New platform helps Gunnedah Shire Council shop local

16 July, 2020

Gunnedah Shire Council has more opportunities to work with local businesses following the introduction of an innovative digital marketplace.

VendorPanel is a purchasing and procurement platform that allows local businesses to register for a broad range of Council tenders.

VendorPanel Marketplace then uses geolocation to help Council staff pinpoint businesses that Council can collaborate with.

The platform is free and available to all suppliers with an Australian business number and public liability insurance. Once registered, suppliers can receive invitations to quote on work across dozens of categories.

The platform provides suppliers with direct access to procurement opportunities and suppliers can elect to receive SMS or email notifications for upcoming tenders.

The project has been developed in collaboration with Namoi Unlimited, a joint organisation of Councils across the Namoi region. Once established, Vendor Panel will provide Gunnedah Shire businesses further opportunity to compete for tenders in neighbouring areas.

Mayor of Gunnedah Shire Cr Jamie Chaffey said VendorPanel will strengthen the local economy and create more job opportunities by making Council procurement across a range of goods and services more accessible.

“It is more important than ever for Council to support local businesses and employees in these challenging economic times,” Cr Chaffey said.

“Businesses of all sizes will benefit from registering with VendorPanel. As a Council we utilise a broad range of services; everything from event catering to fleet vehicles and machinery.

“VendorPanel will have significant economic benefits to the Gunnedah Shire. It is designed to support local jobs, increase revenue for businesses and further diversify our economy.

“A case study of 26 Councils already using the platform found that in 84.4% of cases, jobs were awarded to local suppliers.

“The study also found that local suppliers offered Councils value for money, delivering an average 9.74% savings to the buyer.

“I urge every business interested in providing goods and services to the local government sector to take advantage of this opportunity made possible by Namoi Unlimited and VendorPanel.”

Two virtual training and information sessions have been scheduled to support businesses through the registering and tender process. Both morning and evening sessions are available on:

Local businesses ready to sign up for VendorPanel can visit www.vendorpanel.com.au/marketplace. Those with further queries can also contact Council through [email protected].

ENDS

Media contact: Eliza Gallen (02) 6740 2100.