Media and Creative Services CUAMCS2025

This is a core service of the CUA services, this category includes the development and implementation of media strategies, plans and media trading for government campaigns across all channels.

Note: Government advertising campaigns in Western Australia are currently authorised under the Government Campaign Advertising - Premier's Circular 2026/02 (the GCA Policy), administered by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC). The GCA Policy applies to this category.

For campaigns requiring review under the GCA policy, a campaign booking number will be allocated to the customer by DPC. The contractor must obtain this number from the customer and include it in the quarterly sales report to support central oversight and effective tracking of campaign expenditure across Government.

This category is currently under tender evaluation and is not yet available to buyers.

Services under this category will include strategic planning and creative development services for campaign and brand communications to support government communication needs, including advertising campaigns, creative projects and strategic or creative partnerships. Category B covers end-to-end creative services, from concept development through to production and execution across both traditional media and digital media formats or within the scope of digital media only.

Note: Creative services under Category B may fall outside the scope of the GCA policy if not associated with a campaign at the time of procurement.

Services under this category include routine, often statutorily mandated advertisements including:

• recruitment advertising - advertising job vacancies or employment opportunities; and

• public notices - generally one-off or short term clear, simple messages or announcements. Includes, but not limited to, public transport notices, road closures, changes to services, tender notices, availability of funds or grants, community consultations, statutory/regulatory notices, state funeral communication and urgent public health or safety announcements.

  Note: In certain circumstances, recruitment related advertising may meet the definition of campaign advertising (e.g. large-scale recruitment drives) and must be delivered under category A.

Initiative Pty Ltd (Initiative) is the only contractor for category C. Initiative operates a secure Online Booking System (OBS) for recruitment, public notice and tender advertising. This fully automated online booking, approval and placement system generates costings, proofs and reporting. The system allows you to upload your copy and choose a template, after which a designer will create the advertisement.

Initiative charges a percentage-based CUA fee for the placement of recruitment, public notice and tender advertisements, as well as a head-hour rate for the building of advertisements. See the What will it cost accordion for pricing.

Additional manual processing

The CUA fee is expected to cover the majority of services provided under this category. However, Initiative may charge an additional hourly rate for manual processing work in situations where the customer:

• requires creation of a new advertisement template beyond those standardly available in OBS;
• requests design services that fall outside standard template modifications;
• requires more than two rounds of revisions, excluding instances where revisions are necessitated by the contractor’s own error or failure to meet the specifications; and
• complex non-campaign briefs.

Initiative must clearly communicate to the customer in advance when these additional charges will apply and must itemise these charges on invoices and quarterly sales reports.

Note: The GCA policy does not apply to non-campaign advertising procured under this category.

Customers may require additional services to support campaign objectives beyond standard media strategy, trading and creative development. Additional Services may be procured from the CUA under specific categories as outlined below, however, it is not mandatory for Customers to use the CUA to procure these additional services

Customers requiring additional services that are not specifically listed in the above table, must ensure the services are clearly scoped, detailed in the order, and agreed in writing with the contractor prior to the commencement of the services. Additional services must be transparently quoted, itemised on invoices, and reported in the quarterly sales report.

The following services are excluded from the scope of the CUA and may be sourced directly by customers through separate arrangements:

• Media monitoring: Access to an online media clipping database or portal that can be searched within the keyword parameters of the monitoring brief, including the ability to categorise and sort clippings.
• Market research: Standalone research services including commissioned surveys, focus groups or research studies.

The following minimum buying requirements apply:

Category A - is a ‘pick and buy’ arrangement, allowing customers to purchase services directly from any CUA contractor.

Category B - Customers must comply with the applicable process outlined below when engaging contractors under category B (yet to be awarded).

Note 1 – Case studies must be no more than five years old.

Note 2 – A formal qualitative assessment may involve responding to a creative brief, addressing qualitative requirements, and/or presenting strategic or conceptual proposals. This process will be defined by the customer and communicated to invited contractors.

If you are not purchasing from the CUA you will need to buy in accordance with the Western Australian Procurement Rules.

Category C - Customers may buy recruitment advertisements from Initiative or purchase outside of this CUA where recruitment advertisements are booked directly with an online job platform of their choice. 

SEEK discount agreement

DTF has established a discount agreement with SEEK for approved eligible state accounts to purchase a range of discounted job advertisement products. 

• Contact the CUA Contract Manager for details of the discounts.
• To purchase direct from SEEK, your entire account (i.e. your entire department) needs to transfer to a SEEK account, confirm your eligibility with SEEK prior to transitioning your account.
• To transition your account, contact Initiative to close your existing account, followed by contacting SEEK to set up your new account.

New Public Sector Commission Jobs board

The Public Sector Commission will launch an updated WA Government Jobs board from 1 July 2026. It will be mandatory for agencies to use this platform to advertise public sector jobs

State agencies should be aware of the following requirements under Western Australian Procurement Rules as they apply to purchases from this CUA. The below table is a summary of the requirements, and state agencies are encouraged to review the WA Procurement Rules.

Procurement planning

Request development and contract formation

Contract management

Exemption from using this CUA 

Procurement Frameworks, within DTF, are responsible for processing and approving all requests from state agencies seeking exemption from using a mandatory CUA. Requests for an exemption are considered on a case-by-case basis, and a requesting agency must be able to demonstrate that a business need cannot be adequately met by the relevant CUA.

Exemption requests should be directed to the Assistant Director Procurement Frameworks through an email to the contract manager in the first instance. Requests for exemption must be in writing via email and must provide sufficient explanation and background to enable the request to be considered. The requesting officer should be the Accountable Authority or delegate of the agency.

For guidelines on what to include in an exemption request, please refer to the Common Use Arrangements Procurement Practice Guideline.

As part of the tender process, contractors appointed to this CUA were required to provide details of their commitment to local economic participation and community objectives. These commitments formed part of the evaluation process undertaken during the assessment of submissions.

For further information, please refer to their contractor profiles.

This matrix table provides an overview of all contractors available under the CUA and the services they are contracted to provide.

Pricing

The cost will vary depending on the combination of categories and/or services being purchased. 

Refer to the CUAMCS2025 Price Schedule for the maximum rates applicable to categories A and C.

Note: Category B does not have an agreed set of maximum rates. Refer to the How do I buy? section for further details. 

Price variations

CUA fee (Category A and C only)

• Contractors CUA fees are fixed for the term.
• Contractors may decrease the CUA fee at any time during the term.

Maximum hourly rates

• Contractors’ price is fixed for the first year of the term.
• On each anniversary of the commencement date, maximum hourly rates will be varied by the Wage Price Index (Wage Price Index, Australia: (Cat No. 6345.0): Table 3b. Total Hourly Rates of Pay Excluding Bonuses: Private Sector by State – Western Australia).
• Contractors may decrease the maximum hourly rates at any time during the term.

Prices other than CUA fee and maximum hourly rates.

• On each anniversary of the commencement date, other fees will be varied upon request to the Contract Authority by the Consumer Price Index (Consumer Price Index, Australia (Cat No 6401.0): 1 All Groups, Index Numbers – Perth).
• Contractors may decrease other fees at any time during the term.

Payment by purchasing card

• Category C – Initiative may impose a surcharge equal to the lesser of:

1. The contractor’s cost of acceptance for that transaction; and
2. 0.75% of the amount paid

For payments made on or before 30 September 2026.

From 1 October 2026, in line with the Reserve Bank of Australia ruling, Initiative must not impose any surcharge or fee on the customer in respect of payment by credit card.

• Category A - Contractors 303 Group Pty Limited and The Brand Agency Pty Ltd do not currently accept credit cards payment.

Media supplier rate cards 

Contractors have access to confidential media rate cards as determined for Western Australian Government following media negotiations organised by the CUA contractors annually for category A and category C.

Pitching for media booking and buying

You can pick and buy from contractors on categories A and C without having to call for quotes. The contractors were subject to a competitive process at the time of tender and were selected based on criteria including organisational competency and value for money.

In some instances, a pitching process may be appropriate, particularly where you are purchasing from category A to develop a media strategy for a campaign that is:

• of a significant budget;
• controversial;
• high profile; or
• part of a larger campaign or series or campaigns.

In these circumstances, you may wish to approach the category A contractor to determine which contractor is best placed to deliver the campaign. As part of the pitching process, contractors may demonstrate their understanding of the customer’s business, highlight any innovations and points of difference, and provide an overview of their approach to media buying, including an estimate of the head hours required to complete your brief.

Customers should provide meaningful and constructive feedback to contractors once a decision has been made.

Where pitching is unavoidable, you must observe confidentiality obligations and be mindful of the intellectual property contained in the pitches. Customers should also discourage your creative and planning agencies from requesting contractors to pitch for media booking and buying services, as in essence you are asking contractors to share their IP with organisations that they are in competition with outside of the CUA.

Tip: State agencies are encouraged to be proactive and monitor all head hours agreed to vs actual charged hours.

Buyer education

Contractors will deliver ongoing training and engagement programs throughout the term of the contract, at least six sessions per year, ensure you register your interest when it is advertised.  The content of the training and engagement programs may include, but is not limited to:

• innovative ways to reduce costs while increasing advertising effectiveness;
• techniques for developing efficient and effective advertising briefs;
• market intelligence on developments and trends in the media industry, including new and emerging media; and
• information on media plan costs, bookings accounts and billing services.

DTF may conduct post-session surveys to assess relevance and effectiveness of the training. Survey results will be monitored as part of the KPI process.

Media performance reports

The contractor must provide the customer with comprehensive media performance reports to evaluate advertising effectiveness against campaign objectives and identify opportunities for improvement.

For each campaign, the contractor must deliver a post-campaign media performance report that includes:

• analysis and strategic advice on all media purchased or placed;
• comparison of planned versus actual media value, with explanations for any significant variances;
• evaluation of campaign efficiency and effectiveness against benchmarks and objectives;
• lessons learnt and recommendations for future improvements; and 
• standard media measurements.

Post-campaign media performance reports must be:

• delivered no later than two months following campaign completion, unless otherwise agreed with the customer; and 
• provided as part of the CUA fee.

Customers may also require advanced post-campaign research and analysis advertising strategy effectiveness as an additional service.

Step by step buying process

When buying through this CUA, you must comply with the CUAMCS2025 Buying rules and all other applicable policy requirements.

Customers should select the services that best meet their needs. Use the What will it cost section to compare pricing before deciding on the contractor to engage.

Order form

Category A - operates as a ‘pick and buy’ arrangement and does not require customers to obtain quotes. An email exchange is sufficient for record keeping and proof of order for strategy and planning. Subsequently a completed and signed media plan is considered a customer contract.

Category B - Customers must obtain quotes commensurate with the estimated value of the required services by using the mandatory CUAMCS2025 Order Form which will be available once this category is awarded. 

Category C – orders are to be made directly with Initiative via their online booking system, to access, please visit OBS.

Before progressing with an order, customers should ensure they have agreed with the contractor on pricing, estimated hours at CUA rates, deliverables, risks and any other relevant items. Services should not commence until these matters have been agreed.

Payment by purchasing card

The government purchasing card offers a quick and convenient method of payment allowing these services to be efficiently purchased. 

Always remember to inform the contractor that you will be paying by government purchasing card, at the time of ordering the product or service, and ensure they clearly understand that they must send the tax invoice directly to you, the cardholder.

Invoicing

Note: Longreach Consulting Pty Ltd subcontracts their invoicing and payments to Omnicom Media Group Australia Pty Ltd. For further details please refer to the Contractor details accordion.

Government campaign advertising policy 

Under the Government Communications Advertising (GCA) Policy, some campaigns must be reviewed by the DPC or an independent review committee before receiving final authorisation from the state agency’s accountable authority or delegate. This review includes an assessment of a draft media plan, proposed creative services and associated costings against the GCA Policy principles.

The GCA Policy does not apply to non-campaign advertising procured under category C. Similarly, creative services under category B may fall outside the scope of the GCA Policy if not associated with a campaign at the time of procurement.

Where there is ambiguity about whether an advertising activity falls within the scope of the GCA Policy, customers must seek clarification from the Media Services Unit (MSU).

For campaigns requiring review under the GCA Policy, a campaign booking number will be issued to the customer. Customers must provide this to their CUA contractor so it can be used in quarterly reporting to assist in monitoring whole of government campaign spend.

Further information, including advertising guidelines, policies and application forms, is available on the Department of the Premier and Cabinet website.

Active contract management pays off

• Check invoices before authorising payment to ensure the correct pricing has been applied.
• Issues to look out for:
  • Level of detail: Invoices should provide enough detail to clearly identify what is being charged, including programmatic itemisation (where applicable).
  • Accuracy of the net media cost: Confirm that the invoiced media placements and services have been delivered as agreed.
  • Accuracy of planning fees and other CUA-related charges: Where applicable, confirm that fees for services delivered under the CUA are accurate.
  • Accuracy of fees for non-CUA services: Verify that charges relating to campaign services outside the scope of the CUA do not include a CUA fee and are not incorporated into the media schedule. A standardised media schedule format will be agreed with contractors for this purpose.
  • Accuracy of the CUA fee: Ensure the correct CUA fee has been applied to the relevant portion of the invoice. Customers should refer to the What will it cost section to validate applicable fees.
• Manage contract terms carefully and monitor contract expiry dates.
• Test the market regularly to assess the offerings and capabilities of other contractors available under the CUA.
• Monitor contractor compliance with agreed service levels
• Document any issues as they arise, even if they are resolved, to support ongoing contractor performance management.

The rates set out in the Price Schedule for categories A and C are maximum rates fixed for the term of the CUA. Customers and contractors may negotiate lower rates based on factors such as volume, value of a service and other relevant circumstances. If you are unable to resolve issues, please contact the contract manager.

Account manager: An individual designated by the contractor who serves as the primary point of contact for the contract authority and customers for all service-related matters under this CUA. The appointed account manager may be the same person as or different to the contractor's Representative.

Additional services: The services described in the Additional services accordion.

Campaign: Advertising that is promotional in nature and generally runs over a sustained period to encourage behaviour change, educate or promote ongoing activities of Government.

Campaign booking number: A unique identifier assigned by the Department of the Premier and Cabinet (DPC) to advertising campaigns requiring review under the Government Campaign Advertising Policy.

CUA fee: Percentage of the net media cost paid to the CUA contractor for media trading services, distinct from fees associated with strategy and planning, and additional services.

Digital media: Media content and advertising delivered through digital channels, including but not limited to websites, mobile applications, social media platforms, connected TV, streaming services, digital out-of-home displays, and other emerging digital technologies. Digital Media may be purchased through various methods including direct digital buying (procurement of Digital Media directly from the publisher, platform owner, or content provider without intermediaries), Programmatic, and paid search.

Media plan: A plan developed by the contractor that contains specific details including the media channels used in an advertising campaign, insertion or broadcast dates, positions, and all applicable costs including Net Media Cost, contractor Fees and Media Supplier costs.

Media rate card: A list that includes placement options and prices for advertisements.

Media supplier: A company or individual that sells advertising space or time across various platforms such as television, radio, print publications, outdoor displays, social networks and other Digital Media to advertisers or media agencies.

Media trading: The comprehensive process of negotiating rates, purchasing advertising inventory, managing placements, and optimising advertising performance across media channels. It includes all activities related to the commercial exchange of advertising space or time between customers and Media Suppliers.

Programmatic: The automated purchase and optimisation of digital media facilitated through technology platforms and algorithms.

Traditional media: Advertising placed through established non-digital channels including television, radio, newspapers, magazines, out-of-home, and cinema, typically involving direct negotiation with media suppliers.