Information for Suppliers
Understanding Government Procurement in South Australia
Welcome to the Information for Suppliers section of the State Procurement Board website, which is designed to assist suppliers' understanding of how procurement operates within the South Australian Government.
This information presents an across government perspective of what is a broad and complex issue. It will continue to be updated over time to ensure it contains relevant and contemporary information for the use of existing and potential suppliers to the South Australian Government and encourage their active participation in opportunities to supply to Government.
Procurement
Procurement within the South Australian Government is governed by the State Procurement Act 2004 and is the responsibility of the State Procurement Board.
Procurement includes "procurement operations" which is the management of:
- goods and services;
- the supply of electricity, gas or any other form of energy; and
- intellectual property.
In practice, procurement involves:
- planning for the procurement;
- the selection process;
- establishing and managing contracts; and
- the disposal of goods surplus to requirements.
Procurement is conducted on the basis of value for money and competition facilitates this by providing access by suppliers to government procurement opportunities.
Public authorities must comply with bilateral free trade agreements to which the South Australian Government is a signatory. Further information on this topic can be found in the International Obligations Policy.
Policies
The State Procurement Board policy statements themselves are not intended to be prescriptive. This approach enables the Chief Executives of public authorities to develop strategies that will most effectively meet their business needs. Chief Executives will ensure that all procurements are consistent with the State Procurement Board policies.
To view the current State Procurement Board policies, see the “Policies and Guides” section of this website.
Public Authorities
Public authorities are required to follow State Procurement Board policies. These include government agencies and instrumentalities (which includes all South Australian Government departments and their administrative units), certain statutory authorities and corporations as defined by the State Procurement Act 2004.
Subject to State Procurement Board policies, each public authority can develop its own procurement processes and procedures, meaning that these may vary from one public authority to another (yet are still consistent with the overarching policy framework of the State Procurement Board). Public authorities are responsible for making purchases and are also generally responsible for conducting their own procurement processes to select suppliers and establishing supplier arrangements.
For further information about who undertakes procurement and the purchasing requirements for public authorities, please refer to individual agencies. A list of procurement contacts within major agencies is provided below.
Public Authority Contacts
Department for Environment and Heritage - 8463 4419
Department for Families and Communities - 8207 0641
Department for Trade and Economic Development - 8303 2397
Department for Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation - 8463 7947
Department of Education and Children's Services - 8226 1610
Department of Further Education, Employment Science and Technology - 8226 3218
Department of Justice - 8204 2125
Department of Planning and Local Government (via PIRSA) - 8226 2762
Department of Primary Industries and Resources - 8226 2762
Department of the Premier and Cabinet - 8226 3139
Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure - 8343 2029
Department of Treasury and Finance- 8226 3139
SA Health - 8425 9200
South Australian Lotteries Commission - 8208 4374
South Australian Motorsport Board - 8212 8500
South Australian Tourism Commission - 8463 4627
