Connect to Business Opportunities through the Industry Capability Network (ICN)
ICN has been connecting Australian and New Zealand businesses to projects for over 30 years. It operates like a business broker or aggregator, seeking local suppliers and service providers and matching them to the requirements of thousands of projects nearby or across Australasia.
It is an independent organisation financially supported by Australian and New Zealand state and territory governments, and their goal is getting local business servicing local projects where feasible to minimise the importation of goods and services.
The resources they use to achieve this are primarily via a powerful online database called ICN Gateway and their network of over 100 specialist consultants. The ICN Gateway has key information about hundreds of projects you can bid for and the contact details and capability of suppliers to meet any project’s needs. This results in billions of dollars in contracts each year going to local business while saving local suppliers and project manager’s time and money in the procurement process.
What ICN can do for local goods and service providers
ICN allows local businesses to join their network and showcase what they can do. From there ICN provide a pipeline of new business opportunities for the businesses to consider via access to:
projects large and small
partnership opportunities
supply chain opportunities
promotional channels
What ICN can do for you - if you are running a local project or needing to source a new supplier
ICN is often approached by the project manager or developer for suitable local suppliers for the job at hand.
Because local suppliers have listed their specific skills and capability on the ICN gateway, project managers can quickly and efficiently develop a shortlist and select an appropriate supplier for their purposes – cutting the cost and effort out of developing new supply chains and streamlining the procurement process.
ICN emphasises the advantages of sourcing local suppliers to the project managers such as:
improving lead-time and availability
gaining quick and easy access to service and technical support
guaranteeing supply in a crisis
lowering stock holdings
reducing import administration and duty costs
In addition ICN consultants offer advice and assistance to project managers in the following areas:
local and Australian industry policy and participation compliance
supply chain development
identification of joint ventures, partnerships and technology transfers
the creation of tender specifications
Not just for the big players
If you think you are not a big enough player to supply projects listed on ICN gateway, think again.
Often larger projects are tendered out into smaller work packages that provide second and third tier supply opportunities. In practice this means you don’t necessarily have to provide all the components to a project. Instead you can subcontract or supply a specialist component to a specific task within the project.
The ICN consultants will introduce you to others that you could partner with in the bidding process. These can be valuable opportunities to test your capability, prove the value of your services and become familiar with the operating environment of larger projects.
There is opportunity if you are good enough
ICN use policy support at federal and state government level that stipulates the use of local suppliers and service providers when larger publicly funded projects over a certain value go out to tender.
In other words, if there is a local project being undertaken by the state or Federal government, the chances of a successful bid increases if the bidder can demonstrate that it will be reliant in locally based service providers.
What ICN are doing in response to COVID-19
COVID-19 exposed how fragile and complex supply chains have become. ICN’s approach to managing COVID-19’s restrictions, health impacts and the HSE/OHS implications facing businesses has been twofold.
THE COVID-19 RESPONSE PORTAL The portal helps businesses retain and strengthen supply chains during COVID-19 by allowing Governments and companies data to analyse and improve project performance.
THE ICN COVID-19 RESPONSE APP The App enables companies to operate safely via simple health surveys. The app can be used to screen staff, contractors and visitors before entry to job sites. Workers can use it to safely enter homes.
The App includes:
Customised Questionnaires
Work From Home Risk Assessments
Customer Site / Private Residence Screening
Mental and Physical Health Alerts
SMS, Email and Push Notifications
Mental Health Questionnaire
Global Coverage and Multiple Timezones
These are just some of the ways ICN can help you get new business and many of the services mentioned above are free to small and not for profit businesses.
For more information about the ICN visit their website or contact ICN’s Client Services Officer Tijana Gibson on 0428 715 319 or email tgibson@icnvic.org.au
Peter Forbes
Business & Industry Development