Ventia is proud to be recognised for our work in sustainable procurement at the Supply Nation 2023 Supplier Diversity Awards, taking home both the award for Corporate Member of the Year and the Dr Dean Jarrett Award recognising Outstanding Impact.  

Since 2009, Supply Nation has been working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned business, and procurement teams across Australia, to grow the Indigenous-owned business sector and promote supplier diversity. Supply Nation's annual Suppler Diversity Awards recognise companies, government agencies, and individuals who are doing their part to create a vibrant and sustainable Indigenous business sector.   

At Ventia we value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and recognise the significant benefits that can be achieved by working with diverse suppliers. The benefits we have experienced, such as increased innovation and improved quality, are just as important to us as providing new possibilities and increasing capacity in underrepresented communities.  

Ventia's Chief Financial Officer, Stuart Hooper, who was on hand to accept the awards, spoke about the collective impact we can make when we embrace the principles of social procurement.

"As a large Australian business, we have the opportunity, and also the responsibility to drive sustainable procurement in our supply chain.  

By prioritising inclusivity, fairness, and sustainability in our procurement practices, we have the ability to effect real positive change, address systemic inequalities, and build a more equitable future for all.

In 2022 Ventia increased the total number of Supply Nation Indigenous businesses that we held contracts with by 9%, and the value of these contracts by 23%.  

^{The Ventia team at the 2023 Supply Nation Awards} 

Ventia's Social Sustainability Manager, Loes Westerbeek-Veld, reflected on the many ways we can contribute to social procurement. 

'At Ventia, we focus on ways that we can embed social procurement practices in everything that we do.'

"Whether it's delivering a specific service to our clients, or thinking about catering for an event, each dollar spent with an Indigenous business contributes much more than a financial benefit and makes a difference."  

Ventia's approach to sustainable procurement and indigenous engagement is influenced by our Reconciliation Action Plan, and our long-term membership of Supply Nation. As a founding member, Ventia has worked to increase our procurement spend with Indigenous businesses year on year.   

^{Ventia recognised in Supply Nation's annual Supplier Diversity Awards}

The Corporate Member of the Year award recognises a member who has demonstrated exceptional commitment and leadership and driven significant growth in supplier diversity.  

The Dr Dean Jarrett Outstanding Impact Awards honours the late Dr Dean Jarrett, a proud Gumbaynggirr/Goreng Goreng/Punthamara man who was a valued member of the Supply Nation Board. The award recognises an organisation or individual that has made an outstanding impact on supplier diversity and the growth of the Indigenous business sector and is selected from the finalists of all other award categories. 

We'd like to congratulate all our fellow finalists in each category for their unique contributions to supporting a sustainable Indigenous business sector throughout Australia

^{Ventia received the Corporate Member of the Year and the Dr Dean Jarrett Award recognising Outstanding Impact on the night.}