Public Money, Public Good: Why Procurement Rules Matter for Digital Equity

At first glance, government procurement might not seem like a frontline issue in the fight to close the digital divide. But right now, the Government is consulting on new rules for how public agencies spend billions of dollars — and if we care about digital equity, we need to be paying attention.

These new rules set the expectations for who gets funded, who gets seen, and what kind of impact public money is expected to deliver. And while the consultation makes the usual nods to “broader outcomes,” it largely misses the opportunity to centre digital inclusion, community capability, or workforce pathways.

This is a lever we can pull — but only if we name it, shape it, and push for it.

Procurement Is a Digital Equity Tool

Too often, government procurement - especially in digital tech - favours large incumbents, global platforms, and the status quo. Community-based, kaupapa-driven, and social-impact-led organisations struggle to compete — even when they’re delivering real results at the coalface of digital inclusion.

What if we flipped the script? What if public procurement:

• Prioritised social and digital equity outcomes alongside technical specs?

• Supported Māori and community-led digital initiatives?

• Required workforce development, including entry-level jobs and pathways into the sector?

• Embedded data sovereignty, public access, and open standards into contracts?

• Mandated that data and IP generated through public money stay in public hands?

This isn’t about box-ticking, it’s about aligning procurement with the public good, something that is completely within the governments control to influence.

Four Shifts We Can Make

From the consultation and global thinking on digital challenges including equity, sovereignty and employment - here are four practical changes Aotearoa could make right now:

1. Public Data for Public Good
   Ensure data collected through publicly funded digital services remains accessible, editable, and owned by the public. Let’s stop building one-way pipelines into private platforms.

2. Procurement as a Force for Equity
   Include clear digital equity criteria in government tenders. Prioritise suppliers with proven impact in underserved communities — and with plans to co-design, include, and empower.

3. Grow Our Workforce Through Contracts
   Require government suppliers to create entry-level digital roles, offer internships, or deliver training and mentoring as part of their contract delivery. Procurement can and should help grow our own capabilities and create jobs.

4. Transparency Around Influence and Access
   Shine a light on who’s shaping the procurement landscape. That means greater transparency around partnerships, corporate influence, and preferred supplier lists — especially in public digital infrastructure.

What’s Next

The DECA team is preparing a submission to this consultation — and we want to make sure the voice of digital equity is heard.

We believe procurement isn’t just a back-office function. It’s one of the most powerful tools we have to shape a system that reflects our values — fairness, inclusion, and public good. This is one of those “boring but powerful” systems that shape who gets access, who gets funded, and who gets left out. Let’s not sleep on it.