Explainers: how the systems work
Guides to supplier diversity, social procurement, certification and selling to large buyers. Most are written for the Australian systems, and each says which country it covers. We review each guide at least annually and update it sooner when a relevant rule changes.
All explainers
ProcurementWriting a buying brief before asking for a supplier list
Organisations that want to buy from LGBTIQA+ owned businesses often begin by asking for a list of suppliers. This explainer sets out what a buyer should write down first, so that a business can tell quickly whether the work suits it, and includes a template to copy.
Supplier diversityHow supplier diversity works in Australia and why the rules differ by buyer
Supplier diversity in Australia is a set of separate arrangements for Indigenous, social enterprise, women owned and disability suppliers, each with different rules and different force. This explainer sets out how each one works, what gives a category weight with buyers, and where LGBTIQA+ owned businesses currently sit.
Social procurementSocial procurement: how it differs from donations, sponsorship and supplier diversity
Social procurement adds a social outcome to an ordinary purchase. This explainer sets out the direct and indirect routes, how social procurement differs from donations, sponsorship and supplier diversity, and why purchasing from LGBTIQA+ owned businesses may go unrecorded.
CertificationSupply Nation and Social Traders: what their certification establishes
Supply Nation and Social Traders both help buyers find suppliers, but they verify different things. This explainer compares what each certification establishes, how each is funded, and what the comparison means for any proposal to recognise LGBTIQA+ suppliers.
InternationalHow LGBTIQA+ supplier certification works in the United States and Canada
This explainer compares the supplier certification programs run by NGLCC in the United States and the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce with the one Australian buyer definition that already recognises the category. It finds that fees, identity evidence and eligibility rules are central to how each scheme works, and that the open issue for Australia is whether buyers and owners would use a scheme.
BusinessNetworks, fairs, festivals and directories for LGBTIQA+ business owners in Australia
The networks, fairs, festivals and directories available to LGBTIQA+ business owners in Australia are spread across states, organisations and formats. This explainer sets out what each type of channel offers, which kinds of business each is likely to suit, and the other certifications and mainstream support that LGBTIQA+ owners can use.
PolicyDiscrimination law and the LGBTIQA+ business owner: finance, customers, employment and complaints
Federal law has prohibited discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status since 1 August 2013. This explainer sets out how that protection applies when a business owner seeks finance or insurance, deals with customers and contracting organisations, and employs staff, and identifies where the protection is limited or uncertain.
ProcurementSupplier onboarding with large Australian buyers: what a small business needs to prepare
A large company or government agency must set a small business up as a supplier before it can buy from it. This explainer sets out what onboarding usually requires, where to register for government work, how payment terms are enforced, and how questions of identity arise in the process.
ProcurementVictoria’s Social Procurement Framework: how it works and where LGBTIQA+ owned businesses fit
Since 2018, Victorian Government buyers have been expected to use their purchasing to create social and environmental value, which affects how tenders are written and scored. This explainer sets out what the Social Procurement Framework asks of buyers and finds that LGBTIQA+ ownership is not one of its categories, although LGBTIQA+ owned businesses can still benefit from it in other ways.
