A weighting for small local business when dealing with the ACT Government

This will be just an exercise in form filling and box ticking, before they just go for lowest price.

Specifying the particular trade would leave myself open.

However, the ACT Gov has virtually never gone out to tender for the vast majority of the services my small business provides.

One supplier seems to be gifted the Government’s business, and whilst they provide a good product, no other business is asked to quote.

Hardly encouraging for the locals.

curmudgery said :

The other thing Mr Barr might consider is to encourage departments to pay their bills quickly and more efficiently. Bill-paying been a requirement since Federation – they ought have a pretty good handle on it by now.

Very rarely do we get ACTGovco invoices paid within 30 days, most run 60-90.

I look forward to this new criterion but wonder how deep they will look, if a multi-national has an office here is that treated the same as a business wholly owned and operated in the ACT?

How about the contracts that never seem to be re-let, because someone knows someone that justifies a single select provider despite the existence of alternatives…..I’m looking at you shared services!

This is just recycled nonsense.
About 15 years ago the ACT Government had a register of local businesses and contractors (voluntary registration) that procurement officers were supposd to refer to first. It was a joke as no one wanted to drive to Fyshwick to get a demo of the latest photocopier when a day in Melbourne of Sydney with the big lunch was on offer from the out of town competitor.
The Canberra cringe is still alive and well.
Post #1 sees it the same way but is far more diplomatic than what I was. My advice to him is to set up a cyber office in all capital cities and don’t mention you are in Canberra.

Well my business is way too small to benefit from this initiative but I do occasionally provide services to government agencies both Local and Federal. It would be really good, Mr Barr, if departments looking for ad-hoc services did an exhaustive search for a suitable local provider before venturing interstate.

So often, departments engage a firm from Sydney or Melbourne who, not having any assets in Canberra, proceed to call Canberra businesses to provide the service on their behalf.

Now while I accept that businesses in Sydney and Melbourne may have prettier websites, I don’t think that that is a good enough reason to introduce a cream-skimming, admin-creating middle-man into an otherwise straightforward business arrangement.

The other thing Mr Barr might consider is to encourage departments to pay their bills quickly and more efficiently. Bill-paying been a requirement since Federation – they ought have a pretty good handle on it by now.