Economic Development and Procurement
Indigenous Economic Development Groups
Successful Indigenous economic development requires the right governance structures, a clear strategy, and the relationships and agreements that turn community priorities into real business. We work with Economic Development Corporations and Nations at every stage of that journey, from building the framework to negotiating the contracts to preparing for business opportunities.
Working collaboratively to create impact, we can help you with:
- Economic development framework and governance design
- Economic development strategy aligned to community goals and priorities
- Formal agreement negotiation support, specific to procurement and contracting
- Building out and preparing the economic development corporation for operations and growth
- Maximizing and protecting business opportunity across the life of a project
- Opportunity identification and project owner engagement
- Business readiness and capacity assessment
- Industry partner identification and relationship development
- Owner-operator business development and structuring
Indigenous Procurement Strategies and Processes
Meeting Indigenous procurement commitments requires more than a policy, it requires embedding Indigenous participation into how your organization sources, evaluates, contracts, and manages suppliers at every stage. We work with industry and government clients to build the processes, tools, and accountability frameworks that ensure commitments are real and delivered on.
Working collaboratively to create impact, we can help you with:
- Indigenous procurement strategy development
- Embedding Indigenous participation requirements into supply chain processes
- Sourcing strategy design that creates genuine access for Indigenous businesses
- Go-to-market approaches and contracting language that reflect procurement commitments
- Bid submission supplementals and Indigenous participation requirements
- Evaluation processes and weighting that prioritize Indigenous participation
- Supplier onboarding support for Indigenous suppliers
- Stewardship, relationship management, and performance tracking
- Consultation and engagement alignment with regulatory and IBA requirements
- Commitment reporting and accountability frameworks
Indigenous Engagement and Participation
Operating in regions where Indigenous communities have rights, title, and economic interests is no longer business as usual. Companies that show up well, with genuine relationships, cultural understanding, and meaningful participation plans, are better positioned to win work, retain contracts, and grow. We work with suppliers and service companies to build the Indigenous engagement and inclusion strategies that make that possible, in the regions where you work today and where you want to grow.
Working collaboratively to create impact, we can help you with:
- Indigenous inclusion strategy development grounded in Canadian history, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action #92
- Engagement strategy development for current and target operating areas
- Indigenous partnership strategy and relationship building
- Community profiles to understand who is in the operating regions, their priorities, and how to engage respectfully and effectively
- Indigenous participation plans aligned to project and contract requirements
- Bid-ready Indigenous engagement documentation and participation commitments
- Cultural awareness training and organizational readiness
- Performance tracking and reporting on engagement commitments
We collaborate with Indigenous communities to build and strengthen their capacity for self-determination. Our engagement approach honours culture, tradition, and the recognition of Indigenous rights, ensuring community voices are heard.
Our work with leadership aligns priorities and values with industries to create sustainable opportunities and lasting benefits. We develop strategies to grow business ventures, involve Membership in opportunities, and support governance structures that foster effective leadership with clarity, transparency, and long-term success.
Learn more about the work we are doing to support communities in following areas:
- Community Comprehensive Plans (CCP)
- Communications and engagement
- Reaching out to Members on and off reserve for inclusive engagement
- Developing tools and platforms for Member-only communications
- Designing websites, managing social media, and branding
- Creating business strategies for economic development, procurement, capacity building, and partnership creation
- Child and Family Services mapping and planning
- Treaty Land Entitlement settlement planning
- Research, analysis, and advocacy
- Sustainability and Indigenous ESG (IESG) reporting
- Leadership governance and training
- Partnership development
Strengthen your understanding and relationships with Indigenous people and communities. As a commitment to reconciliation, we are called upon to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as a framework and incorporate policies and meaningful activities into business operational activities.
We help organizations incorporate culturally informed policies and practices into their operations. This includes our Knowledge Holder delivering education on the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada—covering rights, treaties, culture, traditions, and protocols—to foster deeper understanding, intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights awareness, and anti-racism.
We provide a practical ‘toolkit’ to guide your journey toward meaningful engagement, supporting activities such as relationship building, consultation, and collaboration. This approach helps create opportunities for economic development, employment, procurement, contracting, and participation in sustainable, long-term benefits.
Take steps towards understanding more and participating in reconcile-ACTION with our support in:
- Cultural awareness workshops and employee onboarding
- Engagement and consultation
- Indigenous Inclusion Strategy
- Indigenous commitments and policy development
- Partnership creation
- Supply chain management
- Community investment
- Negotiations