CANADIAN COUNCIL FOR ABORIGINAL BUSINESS ANNOUNCES A MORE THAN $3.4 MILLION, MULTI-YEAR FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH INDIGENOUS SERVICES CANADA

Toronto, ON, Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business (CCAB) is proud to announce Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has entered into a muti-year agreement with CCAB to invest more than $3.4 million into CCAB's continued and longstanding work to support Indigenous procurement.

In 2018, CCAB launched Supply Changetm, a comprehensive suite of programs and tools aimed to increase procurement from Indigenous business in the supply chains of Corporate Canada and all levels of government.

Supply Changetm functions through a number of programs and services, including research, advocacy, education, certification and an Indigenous Procurement Marketplace. The Marketplace is a two-way Indigenous procurement platform that allows Certified Aboriginal Businesses (CABs), a designation provided through CCAB to ensure Indigenous businesses are verifiably majority owned and operated by Indigenous peoples, to connect with corporations and entities who have joined Supply Changetm with the goal of increasing Indigenous participation.  Over the course of six years, Supply Change has grown to include close to 1,300 certified First Nation, Métis and Inuit businesses and more than 140 buyers.

"Through Supply Changetm, CCAB continues to advocate for Indigenous businesses, work with all levels of government and corporate Canada to make their supply chains more inclusive of Indigenous businesses and through the marketplace to provide a platform for Indigenous businesses to connect with buyers," says CCAB president and CEO Tabatha Bull. "We are very appreciative of this investment from Indigenous Services Canada, and believe it demonstrates that Supply Changetm has gained the trust and respect of the federal government in advancing Indigenous procurement and equity for Indigenous businesses."

CCAB commits to leverage the ISC funding to achieve these key goals to benefit all participants:

• To continue to grow the largest membership in Canada of corporations committed to Indigenous procurement and the largest marketplace and online directory of Certified Indigenous Businesses
• To increase engagement from senior leaders and procurement officers in the private sector and all levels of Government to advance equity and representation of Indigenous businesses in all supply chains
• To create a forum for sharing Indigenous best practices and opportunities for direct connection between Indigenous businesses and buyers
• To eliminate barriers Indigenous businesses face when engaging in corporate and government supply chains
• To hold in person procurement roundtables with Indigenous businesses and government buyers

"We are very proud of the momentum this program and the marketplace have achieved," says Philip Ducharme, vice president of Procurement and Entrepreneurship at CCAB.  "Beginning in 2024, Supply Changetm will be hosting regional procurement events across the country that will bring together Indigenous businesses and buyers from all sectors and industries. The interest and enthusiasm for these events has been incredible as we have begun to these plans with our members."

CCAB works closely with several procurement offices within Public Services and Procurement Canada on its initiatives, including the Department of National Defence. CCAB introduced the Indigenous Business Defence Sector Accelerator for Indigenous Business program earlier this year as a new initiative developed to create opportunities for Indigenous businesses in Canada to engage with defence suppliers.

There has been an incredible amount of interest from corporate Canada from across the country in purchasing from Indigenous business and the registry of committed buyers now include post-secondary institutions, financial institutions, media/communication companies, municipalities and companies from the energy, mining, oil and gas, construction, energy and transmission sectors and many more.

Certified Aboriginal Business certification is open to First Nation, Inuit and Métis businesses of all sizes and in every sector.  Currently businesses in the marketplace come from every province and territory in Canada, including all major urban centres, as well as rural, Northern and remote regions.

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About the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business

CCAB is committed to the full participation of Indigenous peoples in Canada's economy. As a national, non-partisan association, its mission is to promote, strengthen and enhance a prosperous Indigenous economy through the fostering of business relationships, opportunities, and awareness.  CCAB offers knowledge, resources, and programs to its members to cultivate economic opportunities for Indigenous peoples and businesses across Canada. For more information visit www.ccab.com.

For more information or to arrange interviews with CCAB certified businesses, committed Corporate buyers, or CCAB staff, please contact: