Winning Australian government contracts can transform your business. With the Commonwealth spending over $70 billion annually on procurement, there's enormous opportunity for businesses of all sizes. This comprehensive guide will show you exactly how to find and win government tenders through AusTender.

What is AusTender?

AusTender is the official Australian Government procurement portal, managed by the Department of Finance. It's where all Commonwealth agencies publish their tender opportunities, from small purchases to multi-billion dollar contracts. You can access it at tenders.gov.au.

Understanding Tender Types

Before you start bidding, understand the three main procurement methods:

Request for Tender (RFT): Open competitive processes where any qualified supplier can submit a response. These typically involve larger contracts and more detailed evaluation criteria.

Request for Quote (RFQ): Simpler procurement processes, often for lower-value contracts or when approaching suppliers on existing panels. Faster turnaround but usually requires panel membership.

Approach to Market (ATM): The umbrella term for any opportunity published on AusTender. Always check the specific procurement method within the ATM documentation.

Setting Up Your AusTender Account

To receive notifications and submit tenders, you'll need to register. Here's how:

1. Go to tenders.gov.au and click 'Register'
2. Choose 'Supplier Registration'
3. Complete your ABN verification
4. Set up your business profile with capabilities
5. Configure email alerts for relevant UNSPSC codes

Finding Relevant Opportunities

The key to success is finding the right opportunities. Use these strategies:

UNSPSC Codes: The United Nations Standard Products and Services Code categorises all procurement. Identify codes matching your services and set up alerts.

Keyword Searches: Search for terms specific to your industry. Be creative—government agencies might use different terminology than the private sector.

Agency Targeting: Focus on agencies aligned with your capabilities. Defence, Services Australia, and major infrastructure agencies have substantial procurement budgets.

What Evaluators Look For

Government evaluators assess tenders against published criteria, typically including:

• Demonstrated capability and relevant experience
• Understanding of requirements
• Proposed methodology and approach
• Key personnel qualifications
• Risk management strategies
• Value for money (not just lowest price)
• Compliance with mandatory requirements

Tips for Winning Bids

Answer every requirement: Address each evaluation criterion explicitly. Use the same numbering and structure as the tender documentation.

Provide evidence: Back up claims with case studies, testimonials, and quantifiable outcomes. 'We've delivered 15 similar projects' is stronger than 'We have extensive experience.'

Check compliance first: Many bids are rejected on compliance grounds before evaluation even begins. Meet all mandatory requirements, formatting guidelines, and submission deadlines.

Using AI to Improve Your Bids

Modern AI tools like Respondo can dramatically improve your tender success rate by:

• Automatically extracting and organising requirements from tender documents
• Generating compliant response drafts based on your company's past work
• Checking for compliance gaps before submission
• Creating professional formatting that matches government expectations

Resources

• AusTender Portal: tenders.gov.au
• Commonwealth Procurement Rules: finance.gov.au/procurement
• Supplier Connect (Defence): business.gov.au/cdic

Ready to streamline your tender process? Respondo's AI-powered platform helps Australian businesses create winning government bids in a fraction of the time.