The short answerAusTender is the Australian Government's tender site. It publishes opportunities and contract notices valued at or above $10,000. Australian Government buyers follow the Commonwealth Procurement Rules, which focus on value for money. From 17 November 2025 the non construction threshold for non corporate Commonwealth entities rose to $125,000, and below it these entities only invite Australian businesses for non panel procurement.
What AusTender does
- Publishes approaches to market and contract notices
- Lets you register for alerts that match your business
- Lets you download documents and lodge responses
- Shows who won past contracts and their value
Source: business.gov.au.
Rules that matter to suppliers
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Core test | Value for money |
| Non construction threshold (non corporate entities) | $125,000, from 17 November 2025 |
| Construction services threshold | $7.5 million including GST |
| Below threshold, non panel | Only Australian businesses invited |
Sources: Department of Finance; construction threshold guidance.
Tips
- Use contract notices to see what agencies buy and who wins.
- Look at panels relevant to your work.
- Small businesses won 26,975 Australian Government contracts worth $5.9 billion in 2024 to 25 (Department of Finance).
Using contract notices for research
- Search contract notices for your category.
- Note which agencies buy, how often and at what value.
- Note contract end dates; the next tender often follows.
- See who wins and what that tells you about the market.
A simple weekly AusTender routine
- Save searches for your categories and regions so new approaches to market reach your inbox.
- Read the summary of each new notice and drop anything outside your capacity or licences.
- For the rest, download the documents and check closing time, conditions for participation and any panel requirement.
- Look at past contract notices from the same agency to see who has won similar work and at what scale.
- Put the go or no go decision in your calendar within two days, so the tender period is not wasted.
Questions
Is AusTender free?
Yes. Registering, alerts and downloads are free.
Do state tenders appear on AusTender?
No. States and territories use their own portals.
What is an approach to market on AusTender?
Any request an Australian Government entity publishes to suppliers, such as a request for tender or request for quote.