In an effort to energise Aboriginal owned and operated businesses in NSW, the State Government has developed its Aboriginal Procurement Policy. Under the policy, government departments are expected to dedicate a prescribed amount of their annual procurement budget to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses. In this article, we’ll look at the different departments and their spending and contract targets for the 2021/22 financial year.
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Who qualifies as an Aboriginal business?
According to the NSW Aboriginal Procurement Policy, an Aboriginal business must have at 50% or higher ownership by Aboriginal persons. The business must also be recognised by a suitable organisation such as the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce or Supply Nation, both of which keep searchable registers of Australian Aboriginal businesses.
Read more about the NSW Aboriginal Procurement Policy.
NSW Government Aboriginal Procurement Targets by Department
Each department of the NSW government is expected to reach the targets set for the government as a whole – specifically, 1% of total addressable spend and 3% of total goods and services contracts awarded to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses.
Department of Customer Service
Spend Target: $2,363,612
Contracts Target: 7
Description: The NSW Department of Customer Service was established in 2019 encompassing over 30 agencies with the purpose of providing a superior customer service experience to NSW residents who interact with the NSW government. Its mission includes providing a more efficient and consistent government digital experience for users, improving customer service through data insights and engaging with NSW residents more effectively.
NSW Department of Education
Spend Target: $23,574,487
Contracts Target: 9
Description: The NSW Education department covers everything from early childhood education to tertiary education. The NSW Department of Education is dedicated to fostering employment opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through procurement as well as encouraging the growth and participation of Indigenous-owned businesses in Australia.
NSW Health
Spend Target: $19,627,341
Contracts Target: 66
Description: NSW Health encompasses Healthshare NSW, NSW Ambulance, health infrastructure, NSW Health Pathology, eHealth, Health Protection NSW, speciality networks, local health districts and more. NSW Health covers over 220 hospitals, and non-government health organisations and offers a substantial number of tenders annually. NSW Health has developed its own NSW Health Aboriginal Procurement Participation strategy in line with the NSW Procurement Policy Framework.
Department of Planning, Industry and Environment
Spend Target: $14,634,015
Contracts Target: 24
Description: The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment is concerned with preserving the environment, supporting NSW industries and building strong communities through a range of initiatives. The department is responsible for things like infrastructure, managing natural resources, energy and planning assessments.
Department of Premier and Cabinet
Spend Target: $2,295,196
Contracts Target: 7
Description: The Department of Premier and Cabinet works with the public sector to deliver a range of services including health, transport, policing, infrastructure, policy development and more. It serves to support the premier and cabinet to provide services throughout NSW.
Department of Regional NSW
Spend Target: $4,182,464
Contracts Target: 4
Description: The Department of Regional NSW supports regional communities through initiatives in:
- Mining, exploration and geoscience
- The Department of Primary Industries
- Public world advisory and regional development
- Local land services
- Regional growth development corporations
- Office of the cross-border commissioner
- Resource register NSW
Stronger Communities Cluster
Spend Target: $14,153,417
Contracts Target: 8
Description: The Stronger Communities cluster brings together the former Family and Communities and Justice clusters. The new cluster provides, for the first time, the opportunity to focus our social support, justice and emergency management systems, on prevention and early intervention. This will support and drive change in how NSW looks after its most vulnerable people and proactively manages responses to disasters.
Transport NSW
Spend Target: $55,296,042
Contracts Target: 70
Description: Transport NSW manages the State’s transport systems and support including strategic planning, procurement, policy development and all other non-service delivery aspects of transport including rail, ferries, roads and more. With Australia’s largest-ever transport infrastructure program currently underway (a $72.2 billion project) there are a large number of tenders available in 2022.
NSW Treasury
Spend Target: $619,139
Contracts Target: 5
Description: NSW Treasury is responsible for leading the conversation around investment, jobs and economic conversation throughout NSW. It focuses on fostering State growth through developing economic development strategies, improving job growth, driving industry development, improving standards of living and enhancing service delivery with the aim of strengthening the NSW economy.
How to register for NSW Government tenders
Registering for NSW Government tenders is a simple two-step process.
- Sign up as a Supplier via the NSW government website. You can create a supplier profile which allows you to showcase your business to government departments.
- View the NSW Government current tenders list and filter results by keywords related to your business.
Learn more about Aboriginal procurement in NSW and how your business can benefit with BusinessBasics – get in touch today
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