Home › News & Insights › A member saw a gap, we closed it together for everyone’s benefit

A member saw a gap, we closed it together for everyone’s benefit

2 June 2026

Case Studies

Joanne Barrow
Head of Marketing

When ahs premier facilities (part of RGF Staffing ANZ) identified a critical gap in our portal’s procurement workflow, we didn’t just listen – we built a solution together in two weeks. Here’s how it happened, and why it matters for everyone on the Social Traders Member Portal. Photo: Enable Australia

Getting ready before the contract lands

ahs premier facilities (part of RGF Staffing ANZ) came to Social Traders with a challenge, but it wasn’t a complaint – it was an opportunity. The team at ahs premier facilities had recognised that the existing “Post an Opportunity” feature in the Social Traders member portal, while useful, stopped short of what a serious buyer needs: a structured way to pre-screen certified social enterprises before a contract lands on their desk.

The reality of procurement in this space is unforgiving on timing. Corporate members often have just two to four weeks between winning a bid and beginning delivery. That window must accommodate promotion of the work required, response collection, screening, and onboarding of suppliers. For many engagements, that’s simply not achievable without a head start.

“This is exactly the kind of collaboration we hope for with our members. ahs premier facilities didn’t just flag a problem, they invested in creating a solution with us, that now serves the entire Social Traders member community. The new EOI capability transforms our portal from a listing service into a genuine two-way procurement platform, and that strengthens every relationship we facilitate.” — Tara Anderson, CEO at Social Traders

A unique partnership model

What made this engagement distinctive was how it came together. Social Traders acknowledged the value of the feature, but with a full product roadmap already in motion, the work wasn’t positioned to happen imminently. ahs premier facilities, recognising the broader value of the solution for all buyers, offered to co-fund the development to bring it forward into this financial year.

Crucially, ahs premier facilities also endorsed sharing the feature with the wider Social Traders membership, a generous and forward-looking decision that reflects their commitment to the ecosystem, not just their own workflows.

From scoping to delivery, the Social Traders team turned the new feature around in two weeks.

"We knew this wasn’t just a problem for us. Any buyer working to tight timelines needs a reliable pool of pre-qualified suppliers. By partnering with Social Traders to fund and shape this feature, we’ve helped build something that makes the whole platform stronger with added value. That’s an investment we’re proud to have made." — Liam McFadden, Strategic Bid Manager at ahs premier facilities

A new feature live EOI

This partnership has enabled the Expression of Interest (EOI) opportunity type within the Social Traders member portal. It’s a complete in-portal workflow that replaces the previous reliance on external forms, email chains, and spreadsheets.

For buyers, it means being able to build a customised screening questionnaire with optional evidence requirements to any question, such as an insurance certificate or a policy document. Standard platform sections are included automatically, and custom sections from a buyer’s most recent EOI are carried forward to save setup time on repeat use.

For certified social enterprises, the experience is equally considered. The application flow is step-by-step and fully in-portal, with supplier profile fields pre-populated from existing account data to reduce repetitive data entry.

Buyers can then review every application individually, toggle a shortlist, and export structured data, either as a full CSV or a shortlisted subset, for offline review and decision-making.

As part of its broader supplier and social procurement strategy, ahs premier facilities will use the new EOI functionality to build a national, pre-qualified supplier ecosystem that supports genuine long-term partnership opportunities across its operations.

“We invite prospective social enterprises to connect with us through our published EOI, providing both an opportunity to apply and get a firsthand look at how this new portal feature operates in practice.” — Liam McFadden, Strategic Bid Manager at ahs premier facilities

Through the Social Traders member portal, ahs premier facilities aim to expand engagement with Indigenous-owned businesses, social enterprises, veteran-owned suppliers and regional SMEs, creating clearer pathways for suppliers to participate in commercial cleaning and associated service opportunities.

The initiative aligns with RGF’s Reconciliation Action Plan commitments, supporting measurable social procurement outcomes while reducing barriers to entry through a simplified, partnership-led onboarding approach. By leveraging Social Traders member portal's new structured screening and supplier management capabilities, ahs premier facilities is focused on building scalable, inclusive supply chains that support both operational delivery and community impact.

As part of RGF Staffing ANZ, ahs premier facilities are committed to making a positive contribution to the community. They’re focused on having a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that aligns their employees with the international guest clientele, fosters greater employee satisfaction and has proven to improve business performance.

Why this matters beyond just one member

The EOI feature was designed from the outset as a platform-wide capability, not a custom workaround. Social Traders members can now use it to pre-screen suppliers easier. It replaces ad-hoc emails and spreadsheet workflows with a consistent, structured process that produces comparable, exportable data.

The broader benefit is a meaningful shift in what the portal can do: it moves from a one-way opportunity listing into a genuine two-way procurement workflow, where corporate buyers and certified social enterprises interact through structured, transparent processes.

That’s a stronger platform for everyone and it started with one member asking the right question and open to collaborating and supporting the feature improvement.

We encourage Social Traders members to continue providing feedback and get in touch if there’s a solution you’re wanting to explore for your business needs. Chances are, your idea could benefit the wider community and help scale social value together.

Want to know more about Social Traders Member Portal?

Explore more

Brandkind