L-R: David Shaw, Curt Blakey, Ashenef Walsh, Andrew Kong, Brad Francis, Nirit Marom and Lani Levi
Edith Cowan University (ECU) has been announced as the winner of the 2026 Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Award in the Public Procurement Project of the Year category.
The CIPS Award is one of the most prestigious procurement awards in the profession, recognising organisations that have demonstrated excellence, innovation and outstanding outcomes in delivering complex public procurement projects. The competition was run across 16 teams and three individual categories.
This year attracted a record number of award submissions, with all entries independently assessed by a panel of expert judges, making this achievement particularly significant.
The Public Procurement Project of the Year category recognises projects demonstrating the role of procurement in the public sector, specifically addressing best practice, as well as challenges and roadblocks specific to the public sector.
As part of their submission, the team used the ECU City Campus Project as a case study to demonstrate how Strategic Procurement delivered exceptional value beyond traditional procurement outcomes. The submission highlighted the innovative procurement approach: strong governance, effective stakeholder collaboration, social procurement initiatives, Indigenous participation, supplier engagement and risk management, culminating in the successful delivery of one of Western Australia's largest and most significant infrastructure projects.
"This award is a fantastic recognition of the exceptional work our Procurement team has delivered, and I couldn't be prouder of what they've achieved," said Chief Financial Officer, Mr Brad Francis.
"Winning a CIPS Award in such a competitive field reflects the expertise, collaboration and commitment our people bring to every project. The ECU City Campus is a landmark development, and this recognition highlights how Strategic Procurement can create value far beyond the procurement process itself. It's a testament not only to our team, but to the strong partnerships we've built across the University and with our project partners to deliver outstanding outcomes for ECU," said Associate Director, Financial Innovation and Head of ECU Procurement, Mr Andrew Kong.
The award is a significant national recognition of ECU's procurement capability and reinforces its position as a procurement leader within the higher education sector.
In a further win, ECU Strategic Procurement was recently ranked number 1 out of 40 Australian universities in the biennial procurement benchmarking commissioned by Higher Education Services in partnership with the Australian University Procurement Network. This independent assessment recognises ECU's procurement operating model as a leading practice across the Australian higher education sector, reflecting the strength of its governance, strategic approach, and continuous commitment to excellence.
