WA tender portal aims to boost SME jobs

Local businesses in Western Australia will receive assistance in securing work on government contracts, with the launch of the state government's WA Industry Link.

This online portal is a key component of the WA Government's Jobs Law, which was passed earlier in the year.

It sets out the government's expectation that opportunities for Western Australian businesses and workers must be maximised when it comes to delivering government goods and services.

Each year, the government spends about $27 billion on goods, services and works for the community, representing a significant opportunity and stable market for local industry.

There are opportunities for Western Australian businesses to get a bigger share of this work, and the WA Industry Link portal will help them to do so.

The portal will act as a central online information source on how opportunities for local businesses to supply to the state government can be maximised.

It will also provide an avenue for local industry to share feedback and seek advice, helping to ensure the state government tender and contracting processes remain open, accountable and transparent.

Over time, information and resources will be added to the portal, which will help to streamline the tender, contracting and reporting processes, and make it easier for local businesses and agencies to fulfil the requirements placed on them.

As part of the Jobs Law, prospective suppliers of government contracts will be required to submit local participation plans as part of their tender. These will require suppliers to provide information on levels of local business engagement as well as the jobs, apprenticeships and traineeships that will be created and retained.

These plans will then be incorporated into the contracts of successful suppliers to ensure the promised local jobs are delivered. Successful bidders will also be required to report on the fulfilment of their plans.

An Industry Link Advisory Service has been established to provide a range of services to help local businesses and state government agencies to understand the new strategy.

As part of the advisory service, Local Content Advisors are available to provide advisory services to businesses in regional areas. Their focus is on helping support regional businesses compete for state government supply opportunities.

Pilot projects are being rolled out under the new system, with the new laws to be applied across the board in September 2018.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Pixsooz

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