Provision of Lease Facility (Panel of Financiers)

The Department of Education (the Department) requires a centralised leasing facility (Facility) to enable public schools across Western Australia to obtain finance for the acquisition of essential equipment sourced through the Department of Treasury and Finance’s Common Use Arrangements (CUAs), Departmental contracts and other compliant procurement processes. The Department intends to establish a Panel of pre-qualified financiers to deliver lease-finance Services under the Facility. Under the proposed arrangement, the Department will continue to facilitate the procurement of equipment, while the Panel will provide the associated lease financing. The Facility will support the leasing of a broad range of equipment, including but not limited to: Audio visual equipment – interactive panels, smartboards and projectors; Business equipment – photocopiers, printers (standard and 3D) and related office equipment; Desktop and portable computing hardware (including notebooks, tablets, desktop computers and workstation devices); Intangibles – Software Licences, Maintenance, Tablet Storage Carts and cabling; Network equipment – routers, hubs, switches, Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), telephony and related infrastructure; Servers, data storage devices and other ICT equipment; and Non-CUA equipment (e.g. all-terrain vehicles, ride-on lawnmowers, buses, trucks and other machinery not available under CUAs). The Facility will operate as a centralised, Department-managed service, with all lease-finance activity coordinated through the Department’s Leasing Team. This approach ensures that leasing arrangements are established in accordance with the Buying Rules, while reducing the administrative burden on schools and maintaining appropriate governance and oversight. This longstanding leasing model enables the Department and schools to access contemporary equipment without the need for upfront capital expenditure. The Facility supports the ongoing provision of current technology for digital learning, assists with professional development initiatives such as the Department’s Notebooks for Teachers program, and enables the regular refresh of ICT assets to maintain operational capability and reduce obsolescence.