Q-SEED Townsville | Smart Precinct NQ

Collaboratively using procurement to create employment opportunities for the young people of Townsville.

A pathway for implementing social procurement and inclusive employment in the region.

Townsville Regional Action Plan 2024

Townsville Impact Procurement Framework

A pathway for implementing local and social procurement in the region.

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We commit to adding value to the Townsville region, via the following actions:

Townsville Regional Charter

Q-SEED is an innovative solution, calling for multiple organisations, across government, industry, and the community sector to focus on the region, rather than their individual part in the eco-system. This requires a common understanding of the regional challenges from other perspectives and a mutual agreement on how to solve it.

Q-SEED applies place-based principles and a collaborative impact model to create systemic change and remove structural barriers to support businesses across sectors and sizes to keep spend within Townsville and create more jobs. Providing expert supply chain experience to map the local supply chain to understand opportunities for local businesses and workforces ensures the model harnesses real opportunity for local business and the current and future workforce of Townsville.

The program focuses on building individual organisational innovation capability to increase social/local procurement outcomes as well as networked capability to address systemic and structural challenges and find solutions – the enabling ecosystem.

The ecosystem is fostered through: a continued commitment engaging new and relevant stakeholders, signing a shared commitment (The Q-SEED Charter), a momentum-driven collaboration plan, identifying new opportunities to test ideas, making new connections, replicating and amplifying best practice, accountability through the Hub and, importantly, celebrating successes. These critical factors contribute to a Q-SEED ‘identity’ which underpins the sustainability of the ecosystem and raises its capability to collaborate and innovate.

Q-SEED will support individual organisations, SMEs and social benefit suppliers to build their local/social procurement and employment innovation capability through:

Collaboratively analysing their business processes to identify areas for innovation
Co-designing action plans for implementing and testing innovation
Training sessions
Facilitated peer-to-peer learning
A series of collaboration of events

If you would like more information or to be involved, please contact socialimpact@cqu.edu.au

Newly launched Q-SEED Regional Forward Procurement Plan – Find out more

Q-SEED Regional Forward Procurement Plan

Q-SEED Collaborators

Q-SEED is a collaboration between:

ArcBlue

CQ University

Smart Precinct NQ

Learn more...

Q-SEED Collaborators

ArcBlue is a leading specialist procurement consultancy with a mission to deliver positive

change through social procurement. Part of Bain & Company, it delivers integrated end-to-end procurement transformation, and is at the forefront of the growing field of social procurement and work to incorporate it into standard practices.

arcblue.com/australia

Q-SEED Collaborators

CQUniversity is Australia’s only social enterprise university, certified by Social Traders. With a thriving campus in Townsville, and regional and national footprint, CQU embeds social innovation principles and practice across inclusive and accessible education, training and research, to equip and empower new generations of changemakers. CQU’s Office of Social Innovation builds capacity across its communities, to collaboratively tackle social and environmental challenges.

cqu.edu.au/socialinnovation

Q-SEED Collaborators

Smart Precinct NQ is the home of innovation and entrepreneurship in North Queensland. The community-connected not-for-profit provides a springboard for collaboration, learning and growth through a range of start-up accelerators and incubator programs, business growth advisory services, investment support and events.

spnq.org

Q-SEED Youth: CQU young people employment co-design for Townsville:

Q-SEED (Queensland Social procurement, Employment, Economic Development) is all about creating maintainable and sustainable job opportunities for young people in Townsville.

As a Q-SEED partner, CQUniversity has led a series of workshops and co-labs for young people and employers to share experiences, issues and opportunities for young people in the region.

Thanks to project partners ArcBlue and Smart Precinct North Queensland, and funding partners Advance Queensland and The John Villiers Trust.

A Best Practice Toolkit for Employing Young People in Townsville

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Grant opportunities, Blog posts and Case studies:

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