Socially responsible procurement

UQ's Indigenous Procurement Strategy 2022-2025 (PDF, 214 KB) was developed in alignment with the UQ Strategic Plan 2022-2025 (PDF, 2.6 MB) and Reconciliation Action Plan 2019-2022 (PDF, 4.9 MB) (RAP). Through this strategy, we have made a commitment to increase spend with Indigenous businesses and remove barriers to Indigenous business engagement. The Indigenous Procurement Strategy Report 2022 provides details of our actions and achievements in 2022.

By purchasing from an Indigenous business UQ can contribute to not only the direct business, but the community through engagement of Indigenous staff and suppliers in their own supply chain. Research published by Supply Nation found that for every dollar spent with an Indigenous business, $4.41 was generated for the community.

What to purchase from Indigenous suppliers

The Indigenous business sector is wide-ranging and there are Indigenous suppliers able to provide for most of UQ's purchases.

Consider Indigenous businesses for regular hospitality, training and marketing services. These low-value or low-risk purchases play an important role in developing a relationship with the business and allowing them to scale-up gradually to larger procurements

Goods or services that relate inherently to Indigenous culture should always be purchased from an Indigenous supplier. These include, for example, local Indigenous tours, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander products, art, literature, music, cultural training, or other items involving Indigenous knowledge. The Indigenous Procurement Strategy 2022-2025 includes a full definition of inherently related goods and services.

Finding Indigenous suppliers

UQ has a number of Indigenous suppliers available in UniFi or through approved supply arrangements. You can download a list of current UniFi Indigenous payees (PDF, 168.3 KB) (staff login required).

You can also find Indigenous suppliers through:

• Supply Nation – Indigenous Business Direct
  • This database provides a list of Indigenous suppliers across Australia and can be used to search for suppliers in various categories.

• Supply Nation Member Opportunity Board
  • This member-only platform can be used to promote and advertise procurement and non-procurement opportunities directly to Indigenous businesses.
  • Use of the Board is recommended for all goods or services inherently related to Indigenous culture.
  • Contact UQ Procurement (procurement@uq.edu.au) for access to the Member Opportunity Board.

• Black Business Finder (BBF)
  • The Queensland Government’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander business register can be used to search for Queensland-based Indigenous suppliers across a range of goods and services.

Social enterprises are businesses for good. They operate to fulfill an economic, social, cultural or environmental goal that provides a benefit to the community, with the majority of their profit reinvested into their mission. Purchasing from social enterprises provides employment for marginalised people, places or communities. Note: social enterprises may also be Indigenous or sustainable businesses.

Finding social enterprises

You can download a list of current UniFi social enterprise payees (PDF, 101 KB) (staff login required).

 You can also search for social enterprises through:

•  Social Traders 
  • The Social Traders Social Enterprise Finder includes social enterprises across Australia in a number of different industries.

• Queensland Social Enterprise Council Ltd
  • The Council supports the social enterprise sector in Queensland and provides a searchable directory to link businesses with social enterprises.

• Buyability
  • Buyability is an initiative of the National Disability Service aimed at supporting employment for people with disability. Their website can be used to identify and source social enterprises across Australia.

The Queensland Government's Buy Queensland approach prioritises support for local jobs and positive outcomes for Queensland communities. UQ is required to apply the local benefits test in the evaluation criteria of some procurement activities to evaluate benefits a supplier would bring to the local area. This test also considers broader strategic factors such as stimulating local employment, socio-economic development in local regions, and supporting social objectives when making procurement decisions.

Use the local benefits test decision tree (PDF, 60.3 KB) to determine if the local benefits test applies to your procurement activity. The local benefits test guide (PDF, 300.1 KB) also provides further information.

UQ has an obligation to report under the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) and has embedded the commitment to addressing modern slavery in procurement and purchasing activities.

Read more about modern slavery and find training and resources on the UQ Modern Slavery webpage.

The UQ Sustainability Strategy details goals for environmental sustainability and waste reduction through purchasing.

You can read more about the Sustainability Goals and find useful resources to assist in purchasing more sustainably on the UQ Sustainability webpage.

Training

• Introduction to good practice social procurement (Workday) 
• Modern slavery training (externally run)
• UQ procurement training
• UQ sustainability training

Policies, strategies and resources

• Procurement policy and procedure
• UQ Indigenous Procurement Strategy 2022-2025 (PDF, 214 KB)
• UQ Modern Slavery webpage
• UQ Sustainability
• Queensland Government Social Procurement resources