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nswbuy update is a regular eNewsletter to provide NSW Procurement customers with an update on procurement news.  Information on state contracts and the status on tenders for upcoming new state contracts / schemes are regular features. 

nswbuy update is a free subscription based newsletter.  If you would like to forward a copy to other people in your organisation or change your subscription details, please refer to the top of this newsletter for details.  If you would like more information on NSW Procurement products and services please phone 1800 NSWBUY (1800 679 289) or visit www.nswbuy.com.au

1. New Temporary Staff (Contingent Workforce) Contract
2. Purchasing, Printing & Disposal delegation changes
3. $271,000 travel savings in first 3 weeks 
4. New NSW Procurement corporate website goes live
5. Update on new ICT Services contract 
6. PCs & Notebooks - special limited offer
7. The Intelligent Food Guide out now
8. Sustainability in purchasing decisions
9. Car auctions capture public attention
10. New customers welcome
11. Tender Status - Up and Coming Contracts
12. State Contracts - Current Listing
13. Your Say

The new Contingent Workforce Contract (c100) will commence on 20 April 2009 and government agencies should now be preparing their businesses around the transition requirements and options for staff currently employed under existing recruitment contracts.   

The new contract will amalgamate current recruitment contracts Administrative, Finance and Specialist (1078),  IT Contracting Personnel (881) and Professional, Technical and Industrial Staff (755) to establish a single contract that leverages the buying power of the NSW Government to reduce costs for agencies and provide greater access to high calibre staffing resources.  

The three existing contracts will expire upon commencement of the new contract so it is essential that agencies ensure they have accurate information on the changes that will take place.  

Click here for information on transition arrangements and FAQ        Read more

The State Contracts Control Board has approved changes to the delegations for Purchasing, Printing and Disposals.  These changes have become effective as of 1 April 2009.  The delegation limits have been increased to assist in:

• Reducing the costs to agencies and industry associated with tendering for Government business
• Decreasing the amount of "red tape" around purchasing for Government to improve regulatory efficiency. 

NSW Procurement is ensuring you are up to date with these changes.  Copies of the updated delegations are available for downloading:   

 General Purchasing Delegations

 Printing Delegations

 Disposal Delegations     Read more

The first three weeks of the revised travel policy generated additional savings of $271,285 on the average domestic ticket price.  Over this 3 week period, the average domestic ticket price dropped to its lowest level of $321.  In 2005, the average domestic ticket price was $458, in 2008 it was $371.  Over the three week period, the Melbourne route alone represented additional savings of $31,000.   

This initial research is very encouraging and NSW Procurement report that compliance was high across all Government agencies.  There is no doubt that the new policy will save the NSW Government millions of dollars annually.  The revised travel policy applies to all agencies across Government and its compliance and effects will be closely monitored.  

The new sister site to nswbuy.com.au is now live.  The launch of www.nswprocurement.com.au means that NSW Procurement is now able to provide customers with easy access to a wide range of procurement support services and solutions for all purchasing and contracting needs.  The new procurement site is in addition to the information on the recently launched www.nswbuy.com.au site which specifically profiles State Contracts, products and associated schemes in 12 easy to navigate categories. 

The new www.nswprocurement.com.au site is designed for anyone seeking information on procurement services and government procurement policy, to help ensure efficient and effective purchasing as well as saving time and money. Read more

The new ICT Services contract is currently being established with over 200 organisations currently in the process of signing up as vendors on the Approved Supplier Panel.   This ground breaking new contract will offer a comprehensive range of ICT services in over 30 different categories, and 130 sub categories. 

An innovative ePortal will play an integral role in allowing agencies and eligible customers online access to an array of information about vendor capability, performance and project experience.  Customers will have the ability to request single or multiple quotes within minutes.  As a result, the contract will provide time savings as well as competitive pricing of ICT services to the public sector. 

The contract seeks to manage over $90 million per year of NSW Government spend in ICT services.  Eight contracts will be incorporated into the new ICT Services Contract.    Read more

Between now and Friday 24 April 2009, customers can enjoy even further savings and added value on PCs and Notebooks.    NSW Procurement has partnered with key IT suppliers on contract to provide these special offers when you purchase from PCs and Notebooks (State Contract ITS2007).  Check out these special offers: 

Acer
Upgrade to 18.5” monitor for free and 50% off published price of Desktop Stand on state contract (subject to Terms & Conditions) 

ASI Solution
Double the RAM capacity for no additional charge (subject to Terms & Conditions)

Hewlett Packard
First 200 HP Mini-note PC’s purchased receive a free slip case (subject to Terms & Conditions)

Click here for information on how to access these offers

Read more

The Intelligent Food Guide is now available and will prove to be a valuable resource for school canteen managers in buying healthy food products. The Guide highlights close to 4,000 food items that are available under Food Services State Contract 801. These items have been compared against the Fresh Tastes @ School NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy - Canteen Menu Planner.

NSW Procurement appreciates the support of the groups that assisted in The Guide’s preparation – NSW Department of Education and Training, NSW Health, The Federation of Parents and Citizens’ Association of NSW, The Catholic Education Commission NSW, The Association of Independent Schools NSW and The Healthy Kids Schools Canteen Association.


The Strategy uses a Canteen Menu Planner food spectrum, which categorises food into three groupings.    Read more

The NSW State Government's Sustainability Policy outlines how the Government will lead by example in the use of resources, with particular emphasis on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through more effective waste and fleet management and the adoption of sustainable purchasing processes.  The Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC) now has a range of information on their website that is targeted specifically to assist State and Local Government, and includes -

• Purchasing - the need to consider sustainability in all relevant purchasing decision making
• Environmental Performance of Buildings including the more efficient use of energy and water
• Cleaner Government Fleet including vehicle purchases, and more efficienct use of vehicles
• Waste & Recycling including minimising waste production and increasing recycling in Government activities

Visit the DECC website section - for state and local government - to learn more about how your organisation can help Government achieve these vitally important targets.

A recent motor vehicle auction held by Manheim Fowles Pty Ltd in Sydney featured a number of ex government fleet vehicles and proved to be quite a festive occasion, generating much interest with members of the public.  The event was well organised and bidding from the floor was strong, complemented by a stream of online bidding participants.   

Two long standing Australian based companies, Manheim Fowles Pty Ltd and Pickles Pty Ltd are both approved suppliers under State Contracts 603 & 604 for the Disposal of Motor Vehicles.  Visit www.manheimfowles.com.au for information on the next Sydney auction.  For information on the regional auction to be held in Newcastle, visit www.pickles.com.au  Both websites provide comprehensive information on the range of vehicles (including ex government fleet vehicles) to be auctioned, including auction catalogues, plus a calendar of when auction events are held.      

Thousands of buyers are now reaping the benefits of some of the best prices available to the largest public sector purchasing collective in Australia.  Over 180,000 discounted products and services are available to eligible buyers which include non profit organisations, local councils, health and education providers, charities and government agencies.  Registration is easy.    Read more

To view a list of the latest state contract tenders download the current tenders update.  

For more comprehensive information go to www.tenders.nsw.gov.au

To view a list of available state contracts and their status, download the Current Listing.  

We are always interested to hear your feedback and recommendations regarding the content of this newsletter, so have your say by emailing your comments to the NSW Procurement Client Support Centre on nswbuy@commerce.nsw.gov.au