Small business to get a bigger piece of the government pie under new Labor plan
smartcompany | January 21, 2019
Labor will try to ensure small businesses get a bigger piece of the government-spending pie if it wins the upcoming federal election.Unveiling its Local Projects, Local Jobs plan on Monday morning, the federal opposition said it will require government departments and private firms to support local businesses when dealing with government money.Under the plan, projects valued at over $10 million will require bidders to develop a local-jobs plan and nominate an on-the-ground contact to engage with SMEs about upcoming tender and subcontracting opportunities.For projects valued at over $250 million, Labor says local firms will need to be given a “fair opportunity” to win work and not be excluded under industry participation plans which would create new opportunities for SMEs in the mining, rail, road and energy sectors.