You need to procure (buy) some goods or services: now is the time to seek out and do business with social purpose suppliers. What next?
First: develop a procurement brief for your organisation, or for this purchase or contract. (See the Jobsbank blog, Preparing a procurement brief).
Now: develop a supplier brief, to tell potential suppliers exactly what you are looking for.
A supplier brief is an external document that will go out to market, that invites suppliers to submit tenders for your purchase or contract.
All supplier briefs include basic information about the goods or services you need.
To meet your social procurement goals, your supplier brief must ask for details of social priorities you want to see in the supplier.
These details should relate to your own Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy or Plan.
You might ask the supplier to provide a statement, or include evidence in their tender, that demonstrates they meet your diversity, equity and inclusion requirements.
The suppliers’ replies will help you decide who to award the contract to.
Example: your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy requires your organisation to prioritise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses.
When calling for suppliers to submit tenders for a contract, your supplier brief will ask for the basics:
- The goods or service you need
- Timing – when you want these goods or services supplied
- Volume – how much of the goods or service you need
- Cost – how much money you are willing to pay
And to meet your social procurement goals, your supplier brief will also include specific questions to help you determine whether the supplier is an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander business. For example:
- Is the supplier owned and operated by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?
- Does the supplier employ at least 3.8% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people including in leadership?
- Does the supplier have a strong diversity, equity and inclusion policy/plan that promotes greater inclusion and participation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?
Supplier briefs will differ depending on whether you, and your potential suppliers, are a government, corporate, or not-for-profit organisation.
For specific help to create supplier briefs for your organisation or your situation, Jobsbank can provide advice tailored to your needs.
To book Jobsbank’s consulting services, click the “Contact our team” button below to make an appointment for an initial phone, online, or face-to-face meeting.
You can also read through a range of current government procurement policy briefs which include advice on preparing a supplier brief in the Planning section of our Resource Centre, under the “Understanding > What do Governments say?” subheadings.
