Why it’s time to consider smaller consultancy agencies

In recent times, large consultancies in Australia have come under significant scrutiny. The recent Federal budget included a $1 billion cut on consultancy costs, highlighting the government's efforts to reduce reliance on big firms like PWC and KPMG. Issues such as the PWC tax scandal have further led to calls for greater accountability and stronger evaluation on how procurements benefits Australian communities.

As a result of this, a set of changes aimed at strengthening procurements processes became active as of 1 July 2024. These changes are designed to uphold suppliers to high standards and to benefit small businesses - which make up over 90% of all Australian businesses and provide direct benefits to the Australian economy rather than supporting offshore shareholders.  

The changes include:

• Increasing the target proportion to source from small businesses from 20% to 25% for contracts over $1billion and 35% to 40% for contracts below $20m

• Including a Supplier Code of Conduct outlining the minimum expectations for suppliers who enter into contract with the Commonwealth government

• Making it easier for government to access small businesses by raising the threshold for direct engagement from $200k to $500k

As the Practice Manager of a small consultancy, I believe that smaller agencies can not only match, but often exceed the quality and effectiveness of the services that larger firms can provide. Here are six reasons why our small, regional Queensland-based consultancy may be a better choice for your next project:

1. Direct involvement of directors

In our consultancy, directors and senior consultants are involved in every stage of the project, not just the initial setup. This means clients benefit from the extensive experience and senior-level skills throughout the project’s duration. This means our clients have continuous access to passionate experts with a proven track record.

2. Deep content knowledge

We are a small team of like-minded yet diverse people. We only take on projects related to issues we care about. This allows us to stay small and build specific content knowledge and expertise in complex topic areas —such as social policy, accessibility and inclusion, or justice and human rights. Being a small team means our clients can trust that the individuals involved have significant and relevant content knowledge, which is often crucial to considering the context and nuances of a new project.

3. Skills-based, not account-based

We pride ourselves on being a skills-based agency. Our multi-disciplinary in-house team has expertise across communication, creative design, production, research and behaviour change. So instead of embedding one or two generalists within a project team, we bring in our specialists as needed – this ensures that the right skills and expertise are available when needed the most, offering better and more efficient outcomes for our clients.

4. Agility and innovation

Our smaller size allows us to be highly agile and innovative. We can quickly adapt to changing project needs and circumstances, responding with the appropriate resources without the red tape of larger companies. This flexibility is crucial in delivering high-value projects within urgent timeframes.  

5. Trusted networks of suppliers and partners

Our unique model of partnering and subcontracting with organisations that have deep content expertise and established sector networks helps us to scale up for larger communication and engagement projects. Moreover, this approach ensures that under-represented groups—including people from diverse backgrounds, lower socio-economic backgrounds, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people with disabilities—have a voice and can influence the policies and programs designed to support them. Including a diverse supply chain and collaborating with trusted partners is a key point of difference in our approach to deliver value for our clients, and was recognised in 2023, when we won the Buy QLD award.

6. Flexible pricing and deliverables

Unlike other larger consultancies, particularly those publicly listed, our pricing and deliverables are not strictly driven by financial metrics. As a purpose-driven B Corp, we focus on delivering value and impact. This flexibility allows us to tailor our services to meet client needs more effectively, providing high-quality outcomes without the burden of rigid pricing structures and financial constraints.

Our small consultancy has the capability and experience to support large-scale communication, engagement and social research projects. To see the extensive work we accomplished in 2023, see our 2023 Annual Snapshot.

Don’t just take my word for it—check out our case studies or reach out to us to learn more about how we can support your next project.