In 2012, SaskPower implemented an Indigenous Procurement Policy to enable the participation of Indigenous communities and businesses in their major projects. In 2015, they established an Indigenous Procurement Standard and dedicated an implementation team to this initiative. This is just one of the measures that led SaskPower to receive a gold designation from the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business for "progressive Aboriginal relations."
So, how does it work? SaskPower provides evaluation points for Aboriginal ownership and labour participation in every request for proposal that goes out to market. There is a corporate target for Indigenous Procurement that is included in the SaskPower Corporate Balanced Scorecard and reported on the SaskPower Annual Report.
And why is this important? Because it actively increases Indigenous participation in the supply chain of SaskPower. Whether contracts are for civil construction, printing, trucking, aviation, etc., SaskPower works with internal business units and Indigenous suppliers to identify opportunities for participation. An emphasis is put on multi-year opportunities, which help Indigenous suppliers create sustainable capacity and ongoing employment.
Since its inception, $259 million in contracts have been awarded to Indigenous suppliers. A total of 66 Indigenous companies have been awarded contracts and 36 of those over this past year. This procurement policy has impacted 37 communities across Saskatchewan who are represented by Saskatoon Tribal Council, File Hills Qu'Appelle Tribal Council, Battlefords Agency Tribal Council, Prince Albert Grand Council and several Métis Locals.
SaskPower has several master service agreements, standing supply agreements and other significant contracts with Indigenous suppliers that cover nearly the entire geographic area of Saskatchewan.
A few to note are:
Supplier | Project |
Peter Ballantyne Developments | 3-year contract for wood pole recycling |
Kitsaki – Lac La Ronge Indian Band | Vegetation management |
STC Industrial Contracting | Steel cross arms and cross braces |
Points Athabasca Contracting LTD, Tron Construction and Mining | Miscellaneous construction |
SaskPower also hosts annual Indigenous supplier information sessions and issue invitation only competitions for Indigenous suppliers.
For more information, visit www.saskpower.com.
Source: SaskPower