5.8 Procurement initiatives to support small business

The ARC supports small business participation in the Commonwealth Government procurement market. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and small enterprise participation statistics are available on the Department of Finance website.

The ARC incorporates a number of procurement practices to support SMEs, including:

  • the use of standard contract templates with clear and simple language
  • electronic payment systems to facilitate on-time payment.

The ARC recognises the importance of ensuring that small businesses are paid on time. The results of the Australian Government Pay On-Time Survey are available on Treasury’s website.