong communities: Case study #5 – Ninti’s review of national Mental Health and Suicide Prevention programs.
(1) https://firstnationsnews.com.au/indigenous-procurement-policy-foi-request-foi-2425-061/
The other company is Ninti One Limited, based in Alice Springs.
Ninti is happy to share case studies in this presentation, with the objective of raising economic participation by First Nations Australians in the north. The presentation addresses elements of all of the 7 categories that are listed as areas that the DNAC26 Committee ‘ … is particularly interested in’; and to share learnings:
1. First Nations Economic Leadership: describes key success factors that have contributed to Ninti becoming Australia’s most active First Nations consulting and advisory company.
2. Growing Northern Talent – Building workforce capability and future-ready skills for industry: Case study #1 – Ninti Training Limited has operated as an Indigenous RTO, based in Alice Springs for 25 years.
3. Infrastructure, Connectivity and Strategic Capability: Case study #2 – Northen Territory /Timor Leste renewable energy knowledge exchanges.
4. Economic Development – Pathways for investment, partnerships: Case study #3 – The 7-year $120M CRC for Remote Economic Participation was based in Alice Springs, and was the only CRC based in the north at that time.
5. Innovation, Technology and Sector Transformation: included in above
6. Environment, Climate and Natural Resource Transition: Case Study #4 – Indigenous Protected Areas evaluation
7. Health, Community and Cultural Resilience – Building thriving, connected, culturally strong communities: Case study #5 – Ninti’s review of national Mental Health and Suicide Prevention programs.
(1) https://firstnationsnews.com.au/indigenous-procurement-policy-foi-request-foi-2425-061/
Biography
Rod has developed Ninti’s strategy with Ninti’s Aboriginal board, as MD, since 2014. He has been responsible for the performance of over $200 million of First Nations activities at Ninti in areas of economic and social development across Australia and the Indo-Pacific. He was the CEO of the Cooperative Research Centre for Remote Economic Participation, based in Alice Springs, which focused on economic participation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote Australia. Previously, he was the GM of an ASX-listed firm responsible for implementing major foreign aid programs, with hands-on work in more than 50 countries.
