We’re hosting Supply Chain Connect on 23 April 2026 in Muswellbrook to give Hunter businesses direct access to the people delivering major renewable energy and infrastructure projects across the region.
This is a one-day forum designed around short, targeted meetings rather than open networking or exhibition formats. We’ve kept the structure simple and intentional. No booths. No panels. Just 10 minutes with the right person.
Each meeting is pre-matched to your business capability, so the time you spend in the room is focused on relevant conversations.
Bringing buyers into the room
We know that one of the biggest barriers for local suppliers is getting in front of the right people at the right time. Instead of businesses spending months trying to navigate procurement pathways, we’re bringing those contacts into a single, structured setting.
Instead of spending months trying to find the right person at the right company, we’re doing our best to try and bring them to you, in a single day of curated one-to-one conversations matched to what your business does.
Confirmed buyer organisations include project teams working on the Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub with Orica, the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone network infrastructure with John Holland and Ausgrid, and the Muswellbrook Solar Farm with Bouygues Construction Australia, along with a further project involving Genus Infrastructure NSW.
Each of these buyers has prepared a project brief outlining timelines and capability needs, which we use to guide the matching process.
Creating space for early conversations
A key part of how we’ve designed Supply Chain Connect is timing. These meetings take place before formal procurement opens, when conversations are still centred on needs rather than fixed specifications.
That gives suppliers the chance to present how they work, offer alternative approaches, and contribute to how work packages may be structured.
All meetings are private, with no competing conversations in the same space. This creates a more practical environment for open discussion and direct contact exchange.
How the day will run
We match suppliers to buyers based on capability, using your Capability Quad Chart as the primary input.
On the day, you can expect three to five meetings, each running for ten minutes with a short transition between sessions. You’ll receive a personalised run sheet in advance, along with a project summary booklet to help you prepare.
The intent is not just to facilitate introductions, but to support ongoing relationships between suppliers and project teams beyond the event.
How to apply
Participation is limited and based on capability fit.
To apply, you’ll need to complete three steps: list your business on the New.E Capability Directory, submit your expression of interest by 4 April, and provide your Capability Quad Chart by 9 April.
We use this information to match suppliers with the most relevant buyers, ensuring the time spent in meetings is well aligned.
Who should apply
Supply Chain Connect is open to businesses that are based in the Hunter, employ people locally, or are looking to establish a workforce presence in the region.
We’re looking to hear from suppliers working across renewable energy generation, storage, transmission and enabling infrastructure, along with civil, electrical, mechanical and professional services.
We also have a dedicated buyer stream available for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses on the day.
Connecting capability to upcoming work
This forum is designed to create a more direct link between local capability and the projects shaping the Hunter’s energy transition.
By structuring access to buyers and focusing on early-stage conversations, we’re aiming to support practical connections that can carry through into future work packages and delivery models across the region.
