Queensland Procurement Solution - year in review

By Glen Duff, Director of Procurement & Partnerships

As the peak body for local government procurement, Local Buy provides councils with fully funded procurement technology through our award-winning* Local Buy technology program.

Building on this success, in 2024, we announced a landmark partnership with the state of Queensland, through Queensland Government Procurement, to deliver the ‘Queensland Procurement Solution’ to State Government entities.

Delivered via a Local Buy managed service, this solution is the backbone of the replacement QTenders platform, which State Government entities use for public tender. The platform also enables:

• quotation via pre-qualified supplier Arrangements,
• versatility to handle all sourcing activities, and
• can expand into a full end-to-end procurement solution, enhancing each agencies’ procurement function.

This initiative is particularly notable due to the long-term partnership between Local Buy and Queensland Government Procurement, a first in Australia. It aims to transform procurement across Queensland by making the process smoother and more efficient for both suppliers and government buyers. This digital uplift also opens the door for further technology-driven, agency-led procurement transformation and benefits.

We are well underway with what is undoubtedly the largest procurement technology rollout Australia has seen. By the end of this year, approximately 90 State Government agencies and 70 Queensland councils will be using this common procurement platform, powered by VendorPanel and delivered via a Local Buy managed service. Next year, we'll onboard more eligible organisations, support baseline functionality usage, and continue to deliver additional agency-selected module upgrades. This will  provide integrated end-to-end solutions across the procurement lifecycle such as policy guides, procurement planning, advanced evaluations, and advanced contract management.

A vision for the future

This collaboration exemplifies how two levels of government can work together to simplify interactions between business and government, and advance Queensland procurement. It fosters a strong partnership that supports strategic cooperation via both peak procurement bodies, helping procurement functions streamline their processes, reduce red tape and enhance efficiency.

Key highlights are below.

Unified Platform for Queensland: The Queensland Procurement Solution, powered by VendorPanel and delivered via a Local Buy managed Service, is the common procurement platform for government procurement in Queensland. It consolidates public tender and quotation information and simplifies the supplier experience. This platform allows buyer visibility and access to pre-qualified supplier Arrangements; and allows all suppliers to register into a public marketplace to increase their visibility to potential buyers. Managing procurement opportunities across both state and local government on the one procurement platform is a significant improvement for both buyer and supplier experiences. This is a nation-first initiative.

Supporting Local Businesses: This partnership supports local suppliers by streamlining the procurement engagement process across government, reducing the time and costs associated with securing government contracts. The unified platform aims to help Queensland local businesses bid for and win more government opportunities.

Benefits for Queensland Councils: Local Buy funds access to the VendorPanel platform, meaning councils have one common procurement platform to support all of their procurement activities. As the peak procurement body for local government, Local Buy Arrangements are made available as the preferred method of quotation. With 4500+ pre-qualified suppliers across the state, they help councils and other approved purchasers meet legislative, reputation, and compliance needs by connecting them with already pre-qualified local Queensland suppliers, big and small. This saves council time and money and reduces the need to tender, advertise, and prepare contracts.

*CIPS Winner: Best Public Procurement Project; Best Procurement Transformation Program; and Overall Winner 2023.