You are the architects of change,’ leader tells Indigenous economic developers – Sudbury.com
Waubetek general manager Dawn Madahbee-Leach says opportunities for Indigenous communities are growing
There’s $22 billion worth of opportunity available for Indigenous businesses across Canada.
That’s the estimated amount of revenue to be generated from a new National Indigenous Procurement Policy, which is now in effect within Canada’s federal government, noted Dawn Madahbee-Leach, the general manager at Waubetek Business Development Corp.
Under the policy, federal departments and agencies are required to award a minimum of five per cent of their procurement contracts to Indigenous businesses.
It’s a stunning number, but Madahbee-Leach believes the actual benefits to Indigenous companies could well surpass that.
“We’re not restricted to just five per cent,” she said, speaking at the Economic Development Opportunities Forum, hosted by the Anishinabek Nation in Bawating (Sault Ste. Marie) October 24-26. “If we can build those businesses, we can go beyond that.”
