Our standard
Every supplier is checked against this standard before seeing what a buyer needs, and so is every buyer.
What we check on a supplier
- ABN. Active, and its GST status recorded. Pass when: Active on the Australian Business Register. The entity name matches the business we are dealing with. Re-checked: annually.
- Company status. Not deregistered and not in external administration. Pass when: ASIC shows the company registered, and not in external administration. Re-checked: annually.
- Licences the category requires. A labour hire licence where the state or territory requires one (currently Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and the ACT; New South Wales has no scheme). A security master licence, trade licences, and an environment protection licence where the work needs one. Healthcare staffing needs that labour hire licence too. The agency also confirms its workers hold current AHPRA registration or NDIS worker screening where the role needs it. Pass when: Every licence their categories and jurisdictions require is current, and in their own name. Checked against the issuing register. Re-checked: at expiry.
- Insurance. A current certificate where the category calls for one. Pass when: A current certificate for public liability. Workers compensation too, where they employ people. Re-checked: before expiry.
- Website and public reviews. That the business is operating and does what it says it does. Pass when: A working website for the same business as the ABN. No pattern of unresolved serious complaints in public reviews. Re-checked: annually.
Some checks do not apply to every supplier. A sole trader has no ASIC record, and not every category is licensed. Where a check does not apply, we record that with the reason, and it counts as clear. A check we have not done never counts as clear.
Anything that cannot be settled automatically goes to a person, who decides. A supplier that fails a check is told which one.
A supplier sees nothing about what a buyer needs until every check on this list is recorded against it.
What buyers have to meet
- A private-sector business with an active ABN.
- A senior person who makes or shapes the decision.
- Genuinely reviewing the category they have ticked, with a declared annual spend band.
- We do not take government buyers.
What leads to removal
- A check that fails or lapses and is not put right.
- Contacting a buyer outside TLK.
- Repeatedly not turning up to meetings.
What this standard is not
These checks reduce risk. They are not a promise about quality, capability, price or fit.
Raising a concern
If something here has not been applied properly, email hello@tlksource.com.au and we will answer.
Last updated 26 September 2026.