Tenders
Australian government tenders
Each level of government publishes its own. Here is where to look, what the notices mean, and what to send us when you find one.
Where tenders are published
Most portals let you browse for free. You usually need a free account on the portal to download the documents and to be told about changes.
| Who buys | Official portal | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Federal | AusTender | Commonwealth agencies. Closing times are in ACT local time. |
| NSW | buy.nsw | NSW Government agencies. |
| VIC | Buying for Victoria | Victorian Government departments and agencies. |
| QLD | QTenders | Queensland Government. No daylight saving in Queensland. |
| WA | Tenders WA | Western Australian Government. |
| SA | SA Tenders and Contracts | South Australian Government. |
| TAS | Tasmanian Government Tenders | Tasmanian Government. |
| ACT | ACT Government Tenders | ACT Government directorates. |
| NT | Tenders Online | Northern Territory Government quotes and tenders. |
Why no list of open tenders here? AusTender's terms don't allow its notices to be copied onto other sites, so we send you to the official portals instead.
Words you'll see
- ATM, approach to market
- AusTender's name for any tender notice.
- RFT, request for tender
- A full bid: written responses, pricing and documents.
- RFQ, request for quote
- Usually smaller and faster, often price-led.
- EOI or ROI
- Expression or registration of interest. Often stage one, and only the shortlist is invited to tender.
- Panel or standing offer
- A list of approved suppliers that agencies buy from for years. Miss the panel and you wait for the next one.
- Conditions for participation
- The must-haves. Fail one and the bid is excluded before it's scored.
- Addenda
- Changes to the documents after release. Register on the portal so you get them.
- Closing time
- Late bids are generally not accepted. Lodge a few hours early.
Ask for a free bid/no-bid memo
Paste the link to the tender. If the documents sit behind a portal login, attach nothing here: we'll reply and ask you to forward them.
- Free, with no obligation to buy anything.
- We read the tender's own documents, not a summary.
- If the answer is don't bid, we say so.