Industry engagement

Working with NZDF

Industry plays a key role in maintaining a modern, credible, and capable Defence Force. What Defence needs most from its industry partners is the ability to fill gaps in its capabilities, capacity, knowledge, skills and experience with industry capabilities and capacity. We draw on a complementary mix of international and local suppliers to maximise value for money.

NZDF is a complex matrix of service functions that are focused on the delivery of military outputs for the government of New Zealand. Put simply, NZDF consists of a:

• small shipping line

• small national and global airline

• large land transport company

• large and complicated international logistics organisation

• large multi-discipline engineering and technology company

• large information and communications technology company

• a mid-sized health service provider in its own right

• a mid-sized vertical and horizontal civil engineering, construction and facilities management company

• small police force, custodial organisation, and a

• mid-sized security company

NZDF industry engagement:

The two main streams of procurement for Defence are military capabilities and enterprise procurement that enables the NZDF to secure, connect, inform, and sustain our capabilities, infrastructure, and our people.

For military capabilities, NZDF-led projects are those assessed as medium, low, or very low against the Defence Capability Management System’s scale & risk tool where the decision to invest is made by the Chief of Defence Force. These projects are managed by our Capability Branch. Defence-led projects are those assessed as being medium, high, or very high and are managed by the Ministry of Defence where financial appropriation and delegations rest with the Secretary of Defence.  

For enterprise procurement, the NZDF purchases a wide range of goods and services each year to meet the operational and non-operational needs of sustaining the NZDF. The most significant areas of procurement activity sit within:

• Defence Logistics Command (DLC)

  • Logistics Command Air – sustainment of air capabilities

  • Logistics Command Land – sustainment of land capabilities

  • Logistics Command Maritime – sustainment of maritime capabilities

  • Equipment Management Group – sustainment of non-platform capabilities

  • Supply Chain – sustaining the supply chain

  • Shared Services – delivery of enabling shared services e.g., travel, housing, hospitality

• Communication Information Systems Group

• Defence Estate & Infrastructure

NZDF will engage with industry for:

• Design and development (including research and development commensurate with the level of risk).

• Outcome based services.

• Medium to very high scale or risk projects (led, by MoD) .

• All lower scale capability projects, sustainment and routine sourcing and procurement of goods and services.

• Storage, transportation and distribution (goods and people).

• Maintenance, repair and overhaul.

• Disposal of materiel.

• Construction, maintenance, operation and other uses of facilities and infrastructure.

• Medical, health and dental support.

• Security of information, assets and personnel.

• Dialogue to address technical expertise and operational/project delivery capacity.

How NZDF engages:

There are a multitude of channels available to industry to remain informed and enable continued engagement with the Ministry of Defence and the NZDF. This table highlights the acquisition and procurement responsibilities across Defence. Defence personnel employed in the areas shown routinely engage with industry.

To make optimal capability investment and procurement decisions, early access to market information and risk is required. Early engagement will allow risk-based decisions enabling NZDF to be a smart customer and provide industry with the insight it needs to provide solutions.

Early engagement will also foster and encourage innovation and support better decision-making. NZDF encourages industry to initiate early engagement and offer NZDF Industry generated solutions in anticipation of future requirements and challenges. 

Procurement opportunities:

The Defence Commercial Services (DCS) team lead the following procurement functions:

• Provide professional commercial expertise to the NZDF to support its ‘end-to-end’ procurement needs.

• Provide procurement assurance (as directed by Cabinet) to the Chief of the Defence Force in accordance with Government Procurement Rules.

• Participate in the wider Government procurement function, ensuring Government policies on procurement are implemented and tracked e.g. Broader social outcomes, 5% target for Maori business involvement.

• Are responsible at the strategic level for the wider commercial function e.g. all contract and supplier relationships as measured by the Procurement Capability Index (PCI).

Formal procurement opportunities, are published on the following procurement sites:

• Government Electronic Tenders Service (GETS): - for Government contract opportunities.

• NZDF Procurement: – for conducting NZDF procurement activities.

• New Zealand Government Procurement – for Government procurement principles and rules. 

Industry Associations

NZDF is engaged with several industry associations, the New Zealand Defence Industry Association (NZDIA) is the lead partner association.        

Trade events

Personnel from the NZDF attend industry events across the country to build relationships with industry to inform business decisions. The main New Zealand event where engagement between NZDF and industry occurs is the regular New Zealand Defence Industry Association members meetings which are physical or virtual depending on circumstances. 

In the current COVID environment the attendance of international events has been curtailed and NZDF personnel are where possible attending virtual events hosted across the globe.

Government partners: 

NZDF is engaged with the following Government agencies: 

• Callaghan Innovation  

• Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment 

• New Zealand Trade and Enterprise  

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade  

• New Zealand Police 

• Department of Corrections 

• Ministry of Primary Industries 

• New Zealand Customs

Security Requirements:

Your business may need to be accredited by the Defence Industry Security Programme (DISP) to ensure you meet New Zealand Government and New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) security requirements.

Any of your people working with anything classified must be personally vetted by either the New Zealand Police or the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service for a security clearance to ensure they meet the same standards as NZDF personnel.