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 supply of works contracting opportunities, the Western Australia Government created the Local Content Program. Each of the 9 Regional Development Commissions has a Local Content Advisor who takes a lead role in promoting supply opportunities and facilitating regional business capability and growth.

Recognising that it can often be challenging for businesses to access and engage as a supplier, the Local Content Adviser Network seeks to ensure businesses in regional WA receive a fair share of government expenditure on works, goods and services.

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 Advisor
A Local Content Adviser is 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.

Connecting to Supplier Opportunities
Your Local Content Adviser pulls together a weekly tender opportunity notification specifically for the Great Southern. These notifications can come to you via email.

Subscribe to receive the Local Content Weekly Opportunities Report 

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 Strategic Forward Procurement Plan report contains data on procurements valued at $250,000 and above across two financial years planned by government agencies. It includes goods, services, community services and works procurements.

Contact your Great Southern Local Content Advisor, Sumer Addy, directly at  [email protected], or (08) 9842 4888. 

Support for New Suppliers 

Becoming a new supplier to government tenders can be intimidating. Your first step is to contact your Great Southern Local Content Advisor, Sumer Addy, directly at [email protected], or (08) 9842 4888. She will provide you with more information on how best to proceed through your process.  

Free local business support at the Albany Business Centre through the Small Business Development Corporation Business Local Program. 

Register your business at Tenders WA and receive notifications and alerts when they are published. 

Find additional information and assistance through the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation WA Industry Link Webpage.


Other Funding Opportunities 

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.

The Regional Economic Development Grants (RED Grants) program is a $50.85 million over nine years (2018-19 to 2026-27) State Government initiative that invests in local projects to stimulate economic growth and development in regional Western Australia.  Visit our Regional Economic Development Grants page to find out more.

If the RED Grants program is closed or your proposal falls outside these guidelines, you can try accessing grants through other agencies and organisations. Search the Grants Hub to find available grants and funding opportunities in the Great Southern.

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Grants Hub

If our grant programs are closed or your proposal falls outside our guidelines, you could try accessing grants through other agencies and organisations. Search the GSDC Grants Hub to find available grants and funding opportunities.

Regional Economic Development Grant

The Regional Economic Development Grants (RED Grants) program is a $50.85 million over nine years (2018-19 to 2026-27) State Government initiative that invests in local projects to stimulate economic growth and development in regional Western Australia.