Western Australia Industry Participation Strategy 2024

WAIPS includes requirements for agencies and suppliers to complete as part of the State Government procurement process. 

The WAIPS Portal has been developed to manage and support the completion of these requirements, including:

• the submission of participation plans by potential suppliers
• agency applications for exemption from the requirement to submit a participation plan
• participation plan reporting by successful suppliers
• exemption reporting by suppliers

Further detail on WAIPS requirements is available on the WAIPS information page and in the WAIPS 2024 strategy.

Go to the WAIPS Portal user guide for businesses or the WAIPS Portal user guide for agencies for guidance on using the portal.

WAIPS 2024 incorporates 4 key focus areas. These areas have been identified as WA Government's procurement areas which align to maximise opportunities for local businesses and workers when supplying to WA's public sector. The key focus areas are:

• Innovation through procurement
  • The updated strategy offers and encourages agencies to provide solutions to improve the supplying of goods and services, in accordance with priority requirements. 
• Health and medical services
  • Health service providers will be supported to develop a priority list of goods and services where local supply is advantageous. 
  • An expressions of interest process assessed by Health Service Providers will be examined through consultation.  
• Digital technology
  • The WAIPS participation plan will be modified for digital technology to capture the full breadth of local expertise offered by local sources.
  • Other considerations include examining the adoption of polices from other jurisdiction and revising of common use agreements and panels to strengthen the relationship between innovation and state government procurement.
• Environmental/climate change
  • The scope of procurement policy and process is broadening to respond to emerging markets for the supply of goods and services relative to environmental/climate change.
  • Strategic project designation is being used to promote local supply of goods and services of emerging forms of procurement including stand-alone power stations, wind farms, batteries, virtual power plants for schools and solar panels. 

The key focus areas are being further developed through collaboration with various agencies and relevant industries and as WAIPS 2024 is implemented. 

The initiatives under the focus areas will be explored through consultation with possible addenums included to WAIPS 2024 pending results.

WAIPS is part of the State Government procurement and integrates with other procurement requirements. WAIPS must be consistent with:

• Western Australian Procurement Act 2020 and procurement rules under the act
• Western Australian Buy Local Policy 2022
• Aboriginal Procurement Policy 
• Engagement of Businesses employing people with a disability. 

WAIPS is implemented across the whole procurement cycle, beginning at tender planning and includes consideration of relevant aspects of all the different stages. It also includes tender drafting with the inclusion of participation plans and appropriate weightings, tender assessment and contract finalisation. 

Agencies provide completed participation plans to JTSI of the successful suppliers, and participation plan reporting at the end of a project.