Procurement with Purpose: Why WA’s Creative Industry Needs the Smartest, Fairest CUA Possible

Opinion: As the WA Government prepares to establish its next Common Use Arrangement (CUAMCS2025) for media and creative services, IN:WA believes there’s a real opportunity – and a risk.

The opportunity is this: a well-structured, transparent panel has the potential to make government procurement more efficient and impactful. It can connect agencies with high-quality suppliers, lift the standard of public communication, and give talented businesses across the state a predictable pipeline of work.

But the risk is that, if we get the settings wrong, we’ll once again see value and jobs flowing east – into national holding groups and offshore platforms – instead of nurturing the thriving ecosystem of WA-owned independent businesses already delivering world-class creative, strategy, media, and production services from right here.

That’s why IN:WA – which represents over 30 WA-owned communications agencies across branding, advertising, PR, web, production and more – will be making a submission to the Department of Finance, advocating for key changes to the draft CUA to ensure local industry isn’t just included, but enabled.

“We’re not calling for protectionism – we’re calling for procurement with purpose. Here are five changes we believe will make CUAMCS2025 smarter, fairer, and better aligned with the Government’s broader economic, cultural and policy goals,” said IN:WA board member and Block Co-Founder, Mark Braddock, who has been leading the organisation’s representation efforts.

What We’re Advocating For:

1. Weight Local Economic Contribution
The draft agreement includes a section on “Economic, Social and Community Benefits” – but it isn’t currently scored. We’re advocating for a minimum 10–15% weighting, to recognise proposals that create WA jobs, support Aboriginal businesses, and invest in our state’s creative capacity.

2. Mandate Transparency Around Ownership and Delivery
We believe businesses bidding for government work should disclose where they’re owned and where the work is delivered from. Without this transparency, there’s no way for agencies – or taxpayers – to know how much of their spend stays in WA.

3. Introduce a Standalone Category for Commercial and Content Production
Right now, production is bundled under Creative. We’re calling for a new Category D: Commercial Production – allowing government agencies to directly procure local production companies. This ensures content spend stays local, reduces hidden mark-ups from agency-owned studios, and strengthens WA’s screen sector ecosystem – critical as the state invests in new studio infrastructure and bids to attract international productions.

4. Enable New Entrants with an Annual Panel Refresh
A locked panel risks excluding emerging talent. We’re proposing a regular refresh mechanism to allow new WA suppliers to join the panel mid-term – particularly as the sector evolves and new businesses emerge.

5. Support Participation of WA-Owned Independents
The current process is heavily weighted toward those with the time, resources, and scale to prepare complex, multi-category submissions. We’re asking the Department to provide tailored support and simplified pathways for WA-based SMEs, sole traders and First Nations-led businesses to apply with confidence.

What’s at Stake

This is not just about fairness – it’s about building an industry fit for WA’s future.

“The local creative sector doesn’t just deliver communications – it delivers economic diversification, cultural expression, youth employment, and innovation,” said Braddock.

“Every production brief that stays in WA builds skills, jobs and opportunity. Every campaign or website developed by people who live here – by businesses whose profits stay here – speaks more authentically to the communities it’s meant to serve.”

“If CUAMCS2025 is to serve the state – not just the system – we must get this right. And ensure that as many local tax dollars as possible stay here to help our state grow into an energetic, diverse place that attracts the world’s best and brightest.”

IN:WA strongly encourages all WA businesses in the communications, media and production sectors to review the CUAMCS2025 documents and make their voice heard by submitting a response to the Department of Finance. The more local perspectives the Department hears, the more equitable and effective the final arrangement will be.

IN:WA provides a united voice for Western-Australian-owned businesses across the breadth of the creative communications industry, including Advertising, Branding, Digital, Media, PR and Production.