Angus Taylor, federal assistant minister for cities and digital transformation, announces plans for a digital marketplace. This makes it easier for business to pitch for projects and build the digital capability.

Angus Taylor, the federal assistant minister for cities and digital transformation has launched a ‘Digital Marketplace platform,’ enabling businesses to work with government on technology projects.

Taylor, also a keynote speaker at the FST Government Australia conference being held 22nd September in Canberra, says this marketplace offers a richer and simpler environment for technology procurement.

This latest initiative makes it easier for businesses to provide specialist digital services to government. “Government buyers can now publish briefs for requirements, suppliers can respond to those briefs and two-way collaboration can take place.”

In March this year, the Digital Transformation Office (DTO) ran an open tender process asking businesses to join a Digital Service Professionals panel. As a result, more than 220 digital service professionals are now listed on the online digital marketplace.

Bureaucratic challenges

This marketplace simplifies what was previously a “bureaucratic process” for businesses to access government technology work, says Taylor.

“This is an important change in the way government has traditionally done business. It’s a new platform for businesses and government to work together in a creative and flexible way.

Both SMEs and start-ups are encouraged to join the digital club. This marketplace also enables government buyers to launch ‘challenges’ to solve digital business problems. Suppliers can pitch creative ideas to solve problems.

Moreover, the administration seeks to create “blue sky thinking opportunities,” enabling businesses to develop innovative digital solutions.

Among the features, this marketplace leverages analytics, while enabling buyers and sellers to be rated on their performance and other benchmarks.

As the lead agency, the DTO has developed this marketplace under the auspices of Prime Minister Turnbull’s National Innovation and Science Agenda.

A Digital Marketplace Beta is now available here