Accreditation for construction procurement
- Accreditation allows NSW Government agencies to procure construction services autonomously.
- To become accredited, your agency must undergo a formal assessment process, which includes engaging an independent assessor.
- To maintain accreditation, your agency must meet ongoing obligations.
- The accreditation program for construction is managed by Public Works Advisory (PWA) and owned by the NSW Procurement Board.
- Unaccredited agencies are subject to a threshold of $1.3 million for construction procurement. Above that, they must get assurance from an accredited agency. Assurance is provided on a fee-for-service basis.
The Accreditation Program for Construction Procurement addresses the specific capabilities and risks of procuring construction services.
Keep reading below for a summary of the program, or view detailed rules on the links below:
Which agencies are accredited for construction procurement
The following entities are accredited for construction procurement:
| Cluster | Entity |
|---|---|
| NSW Department of Education | Schools Infrastructure TAFE NSW |
| NSW Department of Health | Health Infrastructure |
| Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure | Corporate Services Land and Housing Corporation Taronga Conservation Society Australia Sydney Olympic Park Authority |
| Treasury | Infrastructure NSW |
| Regional NSW | NSW Public Works |
| Department of Communities and Justice | NSW Police Force Department of Communities and Justice |
| Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water | Water Infrastructure NSW |
| Transport NSW | Sydney Metro Transport for NSW (Roads and Maritime Infrastructure) Transport for NSW (Infrastructure and Place) |
What accreditation means for your agency
Accredited agencies can procure construction services above the $1.3 million threshold set for unaccredited agencies.
Once granted, your agency’s accreditation status is valid in perpetuity, so long as you continue to meet ongoing responsibilities. This includes the management and reporting of trigger events.
Get accredited for construction procurement
The NSW Procurement Board grants accreditation to agencies that have completed the Accreditation Program for Construction Procurement. The program includes an assessment of your agency’s procurement function by an independent assessor.
To begin the accreditation program, an agency should first get in touch with Public Works Advisory (PWA) to indicate their interest. Agencies that move forward must then engage an independent assessor. The assessor will:
- analyse the agency’s procurement function
- interview key staff
- analyse procurement processes and documentation
- produce a formal report.
The report measures the agency’s performance in 7 key procurement focus areas.
Based on the report, the NSW Procurement Board will determine whether to grant your agency accreditation for construction procurement.
All expenses for seeking and maintaining accreditation must be covered by the agency.
Read more about the assessment process for accreditation.
Maintain accreditation through annual obligations
Just as the Procurement Board can grant accreditation, it can vary or cancel accreditation if your agency fails to meet obligations.
To maintain accreditation, your agency has obligations around:
- annual self-assessment and reporting
- management of trigger events that impact accreditation
- publication of contracts under freedom of information requirements
- assurance for unaccredited agencies
Accreditation is granted in perpetuity, as long as an agency continues to meet its accreditation responsibilities or unless a trigger event occurs that results in a review or remediation process.
Read more about the responsibilities of accredited agencies.
Provide assurance to other agencies
Agencies that are not accredited for construction procurement may seek assurance from accredited agencies.
The assurance process applies to the procurement of construction services – and excludes goods and services procurement.
Read about concurrence in PBD 2021-04 Approved procurement arrangements, including the use of whole-of-government contracts and schemes.