Aboriginal Procurement Policy 2025 Compliance: 10 Steps Every WA Contractor Should Follow

The Western Australian Government’s Aboriginal Procurement Policy (APP) shifts gear on 1 July 2025. While numeric targets remain, the spotlight now shifts to authentic impact, transparent reporting, and long-term partnerships. For contractors—large, mid-tier, or boutique—meeting the rules and showing real community value now go hand-in-hand. The checklist below distils the essentials into 10 practical steps.

1. Confirm Whether the APP Applies

 
Start by sizing up the tender.

• Contracts from $50,000 trigger an agency target to buy directly from registered Aboriginal businesses or ACCOs.
• Contracts at $5 million or above in key industries bring mandatory Aboriginal Participation Requirements (APRs) for the winning supplier.

Always include GST and every extension option when you calculate value; under-counting knocks bids out early.

2. Check Registration—Every Time

 
Spend or jobs only count when the Aboriginal partner appears on the Aboriginal Business Directory WA or Supply Nation’s Indigenous Business Direct. Screenshot or save the registration date and set calendar reminders to confirm it stays current. This habit protects your own compliance score and supports a healthy marketplace of Indigenous business services.

3. Master the Digital Gateways

 
Tenders WA lists open opportunities over $250,000 and all awards from $50,000. Create keyword alerts, research winning bidders, and monitor agency pipelines. When a tender includes APRs, lodge the participation plan through the Western Australian Industry Participation Strategy (WAIPS) portal, download the final PDF, then upload it with the rest of your bid. Skipping that last step is a common but avoidable error that can sink an otherwise competitive bid.

4. Choose Your Aboriginal Participation Requirements (APR) Pathway Wisely

 
Contractors may meet APRs by:

• Allocating at least 4% of contract spend to Aboriginal subcontractors (Tier 1 only), or
• Meeting region-based employment targets—2% in Perth and the South West, 10% in the Pilbara and Kimberley.

Choose the pathway that aligns with your actual capabilities. Firms with strong supply-chain links may lean toward subcontracting; those experienced in Indigenous project management or labour hire might favour the workforce option.

5. Draft a Participation Plan That Holds Up in Court

 
Treat the plan like any other binding schedule: specific numbers, clear time frames, named work packages, and a risk register. Include evidence of consultation—local ACCOs, Traditional Owner groups, employment services—because agencies increasingly ask for proof that stakeholders had a say.

6. Build Partnerships, Not Proxies

 
“Black cladding” — where a non-Indigenous entity hides behind an Aboriginal figurehead—now draws legal as well as reputational fire. Real due diligence goes beyond ASIC searches: examine governance structures, decision-making rights, and profit flows. A genuine joint venture shows 50 % Indigenous control and a written strategy to grow the junior partner’s capability over the life of the project.

7. Present Value for Money Beyond the Price Tag

 
Under the WA Procurement Rules, agencies weigh economic, social, and environmental benefit. Quantify the upside: hours of cultural awareness training delivered, local spend on Indigenous land management, or the predicted uptick in regional employment. Citing Supply Nation’s social-return research: every dollar of revenue to an Indigenous business generates roughly $4.41 in wider value helps evaluation panels see the multiplier effect - not just the invoice total.

8. Lock the Commitments Into Systems

 
Model clauses embedded in government contracts give agencies audit rights. Put finance codes in place to track every payment to Aboriginal subcontractors, and HR fields to record self-identified Aboriginal staff. Annual workforce returns must be endorsed by the CEO, so executive teams need dashboards well before reporting deadlines. Employers bringing on Indigenous Apprentices and Trainees should link their mentoring and trade-school data feeds to those dashboards for a single source of truth.

9. Report and Verify—No Surprises

 
For the subcontracting pathway, a full reconciliation is usually due within 30 days of contract completion. Employment pathway reports fall on every anniversary of the start date. Provide bank remittances, payroll summaries, and directory screenshots to back each figure. If you miss a target, prompt disclosure with a catch-up plan—often lands better with contract managers than silent underspend discovered in an audit.

10. Tap Into the Support Network

 
Few policies come with as many free resources. The Aboriginal Procurement Advisory Service, Indigenous Managed Services, regional business incubators, and the Local Capability Fund all exist to make partnerships stick. Even metro-based suppliers looking for Aboriginal services near me Perth or Indigenous services near me Perth can access mentoring, bid-writing help, and networking breakfasts that link capability with demand.

Looking Ahead

 
The APP is locked in until at least 2031, meaning Aboriginal participation is a permanent feature of public procurement, not a temporary program. Contractors who embed the policy into everyday practice, board KPIs, supply-chain mapping, succession planning—won’t just tick boxes; they’ll open doors to new markets and stronger community relationships. That alignment will keep them competitive as government buyers sharpen their focus on genuine impact and transparent reporting across Western Australia’s diverse regions.