First Major Indigenous Supplier Contract Awarded

12 November 2009

The Australian Indigenous Minority Supplier Council (AIMSC), has announced its first major contract between a AIMSC member, Qantas and certified Indigenous supplier, as part of its three-year pilot.

AIMSC founding member, Qantas, has signed an agreement with Message Stick Communications, to use the company’s telecommunication services.

This occasion was marked by the signing of the agreement by Qantas Chief Executive Alan Joyce and Message Stick Communications’ Chief Executive Michael McLeod at Qantas’ Sydney office.

Speaking at the signing, Alan Joyce said that Qantas was pleased to be one of the first of AIMSC’s members to establish an agreement with an AIMSC certified Indigenous supplier.

“As a founding member of AIMSC, our partnership with Message Stick Communications also meets key objectives of the Qantas Reconciliation Action Plan in seeking to engage with Indigenous suppliers and in supporting Indigenous enterprise,” Mr Joyce said.

Message Stick Communications’ Chief Executive, Michael McLeod said that the agreement with Qantas was not only an achievement for the company, but also a major win for Indigenous suppliers throughout Australia and for AIMSC.

“The signing of this contract demonstrates that large iconic Australian companies and Indigenous-owned suppliers can do business on commercial terms rather than for charitable purposes”, Mr McLeod said.

The signing of the Qantas-Message Stick contract follows AIMSC’s official launch in Canberra at Parliament House on 15 September 2009.

AIMSC Chief Executive, Ms Natalie Walker, said the early achievements, such as the Qantas-Message Stick contract, will pave the way for AIMSC’s mission in building a vibrant and prosperous Indigenous business sector.

Based on the US National Minority Supplier Development Council (www.nmsdc.org), AIMSC is the beginning of a transformation in the Indigenous business sector. AIMSC, its founding members and certified Indigenous businesses aim to build a vibrant and prosperous Indigenous business sector by incorporating Indigenous owned, controlled and managed businesses into the supply chain of Australian companies and government agencies.

Ms Walker emphasised the importance for AIMSC and its founding members to build on the leadership of Qantas and Message Stick by converting good will into action by purchasing goods, services and products from AIMSC certified Indigenous suppliers.