Right now, it is all about the fact we are only six weeks out from the 2025 LGP Annual Conference, being held on Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd of October at Doltone House, Pyrmont Island, Darling Harbour.
Our theme is ‘Future Focused: 2026 & Beyond’. If you click here you will see we have Kirsty McGrath, Managing Director of OnPoint Solutions, locked in to share her global expertise on how we can embrace and maximise Microsoft CoPilot.
You can keep an eye out for more speaker announcements on our LGP LinkedIn profile. For now, I can share that we will be joined by Gordon Donovan, Global Vice President Research, Procurement & External Workforce at SAP – Finance & Spend Management. Gordon will draw on research and sector-specific analysis to highlight the key issues procurement leaders must navigate in the next five years, along with four forward-looking scenarios for 2030.
For the first time, we also welcome Kate Russell, CEO of Supply Nation. We look forward to having Kate share the landmark report The Sleeping Giant Rises, recently released by Supply Nation. The report highlights how engaging Indigenous businesses delivers $3.66 in economic and social returns for every dollar of new revenue generated. Kate will also share how local government can create new opportunities to advance Closing the Gap targets in wellbeing, culture, employment, and community resilience.
We will also have speakers addressing the geopolitical context and its impact on supply chains, how to navigate cyber security risks in your supplier base, the benefits of engaging small-to-medium enterprises, and a series of council case studies showcasing best practice across the sector.
Delegate registrations are now open on the LGP website for you to secure your ticket.
The new Innovation Development Fund (IDF) is now open and available to all councils. In partnership with Telstra, this initiative is designed to work with councils prepared to co-fund projects that tackle technology innovation, lift digital capability, and drive digital transformation to better serve communities. Applications close 5pm, Friday 31 October 2025.
LGP is also proud to announce the nine projects selected under Release 4 of the Procurement Capability Grant Program. Once again, just over $150,000 is being distributed to remove the barrier of funding and see new procurement projects unlocked and brought to life.
After evaluating 55 submissions valued at just over $1m, the approved projects represent a strong blend of initiatives. Recipients are evenly spread across metro, regional, and rural NSW, and we expect some very strong case studies to emerge once these projects are complete.
| Council | Project Name | |
| 1. | Blacktown City Council | AI Procurement Automation Platform |
| 2. | Gwydir Shire Council | Procurement Functional Review |
| 3. | Coonamble Shire Council | Sustainable Procurement Templates |
| 4. | Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils | Circular Procurement Regional Forum |
| 5. | Kyogle Council | Contract Management Training (20pax) |
| 6. | Warren Shire Council | Modern Slavery Procurement Risk Training |
| 7. | Warrumbungle Shire Council | Build Conract Management Framework |
| 8. | Strathfield Municipal Council | Procurement Training (60pax) |
| 9. | Bega Valley Shire Council | Local Supplier Forum |
Finally, our First Nations Procurement Scheme is now live, and our focus through to the end of the year will be on supporting and encouraging all NSW councils to engage these endorsed Indigenous organisations via VendorPanel. All suppliers are either ‘Certified’ Supply Nation and/or ‘Assured’ Members of the NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce.
Please note, this scheme operates outside of LGP’s Prescription, with engagements limited to a maximum of $250k (inc GST) to remain under the tender threshold. Councils must apply their own Procurement Policy when engaging under this scheme.
Thank you.