AusTender Complete Guide: Finding and Winning Federal Tenders

AusTender is the Australian Government’s central procurement portal. Managed by the Department of Finance, it’s the mandatory publishing platform for Commonwealth approaches to market above specified thresholds. If you want to supply to the federal government, mastering AusTender is essential.

What Is AusTender?

AusTender serves as the single source of truth for Commonwealth Government procurement information. It publishes:

• Approaches to Market (ATMs): Current tender opportunities from all Commonwealth agencies
• Multi-Use Lists (MULs): Standing arrangements for pre-qualified suppliers
• Contract Notices (CNs): Published details of awarded contracts, including supplier, value, and duration
• Planned Procurements: Forward notice of upcoming procurement activities

The portal is free to use and doesn’t require registration to search and view published information. However, registering an account is necessary to receive email notifications, respond to tenders, and manage your supplier profile.

Creating Your AusTender Account

To register on AusTender:

1. Navigate to the AusTender website and select “Register”.
2. Provide your business details including ABN, business name, contact information, and primary industry codes.
3. Set your notification preferences — the UNSPSC (United Nations Standard Products and Services Code) categories you want to receive alerts for.
4. Complete your supplier profile with your capabilities, experience, and certifications.

Your supplier profile is visible to Commonwealth agencies, so treat it as a marketing document. A complete, professional profile can help agencies find you for limited tenders where they’re approaching the market directly rather than publishing an open ATM.

Searching for Opportunities on AusTender

AusTender’s search functionality allows you to filter opportunities by:

• Keywords: Search by terms in the ATM title and description
• UNSPSC codes: Filter by product/service category codes
• Agency: Filter by the publishing Commonwealth entity
• State/territory: Filter by the location where services are required
• ATM type: Filter by type (open tender, limited tender, multi-use list)
• Status: Active ATMs, closed ATMs, or all
• Date range: Filter by publication or closing date

Tips for effective searching:

Use multiple search terms because agencies describe similar services differently. A “website development” service might be listed under “ICT professional services”, “digital platform development”, or “application development”. Create several saved searches with different keyword combinations.

Search by UNSPSC code rather than (or in addition to) keywords. UNSPSC provides a standardised classification that catches opportunities regardless of how they’re described. Identify all relevant codes for your business — you may be surprised by how many categories apply.

Don’t rely solely on the title. Some ATM titles are generic (e.g., “Professional Services Panel”) while the detailed requirements are highly specific. Use broad searches and review the details of each result.

Understanding UNSPSC Codes

The United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC) is a hierarchical classification system used by AusTender to categorise procurement opportunities. The system has four levels:

• Segment (2-digit): Broad category (e.g., 80 = Management and Business Professionals)
• Family (4-digit): Narrower category (e.g., 8011 = Human Resources Services)
• Class (6-digit): Specific type (e.g., 801115 = Temporary staffing services)
• Commodity (8-digit): Most specific level

To find the right codes for your business, use the UNSPSC search tool on AusTender or the official UNSPSC website. Select codes at the class or family level for notification purposes — this gives you broader coverage without excessive noise.

Setting Up Email Notifications

AusTender’s email notification system is one of its most valuable features. Once registered, you can configure alerts based on:

• UNSPSC codes matching your products/services
• Specific agencies you want to monitor
• Location preferences
• ATM types (open tender, MUL, etc.)

Review your notification settings regularly. If you’re receiving too many irrelevant alerts, narrow your UNSPSC codes. If you’re missing opportunities, broaden them. Many businesses supplement AusTender’s notifications with third-party alert services for additional filtering and cross-portal coverage.

Reading and Responding to ATMs

When you find a relevant ATM on AusTender, here’s how to approach it:

1. Download the documentation. ATM documentation typically includes the Request for Tender (RFT) document, evaluation criteria, draft contract, pricing schedules, and any annexures or specifications.

2. Register your interest. Some ATMs require you to register as an interested party to receive addenda and clarification responses. Even if not mandatory, registering ensures you stay informed of any changes.

3. Note key dates. Record the closing date and time (late submissions are rejected), any briefing session dates, clarification question deadlines, and the expected contract start date.

4. Review the evaluation criteria. Understand what will be assessed, the relative weightings, and any mandatory requirements. This is your guide for structuring your response.

5. Attend briefings. If an industry briefing or site visit is offered, attend. These provide valuable context that helps you prepare a stronger response.

6. Submit clarification questions. If anything is unclear, submit questions through AusTender’s Q&A function. Responses are shared with all interested parties.

7. Prepare and submit your response. Follow the tender’s submission instructions precisely. AusTender has an electronic lodgement system for uploading your response files.

Mining the Contract Notice Register

The Contract Notice (CN) register is an underused intelligence goldmine. Every Commonwealth contract above the reporting threshold is published with:

• The supplier’s name
• The contract value
• The contract duration and extension options
• The agency and its purpose
• The procurement method used

Use CNs to:

• Identify incumbents. Know who currently holds the contract you’re tendering for. Understanding the incumbent’s strengths helps you differentiate your offering.
• Understand market rates. CN values give you a sense of what the government pays for specific services, helping you calibrate your pricing.
• Track expiring contracts. Contracts nearing expiry will need to be re-tendered. Monitoring expiry dates gives you advance notice of upcoming opportunities.
• Identify agencies that buy your services. Search CNs by UNSPSC code to discover agencies you might not have considered.

Multi-Use Lists and Panels

Multi-Use Lists (MULs) are standing arrangements where pre-qualified suppliers can be invited to quote on specific requirements without a full open tender. Getting on relevant MULs is one of the most effective strategies for winning Commonwealth Government work.

MUL opportunities are published on AusTender like other ATMs, but they’re typically open for a limited period (often with periodic reopening). Once on a MUL, you may receive invitations to quote on specific requirements — these are often shorter turnaround processes with less competition than open tenders.

Monitor AusTender for MUL openings in your categories and apply promptly when they become available.

Beyond AusTender: Complementary Resources

While AusTender is the primary Commonwealth portal, complement it with:

• State tender portals: State opportunities are published on separate portals — see our state-by-state guides for details.
• Agency-specific portals: Some Commonwealth agencies have their own procurement portals or supplier registration systems in addition to AusTender.
• Tender alert services: Services like Australia Tender Alerts aggregate opportunities from AusTender and state portals, applying AI-powered filtering to surface the most relevant opportunities for your business.

For a comprehensive approach to finding opportunities, see our guide to finding government tenders across all Australian portals.