The Great Southern Development Commission has a strong commitment to diversifying the region’s economic base, growth of business and entrepreneurship, retaining, attracting, and developing skilled people, and maximising local jobs.
Local Content Program
To maximise the participation of regional industry in regional supply of works contracting opportunities, the State Government launched the Local Content Program.
Recognising that it can often be challenging for businesses to access and engage as a supplier, Local Content Advisers have been appointed in each Regional Development Commission to take a lead role in promoting supply opportunities and facilitating regional business capability and growth.
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 Advisors
Local Content Advisers are available to provide advisory and referral services to businesses in regional areas. Their focus is on helping support regional businesses compete for State Government supply opportunities. This role is an essential component of the WA Industry Link initiative under the Western Australian Jobs Act 2017.
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
You can find State Government tenders on Tenders WA. State Government agencies use Tenders WA to advertise their public requests and publish contractual awards, including sole source purchases.
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.
If our grant programs are closed or your proposal falls outside our guidelines, you could try accessing grants through other agencies and organisations. Check our Grants Register for available grants, or make contact with one of our staff at [email protected].
The Regional Economic Development Grants (RED Grants) program is a $45.8 million over eight years (2018-19 to 2025-26) State Government initiative that invests in locally-driven projects to stimulate economic growth and development in regional Western Australia.
Our Region
The Great Southern is one of nine regions in Western Australia, taking in several hundred kilometres of the State’s pristine southern coastline. Our region’s geography includes ancient mountain ranges, deep forests, productive farmland, and breathtaking coastal scenery.
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Our Focus
We focus on the Great Southern’s people, and its economy, culture and natural environment. We aim to create a stable and diverse economy, promote and support regional liveability, and strengthen our communities.
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Our Support
One of our key roles is advocating for and supporting strategically important regional projects, including through funding programs. We administer various grant programs as determined by the State Government.
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