Our Indigenous Business Directory includes more than 40 Indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs that are interested in working with us and our partners. Click here to view the Indigenous Business Directory.

For a complete list that includes detailed contact information, please email us.

The Indigenous Business Directory is the result of reviewing our procurement policy, working to define Indigenous business, holding ‘meet and greets’ with Indigenous entrepreneurs and businesses, making critical changes to our financial software to track and monitor our spend on Indigenous businesses and setting targets to guide our decisions. We also held three virtual sessions with Indigenous businesses in 2021, which are available here.

If you are an Indigenous business and want to connect with us, email or call 250-383-8300.

Everyday, we procure goods and services that help to keep some of Victoria’s most treasured places thriving. Whether it is ordering new compost bins at Fisherman’s Wharf or commissioning a local artist to beautify the Victoria Cruise Terminal at The Breakwater District, we want to ensure that our decisions are embedded in sustainable procurement practices. For us, this means not only taking into consideration the environment, but also supporting local Indigenous-owned businesses. 

In June 2019, with support from our First Nations Economic Development Committee, we revised our Procurement Policy to include language regarding the support of Indigenous businesses. This includes ensuring that Indigenous business have the same opportunities as other qualified contractors to participate in a competitive manner on all RFP’s. With all other things being equal, if the Indigenous business meets the qualifications required, we may give preference to the Indigenous business. In addition, we also committed to actively seeking opportunities for direct award contracting opportunities to Indigenous businesses, if prices offered are commercially competitive and services rendered meet requirements.

We also worked with the Esquimalt Nation and Songhees Nation through our First Nations Economic Development Committee to define “Indigenous business.” Together we came up with the following definition:

To be considered an Indigenous business, at least one of the following criteria must be met:

  • At least 51% of the business is owned and controlled by Indigenous Peoples, and at at least one third of the employees are Indigenous.
  • If the business is a sole proprietorship, it must be wholly owned by an Indigenous person.
  • In the case of a joint venture or consortium, at least 51% of the joint venture or consortium must be controlled and beneficially owned by an Indigenous business or businesses, as defined above.
  • At least 1/3 of the value of the work performed under a contract is completed by an Indigenous business, either by the Indigenous partner/contractor or by an Indigenous sub-contractor.

For more info on our current work with Indigenous businesses, check out our blog post.