Local Opportunities

GSDC is committed to diversifying the region’s economic base, growing business and entrepreneurship, retaining, attracting, and developing skilled people, and maximising local jobs. 

Local Content Program
To maximise the participation of regional industry in supply of works contracting opportunities, the Western Australia Government created the Local Content Program. Each of the nine Regional Development Commissions has a Local Content Adviser who takes a lead role in promoting supply opportunities and facilitating regional business capability and growth.

Recognising that it can often be challenging for businesses to access and engage as a supplier, the Local Content Adviser Network seeks to ensure businesses in regional WA receive a fair share of government expenditure on works, goods and services.

At a regional level, Local Content Advisers work with a range of stakeholders including government, industry groups and local businesses to tailor activities to respond to the unique requirements of their communities. 

Your Great Southern Local Content Advisor
The Great Southern Local Content Adviser is available to provide advisory and referral services to businesses across the Great Southern. Their focus is on supporting regional businesses to compete for state government supply opportunities. 

Contact your Great Southern Local Content Adviser directly:

• sumer.addy@gsdc.wa.gov.au
•  (08) 9842 4888

Your Local Content Adviser aims to:

• Connect local businesses to supply opportunities in the region.
• Enable regional business to be competitive in regional procurement processes.
• Inform the design of government procurement activities to maximise local business participation.

Your Local Content Adviser can assist with: 

• Understanding how to sell to government.
• Finding assistance to build supply chain capability and capacity.
• Identifying upcoming government supply opportunities.
• Identifying state and federal government financial assistance programs.
• Understanding your rights and responsibilities under the Western Australian Jobs Act 2017 and the Western Australian Industry Participation Strategy.
• Connecting head contractors with subcontractors and suppliers.
• Improving local business productivity and capability.

Connecting to supplier opportunities

• Newsletter
  GSDC’s Local Content Adviser issues a regular newsletter, containing tender and funding information for Great Southern businesses. Subscribe to receive the Local Content newsletter
• Tenders WA
  State Government agencies use Tenders WA to advertise their public requests and publish contractual awards, including sole source purchases. Register via Tenders WA to receive notifications and alerts.  
• Strategic Forward Procurement Plan
  The Strategic Forward Procurement Plan contains data on procurements valued at $250,000 and above across two financial years planned by government agencies. It includes goods, services, community services and works procurements.

Support for New Suppliers 

• Becoming a new supplier to government can be intimidating. Your first step is to contact GSDC’s Local Content Adviser, who will provide further information on how to proceed.
• Free local business support at the Albany Business Centre through the Small Business Development Corporation Business Local Program. 
• Register your business at Tenders WA and receive notifications and alerts when they are published.  
• Find additional information and assistance through the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation WA Industry Link Webpage.

Other Funding Opportunities 

• The Local Capability Fund assists small and medium enterprises in Western Australia to increase their capability and competitiveness as suppliers of products, services and works to the state government and the marketplace generally.
• The Regional Economic Development (RED) Grants program is a State Government initiative that invests in local projects to stimulate economic growth and development in regional Western Australia.  Visit our Regional Economic Development Grants page to find out more.
• Visit GSDC’s Grants Hub to find grants and funding opportunities across the Great Southern.