b'INDIGENOUS PROCUREMENT INDIGENOUS PROCUREMENTto bidders for such criteria as being a certified diversely owned business or having a supply chain diversity policy. CERTIFIED ABORIGINAL BUSINESSES Every entrepreneur is unique. However, several businesses featured in this article Toronto can also specify in an RFP thatare recognized as Certified Aboriginal Businesses through CCAB. This means whoevergetsthecontractwillhavethey have been verified as being 50 per cent or to set up an apprenticeship programmore owned and controlled by an Aboriginal orsomesortofhiringprogramCERTIFIED person, and are promoted as such in CCABs wheretheyarehiringfromanIndig- directory, website and all communications. enous population or an equity-seeking group, Pacholok says. Learn how to become a Certified Aboriginal Business and the benefits of certification at: www.ccab.com/Toronto recently evaluated the first fivemembership/certified-aboriginal-business-cabyears of the policy. In 2020, the City awarded contracts under $100,000 to five Indigenous businesses for a total of $136,000. This is a big jump from the2019totalof$30,000.Nonethe-less, we want to improve that, says Pacholok. This year, were working on a plan to reach out to Indigenous andResponsible Black-owned businesses. Our CouncilEnergy forhas given us a target to improve the amountofspendfromIndigenousTomorrowand Black-owned business by 10 per cent this year and 10 per cent per year going forward. Theres lots more workWorking with communities to do. across Canada, were creating responsible and reliable CORPORATE CANADA electricity solutions to power Meanwhile,thecorporateworldisa sustainable future for making praiseworthy progress in Indig- generations to come.enous business inclusion. If you lookTo be net carbon neutral by 2050 at corporate Canada, certain industrieswere developing a portfolio andsectorshavealwaysbeentheof renewable assets, pursuing leadersinIndigenousprocurement, says Ducharme. The resource sectorinnovation in thermal generation, has led the charge. It all depends onand commercializing carbon who you have in the company, and ifconversion technology.theres a champion there and theyreGet to know us. reaching out.Amonglargecorporations,every- TSX: CPX ones at some degree of launching theircapitalpower.comprogram or building on their existing program,saysDamm.Someare being good corporate citizens; some seeIndigenouspeopleasthework-force of the future and theyre trying to get ahead of it; some have to do it. But there needs to be much more effort by corporate Canada around Indigenous businessplanningandprocurement. There should be mandatory programs and legislated programs.Pacholokacknowledgesthedamp-ening effect that COVID has had on the economy and on practical efforts to diversify the corporate and govern-ment supply chain. But on the bright side, he says, we have a chance to Aboriginal BUSINESS REPORT37'