Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said the $100,000 deal was sought to place Indigenous businesses in front of agencies.

“This is about making it easier for Aboriginal-owned businesses to work with government and in the process we will create jobs and new opportunities for Aboriginal communities,” he said.

Targets under the policy allow departments to negotiate directly with businesses on procurements up to $250,000.

One of the first businesses to align itself with Supply Nation when it launched 10 years ago was Kallico Catering, which offers contemporary Australian cuisine and Indigenous bush tucker for events across Sydney.

Daryll Brown owns and runs Kallico with his wife Nene and said the association with Supply Nation had opened the door to corporate Australia and government, including the Department of Education and NSW Health.

“My mob is from Wreck Bay, in the Booderee area. Before Supply Nation corporates probably wouldn’t even think of us, really,” he said.

“But these days corporates are really actively trying to find Indigenous businesses.”

Supply Nation was formed almost 11 years ago with 13 businesses in its database.

Today, its directory lists more than 2800 Indigenous businesses, 800 of which are in NSW, across industries like construction, maintenance, recruitment, IT and telecommunications.

“We were set up to provide that intermediary support and make those introductions. Because once business owners get to that first meeting, the rest is pure business,” Supply Nation chief executive Laura Berry said.

Supply Nation has a five-step verification process to ensure all businesses listed are not only Aboriginal owned but regularly audited for changes in company structure.

Ms Berry said the 2827 businesses in its directory had an Indigenous employment rate of more than 30 per cent, while for most large corporates the figure was closer to one or two per cent - “if they’re lucky.”

“If you want to make a difference in Indigenous employment, support Indigenous business,” she said.

The Business Council of Australia last year launched its own partnership with Supply Nation.

Its Raising the Bar initiative committed members to spend more than $3 billion with Indigenous suppliers over five years.

Business Council boss Jennifer Westacott said members had spent more than $864 million with 640 Indigenous suppliers since last year.