Supplier Advocates provide leadership to targeted industry sectors to champion Australian suppliers in the government procurement market, enhance industry competitiveness, improve tendering practices and increase the use of government programs.
These industry sectors are:
The department is investigating the appropriateness of supplier advocates for other industry sectors.
About the initiative
The Supplier Advocates initiative complements the Government’s requirement that prime contractors to large Commonwealth Government procurements will develop and implement Australian Industry Participation Plans in order to provide companies with full, fair and reasonable opportunity to compete for work.
Advocates play a strategic role by building on existing industry and government initiatives, and complement programs such as the state based Industry Capability Network, the Commonwealth’s Enterprise Connect, and Austrade. They also work closely with industry, industry associations, Industry Innovation Councils, unions, and other key stakeholders.
Supplier Advocates provide leadership in developing and implementing industry marketing and business development strategies, which could include coordinating opportunities for companies to showcase their capabilities and products to government and promoting supply chain development activities.
Priority is being given to activities where the Supplier Advocate can make a positive impact with an agreed strategy that focuses on contestable government procurement opportunities and identified capabilities and capacity (whether existing or potential).
The Supplier Advocate Program is part of the Australian Government’s $19.1 million Boosting Australian Industry Participation announcement made in July 2009.