Regina city council approved an Indigenous procurement policy at Thursday’s council meeting. Passed unanimously, the policy has set a goal of 20 per cent of procurement contracts being awarded to Indigenous-owned businesses.

City officials said the policy is the first in Regina that directly responds to calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

A timeline for implementation of the policy has yet to be set but council documents indicate there will be incremental increases going forward in the procurement spend going to Indigenous vendors

In 2022, the City of Regina spent $205 million on procurement. Of that total, $300,00 (0.15 per cent) went to Indigenous businesses.

For more about Thursday’s decision by council, click the links to read stories from The Leader-Post and the CBC.