Defence industry is a capability enabler, and its participation in global markets creates a more sustainable, resilient, and competitive sovereign defence capability.
The Global Supply Chain (GSC) Program assists in increasing the number of Australian suppliers and export opportunities within the global supply chains of major Defence companies, called Primes.
In partnership with GSC Primes, the program aims to find, advocate and provide contract opportunities to competitive Australian suppliers, to enter and persist in the Primes’ global supply chains.
GSC Program Primes are funded by Defence to establish a team within their company dedicated to identifying export opportunities leading to contract award for Australian suppliers in both Civil and Defence businesses of the Prime.
The GSC Program grows Australian industry by providing access into Prime global supply chains, which create more revenue streams and diversity of work, leading to a more sustainable and competitive industry base.
Since its inception, the GSC Program has delivered over $1.9 billion of contracts to more than 250 Australian suppliers.
In the Defence Industry Development Strategy 2024 (DIDS), expanding the GSC Program was a priority and discussed in Chapter 9 – Exports. As outlined in DIDS, the expansion of the GSC Program will provide Australian businesses with greater access to broader export markets through the addition of more participants and ensure there is an ongoing pipeline of work and growth.
Benefits
Australian suppliers benefit by having an embedded team within participating Primes to apply internal influence for the inclusion of Australian capability within their global supply chains.
The program achieves this by creating opportunities in international markets and the civil sectors in which each GSC Primes operates.
The program assists Australian suppliers to access work packages in global markets and supply chains which helps to:
- remain viable through the peaks and troughs of domestic acquisition
- diversify work and revenue sources, and increase sustainability
- become globally competitive.
The program supports Australian suppliers by:
- decreasing duplication of effort through identifying commonalities across Primes
- continually monitoring and improving the model to achieve outcomes and opportunities
- developing clear and consistent linkages between Government programs, particularly in recognising the continuum between Australian Industry Capability and GSC outcomes
- supporting a whole-of-Government approach through the realisation of Defence export opportunities
- working with other Government programs to grow exports, including the Office of Defence Industry Support, Team Defence Australia and Austrade.
Performance framework
There is a continuum between the Australian Industry Capability (AIC) Program and the GSC Program, where AIC builds capability in Australian industry and the GSC Program exports that capability into new markets, and vice versa. GSC delivers these as export opportunities, building resilience in the industrial base to better support the Australian Defence Force.
All Prime participants are contracted to achieve certain outcomes for Australian suppliers. Performance in the program is guided by an underpinning Performance Framework which measures outcomes against key indicators.
Global Supply Chain Program Performance Framework Summary (PDF, 91.27 KB)
GSC Prime participants
There are currently 13 Defence Prime contractors involved in the program. The capabilities being sought by each program Prime is available for reference.
The Primes are funded by Defence to establish a GSC team within their company to:
- identify opportunities across their business units and at all technology readiness levels to provide these opportunities to Australian companies
- identify, assess and qualify capable Australian companies to be part of their global supply chain
- provide mentoring, training and regular feedback, including why a company was successful or unsuccessful in its tender
- organise meetings for small medium enterprises (SME) with key decision-makers within the Primes and provide advocacy overseas, including at Team Defence Australia trade events
- work with the other Primes’ GSC teams to grow Australian industry, share information to boost exports, and reduce the burden on the SME.
Global Supply Chain Program - Program Delivery Considerations fact sheet (PDF, 447.41 KB)
GSC Prime teams
Where there is an opportunity match, the program provides competitive Australian suppliers with support from dedicated GSC Prime teams who advocate and represent their interests to achieve:
- consistent and growing revenue through access to overseas Prime work packages
- diverse sources of sales in multiple supply chains
- higher quality work which minimises the chances of becoming displaced by a competitor
- increased export acumen and minimised barriers to the GSC Program Primes’ supply chains
- a continual identification of new talent and opportunity matches.
Events
The GSC Program will hold 2 events during Avalon from 25 - 30 March 2025 Avalon Australian International Airshow.