Industry Capability Network

The Industry Capability Network (ICN) is an Australia-wide network that assists businesses to maximise the opportunities that arise from purchasing requirements from both the government and private sector.

Businesses are encouraged to register on the Industry Capability Showcase which is a national online database used by the ICN to identify Australian suppliers.

Selling to the Australian Government: A guide for business

Selling to the Australian Government: A guide for business is aimed at providing you with essential information when competing for Australian Government business, such as:

• how the Government market works
• the rules applying to Government purchasing from the private sector
• finding business tender opportunities
• winning government business.

Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines

The Commonwealth Procurement Guidelines (CPGs) establish the framework within which agencies determine their own specific procurement practices.

The core procurement principles that apply to all Australian Government procurement are:

• value for money
• encouraging competition
• efficient, effective and ethical use of resources
• accountability and transparency.

Professional Standards Legislation

Professional Standards Legislation is currently enacted across all three levels of Government and is designed to:

• facilitate the improvement of occupational standards of professionals
• protect users of the services provided by professionals
• allow the creation of Professional Standards Schemes (or occupational schemes) to limit the civil liability of the professionals to whom the schemes apply
• ensure that professional indemnity insurance coverage held by professionals meets required standards.

When it comes to contracting to sell a product or service to the Government, these schemes allow the liability of members of professional associations to be limited with regard to economic loss for damages arising from occupational and civil liabilities. These schemes do not limit liability for death, personal injury, a breach of trust, fraud or dishonesty.

This may have the effect of reducing the levels of professional indemnity insurance coverage required to be held by a supplier, reducing overall business costs.