New Zealand government agencies and private companies have responded to the call to action to implement supplier diversity in Aotearoa.

Organisations are joining Amotai, Aotearoa’s supplier diversity intermediary to connect and buy from Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses. “Kua takoto te manuka”. The wero (challenge) has been laid and Aotearoa has responded says Amotai Manukura (General Manager), Ariana Paul. “It is exciting to see opportunities open up with big buyers wanting to engage directly with Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses. Supplier diversity as a practice is beggining to gain some real traction in Aotearoa”.

Supplier diversity is a strategic and intentional business process that proactively engages, supports, and enables businesses owned by Māori and Pasifika businesses to be engaged in busines-to-business (B2B) supply chains. Its aim is to level the playing field, so these businesses have fairer access to customers and markets.

Some of Aotearoa’s largest organisations have led the way by joining Amotai as Aukōkiri members indicating their strong desire to adopt and implement supplier diversity.

• Microsoft NZ Limited
• Waka Kotahi - NZ Transport Agency
• Kainga Ora Homes and Communities
• City Rail Link
• Naylor Love Wellington Limited
• Auckland Council (including Panuku and Auckland Unlimited)
• Auckland Transport
• Fulton Hogan Ltd
• Dempsey Wood Civil
• EY
• Mike Greer Commercial
• Hawkins Ltd
• Downer New Zealand Limited
• McConnell Dowell Constructors Limited
• Icon Co NZ Pty Ltd
• John Filmore Contracting
• Watercare Services
• Westpac
• Ministry of Education

Amotai has a database of over 400 registered Māori and Pasifika businesses across Aotearoa that Buyers can access.

“Being an Aukōriki buyer member of Amotai means we are able to build a closer relationship with our community and build better partnerships with Māori and Pasifika. Amotai has guided us along this journey in terms of how we engage with local communities and how we can provide software and technology that will create intergenerational change for Māori and Pasifika,” says Dan Walker, Global Co-chair of Indigenous ERG at Microsoft.

Aukōkiri translates to the “thrusting current”, the fastest moving current that requires a sturdy waka to navigate this tide. This aptly represents the organisations that are the fast movers in adopting supplier diversity and those that are committed to embedding supplier diversity within their organisation with adequate resourcing.

“The organisation is totally behind it.” Says Kainga Ora Social Outcomes Lead, Georgina Ellis

“Where we are heading now, what our purpose is, our principles and our values, they align very strongly with Amotai”.

Kainga Ora have piloted supplier diversity on a number of high value contracts across the country with support from Amotai.

“Amotai have been helpful at a practical level. We engaged with Amotai, they helped us with getting the governance board on board, they helped us understand how many Maori and Pasifika businesses there are that can realistically do the work and therefore informed what our targets should be” says Ms Ellis.

Auckland Council were the first organisation in Aotearoa to set supplier diversity targets and want to see a progressive increase in spend with Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses. “For us it’s not a question of why we should include social procurement outcomes, but why not?” says Jazz Singh, General Manager Procurement at Auckland Council.

Amotai is the Aotearoa’s intermediary for supplier diversity working across Aotearoa to connect organisations to Māori and Pasifika-owned businesses. In total there are over 30 Buying organisations that are Amotai members.