Turner & Townsend's Australia business sponsors Indigenous Supplier Development Programme
The New South Wales Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC), in partnership with The University of Sydney, has launched the Indigenous Supplier Development Programme (ISDP) to support greater participation of Indigenous businesses in public sector opportunities.
Turner & Townsend has signed a three-year agreement with our Sydney Metro Project Management Office Service partners – Deloitte, HKA and Logikal to sponsor the ISDP. Over the next two and a half years, five cohorts of participants will each attend a three-month programme, which blends in-person and online learning delivery to best fit within business owner’s schedules.
The programme offers customised courses that provide education, mentorship and empowerment to Indigenous business owners, enabling them to develop the skills, understanding and tools required to improve their capacity and capability to grow their economic development and impact.
Darren Munton, Managing Director, Turner & Townsend, Australia and New Zealand, said:
Our sponsorship of the ISDP is part of our commitment to equality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and facilitating sustainable long-term change by investing in the growth of Indigenous businesses for the benefit of the Indigenous community.
“We will combine our core capabilities in major project, programme and portfolio management with our broader experience of leading and growing our own business to generate and accelerate a pipeline of highly capable Indigenous businesses.”
Cohort 1 participant, Bryce Davies, Byrcon Civil, said:
My motivation to participate in this programme is deeply rooted in my commitment to creating opportunities for Indigenous people in the construction and infrastructure sector. Through this programme, I aspire to build a successful business that not only delivers high-quality services but also serves as a catalyst for socio-economic development and cultural resilience.
Luke McIlroy-Ranga, General Manager, NSWICC and ISDP Co-Director, said:
“We are immensely proud to see this programme come to life; the ISDP establishes best practice for Indigenous procurement policy in Australia, highlighting the importance of levers within policy to enable investment into programmes such as this, which ultimately drives growth and ignition of our sector.”
