NSW Governement - Procurement Enquiry Findings

2024 ended on a high note for our local social enterprise sector when the NSW Government's response to the final report from the parliamentary inquiry into procurement practices came back with lots of support for:

• Buying from social enterprises

• Setting and measuring against social and environmental targets

• Taking into account 'whole of life' costs and true 'value for money', not just choosing the cheapest quote/tender

• Ensuring social enterprises named in tenders are actually engaged in the delivery of the tender

• Removing barriers for small to medium enterprises to supply to government

SECNA:

• Consulted with members to gather information, ideas and feedback to form a written submission in December 2023

• Made a written submission to the inquiry in January 2024 (see our submission here)

• Further consulted with members in preparation for speaking to the inquiry committee, gathering case studies and feedback in May 2024

• Spoke, by invitation, at the inquiry's hearing in June 2024 (read the transcript of our CEO, Kylie Flament's appearance here)

• Answered questions on notice and supplementary questions in July 2024 (see those here)

• Read the inquiry committee's final response in October 2024 (see report here)

• Read the government's response in December 2024 (see response here)

All in all, 11 of SECNA's 12 recommendations to this inquiry were adopted in some form by the committee and all of those were either supported, supported in principle, or noted by the NSW Government. Click here for the full list of recommendations and responses.

We look forward to working with the NSW Government as they adopt some of these changes, and seeing the positive flow-on effects for the people of NSW through social procurement, greater transparency and making room for innovation in the procurement process.