The refresh of the Government Procurement Rules isn’t a tidy-up; the headline is economic benefit to New Zealand. It tightens the link between what agencies buy and the outcomes they expect for New Zealand, says Plan A Senior Consultant Carla Reinke. “For tenderers, the question is shifting from “can you deliver the scope” to “can you deliver the scope and prove the value your delivery creates.”
That means a cleaner hand-off from bid promises to contract reporting. For procurements that meet the Government’s value thresholds, at least 10 percent of the evaluation must consider how your proposal benefits the economy; jobs, training, capability building and the strength of your local supply chain.
Treat this like scope. If you plan apprenticeships, state how many and when. If you commit to local spend, specify the proportion by work package and how you will verify it.
Put the measurement framework in the bid so the client can see who collects the data, how it’s assured, and how often it’s reported.
A second shift is proportionality. Agencies are expected to right-size processes to the value, risk and complexity of the contract.
On lower-risk work, that should mean fewer hoops and a clearer focus on the handful of factors that determine success.
On higher-risk work, you’ll still need strong staging, risk identification and mitigation and governance, but scaled to what matters, not to habit.
Panel operation also gets attention. Stronger disciplines now apply to how panels are established and managed, as well as to how secondary spend is made visible for suppliers.
This should reduce the “black box” effect after panel appointment and improve line-of-sight to opportunities.
Finally, the update centres on public value. Price and technical merit still matter; so do delivery confidence, integrity and safety.
The difference is that measurable benefit to New Zealand is now an explicit part of the value equation, not an afterthought.
Will this help smaller businesses ?
Yes, if agencies lean into the intent, and smaller suppliers meet them halfway.
For procurements below the coverage thresholds, contracts are expected to be awarded to capable local businesses.
Combine that expectation with proportional processes, and the bid burden should reduce for well-prepared SMEs.
“It’s not a blunt “buy local” rule; New Zealand’s trade commitments still apply. The test is demonstrable benefit: can you evidence local employment, apprenticeships, regional supply-chain uplift and clean, auditable reporting?
How to respond
Think like a contract manager while you write. Build a promises register during the bid, allocate owners, define evidence types and reporting cadence.
When evaluators can see how commitments will be managed in delivery, you de-risk their decision.
Strengthen delivery partnerships. Pair prime capability with pre-qualified local partners, clear governance and data readiness. This isn’t about long subcontractor lists; it’s about a joined-up model with risk, commercials and reporting already thought through.
Design for proportionality. On low-risk engagements, show a streamlined methodology and low-friction governance. On higher-risk projects, scale controls to suit. Remove process noise and make it easy to follow the thread from need to outcome.
A word on AI
AI won’t win the work on its own, and it shouldn’t try. Where it helps is turning delivery data into verifiable metrics against economic-benefit commitments, and keeping your promises register accurate through mobilisation.
Use it to lift accuracy and cadence, not to inflate claims. Everything must be auditable.
The bottom line
The Rules elevate outcomes and transparency while signalling fewer unnecessary steps on lower-risk work.
The advantage now lies with bidders who can do the job and prove the value, with numbers, owners and a reporting plan. If you treat outcomes as scope and manage them like programme and cost, you’ll be well placed under the new settings.
Get in touch to discuss how we can support your next bid:
0800 752 622