Page 28 - Australian Defence Magazine July 2019
P. 28

The in and outs of
tendering work packages
KATHERINE ZIESING | CANBERRA
ADM has recently been asked about how work is released by government and primes looking to partner with SMEs. In short, there are two main channels available.
AusTender is the Australian Govern- ment’s procurement information system, a centralised web-based facility that publishes a range of information, including relevant entities’ planned procurements, open ten- ders and contracts awarded. The Common- weath requires all open tenders to be pub- lished on AusTender in accordance with the Commonwealth Procurement Rules.
Defence also has a number of panels that operate under their own contracting mech- anisms. These are not listed on AusTender as available opportunities but winners are listed via AusTender, as are chances to be- come part of such panels as they arise.
The ICN Gateway is an online database that brings together buyers and Australian
suppliers, which can assist primes or major contractors building supply chains in Austra- lia. State based chapters around the nation are a mix of profit and not for profit organisations.
“Defence is aware that some contractors choose to advertise packages of work through ICN Gateway,” according to a Defence spokes- person. “However, Defence does not mandate the use of ICN Gateway, or any other system, to prime contractors in establishing a sup- ply chain in Australia. The decision to release packages of work through ICN Gateway, or any other mechanism remains a decision for relevant contractors.”
Having said this, industry sources indicate that use ICN Gateway was ‘heavily suggested’ by Defence to the point where it was not worth arguing, particularly in the case of the Future Subma- rine program. The Hunter class frigates will also be us- ing ICN Gateway to distrib-
ute potential work packages with most major programs also making use of the platform.
ADM understands that Naval Group had its own mechanisms for interacting with in- dustry and potential supply chain companies but Defence wanted ‘greater oversight and insight’ of companies involved in the Austra- lian Industry Capability (AIC) component.
The ICN Gateway, thanks to such pa- tronage (official or otherwise), has grown considerably over the past five years.
“BAE Systems Australia has been work- ing with ICN since 2014,” BAE Systems
Work packages in Defence generally come through either a Prime or from Government via AusTender.
Australia’s AIC Director Hunter Class Frigate program Sharon Wilson said to ADM. “The BAE Systems Australia team has progressed the tool since then in con- junction with the customer and CDIC (Centre for Defence Industry Capability).
“ICN gives our suppliers the opportunity to register their details only once but use the information for multiple opportunities. With its broad reach across multiple industries, ICN also helps to reach suppliers new to defence.
“ICN also assists our company with pro- ducing the required metrics for industry engagement and to understand what and where work is being placed,” Wilson said.
Note: ADM’s subscriber only Tender bulletin is released on Thursday each week (available online or in your inbox), rounding up all work opportunities from AusTender, ICN Gateway, state governments and the NZ version of Aus- Tender, known as Getz along with amend- ments and industry briefing announcements. We also publish other industry work packages on an ad hoc basis.
28 | July 2019 | www.australiandefence.com.au
SUPPLY CHAIN
LOGISTICS
“Industry sources suggest that use ICN Gateway was ‘heavily suggested’ by Defence to the point where it was not worth arguing.”
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