Responsible supply chains

We’re committed to responsible supply chains through inclusive, ethical and sustainable procurement. We work with suppliers and internal teams to deliver smart, cost-effective solutions that benefit students, communities and the environment.

Our focus areas include social and environmental outcomes, supplier diversity and eliminating modern slavery.

Empower social and diverse suppliers

We support social procurement by prioritising diverse suppliers.

We work with:

small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
Aboriginal-owned businesses
disability enterprises.

We also back local and regional suppliers to help build stronger communities across NSW. Importantly, we partner with suppliers to offer education and training for apprentices and learners.

By supporting these suppliers, we help create local jobs and deliver positive social and economic outcomes.

Support apprentices and trainees

Supporting apprentices and trainees is a key goal for TAFE NSW. We work with suppliers who share this commitment.

Through our construction contracts, we aim to create more opportunities for apprentices and trainees.

We’ve set targets to support this, especially for construction projects over $10 million. These targets are part of the Skills, Training and Diversity in Construction Plan.

Support social participation

Tenders and contracts can help build inclusive and diverse communities. They also support better social and economic outcomes.

How we measure outcomes

We track social participation through contract management. Suppliers must submit regular reports to show progress on their social procurement commitments.

Below are resources and guides to help suppliers include social outcomes in tenders and meet contract reporting requirements.

Support Aboriginal businesses

We’re committed to working with Aboriginal-owned businesses through our Aboriginal Participation Strategy. This sets clear goals to better support Aboriginal businesses.

Since launching the strategy, our spending with Aboriginal businesses has steadily grown. This is part of our wider efforts to support Aboriginal community initiatives.

Aboriginal Participation Plan (APP)

Learn what an APP is and see a step-by-step guide on how to complete one.

Aboriginal Participation Plan Template

Aboriginal, SME and Local Participation Plan Template (Example)

Support SME business growth

We support local and regional suppliers, especially SMEs in regional NSW. We aim to make it easier for these suppliers to work with us, especially those in regional and remote areas.

Our approach includes applying procurement exemptions to engage SMEs directly when it is cost-effective. We also follow the Faster Payment Terms Policy by paying registered small businesses within 5 days.

SME and Local Participation Plan

Learn what a SME and Local Participation Plan is and see a step-by-step guide on how to complete one.

SME and Local Participation Plan Template

SME and Local Participation Plan Template (Example)

Support disability enterprises

We support and encourage the employment of people living with disability. One way we do this is by giving Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) the chance to become suppliers through our procurement processes.

This approach aligns with our Diversity Inclusion and Belonging Plan (DIBP), which aims to:

treat people living with disability fairly across all areas of our business
remove barriers and support equal access to facilities, services, information and jobs
use Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles across the organisation.

Read our DIBP

A diverse group of young adults, including one in a wheelchair, laughing closely together while holding hands outdoors.

Support a sustainable future

TAFE NSW is committed to a sustainable future. We support the environment and work towards a circular economy. This means reusing resources, reducing waste and designing products to last.

We follow the NSW Circular Economy Policy and NSW Net Zero Government Operations Policy. Our procurement practices reflect these commitments.

We value:

products made with recycled content
keeping materials and products in use for longer
circular and sustainable design
avoiding and reducing waste.

Our procurement practices also support the NSW Net Zero Plan, which aims for net zero emissions by 2030.

Read more below about how TAFE NSW supports sustainability.

Our sustainability goals

Take action on modern slavery

We recognise modern slavery as a serious human rights issue. It affects millions of vulnerable people around the world.

We’re committed to respecting human rights in our supply chains. We follow the Modern Slavery Act 2018 (NSW) and take steps to meet its requirements.

We use risk management strategies and follow the NSW Anti-slavery Commissioner’s Guidance on Reasonable Steps.

Our TAFE NSW Modern Slavery Statement outlines how we’re working to remove modern slavery from our procurement practices

Statement of Business Ethics

TAFE NSW commits to fair and open processes. We run our business by following the TAFE NSW Statement of Business Ethics and using the NSW Government Procurement Policy Framework.