Indigenous procurement: what it means when you engage DICE
DICE Contracting Pty Ltd is 100% Indigenous-owned and Supply Nation certified, so awarding it a construction contract contributes to Commonwealth Indigenous Procurement Policy targets and to comparable state schemes including the NSW Aboriginal Procurement Policy. This page explains how those policies work, what thresholds apply, and what evidence to ask us for.
Ownership thresholds differ by jurisdiction
DICE Contracting is 100% Indigenous-owned, which clears the ownership test in every Australian jurisdiction. The other conditions do not always follow automatically.
| Jurisdiction | Policy | Ownership threshold | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth | Indigenous Procurement Policy (IPP) | 51% Indigenous ownership plus Indigenous control | DICE Contracting is 100% Indigenous-owned, so it clears the ownership test with margin. |
| New South Wales | Aboriginal Procurement Policy (APP) | 50% Aboriginal ownership | NSW recognises both Supply Nation certification and NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce (NSWICC) registration. |
| Victoria | Social Procurement Framework | 51% Indigenous ownership plus Victorian business premises | The Victorian premises requirement is assessed separately from ownership. Confirm current eligibility before relying on it. |
Thresholds, targets and exemption rules change. Everything on this page is general information to help you frame a procurement, not procurement or legal advice. Confirm the current policy text, value thresholds and your own agency’s delegation before relying on any of it.
Certified, not merely registered
The distinction matters in an evaluation, and it is the one buyers most often miss.
Supply Nation registered means a business is at least 50% Indigenous-owned. Supply Nation certified means it is at least 51% Indigenous-owned and Indigenous-controlled, verified through a more rigorous process that looks past the share register to who actually runs the company.
DICE Contracting is certified, and 100% Indigenous-owned. Raymond Pratt, Director and Co-Founder, is a Western Arrernte man who sits on the Supply Nation Indigenous Business Advisory Group and the Prime Minister’s Indigenous Advisory Council.
This matters because “Indigenous business” is not a protected term. Certification is the mechanism that separates genuine Indigenous ownership from arrangements that merely present as such, and it is the evidence your probity process should be asking for.
Evidence we can provide
- Supply Nation certification
- ABN and company extract
- NSW building licence 293927C
- SCM0256 prequalification
- Certificates of currency
- Indigenous Participation Plan
- Project referees
How agencies typically bring us onto a contract
Through a prequalification scheme
DICE Contracting is prequalified under SCM0256 for NSW Government construction works and construction-related services, and holds Avetta, Smartek, Linksafe and Hammertech prequalifications. If your works fall inside our prequalified categories, we can be invited to quote or tender directly.
Under an Indigenous procurement exemption
Commonwealth buyers can, in defined circumstances, engage an Indigenous enterprise without an open approach to market under an exemption in the Commonwealth Procurement Rules. State policies contain comparable mechanisms. Confirm the current exemption, thresholds and your delegation before proceeding.
As a subcontractor to your head contractor
Much of our government work has come through head contractors such as BGIS and Serco, who hold facilities management contracts and need Indigenous participation in their own supply chain. We are comfortable in that structure and have delivered multi-million-dollar packages under it.
Direct engagement for minor works
For works below your agency’s open-tender threshold, we can be engaged directly. This is the most common route for maintenance, make-safe and minor rectification work, particularly in regional and remote communities.
What the contract actually produces
Indigenous procurement policy exists to create economic participation, not to redistribute a compliance checkbox. It is fair to ask a contractor what the spend actually did.
On the BGIS courthouses contract, DICE upskilled its tradespeople through WHS courses and employed an additional apprentice at its North Coast location. On the Tyalgum General Store rectification, a local apprentice carpenter came onto the tools and has since worked on the Murwillumbah Courthouse roof restoration and the Youth Justice Centre Acmena refurbishment.
Away from the tools, contract revenue has funded the Josiah Healing Centre in Brewarrina, a co-working hub for Indigenous organisations in the same town with Yarruu Indigenous Corporation, and National Reconciliation Week ceremonies at the Parramatta Justice Precinct with Uncle Lex Dadd and the Jannawi Dance Clan of the Darug Traditional Custodians.
Indigenous procurement questions
Does contracting with DICE Contracting count towards Indigenous procurement targets?
Yes. DICE Contracting Pty Ltd is 100% Indigenous-owned and Supply Nation certified, so awarding it a contract contributes to Commonwealth Indigenous Procurement Policy targets and to comparable state schemes including the NSW Aboriginal Procurement Policy. Buyers should confirm current thresholds, mandatory minimum requirements and reporting obligations against the applicable policy at the time of procurement.
What is the difference between Supply Nation certified and Supply Nation registered?
A Supply Nation registered business is at least 50% Indigenous-owned. A Supply Nation certified business is at least 51% Indigenous-owned AND Indigenous-controlled, verified through a more rigorous process. Certification is the stronger signal, and it is what DICE Contracting holds.
What ownership threshold does each jurisdiction apply?
The Commonwealth Indigenous Procurement Policy requires 51% Indigenous ownership plus Indigenous control. The NSW Aboriginal Procurement Policy applies a 50% threshold. Victoria requires 51% ownership plus Victorian business premises. DICE Contracting is 100% Indigenous-owned, which clears the ownership test in every Australian jurisdiction.
Can a government agency award a contract directly to an Indigenous business?
Commonwealth buyers can, in defined circumstances, apply an exemption in the Commonwealth Procurement Rules that permits direct engagement of an Indigenous enterprise without an open approach to market. State policies contain comparable mechanisms. The specific exemption, thresholds and any value limits change over time, so confirm the current rule and your agency’s delegation before relying on it.
Is DICE Contracting prequalified for NSW Government construction work?
Yes. DICE Contracting is prequalified under SCM0256, the NSW Government scheme for construction works and construction-related services, and also holds Avetta, Smartek, Linksafe and Hammertech prequalifications.
What management system certifications does NSW Government require?
NSW Government construction contracts generally require ISO 45001 (work health and safety) and ISO 9001 (quality) certification above $1 million, and ISO 14001 (environmental management) above $10 million, with certification through a JAS-ANZ accredited body. Requirements vary by scheme and contract value, so always read the specific request for tender.
What is the Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme?
It is the Commonwealth scheme, administered by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations with the Federal Safety Commissioner as accrediting authority, that head contractors must hold to carry out Commonwealth-funded building work above defined value thresholds. It was formerly associated with the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner and the Building Code, and it survived the 2022 abolition of the ABCC.
How does DICE Contracting report Indigenous participation on a contract?
DICE Contracting prioritises Indigenous suppliers and subcontractors from the local community, creates apprenticeship and traineeship positions, and mentors Indigenous businesses in its supply chain. Reporting can be provided against the metrics your policy requires.
Working out whether we fit your procurement?
Tell us the agency, the scheme or panel, the scope and the closing date. We will confirm our prequalification status against it and send the certification evidence your probity process needs.