Defence Building Bridges with Smaller Firms

How can Australian small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) improve their opportunities to win Defence business?

This question will be tackled in the first half of this year when the Industry and Procurement Infrastructure (IPI) Division conducts workshops around Australia.

In conjunction with the Australian Industry Defence Network (AIDN), IPI Division will conduct a series of one-day workshops in most States and Territories from February as a key initiative of the Federal Government's Defence and Industry Strategic Policy Statement. IPI Division is part of the Defence Acquisition Organisation.

Director of Australian Industry Involvement Peter Sidman believes the workshops are an ideal platform for companies to talk openly with Defence practitioners.

"If Australian industries are to develop and prosper then Defence needs to broaden its awareness of their business requirements, and equally industry needs to understand some of the pressures we face in managing acquisition contracts," he said.

"We held a highly successful workshop for SMEs in Canberra last year where real progress was made following intensive discussion about relationships between prime contractors, Defence and smaller companies.

"We are now looking to further widen the feedback channels to help industry and ourselves build our understandings of the Defence market place. This exercise truly is about building the networks for success."

AIDN will invite participation in the workshops from its membership in each region.

The workshops follow release of the highly successful Australian Industry Involvement (AII) Manual last August. The Manual provides guidance to Defence and industry on the application of Defence's main local involvement program.

Defence will also run a series of in-depth AII courses throughout the year to help interested companies gain a better understanding of the way Defence pursues industry involvement in Defence acquisition projects. Businesses interested in taking part should contact their local Defence Acquisition Regional Shopfront for further information.

The workshop and course itineraries are below.

Copies of the Defence and Industry Strategic Policy Statement and the Australian Industry Involvement Manual are available from the Defence Acquisition Organisation on (02) 6266 3623, or from their homepage at http://www.defence.gov.au/dmo/.

Peter Sidman : (02) 6266 4264

AII Course Dates

SYDNEY – 11, 12 February (2 days)
CANBERRA – 10, 11, 12 March (3 days)
MELBOURNE – 24, 25 March (2 days)

Workshop Dates

SYDNEY – 26 February
MELBOURNE – 28 April
ADELAIDE – 7 May
PERTH – 25 May
DARWIN – TBA
TOWNSVILLE – TBA
BRISBANE - TBA

Issued by the Defence Public Affairs Organisation, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT, 2600

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