Digital Transformation CEO Paul Shetler with Angus Taylor and the Digital Marketplace Team.

A new digital marketplace will make it easier for smaller businesses to compete for $5 billion in Commonwealth Government IT contracts.

The Digital Marketplace, set up by the Digital Transformation Office (DTO), matches suppliers with government departments and agencies on technology projects.

Government buyers can now publish briefs for the work they need done, suppliers can respond to those briefs and two-way collaboration can take place.

There are already more than 220 digital specialists on the Marketplace, after the DTO ran an open tender asking businesses to join a Digital Service Professionals panel in March this year.

Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation Angus Taylor launched the Digital Marketplace platform yesterday (Monday) and encouraged start-ups and SMEs were to be part of the new, streamlined IT procurement process.

Taylor said the Marketplace simplified what had been a bureaucratic process for businesses to access government technology work.

“This is an important change in the way government has traditionally done business,” Taylor said. “It’s a new platform for businesses and government to work together in a creative and flexible way. I congratulate the Digital Transformation Office on delivering the Beta product well ahead of schedule.”

Another exciting aspect of the project, the Ideation platform, is the capacity for government buyers to outline the challenges they face and for suppliers to pitch problem solving ideas and develop new digital solutions for government clients.

The Digital Marketplace will also use analytics, so that buyers and sellers can be rated on performance and the process and outcomes to be continually improved.

Small IT businesses have applauded the project, which was designed in collaboration with the UK’s Government Digital Service.

“We are an emerging interaction design consultancy that is very excited to be part of this initiative. We are looking forward to working with government for the first time.” Selim Ahmed, Bourne Digital.

“Such a great initiative, can’t wait for it to go live.” Damion Brown, Data Runs Deep.

Local, state and territory government buyers can also use the Digital Marketplace, provided they comply with any additional local procurement rules.

The Digital Transformation Office is developing the Digital Marketplace as part of the Government’s National Innovation and Science Agenda.

Digital Marketplace Beta is now available at www.gov.au/marketplace

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