While many contracts say they want innovation, the tendering process is actually biased against the most innovative bidders…What if we reverse engineered the tendering process?
Tendering: Killing Innovation and Creativity?
A SEAANZ white paper
by
David Gregory OAM, SEAANZ Vice Chair, Practitioners and Business
Tui McKeown, SEAANZ Chair
Historically, there have been numerous barriers standing in the way of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) when it comes to bidding for government tenders. While often very publicly and actively encouraged to apply, the reality is that for many small businesses, the tender process itself provides the single largest barrier. For those who do apply, the prescriptive nature of the process sees any thoughts of innovation and creativity quickly extinguished. The net result is a loss of new ideas and new ways of doing things that are borne not just by SMEs but by the missed opportunities for the tendering organisations and ultimately for Australia.
Tanya is editor in chief of Small Enterprise Research and a director of SEAANZ. Based in New Zealand, Tanya has taught and researched on small business and entrepreneurship in areas of SME internationalisation and the social contribution of entrepreneurship.
Deputy Editor Dr Stephanie Macht CQ University Australia
Dr. Stephanie Macht is a Senior Lecturer and Head of Course in the School of Business and Law of CQUniversity Australia. Stephanie’s research interests span from entrepreneurial finance, over entrepreneurship education, to sustainability and learning and teaching more broadly. She has published widely on entrepreneurship education among other topics. She can be contacted here s.macht@cqu.edu.au.
Deputy Editor (Special Issues) Dr Breda Kenny Munster Technological University Ireland
Dr. Breda Kenny, BBS, MBS, MMII Grad PhD (2009) is currently deputy editor (special issues) of Small Enterprise Research and head of School of Business at Munster Technological University Cork, Ireland. Breda has previously served as editor in chief of Small Enterprise Research, has over 25 years lecturing, management, and research experience in entrepreneurship and international business and has led and project managed several EU funded programmes in the areas of entrepreneurship education, business development, regional innovation strategies, senior and female entrepreneurship. She has published in international peer reviewed journals and served on the board of the European Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ECSB). Breda can be contacted here Breda.Kenny@mtu.ie
Deputy Editor Professor Jodyanne Kirkwood Otago Polytechnic New Zealand
Professor Jo Kirkwood is a Deputy Editor of Small Enterprise Research. She is a Professor at Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand. Jo has taught undergraduate students and supervised postgraduate students in the area entrepreneurship. Her research interests lie in small businesses and entrepreneurship, particularly in the areas of women entrepreneurs, environmental entrepreneurs and family entrepreneurship. Jo can be contacted here Jo.kirkwood@op.ac.nz
