The Bribery Prevention Network (BPN) is a Collective Action public-private partnership that brings together corporate, civil society and government organisations with the shared goal of supporting Australian businesses to prevent, detect and address bribery and corruption and promote a culture of compliance.

The initiative focuses on strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) awareness of bribery and corruption risk. While larger companies often have dedicated resources to stay up-to-date with new legal requirements and best practices, SMEs are at risk of being left behind to navigate an increasingly complex myriad of foreign and domestic anti-bribery regimes.

The BPN is giving Australian SMEs the tools and networks they need to combat bribery and corruption and build cultures of integrity.

The BPN is led by a Steering Committee of representatives from the Australia-Africa Minerals and Energy Group, Australian Federal Police, Allens Linklaters, ANZ, Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, BHP, Commonwealth Bank, KPMG, Minerals Council of Australia, NAB, Transparency International Australia and Westpac. Secretariat support is provided by the UN Global Compact Network Australia.

The BPN is the first Collective Action initiative of its kind in Australia to combine the practical experience and expertise of law enforcement, policy makers, civil society and large and small companies to promote and empower SMEs to adopt a preventative approach to bribery and corruption.

While the initial focus of the BPN has been on assisting Australian SMEs, the BPN Collective Action model and curated collection of resources has the potential to be replicated in other countries and across related subject matter, including business and human rights.