Wiradjuri and Torres Strait Islander man Troy Rugless has spent much of his business life defying the idea Indigenous businesses exist to satisfy minimum procurement targets rather than to operate as capable, competitive partners. He understands the role of policy and reform, but has seen how progress can stall when ambition gives way to box-ticking.

Before business, there was rugby league. Rugless signed with the Sydney Roosters while still at school, embarking on a professional career that eventually took him to the London Broncos. Years later, his son Kobe would follow in his footsteps, making them the first father-and-son combination to represent the Broncos.

"I played with the Roosters and South, went to England, came back to play with South again and I did my knee... I joined the fire brigade when I was about 26 - my father was a fireman. Years went by and I wanted to do something else.

"So, I started a business which did cleaning, maintenance and construction. We started working for major facility management providers like JLL and CBRE."

It was there Rugless began to see the limits of the Indigenous Procurement Policy in practice.

"The IPP was in place, but what I noticed was that once facilities management providers hit their three per cent target, the work stopped," he said. "I'd ask, 'Why do we only get this amount of work?' And the answer was, 'Because we've met our target.' When I asked if there was a problem with how we performed, they said no — we were great'. I thought 'well that's not right'."

Rugless set out to change the system.

He approached a facility management provider with a proposal to form a joint venture. The ambition was not just to deliver services, but to become a full FM provider that could control the pipeline of work and open doors for Indigenous contractors.

"We said, 'We're going to use the best contractors we can, Indigenous and non-Indigenous. But I know there are a lot of strong Indigenous businesses that should be getting more work,'" he said.

That partnership developed into Evolve FM with JLL eventually taking a 49 per cent stake in the new entity. Rugless retained 51 per cent ownership.

"We learned a lot from JLL over our 10 year affiliation... but the goal was always to become a 100 per cent Indigenous-owned business, a vision that was shared and supported by JLL" he said.

Evolve FM's growth accelerated after securing a Whole of Australian Government contract. As the contract approached re-tender, Rugless made a decisive call.

"We realised we were big enough to do it ourselves," he said. "So, I bought out JLL's share of Evolve in June of 2025.

Today, Evolve FM is Australia's first and only 100 per cent Indigenous-owned full-service facilities management and real estate solutions business operating at national scale. Since its inception, the business has directed more than $92 million of work to Indigenous suppliers across their portfolio of contracts.

"That's the proudest thing for me," Rugless said. "What we do with other Indigenous businesses."

Evolve FM now operates from offices in Canberra and Mascot and conducts business with over 20 major clients Australia wide, including contracts Federal and New South Wales Governments. The recent expansion into the Sydney market has seen Evolve deliver facility management services to over 470 schools across the Sydney metropolitan region.

"We've got almost a hundred Indigenous businesses on our books in Sydney in only two and a half years, and it's growing every day," he said.

"We're working with local land councils, especially La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council, and we're getting young Indigenous men and women straight out of school into real jobs. We are also supporting University students with meaningful jobs while they study."

Just as important, Rugless said, is helping businesses navigate the back-of-house complexity that comes with government work.

"A lot of Indigenous businesses are really good at their jobs, but the paperwork and back of house requirements for state or federal government work are overwhelming. You need someone who has been through that process, knows how to get you through, and will get on board to nurture and assist you through the process."

For Rugless, this is where the procurement conversation still falls short.

"Too often, being Indigenous is the first thing people see," he said. "What they should be seeing is that we're a really good business that competes with the best in Australia. We just happen to be Indigenous-owned."

He believes the IPP was necessary, but that its target-driven mindset has become a constraint, although he acknowledges that change is slowly occurring, with the establishment of Indigenous engagement teams in several government departments.

"That's why I started Evolve FM, because I was saying, 'you just told us we're really good and we're the best, but you stop when you hit your target'. Why wouldn't you reward your best business - that you've got the most trust and faith in - with more work?"

Inside Evolve FM the team is united around a sense of purpose.

"I've got Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who want their work to mean something, who want reconciliation," Rugless said. "My business gives them the tools and opportunities to step towards reconciliation on a daily basis, and not just my team, everyone that partners with Evolve FM."

Looking ahead, he is clear about Evolve FM's direction.

"Now that Evolve FM is 100 per cent (Indigenous-owned) it's all about growth, building a business to the biggest Indigenous FM business - and Australian-owned... I've always had aspirations of becoming the first Indigenous business to float on the Stock Exchange.

"We've always got to have goals, and we're going step by step. We're not at that stage yet, but it's all about growth now and getting the right people into the business."