• Western Australian Industry Participation Strategy ensures government spending creates opportunities for local businesses and WA jobs  
• Participation plans will ensure suppliers of government contracts deliver WA jobs
• WA Industry Link portal an important tool for WA businesses
• WA Jobs Act applies to all State Government agencies and forms of procurement 

The Western Australian Industry Participation Strategy becomes fully operational today, completing the six-month implementation period of the McGowan Government's WA Jobs Act.

The WA Jobs Act, passed earlier this year, set out the Government's commitment to ensure the $27 billion, spent annually on State Government procurement, maximises opportunities for local businesses and creates more jobs for Western Australians.

Under the strategy, prospective suppliers of government contracts are now required to submit participation plans as part of their tender. The participation plans will require prospective suppliers to outline their commitments to engage local industry.

Once a contract has been awarded, the approved participation plan will then be incorporated into the contracts of successful suppliers to ensure they deliver upon their commitments to local industry. Successful bidders will also be required to report on the fulfilment of their plans.

The participation plan requirement now applies to all State Government agencies, Government Trading Entities and all forms of procurement.

As part of the strategy, Local Content Advisers (LCAs) are available throughout regional WA to provide advisory and referral services to businesses in regional areas.

The WA Industry Link online portal has been set up to act as a central online information source so local businesses can maximise opportunities to supply to the State Government.

The six months of the implementation phase of the Jobs Act represents a period of strong co-operation across State Government, with State agencies working together to incorporate the new requirements across projects and internal processes.

For more information, visit http://www.industrylink.wa.gov.au