ASC touts growth in Indigenous business support

ASC’s support for Australian businesses has gone from strength to strength in the past three years, supporting local jobs and building sovereign industrial capability. Latest figures show the number of Indigenous-owned businesses that ASC has contracted to deliver services in the past three years has more than doubled, from nine to 22. As well, ASC’s spending with Indigenous businesses increased by 400 percent in 2024, compared with 2022. Indigenous-owned business Intract Australia, which has more than 100 full-time Indigenous employees across Australia, was recently contracted to manage structural repairs and remediation works on two pedestrian bridges at ASC’s submarine yard at Henderson, in WA. Worth more than $800,000, it’s the largest contract ever awarded by ASC to an Indigenous supplier. ASC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Stuart Whiley encouraged Australian businesses interested in supplying to ASC to register via the company’s Sovereign Supply Chain Hub. “ASC has a long-standing commitment to supporting local jobs and growing Australian industry capability, and we’re proud of recent achievements to significantly increase our investment with Indigenous-owned businesses,” Whiley said. “We encourage all Indigenous businesses to consider registering their interest with us, so we learn about their capabilities and seek to identify potential collaboration opportunities. Simply visit our Sovereign Supply Chain Hub – ASC’s one-stop-shop for Australian small-to-medium enterprises that are interested in participating in the Collins Class sustainment program and future programs.” Intract Australia National Business Development Manager Luke Taylor said: “Meaningful partnerships with businesses like ASC allow Intract Australia to grow our workforce and capabilities across the country, and this job in WA has allowed us to grow our capability in the West.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Kym Bergmann at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Group Sales Director Simon Hadfield at [email protected]