Banana Shire Council have launched VendorPanel Marketplace an online procurement platform that helps Council buyers find local suppliers and award contracts. VendorPanel Marketplace is entirely free for suppliers and offers a way to get in front of Banana Shire Council buyers and have a fair go at winning the work.

VendorPanel uses geolocation to make it easy for Council to identify local suppliers and invite them to submit quotes and proposals for their projects and works. Suppliers are encouraged to register on the VendorPanel Marketplace platform. Click here to register now.

Once registered, suppliers can receive invitations to quote on work across dozens of categories, from building products to transportation and freight. The platform manages all communication between Council and suppliers, reducing admin, saving time and ensuring procurement best practice is followed. If suppliers are already registered with VendorPanel Marketplace re-registering is not required, however updating and or confirming current details is recommended.

“The move to the new online platform VendorPanel allows local businesses access to a streamlined service for submitting quotes. Banana Shire Council is committed to ensuring we support and grow our local economy and this new platform will help us achieve that goal.” said Nev Ferrier, Mayor of Banana Shire Council.

The economic benefits in other regional areas using VendorPanel Marketplace have been remarkable. An audited case study of 26 Councils using the platform found that in 84.4% of cases jobs were awarded to local suppliers.

James Leathem, Founder and CEO of VendorPanel commented: “Procurement spend has always supported the economic health of Australian communities. By connecting buyers with local capability, we’re making it easier for organisations to leverage their procurement spend to help local economies adapt and rebound”.