Better communication with business and enhanced transparency of government procurement increases industry awareness and supports industry planning to capitalise on government business opportunities. With effective industry engagement, sourcing strategies can be better aligned with market structure and dynamics, and provide government with knowledge about new and innovative approaches, leading to improved procurement outcomes.
There are no longer any specific legislative requirements for approaching and engaging with the market. In particular, agencies should note that changes to the legislative scheme for public sector procurement mean that open public tenders are no longer mandated as the default means for procuring goods and services for the public sector. However, procurement processes must be probity-rich and transparent, suitable to the context of the procurement, with appropriate regard for applicable policy and international agreement requirements.
When designing agency requirements for procurement, agencies must have regard to the nature of the goods and services, the market for them, and applicable policy requirements.